Chapter 3 -- Village by the Sea

[KDor Saduk]

“I don’t think so…” K`Dor reached over with his free hand and yanked on the reins himself. K`Dor’s eyes filled with fire as he soon found out this man was a bandit. Veir’dro was still in K`Dor’s left hand, waiting to strike. Though he contained himself, "If he’s one of them, then he can lead me to more…” his eyes widen at the thought and a smirk formed on his face. This was almost too perfect…

        Ash’s ears perked up as she heard another man's voice. She saw the man in front of her master, rushing over in a second, she peered at the young man as she waited by her master's side not moving, unless told otherwise. K`Dor glanced down at his faithful companion and knew Ash was always ready to fight when needed. “Now if you have a problem with that, then you can take it up with me…” his voice was full of hatred and anger, he knew that the young man wouldn’t try a thing… Unless he was stupid enough to...

"My swords and wolf are my only companions... I can't rely on anything else..."

K`Dor Saduk

[Paladia Entonei]

The cat like man turned very slowly when the reins were taken from him and was surprised to see his face not meet with another, but with a very large chest. His gaze, only momentarily faltered by a sweep of surprise, slowly came up to meet KDors. His voice steady and eyes cold, he replied. "Sir? Where do you plan on taking this animal? I have orders, sir, and must report something to my superior." That was what it took to become one of Areytuk's men. Calm, cool, composure and the ability to handle whatever's thrown at you. And if a massive beast of a man is pitched at you, Areytuk's men  had better find a way to handle it.

Paladia rode down the trail, slightly ahead of the remaining members of her party, on Pheonix' back and noticed as the trail they rode was joined by others and eventually merged on with the larger mainroad that they had been traversing earlier. With each trod of the horse, Paladia was becoming more and more bewildered by the expanse of the sea as it stretched out endlessly before her. It was one thing to gaze through a forest, past tree trunk after tree trunk, until you could see nothing more but a black-green wall ahead of you. But to gaze over the sea, blue on blue, and glimpse a ramrod straight horizon that disapeared into unknown. It was all to surreal.

They passed a few cottages on their way. Small and humble, made of wood with tiny gardens and open shutters. One of them eminated the mouth-watering scent of spiced ham from within and two small children played a game in the front. As the travellers came by, the children, two boys, stopped in their fun and admired the troop, large eyes dreaming of the wonders each and every wanderer must have seen in their days on the road.

Paladia slipped of the horse when the bulidings became more and more condensed and the largest bulding in the town, the old inn, came into veiw. "Nyari, do you know where you live?" Pally asked very slowly as she looked up at the girl that had been vertiably bouncing with excitement.

"Durr, of course!" she exclaimed, stretching out her little body to get a better look of her town over the head of the hourse. "Grams and Uncle live near the docks, slightly 'way from the rest of it all."

The elf woman rubbed her neck in thought and glanced at the others. "I suppose you all have some business that can be handled  in the town. Supplies, rest, or whatever you require. I'll be...at Nyari's little home if you need me," she said dismissively.

Kikhku, who had remained unusually silent for the extent of the journey piped up. The sudden shriek of his voice made Paladia cringe. "I ought to be off though, now! Things to do, you know. Thank you for your time, woman!" he cried, slapping Pally on the calf.

Paladia, on the edge of her patience with the brownie, simply nodded as she watched Kikhku and Ciatee bound away towards the town.

[Aitostalon]

Talon said, "I wish to escort this young lady home also, and also you. I wish to look at your leg, I may be of some help, or perhaps might be able to take your to clergy who can help. " While following along to the young girls house.

[Mínsyth Mërénwèn]

@Mana:

The men ignored the woman as she left the table to a corner, digging into the pie hungrily. Pushing and shoving to make sure they got their fair share of the feast. There was only one man standing at the door but he didn't seem to be doing a whole lot, just watching his fellow men fight for the mouth watering pie. Soon forgetting about his post, he could not take it any longer and gave into the seductive aroma and marched over to the table to sneak in his own couple of bites, leaving the door completely unguarded.


Minsyth just stood by Shan, watching the rest move on without them then waiting to see what the cat would care to do next. "What now?"

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Edited by: Minsyth at: 11/1/04 3:24

[Manalkar Melor]

Idea’s erupted in her head as she noted the guards absence from the door, luckily she’d chosen one of the corners near it and perhaps her streak of bad luck would be ended. Biting her lip she glanced between the doorway and the table, a slim hand clutching the edges of her cloak close around her form to keep it from fluttering and drawing unwanted attention. The dark elf seemed to glide toward the door on the balls of her feet, snatching the handle and letting herself out as quickly as she dared. Mana scanned the hallway to either side then crept off to the right.  

