There is a hint of movement to your right and out of habit you jump back, narrowly missing two tentacles that had lunged at you. It pulls back all of its tentacles and the plants seems to glower.
"I am impressed that you would tangle with such a nasty thing... I try to stay away from them myself." An accented male voice says behind you. When you turn around you see a tall man with a long ornate tattoo running down his arm. He has a bow slung across his shoulder and is clad in a flowing cape and green jerkin. From his hair poke out the pointy ears of the half-elf. He smiles and flashes brilliant white teeth, handsome well defined features, and perhaps just a bit of mischievousness in his smile.
"However, you have done much better than any outsider I have yet to see - your talent with magic and nature must surely surpass your beauty. " Out of curiosity Pipper runs on over and paws at him.
"Greetings friend My name is Illuvaen, might I ask yours?" He says kneeling down and scratching his head. "What brings you to the realm of the H'alorith."
"Pipper!" He says squeaking before running back to Nym. "His accent is funny momma!" Pipper responds laughing. The man blushes looking at you and smiling again. "Could I ask yours as well beauteous Elf? I aslo pray you forgive me - I do not intend to come across as a spy or snoop, I was out gathering roots and I noticed you wrestling with this vile plant. If you are looking for a simpler solution you could borrow some sap from family's collection - we live not far from here and we could spare some for you."
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
44 comments:
The following tags added to your comments will allow you to format your comments: (Remove the spaces within the < > for the formatting to work)
To italicize text, surround desired italics text with < i> and < /i>.
To create bold text, surround desired bold text with < b> and < /b>.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nym blushes, acutely aware she's still in a torn nightgown running around with wild hair and bare feet in a strange forest. "I am called Nym," she says in elvish, raising her hands palms-out in front of her in the traditional greeting of High Forest elves. She hadn't greeted anyone like that in quite some time, but finding herself talking to another half-elf in a forest it seemed appropriate. "I'm collecting some herbs for the village apothecary, and myself, to repay her, and I would much rather borrow a bit of sap than try to reason with this tricky plant any further." Nym gave the plant an annoyed look when she said the last bit, and then turned back to Illuvaen smiling. She pulled a few herbs she'd collected for herself and crushed them quickly to apply to her cut. "Lead the way, kind sir," she said smiling.
ReplyDeleteHe too raised his palm, though his fingers were spread wide compared to Nym's closed fingers. As they walk he keeps his eyes on her. "Where are you from - I have not heard your form of Elvish before?"
ReplyDeleteNym watched Pipper frolic in the forest, aware of her companion's eyes on her. "I'm from another plane," she said, chuckling at the absurdity of the entire day. "I come from the High Forest in Faerun."
ReplyDelete"Ah, well, that explains much of the situation. Our ancestors came from another plane as well, but long long ago. Did you arrive here by accident or with intent?" He says leading you under a set of cyan colored trees and onto a path. As he finishes his statement you come across a large grove of purple leaved trees that seem to be dancing back and forth with thousands of brilliant silver, black, and pink flowers. "so it has begun!" Illuvaen says stopping to gaze at the scene.
ReplyDelete"What has begun?" asked Nym, slightly concerned.
ReplyDeleteHe takes a moment to respond. "The dance of summer! It is when the wilds bursts into full bloom and all of nature is at peace. Come! There will be a feast in the village tonight and I am sure they will want to hear of our compatriots from another world." He takes your hand and pulls you along at a quick run through the dancing trees and flowers.
ReplyDeleteNym allows herself to be pulled along, perfectly happy in this strange wonderland of dancing flowers and other woodland half-elves.
ReplyDeleteAfter running through dancing trees, being covered with flower petals, and bounding around vines, bushes, and falling down intricate flower petals you arrive at a large grove filled with enormous trees, set into the trees are houses of every shape, size and color, between the trees are hundreds of elves jumping, climbing, and dashing about.
ReplyDeleteNym laughs, enjoying the sight, and Pipper chases leaves.
ReplyDeleteAs Pipper chases leaves a swarm of small elves lands around him.
ReplyDelete"Hi friend, come play!" They say and dash off in a new direction. He looks at Nym for a moment before following quickly.
Illuvaen leads you forward to a small gathering.
"Father, mother, I found a stray elf in the forest who was trying to negotiate with a Tempest's Bloom."
"Interesting tactic! They are sneaky sneaky plants." His mother responds. "What is your name child? Where are you from?" She asks looking her up and down. "Perhaps I could interest you in some more suitable clothing?"
Nym holds her hands up, palms out in greeting and replies, "It is good to meet you. I am called Nym and I come from the High Forest of Faerun, and I'd be very interested in some more suitable clothing!" Nym looked down at herself, back up, and then laughed heartily at the silliness of her attire.
