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Alright, working on google doc now, as well as next post with Ikari c:
Alright, but that brings me back to the initial question. Do you guys want me to copy and paste all of our IC over there? Or do you want me to put it into a Doc that we can access and just start where we left off over there?
Alright, the inconsistency of this website is both annoying me and becoming flat out irritating to the point that I really can't stand it much longer. I'm having a lot of thoughts about moving this RP altogether to another site.
But I want to know everyone's thoughts. We already have 5 pages of IC posts. I'm thinking of just copying everything into a Google document that can be accessed and referred to at any time, and then picking up where we left off on a new site. How do people feel about that? Or would you rather I just post the entire IC on the new site?
Or do you not want to move at all?
Let me know. I'm just getting sick of this site continually crashing when I'm trying to get stuff done. I know it'll be a pain in the ass to move everything, because we're really rooted in the RP as it stands now, but I have this nagging fear that the site is going to go down and everything is going to get lost (which happened to me last year). So...I dunno.
But I want to know everyone's thoughts. We already have 5 pages of IC posts. I'm thinking of just copying everything into a Google document that can be accessed and referred to at any time, and then picking up where we left off on a new site. How do people feel about that? Or would you rather I just post the entire IC on the new site?
Or do you not want to move at all?
Let me know. I'm just getting sick of this site continually crashing when I'm trying to get stuff done. I know it'll be a pain in the ass to move everything, because we're really rooted in the RP as it stands now, but I have this nagging fear that the site is going to go down and everything is going to get lost (which happened to me last year). So...I dunno.
Yeah, my senior seminar paper is sucking the life out of me D: We'll be working on post today though!!
Posted! I'm sorry, I took a lot of liberty with everyone's characters, yet also tried to make it ambiguous? I assumed everyone would go into the hall for dinner, but if you don't want your character there, that's fine and we can change it up or you can write it in your own post. (plus my post can be taken as if they are there, or they're not there if needed) I just wanted to push it a bit into the next night *shrugs*
Sorry everyone D:
Sorry everyone D:
Besides the commotion of the early morning, the caravan took off without a hitch. Aaerynn had taken the same place as before, sitting within Rudolf’s cart and listening to the clack of the wheels and the creak of the stressed wood. Absentmindedly, the wood elf played with Kai’s fur, who had squirmed his head into her lap, and her eyes kept watch along the tree line. She looked content and silent but her mind was a flurry of nonstop thoughts. She couldn’t get over the morning, which was absolutely pathetic. It upset her that a little girl’s words could impact her so deeply. It had just come at the wrong time. She had felt good for once in a century, and of course one thing came to ruin it for her. The wood elf was more upset at herself than she was of the smug little brat.
Aaerynn grit her teeth, before leaning back against the rigid railing of the cart. She looked up at the pale blue sky and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. She decided to preoccupy herself and stuck a hand into her bag to grab her dagger and the vial she had placed the dried purple flakes in. But instead her fingers brushed against a curved glass bottle and an eyebrow quirked as she lifted it out. It was the bottle that Lysander had given her and upon further inspection, it wasn’t glass at all. It was a phial made of crystal. In all honestly it looked like something perfume would be held in with its decorative stopper, and designs that had been welded throughout it. She opened it, out of curiosity, but was disappointed to find it empty. The wood elf frowned at it. What was the point of it? Lysander had said it was to remind her of her family, and with that thought she nearly pitched it over the side of the cart. Something stopped her though, and the elf cupped it in her hands.
She hadn’t truly given much thought to her run in with her elder brother. It was strange to her that he hadn’t seemed to change at all. But elves were like that, unchanging. They seemed to be constantly stuck in their age and stuck in their ways. They weren’t like humans who seemed to constantly change, growing and aging so fast. Aaerynn pursed her lips as she held the delicate vial. So was it useless? Was it pointless to try and get better?
A frown slowly graced her lips before she closed her eyes and shook her head. Lysander would have called her a coward again. After a pause, the wood elf opened her eyes and gently placed the crystal phial back into her bag.
“I heard the bit of commotion this morning.” Rudolf’s voice suddenly invaded the elf’s thoughts and her ears pricked up to hear him.
“Mmm…” Aaerynn answered him with a mumble, trying not to foul her mood even more.
“I wouldn’t take it personally. Girl seems a bit too direct if ye ask me.” Rudolf took a peek at her before shifting his reins. “Practically gave me an interrogation about joining. She found out about it through Tirian, so he must have seen something in her.”
Aaerynn watched the back of the dwarf’s head before her gaze lingered over to the little pink haired girl. Strange.
