Sunday, February 1, 2015
Hydra Recovery
Muttering, Thandwen squeezed the water out of her hair as she walked back to camp, finally clean of hydra gore. Thankfully, the camp hadn't been broken before the attack, so they were all able to rest comfortably. Seeing Eli working away at his arrows, she plops down next to him and picks up a feather, blowing on it softly. "Whatcha doing, Glitter Britches?"
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Eliandir's long ears twitch a bit. He doesn't look up from the arrow head he is intently working on. "This beast has everything I need to make arrows," he says softly, almost in awe. "It has spines and bone for shafts. Scales, fins and webbing for fletching. Claws and a beak for heads. It's amazing." He holds up a piece of what appears to be the beak and admires the shape it's being to take. Anyone watching him sees now the rough beak and tools he's using are why his fingers are all wrapped up.
ReplyDeleteTrudging through the thick swamp water, Ashlyn makes her way back to camp. Passing the huge beast, she spots the colorful elf knelt down, working the corpse over for arrow supplies.
ReplyDelete"Well I'm glad someone's having fun with it."
Reaching camp she sets her boots down by the fire to dry, as she sits down and stretches out her legs to warm the soles of her feet.
Erath casually looks over at the Elves, noting the ranger's work with the Hydra's corpse. Content to wait for a chance to harvest some potential reagents, he settles near the fire and pulls out the parchment indicating treachery in Renenthe.
ReplyDeleteSparing a glance at Ashlyn, he murmurs a spell to stoke the flames to help warm her. "Let me know if you would like the fire bigger." he says with a nod in her direction.
Ashlyn tilts her head slightly, giving the man a sideways glance. She examines him for a moment before turning back to the fire. "Thank you."
ReplyDeleteAfter a minute or so of silence she pulls in her legs, crossing them, as she grabs her bag towards her. She pulls a small fox figurine from it, a trinket from glitterbritches. She turns the figure over in her hand, studying it, and turns her head again to the tiefling, "You know, I've never even seen, uh.. One of you before. I don't think you're that bad actually. Compared to all the things I heard growing up anyway."
Thandwen shakes her head at him. "Cousin, you need something for your hands...I'll be right back." Jumping up, she walks into her tent, checking on her drying clothes as she goes, and returns quickly.
ReplyDelete"Here," she says, thrusting a pair of thin leather gloves at him. "They're thin, but tough."
He looks up at Thandwen. "If you're sure. They may not last as long as you think." He begins to unravel the bandages to reveal long thin fingers covered in small scars. "This is what my family does. We deal in bows and arrows. Even with the wonderful tools they provided, I still manage to mess up. I use materials that the usual kits can't handle and stones that shred leather, but..." Eli pauses for a moment as he pulls an arrow from his quiver. The head is a gem. Clear as ice but green as new grass. The shaft is a delicate polished silver metal with intricate designs carved into it. The fletching is a carefully cut stiff iridescent feather that shines in the dim light. "The arrows I make are beautiful. My family sees them as a waste of time. They aren't necessarily better than any other arrow and they take more time to craft. Maybe one day I'll create something they see as useful and I'll make them proud."
ReplyDeleteHe resumes his task after putting the gloves on, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. You don't want to hear about my silly....obsession."
It takes Erath a few seconds to process Ashlyn's words through his study. Blinking a few times, he smirks and gives a light chuckle.
ReplyDelete"To be fair, I've never met another one of me either. Well, until Malthias, of course. Still neither of us seem to fit the stories everyone tells around the hearth. I see it more that you have to take each person for who they are by themselves. After all, can we judge all Elves by those two." He nods his head in the direction of Thandwen and Eliandir.
The young human laughs to herself lightly. Looking in their direction now, "Well if you could I wouldn't mind, I quite like them." She turns back to the fire, putting the small fox down on her knee as she draws a small strip of cloth from her bag. "I agree with you though. I always wondered if all those stories were really true. I mean, no one I knew had ever seen any tieflings, how would they know you were bad?"
ReplyDeleteShe wraps the cloth around the belly of the figurine snugly and braids the ends, then ties it to a small metal loop on her belt. She smiles, "I'll name him bandit. Anyway, I never really listened to anyone. Most of the people I knew growing up were religious nut cases."
She grins. "You'd be surprised. My brother gave them to me when we were making my sword. They're...different, somehow." She watches him work, sitting delicately on a rock not covered in muck.
ReplyDelete"I think they're lovely. If you had grown up at home, it would be art, not a waste." She pauses. "If I gave you the materials, could you make a couple like that, but smaller? About 10 inches long?"
"My parents thought I should be working on mastering how to use the bow. Fire the arrows. Not spend so much time making the ammunition." Eliandir shrugs. "I guess I'm a pretty good shot. I could be better."
