Worlde Arcane: Dark Forest

By Gillen Pa'el, Sylvan Woodsman (Gillen)

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 7:08 am GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC: From Hunt's End)

The bright clearings of Hunt's End quickly gave way to sun dappled woodland as two elves, a wagon-hitched gelding, and a scrawny canine made their way along the rutted lumber wagon trail. It was not long until the canopy sealed itself above them and they entered the gloom of the climax forest. The rough sun-baked clay gave way to spongy forest loam and the ruts from past passages of the lumber wagon spread out a bit to circle left around that massive trunk, right around that one, and so on at seeming random, driven by the whim of drivers past.

Wuu'Faan felt herself seized by a sudden nervousness. She was a child of the woods and the forest held no unknown terrors for her in it's gloom, but she was not used to travel, and certainly not along a marked path. "Mister Gillen, do yew think that we should chance leaving the wagon trail? About that business at the tavern..." She tried to explain her feeling of unease, referring to the unknown man who had been asking after her back in town. Had she been alone, she would never have risked losing the trail. Though she could navigate the forest around her family's homestead with her eyes closed, she had only a foggy notion of where, and how far away, lay Seven Oaks and the famed Lorimar Road.

She did not know whether the three-wheeled cart would become mired if they left the hard-packed ruts, or whether they would encounter streams with no fords should they leave the marked trail, she would leave such judgements up to her guide.

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 2:50 am GMT | Edit | Link |

As he walked, Gillen suppressed a smile. Of course he had listened with great care to Wuu'Faan's warning about the garments, and of course he would take such to heart. But he could not help the amusement he felt at the way she had worded her warning. She had felt it, too; he knew.

Now, however, the Elf-maid's musings had turned to more serious concerns, and Gillen would give her questions the full attention they deserved. "I would prefer not to leave the trail for now," he answered. "For cart and horse, e'en this rutted road is better suited. When we stop for the night, we will move as far off the road as Herman is able, but for now, let us remain upon the trail."

Herman made progress, as best he could, and the mongrel, as yet unnamed, alternated between trotting ahead to explore and following happily alongside his new two-legged companions.

Ere long, they came to a small rivulet, and Gillen suggested they pause for a few minutes to rest and take sustenance, and to allow Herman to drink.

(OOC:

A pic of Gillen has now been uploaded to his profile :-) )

By Gillen Pa'el, Sylvan Woodsman (Gillen)

Friday, January 19, 2007 - 2:08 am GMT | Edit | Link |

He smiled as Talas' well wishes. "Good night, my friend." His voice was quiet, to reflect his introspective mood. Turning to his own bedroll, Mattheus laid down upon it. His eyes closed relatively quickly after that as he sought a position to be comfortable in.

That position was not long in coming. Soon after he found it, Mattheus was back on his bedroll, resting comfortably. Just before he closed his eyes a second time, he sought Earelia gently with them.

The phrase 'Good night' passed his lips without sound. A smile went with it. Just a little while later, and Mattheus was asleep in his bedroll, taking the rest he needed.

Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 6:33 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC:

Wuu'Faan, I have moved us to a small rivulet, half-day from Hunt's End.)

Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 4:12 am GMT | Edit | Link |

"Good night," Earelia returned to her friends, but wasn't sleepy herself, handy since it seemed as though she would be keeping watch that night. She remained sitting where she was, but her mind was all over the place. This wouldn't have kept her from performing her task, however.

By Anonymous

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 2:52 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Hands in the darkness reached out for him as a terrifying howl tore through the night. He pulled away from the grip of the disembodied hands and ran, not knowing which direction he was taking through the forest. The trunks of the trees stood like silent sentinels, the tree branches stripped bare like bones.

He looked wildly around him, wondering where the others had gone, but he could see none of his friends. All he could hear were the awful shouts somewhere in the forest behind him. His breath came in ragged gasps and his breath hung in the fetid air above him as he ran. Then, he felt something wrap around his ankle and pull him to the mossy turf.

"Let me go!" He screamed and kicked at whatever had grabbed his leg, but his foot met something that felt rough and gnarled and tough. A tree root had pulled him down! The howling and screaming got nearer again, but this time, despite his wild struggling, he could not break free.

He screamed again, but no one heard him.

At some point in the middle of the night, Willam awoke with a start. He looked around and saw the still forms of Silmarwen, Mattheus and Talas. Off to one side was Earelia, who looked to be awake. Quietly, he got up and grabbed his sleeping roll and blankets, which he set down next to the diminutive elf. Without a word, he lay down next to her and quickly fell asleep.

