The glade of Kovswood was a rarely walked pocket of the Eldrim Vale. Some said it was because it was a holy place and that --according to legend-- the God Kov tasked a hero of old with the protecting of the wild-lands of the world. That hero, a man now known as Darous Evergreen, founded the Valeguard in days long passed. The Kovswood was deep, and there was little light to be found under the thick canopy. Here and there, warm streams of light escaped through, but those were few and far between. Cavaliar had never ventured this far into the forest before; he mused that he was tense as a fishing wire. He smiled softly at the mental analogy, chiefly because his father had ingrained fishing references into his subconscious from the day he was born. There were countless rumors regarding Kovswood. Some said that magic still lived within the foliage, others said that monsters lurked. The latter was most likely the more truthful of the two. He walked along the muddy forest floor, and with his white eyes he saw an empty gateway at the end of a nearby clearing. On the ground near it, he saw a young woman with teal hair that stood out in the murky woodland. He approached he with caution, subconsciously reaching for his yew bow.
The woman turned to glance at him, appearing unalarmed, but blue eyes curious as she watched him approach. Cavaliar kept his hand on his bow as he assessed her: she looked young, half his age perhaps, and she wore a sleeveless black shirt with a wide belt around the waist, knee-length grey pants, and studded black sandals that weaved up her calves. A brown leather bag was hanging on her back, the straps slung around her torso.
After a moment, the woman inhaled sharply in delayed surprise and clenched her fists nervously as she noticed the empty-eyed, purple-skinned stranger reaching for his bow. Surely this creature must be some sort of corrupted mist elf, or a lost soul. She found his strange form and fathomless eyes unnerving.
Cautiously, she raised her hands in defense, but wielded no weapon. Her fingers were spread as if she was motioning for him to stop, but she appeared to be expecting something else. Confused, she looked down at her hands, and then at the stranger. Looking harder, she took note of his movements, his hesitation, and the calm intelligence in his aura. She lowered her hands, and Cavaliar lowered his.
"Who are you?" Lushia asked, her voice a bit raspy as if she hadn't spoke in a long time.
She looked at the unfamiliar foliage around her and cleared her throat.
The Dren’s wide ears twitched as he tilted his head to the side; studying the newcomer. He looked at her with his white eyes, confounded by the color of her hair. He pondered her question for a moment too long before replying. “I’m Cavaliar. You’re in Kovsword,” He stated, “Southern Eldrim.” He offered her up a hand before adding: “Where did you come from?”
"Kovswood..." Lushia replied, thinking. "Never heard of it. Or Eldrim, for that matter. Then again, I've never been good at geography. I must have wandered really far or something... I'm from the East Hills, in Avael."
Lushia accepted Cavaliar's hand cautiously. "I'm Lushia. Nice to meet you. Though, I've never seen anyone like you before."
"Avael? I've never heard of that either. Is it beyond the grey sea? Wait... Did you come from east or west?"
He pulls her up with a strong arm. He then paces around the clearing as if searching for for clues of the reason behind her being there. "Nice to meet you too, Lushia," He says politely. "Never seen a Dren before? Near about everyone here's seen a Dren, and they all hate them."
"Um..." Lushia points her finger towards one direction, then the other, her face scrunched up in a perplexed expression.
"I think... it's... I don't know." Lushia said. "And, what's a Dren? Besides being hated. I mean, you look... interesting. But I don't see a reason to hate you."
"Don't see a reason...? Ha!" He snorted, closer to a grunt more than a laugh. He walked up to the empty gateway within the forest. It was simply made with material that he could not decide if it was stone or petrified wood. He studied it with his blank eyes and responded to her with preoccupation in his tone. "Let's just call it like this: Dren aren't the most popular folk around here. Anyway, do you have any idea what this is?" He jabs a thumb towards the gateway as he turns to face her.
"I honestly have no idea." said Lushia. "I remember being chased in the Deadwood Forest one moment, and appearing here the next. When I think about it, I do remember this weird wavy air in front of me right before everything disappeared."
"Sounds almost... magical." He ponders for a moment before continuing, "Magic's been dead for a while now though." He presses his palm against the gate, but feels nothing unique from it. Turning back to Lushia, he asks: "Who was chasing you? Why were you being chased?"
"Well, I was notified of strange happenings in that forest, and--while that is typical of Deadwood--the activity was spreading to the other forests nearby." Lushia explained. "I was supposed to investigate with the team of emissaries I work with."