ReplyDeleteHe thoughtfully taps his chin with the dark shiny black 'stone' he's using to chip away at the hydra beak. "Or maybe it isn't necessarily that I'm not good. Maybe these creatures are just difficult to put down."
He nods at her request. "Depending on what materials you have it may take a long time to make a set."
Nodding, Thandwen rolls a sore shoulder. "I think it's the latter. Braegal really beat the hell out of me. If it weren't for those dwarves, I'd be dead." When he mentions materials, she thinks a moment. "Well, I have silver, gems, and I'm sure I could get my hands on some steel shafts in town."
ReplyDeleteErath lowers the parchment a little, chuckling again. "Depends on the story though. Barring the cadre of Moradin, I doubt any of us the religious type. Still, Eli over there thinks that my presence is bad luck. If we watch long enough, he'll probably skin his hand or something making arrows and he'll shoot me a dirty look before scooting farther away from my 'aura of doom'. I've met plenty of farmers and ordinary folk who'll blame a Tiefling for spoiled milk, lack of rain, kidnapped children, or a toothache. Wouldn't know one from an owlbear if they saw one, but sure enough they must have been up to their Tiefling mischief.
ReplyDelete"Tieflings turning a country into a wasteland... well, history only tells us so much about that. I doubt that happened with all the blame resting on their heads... Still, I would very much like to investigate that and find out exactly what happened."
"People just need something to blame all their issues on. I decided it's easier to deal with what I can handle and not spend time blaming everything on some superstitious nonsense." Ashlyn then looks towards the elves curiously, watching Eli work on his arrows. Her gaze moves to Thandwen, now talking with the other elf. "I like all of you guys well enough though, you're pretty interesting."
ReplyDeleteFollowing her gaze, Erath smirks. "Well, welcome to Necromancers and gods trying to enslave the world. Superstition has a place and like myth, might also contain truth enough to see matters clearly in the end. Though seeing what's in front of us, is rarely what we mortals do."
ReplyDeleteFrowning at the parchment, Erath rolls up the document and slides back into the scroll tube. Standing, he stretches and whips his tail back and forth a few times before concentrating and having his human visage appear.
"Braegal," the elf grumbles between clench teeth. "Such a pain."
ReplyDelete"The dwarves have their uses," he adds. "But they don't have to be so rude sometimes. Especially about gems." Eliandir sighs. "They must think my arrows are a useless waste too. I fear one day I may have to wrestle one of them for my fair share and you know how badly that will go." He chuckles softly and removes the gloves to better manipulate very small tools to now carve what look like tiny scales onto the whole of the arrow head.
"I look forward to making some for you, magol." He suddenly hisses and puts the tip of a finger into his mouth. "You'd think I'd be used to this by now," he mumbles. "Though, I'd rather have this than snakes biting me any day."
"Yeah," she says softly, her eyes still focused on the elves. She turns back to Erath and the fire, "well, whatever works right? Long as it gets the job done." A short moment of silence passes and she lets out a small laugh, "besides, that Moradin god the dwarves worship seems to be pretty useful. They pull off some pretty cool tricks whenever they start praying."
ReplyDelete"Moradin's blessings have served us well so far. But each Patron is different in the gifts and powers they bestow as well as the punishments they deliver." Erath admits nodding.
ReplyDeleteThandwen grins. "I want to put my hair up with them. Maybe use them as a weapon if need be."
ReplyDeleteTaking a small pail of fresh water, Erath places it on the fire, stoking the flames a little. Once the water begins to steam, he waves his hand over the pail. "Something to take the chill off, Ashlyn? Eli, Thandwen? Care for some tea?"
ReplyDeleteEliandir makes thoughtful hums as he wraps his fingers in fresh bandages again. "That changes how I will need to make them. Yes. It's doable." He smiles at Thandwen before packing up the pile of materials and tools. He carefully folds the gloves she had given to him and tucks them away in a separate pouch.
ReplyDeleteThe elf slowly makes his way toward Ashlyn and Erath. Standing before them, arms crossed, he eyes the tiefling warily. "This isn't going to end up poisoned is it? Especially after the insanity we've all been though together. Killer tea would be a terrible way to show thanks and appreciation."
Erath smiles and chuckles. "I'll drink first, how about it?" As he scoops the liquid in a cup, Eli can see it looks like plain hot water. Erath raises his cup, "May our enemies get swamp rot and us to have safe travel." He blows on it gently before sipping. "Ginger spice, just the way Gram made it." he says with a smile.
ReplyDelete"See, perfectly safe." Ashlyn reaches into her bag and pulls out a flask, giving it a swish. It was at least half full, good enough. She turns to Eli, "those arrows you're working on are coming along pretty nicely."