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 4:08 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Earelia was surprised when Willam relocated his sleeping area to right besider her. "Willam?" she'd asked softly in the dark. She could tell he was troubled, and she was a little worried about the young boy.

When he settled next to her, she wondered if he'd really ever been awake at all. She ran her fingers soothingly through Willam's hair for a little while, in the same way her mother had when she'd been upset. The elf understood how shaken one could be after a bad dream, if that had been what had prompted the boy's sudden movement, and was very sorry for him.

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 5:37 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Silmarwen stirred in her sleep. Pulling the blanket around her shoulders she settled back into her bed roll.

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 2:30 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Sleep had take him. No dreams assailed him, but he was so tired after battles and keeping watches that it took much to wake him. At one point he turned over onto his stomach, and his eyes fluttered open for just the barest moment. Through blurry eyes he saw someone resting near Earelia. A few blinks of his eyes told him it was the young boy William. Turning back over onto his side, Mattheus tried to return to sleep. Glady for him, and luckily as well, he was successful in that endeavor.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 12:12 am GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC: If there are no objections, I think I'll move on to morning....)

Earelia kept watch through the night. In the small hours of the morning, she moved as quiet as was possible for an elf to do about the camp, stirring the fire a bit to warm some of the food that had been eaten for supper the night before and readying the horses for travel.

It was not yet light, but Earelia could feel the forest around her stirring, as though it had been sleeping itself, when she put a hand lightly on Silmarwen's shoulder to wake the elf, then Mattheus and Talas. She decided to let Willam sleep as long as he would until they were ready to leave, at which point they could wake him and hand him some food before heading out.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 11:30 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC: I apologise if this isn't the way to go about it but I wasn't sure since I just joined the site as of today but I was hoping that I might join this roleplay. I've already got an intro written up so if I'm allowed, I can simply edit this post. Thank yew for yer consideration!)

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - 12:35 am GMT | Edit | Link |

When Talas woke he felt groggy, and wondered if he'd overslept, but judging by the dimness in the sky, he saw it was still early morning. "Good morning, Earelia. Thanks for looking after things last night," he said with a smile. He sat up and suddenly felt a little dizzy. "I need to walk around."

The warrior stretched and looked around at the others, and then began stowing away his bedroll and blanket. After a short circle of the camp, he returned to his mount and grabbed some trail rations from one of his saddlebags, and sat down next to Silmarwen.

"Morning sleepyhead. Yew feeling any better today?"

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - 2:54 am GMT | Edit | Link |

From the high branches of a tree, a young girl watched the group as they slept. She�d seen them battle the Orcs�the strength of them all. One even seemed to be able to use the strange abilities she herself used, the abilities that the injured boy called �magick�. She�d watched them since the battle, curiosity making her unable to leave them behind her as she had so many others that had wandered into the forest that had been her home for so long�As long as she could remember.

One of them was injured, severely from what she�d seen with her eyes. If she tried�She could make the wound less dangerous but�Why was she considering this? Artemis knew better than to try and deal with these people. She knew nothing of them�It wasn�t safe. She knew not whether they were predator or prey�or even members of the same blood. Each had a different look to them and the one with the dark curls colored like the tree bark had a very distinct smell. Like how the air smelled when �magick� was used. It made her nose tingle.

Sometime during the night, she had fallen asleep, holding firm to her place in the trees but it had been nothing more than a light doze. Artemis feared that when she awoke, the group would be gone and that would be the last she saw of them. She didn�t want that, now did she?

She�d woken early, quickly realizing that the elf had stirred and was now moving about the camp. Of all the people, she seemed to be the kindest. The smallest one, the pup of the group, still slept soundly. From the way they treated the boy, she wondered if the pointed eared woman and the man that had spoken of being small were the parents of the pup. They certainly regarded him with great care�

The thought of revealing herself was growing tantalizing, like the smell of the food the night before. The dark grey eyes followed the girl as she moved about, all the while thinking about how to go about it. Perhaps if she showed her intentions to help the injured one, they�d respond kindly. Or�perhaps they were territorial and would attack. Then there was the other question�What would be the best form to approach in?

After another moment�s thought, she gingerly slid from the tree branch, her bare feet making little sound as she moved. The occasional swish of the fabric of her navy dress could have been heard now and again, should one have strong enough hearing, that is. She continued her descent, coming down the back of the tree and out of their sights.

Should she wait till they�d all awoken?