Running would bring suspicion and take her right back to where she had been so instead she strode with as much confidence as she could muster down the hallway with her dark hood pulled up to conceal features that might have been recognized by someone lingering nearby.    

Manalkar Melór fá Miés'efér'óh
To dream is to dare to question the facts of life ~ Me

Edited by: Manalkar Melor at: 11/3/04 2:20

[KDor Saduk]

A chuckle escaped from K`Dor’s lips as the bandit finished talking to the mighty warrior “Heh, I don’t plan on taking this horse anywhere, I just don’t want  you to have it…” narrowing his eyes at the young man, K`Dor moved closer to the bandit. “… but you know what you can do…” K`Dor raised the blade of Veir’dro up to the youngsters throat and gazed deeply into his eyes “… You can lead me to where you were going to take this horse.” K`Dor’s hand twitched, but he held his composure. He wanted to behead this foolish man for trying to take this horse away from him, but he knew not to. Though if he didn’t get his way, blood would be shed shortly...

"My swords and wolf are my only companions... I can't rely on anything else..."

K`Dor Saduk

[Shan Gutarus]

Shan watched the others make their way to the town and then looked up at Minsyth when he spoke. "How bizarre" he thought, "He doesnt treat me like an animal. Perhaps he...knows. I've always thought elves were a little different." The cat returned to all fours and circled Minsyth, scrutinizing the warrior with intelligent blue eyes. "What do you see when you look at me, man?"

Coming to the realization that he was thinking nonsense if Shan thought Minsyth knew his story, Shanvorin nudged the elf with his head and began walking down the trail. He had no plans to actually enter the city, but Shan figured he may have a chance of getting some real cooked food with elf-boy tagging alongside.

Meanwhile, the bandit's face never twitched a muscle. "As you please, sir," he said flatly, taking his eyes off the large man for the first time to glance down at the sword, his frown deepening as he spotted his reflection in the blade. "Come along." Gently easing his neck from the cold metal, he turned to lead K'Dor down the alleyway that they had been searching earlier. As they passed, the lean man shot Gibson a queer look though as his head turned, a few beads of sweat glistened along his hairline.

[Paladia Entonei]

As they travelled along the outskirts of the village where only a scattering of people whom have left their homes for morning chores roamed, Paladia began to feel anxious. She had, obviously, heard of elders and knew of those in her community, though elves that pyhysically bore their age were incredibly reclusive and the young elven woman had never met one. She had heard of things like wrinkles and strange spots that form on the elderly, but to bare witness to somebody on the verge of something as incredibly as a natural death was more or less unknown to her.

Pondering such a fate, it seemed like no time at all when Nyari, who had been humming excitedly since departed from Minsyth and the cat, shrieked with excitement when a ridge was crossed a humble cottage came into veiw. It was indeed along the coast.

The cottage rested quite securly on a treacherously steep sandy bank that swept down to the ocean below, lined with dark sand, bulbous boulders and crashing waves of the once calm appearing sea. Nyari urged them to go faster as Paladia and company approached, and nearly giddy with excitement, the young girl approached the door on her tiny feet.

But it was then that she paused, staring horrified at the hook on the door where a wreath or sign were normally found. A black velveteen ribbon had been tied graciously onto the steel hook, hanging there and appearing dreadfully heavy despite the sunny atmostphere about them. Noticing this, Paladia guessed quickly enough the custom as a sign of mourning. Illness, injury or perhaps death.

The elven woman rested a hand on the young girls shoulder, the first real contact since she had accidently hit her forcefully the night prior, as Nyari pushed the heavy wood door open. A thick wave of air confronted Paladia as she stepped through the door. The air was thick with heat from a nearby wood stove, the smell of roasting vegetables and the smell of cooked meat wafted on the air, and through dainty red curtains, outside light streamed through the air and splotched the floor with inviting warmth.

A figure stirred in the back of the cottage and an old woman emerged from behind the ladder that led up to a loft where it appeared Nyari slept considering the colorful blankets that lay upon a small bed. Nyari's face was washed free of any worry brought forth from the black ribbon at the sight of her apparent grandmother, and a similiar shock of releif afronted the old woman's face.