ReplyDeleteThandwen grins and hooks an arm over Eli's shoulder. "Well, maybe not all our enemies," she teases. "I might have to take Braegal up on all his boasting."
ReplyDeleteAshlyn takes a cup of tea and pours a shot of whiskey into it from her flask. "Hm. Well that is unless we kill him."
ReplyDelete"Oh uh really Ashlyn?" Eliandir stammers, fidgeting with the bandages. "Have you used the one I gave you yet? I can make you more, well, if you want more, I mean, I understand if..." he stops talking once Thandwen puts her arm over his shoulder and quickly takes a cup of tea, sipping it even though it's still too hot to drink comfortably.
ReplyDelete"Braegal is so full of himself," Eliandir mutters. "And he keeps catching my arrows."
"I have actually, I like them a lot. They're very well balanced." Ashlyn takes a sip of her tea and winces a bit at the flavor. She uncaps her flask and pours just a bit more whiskey in the cup. "They're also very pretty." She takes another sip from her cup, "much better." Rubbing the side of her ribs she looks over at Eli, "and I'm not a huge fan of his arrow catching bullshit either."
ReplyDelete"You're pretty t....pretty good at shooting arrows heh..." he quickly pulls his hood up over his head and holds the cup to his face. "It's really cold...wow...freezing..."
ReplyDeleteAshlyn's cheeks flush a little and she gives Eli a half smile, "Oh. Well, thank you. I prefer my sword to be honest, but I've never really had to deal with anything like the things we've been fighting," she takes another sip and turns back to the fire, covering her ears with her hair, "I figured it would be safer shooting arrows at the snake things that I've never even seen before." With another sip she finishes her tea. She pours another cup and empties the rest of her flask into it.
ReplyDelete"Until they start shooting snakes back at you." Erath says while taking a sip.
ReplyDeleteThandwen lets the conversation flow around her as she stares into the distance with a soft smile. I wonder if he's just as impressive out of battle... she thinks, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her gaze wanders over to Ashlyn, contemplating the human and trying to gauge her interest in Glitter Britches. She could be good for him. Hell, they could be good for each other.
ReplyDelete"Yeah, I didn't like that." she finishes another cup of tea, and turns her flask upside down just to verify it's empty. She would fill it back up in town, she thought to herself with a bit of a sigh.
ReplyDeleteGlancing in the direction of the elves, she notices Thandwen looking at her. Her eyes widen and she quickly turns back to the fire, her cheeks flushing red once more as she puts her flask back in her bag.
Thandwen's smile goes wider. "Are you feverish, Ashlyn?" she teases. "Your cheeks are so flushed."
ReplyDeleteAshlyn's face go red at the elf's words. "Uh, no. Heh," she cracks a nervous smile and draws her legs in to her chest wrapping her arms around her knees. After a moment she manages to compose herself a little, her face almost returned to its normal color. With as much confidence as she can muster, she turns back towards Thandwen, "I'm just not really used to being around people I actually like is all." she says, as casually as she can.
ReplyDeleteThandwen makes a soft cooing noise and kneels next to her, brushing her red hair behind an ear. "Maybe all you need is practice," she murmurs.
ReplyDeleteAshlyn's face turns a bright pink, and her lips part as if she were about to speak but the words get caught in her throat. Somehow, perhaps due to her now empty flask, she manages to get her words out without faltering, "Well, I've had practice." She thinks about her words for a second. Shit, what do I say now, uhm, "But, a little more couldn't hurt, I suppose." She gives a little smile and looks at Thandwen out of the corner of her eye, cheeks still red. Fuck it, that's good enough.
ReplyDeleteWith a chuckle, Thandwen brushes her hand down Ashlyn's neck. "Practice makes perfect, little human," she laughs, moving back to sit next to Eli.
ReplyDeleteEliandir watches Thandwen and Ashlyn. People she actually likes. Does she mean all of us? Or just... He squints through the steam from his cup collecting under the hood from his cloak and sighs. The ones who swing the big swords and wear the shiny armor always get the attention huh.
ReplyDeleteWhen Thandwen is close enough, he almost whispers in elven, "I think she likes you. Either that or you have some magic on you that makes humans go wild. It even worked on Braegal."
Thandwen giggles at the idea. "I think she doesn't know," she whispers back. "But I wouldn't mind testing your theory on Braegal... He's pretty impressive."
ReplyDeleteEli turns to Thandwen with a look of confusion. "Really? His excuse for his personality could be that he's possessed by some snake demon, but I think he'll always be a huge egotistical jerk. Snakes or not."
ReplyDeleteKeeping her voice down, she frowns a little. "His attitude isn't so bad. And aside from being possessed by a snake demon, he hasn't done anything to be a jerk." A look of pleasure flashes over her face, and she ducks her head. "Besides, no one's ever come for me like that. He's got stones, Glitter Britches, and that's attractive."