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - 3:37 am GMT | Edit | Link |

A light touch upon his shoulder drew his attention. He rolled over to face the direction that the touch had come from. With a shake of his head and a grunt, he blinked the remnants of sleep from his eyes.

Once he was awake, he set about his business. The first of it involved him storing away his bedroll. He bid Earelia and Talas a good morning, stretching his body out a bit while Talas took his walk about the camp.

He decided he couldn't just stand there after a while. He decided to take his own walk about the camp. It was then that.... was he hearing things? He thought he was, but he couldn't be sure...

Walking more slowly, he bent his senses to the task at hand. He thought he could hear....footsteps? He was pretty certain that was it... Very quietly, he went as slowly as he could about the camp. He kept his hand near his blade, ready to draw it at a moment's notice, but he did not draw it yet. He wanted to be ready to protect himself, but not to scare whatever or whoever was out there if they came in peace.....

He continued to move as quietly as he could. He was fleet of foot and nearly silent despite his height and size. His hand remained near the hilt of his sword as he continued his circuit of the camp... following the sounds of what he thought were very quiet footsteps...

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - 11:05 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Silmarwen rolled onto her back, stretched and opened her eyes. It was not quite dawn but if they set out soon she thought they may make it to Seven Oaks that day. Although she had slept quite soundly she had had strange visions during the night, of being watched from nearby, like she was seeing through the watchers eyes as they kept a vigil on the camp. Now she was fully awake she thought she could still sense the watcher as if the visions had been real. Hearing Talas speak she replied "I have recovered much of my strength, but all through the night strange visions of a watcher came to me, I have a feeling that we may have company"

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - 11:37 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Her movements remained as light and as silent as she could managed, ears listening as the others stirred. Then, suddenly, she got the oddest sensation about her. She felt as if she was being�tracked. Artemis paused suddenly, standing up tall and straight though not a single muscle moved. She could hear them moving about the camp and heard one speak of visions of another watching�It seemed her presence had been discovered.

Her thoughts were simple for there were two options: Run or stay? Artemis chose to stay. Attack or present self with caution? Again she chose the second option. However, she would wait for a few more moments.

Slowly she turned, her dark grey eyes peering about to find her �hunter�. He was near, she was aware of that much. Surely he was just as aware of her as she was of him. She was no more than perhaps seven feet from the actual camp but the brush and brambles hid her well. Still she knew she would be found, rather soon at that.

However, the white haired youth was not the only one watching the group with interested eyes. Another sat in the trees though having to do much less to hide himself. A young feline with bright gold eyes stared down at the others in the camp, his furry lips curled into a smile. The cat�s coat was a dark onyx, save for a patch that encircled his right ear and eye that was as white as the snow on a mountain�s peek.

His tail flicked back and forth lazily, enjoying the crispness of the morning�s air. His position was one of relaxation, angular head resting comfortably on the backs of his crossed paws, the back legs planted firmly yet leisurely on the branch.

The one thing that kept the cat so deeply entranced were the emotions that flowed so fluidly into him from those below. Artemis had always kept such a tight rein on her feelings that these sensations were new and welcomed to him. The raw, uncontained feelings he was getting from them allowed him to understand what they�d heard at a much deeper level. He could feel it all�their anguish, pain, sorrow, joy�He felt it all in such a rush that it was almost exhilarating. This brought forth the cat�s curiosity�

Friday, February 2, 2007 - 12:49 am GMT | Edit | Link |

"Good morning," Earelia had returned her companions' greetings. Even after a night without sleep, she had more energy than any person had any right to have. Some of that energy, however, was nervous energy. All night she'd felt that something was watching, close to the group. She was just glad that it had not shown itself while she was the only one awake, whatever it was.

Friday, February 2, 2007 - 2:16 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Talas nodded to Silmarwen and smiled. "I'm glad to see yew almost recovered," he said, but all the time he was looking into the forest, scanning the understory. He winced again and rubbed his arm. He wasn't sure how he would fare in another fight, so he hoped whatever was out there wasn't an enemy.

Then he smirked. I'm not thinking straight - if whomever was out there was an enemy, surely they would have attacked us at our weakest last night. "Do yew suppose who ever is watching us wants to be found?" he asked Silmarwen loud enough that whomever was hiding in the bushes would also hear.

Saturday, February 3, 2007 - 12:55 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Before she knew it, the conversation about a �watcher� continued. It�d become clear that they were now all aware of her presence. That is, all but the sleeping pup.

