Log Date: 12/20/96 Log Cast: Leah, Kayalina, Jilayna, Tance, Aeric, Dreatha, Kesya, Salador Log Intro: After a conversation in the quarters of Kesya As'shoriah in which he has gained her assurance that she is indeed happy to shepherd him into the Ranges, Tance Vokrim leaves Kesya to sleep, and heads off to get his own rest in his bare quarters. When he awakens, he remembers to check his datapad... and finds waiting on it a reminder that he needs to go to the Hangar to wait for Kesya. Eager about the notion of finally returning to the Ranges yet nervous all the same, he packs up what little gear he has, and heads up to the Hangar to wait.... ---------- Leah steps out from the cramped interior of the airsled "Phantom Shadows." Leah has arrived. Kayalina emerges from the ready room with purpose. Kayalina has arrived. Leah looks at you for a moment. Jilayna comes out of the processing room, and strides purposefully into the hangar area. Jilayna has arrived. Leah rambles over to the wall, out of the way. Leah gazes up at the hangar status display for a moment. Jilayna wanders in, a frown forming on her face. Tance, off by another wall, is clinging with one hand to a battered cutter slung off one shoulder, and looking anxiously about the Hangar, brown eyes worried. His gaze comes round to skim over various faces as people go about their business on the open floor, but he stays where he is, apparently restless, even more apparently nervous. Karlia's sled has left. Still frowning, now even more so, Jila turns on her heels back into Sorting muttering something about missing cartons. Jilayna walks into the sorting area. Jilayna has left. Kayalina enters, glancing only briefly at the faces, and heads towards cargo. She glances at Tance once more and pause, "Tance?" Tance straightens, blinking, brow furrowing as he hears his name. Aeric emerges from the ready room with purpose. Aeric has arrived. Dreatha emerges from the ready room with purpose. Dreatha has arrived. Aeric glances around and waves, "Hey all.", friendly attitude, for being in the hangar. Dreatha waves to Kaya as she walks over to Corbin and exchanges a few words with him. Jilayna walks out of the sorting area into the hangar. Jilayna has arrived. Corbin nods to Dreatha and manipulates the machinery to unload the sled from the racks. Dreatha's sled has arrived. Leah smiles and waves to Aeric. Kayalina waves back to Dreatha, "Have fun singing Dreatha! Find some black!" Tance focuses on Kayalina, perplexed and slightly wary of gaze. "Do I know you?" he asks, gruffly. Leah ducks into the ready room, escaping from the swirling wind. Leah has left. Dreatha chuckles, "That would be nice... I'll be sure to let you know in the unlikely circumstance that happens." Kayalina turns back to Tance and sighs, "I guess it was hopeless to think you'd remember, I'm Kaya." Aeric walks to a terminal and registers himself as off-duty. Dreatha steps into the airsled "Bright Moon." Dreatha has left. Jilayna's eyes swivel at the mention of elusive black and sighs, "H'lo Aeric, Dree.."darn missed. Aeric waves as he steps into Dree's sled, "Hey jila... Off I go!" Aeric steps into the airsled "Bright Moon." Aeric has left. Tance shakes his head slowly, still with that furrowed brow. "Sorry," he mutters, sounding uncomfortable, shrugging the shoulder that isn't bearing the cutter. Kayalina looks at you for a moment. A vent opens in the side of sled 'Bright Moon' and you can hear rustlings inside. Jilayna raises a hand in an absent-minded g'bye and turns to Processing. Jilayna enters the processing room as the automatic door swings open for her. Jilayna has left. From sled 'Bright Moon', Aeric smiles, "Hey.. that's nifty....I can hear outside." From sled 'Bright Moon', With the flick of a switch, Dreatha turns the speaker off and you feel your ears pop slightly at the change in air pressure. The silence is enveloping. A vent closes in the side of sled 'Bright Moon' and you can no longer hear sounds within. Kayalina grins, "S'okay. I'm used to it with all these singers. Not that I knew them anyway. BArly remembered you myself, what did you do, take a bath? And a shave too it looks like." Sled Bright Moon rises upwards and hovers a moment before it speeds away. Dreatha's sled has left. Tance's brow furrows again, as this young woman who apparently does actually know him continues to linger in his vicinity. At her question, he blushes a bit, and looks uneasily away. "That strange when a man takes a bath?" he mumbles. Kayalina blinks, then blushes slightly, "That was rude of me, sorry. Guess I've lost my manners." She grins, "But somepeople around here have lost more then that, so I shouldn't complain." For a moment or two Tance warily considers that apology, then brusquely nods. "It's... it's alright, girlie," he finally mutters. Kayalina chuckles, "Girlie. Never been called that in my life. So what are you waiting here for? They let you back into the ranges yet?" Tance actually blushes a little -- much easier to see, with his face visible, whiskers gone. "Gotta be shepherded," he says, more or less in the direction of the cutter he's toting. Kayalina glances at the sleds, "Its kinda like a second.. never mind. So they finally got tired of you running around the headquarters?" "Ordered," mutters the man, tersely. But then, his face softens a little, gaze going a trifle absent, dreamy. "Green. Jade's gonna take me to green...." As if to emphasize his own words, or perhaps as if he's been reminding himself of this as he's waited here, Tance bobs his head slowly. Kayalina blinks, "Come again?" Kayalina seems to be waiting for something or someone. Tance looks more closely at you now, still something odd about his face -- he's not scowling, and it makes the color of his eyes more noticeable. He still looks vaguely disoriented, though, as he tells you, "Jade's green, and she's gonna take me to green, and... and she'll hafta remind me, gotta do it right, I gotta do it right..." Kayalina leans against the wall, head tilted slightly as she thinks about that. "The singer that is taking you out there, is Jade? And your crystal color is green? Or hers.. dosen't really matter I guess. I'm glad everything is finally going your way. It's not everyday you get a second chance." Tance blinkblinks confusedly for a moment, as if not quite following your inquiry, then he finally answers gruffly, "I sing green." Kayalina nods, "Thanks for clearing that up." She pauses, searching for another topic, "Well, So how are you?" Tance blinks again, then looks down at himself uncertainly, as if confused by the question. It takes him several moments of almost scowling, though more in concentration than any aggravation, before he answers slowly, "I... I don't know. I'm... different." Kesya emerges from the ready room with purpose. Kesya has arrived. Kesya strides out onto the Hangar floor, her cutter slung over her shoulder. Kayalina pauses, concerned, "Different?" Kayalina notices the singer and waves politly, "Looks like you get to be a singer again now Tance, Good luck." Tance, still looking down at his boot toes, gives a slow nod. "Different," he repeats, though not quite firmly. But at Kayalina's change in attention, he blinks and looks up. Kayalina gives Tance an encouraging pat on the shoulder and repeats, "Good luck Tance. Good singing, or whatever they say." At the sight of the green-skinned woman striding up, Tance Vokrim's face suddenly changes, subtly, but noticeably; an expression that might even be a smile flickers there for a moment, and his eyes lighten. Then Kayalina's pat distracts him, and he looks back, only to say in satisfaction, sounding like a child who's just discovered a grand secret of existence, "That's Jade." Kesya smiles affably as she spots Tance talking to the tuner, and makes her way over to the pair. After a nod of greeting in Kayalina's direction, she grins at her 'sheep'. "Hey Tance. Ready to go?" Salador's sled has arrived. A sled with 'Azure Falcon' spelled out in bright paint on the hull slides precariously in for a landing. Salador steps out from the cramped interior of the airsled "Azure Falcon" carrying a carton of crystal. Salador has arrived. Kayalina nods to Tance, "Have fun you guys. Don't strike it rich all at once." She starts of towards the shed with one last wave towards Kesya and Tance. Salador enters the processing room as the automatic door swings open for him. Salador has left. Tance's gaze brightens rather more at Kesya's hail, and he starts nodding rapidly, seemingly entranced. "We have to go to the green now... gonna cut the green...." He glances vaguely at Kayalina, as she goes, but keeps mumbling about 'green'. Kayalina walks into the sorting area. Kayalina has left. Kesya smiles in satisfaction, the Singer's mind set professionally on the task at hand. Positive determination in motion, she strides towards the sledtech desk and asks the tech on duty to bring down her sled. Tance trails after his shepherd, absent-eyed but still bobbing his head. "Green..." Kesya pauses by the entrance to the sled, her slim form silhoutted in the jet-black of her shipsuit. She's got her hair tied back too, the way she usually does when heading into the ranges, and she