The caravan had started off rather quietly. Setna had convinced his sister to rest on one of the carts as he walked beside it. But eventually his thoughts drifted towards his training and his sword. His curiosity had finally peaked and he ran ahead to Vordan. "Hey Vordan." He called out to the mercenary to grab his attention and then unsheathed his blade.
"You were the one to unlock this, and I had some questions about it." The boy held the blade up to the sunlight, glancing at the symbols engraved on it, before turning it to show the mercenary. "Elrithos said that these are Dark Elf symbols, and he told me to ask you more about it. Do you mind?"
The boy tilted his head a bit, a curious expression on his face. "I don't really know anything about it...to be honest."
Vordan lifted his head from the book he was reading that had his old project he had yet to finish. Oddly enough, it was Setna that called for him and came by to the cart he was sitting in. As he came forth, Vordan set aside his book with his things and stood out of the cart, wondering what the young man wanted. When he drew the blade, it became pretty clear what he wished to talk about, but would let him speak.
He showed the bladed and said he had some questions about it. It was weird for the young man not to know what it did. So, he looked at the blade a moment and then walked along with him as the cart went forth. “Well, Setna, it’s a Syndarean Battle Blade. A weapon only found in Syndarea and typically only used during the time of the Dark Emperor. Dark Elves and Syndarean blacksmiths would combine their efforts to enhance the blades capabilities the symbols are words that represent it’s effect and the binding of the magic to its blade.” Vordan was speaking very casually about, as he knew very well what this item was. He looked over to the young man once more.
“its main property is that it cuts through magic like a hot knife cutting through butter. Hence why you killed the other Syndarean without too much effort. That blade would just run through like nothing for those barriers. It can also project a barrier itself. A pretty nifty tool used by the soldiers who could not use Syndarean magic.”
"I see." The boy looked at the blade for a long while before sheathing it once more. Eventually he began to frown as he thought it over. He vaguely remembered his father talking about it, how it was passed down the generations and how it was always given to the men of the family. His father had always been the type to lecture though, so usually Setna would end up tuning him out, for the sake of his sanity. He was beginning to wish he had listened more often, especially now, when the chances of seeing his father again was a big fat zero. Although most of it wouldn't have mattered, the Syndareans never talked of the war. The fact that his father was even able to hold onto the blade and keep it in pristine shape was a bit strange, when he thought about it. It wasn't like it mattered anymore though. It was a tool with a very helpful ability and he was going to put it to use, no matter its history.
But the mention of killing the executioner, was still a bit of a sore subject. He hadn't even told Serna about it, and the sudden memory of it made him turn somber. The boy shifted his weight a bit before looking back up to the mercenary. "Thanks for telling me."
Vordan looked upon the young man, wondering what he could be thinking of. This was some information he was unaware of and usually seemed pretty impressed with new things. Right now, he showed nothing of it. It wasn’t an insult to him, but it made him think that the blade had some history or odd value to the young boy. He wouldn’t ask him for now, but he certainly would want to know if they altered anything on it. The symbols looked like the ones they typically put on those blades, so there was nothing he needed to worry about yet.
He smiled and nodded back to the young man. “Please. It’s your weapon. You should know what it does… Oh, and as a sign of warning, only Syndareans can wield these blades without suffering a hidden kickback these blades have. They suck the energy of anyone without Syndarean blood… Which is why my pathetic state was worse in the alley.” Not many people knew about his one, because the blades were so rare to find now. “But hey, if you have any kind of question on magic, I know my fair share of secrets.”
Setna nodded before rubbing the back of his head and giving the mercenary a lopsided grin. “Yeah…my dad knew a lot about it. I’m sure he probably told me most of it, but I wasn’t the best listener. Back then, I didn’t really see the importance of an old sword.”
The boy looked down, his hand still on the back of his head as he seemed frozen in thought. Finally he looked back up. “I’ll be sure to come to you with any other questions, I really appreciate it.”
He nodded his head gratefully before running off back to his twin.
Aaerynn had shifted around a bit as the hours went by and she focused on different tasks to keep her rot at bay. Her head picked up though as the caravan began to head into a small settlement. The wood elf picked herself up a bit as she looked around. It seemed that it was new. Houses were still being built, and the most surprising sight was that dwarves and humans were working together. The whole settlement smelt like wood and saw dust.
Rudolf seemed just as surprised as she was. “This wasn’t here last year. To think a town like this could suddenly take bloom so quickly.”
Aaerynn looked around and watched as the town’s people noticed them. Many of them waved, and curiously came around to see the caravan as a whole. Children laughed as they attempted to run along with the oxen. Others welcomed them, and gave a hollering “Good day!”