Lushia ran one hand through her hair compulsively to smooth out the frizz that had gathered from running. She let out her breath before continuing.
"I swear I heard something walking around the forest; I heard the leaves crunching." she said. "But there was nothing there. Then one of my companions was swept up into the air and carried off by... nothing. We couldn't catch up, and eventually she just... disappeared in the air. There was an unsettling wind that rushed past us, so we ran. I tried to keep up with everyone, but I lost track of them eventually. I felt that wind rush through me right before the air looked weird and I ended up here."
He nodded as he listened to her with his long ears. "I think we now come to the most obvious conclusion: You're not from around here." He said with a hint of wit in his voice. "It's getting late, there's a town nearby. Shall we head in that direction? I'd like to come back here in the morning though."
Lushia nodded in agreement, already looking weary upon hearing of a town.
"I'm good with that, as long as there's a place for me to stay." said Lushia. "One with a bed, preferably. I've been traveling for a while."
Her eyes flickered sympathetically, pointy ears twitching as she remembered her manners. "I mean... if that's not too much to ask. I'm not sure how much things cost wherever we are, and I don't have much on me right now."
"I prefer the stables, you can have my bed." He flashes a brief grin before turning back towards the forest's poor excuse for a path. He lead the two of them through the Kovswood silently. They exited the deep of the woods just as the sun hid behind the tree tops. "Here we are: Denburgh."
Lushia tossed and turned that night, trying to ignore the unfamiliarity of the bed she slept in. It felt a bit lumpier than what she was used to, but she supposed it didn't matter to Cavaliar: he looked like someone who'd be thankful to have a bed period. In retrospect, she wondered what lay beyond his strange white eyes; she could not fathom what he was thinking when she had looked into them. Never had she seen eyes like that--the closest comparison would be the shiny silver eyes of the Moon Folk, yet they didn't seem as empty.
Thoughts jumbling together, Lushia finally began to sink into sleep, thoughts of the foreign land and her new acquaintance leaving her tired mind.
~
The next morning, Lushia wandered outside looking for the stables Cavaliar had mentioned. The crisp morning air stung her face, the sun peeking over the roofs of the town. Lushia spotted the stables not too far from the small house she had stayed in. Fresh dew had dampened the ground, so she walked carefully to avoid muddy patches in the sparse grass, towards the stable.
Inside, Lushia found Cavaliar soundly asleep, snoring a bit, looking a lot less threatening as he lay sprawled out over a pile of hay. Smiling in amusement, she approached the sleeping Dren. Her smile contorted oddly as she felt nervous about waking him. Would he jump, maybe pull his knife out on her?
Grabbing a nearby stick, she stood a fair distance away, and gently poked his shoulder. When he didn't rouse, she poked a little harder.
He had been lost within a deep sleep, dreaming of things that only made sense when he was sleeping. His white eyes were shut gently and he was snoring, although he would never admit that that was a habit he possessed. Suddenly, the world shook and his eyes sprung open. He was panicked for a brief moment, but then the world became normal again and he forgot whatever it was that he was dreaming.
He groaned and rubbed the top of his head. "Good morning." He said in the gruff voice of the morning. He looked up to the horizon, the sun's bright light causing his white eyes to squint. "Slept in, didn't I?" He asked, fixating on the stick in her hand
Lushia noticed Cavaliar's odd expression, and it took a moment for her to realize he was looking at the stick she held. She chuckled nervously and hid it behind her back.
"It's okay," she replied. "I slept in a little, too."
There was a long silence as Cavaliar rubbed his eyes and stretched.
"For one thing," he stated, "I would like to start with breakfast."
He stood up, his legs achy from a night of no use. Then, sitting back down on a barrel, he pulled on his muddy boots one after the other. Although gods know he would much rather be running barefoot.
"There's a nearby stream not far from town. We can fish there."
He provides a quick nod as he stands tall. "The river is quieter than the tavern."
He took a stride forward and looked back at her, "Besides, Dren are not exactly the most popular people here." Most of the citizens of Denburgh knew of him, so there was no panic in the town. But nor was there welcome either.
"The river's near about a mile out of town. Shall we?"
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ReplyDelete^ That was me, just switched the account name ~H
DeleteThe glade of Kovswood was a rarely walked pocket of the Eldrim Vale. Some said it was because it was a holy place and that --according to legend-- the God Kov tasked a hero of old with the protecting of the wild-lands of the world. That hero, a man now known as Darous Evergreen, founded the Valeguard in days long passed.