has an aura of excited expectation about her. No wonder, if she's been out of the Ranges for as long as she's indicated. "Well, if you're ready, so'm I. Let's be off." With that and an impish grin, she disappears inside. Kesya steps into the airsled "Twilight's Ambition." Kesya has left. Kesya's sled The recruit that slaved over this abused vessel did his job well. Despite the owner's attempt to fry the craft in electrical discharges in the ranges, the recruit has managed to pound the floor almost flat and scrape most of the burn marks from the walls. The cleaner removed and replaced most of the instrumentation, and obtained assistance in repairing the damage to the drive. The interior is clean, smelling only faintly of crisped plastic and cleaning fluid. This is a 2 person capacity sled. There is room in this sled for 8 cartons, 1 have been checked out. One of the special new engines has been installed, allowing for greater speeds. The console is on. The speaker is off. The auto-scanner is on. A small metal plate is fastened to the upper left corner, you can just make out "Twilight's Ambition" scratched into the surface. The weather is fine. A good day for flying. ( Type 'sled help' to see available commands. ) Contents: Kesya Tance climbs in after you, expression going awed. "It's... clean," he breathes. Kesya settles herself into one of the plush seats in the front, after securing her cutter into the brackets on the bulkhead. "Sure," she answers Tance quizically. "If it weren't, the recruits would end up having days of extra chores to pay for it." She winks, and flips a few switches on the console. Tance's forehead crinkles, and he mutters, "Forgot what it's like..." Then he starts a bit, as you stow your cutter; after a moment he moves to do the same, then trails after you to the other seat in the sled, looking at everything as though it were both familiar and brand new to him. Kesya's sled may not be brand new, but it looks close enough. She keeps the vehicle in prime condition, as she rationalizes that that may be what saves her life one day. An extensive triage kit can be seen in easy reach, and numerous compartments and storage areas in the sled are packed nearly with extra clothes and supplies, making an extended trip in the Ranges a viable option for the black-adapted Singer. Kesya straps herself into her seat, checks the console one more time, and looks at Tance expectantly. It's obvious she's waiting for him to do the same. Tance jerks his attention away from studying everything, and even touching surfaces within reach, with a tentative hand. He stares at you blankly for a moment, then his mouth makes a soundless 'oh', and he goes for the straps, then: fumblingly at first, then with more assurance, as though what to do quickly resurrects itself in his cognizance. Kesya casts the other Singer a smile. "I can see you remember that well enough. Usually here I go over some of the basics of what to do first in here. I know you know them all, but I'll mention a few anyway." She leans back, tapping the cutter brackets. "First, if we don't strap our cutters in, we could break 'em... and then we'd be rather out of luck. In a crash too they could get flicked on and break us if they aren't out of the way." She grins, and gestures to the console. "Console on, scanner on, we're strapped in... so we're ready to go." [Kesya takes the sled on out of the Hangar bay, and the vehicle begins to ascend.] Kesya shifts the control bar, and the sled turns to the right. Kesya nudges the control bar, speeding the sled up. [The sled begins to speed off to the southwest, quickly running up to its maximum speed.] Kesya adjusts the control bar. The nose of the craft falls and then levels out. Kesya adds, "Okay, once I'm between fifteen and twenty in altitude, it's good to flick on the stabilizer." She grins at you, "Keeps you from crashing. Your sled has one, right?" Kesya activates the stabilizer. Tance nods as you speak, muttering, "Strap in the cutters... don't crash, keep the sled nose up...." He looks up as the sled begins to rise and set off on its course, and he then blinks at you, plaintively. "I... I don't have a sled anymore..." [The sled speeds onward.] Kesya glances askance at the Singer, and snorts. "Hrmph. Well, you can get one added to the new one you'll be getting." Kesya's expression is a sly one as she adds, "It's usually considered 'extra', but I'm sure we can convince the techs that in your case, it's needed equipment." [After a time, Kesya begins to shift the control bar, left, left, right... once, she stops it, adjusting her course, before putting her craft back into motion and guiding it onward. And after a surprisingly short time, out the viewscreen, stake paint comes into view.] Tance blinkblinks as he realizes, aloud, "Fast... my sled wasn't fast..." He then peers back at you, and suddenly realizes further, "We're there already...?" Kesya nods, peering down at the claim below. "Actually, this is the yellow one... but I figured we could try it first. The vein, when I was there, seemed straightforward -- but I got the impression it could be cleaned out fast. The green you had to search for more, it came and went. Harder to cut." She grins over at you, "So we'll start here, sort of an introduction, and then move to the green. Like... the big test." She winks, "Particularly since it's your colour." Nevermind it's occured to her it's probably best not to fry the singer's neurons too much by letting him sing green right off the bat. [With careful precision, flying more slowly now, Kesya guides the sled in towards the painted area, towards a landing site.] Tance completely misses the joke about stabilizers being vital in any sled he's flying, as his face fills with disappointment, initially, at the news that there isn't green crystal here. But he finally nods, then blurts urgently to you, "You have to keep reminding me. You have to, so I won't forget...!" A buzzer goes off and the scanner light shows green, indicating that a landing spot has been found. Tance clings to the arms of the seat he's in, watching, eyes wide, as you maneuver the sled. Perhaps the notion of a machine that's able to keep a steady altitude amazes him, for the console grabs and holds his attention. Kesya stops the sled over the landing site, and looks questioningly at the other Singer. "Remind you you'll be singing green, you mean?" She frowns, not quite sure what the other singer is referring to. Kesya deactivates the stabilizer. "Why..." His voice comes out hoarsely; he then swallows, and hastens on, "Why we're here. Not my claim. Not mine. Don't let me forget, Jade. Please don't let me forget...." Kesya flicks off the stabilizer -- nonetheless, the sled stays right where Kesya has stopped it, over the site. The green-skinned singer gives Tance a sympathetic, concerned look, and reaches out to pat the arm that lays across the armrest. "I won't, Tance. I'll remind you we're shepherding. But it is yours you know," she insists earnestly. "You hadn't heard that I give my sheep the claim we shepherd on?" Tance blinks. Then stares at you, as round-eyed as he had at the picture you drew of him. "You... can't do that!" he cries, flabbergasted. The black-adapted Singer's expression remains stoically unflustered, her gaze seeming a bit amused. "Why not? I do with with everyone I shepherd. It's like a... head start." Kesya goes back to landing the sled then, obviously considering the matter settled. She hums lightly to herself, controlling the vehicle with expert ease. Tance automatically protests, "Sheep can't take the shepherd's claim..." He trails off, voice going rather more mechanical as he rattles off the reference from the Guild's regulations. But the protest doesn't hold long, as he hears you start to hum, and as the sled descends. Kesya brings the sled to a gentle landing. Tance mumbles, awed, "Good landing..." Kesya unclips herself from her harness, grinning at Tance as she ignores his useless quoting of Guild rules and regs. She's heard 'em all, she just doesn't care. She pulls a few cartons out of their protective nets, and smiles over her shoulder at the compliment. "Thanks. I was lucky, not much crossbreeze here." Kesya scrounges around the inside of the sled and takes down a couple of the empty cartons. Tance sits there looking rather stunned for a few minutes, before he at last registers that you've not only landed the sled, you've gotten up, too. "Here," he murmurs, that awed tone still in his voice -- it makes him sound dramatically different, without that harsh rasp to his words. Tance unstraps himself, then, and hurries to help. "Cartons. Pack when you cut. Can't thrall. Pack when you cut. Soon as you cut. Don't hold the crystal..." Kesya laughs softly, the energy in her voice evident at being on a claim again. "Hey, you're getting ahead of the lessons." She gives the other Singer a friendly poke in the confined quarters, and unstraps the cutter from the wall brackets. Tance actually grins, sheepishly. "I remember that good," he says with something that might be pride. He pauses a moment before taking up his own cutter, his hand lingering over the scratched and abused little plate that bears his name. Tance then