The world in the making (Notte X ArclightX)

[ArclightX]

The city was a simple post village a nice well kept inn, the houses were fairly together mostly shops, and craft building. The streets here were nice, the people here friendly, easy going people. The kind of village in the inner areas of the village that had never had to worry about invaders, and the few thieves they had were dealt with to swiftly to try, and rob anything but the farms items which were not worth enough to be worth taking. The people in the area wore shabby clothing, and looked like hard people only knowing life working in a forge, farming, and other physical labor. The streets were not overly cluttered, and well kept very few visitors came here which was perfect for the needs of the village, they received traders to move what then needed, and everything else was just their work, and taxes to the king.

Talis was a young looking man holding many looks of youth, he is not well traveled, and seems to constantly have a look or astonishment when he sees a new town or structure he has never before seen. He is very dignified in his step, wearing a simple blue tunic tied at the over the waist by a good rope, tied to keep his dark blue trousers underneath up. Simple padded boots, showing as the rest of his clothing did, he came from a small town. Though the clothing was made to appear elegant, and show status. It showed the town itself was of no great notice. The weapon he used was a simple training sword made of a whitish tinged wood, well carved by hand. The rounded wooden blade had the words 'hero" scribed on the blade, one in old speak, a Noble language, and on the other side the same written in gutter speak, a language only spoken by the lower of society. The blade showed it's age, though not a mark on it, time had only been so kind to the wood, which, he left sheathed across his back.

He smiled as he moved around the village, most took him as a fool, gawking at the inn, as if he had never seen one before, the look he gave the small forge was one of shock. The ones of his home village, did not have near as much. He had worked every trade of his home village, so he was good enough to work an apprenticeship at anywhere he pleased, but his passion was music, and he knew a good tune would get him a basic room in an inn, or under a girl. He then after seeing the buildings he took in the sights he wanted to see, always courteous too the homely women, but openly gawked when he saw a women of beauty. He did not move through the town as one of his station should, but his fine outfit kept people watching him, assuming he was of noble blood, even if he had not ever looked at it that way. His skin was clean, the scent of lavender drifting from him, most did not have such amenities of their own, and only washed in a bucket here.

He smiled as he placed a hand on his pocket, he knew he had some money though he did not know the value of such things well, he held with him thirty gold coins, a lot of money to carry around, though he assumed it was nothing more than pocket change, and would be very careful in spending it where it could be avoided, slowly he moved over to a girl he had found speaking softly so she could here, he smile lit up, for a moment, then with the next thing he said she dropped it, and smacked him hard. He placed a hand to his cheek rubbing it as he walked away from her mumbling to himself, "Guess the girls here are different, I will have to make sure I have a room for the night." He turned away as he walked into the tavern, there were all types here on the verge of arguments, not as peaceful as outside would think, he moved to the owner, and spoke to the man in a friendly tone, "If these men are getting too out of control, for a good meal, and a warm bed I would be happy to entertain your guests with a song, and music.". He smiled when the barkeep agreed, and he went up to his room. Promising to return when he dropped his things off, knowing if he did not entertain he would be thrown out long before dawn.

 

[Notte]

RE: The world in the making (Nette X ArclightX)

Evangelina Pierce, daughter of the Tavern keeper, and known throughout the town as a healer or a witch was out at the lake. Having had to escape the suffocating life at the Tavern where everyone came to see her for one thing or another. If not for her healing skills, then for trying to get into her bed. Alas, though she knew the ancient ritualistic dance of the sexes coming together, she had never practiced it herself. Choosing to remain a virgin until being claimed as a bride or finding someone that stirred enough of her desires to even catch her interest. A furred head bumped into her back before the wolf ran its body against hers. She set her hand in his fur and smiled. "Dailian, did you feel my unease and seek to comfort me?" She kissed his head when he pawed at the ground. "Thank you."

Standing up she stretched the stiff muscles of her body and looked around to see if anyone was about. Finding that she was alone, she smiled and looked down at Dailian. "Will you keep watch as a I go for a dip?" When he laid down in agreement, she started to disrobe, setting her clothing on top of wooden railing after quickly washing it so that they would dry and be fresh. She stood up, tall, proud, and naked as the day she was born. The dark auburn of her hair glinted like flames front the fading sunlight and she took her first step into the cool water of the lake. Step after step she walked out until the water was above her waist and she could dive under to swim. Breaching the surface she took a deep breath of the fresh crisp air and it gave her a slight chill.