ReplyDeleteOne of the younger women dashes off towards the trees. "My name is Aethea, this is my husband Oevarna, come sit! You certainly seem to have had quite the adventure before you arrived here." As you sit Illuvaen sit next to you. "Tell us your tale, there is a great feast coming soon and I am sure you will have to tell it many times, but I would like to hear it without the numerous questions the younger ones will ask."
ReplyDeleteEnjoying the attention, Nym recounted her mysterious appearance on the shore, meeting Druuv, battling the worm, healing Darvin, and finally searching for herbs and trying to reason with the Tempest's Bloom. A natural storyteller, Nym used her magical abilities to draw the worm and other events in the air to the amusement of her hosts.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the powerful tale everyone applauded. Illuvaen looked up and nervously asked "who is this Darvin...?"
ReplyDeleteNym smiled at Illuvaen flirtatiously. "Are you jealous?" she asked, smiling. "He's one of my travel companions and the captain of my ship. I'm also here will Talathel and Guybrush who are crewmen on the Lady Narath." Nym looked around, "Now who should I talk to to find some more appropriate clothes?"
ReplyDeleteThe man smiled at you. "Oh Nym, how could I not be? For your beauty and your talent give no true elven man a chance. I am sure that on your plane thousands hearts leap whenever you enter the room and a thousand men cry when you turn away from this." As he said this a younger man approached with a pile of clothing. He raised his palm and set them on the table in front of Nym. "But go and change we have made a room for you in the highest, and most noble house, you will be the guest of honor at our feast tonight!"
ReplyDelete*"thousands of hearts" and "away from them"
ReplyDeleteNym laughed, blushed, and shook her now longer hair out of her face. She quietly picked an outfit that looked to be her size and then softly said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Illuvaen. I will be honored to attend the feast." With that, Nym flashed the half-elf a wide smile and darted off where she'd been gestured she could change.
ReplyDeleteAs she changed, she wondered when exactly she'd become a beautiful maiden. Before meeting Darvin and the others, she'd never really been paid much attention to... well then, she had spent most of her time alone in the wild after Thay and when she was 16 and met that human bard in Brost who was more than a little smitten with her... Nym finished dressing and admired herself in a watery mirror. "Perhaps I can make a thousand hearts leap?" she thought, and then laughed at the idea and danced out the door to rejoin the woodland elves.
As you go down the ladder you see that the entire clearing has several immensely long tables set out and covered with food. Around the edges hundreds of wood elves chat, laugh, and exchange stories. A small knot of elves are off to the side playing a variety of musical instruments (some of which you have never seen before.)
ReplyDeleteWhen you reach the bottom Illuvaen steps forward and offers his arm. Smiling graciously Nym accepts and is led to a small platform. Once there Aethea steps forward and raises her hand.
"Acheyla ilya! Laire sinome!" She says in the old high elvish. "The summer dance has begun and the flowers and the sun dance with joy. That which is old is made new, that which has no being is given life, and those in whom we have misplaced our trust our forgiven!" The crowd erupts into a cheer. "We also have a special visitor - from a distant plane Nym Ofaare! [The one who is always wanted]" The crowd erupts around you. "We have much to learn from each other, but for now we must dance the eternal dance!" With that the crowd begins to dance and Illuvaen steps over. "I assure you the steps are easy - it is mostly stepping around in a circle with your arms in the air... would you like to try with me?" He asks, placing his hand out towards you.
Nym places her hand in Illuvaen's hand and says, smiling, "I would love to!"
ReplyDeleteHe leads out into the center and shows you the dance moves. Essentially, it is a jump to left, a step to the right, then you put your hands on your hips, and then a combination of spinning and kicking legs out. At least that is what it appears as Nym tries to follow the elves who have been dancing this dance their entire life. As they dance Lluvaen keeps his eyes on Nym and smiles now and then. "I must say Nym, you have me at a disadvantage."
ReplyDelete"How so?" she asked, doing a little spin and giggling.
ReplyDelete"Well." He says spinning again. "I feel oddly at ease with you, as if I have known you all my life." He kicks his legs out and spins and lands. "Well... I guess that isn't a disadvantage at all now is it. I must admit I was trying to be wittier than I am, but keeping up a conversation and dancing at the same time kinda killed that side of me." With that he took Nym by the hand and flung her up into the air.
ReplyDeleteNow, ordinarily this would cause some problems. But as Nym looks around she saw that she was not the only one up in the air - most of the crowd had been thrown up in the air as well.
"I wouldn't say that's a disadvantage at all either," she said, smiling ah Illuvean caught her. "You - this - reminds me very much of home in a strange way..." she said looking around and blushing over the fact that she'd just told Illuvean he reminded her of home.