Artemis stared hard at the brush before moving again, making her way away from the brush. However, she wasn�t leaving. Instead, her path curved to the right and she came across two trees, resembling somewhat of an archway, and again, paused. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and towards the trees, her steps slow and cautious, despite the earlier conversation between the others and how friendly they sounded.

Finally, the white haired girl reached the trees and stood silently between them, now clearly in sight. Her clothes were ragged, torn and tattered to a point that they no longer resembled the dress it had once been, clothing she�d picked up from a camp after the traders had left to continue on their journey. However, that had been some time ago. The dress had been cut into two pieces, each ragged for it had been done with sharpened stones. The skirt was held up by a snag of rope that she�d tied about her waist and the top rested a fair distance above, starting halfway up her ribs. The bit of cloth that had been the middle of the gown had been fashioned into a rough bag that hung on the side of her waist, attacked to the rope belt. There were no visible weapons on the girl but her stance held threats of its own, though unintentional.

There was a wild look to her, the way she held herself, each muscle tight as if ready to pounce or escape. Artemis had clearly defined muscles and no fat too her�She rarely got enough to eat to be fat. It was obvious that her body was well worked and scars were not a rarity on her flesh though most had long since faded. Still, all the grime and dirt did not hide the fact that the girl was young, twenty at most and seventeen at the least. Still, her eyes held intelligence.

Artemis held still, eyes locked on each of the beings in the clearing while her ears were attuned to the one that still searched for her. Not a muscle twitched, the only movement being her breathing and the snowy hair on her head moving with the slight breeze.

Caris noticed her movement and watched silently as the girl revealed herself, his whiskers twitching for a moment. It was odd that Artemis had chosen to reveal herself to them but even more so that she seemed to wish to help them�More than anything, the girl had tried to avoid all but Caris himself.

He�d watch�for now.

Saturday, February 3, 2007 - 6:53 am GMT | Edit | Link |

What couldn't have been more than a minute after Talas had mentioned the person watching them then she turned to see the new arrival, under trees that, once she thought about it, did look like an archway. A fitting place for an entrance, Earelia thought. She quietly cleared her throat to alert Talas and Silmarwen, if they had not known already, that their loud conversation about a watcher was no longer necessary.

The young woman did appear strange to the elf, who was still the shortest of the group, though the white-haired young creature did not exactly tower over her. Was she uman? Earelia could not help but wonder, as there seemed to be something that made her different from most umans. Perhaps it was just how alert she seemed to be.

Poor girl, Earelia thought as she took in her appearance. She looked as though she had not had enough to eat and very ragged. The curly haired elf smiled warmly at the new arrival, making no sudden movements and keeping her hands in plain sight. For some reason, Artemis seemed to the elf to be more like a wild animal than anything.

"Good morning..." she offered cautiously, but not in an unfriendly manner as the strange young woman approached. Earelia was certain the stranger meant them no harm, though, she might not have expected the orcs that had attacked earlier of meaning them harm had the beasts not rushed into their camp and immediately begun to howl and swing their weapons about.

Saturday, February 3, 2007 - 11:47 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Talas blinked when the girl seemed to materialize at the edge of the encampment. "Oh." Like Earelia, he was surprised by the girl's appearance, but nothing about her seemed intimidating or frightening. Though she was tense, and something about her did seem feral.

The warrior nodded and added his greetings to Earelia's. "Well met, ah... traveller. I- I'm Talas." He really wasn't sure if she should approach - she looked like she might flee.

Talas furrowed his eyebrows, and shrugged as he looked back at Silmarwen. He mouthed the words: Is this the one?

Sunday, February 4, 2007 - 1:22 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Her grey eyes moved from the curly haired on to the injured man as they each addressed her and there was no threatening tone to their words. After a moment, she stepped further into the camp, stopping a short distance from Talas.

Turning her attention to him, she approached him, watching the female beside him carefully, and squatted in front of him. With her elbows resting on her knee, she looked him in the eye for a long moment then motioned to his shoulder.

�Help,� she said simply. Glancing at the others, she waited for a response and then returned her gaze to the wounded shoulder. Pointing at herself and then again at the injury, she repeated,� Help.�

Artemis hoped they understood that she wished to heal their impaired friend. It had just been so long since she�d spoken with another of the two legged creatures that she only remembered a few of the words�Caris was fluent but she hadn�t picked up on many of the words. After all, conversation was a rarity between the two. Speaking of which�Where was that cat?

Sunday, February 4, 2007 - 3:38 am GMT | Edit | Link |

He had been tracking the new arrival for some time. Seeing the newcomer approach the camp, he took his hand away from a sword he had never drawn. Her stance made him wary, but the lack of visible weapons and the state of her apperance moved him to compassion.