It wasn’t until an older dwarf suddenly broke through the crowd that Rudolf pulled to a stop. The dwarf raised his arms up to Rudolf’s cart. “Is that my good cousin Kirtschein!?”
“Varic!?”
The balding dwarf jumped off his cart and proceeded to complete some type of greeting ritual that made Aaerynn turn away from sheer second hand embarrassment.
In a matter of minutes the two were talking at the speed of light. Aaerynn frowned as she tried to understand them. Rudolf explained where they were heading, while Varic informed him that the dwarves had found a great ore deposit close by and have been working closely with a group of human miners in order to excavate it. It’s the first time the races have worked together so closely since the war. The deposit is large enough that it’ll keep everyone busy for years, and thus the settlement was under works.
Varic of course offered them a place to stay, and Rudolf looked back to his group with a large cheesy smile and said, “We’ll stop here for the night everyone! A nice place to relax before we hit the mountain pass!”
Aaerynn frowned as she jumped off the cart with Kai at her heels. Something about this place irked the wood elf and she looked up toward the mountains.
No, something didn’t sit right with her at all.
Varic’s voice broke out to the group, forcing Aaerynn to look back as he called. “Come come! We’ll get you all something to eat and a place to rest!”
Setna looked around the happy town, unable to hold his own smile back. The houses were cute and small, and he watched as little kids played and helped their parents with chores. It was a really nice place. He turned to his sister, about to comment on it to her, when he noticed that she had gotten noticeably pale. Her lips were brought into a small frown and her eyes were wide and frantic as she looked over the little settlement. "Serie...you alright?" Setna finally asked her, and the girl looked up at him as if she was broken out of her thoughts.
"Yes! Um...I'll be right back." The girl clambered off the cart as she spoke and like that she was off, leaving her brother with another confused expression and raised eyebrow.
Serna quickly found her way towards the towering red head, and as she came upon him, her small hands grabbed at his cloak for his attention. "T-Tirian...it's...it's.."
Tirian's muscles felt alive as the journey forward continued on. The air was brisk even as the sun belted down upon the land without the slightest cloud to block it. His injuries from the previous days’ nightmare seemed to be just that, a dream. His body had been healed and energized from the last week of peace and it would seem that peace would continue as the caravan came upon a settlement just outside of the mountains. At a first glance Tirian did not noticed any similarities between this town and the one from his nightmare the previous day. However as Serna came running over to the red-haired prince it dawned on him. This was one and the same as the town from the dream. Tirian gently grabbed the Syndarean’s tiny hands with a firm grasp and simply smiled as his words came out as a whisper.
“It seems like that dream was real. Just keep your eye out for anything unordinary. Everything will be fine. I promise.”
Serna's small hands shook in his larger ones. She nodded though as she tried to calm herself down. She looked up at him with her large eyes. "W-We should t-tell, shouldn't w-we?"
The young woman looked around the settlement, completely unnerved. Now it looked happy and busy, but during that dream state all of the houses had looked caved in. It was strange looking at them now, now that they weren't dilapidated and falling apart. The girl shook her head, trying to wash away the memories of that night.
Tirian’s answer came firm.
“No. Absolutely not. Wait for something to show itself otherwise we look like crazy people. Ok? Play it cool and do your best to enjoy what we have.”
Serna nodded, but she couldn’t help the frown that filled her face. It didn’t feel right.
After everyone was settled, the group was led into the largest building of the town. It was a giant hall, kind of like a mead hall if Aaerynn were to guess. It was long and large, filled with wooden tables and benches.
“We don’t have an inn yet! But we’ll bring in some cots and blankets for you all to sleep in. It’s rare for us to get some visitors!” Varic said and Aaerynn peeked over to the corner to see some of the women folk already unfolding cots and piling blankets. She had to say that at least it would be better than sleeping on the ground again.
The two dwarfs led them over to some wooden tables to sit down, and the wood elf watched as Varic beckoned to some ladies about food and drink. Eventually a young woman came around to ask each one about drinks and Aaerynn paused as the young woman came to her with a smile and a tilt of her head. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Wine, please. Red would be preferred if you have it.” Aaerynn finally answered, hoping that a bit of alcohol would help loosen her up and let her shake off the feeling that she was forgetting something.
Rudolf and Varic immediately began conversing about this and that, answering questions and filling in everyone about the small settlement. Aaerynn leaned her chin on her hand as she tuned them out through sheer boredom. But that’s when the doors opened to reveal a large group of males covered in soot and dirt. Seemed like the miners were done with their day’s work. They filled up tables and that’s when the wood elf noticed that the hall was also used to feed all the men as well. Not a bad set up when she thought about it, and it was interesting to see men and dwarves getting along so well.
