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Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 19
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Journey for Truth pt 1
The elf-like woman took those slow and wandering steps that lead to what could only be called the woman's home. She let a slow smile, fall upon her lips as she glanced around the fallen woods. A place devoid of life, the plants and trees within have all since lost their ability to reclaim life. She moved with little effort to dodge a fallen tree or step over a long dead branch as she made her way to a clearing. Within the center of the clearing was a single yew. A man, following from a short distance of the women, saw the clearing appear.
She turned to let her eyes fall upon the cloaked man as he approached. It took a moment or two before a look of recognition fell upon her eyes, a faint twinkle.
"Adventurer... right?" She inquired as she moved towards the yew, placing her left hand upon it almost remorsefully. She seemed to nearly forget the man was there in those moments.
The man looked over at the girl.
"Yes, I remember you from the other day. I couldn't help but watch you from my seat in the corner of the Hall. May I ask, where are you going?"
The woman smirked openly, had she been looking at him instead of the yew, he might have noticed the faint blush that crept upon her cheeks. She turned and looked upon him, her smirk fading as well as the blush.
"It happens, though I can't imagine why, they all confuse me with elves," as if she was talking to herself. She smiled again, pointing to her ears. "It's as if no one else could look like this." She left the tree and took a step towards the man. "All the men I've met they have this image of an elven beauty, and I guess I'm it." She seemed almost put off by this.
The cloaked man began looking more intently and a little confused at the lady.
"I suppose we all have set images in their mind of who looks like what. It is a habit to judge one before we truly get to know, and in your case , it seems like it would happen more often then others. We are all blinded by what we have been told in the past that our minds sometimes shut out the reality. In defense of the people who feel that way to you, I too have never seen one like you, but elven or not the beauty is still there." After realizing what he said, he turned his head from the lady.
The mysterious women smiled and relaxed as he spoke. Her hand never went towards her sword at her side but instead lingered next to it.
"Well thank you..." She hesitated a moment, "I didn't catch your name, sir."
The man turned back around to face the woman.
"My name is Thrandul. And may I be so honored as to have yours?”
She shrugged slightly and began to walk about the clearing, motioning with her head for him to follow her.
"It's not that I'm out to hide who I am, but that my name is a precious thing where I come from, not something to be idly given out to each stranger. I have many titles given to me by many people. And if you must have one, then feel free to give me one." She sounded as if she had rehearsed this and said it a thousand times, for she had.
Thrandul began following her. He paused for a moment and thought about what she had said.
"I agree with you, miss. Where I came from, your name meant who you are. If you were known over the land then you would be considered a honorable man. I was one of those honorable men. My name was something to be proud of . But now it's all gone, and what is the use for my name now?" He said these things, and he truly meant them. What was a name for him other than a reminder of how his home is gone? What honor was left with him? He then stopped these thoughts and continued following the lady.
The woman was silent as they continued to walk, letting her thoughts wander with his words. "As for where I'm going," She looked around the clearing, her dark eyes falling upon the fallen trees, "This is where I'm going." She sighed softly to herself, content for the moment.
"This?" He questioned. "If I may ask, why here?"
Pausing and letting her eyes fall again upon the yew.
"Because here, hundreds of years ago, my ancestor called these woods home, she was born of two souls and grew to lead an army, save a realm, it started and ended here." She knew this was vague but it was a touchy subject. "I come home, following the steps of the Others."
Thrandul was staring at the yew. He didn’t quite understand how this was in a home. But a home was one thing he did not have, but he always believed it was anywhere one could be at ease. He believed you must cherish anything worthy of calling your home. However, still a little unsure of what she was telling him, he asked. "Others?"
She nodded quickly.
"Yes, they were an Order, a band of people who both fought and cared for each other." She was again vague, it was a hard thing to describe, and she clearly struggled to do so. "They were held together by their love, or so I like to think, but I have come in search of the truth. Maybe one day, I will find others who will fight along side me, tell me when I am wrong, cry when I am hurt." She knew this was almost a pipe dream, but she couldn't help but think if it happened once it could happen again.
The image of the woman‘s past grew in Thrandul‘s mind. He knew exactly how she felt, for he to felt the same way. He gave up his life to protect others but who would protect him. Now he is just a wanderer, a vagabond, who people occasionally call upon for a task that they do not feel they can do. Surviving is all he knew anymore and he enjoyed it. Adventures were what he lived for, but who could blame him? He had nothing to go back to, so why not just continue forward and face what is brought to you? But inside, he still yearned for the feeling he used to have when he fought side by side to men who were able to call themselves family. The only way to be able to work and fight together was to become family. And he knew and wished he still had that type of family or any family at all.
"I too feel that way, even though our pasts and present aren't the quite the same, we are similar. We both yearn for family that was once but is no longer. It is something that only fools wish for and only the strong willed achieve."
Motioning him to sit next to her as she came upon a fallen log, she replied.
"Well then if we are of like mind then tell me your story and I'll tell you mine." The woman began to open up a bit, finding that they had much in common.
Thrandul walked over to the log and sat down next to her, lowering his hood which he did not often do. His face was strong and kind but a worn look showed he had been through many battles.
"I grew up as a boy in a small city. As I grew, the city did also. By the time I was a young adult I was asked to serve the king and become one of his 'rangers'. I only did this to protect my family, they were all that mattered. I fought hard and bravely for my land and was looked very highly upon. My family was treated very well, because of my hard work. I had served with the same people for 10 years and we became family within ourselves. Knowing each others moves before one would make it helped greatly in battle. We grew up together serving the same king, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. I was quite lucky for having two families.”
Thrandul became quiet for a moment, with a look of despair in his eyes.
“But on one 'crusade', my city was attacked by wild men from the mountains. They cut through it like paper, burning and destroying everything in their way. My family died because I wasn't there to protect them. We got word of this attack on the way back, and when we were almost home we were attacked by the same men. They traveled like wolves through the forests. We put up the bravest and hardest fight we could and managed to wipe them out. Unfortunately, all but two of us were killed in the battle and the other died later from an axe wound in his shoulder. So, I have no family and I fear I will never have one again."
The woman listened to his tale and found that she was almost at a loss for words.
“You lived, and have no family of blood, but perhaps one day a friend may be called brother.” She sighed softly to herself, knowing that there was no way she could begin and finish the tale in a day.
“I come from Iluna, I am part Lithen, part Talar. Iluna is….. well it is not in the same realm as this.” She hesitated
“I know it all seems so strange, but it is something that one would call a ‘myth’. Do you believe in myths?”
“Believing in something that is unbelievable is hard for one such as myself. All my life, I have looked at the facts. They are all I believe in.” Thrandul replied
He stared at the yew in the center of the clearing and thought about what she said.
She let her gaze falter, her eyes falling upon the ground. Her voice dropped to barely a whisper.
“The others do not know that I came.” She started slowly, still not returning her gaze to him.
“I came because I wanted to see this world of legend, and.” She absently rubbed her neck. “I wanted adventure.” She said softly.
Tired, the woman sighed softly before looking back at him, “I did not leave for adventure alone, and I do not feel as if I have lost my family, for none of my line are truly gone, but that is a story for another time I suppose.” She avoided that subject.
“I may not understand you, but I will force you to tell me nothing more. And I offer you my services.” he said.
She smiled slowly, glad for his offer of aid.
“Thank you Thrandul.” She spoke his name softer than the rest of her words.
Her eyes shifted to a constant golden hue as they fell upon him walking about the clearing.
Last edited by TheInklings : 02-21-2006 at 09:05 PM.
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