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Post by Enaria on Jun 21, 2015 2:57:04 GMT
Aylin took a deep breath, trying as hard as she could to ignore her rumbling stomach. Today is the day, she thought, aiming her bow at a deer standing between two oaks. Meat. She'd been living off roots and berries for weeks. She imagined roasting a hunk of deer meat over a big, warm fire, watching it sizzle and spit and drip its juices into the flames...
Pay attention! she snapped at herself, and refocused on the deer. Clearing her mind, and letting all the air out of her chest, she aimed for the deer's eye, and released her arrow.
She missed. The deer leaped out of the way at the last second. But before she had time to curse her bad luck, she heard a wet thump--someone cried out from within the forest.
A person. Or what sounded like a person.
Aylin's heart pounded against her ribcage. It was all she could do not the flee outright. They might be hurt, she urged herself. They might need my help.
Holding that thought firmly in mind, Aylin took off through the trees. To her horror and fascination, she came across someone.
A person. A real person. She could hardly believe it.
Aylin shook her head, collecting her thoughts. "Are..." she paused. "I--I'm so sorry."
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Zanzhro
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FLYING MONKEYS OF LIFE
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Post by Zanzhro on Jun 21, 2015 4:32:50 GMT
Sylvester looked up at the treetops, wondering what he had done to deserve what happened to him. Ever since Sylvester had tried to leave the one island in Tyrosi's Chain he had been on when he left his crew, things started turning for the worst. When he tried to pay the boatman his fee, he realized he didn't have enough currency. The boatman swore revenge, and took that revenge immediately. With a swift swing of his paddle, Sylvester was out cold. When he woke up, he was in some bushes on the edge of a forest, a beach in front of him, but no sign of a boat. He decided to look for some food, so he walked into the mysterious forest.
Shaking himself awake from his daydream, he sighed deeply and continued walking. After a while, he heard some rustling near him. He turned his head left toward the sound and tried to peer through the trees. All of a sudden an arrow came through the brush and hit him in the side of his shoulder. He landed hard on the ground and grabbed his shoulder. Whatever's coming, it can't be much worse than a paddle to the side of my head, or an arrow in the shoulder. I guess the only thing worse would be another arrow. He opened his eyes to realize a figure was standing over him.
"Are... I--I'm so sorry" the lady standing over him stammered. Sylvester looked up at her. "It's okay." he replied. He winced as he attempted to sit up, but to no avail, and he fell back down to the ground. His mind raced. "I'm just going to-" He winced again, "lie here for a bit." He let his head fall to the ground. "When you realize what just happened like I had to take a moment to, I'll be here. With an arrow in my shoulder."
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Jun 23, 2015 1:56:18 GMT
Post by Enaria on Jun 23, 2015 1:56:18 GMT
"When you realize what just happened like I had to take a moment to, I'll be here. With an arrow in my shoulder."
Aylin stifled a laugh with her hands. The absurdity of it all! What were the odds of a human walking straight into her line of fire, when none had ventured into this part of the woods in decades? And the frankness with which the boy addressed her! It was as if he had no fear! Were all humans so amusing, so forward? Aylin didn't know, but she certainly hoped it was the case.
This is a good small man, she decided, firmly. He was sweet-looking and young, and despite all her mother had told her, could anything so kind-eyed be really, truly dangerous? And, who knew? Perhaps if she took him home and fixed him, he would want to be her friend. They could pick strawberries and go on adventures together, just like the friends she read about in stories...
"Oh my gods," Aylin whispered through her fingers. "I've shot my only friend."
"Please!" Aylin crouched and took the boy's hand. "Don't try to stand! You'll hurt yourself! Anu!"
An elk clopped out of the trees, looking wary. "Anu, here," Aylin urged. The creature trotted forward.
Aylin returned her attention to her friend. "I'm going to help you onto Anu," she said, "And he'll take you back to the home. Is that all right?"
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Zanzhro
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Jun 23, 2015 3:14:24 GMT
Post by Zanzhro on Jun 23, 2015 3:14:24 GMT
"I'm going to help you onto Anu," she said, "And he'll take you back to the home. Is that all right?"
Sylvester held back a chuckle. What an interesting question, and of all the stories of people being saved by Lions and Unicorns, I get saved by an elk? I'll spin the story somehow later. "Of course." Sylvester said. "I'll do what I can to force myself up, but it hurts to move in general." He took a quick glance upward and around to where he could see without moving, but no immediate sign of civilization. He thought about how the woman had acted. Has she ever met another human being? This is such a remote place of the forest, and even on the beach there was no sign of any civilization. I would enjoy such an adventure like this.
That was when Sylvester realized that he would be on an elk prancing through the forest. He was suddenly glad no one else was around to help him but her.