He let himself come into her view then, but he did not approach more closely, lest he frighten the girl further. He added his greetings to the others in the form of a smile and a cordial nod to the newcomer. He left his own face and stance relaxed, that the girl might see that he brought her no ill will.

The state of the girl's appearance, and her repeated wishes to help eventually won him over. He spoke quietly then, though with enough projection to be heard well. "I'm Mattheus. Don't be afraid." He stayed well back, letting the injured decide whether or not to welcome help. He was watchful, but kept himself relaxed so as not to bring unease intentionally to the girl.

Monday, February 5, 2007 - 2:39 am GMT | Edit | Link |

"Oh, and I'm Earelia," the curly haired elf added with a giggle at herself for forgetting. It wasn't as though she could expect everyone in the worlde to automatically no her name, after all, she thought humorously.

Earelia continued to smile, thinking it very nice of the young woman to come to help Talas. Being herself, the elf did not even wonder at the strange creature's motives behind wanting to help. It was just enough that she seemed to very much want to heal Talas' shoulder.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - 1:15 am GMT | Edit | Link |

"Help? Yeah, my shoulder hurts, but what this needs is time - or someone skilled in magick." He was initially surprised by the girl's lack of self-interest, though it made sense - she was alone and looked to be in tough shape. Any friends out in the wilderness would be welcome.

And as another jolt of pain lanced through his shoulder, Talas knew he needed help. "Yew think yew can take care of this?" He carefully undid the binding on his arm, and was pleased to see the wound had not begun to fester. In fact, the laceration had already begun to heal - Silwarwen's field dressing had kept it from becoming infected.

"I'd be grateful if yew could."

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - 1:58 am GMT | Edit | Link |

She glanced about at them and when the other male appeared, she knew he had been the one tracking her. It made sense that he�d be the one to go about in search of a possible enemy�After all, he�d been one of the most ferocious fighters of them all.

Mattheus and Earelia were the two names that had been given to her, the two that seemed to be the parents of the young, sleeping pup. The one who�d been injured was Talas�For a moment, her eyes darted to the other magick smelling girl, the one who had yet speak to her but had had the visions.

Her hand again moved to herself and she, once again using one word sentences, said,� Artemis.�

Once again, she turned her attention to the male and looked at his wound, pleased to see the amount it had already healed. In all truth, she�d only have to perform the healing twice before he�d be good as new, with a days rest in between of course.

Hearing his question, she glanced up and nodded. �I�take care.� It was obvious that it had been a long time since she�d last spoken to another, giving how simple her words were. Lifting a hand, she held it a few centimeters away from the Orc inflicted injury and seemed to freeze, eyes locked on his shoulder. After a moment, a pale blue, almost white, light emitted from her hand and flowed into the wound, the skin and muscle seeming to reappear in the healing rays.

After several moments, the light began to wane and then disappeared entirely, leaving what looked like nothing more serious than a scrape. Her hand dropped to her side and Artemis took in a few quick breaths, feeling as if she�d just gone for a run. It always felt that way afterwards.

She looked up at Talas for a moment, her mind struggling to remember the word for what she wanted to ask. �B-Better?� she finally managed, not even sure if she�d spoken the correct term but it was worth a shot.

Meanwhile, the cat had left his perch in the tree and made his way to the group, the difficulty of communication growing more and more apparent as the time passed. Now, he was a mere short distance away from them, sitting atop a fallen tree that had served as a bench at earlier times, his tail twitching back and forth.

�She can only do that once a day.� He said, telling them what she did not know how. The furry lips moved to form each word, the rough tongue doing the same behind his sharp teeth. �Artemis will be able to finish the job tomorrow.�

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - 11:11 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

"Sword of Khenus," Talas had muttered under his break when Artemis had finished her spell, and he nodded gratefully when she asked if it felt better. He stretched his arm, and though he didn't have quite the same range of movement, the pain was gone. "Thank yew, Artemis," he said with a smile.

Then, a talking cat entered the clearing, and the warrior stared, unable to speak. He thought of going for his weapon, but the cat's tone and manner of speaking was so nonchalant it almost seemed natural, and definitely not threatening.