ReplyDelete"You're kidding me," he almost gasps wide eyed and dumps the contents of a small pouch onto the ground. Various stones of all shapes and sizes in different states of wear and tear fall out. "This must be attractive every where else except among my people because I was always just made fun of!" Eliandir sighs and groans while he puts all his small treasures back into the pouch.
ReplyDelete"Is it the size? It's got to be the size. What about the shape? Should I just not carve them into arrow heads? Hmm I don't know if I could do that though. I guess someone will have to like me for the stones I have then."
Thandwen laughs out loud, tossing her head back and letting the sound just roll out of her. "Not those kinds of stones! I mean that he's obviously fearless. He watched what I did to those snake creatures in town, and I'm no pushover, but he still came for me head-on. We were..." She shakes her head, letting the words hang. "He felt like an equal, and treated me like one...Not everyone does that." Especially not back home.
ReplyDelete"What...oh!" He can't hide his embarrassment. Even if he covered his face, his body language gives his feelings away. "I...knew...tha...no I didn't..." Looking away from the quickly cooling tea and up at Thandwen he asks, "People must treat you fairly nice. I mean, you could grind most into the ground. Isn't that a good thing? Not grinding people up, I mean, not being ground up yourself."
ReplyDeleteShe frowns, pushing her damp hair over her shoulder. "It was nice to be treated like I was just another nobody. My brother always threatened to beat up anybody who even looked at me the wrong way." She fidgets and sighs. "I never knew if I beat people in the sparring ring or if they just gave up out of fear of him. I guess that's why I'm here, to be nobody's little sister, you know?"
ReplyDelete"Sounds nice to me. My siblings would threaten to beat me up. And my...betrothed," he winces a bit. "She was probably the cruelest one. But since I'm not going back, I don't have to worry about her."
ReplyDeleteDowning the tea quickly, he stands up and pulls the hood down. "I could spar you. You'll win I'm sure, but it will be because you are stronger and not because I was scared and gave up." He grins. "Well, maybe stronger in melee anyway."
"Your betrothed?" she asks, surprised. "I didn't know that! Is she a Wood Elf, too? Does she know you're never going back?"
ReplyDeleteHis grin becomes a frown and he sits on the ground again. "You're away from home for the same reason right? You turn 85 and you can explore the rest of the world. I'm not sure what you do, but if you return and wish to live with your family again, you are supposed to get married and continue to grow the family. Well, my parents had such high hopes for me, that they already picked someone for me to marry while I was still a child. We grew up together."
ReplyDeleteHe begins to pick at one of the feathers at the end of a braid. "I haven't been away for very long. Maybe a year. But before I left, they assumed I'd just come back the next day. Some said if I didn't return, it would have been because something ate me. She said I'd better come back or she'll drag me back. I doubt she will and it's my right to not return, but she assumed like everyone else, that I wouldn't be gone long."
She waves her hand, dismissing his first question. "I left because I could. Marriage for me would be a choice, but it's not for me. I'm sure my parents would like it if I did, but Mother doesn't mind my independence. She just hopes I'll return to learn more magic from her." She pulls his hand down and clasps it in hers, a symbol of solidarity among warriors. "Cousin, you might be braver than I am, to risk never going home. But I can offer you hospitality in mine. The High Elves won't mind too much if a puppy follows me home," she adds with a grin.
ReplyDeleteHe laughs softly and nods. "Thank you. I do somewhat like living among humans. Everything I do and everything I make is amazing to them."
ReplyDelete"And I wouldn't say I'm brave. I just wish to be sane and happy."
"Brave to me," she counters. "Even my brother chose to stay and marry. She's lovely, of course, but to be so tied down..." she shudders a little. "What a nightmare."
ReplyDelete"I was really glad this opportunity to explore beyond the woods around the city came up. I was getting bored and as you can see, it can be tough to travel alone in unknown lands." He motions toward the hydra. "You don't find that sort of creature very often."
ReplyDeleteErath finishes his cup of tea, having silently watched and listened as Ashlyn grew ever redder and the two Elves discussed dodging marriages. "Indeed you do not, Eli." he says with a smile. "If you'll excuse me, I think there might be some reagents I can collect from the Hydra that should fetch a decent price in Renenthe."
ReplyDeleteDrawing a dagger from his boot, he sets about collecting from the creature.
She shudders again, grimacing with distaste. "I hope we don't see any more. I feel like I still smell awful. Thank goodness I had regular clothes with me."
ReplyDeleteAshlyn giggles to herself, "not very used to getting dirty, are you?"
ReplyDeleteThandwen shakes her head. "Dirt doesn't really stick to my kind. Wood Elves are different, though. Blood, yes, because that can't be helped, but general gore? No."
ReplyDelete