lifts the cutter, staring at it longly, perhaps testing its weight in his hands. And he looks at you again, and suddenly pleads, "Don't let me forget?" Kesya deftly stuffs a carton under one arm, her cutter slung over the other. She smiles reassuringly to the Singer, and gives him a quick hug. "I won't, I promise. I'll chatter it to you nonstop if that's what it takes." Tance starts as he's hugged, and he doesn't react fast enough to hug you back before you've pulled away. But his face has gone radiant. With a quick squeeze to the other Singer's shoulder, she smiles again, all confidence and reassurance. "Ready?" With that, she ducks out the door of the sled. You step out from the cramped interior of the sled "Twilight's Ambition." Wide Ledge From above, you nearly missed this tiny, protected valley. Three towering mountains shelter it, leaving only a small gap for an icy river to crash through. The roar of the falls at the northeastern end of the small valley is thundering, and you feel it under your feet and in your chest. Large hardwood trees stand as sentinels to the small river, and there is little that is not shaded by their grand masses of leaves. There has obviously not been a Mach storm in this area for generations of these giants, although thick, deep roots help their chances in survival. This wide ledge is big enough to land a sled on, with just enough room left for you. The view is spectacular and you can see far to the southwest, where the river winds through the rocky, woodsy cliffs. For a moment you wonder if there is a way down, but you spy a nearby tree which you can easily descend on. You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. Contents: Kesya Kesya's sled Tance emerges behind you, then pauses as he gets his first sight of the place to which you've brought him. Kesya pauses by the top of a huge tree that actually grows at the foot of the cliff below. Obviously, this is the way down. "Do you know if you ever climbed trees as a child?," she asks impishly, gesturing to the thick branches. Tance gives a gruff little almost-cackle. "I do good to know if I climbed trees in the last week, girlie!" His voice is suddenly surer, perhaps because he has to raise it to be heard over the falls. Kesya laughs at the tone in your voice, eyes shining as she steps onto a thick tree branch. "Okay. Well, be careful with this one, I fell out of it last time. Some of the branches are a little weak." Kesya carefully climbs down the tree, quickly disappearing in the branches. Kesya has left. Grabbing the branches of the tree, you slowly work your way towards the ground... Wooded Bank From above, you nearly missed this tiny, protected valley. Three towering mountains shelter it, leaving only a small gap for an icy river to crash through. The roar of the falls at the northeastern end of the small valley is thundering, and you feel it under your feet and in your chest. Large hardwood trees stand as sentinels to the small river, and there is little that is not shaded by their grand masses of leaves. There has obviously not been a Mach storm in this area for generations of these giants, although thick, deep roots help their chances in survival. You feel dwarfed by the thick, dark trunks of the trees that stand around you. You stumble occasionally on the body-thick roots that rise and fall in the damp ground. The swiftly rushing river swirls by, icy mist splashing up in a pale blue curtain. Near the cliff, you notice a tree that is almost climbable and a ledge high above that you might be able to reach. You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. Contents: Kesya Perhaps because you're here, Tance doesn't rashly charge down the tree in whatever way comes to mind; thus, he makes it to ground in one piece, and as he does, he takes a moment to stop. His breathing has quickened, as if the climb was something of a strain for him. Kesya is waiting at the bottom for you, beside a turbulent river. She smiles, gesturing to the frothy water. "This is a nice place, scenery wise, but this is the one part I don't relish. We're going swimming." "You're... ... gonna work me hard, Jade?" Tance moves stiffly to catch up with you, then scowls vaguely. "You're shepherding me. Shepherding. Don't let me forget." Kesya nods dutifully, silver-blue eyes all seriousness. "I'll remind you constantly." Then, with a slightly more mischievous expression, "And yes, you're going to get quite a workout here." She turns on one heel, tossing a remark over her shoulder as she wades into the water. It sounds something like, "I'm your shepherd remember!" Kesya splashes into the cold river, wincing at the icy water. Kesya has left. You wince as you splash into the icy river, instantly chilled. River From above, you nearly missed this tiny, protected valley. Three towering mountains shelter it, leaving only a small gap for an icy river to crash through. The roar of the falls at the northeastern end of the small valley is thundering, and you feel it under your feet and in your chest. Large hardwood trees stand as sentinels to the small river, and there is little that is not shaded by their grand masses of leaves. There has obviously not been a Mach storm in this area for generations of these giants, although thick, deep roots help their chances in survival. You stand in chest deep water downstream from the river's cascade. The current of the river is strong here and you struggle to remain on your feet as you teeter on the slippery rocks under your feet. In front of you are the falls, which roar and froth intimidatingly. To your right is a woodsy bank, to the left a pebbly one. You can try to swim through the falls, but it looks dangerous. You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. Contents: Kesya Tance staggers into the icy flow after you, fighting to keep his balance and his grasp on the vital cutter and carton. "Nine _hells_ of Nirabay!" you can hear him yelp. Kesya does a quick overhand stroke towards the waterfall, her steely expression betraying how cold the water really is. She stops near the falls, pointing downwards into the water. You can just hear her words over the noise of the rushing water. "Deep breath... and dive!" With that, she inhales deeply and disappears beneath the surface of the water. Kesya is pushed deep under the water by the force of the falling water. Kesya has left. You try to swim through the falls, but the pressure of the falling water shoves you deep under the surface, forcing all the air out of your lungs. Deep Under Falls The force of the water throws you down dangerously close to the sharp rocky bottom, where you struggle to orient yourself. The thunder rumbles in your empty lungs, and the strength of the falls holds you from attempting to surface. You thrash helplessly and feel the beginnings of panic rising from your gut. You become totally disoriented in the swirling water and just start swimming in any direction frantically. Contents: Kesya Kesya has left. Just when you start to feel dizzy, the current catches you and pulls you away from the falls and you manage to rush to the surface. [Tance struggles to catch up with Kesya, but the current is far more powerful than he was quite prepared to deal with. Gasping for breath, he dives a second time down under the falls... but is slammed hard into rock at the side of the frothing river.] "J... Jade!" Tance's voice rises in a scream.'. Kesya drags herself from the water into the cave behind the falls, and watches the frothing stuff with a worried expression. [Dazed, now, Tance fights to hold onto the notion that he has to follow Kesya -- and if the current's abusing him this badly, it occurs to him to worry whether _she_ has made it through the falls alright. Once more, he forces himself to shove his already aching body down under the falls; twice more he collides with the rocks before, at last, he makes it through.....] Just when you start to feel dizzy, the current catches you and pulls you away from the falls and you manage to rush to the surface. Behind Falls This small depression in the cliff wall, not deep enough to call a cave, provides a small shelf to stand on. Inches from you the roaring, falling water threatens to knock you off into the furious maelstrom below. The thunder shakes your bones, and you wonder how you will ever tune your cutter to anything but the tone that resonates in the falling water and through the rocks. You suddenly realize with a bit of shock how much the sensation feels like the call of crystal, as your nerves tingle similarly, in notes complimentary to those of the falls. Contents: Kesya Crystal Vein A glint of crystal catches your eye and in fact, all your senses are drawn to this exact spot. Tance eventually comes tumbling out of the water, soaked to the skin, and he collapses along the rock. Somehow he's managed to bring the carton and cutter, but they're glistening wet, too. Kesya looks relieved, to say the least, when you surface. "Jays, I was about to come back out looking for you!" Tance coughs, a sound that comes out of him as though wrenched up from his very gut. His hair is now sticking up in random spikes along his head, and at last he looks up exhaustedly. "Made it?" he whispers. Kesya