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Jun 24, 2015 5:26:04 GMT
Post by Enaria on Jun 24, 2015 5:26:04 GMT
"I'll do what I can to force myself up, but it hurts to move in general."
Aylin closed her eyes, guilt washing over her. No time for that, she reminded herself, refocusing her attention on the boy.
"I'll be as gentle as I can," she said, circling behind him and slipping her hands under his arms. Slowly, carefully, she pulled him to his feet.
"Anu, down," she said, draping her friend's uninjured arm across her shoulders. The elk knelt on the ground, and Aylin helped the boy climb on.
She examined the little man as Anu straightened up. He must be in so much pain, she thought, frowning inwardly. Maybe she should talk to him, distract him from his discomfort.
But what did people usually talk about? She didn't know.
Well, I have to say something. Aylin drew a deep breath. "I know I shot you and everything," she said, "And I know we don't know each other very well, but would you..." She paused to clear her throat. "Would you mind, terribly, being my friend?"
Aylin felt her cheeks flush. She stared at the ground to hide it, coaxing Anu into motion as she did.
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Zanzhro
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Jun 24, 2015 23:24:26 GMT
Post by Zanzhro on Jun 24, 2015 23:24:26 GMT
"Would you mind, terribly, being my friend?"
The question surprised Sylvester. Well, when something like this happens, they either become close friends or enemies forever, right? Well, that is what they lead you to believe in the stories told. He looked at the woman helping him. "Yes. Yes, I will be your friend." Sylvester looked around, then the question of where she lived popped into his head again. "Where is your home? As far as I can tell, no one lives here. There are no buildings, no boats, absolutely nothing to clue in that someone would live here. But when you get shot by an arrow in the wilderness, you can't expect a bear to of shot you, can you?" Sylvester chuckled to himself. "You seem like you have never seen another person before. Have you ever left this forest?" Sylvester wanted to know so much, but he had only just met her, and still had an arrow in his shoulder.
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Jun 28, 2015 0:27:28 GMT
Post by Enaria on Jun 28, 2015 0:27:28 GMT
"Yes. Yes, I will be your friend."
Aylin felt a smile break over her face. My first friend, she thought, skipping a little as she walked.
"Where is your home?" asked the boy. Aylin decided she should probably ask him his name. "As far as I can tell, no one lives here. There are no buildings, no boats, absolutely nothing to clue in that someone would live here. But when you get shot by an arrow in the wilderness, you can't expect a bear to of shot you, can you?"
The boy chuckled, and Aylin chuckled with him. Very true, she thought. "I live fifty trees from here, in a treehouse my father made. It's very safe, and clean. I clean it every day."
The smiling boy went on. "You seem like you have never seen another person before. Have you ever left this forest?"
Aylin's smile dampened. "No," she said, pausing to pluck a few leaves from a nearby plant. She popped them into her mouth and chewed them as she walked. "My mother always... She..." Aylin hesitated.
"It's dangerous," she finally managed. "Out there. Outside the woods. And strangers are dangerous. Not you, though. No, not you. You're too small to be dangerous, I think. But other strangers... Big strangers, maybe..."
Aylin paused, sighing. I'm talking too much, she thought, running a hand through her hair. Without breaking pace, she turned to walk backwards and spat the leaf mush into her hand. "Hold still," she said, patting the goop onto the boy's shoulder. "Ladyfern helps with pain."
As she was tending to the boy's wound, movement caught her eye. Her stomach twisted.
Something was following them in the trees.
Aylin's heart began to race, but she was careful not to show her fear. No need to frighten the boy, not while he was wounded. "What's your name?" she asked him, scrutinizing the trees behind them. What in the Gods' world could possibly be following them?
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Zanzhro
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Jun 29, 2015 18:04:29 GMT
Post by Zanzhro on Jun 29, 2015 18:04:29 GMT
"What's your name?" The woman asked.
"Sylvester." He replied. He shivered slightly as the goop seeped into his shoulder. He looked at the woman, who seemed to be distracted. "Has something happened?" He asked, glancing around and behind him.
Sylvester thought for a moment. "Where are my, oh what's the word? Nammer? No, that's not it. Manning? No, that's not it either." Sylvester looked down at the elk he was riding. Manners! "Manners!" He exclaimed. He cleared his throat. "Where are my manners, what's your name?" He shook off the feeling of worry. Whatever it is, it can't be terrible, right? Despite the encouragement he gave himself, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.
Something very, very, bad.
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Jul 2, 2015 4:45:36 GMT
Post by Enaria on Jul 2, 2015 4:45:36 GMT
"Has something happened?"
Aylin barely heard him. She reined Anu to a stop, listening to the woods as Sylvester chattered. "Do you hear that?" she finally asked, having no idea what he'd just said.
It sounded like someone was... laughing...?