As she moved out of the lake, the sun was nearly gone and she wondered how long she had been swimming for. Having been known to lose amounts of time as her mind wonders into a transient state. Dailian was still laying on the bank, just in a different spot and she knew that he must have scared off someone or something that had come to close to see her. Water slid down her skin in rivers as she emerged, her head, face, neck, shoulders, and then when her breasts greeted the chill air of the night her nipples pebbled and she shivered. When she got to the shore, she wrung out her hair and walked to her dried clean clothes.

Quickly she dressed when Dailian stood up and growled at something hidden within the forest that surrounded her. Picking up her basket of herbs, fruits, and vegetables that she had collected earlier that day, she ran her hand over Dailian's head and walked forward towards the path that would lead her home. Her wolf trotting along beside her. Giving him a kiss on his head in parting, she went into the village where he could not follow and walked into the Tavern; her home. For once the patrons were not as rowdy and seemed rather calm even when she was not there. That is when she looked up and saw the man playing an instrument.

With the crowd calm, she slipped out of sight before they could see her, and she hoped that she made it without no one noticing her arrival. Walking into the kitchen, she saw her father and nodded as she put her hands to work making dinner for the hungry customers. The herbs were cleaned and dried, picked and cut up before stored away for later use. The vegetables and fruits were cleaned and readied as was the meat that her father had hanging. Before long the smell of good cooking wafted through the air as she made meat pies and fruit tarts. As they were finishing, she took them out and let them cool before she began to gather them and serve them out to the customers. Stopping at the playing traveler to give him his and a nod with a polite "Thank you."

 

[ArclightX]

He smiled having been keeping to happy tunes the men cheer for singing words, the ones in a drunken folly seemed to always be off key, but the soft music made sure no one complained, still filling the room around the men's singing. He did not miss a note, but when he saw her enter the room, he knew he had to speak to her she was so beautiful, and he never missed an opportunity to spend time with one so lovely even if she only ended up talking to him, and smiling at least then he would have another sweet lament for his music, his father had taught him many stories, and songs, and he was following in those footsteps now, it was why he had left home to start with. Only gone for two days, and already hating that he was still just happy to be out on his own in the world. His eyes fell to her understanding the smile for what it was, she liked them preoccupied so they were not taking all their their time fighting, grabbing or flirting.

He smiled to her, before putting the flute in a small case as he heard the crowd start to complain it was too early for him to stop, "My friends, hear my words, for I understand the plights you speak, the music turns the soul, and beckons the very heaves down to us, think now, of your loved ones those you care, and hold dear, and listen to my last song of the night.". He replaced the flute with a harp, plucking the strings slowly, it was not his most skilled instrument, but after a moment he started a sweet melody, his voice loud as he continued the melody, which already had some relaxed as he plucked the strings, "The girl whom you thought you would never have, the beauty you may only watch. This song is about a servant boy, to the noble lady of his house.". He let out a soft cough as his words filled the room.

His song was a bit of sadness at first about the servant unable to be with the women he loved, not even be able to speak to her, the servant forever under the families house, though the words he used were sad, he made sure with the way he talked, and the words he spoke louder, that the boy was not un[/i]happy, even when he watched her wed another man, the servant continued to live with them, never able to share his love, or his words, until passing, happy his last words soft as he spoke the room filling with a soothing wave. As he spoke of the servant claiming he would not change a thing, for his feelings for her were never shared, he always say her, and was at peace she was happy. He smiled before letting out a bow of his form to the patrons, moving to the counter his voice soft, but no longer carrying, "I hope my song was well, I am not as good as my father, but I think the responce was well received.". He waited for the meal he had sung for, "It loses some of the words when changing the language to common, does not quite sound well to the flow, but the harp fixes that some I believe.

 

[Notte]

Giving every patron their food, she moved on to fill their empty cups. Trying to avoid being grabbed by the horny drunkards. It was like this every night and sometimes she just couldn't get away. One man managed to get his hands around her hips and pull her into his lap. When he tried to lay a kiss on her, she threw his drink in his face and slapped him hard enough that it could be heard around the room before she stood up with disgusted, looking down at the man and then walking away. Using her apron, she tried to wipe away the stickiness of his ale, but it just smeared and stuck to her even more. The men were all jostling and getting a good time out of her actions, even clapping the man who had harassed her onto his back. "Such disgusting creatures. I just cleaned myself too."

Walking out of the Tavern, she went to her room on the side of Tavern and unlocked her door. Going through her trunk, she pulled out a clean shift and dress and shook them both out before she put them into a pack and walked back out of her room, locking the door behind her. She walked back into the forest and made her way to the lake once again. This time not calling out to Dailian, she did not figure that anyone would follow her out into the darkness or even know how to navigate through the forest without light - which she would see.