slips one arm under that of the other Singer, and levers him to his feet. "Yep," she says good naturedly. She's soaked to the bone too, shivering just a bit. "Remember, I'm shepherding you." She gestures to the vein at the back of the cave. Tance mumbles, "Shepherd.. you're shep...." Then his voice dies in his throat, as he notices the crystal. Kesya steps into the vein, making sure to keep within Tance's line of vision, just to be sure. Kesya has left. Kesya clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site. Crystal Vein You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. The vein subtly sings to you in a scale of F sharp. You catch a sparkling glimmer of very pale yellow. The crystal rings with a sweetness and purity of tone. Contents: Kesya Tance clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site. Tance staggers after you, and cries alarmedly, "Don't let me f..." Then, as the yellow suddenly rouses, perhaps because of the sound of his voice, he trails off again, transfixed by the resonances in the air. Kesya runs her hand along the pale crystal, humming lightly to herself -- or to the vein -- as she feels for variations, nuances in the way the crystal is shaped along the wall. Despite the fact that this is her /least/ favourite colour -- hardly attractive, Kesya would say -- her attention remains rapt on the task at hand. As the other singer enters, she glances up and smiles distractedly. Tance stares at you, too, as you hum, and he croaks, "J...Jade?" Kesya breaks off her humming, her hand leaving its tactile contact with the crystal face as she looks attentively towards her sheep. "Yes?" Tance is trembling, though whether from the soaking or the harmonies he can hear even over the roar of the water is difficult to say. "Keep... keep talking... please..." Tance groans, "I... I can feel it!" Kesya coughs lightly, clearing her throat. Soaked strands of sea-green hair cling to her cheeks, her equally soaked black shipsuit doing the same to her slender form. "Okay," she assents, falling into teaching mode. It's easier for her to do this -- second nature to shove her desire to simply soak the resonance up. "I was shepherded by Andi," she begins. "So in turn, I shepherd a little different, since my technique is a little different. But I think the crystal prefers it." She runs her hand along one seam in the crystal, reverently. Then, taking your hand in hers, she lifts your fingers to the same spot. "See how -- or rather, /feel/ how the crystal changes here? Not just the shape, but the sense of it." Her words come faster now, as she fights the lack of resonance in her body. "And here, higher up. Most Singers don't tactily examine the face like this." Tance's breath catches, then releases, as if he's having a hard time remembering how to keep his lungs working. His hand, wet, callused, shakes as you guide it. "Feel it," he mumbles roughly. Kesya presses her lips together, releasing your hand just long enough to feel further along the wall, humming lightly here and there, her ear close to the crystal. Soon though she takes your hand again, nudging you to feel along another variation. "It tapers a bit here... can't tell from the surface, but you can feel, right behind there's a bit of rock." She grimaces, frustrated. "I'm better at this with black. Not sure what it does past there... but being prisms are high now, where would you start cutting?" She glances at her sheep, an energized feel to her words. His brown eyes have glazed over, and Tance's hand shivers like a leaf in a strong gust of wind, under your green fingers. At first, his only answer is a whimper; then, with effort, and in a tone that cracks with need, he manages, "Wh... what're we... where am I?" Kesya glances worriedly at the other singer, gently pushing his fingers from the crystal. "I'm shepherding you, Tance. Do you remember?" She seems distracted enough herself... what with the sound of the falls rushing just outside, crystal song is a constant presence. "Look at me, Tance." She puts a hand under his chin, making him do just that. "You remember, don't you?" Tance's pulse is racing with such vehemence that even a casual contact with the line of his chin and jaw can detect it. As you turn his face to you, you can see fear in his dark eyes, and he stammers out, "J-Jade?" as though he were uttering a prayer. Kesya smiles warmly, though the tension in her jawline betrays the control she has over herself -- musn't thrall here, who knows what'd happen. She nods reassuringly, giving the singer a quick hug, the physical contact, to her thinking, grounding Tance. "That's right. You okay? We can start singing if you're ready, but if not, we can sit outside the vein for a bit." _She smells of water, and physical effort, and not quite like what he thinks he just might vaguely recall a woman smells like..._ Tance drinks in the smile, then shakily lifts an arm to return the hug, and he answers, "S... sing. Time to sing...." Kesya doesn't exactly look her best either, looking half-drowned as she does. She nods, eyes watchfully concerned, and turns towards the crystal face. "Okay. We'll start here," she runs her fingers lighty, almost featherlike down the crystal face, "And continue to the left, in mediums. I don't think there's much to this claim, so larges might not get us much." "Shepherding. Shepherding me. Y... your claim. Mediums...." Kesya adds, "Umm. We'll also use f sharp major. The sorters seem to like it." She nods at you, and continues, her voice more steady than it perhaps should be. "It's best not to cut in order of the grouping. If you're going for octave, and you only cut the first four, you don't get as much credit as if you cut every second. So we'll cut F sharp major -- F sharp, A sharp, Csharp, F, Fsharp, Gsharp, B, Dsharp." Tance seems to settle down a bit as you continue to talk to him, though he stares fixedly at the spray-dampened yellow rock face. "C.... cut the chord first," he mumbles vaguely, in agreement. Kesya nods, patting the other singer's arm. "Exactly. So I'll start first." Tance bobs his wet head. Droplets of water drip off the tendrils of hair falling along his brow. Kesya's soprano runs through the scale experimentally once, and then she turns on her cutter. With the instrument humming in her hands, she sings a clear F sharp, the sound of her strong voice ringing brightly off the crystal. Kesya sets her crystal cutter to F sharp. Kesya sings a fine, ringing F sharp. Kesya holds the note strongly and while the crystal sings in return, uses her cutter to extract a prism from the vein. Tance gasps sharply as your voice lifts up, and the yellow begins to thrum in reply. His eyes press shut, as if he is in pain, or else having a strong need suddenly and overwhelmingly find a way to be filled. Kesya is cautious to take the crystal and pack it carefully and as /quickly/ as she can, her hands running along its surface only for a pico before the lid is snapped shut, safely, over it. She stands, moving again within Tance's field of vision. "Cut and pack, Tance. I'm shepherding you, remember? You're cutting a medium A sharp, from where I cut that last one. Pack fast, okay?" Tance opens his eyes with an effort; they're still glazed, and filled now with yearning. "P... pack..." As if in a dream, his hands go to his cutter, shaking it to get water out, then moving to turn it on. "Fast..." You turn on the cutter, bracing your body against the power that surges through the handle. Kesya stands back, cautiously, watching the other Singer closely as he prepares to cut. Tance draws in a rattling breath, and then starts to release it. No sound comes out of him at first, but then, rustily, a tenor A sharp begins to make itself heard. You sing a fine, ringing A sharp, but it clashes harshly with the tone from the cutter. Tance jerks, hand moving without his looking at it to the tone dial. You set the cutter to A sharp. You sing a fine, ringing A sharp. Cutter blade meets the crystal face -- and whines as it hits rock. His A sharp gaining sureness, Tance frowns, holding the note, and starts cutting a smaller crystal. You hold the note and while the crystal sings in return, you use your cutter to extract a prism from the vein. Tance stoops, the note faltering, dying. The crystal falls into his hand; it's miniscule in size, but he gazes at it longingly. Tance reels. The tiny prism chimes with the lingering echoes of his note, and he draws in another lungful of breath, captivated by the sound. Kesya nods in satisfaction as Tance cuts a perfect crystal, even with having to make an alteration in the middle of a cut. "Tance? Best pack it now. I'll cut an Fsharp small, maybe we can get a small chord out of what's left." She turns towards the crystal, glancing over her shoulder to see if Tance is in fact packing the tiny yellow block. "Tance?" Her... her voice. He lifts his head, blinking fogged eyes. Tance mumbles, "P... pack...." Unsteadily, he lurches to the cartons. Kesya watches carefully, looking a bit unsteady herself. Mentally, she's undoubtedly praising whatever gods prompted her to bring him to a yellow site first. Turning towards the crystal, she prepares for the next cut. Kesya sets her crystal cutter