That is until she noticed a group of younger men looking at their table with interest, well, more like giggling like children. She didn’t blame them of course, the group certainly looked like a rag tag team of strangers, a mix of elves, a dwarf, and different types of humans. But as she observed them, another observation became clear. With the men returning back from mining, it was becoming quite obvious that the men outnumbered the women. All the women were married or mothers, and it had probably been awhile since they got to see single young women. Their chance of getting their own wives was probably based on snagging a traveler.
Oh, great.
She watched them out of the corner of her eye and then looked around at the group. Who would be the first target? She ruled herself out, since short hair would at least make them second guess if she were a male or female elf. Let’s see, Serna would be out too, tucked between Setna and Tirian, it wouldn’t be likely that anyone would be able to sneak in there. The pinked hair one…..she didn’t give a rat’s ass. In fact hopefully they would latch onto her, and then all problems would be solved. But if she was being honest, Lillith would probably be the best guess. Quiet and elegant, she was an exotic beauty that would surely turn heads. Her bet would be placed on the silver haired beaut.
An arm suddenly came down on the table top beside her and a male voice piped up. “Mind if we sit with you lot?”
Aaerynn turned her head to see the miners already crowding around the free space of the table. Fuck. Really? All inclination of fate and luck were obviously against her today.
A man sat flush beside her and smiled wide. He was large and muscle-bound, the perfect body type for his occupation. He looked over the group, a grin still on his face. “It’s rare for strangers to stop by! Where you all off to?”
Aaerynn grimaced as the man leaned against her to get a good look of the group as a whole. Placing her arm on the man’s shoulder, she forced him back a bit. “The next continent.” She answered for the rest.
The man lit up as he noticed her, well not really her, more like noticed her chest and then her face. Gods, human men were so predictable and simple. If she felt like it, she would con every single one of them for extra money in her bag. But she just wasn’t in the mood for it. The whole day had been shitty, she just wanted some wine and to be left the hell alone.
“The next continent, really? Well we’re honored to have you then! This is the new Bresbin!”
Aaerynn suddenly stiffened at the name, her eyes widening.
The man nudged her and gave her a cocky grin as he boasted. “You know, it was my ancestor that really found the ore!”
“Oh not this story again!” Varic’s voice called out to him but the man just leaned closer to Aaerynn.
“You know, my great-great grandfather was the greatest leader that old Bresbin ever had! He was the one that found the ore deposits and knew he could make a huge profit for the whole town. He thought it was best to keep it a secret for the safety of everyone though. But old Cromerth got wind of it, and thought Bresbin was up to no good.” He leaned closer to Aaerynn to create dramatic effect but the wood elf only tightened up. Her hands bunched up into fists on her lap.
“Cromerth rallied up their farmers and boys and some say they even paid mercenaries to come and burn down all of Bresbin. My great-great grandfather William Rand fought for his life! He downed twenty three men by himself!" At this point he stood, placing his foot on the table as he held up his fist. "Sadly the town was lost, but thanks to my grandfather’s hard work he was able to escape with his knowledge, never allowing it to fall into Cromerth’s hands!”
Now he slunk down again, and slung his arm around Aaerynn as if he had just won her over. The wood elf however had stiffened up completely. Her head had been down during the story and she finally looked up. Although her cold eyes were not what the miner expected. “Do you honestly believe that idiotic story?”
Her voice was cold and the man raised his eyebrow. Aaerynn suddenly stood slamming her hands on the table. “You truly believe that’s why Bresbin fell? Unbelievable!”
“Let me tell you something.” She pointed her finger at him accusingly. She was absolutely infuriated after listening to that bullshit. “Bresbin was run by idiotic morons who believed they knew how to run a town. They couldn’t even figure how to keep themselves alive! They didn’t even know how they kept fields fertilized and rich, and they wouldn’t ask for help! It had nothing to do with fucking ore. It was because Cromerth was succeeding as a farming community and Bresbin was failing. It was old Bresbin that attacked Cromerth for their land! They pillaged, assaulted and attempted to burn and kill everyone. They thought it was their best option, to take other people's land over completely because they were so fucking stupid they couldn’t figure out how to live on their own! It didn’t matter if they hurt men, women or even children! Cromerth retaliated in order to defend themselves from this moronic town.Innocent people died and suffered just trying to save their families and defend themselves...”
Aaerynn was livid, completely fuming as she breathed hard, composing herself. “And I knew William Rand, and let me tell you something else. He was a fat, cowardly, son of a bitch who didn’t care about anyone else. The only reason he survived was because he fled! He didn’t fight anyone! He ran away and left his people to suffer! He was so fucking stupid he couldn’t tell his mouth from his ass!”