"Sweet blessed Baveras, child!" she exclaimed, taking a few shuffling steps forward but having to do little less as Nyari bolted across the heavy wood floors and lept into the old womans awaiting arms. Nyari was crying, Pally realized next and at last noticed, so was her grandmother.

The grandmother, dashing away old tears from her wrinkled face, inspected the child for health and cleanliness (obviously disapointed from the results of the latter as she swabbed Nyari's face with a saliva wetted thumb) and then looked to Paladia and Talon, a look on her face that wasn't as surprised as Pally had expected. Not waiting for a cue, Paladia cleared her throat.

"Missus, Ma'am, Elder," she began akwardly, "I, I mean that, we have escorted your child, well not your child, but this child, home and I--"

The older woman didn't smile or move a muscle in her face. She simply raised an arthretic hand covered in thin pale skin and nodded. "Young lady. Sir. Hold. Let my sweet Nyariana here get washed up. Have a seat. We'll discuss these matters in a moment."

The woman busied herself with shooing Nyari into the back room with a fresh pair of clothes that had been folded expectantly on the ladder steps, until sitting at the table with her guests with a steaming pot of tea which appeared to have been materialized out of nowhere, with three cups. Clasping her hands together and gesturing for the two to help themselves, she began: "Now then. I am Nyari's grandmother, Rose Millwood. I'm sure you've a story to tell, but let us begin by learning the position of its narrators, shall we?"

[KDor Saduk]

"That’s right, now it’s only a matter of time…” K`Dor’s smirk grew larger as thoughts wondered through his mind. Veir’dro was then slowly lowered back down to his side again, his hand gripping the pommel tightly. With his other hand, he held onto the reins and guided the horse with them. He knew the bandit couldn’t be trusted with such a task. Ash followed closely behind K`Dor, keeping a watchful eye out for any other bandits...

        As they wandered down the alley, a thought popped into K`Dor‘s head as he began to speak, “Now when we get there, I don’t want any funny business or you’ll be missin’ a head quicker then you think…” He chuckled slightly as he continued “… I’ll be doing all the talking and if I hear one peep out of you… Well you know what will happen…”

"My swords and wolf are my only companions... I can't rely on anything else..."

K`Dor Saduk

[Aitostalon]

Talon followed along, his eyes alert, standing erect, tall and proud. Seeing how people would part  for his very presence once again. He helped the child off Phoenix as they approached the house, and he pat his mighty steads side, as Phoenix nuzzled Talon with his(Phoenix) nose. Talon then spoke quietly into Phoenix's ear "Stay here my friend, I shall return soon to check on you. Talon then took his sword off Phoenix's side, and placed it on his own where he felt it belonged.

Talon then turned and walked inside and upon hearing the girl scream and cry his first reaction was to grab his sword, but upon seeing her hug the old woman he relaxed and left the sword in the scabbard. Talon stood by the door watching all around, when the woman introduced herself, he nodded but did not sit when she offered him a seat. Talon watched over everything, remaining silent. His sense of duty never wavering and if nothing else becoming sharper than before.
Talon watched, listened and stood silently, listening to the words of the conversation, less he be questioned directly he had nothing to say.

[Paladia Entonei]

Paladia's head was beginning to ache. Things were simply afronting her one after the other. The whole atmosphere of the little cottage was overwhelming in itself. It was small and made her feel slightly claustophobic, the punishing smell of heavy food boring down on her and even the dim and simultaneously bright lighting was making Pally sleepy. The old woman, with her animated features so chiseled with wisdom and eroded with age, slightly scared Paladia with a sense of mortality.

But most of all, Pally had this feeling. This queer idea that something in the house was not quite right. A kind of tension that existed between something and all the objects around it. It was this tension that made Paladia, despite her weariness, sit ramrod straight in her chair and stare at the tea until the silence was broken.

"Boy!" cried Rose suddenly, slamming a surprisingly solid hand down on the equally matched oak table, "When someone so obviously your senior asks you to sit, you do so. And politely. Now then....what did you say your names were?" Rose continued, proceeding to pour the three mugs with steaming hot tea made with a curious leaf that Pally had spotted growing in the plant boxes that hung on the sill.

"I am Paladia, ma'am" she replied at length, finally finding her voice and then glanced to Talon. "This is a companion I've met recently on the road," Pally continued, making an eager opening for Talon to help her with this...less than orthodox old woman whom was nothing as Paladia had expected from her knowledge of aged people.