to C sharp. Kesya sings a fine, ringing C sharp. The tiny prism is safely stowed, though Tance lingers by the carton, hand pressed to the lid of it as though in reverent caress. But he jerks upright again at your C sharp... and, swaying back a little, he suddenly and softly exhales an F sharp, the bottom of the octave, the note you'd sung before. Tance's voice is husky from lack of use, but -- like any Singer's should be -- his pitch is true. The cutter in Kesya's hands sings as it cuts through a sliver of crystal, but then grates as it hits rock. Kesya lowers the cutter, turning it off as her hands run along the tiny shards remaining. "Damn. I knew it was small, but didn't think we'd only get /two/ from it!" She sighs forelornly, "I really am much better at this with my colour." Glancing at you, she carefully makes her way to your side, scooping up whatever slivers remain to dump them in the carton. "How're you doing?" Tance trails off, eyes pressed shut again. He doesn't answer you. Kesya settles her slim form beside the carton, looking up at you with a slight shiver to her slender shoulders. Tance's mouth works silently as you watch him. Eventually you can make out words: "F... forgot... forgot about the song..." His voice, as his eyes have been, is full of longing, too; he sounds as though he is murmuring endearments to a lover. Kesya's eyes soften a bit, her chin resting on an upraised hand. "To tell the truth -- I didn't think it'd be that bad. I think it's because the falls reverberate the sound back at us again." She sighs, looking disappointedly at the crystal face. Or, what remains of the crystal face, which is essentially _squat_. His breath still coming erratically, he opens his eyes with an effort. Now, finding you before him, he stares at you with the same glazed look with which he'd regarded the crystal. Kesya stands, using the crystal carton to lever herself up. "I guess it's back through the falls again. We can go to the green now." She looks at you, eyes unblinking. "You doing all right?" Owlishly, Tance blinks. "G-green....?" Tance stands there, his cutter still thrumming in his hands, and mumbles, "Green... sun on the green... I can hear it now..." Kesya carefully turns her crystal cutter off and relaxes her stance. Kesya bites her lip, slinging her cutter over her shoulder as she hefts the full carton. "As long as we avoid the morning song," she mutters. Evidently having decided Tance might be restored to normality a bit if they leave the vicinity of the vein, she heads towards the water's edge again. "Grab that carton, will you?" As you move, Tance's still-worshipful gaze trails after you... and slowly, he realizes he needs to move. Turn off the cutter. Get the carton. As if by rote, as a faltering machine might, he stumbles after you. Kesya has left. Kesya has arrived. Kesya makes her way out of the immediate vein area. Behind Falls Contents: Kesya Crystal Vein Tance makes his way out of the immediate vein area. A glint of crystal catches your eye and in fact, all your senses are drawn to this exact spot. Kesya wades into the water with her carton, gasping a bit at the sudden cold on her already-wet skin. Kesya clutches the carton to her chest, and glances back at you. "Think you can make it through all right, Tance?" Tance's face flickers, dismay replacing some of the disorientation in his eyes. "Cold," he mutters. Kesya nods, shivvering in the waist-deep water. "Yes, it is. I'm going out now... if you're not with me in a few minutes, I'm coming back for you." Follow her. The thought is enough to propel him onward, though it registers only dimly in his dazed thoughts. "C... coming." Kesya jumps into the water, holding tightly to her precious carton of crystal, and floats through the falls. Kesya has left. Hanging on to your precious carton, you float through the falls, water pounding on you with brutal force. Floating Through Falls You cling to the floating carton desperately as the weight of the thunderous water threatens to force you below the surface. Your head aches as the falls pound down upon you, and you constantly are spitting out or swallowing water, but you manage to keep your head above water during the passage through the falls. Tance struggles to hold on to his carton in the swirling water, sputtering as the current drags him away. River Contents: Kesya Kesya is shivvering in the shallows, her hair streaming down her back in wet tendrils. She gives a relieved smile as the other Singer surfaces, and beccons him to the shoreline. "C'mon, let's get some blankets. I'm going to turn into an icecube if we stay much longer." Eventually, Tance comes hurtling along in the current after you, wavering as he seems uncertain whether he ought to use the carton as a flotation device or try to swim while dragging it. Several times he goes under, but eventually, dripping, his hair plastered to his head, he does indeed surface near you. Reaching you on the shore is another matter; he nearly misses it, tugged by the current, before he staggers at last onto the dry land with you. Kesya swims over to the wooded side of the river. Kesya has left. You swim over to the wooded bank and pull yourself up on a tree root. Wooded Bank Contents: Kesya Tance slogs after you, clumsily, weighted by his thoroughly waterlogged clothes and cutter, and the now-slippery carton. Kesya stuffs the carton firmly under one soaked arm, her shoulders shivvering a bit as she grasps the lower branches of the tree with the other. She deftly hoists herself into the branches, disappearing into the foliage. You can hear small grunts here and there as she manouvers upwards, but then the air is punctuated by a sharp *CRACK* -- a tree limb breaking. A sharp cry, and Kesya falls through the branches, more limbs breaking beneath her as she hits them. She finally hits the ground sans carton, which somehow got wedged up there as she fell. Tance freezes a moment, as he draws near the tree himself. Then, he cries out in alarm as you plummet. A few frantic moments later he is at your side, kneeling awkwardly, alertness returning to his pale, wet face -- perhaps prompted by fright. "Jade? Jade?!" Kesya stirs with a soft groan, her eyes flicking open. She lies motionless, probably trying to figure out if she's still alive before attempting to move. "T-Tance?" It's hard to tell how injured she is, until she tries moving -- but the right thigh of her jumpsuit is torn and blood-soaked, and a peice of bark can be seen in the gouge in her leg. Struggling to get up, she groans again. "Told'ya those branches... " Her voice trails off as she looks at her leg dizzily. Relief washes through Tance's weathered face as you stir. But he hesitates as he sees you falter; to offer you support means touching you. "Can you move?" he asks, voice going a little higher-pitched than is normal for him, in audible worry. Kesya nods, grimacing as she shoves soaked and twig-littered hair out of her face. "Urf. I think so," she mumbles. She shakes her head to clear it, blinking repeatedly for a few moments. Another few deep breaths, and she goes about examining her leg, leaning on one sap-streaked arm. "I'm okay Tance, I think," she reassures. She seems pretty coherant, if still a little woozy from the fall. "It's my leg mainly." Tance swallows, then sighs raggedly, beginning to relax. "Up," he ventures. "Can't stay down here, cold... wet..." Kesya nods, digging in a small pouch at her waist. Of course this singer would carry a small triage kit on her, she carries just about everything else. Pulling out a fleecy dressing, she tears the ripped thigh of her jumpsuit open a bit more, wincing as she gently pulls out the bark that was embedded in the wound. For all that he's suggested moving, Tance stays right where he is, crouched beside you in the icy dampness. He watches as you give yourself first aid, only vaguely aware of a tightness in his throat and chest that doesn't seem at all related to the chill sinking to his bones. The soaked, sap-streaked, twig-bedecked singer stuffs the fleecy dressing onto the deep gash in her leg, pressing hard to stop the bleeding. Biting her lip with a pained expression, she quietly and methodically goes through the first aid kit again, pulling another long bandage that she uses to wrap the thick dressing to her leg. It obviously doesn't occur to this singer that there's someone _else_ here to help -- she rarely sings duo, so is too used to doing this sort of thing herself, though rare it is that she ever gets injured. Finally she tucks the ragged bit of torn pant leg back inside the garment, showing a ragged hole. Tance simply kneels there, watching everything you do. His eyes have gone wide and anxious again; his eyebrows have tilted, inner ends lifting higher than the outer. Water tracks its way from his hair down his hollowed cheeks, but he doesn't appear to notice. Kesya finishes off methodically, and puts one arm around your conveniently near shoulders. "Help me up Tance? I'm strong enough I think, to get up the tree once I have branches to lever myself with, but until the sym seals that gash up a bit, I'll need you as a crutch." She casts the other Singer a hopeful look, damp tendrils of hair trailing down her