The wood elf reached out and the miner flinched, but Aaerynn only brushed off some dirt from his frock. Her voice suddenly became sweet and gentle as wind chimes, as she ended with, “So next time you decide to tell a twisted version of history, I suggest you ask the 280 year old elf if she knows of it, or better yet, if she was there. That way, instead….” She brought him in closer, her voice turning icy. “You can fuck off properly.”
She was done. She was absolutely done with this entire day. Now she knew why it had felt wrong to be here. Now she knew exactly why it was making her sick. Memories of that night were burning beneath her eyelids, and Aaerynn finally shoved off and away from the table. She held up her hand to Rudolf as she passed by him, her voice turned back to its usual softness, “I’m sorry… I’m getting some fresh air.”
The wood elf plucked the bottle of wine from the young waitress’s arms with a mumbled thanks before heading out into the evening air.
The miner just stood there with a slacked jaw and wide eyes. His buddies behind him didn’t give him any mercy as they immediately burst out laughing. Even Varic who sat beside Rudolf couldn’t help a slight smile as he looked back. “Good. Now he won’t tell that bloody story anymore.”
Aaerynn grit her teeth, before leaning back against the rigid railing of the cart. She looked up at the pale blue sky and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. She decided to preoccupy herself and stuck a hand into her bag to grab her dagger and the vial she had placed the dried purple flakes in. But instead her fingers brushed against a curved glass bottle and an eyebrow quirked as she lifted it out. It was the bottle that Lysander had given her and upon further inspection, it wasn’t glass at all. It was a phial made of crystal. In all honestly it looked like something perfume would be held in with its decorative stopper, and designs that had been welded throughout it. She opened it, out of curiosity, but was disappointed to find it empty. The wood elf frowned at it. What was the point of it? Lysander had said it was to remind her of her family, and with that thought she nearly pitched it over the side of the cart. Something stopped her though, and the elf cupped it in her hands.
She hadn’t truly given much thought to her run in with her elder brother. It was strange to her that he hadn’t seemed to change at all. But elves were like that, unchanging. They seemed to be constantly stuck in their age and stuck in their ways. They weren’t like humans who seemed to constantly change, growing and aging so fast. Aaerynn pursed her lips as she held the delicate vial. So was it useless? Was it pointless to try and get better?
A frown slowly graced her lips before she closed her eyes and shook her head. Lysander would have called her a coward again. After a pause, the wood elf opened her eyes and gently placed the crystal phial back into her bag.
“I heard the bit of commotion this morning.” Rudolf’s voice suddenly invaded the elf’s thoughts and her ears pricked up to hear him.
“Mmm…” Aaerynn answered him with a mumble, trying not to foul her mood even more.
“I wouldn’t take it personally. Girl seems a bit too direct if ye ask me.” Rudolf took a peek at her before shifting his reins. “Practically gave me an interrogation about joining. She found out about it through Tirian, so he must have seen something in her.”
Aaerynn watched the back of the dwarf’s head before her gaze lingered over to the little pink haired girl. Strange.
The caravan had started off rather quietly. Setna had convinced his sister to rest on one of the carts as he walked beside it. But eventually his thoughts drifted towards his training and his sword. His curiosity had finally peaked and he ran ahead to Vordan. "Hey Vordan." He called out to the mercenary to grab his attention and then unsheathed his blade.
"You were the one to unlock this, and I had some questions about it." The boy held the blade up to the sunlight, glancing at the symbols engraved on it, before turning it to show the mercenary. "Elrithos said that these are Dark Elf symbols, and he told me to ask you more about it. Do you mind?"
The boy tilted his head a bit, a curious expression on his face. "I don't really know anything about it...to be honest."
Vordan lifted his head from the book he was reading that had his old project he had yet to finish. Oddly enough, it was Setna that called for him and came by to the cart he was sitting in. As he came forth, Vordan set aside his book with his things and stood out of the cart, wondering what the young man wanted. When he drew the blade, it became pretty clear what he wished to talk about, but would let him speak.
He showed the bladed and said he had some questions about it. It was weird for the young man not to know what it did. So, he looked at the blade a moment and then walked along with him as the cart went forth. “Well, Setna, it’s a Syndarean Battle Blade. A weapon only found in Syndarea and typically only used during the time of the Dark Emperor. Dark Elves and Syndarean blacksmiths would combine their efforts to enhance the blades capabilities the symbols are words that represent it’s effect and the binding of the magic to its blade.” Vordan was speaking very casually about, as he knew very well what this item was. He looked over to the young man once more.