[Paladia Entonei]

He led K'Dor through an irretracable labirynth of alleyways until coming a small wood door that was imbedding within a rather nondescript building. According the the steps that led down from the street level to the slightly pitted entrance, it suggested that the building was surely larger on the inside than it appeared on its humble exterior.

The lean man went to the doorway, casting an emotionless glance back at K'Dor and his 'pet', then knocked on the heavy wooden door. A peep slid open and the metal cover was replaced with the image of an eye. "What do you want Geoff? And...." the gruff voice from behind faded and then added in a hushed whisper, "what are you doing, bringing Others here?"

"He was...giving me trouble. I figure I'd bring him here and let him have a little 'chat' with the others," Geoff continued the exchange in hushed tones.

"We've already got somebody waiting to meet with them," the other behind the door began, but receiving an angry glare from Geoff added quickly, "But you're more of a boss around here than I." With that, the sound of a heavy wood bolt sliding against the door was heard and the passage was opened. Geoff slipped in and moved to continue leading the large man through the corriders and towards where Mana was supposed to have been kept contained.

[Mínsyth Mërénwèn]

((Sorry for not posting...*hides* Had other things to take care of *waits for reprimand*))

Minsyth chuckled softly as the shingar circled him before nudging him to get moving. "Hungry are you boy?" He followed after the cat as best he could, catching up with it and falling into pace with it's steps as they approached the city.

Meanwhile Atreyk was lying in wait for his victim. Many had passed him as the day wore on but none suited his fancy. Why this was he was not sure but it must have had to do with the internal instict to wait for something better to come along. Lucky for him, he did not have to wait long before he came upon an unusual sight. An elf and a shingar making their way towards the city. How odd. What is a shingar doing coming into a city? He was not going to waste a chance to be the first man in the city to allow a wild cat to escape him, so he quickly tried to come up with a plan on how to capture the creature and take it for himself for whatever purpose he deemed fit.

@ Mana:

None of the guards noticed the dark figure slip from their hold as she made off into the alley, though, others did notice her presence and they were not the most pleasant of company.

An old scraggly man came up to her begging for money or food, whatever she had on hand. He addressed her as he would a child, yet in a rather rude manner. His toothless gums being barely often as he tried his best to form the words he wished to speak. Large dirty hands often laying upon her cloak, tugging on it for her attention and her company. When he finally left her alone and made her way further down the alley, a group of young children holding their hands up in the air begging for something, anything of value to take home. "Please missus. We starvin'." The smallest lifted up his ragged shirt as to reveal his frail form of skin and bones. His ribs greatly pronounced from the lack of food. His lips were dry and chapped from the lack of drink. This was often their key to receiving gifts from people, attempting them to show mercy on the boy, who they would never share their profits with no matter how much they he would aid them in the day.  

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Edited by: Minsyth at: 11/6/04 8:52

[Manalkar Melor]

The elf shook her head at the children, she was in too much of a hurry to find out where she was in the city and get her Deorheort back… Mana stopped in the process of pushing past them and fished into the small pouch hanging around her neck. In her hand she held a few bronze coins which she showed to boys for a moment, but instead of giving the money to them she closed her fist tightly. “You may have these but first you must tell me something, if I believe you then I will give you more. Now I must know, have you seen a large black horse on the streets, not just any black horse but a very large one probably being led somewhere. “ She wouldn’t go anywhere without her mount, not that she really could with most of her supplies on his back.        

Manalkar Melór fá Miés'efér'óh
To dream is to dare to question the facts of life ~ Me

[KDor Saduk]

Slowly letting the reins of the horse go, K`Dor withdrew Put’mari from it’s sheath quickly, with his free hand. He had both blades out again, his hands gripping to each pommel tightly, they were ready to strike… Correction, he was ready to shed blood. With out thought or hesitation, K`Dor swung both Put’mari and Veir’dro in front of his chest, in a X motion, aimed at the door keeper. His eye’s filling with hatred and anger for these bandits as he proceeded with his attack…

        K`Dor thought this would be the only way to get this girl out of here, but at the same time he wanted his revenge on all bandits. Ash, knew what to do in a instant. She lunged at the man who had guided both of them here, knowing full well that he’d try to fight back or run for help. K`Dor didn’t know if this would get out of hand or if he had made the wrong move, but he didn’t care. If more came, he would welcome them with open arms…

"My swords and wolf are my only companions... I can't rely on anything else..."

K`Dor Saduk

Edited by: KDor Saduk at: 11/7/04 22:14

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