cheeks, her long lashes matted together from the water. "S... sure, Jade..." His words come out a little breathless, a little shaky. Slowly, his own arm creeps around you, before he clambers to his feet, drawing you up beside him. Kesya leans heavily on the other Singer, though she doesn't weigh much for all her tall height. "Thanks," she breathes. The woman smells remarkably of water and tree sap. "I -- where's the carton?" She looks around, her weight on her left leg as she clings to you with one arm. "I know I dropped it when I fell...." "I... didn't see it come down..." Tance is not, however, scanning the tree or the water and mud around its base; he is looking at you, finding himself suddenly extremely aware of the slight weight of your arm along his shoulders, and how his own arm supports your side. Kesya is peering up into the branches however, expression thoughtful. "Hrm... I see white. And I don't see crystals down here, which means they're still in there." Suddenly gasping, she pulls her cutter off her shoulder. "Gods don't let it be damaged...." Leaning against Tance to free her other arm, she inspects the cutter closely. "How 'bout that... I guess I didn't land on it." Kesya seems relieved, to say the least. "That means we can still continue. We'd be pretty stuck if I suddenly didn't have a cutter." Smiling up at the other singer, she wipes her brow with the back of one hand, and loops her arm around his shoulders again. "Ready?" The fright appears to have left Tance's face, and he nods gruffly to you, though he doesn't yet budge. Kesya is looking up at the tree, ready to hop-step along with Tance, until she realizes they aren't going anywhere. Silver-blue eyes wide, she looks across at the other Singer. "What're we waiting for?" Tance's head jerks a little, and he seems to rouse out of a renewed daze. ".... right," he speaks up. With care, then, he helps you to the tree. Kesya gives Tance's shoulder a squeeze in thanks as he levers her to the tree, and she struggles up, more slowly this time. Her slim frame and strong arms and shoulders help her out, and eventually she's back in the branches again. "You know, I'm actually glad I don't have to come back here," you hear from the greenery. "Oh, here's the carton. Grab it as you come up, will you?" "Yeah," comes Tance's gruff tenor up after you. Kesya scrambles up into the tree and begins slowly climbing. Kesya has left. You pick your way from branch to branch carefully. Wide Ledge Contents: Kesya Kesya's sled A few minutes after you, Tance hoists himself up through the tree -- slowed by not only his carton but yours as well, as he moves each of them a branch or two up at a time, then himself, then repeats the process over again. Kesya waits for Tance to arrive at the top, and takes the empty carton with one hand as she slides the other across his shoulders again. "You make a good crutch," she says with a wry smile. "Just to the sled, and then we can get cleaned up a bit." Tance gives you a worn, lopsided grin as he makes it to his feet. "Yeah," he says again, as if running low on energy now and not wanting to waste it on extraneous syllables. Kesya steps into the airsled "Twilight's Ambition." Kesya has left. Kesya's sled Contents: Carton 3 - Kesya Kesya Tance tramps into the sled after you, his steps heavy, boots making clumping noises on the floor of the vehicle. To the carton shelf, first, to drop his carton; once it's down, he sways a bit where he stands. Kesya is in the back of the sled, leaning against the bed as she digs through a small compartment. She tosses you a towel, and pats the bed next to her. "Sit, you're going to fall over." Dialing up a few meals in the catering unit, she towels off her own hair as well, frowning as she pulls out twigs. Then, Vokrim pauses, lifting a hand to scrub it across his damp face, before making himself move to the cutter rack to take care of his cutter. Only then does he turn to see the towel headed his way; he catches it, nods heavily, and moves back to sink down onto the bunk. Tance presses the towel to his face, then shoves it back along his head, holding it there a bit to sop up the excess water in the short grizzled strands. Kesya strips off the top part of her soaked jumpsuit, revealing, of course, an undershirt underneath. Grabbing a fresh suit from one of the compartments, she ducks into the portable shower area. In a moment you can hear water running, and Kesya's voice. "Been a long day for nothing but two crystals -- ouch!" Nothing like soap in a wound, is there? She continues, "Let's get cleaned up, eat, and then we can get to the next claim and sleep there for a bit before cutting. Sound good?" "You're the shepherd," Tance calls back. Kesya's damp -- but now clean -- face can be seen for a moment around the partition. "Well, it's your choice too." She disappears again as the water gets shut off, and a minute later emerges clad in another black shipsuit. "Your turn." Pulling the hot meal from the ration unit, she wraps herself in a blanket and digs in. Tance looks up wearily, then complies, stiffly rising. His own jumpsuit's upper half bares a much older and much more threadbare thermal undershirt, sleeveless, and revealing in turn scarred, bony shoulders. There's a fresh bruise on the left one, too. Tance staggers off to investigate the shower area, and belatedly calls to you, "I... if I was alone, I'da been flyin' already, girlie. Can't say I mind the break, though...." Then his voice is submerged under the renewed noise of the shower. Kesya's own bruises are quickly fading, though it's hard to tell in the thick blanket she's got herself enveloped in. "Once you've done that, you can even crash on the bed while I fly. No sense in both of us staying up." If Tance answers you, the water drowns it out; eventually, though, you see a hand reach out for the ancient carisak he's brought with him. The carisak vanishes, and a slight bit later, Tance emerges, hair still spiky and damp, but clean now. "Thanks," he mumbles. Kesya of course, doesn't mention that that's a great way to find a good place to secret herself somewhere on the claim before morning song hits the Ranges. While Tance is sleeping blissfully, she can grab a blanket and wander off, and return at a more apt time. It's a technique she's learned to use with all her sheep. Throwing the used containers in the disposal unit, she checks to make sure the carton is well webbed in. "Eat," she says as you emerge, "And rest. I'll fly." Tance nods tiredly, lifting up his share of the hot meal and gulping it down, while sinking down onto your bunk. He stretches out before he finishes the food, though, his head lolling back along a pillow. The moment he's down, Tance drops heavily into slumber, empty food container poised precariously on his torso. Kesya neatly scoops the empty container off the sleeping Singer, disposing of it before she drapes a light blanket across him. Then, slipping into the padded seat she's so used to occupying, she flicks a few switches on the console and begins manouvering the sled away from the claim. Tance stirs a little as the subliminal rumble of the sled's engine crystals touches his consciousness -- but not enough to rouse him. After a few minutes of its noise, he subsides again, breathing deepening and levelling, as if in tune with the altitude of the craft. Tance does not budge as the sled begins a new descent. He sleeps on, his face at rest, without scowl or bemusement. Kesya lands the sled, peeking behind her at the bunk to make sure Tance still sleeps. It's been at least an hour since they took off... she used her standard round about way of getting here, a habit from her more valuble claims. Thus her leg feels a bit better, well enough to hobble around on without needing a human crutch, and she makes her way oh so quietly to the back of the sled. She looks at the bunk with an exhausted expression -- one can imagine how much she'd like to just flop out here -- but she pulls an extra blanket from one of the overhead compartments and ducks out. She can get a few hours sleep until morning, anyway. Kesya has left. His dreams are... strange. Time blurs, now past, now present, now somewhere in between. He is a young man again, an indistinct state of being; there is, too, an indistinct someone with him, critiquing the way he's holding his cutter, smirking at his uncertain tenor holding the notes, but yelling to goad him onward. Or is it a young woman with golden hair and green eyes? Green... everything fades in a slow tide of green, in countless shades, captivating him. Everything is green. Everything, that is, till eventually something else begins to tug at him... a thrum of sound that begins to tickle his spine, tugging at him where he lies deep in unconsciousness. Outside, Kesya secrets herself down a long tunnel, keen eyes searching for a place that won't be readily found. She passes the vein site, a regretful glance telling it that she can't give it her time now. Finally she finds just the spot -- a dark tunnel that opens into a large cavern, dry enough, a comfortable crevice hiding her from view unless the person were right in front of her. She settles herself in for a nap as a small child would, blanket wrapped