ReplyDeleteThe Kovswood was deep, and there was little light to be found under the thick canopy. Here and there, warm streams of light escaped through, but those were few and far between. Cavaliar had never ventured this far into the forest before; he mused that he was tense as a fishing wire. He smiled softly at the mental analogy, chiefly because his father had ingrained fishing references into his subconscious from the day he was born.
There were countless rumors regarding Kovswood. Some said that magic still lived within the foliage, others said that monsters lurked. The latter was most likely the more truthful of the two. He walked along the muddy forest floor, and with his white eyes he saw an empty gateway at the end of a nearby clearing. On the ground near it, he saw a young woman with teal hair that stood out in the murky woodland. He approached he with caution, subconsciously reaching for his yew bow.
The woman turned to glance at him, appearing unalarmed, but blue eyes curious as she watched him approach. Cavaliar kept his hand on his bow as he assessed her: she looked young, half his age perhaps, and she wore a sleeveless black shirt with a wide belt around the waist, knee-length grey pants, and studded black sandals that weaved up her calves. A brown leather bag was hanging on her back, the straps slung around her torso.
ReplyDeleteAfter a moment, the woman inhaled sharply in delayed surprise and clenched her fists nervously as she noticed the empty-eyed, purple-skinned stranger reaching for his bow. Surely this creature must be some sort of corrupted mist elf, or a lost soul. She found his strange form and fathomless eyes unnerving.
Cautiously, she raised her hands in defense, but wielded no weapon. Her fingers were spread as if she was motioning for him to stop, but she appeared to be expecting something else. Confused, she looked down at her hands, and then at the stranger. Looking harder, she took note of his movements, his hesitation, and the calm intelligence in his aura. She lowered her hands, and Cavaliar lowered his.
"Who are you?" Lushia asked, her voice a bit raspy as if she hadn't spoke in a long time.
She looked at the unfamiliar foliage around her and cleared her throat.
"Where am I?" she asked.
The Dren’s wide ears twitched as he tilted his head to the side; studying the newcomer. He looked at her with his white eyes, confounded by the color of her hair. He pondered her question for a moment too long before replying. “I’m Cavaliar. You’re in Kovsword,” He stated, “Southern Eldrim.” He offered her up a hand before adding: “Where did you come from?”
Delete"Kovswood..." Lushia replied, thinking. "Never heard of it. Or Eldrim, for that matter. Then again, I've never been good at geography. I must have wandered really far or something... I'm from the East Hills, in Avael."
DeleteLushia accepted Cavaliar's hand cautiously. "I'm Lushia. Nice to meet you. Though, I've never seen anyone like you before."
"Avael? I've never heard of that either. Is it beyond the grey sea? Wait... Did you come from east or west?"
ReplyDeleteHe pulls her up with a strong arm. He then paces around the clearing as if searching for for clues of the reason behind her being there. "Nice to meet you too, Lushia," He says politely. "Never seen a Dren before? Near about everyone here's seen a Dren, and they all hate them."
"Um..." Lushia points her finger towards one direction, then the other, her face scrunched up in a perplexed expression.
ReplyDelete"I think... it's... I don't know." Lushia said. "And, what's a Dren? Besides being hated. I mean, you look... interesting. But I don't see a reason to hate you."
"Don't see a reason...? Ha!" He snorted, closer to a grunt more than a laugh. He walked up to the empty gateway within the forest. It was simply made with material that he could not decide if it was stone or petrified wood. He studied it with his blank eyes and responded to her with preoccupation in his tone. "Let's just call it like this: Dren aren't the most popular folk around here. Anyway, do you have any idea what this is?" He jabs a thumb towards the gateway as he turns to face her.
ReplyDelete"I honestly have no idea." said Lushia. "I remember being chased in the Deadwood Forest one moment, and appearing here the next. When I think about it, I do remember this weird wavy air in front of me right before everything disappeared."
ReplyDelete"Sounds almost... magical." He ponders for a moment before continuing, "Magic's been dead for a while now though." He presses his palm against the gate, but feels nothing unique from it. Turning back to Lushia, he asks: "Who was chasing you? Why were you being chased?"
ReplyDelete"Well, I was notified of strange happenings in that forest, and--while that is typical of Deadwood--the activity was spreading to the other forests nearby." Lushia explained. "I was supposed to investigate with the team of emissaries I work with."
ReplyDeleteLushia ran one hand through her hair compulsively to smooth out the frizz that had gathered from running. She let out her breath before continuing.
