The dark the light and the questionable(open)

Drethiel was out for a walk in the night, stepping through the powdery snow on the ground. It wasn't as cold as the other nights had been, and the wind brought no flurries. Approaching the bridge, he picked up his pace to a run, and made his way to the middle of it. The stars shone above, and the moon was brilliant, bringing a natural sparkling glow to the white ground. His eyes shone a bright blue in turn, taking in the beautiful scene from the bridge above the River An. 

Suddenly, he realized that he wasn't alone. He listened closely, closing his eyes, trying to pick out the sounds if he could. Small bouts of papery friction... someone is writing? Someone has a good taste in atmosphere. Dreth grinned, and looked around. There was no one to be seen, but there was one place he did not check. With the aid of his wings, he hopped up onto the bridge's railing. He landed lightly, and then stepped off the edge, catching himself with a gust before landing on top of the frozen river. Retracting his wings and looking up, he saw the shadow of a figure move in the darkness. They're not human. But a chat would be nice, nonetheless. He shrugged inwardly. 

He took a step toward the bridge's underside, and spoke to the person underneath. "Are you enjoying your night, reclusive one?" His voice was light, airy, and non-threatening. 

"Sleep? I sleep whenever I please, I really have no schedule." He explained, taking a step towards her. "I heard you writing, and I thought the most interesting choice would be to find out who else is out at this time." He looked into the dark, trying to make out her face as continued walking towards her, bare feet light on the snow. "So are you a bard? A poet? An artist who finds inspiration in the dark?" Using a soft gust he slid to the opposite end of the bridge, stopping and spinning around once in the light so that she could see his face. "I have a feeling that I know you... your voice sounds different now, though. A bit on edge." He remarked with a smile. "Even though, I could be wrong. Tell me dear, what's your name?" His wings disintegrated into sparkling frost as he waited for an answer.

"My question to you is, what are you doing out here so late at night, since you're not out in the light to enjoy it?"

"I suppose my hearing is exceptional to your standards." He mused. From what he could see now, she was taller than him, and to make the height between them even more drastic, he sat down, crossing his legs and using his hands to hold him up. "A scout, hmm? You gather information? Interesting indeed. So you're saying that there'll be an entry about me in there, in time?" He smiled up at her playfully. "Well I'm downright flattered, Miss Ashen the Scout." He lay back into the snow, and shifted a bit as if to nestle his body in the snow. "Why do you hesitate to step out to me, kinto? I'm an angel, what have you to fear?" He laughed quietly. "Aside from my never ending questions. I'm a bit like you, you see. Curious. I love meeting new people. I do it on a regular basis." Folding his arms behind his head, he took a deep breath and exhaled in a relaxed manner. 

"What reasons do you have to hide? Is it not safe and beautiful in this land most of the night? It would be a privilege to see the face that belongs to that voice of yours." He glanced up into her glowing jade eyes.

Drethiel didn't flinch when Ashen jumped to the bank of the river, merely watching her as she moved. Rolling over onto his stomach in the snow, he held up his head in his hands. He grinned widely when he looked up at her. "Hmm, feline, eh? I like cats, no need to hide from me." He scratched a poor drawing of a cat face in the snow. "You prefer to hide, but really, what could possibly wait for you out here in the world? Have you made fearsome enemies, Miss Ashen?" He paused for a moment to wipe away the snow drawing. He had to make sure not to pry too deep. So far, this meeting was going well. "But anyway. You have a human form too, right?" His eyes sharply followed the line of her clothing. The fabric fell oddly...

"But I'm thinking, after finally seeing you in this light..." He pushed himself up and jumped to his feet, then gestured questioningly towards her back. "...that's not the only thing you're hiding, is it?" A glacial sound of ice forming filled the air around them, forming Drethiel's wings. Within seconds, his wings were fully outstretched and a few feathers had landed in the snow, blending into the white. "Show me the wings that adorn your back. You've seen mine, it's only fair, right?" He held out his hands, in a way that displayed his lack of weapons, and physical strength. "Come now, Ashen. It wouldn't hurt, would it? To satisfy an angel's curiosity? I mean no harm." His bright, pleading eyes begged her to say yes.

He had just completed his first job. It had been a simple one, so simple that he almost didn't take it. It was to end a land feud between a farmer and one of the mercenaries from Cataan. But he needed the money so he begrudgingly accepted the contract. He hadn't even had to get his daggers bloody. A single arrow had brought down his target this time around.

Fallen was now moving quietly through the night on his way back to the tavern. His footfalls in the snow barely audible to anyone without the most keen hearing. As he reached the bridge he realized he was not alone and by instinct fell back into the shadows, concealing his form. From the blackness, red eyes peered down the the river below. Ashen? and....who was that? Whoever it was, he did not get the best vibe from him. He did, in fact, get the sense that this was the kind of person who would hire him.
Not revealing himself, he staying in the darkness, opting to watch. He didn't want to interrupt, but he wanted to make sure Ashen would be ok.

Drethiel's eyes widened a little as she let her wings come out from behind her cloak. Permanently attached in this form, I see, with magnificent color. I bet her speed is incredible with the added power of those. He gave his own wings a shudder, and let them break free from their ice-covered state, revealing plain, white feathers. "Well, you've got me beat there. Mine are so boring compared to yours." He feigned an upset face, and looked back up to her. "Abominations? What are you talking about? Wings are a gift! A real blessing. It does you no good to keep them hidden for so long... beautiful things aren't meant to be hidden away." He walked up to her and gently stroked her wings with the back of his hand. "You don't want these things giving out on you. When they no longer work, they're no more than extra weight on your back, and then they'll be even more of a problem for you." A laugh shook through him at her last comments. "Oh? So you assume I'm older than you?" He smiled deviously up at her. "What if I'm a young one, and am paying you respect that you deserve? In truth, I've never told anyone my age so the chance of you discovering it is slim and none."

He jumped back and paused for a moment, staring into the snow for a second or two.

We aren't alone. So there's another night wanderer around here...

Drethiel flinched slightly at some movement on the bridge. Whoever it was was being extremely careful and quiet. Are they scared? Are they merely light on their feet, or is there a reason for such hesitation? He turned his eyes back to Ashen. "You can call me whatever you like, Miss Ashen." A shallow laugh escaped his throat. "But my name is Drethiel. Call me Dreth, Snow Angel, whatever pleases you. Glad to make your acquaintance."

At that moment, Dreth turned to face the bridge, staring icy daggers into the dark. He raised his voice and addressed the dull red eyes across from him. "And what am I to call you? Do you have a name, stealth one?" He smiled and crossed his arms. "No need to hide. Come into the light where we can see you. It's a bit unfair to have the two of us over here exposed, while you continue to hide. Not to mention a little unnecessary - we're just having a friendly chat." Suddenly, he felt another presence in the vicinity. One that was much more noticeable, and most prominently dark. What was going on? He grit his teeth and put his hands to his sides, ready to take action if necessary. Well this is turning out to be a more eventful evening than I wanted it to be.

Already on edge because of the vibes he felt from the man talking to ashen, and the adrenaline from his recent job, the voice behind him startled him into gear. Barely even hearing WHAT the voice was saying, he was already moving. With lightning fast reflexes, honed over decades, the drow unsheathed both daggers. Spinning on his heel he sent both of them towards the speakers chest.

Had he not attacked, he would have heard the voice call to him from the bridge. But this was not the case. The only sound he heard now was the wind whistle through his cowl as he moved, and the rush of his own pulse.