"Who?" He looked back at the girl, and then at the cat. "What? How can this be?" The warrior looked around at the others - particularly Silmarwen, hoping that she could provide some sort of insight.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - 11:19 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Silmarwen had watched as the girl entered the clearing and proceeded to apparently take over Talas' healing. Without a word she turned on her heel and headed towards William to awaken him, her cape flicking over her shoulder as she went. She gently laid a hand on the boy's shoulder "Time we were moving lad" Without another word she made her way to where she had slept for the night and packed up her things. Still without introducing herself to the stranger she turned to faced the others and said sternly "BREAK CAMP. I would like to be in Seven oaks before nightfall" Turning once again she took her packs over to Lotho and attached them to the back of the saddle. As she made him ready, she thought quietly to herself and just for an instance a flicker of a flame flashed in her eyes. Without waiting for the others she mounted Lotho and waited impatiently.

By Anonymous

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 - 2:23 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Willam came awake and looked up at Silmarwen. "Good morning," he said sleepily. The boy quickly gathered up his blanket and sleeping roll. As he did so, he noticed the girl with the white hair.

"Oh. Hello - I'm Willam. Who -" He saw, however, that Silmarwen wanted to be moving, so he nodded to her and smiled, and then stowed his belongings in his horse's saddlebags.

"Who's the new lady?" he whispered to Silmarwen.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 - 10:21 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Silmarwen simply looked over at William and replied "an uninvited guest apparently". Still without acknowledging the newcomer she again looked to William and said "I would prefer it if yew rode upfront with me William, then maybe we can put some ample distance between us and any other pursuers"

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 - 11:00 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Earelia was very happy that Artemis really had been able to help Talas' shoulder to heal. She would have hated to think of him being in pain. But Silmarwen didn't seem so glad of the newcomer's abilities. Was there a bit of jealousy there? she wondered with some amusement.

When the cat had spoken, quite close to her, too, Earelia had quickly turned, expecting another person to be there. Instead, she watched as the feline's mouth formed the words with a mixture of amazement and curiosity.

At Silmarwen's stern order, Earelia tried to hide her amusement and glanced at the others. By now she'd learned that, though Silmarwen was more than a little standoffish, she would not harm those who had not wronged her. Had that not been the case, Mattheus would probably not have been standing there, since Earelia had never seen Silmarwen as angry at anyone as she had been the time Mattheus had upset her.

"Yew can ride with me, if yew want to, Artemis," Earelia offered, mounting her own horse. Earelia already accepted Artemis as a friend and assumed she would be coming with them, so it did not occur to her to ask whether or not the young woman wanted to come along. "Do yew know if there's a faster way to Seven Oaks from here?" she asked cheerfully, knowing that Silmarwen would probably not relish taking directions from the girl if she had them to give.

By Anonymous

Thursday, February 8, 2007 - 2:15 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Willam nodded and mounted his horse. He wondered why Silmarwen seemed so worried - the girl didn't seem frightening, but then again, Koinar had been nice when they first met. And look how that turned out, he thought. He swallowed when he remembered how cruel his kidnapper had been.

Friday, February 9, 2007 - 1:48 am GMT | Edit | Link |

He made no argument with Lady Silmarwen's stern order. He simply said "Right," and packed up his things. As soon as all was in readiness, he mounted his own steed and was ready to be about the next leg of their journey. His mount possessed a degree of the same impatience, snorting a bit, tossing its great head and pawing at the ground with a hoof. He patted the animal's neck with a gentle hand, ready to be away from here as soon as they could.

Friday, February 9, 2007 - 2:16 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Talas gathered his belongings together and put them back in his saddlebag. "Yew'd best take up her offer and ride with Earelia," he said quietly to Artemis and nodded at the elf. "And thanks again for helping my arm." When he had finished putting everything away and made sure the remnants of the campfire were covered up, he mounted Dash.

"I'll take rear guard," he said, and followed the others out of the Dark Forest onto the Lorimar Road.

(OOC:

To Lorimar Road 15)

Friday, February 9, 2007 - 11:29 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Noting that all were now ready Silmarwen silently nudged Lotho on out of the clearing and towards the road. She would have preferred to stick with the forest but that would have taken too much time.

(OOC: Lorimar 15)

Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 10:30 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC: I'll just assume that Artemis is along for now......Earelia to Lorimar 15)

By Raaguorr SteelSkin (Raaguorr)

Monday, April 16, 2007 - 3:24 am GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC: From The Clearings)

The forest closed itself overhead as the small group of travellers continued down the wagon trail to Seven Oaks. As they left the sunlight of the clearings, ground cover became sparser, with ferns and mosses springing from the rich loamy soil of the forest floor. This was still nearly-untouched climax forest with huge ancient trees marching off into the gloom beneath their thick green foliage.