“its main property is that it cuts through magic like a hot knife cutting through butter. Hence why you killed the other Syndarean without too much effort. That blade would just run through like nothing for those barriers. It can also project a barrier itself. A pretty nifty tool used by the soldiers who could not use Syndarean magic.”
"I see." The boy looked at the blade for a long while before sheathing it once more. Eventually he began to frown as he thought it over. He vaguely remembered his father talking about it, how it was passed down the generations and how it was always given to the men of the family. His father had always been the type to lecture though, so usually Setna would end up tuning him out, for the sake of his sanity. He was beginning to wish he had listened more often, especially now, when the chances of seeing his father again was a big fat zero. Although most of it wouldn't have mattered, the Syndareans never talked of the war. The fact that his father was even able to hold onto the blade and keep it in pristine shape was a bit strange, when he thought about it. It wasn't like it mattered anymore though. It was a tool with a very helpful ability and he was going to put it to use, no matter its history.
But the mention of killing the executioner, was still a bit of a sore subject. He hadn't even told Serna about it, and the sudden memory of it made him turn somber. The boy shifted his weight a bit before looking back up to the mercenary. "Thanks for telling me."
Vordan looked upon the young man, wondering what he could be thinking of. This was some information he was unaware of and usually seemed pretty impressed with new things. Right now, he showed nothing of it. It wasn’t an insult to him, but it made him think that the blade had some history or odd value to the young boy. He wouldn’t ask him for now, but he certainly would want to know if they altered anything on it. The symbols looked like the ones they typically put on those blades, so there was nothing he needed to worry about yet.
He smiled and nodded back to the young man. “Please. It’s your weapon. You should know what it does… Oh, and as a sign of warning, only Syndareans can wield these blades without suffering a hidden kickback these blades have. They suck the energy of anyone without Syndarean blood… Which is why my pathetic state was worse in the alley.” Not many people knew about his one, because the blades were so rare to find now. “But hey, if you have any kind of question on magic, I know my fair share of secrets.”
Setna nodded before rubbing the back of his head and giving the mercenary a lopsided grin. “Yeah…my dad knew a lot about it. I’m sure he probably told me most of it, but I wasn’t the best listener. Back then, I didn’t really see the importance of an old sword.”
The boy looked down, his hand still on the back of his head as he seemed frozen in thought. Finally he looked back up. “I’ll be sure to come to you with any other questions, I really appreciate it.”
He nodded his head gratefully before running off back to his twin.
Aaerynn had shifted around a bit as the hours went by and she focused on different tasks to keep her rot at bay. Her head picked up though as the caravan began to head into a small settlement. The wood elf picked herself up a bit as she looked around. It seemed that it was new. Houses were still being built, and the most surprising sight was that dwarves and humans were working together. The whole settlement smelt like wood and saw dust.
Rudolf seemed just as surprised as she was. “This wasn’t here last year. To think a town like this could suddenly take bloom so quickly.”
Aaerynn looked around and watched as the town’s people noticed them. Many of them waved, and curiously came around to see the caravan as a whole. Children laughed as they attempted to run along with the oxen. Others welcomed them, and gave a hollering “Good day!”
It wasn’t until an older dwarf suddenly broke through the crowd that Rudolf pulled to a stop. The dwarf raised his arms up to Rudolf’s cart. “Is that my good cousin Kirtschein!?”
“Varic!?”
The balding dwarf jumped off his cart and proceeded to complete some type of greeting ritual that made Aaerynn turn away from sheer second hand embarrassment.
In a matter of minutes the two were talking at the speed of light. Aaerynn frowned as she tried to understand them. Rudolf explained where they were heading, while Varic informed him that the dwarves had found a great ore deposit close by and have been working closely with a group of human miners in order to excavate it. It’s the first time the races have worked together so closely since the war. The deposit is large enough that it’ll keep everyone busy for years, and thus the settlement was under works.
Varic of course offered them a place to stay, and Rudolf looked back to his group with a large cheesy smile and said, “We’ll stop here for the night everyone! A nice place to relax before we hit the mountain pass!”
Aaerynn frowned as she jumped off the cart with Kai at her heels. Something about this place irked the wood elf and she looked up toward the mountains.
No, something didn’t sit right with her at all.
Varic’s voice broke out to the group, forcing Aaerynn to look back as he called. “Come come! We’ll get you all something to eat and a place to rest!”
Setna looked around the happy town, unable to hold his own smile back. The houses were cute and small, and he watched as little kids played and helped their parents with chores. It was a really nice place. He turned to his sister, about to comment on it to her, when he noticed that she had gotten noticeably pale. Her lips were brought into a small frown and her eyes were wide and frantic as she looked over the little settlement. "Serie...you alright?" Setna finally asked her, and the girl looked up at him as if she was broken out of her thoughts.