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Zanzhro
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Jul 2, 2015 21:14:31 GMT
Post by Zanzhro on Jul 2, 2015 21:14:31 GMT
"Do you hear that?"
Sylvester went silent and listened intently. "Is someone laughing?" He said. He hopped off the steady elk and winced as he realized the arrow was still present, though the pain wasn't as dominant as it had been before. "Hello?" He called out, hoping for an answer. "If someone sane is there, we mean you no harm." He slowly reached for his dagger, becoming more and more focused. Whatever was out there, he didn't want to get any more injured than he was.
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Jul 2, 2015 22:11:22 GMT
Post by casteylan on Jul 2, 2015 22:11:22 GMT
Casteylan had been watching the two for some time. Actually it was the deer he saw first and he was about to draw his own bow when he realised that another hunter had claimed it for her own. Then he heard the boy not far away but before he could call a warning it was too late.
Children, both of them, it seemed. but the older one, the girl, seemed to be native to the forest, or at least she knew it well. He stayed back whilst she tended the boy's wounds and watched as she helped him up onto the elk's back. When they moved on, he followed softly behind, out of curiosity more than anything else.
It was all so funny, he thought to himself. Girl meets boy in enchanted forest, girl shoots boy with a mis-aimed arrow and somehow they end up friends? This would make a remarkable tale to tell in a tavern, if he could ever find one around here. He stared to work a tune and some rhymes around in his head but he didn't realise he had laughed out loud until the boy got down from the elk and reached for his knife. "If someone sane is there, we mean you no harm."
Casteylan sighed and stepped forward out of the shadows, keeping his hands well away from his weapons and dropping his hood to reveal his face and bright copper hair. "That's good to know," he said to the boy. "Normally I would say I am a friend but it appears that friendship in these parts is no barrier to injury."
Then he turned to the girl. "I'm sorry you missed the deer but I have something..." He opened his backpack and pulled out a dead partridge, large and plump. "It's not as big but I'm willing to share, if you have need."
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Jul 6, 2015 5:47:57 GMT
Post by Enaria on Jul 6, 2015 5:47:57 GMT
"If someone sane is there, we mean you no harm."
Don't we? thought Aylin, extracting her bow from her shoulder. She notched an arrow and drew, moving to stand in front of... Had he called himself Sylvester? She thought so. Regardless, he was her friend, her first friend, and he was vulnerable. Aylin had no intention of letting some day-ghoul do him harm.
Something moved in the trees--Aylin tensed. Fear exploded in her chest as yet another human--a big human--stepped out into the path, holding his hands up in front of his shoulders. Her thoughts raced, darting about her head like frightened birds. Keep your arrowheads sharp for grown men, her mother's voice warned. They'll want to hurt you in more ways than one.
Before she could decide what to do, the man moved his hands; it was all Aylin could do not to fire. But he didn't reach for a weapon. Instead, he reached for his head, drawing back his hood in a single gentle motion.
Aylin's breath caught. This man was... beautiful.
"That's good to know," he said, responding to Sylvester. "Normally I would say I am a friend, but it appears that friendship in these parts is no barrier to injury."
Aylin remained tense, but lowered her bow slightly. This curiosity will be the death of me, she thought, stomach twisting. Was this fear she was feeling? She thought so. But there was another feeling, too. A strange one.
The man turned to face her. Aylin's heart wrenched painfully. "I'm sorry you missed the deer," he said. "But I have something..."
Aylin gasped and lifted her bow sharply when the man turned to reach into his bag. Just shoot him, gods damn it, she thought, aligning the tip of her arrowhead with the center of the man's ear. Male strangers are demons, she reminded herself. Mother told you.
The man turned back. A fat quail swung in his fist. "It's not as big," he said, smiling, "But I'm willing to share, if you have need."
Share. Share? Share with me? Aylin shook her head, confused. "What do you want with us?" she spat, hoping to sound threatening. She'd never tried to sound threatening before. Was that how people did it?
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Zanzhro
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Post by Zanzhro on Jul 10, 2015 21:48:36 GMT
"What do you want with us?"
Sylvester looked at the woman. "I don't think he means us harm." He looked back at the man and lowered his knife. The man looked friendly enough, and looked like someone he had met before while meddling in the affairs of others. Sylvester looked back once again at the woman, her face was still so tense, then back at the man. "If she doesn't take the offer, I will." In his mind he imagined a roasted- well just something roasted.
"I don't believe you ever told me your name." He said to the woman. "And maybe you can tell us your name as well?" He said to the man. "I'm Sylvester." He announced proudly. I hope she doesn't release that arrow. He thought. That could mean two people injured, and she might only help the first one. He let a wide smile cross his face, trying not to appear nervous, though he didn't think it worked. Oh well, at least I'll be helped if he gets shot.
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