Gillen seemed to be keeping his own counsel, undoubtably reflecting on the events of the morning. Wuu'Faan did not wish to think about it at all, instead repeating her questions to Llor with a kind of quiet desperation, looking for something to distract her from the grim reality of the morning.

Monday, April 16, 2007 - 7:54 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Raaguorr follwed the small group of travelers slowly, barely keeping them in eye sight and trying to make as little noise as possible. He figured that now wasnt the best time to come out of hiding as for the female was tring to speak to the weak looking male. So he decided to keep following until they stopped talking and then he would offer his services.

By Llor of Magius (Llor)

Monday, April 16, 2007 - 8:21 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Llor listened to the questions twice over. He had, from a young age, found that if yew wish to know something, it was best to make people uncomfortable around yew, if yew arent sure about befriending them. Many bullies also had this tactic, but Llor could not intimidate people as most others could, but silence, he had found, was the way he was best at. After listening over, he answered, quitely. "Yes, I am a silver elf by blood, but by mind, I am the only one of my kind."
He brooded over this for a few moments before continuing. "I really live no one place, or many places. I merely travel, and I go where I want. At the moment, I am not truly headed anywhere for certain, although I fancy a trip to Daelos Kingdom." He looked around him, and up and down. To him, the birds were not something to be admired, they were flesh and blood, and had an annoying habit of chirping. They were there so that they could be hunted for food, researched to look at how things fly, or to be used in experiments. While Llor greatly appreciated nature itself, he though nothing of the animals inhabiting nature. "Yes, yer coat, uh... Robespierre. Do yew know how he was enchanted?"
At the same time, another question came into his mind. "Also, what was the mongrel growling at earlier? I would think that after yer encounter, a little more attention would be payed to a keener nose than that of mere elves, sylvan or otherwise."

By Raaguorr SteelSkin (Raaguorr)

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 5:24 am GMT | Edit | Link |

Talking to Llor did not do much to set Wuu'Faan at ease. The silver Elf had--it seemed to her--a odd way of speaking and it took her a moment to understand what he meant. She wondered at his words. Did he mean to insinuate that he was more intelligent than other Silvers, or simply just different. "Really? What makes you so unique then?" She inquired, maybe showing a bit more pique than she intended.

When he mentioned that he was heading to Daelows Wuu'Faan said nothing. She had not decided whether the newcomer was trustworthy--or whether she even liked him enough--to invite him to travel to Daelows. Besides, that decision would be up to Gillen. Llor seemed inordinately preoccupied with her enchanted redingote and Wuu'Faan had not realized that he was--or at least fancied himself--some sort of scholar. When she answered, she did so carefully. "Robespierre was made from fabrics, woven from enchanted threads, ensorcelled by a wizard in Daelows. I do not know what discipline of magick he practiced." In truth, the redingote had only a few enchanted threads woven into it's trim and plucking that off would render the coat lifeless, but that was not information she was prepared to share at the moment.

Llor proved himself to be an observant fellow when he mentioned the dog's earlier disquiet. Wuu'Faan barely remembered it, such had been her rush to leave. Now she was annoyed. What did this haughty traveller expect? Should they have rushed into the woods seeking an ambush from the friends of the Umans dead on the road? "I have no idea. Perhaps it was a squirrel, perhaps something more sinister." She almost suggested that the Llor go back and investigate for himself, but she stilled her tongue. Are all Silvers in posession of such an abrasive personality? She wondered to herself.

After a moment of silence, she wondered if she wasn't being unfair. After all, travelling through the forest was hardly a tea party in your friend's parlor, and the suggestion had been meant to be helpful. Somewhat. She could hardly fault the newcomer for being obscure in his answers and for not affecting the friendliest mannerisms. While they continued on, she tried to restart the conversation. "If yew are travelling to Daelows, then yew must first be bound for Seven Oaks. Have yew ever been there before? What is it like?" She asked. Perhaps a less personal question would set him more at ease. Wuu'Faan was still curious why an Elf of Llor's constitution would be travelling through the forest alone. Despite his vague answers to questions about his business, she felt compelled to continue asking. "Were yew visiting Family in Hunt's end? Or perhaps looking for work?" The latter hardly seemed likely as Llor did not appear suited for any of the labor available in the small frontier village. Then again, the bookkeeper at the sawmill had been getting on in years--and he was certainly quite corrupt. Perhaps the Silver Elf had come into town to inquire after his job--or maybe he had been sent by the lumber company to check the mill's books.