"I swear I heard something walking around the forest; I heard the leaves crunching." she said. "But there was nothing there. Then one of my companions was swept up into the air and carried off by... nothing. We couldn't catch up, and eventually she just... disappeared in the air. There was an unsettling wind that rushed past us, so we ran. I tried to keep up with everyone, but I lost track of them eventually. I felt that wind rush through me right before the air looked weird and I ended up here."
He nodded as he listened to her with his long ears. "I think we now come to the most obvious conclusion: You're not from around here." He said with a hint of wit in his voice. "It's getting late, there's a town nearby. Shall we head in that direction? I'd like to come back here in the morning though."
ReplyDeleteLushia nodded in agreement, already looking weary upon hearing of a town.
ReplyDelete"I'm good with that, as long as there's a place for me to stay." said Lushia. "One with a bed, preferably. I've been traveling for a while."
Her eyes flickered sympathetically, pointy ears twitching as she remembered her manners. "I mean... if that's not too much to ask. I'm not sure how much things cost wherever we are, and I don't have much on me right now."
"I prefer the stables, you can have my bed." He flashes a brief grin before turning back towards the forest's poor excuse for a path. He lead the two of them through the Kovswood silently. They exited the deep of the woods just as the sun hid behind the tree tops. "Here we are: Denburgh."
ReplyDeleteLushia tossed and turned that night, trying to ignore the unfamiliarity of the bed she slept in. It felt a bit lumpier than what she was used to, but she supposed it didn't matter to Cavaliar: he looked like someone who'd be thankful to have a bed period. In retrospect, she wondered what lay beyond his strange white eyes; she could not fathom what he was thinking when she had looked into them. Never had she seen eyes like that--the closest comparison would be the shiny silver eyes of the Moon Folk, yet they didn't seem as empty.
ReplyDeleteThoughts jumbling together, Lushia finally began to sink into sleep, thoughts of the foreign land and her new acquaintance leaving her tired mind.
~
The next morning, Lushia wandered outside looking for the stables Cavaliar had mentioned. The crisp morning air stung her face, the sun peeking over the roofs of the town. Lushia spotted the stables not too far from the small house she had stayed in. Fresh dew had dampened the ground, so she walked carefully to avoid muddy patches in the sparse grass, towards the stable.
Inside, Lushia found Cavaliar soundly asleep, snoring a bit, looking a lot less threatening as he lay sprawled out over a pile of hay. Smiling in amusement, she approached the sleeping Dren. Her smile contorted oddly as she felt nervous about waking him. Would he jump, maybe pull his knife out on her?
Grabbing a nearby stick, she stood a fair distance away, and gently poked his shoulder. When he didn't rouse, she poked a little harder.
He had been lost within a deep sleep, dreaming of things that only made sense when he was sleeping. His white eyes were shut gently and he was snoring, although he would never admit that that was a habit he possessed. Suddenly, the world shook and his eyes sprung open. He was panicked for a brief moment, but then the world became normal again and he forgot whatever it was that he was dreaming.
ReplyDeleteHe groaned and rubbed the top of his head. "Good morning." He said in the gruff voice of the morning. He looked up to the horizon, the sun's bright light causing his white eyes to squint. "Slept in, didn't I?" He asked, fixating on the stick in her hand
Lushia noticed Cavaliar's odd expression, and it took a moment for her to realize he was looking at the stick she held. She chuckled nervously and hid it behind her back.
ReplyDelete"It's okay," she replied. "I slept in a little, too."
There was a long silence as Cavaliar rubbed his eyes and stretched.
"So what are we doing today?" asked Lushia.
"For one thing," he stated, "I would like to start with breakfast."
ReplyDeleteHe stood up, his legs achy from a night of no use. Then, sitting back down on a barrel, he pulled on his muddy boots one after the other. Although gods know he would much rather be running barefoot.
"There's a nearby stream not far from town. We can fish there."
"Fish for breakfast?" was Lushia's reply. "No eggs or toast?"
ReplyDeleteLushia rubbed the back of her neck, a bit embarrassed at her thoughtless response. "I mean... nothing wrong with fish, I suppose. Let's go."
He provides a quick nod as he stands tall. "The river is quieter than the tavern."
DeleteHe took a stride forward and looked back at her, "Besides, Dren are not exactly the most popular people here." Most of the citizens of Denburgh knew of him, so there was no panic in the town. But nor was there welcome either.
"The river's near about a mile out of town. Shall we?"