"Yes! Um...I'll be right back." The girl clambered off the cart as she spoke and like that she was off, leaving her brother with another confused expression and raised eyebrow.
Serna quickly found her way towards the towering red head, and as she came upon him, her small hands grabbed at his cloak for his attention. "T-Tirian...it's...it's.."
Tirian's muscles felt alive as the journey forward continued on. The air was brisk even as the sun belted down upon the land without the slightest cloud to block it. His injuries from the previous days’ nightmare seemed to be just that, a dream. His body had been healed and energized from the last week of peace and it would seem that peace would continue as the caravan came upon a settlement just outside of the mountains. At a first glance Tirian did not noticed any similarities between this town and the one from his nightmare the previous day. However as Serna came running over to the red-haired prince it dawned on him. This was one and the same as the town from the dream. Tirian gently grabbed the Syndarean’s tiny hands with a firm grasp and simply smiled as his words came out as a whisper.
“It seems like that dream was real. Just keep your eye out for anything unordinary. Everything will be fine. I promise.”
Serna's small hands shook in his larger ones. She nodded though as she tried to calm herself down. She looked up at him with her large eyes. "W-We should t-tell, shouldn't w-we?"
The young woman looked around the settlement, completely unnerved. Now it looked happy and busy, but during that dream state all of the houses had looked caved in. It was strange looking at them now, now that they weren't dilapidated and falling apart. The girl shook her head, trying to wash away the memories of that night.
Tirian’s answer came firm.
“No. Absolutely not. Wait for something to show itself otherwise we look like crazy people. Ok? Play it cool and do your best to enjoy what we have.”
Serna nodded, but she couldn’t help the frown that filled her face. It didn’t feel right.
After everyone was settled, the group was led into the largest building of the town. It was a giant hall, kind of like a mead hall if Aaerynn were to guess. It was long and large, filled with wooden tables and benches.
“We don’t have an inn yet! But we’ll bring in some cots and blankets for you all to sleep in. It’s rare for us to get some visitors!” Varic said and Aaerynn peeked over to the corner to see some of the women folk already unfolding cots and piling blankets. She had to say that at least it would be better than sleeping on the ground again.
The two dwarfs led them over to some wooden tables to sit down, and the wood elf watched as Varic beckoned to some ladies about food and drink. Eventually a young woman came around to ask each one about drinks and Aaerynn paused as the young woman came to her with a smile and a tilt of her head. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Wine, please. Red would be preferred if you have it.” Aaerynn finally answered, hoping that a bit of alcohol would help loosen her up and let her shake off the feeling that she was forgetting something.
Rudolf and Varic immediately began conversing about this and that, answering questions and filling in everyone about the small settlement. Aaerynn leaned her chin on her hand as she tuned them out through sheer boredom. But that’s when the doors opened to reveal a large group of males covered in soot and dirt. Seemed like the miners were done with their day’s work. They filled up tables and that’s when the wood elf noticed that the hall was also used to feed all the men as well. Not a bad set up when she thought about it, and it was interesting to see men and dwarves getting along so well.
That is until she noticed a group of younger men looking at their table with interest, well, more like giggling like children. She didn’t blame them of course, the group certainly looked like a rag tag team of strangers, a mix of elves, a dwarf, and different types of humans. But as she observed them, another observation became clear. With the men returning back from mining, it was becoming quite obvious that the men outnumbered the women. All the women were married or mothers, and it had probably been awhile since they got to see single young women. Their chance of getting their own wives was probably based on snagging a traveler.
Oh, great.
She watched them out of the corner of her eye and then looked around at the group. Who would be the first target? She ruled herself out, since short hair would at least make them second guess if she were a male or female elf. Let’s see, Serna would be out too, tucked between Setna and Tirian, it wouldn’t be likely that anyone would be able to sneak in there. The pinked hair one…..she didn’t give a rat’s ass. In fact hopefully they would latch onto her, and then all problems would be solved. But if she was being honest, Lillith would probably be the best guess. Quiet and elegant, she was an exotic beauty that would surely turn heads. Her bet would be placed on the silver haired beaut.
An arm suddenly came down on the table top beside her and a male voice piped up. “Mind if we sit with you lot?”
Aaerynn turned her head to see the miners already crowding around the free space of the table. Fuck. Really? All inclination of fate and luck were obviously against her today.
A man sat flush beside her and smiled wide. He was large and muscle-bound, the perfect body type for his occupation. He looked over the group, a grin still on his face. “It’s rare for strangers to stop by! Where you all off to?”
