Nrr'iss paused before answering the Asrafelean's first question: her name. She didn't mind answering, but the question was: how to pronounce it? She settled on giving her both forms. "Mar na Nrr'iss," she said in the unicorn tongue. It was a nasal language, with heavy accents. Her name was said in two parts: the first like a neigh in the back of the throat, the second a hiss of breath almost resembling a sneeze, except soft. "But I understand if you can't pronounce that," she continued in the Rhyallian language. "You can call me Nrr'iss if that is easier." She pronounced the second title as simple letters, recognizable as "ner" in the back of the throat, and "iss" with the tongue. "Most non-unicorns pronounce it that way," she added, so that it was not a slight to the woman, but an adjustment in pronunciation for a tongue and mouth that didn't work quite the same as her own.

As for her second admission of being young...Ah, that makes sense, Nrr'iss thought. The young did tend to be hot tempered, but it would also explain her abrupt mood changes. Part of that was due to personality, as well, of course...She couldn't help thinking that if the woman was truly that young, then it seemed odd that she would be sent out alone on...some sort of mission. Never mind, cultures and traditions varied, and it wasn't for Nrr'iss to judge...

The woman had shut her eyes and was clearly focused, so Nrr'iss waited until she was done before asking a question of her own. "You know my name; might I know yours?" she asked politely. Unicorns were very good at polite.

She was intrigued by the woman's silent wait on the distant orders of another. The traditions of others fascinated Nrr'iss: especially ones involving order and dominance. Since she lived alone, she did not experience this. Unicorn herds had no leaders; everyone was expected to take a fair share. Everyone shared in the decisions, and when needed, one would step up as guide or leader, though they were never more than another: even in the position of leader, all were still equal. So she had no personal knowledge of such a structure, but knew that most cultures used it.

She focused in on the problem. "I have heard of this thing before, though that was hundreds of years ago, and at the time, it was apparently asleep." Nrr'iss paused, gathering scattered memories that hadn't been touched in over a hundred years. "Once, I traveled far to the north: beyond the boundaries of the living. There were...things...that lived there. They were something like ice elementals: almost wraith-like. Nothing else could survive, it was a frozen wasteland of ice and snow that even the sun didn't touch. But these creatures had stories of a monster that was encased ice, sleeping until someone called him forth. I found it fascinating, but saw no sign of the beast." She couldn't say that she disbelieved them, but she hadn't fully believed, either. "Their descriptions were strange and vague, but I am fairly certain that they spoke of the same creature that killed the giant serpent." She tried to remember what they had said, but the picture that came to mind was black and winged with a prison of ice surrounding it and locking it down. It had been silent...

Nrr'iss remembered something else. "Apparently it had been imprisoned there over a thousand years before...They said it thrived on destruction..." That would make sense, but her mind still questioned, "to what end?" Many things destroyed for no reason, but she still had the sense of madness clinging to a dark purpose. That was, at any rate, what she had picked up from the serpent. Perhaps there was no reason and the creature had been grasping at justification for violence in it's last moments...It was hard to tell.

What had the monster been called? Her memory struggled...The dark...Something. She couldn't quite find it. And other questions surfaced: How had it been imprisoned and why? No creature was completely free from death.

"Hmm. It seems I may need to take a trip back to the frozen north," she murmured to herself.

"Ah. If you can pronounce it, you are a special creature indeed," Nrr'iss said, strangely pleased to hear her name spoken correctly. There was an accent to the woman's voice that was probably much broader to Nrr'iss' ears than the woman's, but it was pleasant to hear her "true" name. "If you can pronounce it without too much difficulty, I, of course, prefer to hear my name in my own tongue." She allowed a rare quiet smile to grace her face, her horn turning silver.

The woman spoke her name--Z'kani--and then listened intently to Nrr'iss' description of her travels and the tales she had heard. Nrr'iss watched intently as she spoke, studying the subtle signs the woman made in response. She didn't yet know her well enough to understand all the emotions the woman projected through eyes, face, and body, but she did sense concern.

In reply to Nrr'iss' words, Z'kani showed her the image she had taken from the serpent. "It is the creature," Nrr'iss murmured softly, sending her thought to the woman. But the woman's eyes had again taken on the glazed look of someone who was distance speaking, so the unicorn didn't know if Z'kani had heard her or not. She waited patiently, a deep sickness settling into her bones.

So the stars were right. Something ancient is alive again, and though it does not move yet, it will change the future to patterns that do not belong. Patterns that portray darkness and destruction. An age is coming that no creature will wish to see...

Z'kani's expression changed and she repeated a message from her leader. Nrr'iss' large ears twitched as she took in the message. "Anyone would be foolish to try to fight such a creature alone...Or even in a group," she agreed quietly. Sadness turned her horn slightly opaque for a moment, before it re-lit itself with a quiet swirl of colors. It settled into a dark blue that hinted at anger and fear.

"I think the wisest course of action would be to go to the North Pole. It is a long journey for me, though perhaps not for you. If your leader thinks it would help to know more from the Ice Creatures, then I will tell you where to meet me and perhaps we can find them. They may not shed anymore light on this creature, but I suspect that they will know more--at least in legends and tales."


*OOC: Um, ending this thread... I think everything that needs saying has been said. So Z'kani can reply, and then we can maybe eventually start a new thread... Yay for moving the plot on Identity along....

Nrr'iss waited patiently while the Asrafelean communicated with her companions. She was silently impressed by the distance that they could maintain while still communicating with one another. Others she'd spoken with had been limited in their mind speaking powers: distance voided the ability to speak with thoughts. Clearly that was not true in this case.

At last, Z'kani returned her attention to Nrr'iss. The unicorn waited while the woman explained her purposes. They matched Nrr'iss' well. Though she thought perhaps she would prefer a different traveling companion. Ah, well.

"Food is scarce there. I expect you know that, but what I remember is that everything froze nearly immediately. Bringing food may not be another problem--being able to eat it is another matter. Be prepared, storms rage across snow fields frequently, coming up without warning. Heat may be a problem." Nrr'iss related her knowledge from her prior trip. She could not accurately explain the far north to Z'kani, nor it's inherent dangers. Still, she could advise a bit and hope that the woman used that as insurance to move with extra caution.

"I cannot leave immediately and it will take me time to travel there by hoof. Still, I expect we can plan to meet in a month's time above Karnaim Lake. There are twin peaks that overlook the lake on its north side. They rise behind a ridge, but are quite tall and easily marked. The Castan Range continues on past that point, but it will be easiest if we meet there. Past the mountains, the true north begins and that land...is different."

She tilted her heading, thinking. "Nothing lives there, but many creatures dwell there. I am not so sure that they are alive in the sense that you and I are alive. They have their own dangers simply in that they will not see us as something that suffers and dies. However, they will also be the ones to provide us with information."

Nrr'iss paused, wandering if there was anything she'd missed. She didn't think so. The mountains were tall, rising well above the surrounding peaks. "I will wait for you in the narrow saddle between the two peaks."