ReplyDeleteHe looked at her mischeviously before spinning again. "Are you suggesting that I remind you of a building... because such an accusation might just get you in trouble." He says winking. Before throwing her in the air again, before catching her he spins and Nym sees a small dove fly out of his hands, around her head, and up into the sky. When he catches her he whispers into her ear. "I kinda screwed that one up... I was saving the dove for a more dramatic gesture."
ReplyDeleteNym laughed, "No, no, no! A building?!" Nym laughed harder. "I guess I was trying to say you're familiar too without simply repeating after you like an idiot girl," she smiled broadly.
ReplyDeleteAs the dove flew away, and Illuvean whispered to her, she teased, "And I suppose that's the only one you have?" She laughed thinking of her first meeting with Kilink and the loss of her dove Miffy 3.
"Well... I only had a short amount of time to prepare... I guess I should have found another."
ReplyDelete"You know, that's a bit like how I lost my dove Miffy 3... except I was in a sewer and not dancing with a handsome wood elf..." Nym blushed, surprised she'd just said that.
ReplyDeleteHe smiled, "I was wondering when I was going to get a compliment in return." He said smiling brightly. Alas, before she could respond Aethea called out loudly. "Now, let us hear the words of our guest - may she recite her epic quest for all of us and tell us of the marvelous deeds she has done."
ReplyDeleteLluvaen leaned forward and whispered to Nym. "Don't worry about embellishing - the crowd will eat it up."
Encouraged by Illuvaen's comment about embellishment, embellish Nym did. The worm was suddenly twice as large and Darvin's wounds twice as dire. Too her bargain with the Tempest's Bloom became far more serious and Illuvaen had to save her from it's grips. She drew sparkling images of the action in the air to wow her crowd. Illuvaen laughed, enjoying the increased epicness of the tale and the crowd cheered wildly when she finished. Nym ate up the attention happily.
ReplyDelete"Another! Another!" They demanded. "Tell us of your home plane!"
ReplyDeleteNym laughed and began telling them the story of smuggling herself aboard the Sea Star as a boy to sail home, her discovery aboard the ship, and their attempt to kill her. Of course, rather than battling six men, Kilink now were battling 12, and instead of being merchants, they were pirates.
ReplyDeleteWhen they finally let her down the steps Illuvaen took her and led her to the head of the main table.
ReplyDelete"You have had quite the adventurous life in the last two months haven't you?" He asked as the food was served.
"I've had an adventurous life for much longer than that!" she said, laughing.
ReplyDelete"Sadly most of my life has been spent in this small section of the forest. I would love to travel. But alas..." He said trailing off and sipping a glass of mead.
ReplyDelete"There is much to be said for staying with the ones you love..." Nym said, a frown playing on her face. "There is a price to pay for running off to play hero and sometimes it is steep," she said. After a moment she looked up at Illuvaen smiling and said, "This place is so lovely, I could not stand to leave it if it was my home!"
ReplyDelete"There is that. But, there is still the call of the adventurer inside of me." He leans in closer to you. "It is lovely, but it pales in comparison to you."
ReplyDeleteNym blushed and smiled, saying nothing, but she didn't look away from Illuvaen when he said this.
ReplyDelete"I... there are things I should say..." Illuvaen looks straight at Nym and the world hangs for a moment... then he shuts his eyes and starts to lean in towards her.
ReplyDeleteAs he is leaning in Aethea speaks up, unheard by either Nym or Illuvaen. "It is clear that she fulfills the ancient prophecy of saviors from another land! She and her companions are the ones foretold to end the oppression of the shadowcasters!"
ReplyDeleteI adapted this a bit for you Nick - you mentioned how awesome this plot device is. So no complaining!
Nym's heart pounded in her ears, and she closed her eyes. She could smell the forest on Illuvaen. Nym's face flushed as their lips met.
ReplyDeleteThe next several hours of the evening's festivities passed in a blur as more dancing, drinking, and eating commenced. At one point a thousand pedals fell from the sky and covered the dancers while the very trees of the forest converged and met with the elven dancers. After a few hours, and with very tired legs, Lluvaen walked Nym up to her guest room.
ReplyDelete"It was certainly a pleasure to meet you Nym..." He said looking into her eyes, her hands in his. "I suspect you will want to return to your companions in the morning..." he said trailing off.
"Yes, they're probably worried about me by now!" she said, smiling. "Goodnight." As Nym fell asleep scratching a very tired Pipper's ears, she thought about her friends back in the village, well, mostly she thought of Darvin.
ReplyDelete"Goodnight." He called out behind her before taking a step back and catching a vine to swing him off towards his house.
ReplyDelete