Aaerynn grimaced as the man leaned against her to get a good look of the group as a whole. Placing her arm on the man’s shoulder, she forced him back a bit. “The next continent.” She answered for the rest.
The man lit up as he noticed her, well not really her, more like noticed her chest and then her face. Gods, human men were so predictable and simple. If she felt like it, she would con every single one of them for extra money in her bag. But she just wasn’t in the mood for it. The whole day had been shitty, she just wanted some wine and to be left the hell alone.
“The next continent, really? Well we’re honored to have you then! This is the new Bresbin!”
Aaerynn suddenly stiffened at the name, her eyes widening.
The man nudged her and gave her a cocky grin as he boasted. “You know, it was my ancestor that really found the ore!”
“Oh not this story again!” Varic’s voice called out to him but the man just leaned closer to Aaerynn.
“You know, my great-great grandfather was the greatest leader that old Bresbin ever had! He was the one that found the ore deposits and knew he could make a huge profit for the whole town. He thought it was best to keep it a secret for the safety of everyone though. But old Cromerth got wind of it, and thought Bresbin was up to no good.” He leaned closer to Aaerynn to create dramatic effect but the wood elf only tightened up. Her hands bunched up into fists on her lap.
“Cromerth rallied up their farmers and boys and some say they even paid mercenaries to come and burn down all of Bresbin. My great-great grandfather William Rand fought for his life! He downed twenty three men by himself!" At this point he stood, placing his foot on the table as he held up his fist. "Sadly the town was lost, but thanks to my grandfather’s hard work he was able to escape with his knowledge, never allowing it to fall into Cromerth’s hands!”
Now he slunk down again, and slung his arm around Aaerynn as if he had just won her over. The wood elf however had stiffened up completely. Her head had been down during the story and she finally looked up. Although her cold eyes were not what the miner expected. “Do you honestly believe that idiotic story?”
Her voice was cold and the man raised his eyebrow. Aaerynn suddenly stood slamming her hands on the table. “You truly believe that’s why Bresbin fell? Unbelievable!”
“Let me tell you something.” She pointed her finger at him accusingly. She was absolutely infuriated after listening to that bullshit. “Bresbin was run by idiotic morons who believed they knew how to run a town. They couldn’t even figure how to keep themselves alive! They didn’t even know how they kept fields fertilized and rich, and they wouldn’t ask for help! It had nothing to do with fucking ore. It was because Cromerth was succeeding as a farming community and Bresbin was failing. It was old Bresbin that attacked Cromerth for their land! They pillaged, assaulted and attempted to burn and kill everyone. They thought it was their best option, to take other people's land over completely because they were so fucking stupid they couldn’t figure out how to live on their own! It didn’t matter if they hurt men, women or even children! Cromerth retaliated in order to defend themselves from this moronic town.Innocent people died and suffered just trying to save their families and defend themselves...”
Aaerynn was livid, completely fuming as she breathed hard, composing herself. “And I knew William Rand, and let me tell you something else. He was a fat, cowardly, son of a bitch who didn’t care about anyone else. The only reason he survived was because he fled! He didn’t fight anyone! He ran away and left his people to suffer! He was so fucking stupid he couldn’t tell his mouth from his ass!”
The wood elf reached out and the miner flinched, but Aaerynn only brushed off some dirt from his frock. Her voice suddenly became sweet and gentle as wind chimes, as she ended with, “So next time you decide to tell a twisted version of history, I suggest you ask the 280 year old elf if she knows of it, or better yet, if she was there. That way, instead….” She brought him in closer, her voice turning icy. “You can fuck off properly.”
She was done. She was absolutely done with this entire day. Now she knew why it had felt wrong to be here. Now she knew exactly why it was making her sick. Memories of that night were burning beneath her eyelids, and Aaerynn finally shoved off and away from the table. She held up her hand to Rudolf as she passed by him, her voice turned back to its usual softness, “I’m sorry… I’m getting some fresh air.”
The wood elf plucked the bottle of wine from the young waitress’s arms with a mumbled thanks before heading out into the evening air.
The miner just stood there with a slacked jaw and wide eyes. His buddies behind him didn’t give him any mercy as they immediately burst out laughing. Even Varic who sat beside Rudolf couldn’t help a slight smile as he looked back. “Good. Now he won’t tell that bloody story anymore.”
Yay!! Double postageeeeee
This is the "Dream" Serna and Tirian experienced together. Didn't know whether it should have been included within the OOC or not, since it may or may not have prevalence to the rest of the plot *waggles fingers mysteriously*
Posteddddd!!! Good luck reading all of that!! :D haha
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