securly about her. At last, inexorably, the sound reshapes his dream. Everything is still green, but now the green has form, a delicate face, a tendril of hair. Two glints of blue among the green, pale and clear, like two pieces of a winter sky. He can smell her... (And with a groan, his eyes snap open. Her scent, alright, lingering in this bed-nook, teaming with the building pulse of sound he still, as of yet, senses only in his bones... but it's enough to rouse him. But where is she? "J... Jade?") Secreted in the dark cavern, Kesya's sleep is a deep one. Exhausted as she is, she still dreams; vague, scattered images of herself, her past claims, black crystal turning matte in gorgeously warm sunlight. Oh, how she longs for that! It's been too long, far too long... But wait. The longing is of a different sort, her dreams being pushed aside by her enviroment. Lucidly she remembers -- no, it's too soon! She ruthlessly shoves the thought away, vainly trying to stay asleep despite the thrum of freshly awakening crystal along her bones. The thoughts flickering through her mind change, re-creating events in the recent past, things that have confused her about the man now in her sled. Little gestures, expressions, the looks he give her... but as the realization just almost comes within her grasp... she stirs, waking up, only lingering fragments remaining. She is not in the sled, and it does not occur to him to notice that the craft has been landed, not crashed. As he half-stands, half-rolls from the bed, he knows only that she is not here, and the thought makes his stomach clench as though he's been punched. Again, more raggedly, he calls her name, staggering from the sled, and forgetting cutter or carton as he goes.'. You step out from the cramped interior of the sled "Twilight's Ambition." Valley Floor This area is very remote. It is also very dry and hot. Sand is everywhere. It covers the ground and fills every crack and crevice in the rock. You suspect it is filling your footwear as well. The sound of the wind is particularly fierce here. This place is so depressing and discouraging you doubt there could be any crystal for kilometers. The cliffs rise high on either side of you. The floor of this valley is about 50 meters wide. The valley runs East-West for several miles. Sand and rock and cliff are all you can see for miles. You wonder if you have ever seen a more uninteresting place. You can see what looks like a cave in the north face of the cliff. You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. Contents: Kesya's sled Obvious exits: Cave Entrance "Jade?" The uneven shout can't stand against the rising force of the harmonies in the area. Once outside, he reels, the dream coming back to him. Green. Find the green. Its form wavers, blurring, returning only to the consciousness of 'green', and the knowledge that he must find it...'. You walk into the cave. Cave Entrance This area is very remote. It is also very dry and hot. Sand is everywhere. It covers the ground and fills every crack and crevice in the rock. You suspect it is filling your footwear as well. The sound of the wind is particularly fierce here. This place is so depressing and discouraging you doubt there could be any crystal for kilometers. You are in a small cave. The ceiling is quite high, about 5 meters. The cave is roughly circular. Interesting rock formations lurk in the shadows. In the north wall is a large opening that leads into a larger cave. Unfortunately, the heat is unrelieved even in the shadows. It is hot and close and windless in here. You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. Obvious exits: Large Chamber Valley Floor You walk into a large chamber in the cliff. Large Chamber This area is very remote. It is also very dry and hot. Sand is everywhere. It covers the ground and fills every crack and crevice in the rock. You suspect it is filling your footwear as well. The sound of the wind is particularly fierce here. This place is so depressing and discouraging you doubt there could be any crystal for kilometers. You are in a very large cave. You can't see either the ceiling or the far walls. The floor is fairly flat, you can walk around freely. The forces of geology have shaped the walls of this cave into peculiar shapes. You start to feel uneasy as half-glimpsed shapes become faces. As you walk north you see a low opening leading further into the cliff. You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. Obvious exits: Tunnel Cave Entrance A glint of crystal catches your eye and in fact, all your senses are drawn to this exact spot. Crystal Vein You can barely make out the traces of green circles, hatched with brilliant neon orange. The vein subtly sings to you in a scale of A sharp. You catch a sparkling glimmer of light green. The crystal rings with a sweetness and purity of tone. It is clear from the debris that crystals have been mined here in the past. Tance clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site. In the tunnel, Kesya wraps herself still tighter in her blanket, listening for any sign of someone approaching. He must be awake now, she thinks. Trying vainly to ignore the sensual thrum of crystal through her body, she instead grits her teeth and tries to recall fragments of what she was dreaming. It remains tantalizingly out of reach, teasing her the way her elusive crystal sometimes does. As if following a homing beacon, he stumbles into the caves, his pace quickening as urgency grows. When he reaches the cave where the song is loudest, he bursts out with a hoarse noise half-sob and half-cackle: green! He lurches to it unerringly, his voice rising of its own accord, this time in a sung note rather than a call. Or perhaps it is a call -- to the rock face. Secreted in the tunnel, Kesya's slim form straightens; it's unmistakable, the sound of sung notes reverberating off the rock means Tance has found the crystal. Suddenly, she's torn between making sure he's not losing himself in it, and staying put so she doesn't create an awkward situation. Tance's tenor rings out on A sharp, reedy at first, then gaining volume and strength as he puts more breath into it. He begins to waver up a scale, voice cracking on a note or two but holding to the pitch. Awareness of anything else save the crystal's buzzing its way through every nerve in his body diminishes; there is only the crystal, and his jubilant reply to it.'. Secreted in the cavern, Kesya bites her lip, rubbing at her forehead with a bruised knuckle. Damn! Losing himself in crystal... his colour... after so long from it? He could lose all the progress he's made in recovering his memory, his life, his personality. She groans, pulling herself from the blanket, keeping that wrapped about herself almost like a cloak of protection -- though the way the crystal is acting, whom it would be protecting remains unclear. She staggers towards the sound of the voice, limping awkwardly in the dim morning light, trying to make as little sound as possible. Kesya comes into the chamber. Kesya has arrived. Tance stands, hands pressed lovingly to the light green face before him, head tilted back as he pours his own share of sound into the rush of harmony ringing through the cavern. Kesya sneaks up to the edge of the crystal, teeth clamped together in an attempt to fend off its song. She makes no sound, feet light on the rocky floor. Swaying a bit with the rush of sound the awakening crystal brings -- not to mention its answer to Tance's song -- she steadies herself by resting a hand carefully on the rock wall. He is no Kevlan Sharr, to have his voice resonate with its own power, but Tance's rough-edged notes are strong and glad enough. They blend in tingling perfection with the green's frequencies, sending echo after echo through the cavern, now low on the scale, now high... now chords made from the one human voice and the vibrations produced by the crystal. Tance's face is wet with tears, eyes closed, features alight with rapture. Kesya can just imagine the effect this is having on a mind so absent from crystal for so long... what to do? She curses her indecision, and limps forward, expression strained. Why was she trying to be so quiet before? She could drive the sled in here and not disturb the other Singer. Swaying a moment, closing her eyes in an attempt to shut her mind from the song, she puts a firm hand on his back. Her voice, strong and firm, is much more like Galahad's than Tance's is -- only a soprano version. "TANCE." His only answer is to arch back slightly towards your contact, as the note he's pouring forth raises a third, from D to F. Kesya curses softly, biting her lip. A hopeful gleam appears in her eyes... she steps around beside the rapt Singer, as close to him and the crystal as she can get. Taking a deep, well-trained breath, sings a strong, ringing E, loud and firm as only a perfectly adapted black singer could do. The note cascades off the crystal, jarringly painful at odds with the scale of the vein. As close as she is to Tance, this must have some effect. She holds the note, ignoring the screech of the crystal as her eyes water. Tance's note immediately chokes off, as his face contorts with all the agony of a stab of