When she got to the lake, she disrobed once more and walked out into the cold water. Her body was chilled and she shuddered from the cold, but kept going deeper out into the water. After a while, her body temperature started to regulate and she relax. All the while she muttered to herself about stupid men as she scrubbed at her sticky skin.

 

[ArclightX]

He watched the man, and shook his head as she left, knowing she was gone, "Absolutly disgusting, who would teach such a man, to be so cruel?". He looked around the more civilized men stopped the cheering for the man, as he looked to the man, "you should be ashamed of yourself most of all sir...". He bowed before he moved to go upstairs to his room, the man got up drawing a sword, "Hey music child, you think you have what it takes to be a man?". The large man charged at Talis whom drew his practice sword, muttering a phase to himself tracing a finger across the rounded edge of the stick, which faintly shined for a moment before he spoke to the large man, "I apologize that your piggish attitude has made you the fool of the inn tonight, but I will not be threatened.". The man brought the sword down as Talis raised his sword the man"s blade stopping as it appeared to crash into the practice sword not leaving a scratch on the wood.

He saw the man was drunk, and could not hold his own blocking the man's blade slowly a second time before he made a quick flourish striking the man in the leg then the side of the head causing the man to crash to the floor breaking a table, he slid to the barkeep placing a gold coin on the table, "I hope this, and my singing was enough to pay for damages, I apologize, but I will not be able to stay tonight after this...". He moved up to his room gathering his things, he knew the barkeep would have to throw them both out to keep the rest from a riot, so as he came downstairs with stuff in tow, he picked up the unconscious mans sword tossing it to the side outside as he sighed, catching her walking to the forest he scratched his chin before following her, having traveled enough at night knowing starting a lantern was more trouble as it was worth.

He moved slowly after her, though when he saw her slip out of her outfit he turned, having to avert his gaze as he smiled, just seeing her back sent a tingle go up his spine. He slowly sat down at the edge of the lake facing away from her, so when she noticed him, she would know he was not trying to sneak a peak, he simply pulled out his harp, pulling a few strings slowly, his way of letting her know he was here, but not wanting to call out to her.

 

[Notte]

Evangelina was floating upwards on the water, staring at the beauty of the full moon and letting the night wrap its arms around her when the first note of the harp reached her. She dropped her body back down into the water and looked towards the shore where she saw him. Even with the moon full, she was unable to see which direction the man was facing. "Minstrel, have you no shame but to peek upon a naked Maiden?" Her tone was haughty, filling with indignation. Afraid that he would see her, she swam further out into the darkness. "I will call for my wolf if you do not explain yourself and leave."

She did not like the fact that she could neither float nor get out of the water for the fear that he would look upon her. Never had a man seen her naked before that Dailian would not chase off and make him regret. Most people, male or female, no longer came to this lake for they knew that it was where she came and meditated, practiced her calling and gifts. Thous she had been dubbed the Lady of the Lake, a cruel joke. Once, she had even heard a suggestion that they should build a hut out by the lake for her. Which confused her greatly, even though people feared her, they still sought her out and the men still desired her - even if it was only a desire of the flesh. After all, humans always want what they can't have, always envy those who are blessed with beauty, but cursed those who had powers that they did not understand.

 

[ArclightX]

He smiled looking up, and over to the full moon taking in the sight as he sighed putting his hands out, "I will apologize for the intrusion, but I shall sleep here tonight, and will not be leaving till dawn". He spoke plainly before speaking again, "I have dealt with wolves, I do not want to harm your friend so I beseech that you do not call him". He smiled before he began to pluck strings as he looked to her calmly, "Though I would thank you for the honor of calling me a minstrel, my dad had such an honor, I am but a simple traveler". He then continued to pluck the notes again slowly the sounds merging with one another as he spoke, "Though I will admit, I would wish the honor to see your beauty, I shall not look if you do not wish it, I would never tarnish my word". He then continued the song slowly the notes filling the silent air as he slowly changed the pitch, so it somehow fit with the noises of the night, the sound of the water moving, and bugs, and animals of the forest.

He then pretended to ignore her, not trusting that she would not send her friend after him, he mumbled a few words, placing a barrier at his back bending it as much as his power would allow so if her wolf attacked him, it would slide to either side instead of hurt itself, he continued notes before he began to sing a song, gently, just to tease her of a shameful woman dancing nude on the water, she had threatened him, and he wanted her to know he was not afraid of her, or anything she would try to do to him, his voice soft, in a way it would not carry far, not wanting to call the creatures of the forest, or worse men who may or may not be nearby to think, they could rob him. He could not see her right now, but if he wanted too, and pulled out his bulls eye lantern, he could get a good enough view of her, he did think about it, but it was not his way. The man happily sat on the edge of the water, not being a fool, knowing she would sooner or later leave the water.