By Li Anazawa (Anazawa)

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 11:16 am GMT | Edit | Link |

After hours of wandering, Li stepped out of the thick of the woods and hopefully closer to the edge of the forest. He looked around and wondered if he had been to this part of forest earlier. It didn't look like it. Hopefully. His eyes scanned the surroundings and caught sight of people. Not animals like he had seen for the past few hours, but people. Real people!

"Maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me," he muttered to himself. "Or maybe I've gone crazy. One way to find out..."

He pushed himself to a hurried walk to catch up with the group. Even if they weren't real maybe his mind was trying to show him the way out of the forest. The young man drew closer to the people, his footsteps audible for any to hear.

"Excuse me! Excuse meeeeeeee!" As he approached, he slowed down and raised both of his hands showing that he meant no harm. In his mind he also hoped that he wasn't going crazy and that these were real, actual people. "Would any of yew happen to know if we're closer to Seven Oaks or Daelows? I'm kinda lost..."

By Llor of Magius (Llor)

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 7:07 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Llor listened to all of this quietly. After pausing for a moment, he let out a sigh. "I was unique even before certain... events conspired against me and made me like no other silver elf in history. I will say to things on the subject. The first is that no, not all silver elves look like I do, and almost all others are well above my health. Second, they did something for which I can never forgive them, and because of that, I do not see myself as a true silver elf." He looked around a little more, wishing the birds would stop their twittering. "Actually, I think it would be wise to find out what was in there, because I hear something crashing through the brush, but it has a little way to get here before then, and it doesnt sound like its in any form of bloodlust. I am not farmiliar with the surrounding area, and I was merely directed to this path to find Daelows. And, if yew think about it, since I have never been here before, that means that even if I had a family, they wouldnt be here, and that I have never been to Seven oaks, thus, I cannot tell yew what it is, or was, like. And no, I need no more work."

Then the man came out from the brush, and upon waiting to here him, he slowly climbed down from the cart. "As I have said, I do not know the surrounding country. I would suggest yew ask the owners of this wagon."

He then, perhaps quickly for him, walked over to the edge of the trail after retrieving his staff. "Do not be alarmed by what yew see next" he said, as he rose a leaf into the air.

"Leafer, quinta ae dothes." He mutttered to nothing in particular, as he threw the leaf he had retrieved into the sky. While it began to float down to the ground, a white-blue fire suddenly burned the edges of the leaf, then consumed the entire thing. When the fire, with no more fuel, began to fade, things began to change. Anything living grew a strange, red aura that was not felt, or heard, but only seen. It illuminated the magicker standing there, waiting, and both elves, and the man. It also revealed one more thing. A large form huddled in the brush. "Success." Llor whispered.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 11:58 pm GMT | Edit | Link |

Raaguorr watched the silver elf throw the leaf into the air and burst into a strange whitesh blueish fire. after the fire disapeared he noticed that he had a bright red aura around his body. Since he was probably discovered by the obvious bright red light that he seemed to have gained Raaguorr decided to come out of his hiding and offer his services.

Raaguorr slowly standed straight and began walking towards the travelers. he was moving at a brisk pace faster than a walk but slower than a run. He stayed around 20 yards away from them in case if they decided to attack.
"This road is dangerous if yew do not have the proper protection. Lots o' wild animals and bandits waitin to take yer money. I know the land well and I am a strong warrior who can protect yew from harm...for a price that is."

Raaguorr hoped he planned his words right because if he didnt there was a fair possibilty that they would attack him or refuse.

By Anonymous

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 6:18 am GMT | Edit | Link |

(OOC: When it rains, it pours, I suppose.)

The unnamed mongrel had been trotting along beside the three-wheeled cart quietly, occasionally stopping to sniff at something or concern itself with other inscrutible canine matters. At the sound of approaching footfalls, however, it turned to look to the rear, it's ears perking up. As the black-haired Uman waved and shouted, the dog's tail wagged excitedly and it barked in a stridently challenging tone.

The mongrel trotted toward the newcomer, tail high and wagging in a sign of excitement. It stopped a few feet away from Li and began barking and making false charges in an unmistakable challenge. It ignored Llor, but fell silent for a moment when his strange magick took effect. Seeming to assume that Li was the source of the magickal disturbance, it began to growl menacingly, showing the Uman it's teeth and advancing on him. Unless he thought quickly, it seemed he was sure to be bitten. When the Wolvian emerged from his hiding place, the dog continued to focus on Li, oddly paying the other newcomer no attention.

The sudden strange light display startled Herman--the gelding pulling the cart--and he tried to shy off the path.