a knife blade to his flesh. Kesya chokes back a sob at the expression on Tance's face, the sound of the crystal cutting through her painfully as well. She wraps her arms around him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Tance! I'm so sorry... I had to.... I just had to. You were lost." The crystal still rings with the cry of that clashing note, the vibrations rebounding off the walls of the small cave. Tance stumbles as he is embraced, and his palms lose their contact with the crystal. Perhaps somehow sensing that you are the source of the sudden rattling pain in his eardrums, he struggles against you, like a wounded animal in a trap. Even as he pushes at you, he sucks in a breath and lets it out again, producing a wavering D, trying to return to the euphony out of which he's just been yanked. Kesya cries out in frustration, fighting to keep you away from the crystal. "No, Tance!" Her voice is pleading, desperate -- ignoring the pain in her leg, she shoves hard against your chest, trying to knock you down. Anything, anything to break the hold he's trying to regain on the crystal -- or there won't be anything left. Eyes streaming, one hand curls into a fist, flying out to knock you square on the jaw. Tance's head knocks backward with the punch.... and then the rest of him follows, as he goes plummeting to the ground. His head slams into the floor of the cave as he drops. Kesya gasps, choking back tears as she rushes to Tance's side. "Oh Gods -- Tance, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Her voice rises in pitch, one hand going tentatively to his head. "Oh Gods... Tance?" Wide silver-blue eyes peer over the singer, her breath ragged. If he is conscious enough to hear you, he gives no sign of it, but his head rolls a little to one side. You can't immediately tell if he's breathing... but, no, there. His mouth moves a little, closing slightly, then opening again as the jaw you've just belted slackens. The crystal playing havoc with her emotions and reasoning, Kesya simply remains kneeling beside the other singer, praying to a deity she doesn't believe in that the man before her be all right. "Tance, are you okay?" His eyelids shiver, and drag themselves open, but his brown gaze is muddled. One hand lifts weakly, moving sluggishly, as if he's trying to lift it to his head. Kesya looks hopefully at the man before her, mentally pleading for him to get up and still be all right. Her breathing slows, the gasps of emotion lessening until she wipes her cheeks dry with the back of one hand. Why can't he see straight? His eyes clamp shut again, briefly, then open once more. Green, just above him.... green and blue. Sound in the air, still, but muted now by a ringing deeper in his ears. Tance coughs, then focuses on the face gazing down at him, his own confused. "Wh... whaddam I... doing here....?" Kesya rests one hand on Tance's forehead, brows furrowed, eyes deeply worried. How much did he lose, or did she catch him in time? She speaks soothingly, her words still punctuated with sharp intakes of breath as she calms herself down. "I'm shepherding you, Tance," she says quietly. "Do you remember?" _Please,_ she prays to those nameless gods, _Please let him remmeber._ Tance gazes blearily up at you, frowning in confusion and pain. Does he recognize you? It's not exactly easy to tell, not even when he groans plaintively, "Y-you were gone...." Kesya sniffs, dismayed at the anguished face before her. "I-- I had to, Tance. What do you remember?" A dimming remnant of song in the air makes his head loll for a moment. His breath catches, as though a caress has just been trailed along his cheek. "Call.... calling me... green's calling..." Kesya groans in frustration, even as the last of the crystal song fades. Leaning over him, she shakes him lightly, slim fingers grasping his shoulders. "Tance! Listen to me, would you?" Each word is punctated by a firm tightening of her grasp. "What - do - you - remember?" Tance winces, as the jostling, light though it might be, jars his head. "Tance," he echoes, raggedly. "That's me, I'm Tance..." Kesya stops, releasing the other singer, her eyes wide as she nods hopefully. "You said I was gone," she says between ragged breaths, "Do you know who I am?" Still lying there on the cavern floor, Tance stares up at you muzzily. Then, his dazed eyes soften a little. "Know you," he tells you, voice softening too, one side of his mouth quirking a little as though he's trying to smile but can't quite manage it. Tance goes on, "You were in the green... I-I had to find..." Kesya's breath catches as the other singer's gaze softens, but she doesn't relax. Sure, vague memories perhaps, but no need to get your hopes up -- your fool bungling may have cost this man's mind! Don't think, not of that, no... Kesya swallows noisily worry and guilt evident on every part of her face. "What's my name then?" Kesya's expression alters though, as the other singer speaks. "I was... in the green?" Tance appears to get stuck on the first question, but at the second, he nods slowly. "Everything... everything went away in the green, but... but you were there, I remember, except you were gone, and I couldn't find you...!" He suddenly frowns, looking anguished again. the spaces between his words a little slurred. "I couldn't find you, Jade, you were gone...." Kesya's gaze drops to the rocky ground, her lean form leaning against her propped-back arm. "I had to Tance," she says softly. "You know how morning song affects us. I figured out a long time ago... that it's best to hide before the crystal warms." Her eyes are pained as she looks at you. "I'm so sorry... but you know, it'd be pretty awkward if every sheep and shepherd just..." she waves a hand vaguely. Something akin to the look that'd slashed across his face when you broke him out of the thrall now returns... though this time, it's merely hurt, rather than agonized. Grimacing, he looks away, mumbling tonelessly, "'Sallright..." Kesya's head bows at that expression, her forehead almost on his chest. "Oh gods... I'm sorry Tance. I didn't mean to hurt you." The quavvering in her voice betrays how distraught she is, her hair obscuring her face as it tumbles to Tance's shirt. "I thought you were worried about that too." "I... " It's not much of a response, but as you practically huddle against him, he goes on huskily, "Don't... don't cry..." Tance lifts an arm, unsurely patting your shoulder, as though afraid he might break it. Kesya's form doesn't move, save for a quick wipe of her eyes, still obscured. "Well, here I wanted to help you, thinking that after shepherding all these recruits that I could do the same with you." Her head lifts, and an apologetic half-smile flashes across her features as you pat her shoulder. "Maybe someone more experienced would've been better, could've handled everything better." Kesya adds haltingly, "I didn't account for how much the song would affect you." An indefinable tangle of emotions can be seen on Tance's face, now. He says ruefully, "More experienced prob'ly means as many holes in the head as I've got... " He trails off as you mention the crystal song, but still looks at you, eyes full. A torn laugh can be heard from Kesya, as her gaze softens. "Well, that's a point too," she assents, seeming reassured. Then, softer, "You're okay then? I never thought you'd think I abandoned you. I was gonna come back." Perhaps the green-skinned singer is aware of Tance's fragile existence -- after all this progress, how horrible it would be to betray him, especially while trying to do what's right! Tance moves his arms, now, to try to sit up. The effort makes him pause a few seconds, head bowed against a rush of dizziness. Kesya puts one hand quickly on the other singer's shoulder, steadying, eyes watchful. Tance, when he lifts his head again, is frowning. "I... I don't know how I got here..." A look of dismay flashes across Kesya's face before she stiffles it. "You walked from the sled, I assume." Her gaze stays watchful, hoping he'll say more to reveal how much his memory has -- or hasn't -- been affected. Tance pulls himself to his knees, grunting at the effort, then with another attempt, makes it to standing. Disoriented of eye, though, he looks around. He catches his breath at the sight of the now-quiescent green face, and it takes him a third effort to yank his gaze from it back to you. "I don't recognize anything but the crystal...." Kesya's breath catches; worry lines her brow. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Tance stills. Then, troubledly, he shakes his head. Kesya bows her head, her still form unmoving for long moments, her hands at her temples. She seems the very picture of defeat. Then finally, she stands, awkwardly favouring her now again-bleeding leg. Her eyes are moist, but she puts on a cheerful smile for the other Singer. "No matter," she lies bravely. "Let's just head back to the sled and get some breakfast, okay? I-- I don't think I can be here anymore." Her voice cracks on the last word, and she heads awkwardly, slowly, for the vein entrance. "Alright," he says uncertainly, feeling something amiss here, but not knowing what. And he pads after you. [End log. To be continued...]