A Lord's Quest (JmBz and Sheepy)

[JmBz]

It had all started rather simple really, in hindsight. Lord Daniel Chaucer II had been given an important task by his father, the king of House Chaucer. They were indeed a noble house, he had explained to his son, but they were not a particularly well-known one. Countless tales have been written and many songs have been sung about the other houses of the realm, but none of House Chaucer. "But, that will soon change," Daniel's father had stated, looking down at his son with piercing eyes. "There have been reports of a dragon that has been terrorizing the northern lands, residing in Tolien Mountain. Many people from many houses have attempted to slay it, but none have been successful." He had paused for a moment. "I want you, my son, to travel there; do what everyone else could not do, and bring fame to our House."

The young Lord's eyes widened as the words of his father sunk in. "But father, I--" he started to say, before he was silenced by the raising of the elder Chaucer's hand. "I would not bestow this quest upon you if I didn't have the utmost faith in you. Now, I know it will be a long-and no doubt dangerous-journey ahead of you, but I believe that you will not let me, or your House, down."

Daniel was silent for a moment, looking down at the floor as his father's words echoed through his mind, a quiet sigh escaping his lips before he made eye contact with his father once more, his left hand clenched into a fist. "I accept this quest that you have given me, Father," he stated, a determined look in his eyes. "And I shall make sure that the entire realm will soon know the name of House Chaucer."

With that, the preparations began for Daniel's journey. He chose a horse-out of the many that occupied their stables-for him to ride on during his journey. She was one that he had grown particularly fond of while tending to her, agile with a nice chestnut-colored coat. He strapped his flatbow onto the back of his armor, stocking up the quiver with arrows before attaching it as well. He looked at the longsword his father had passed down to him, admiring the two sapphires embedded into the hilt before sheathing it. He was given three satchels by the servants, one of them containing a week's amount of food, the second containing enough gold for him to last a month, and the other having supplies for him to repair and oil his armor and weaponry. Securing them to the backside of the horse-who he had named Chia-the young Lord then saddled up, giving one last wave to his House before riding off.

That had been three days ago. Daniel's travelling those days were uneventful, riding through the towns that were to the north of House Chaucer, gathering what little information he could about the dragon this far away from the northern lands and resting at some inns.

At the moment, however, he had stopped Chia in her tracks, looking down a road that was surrounded by forest. He unfurled the map that his father had given him, looking it over for a few moments to deduce his relative location. According to the parchment, the woods were a sort of "border" between the nation that House Chaucer was in and that of the elves. Daniel admittedly did not know that much about the elven people, having only read about them in the brief mentions he had seen in history tomes, which were several hundred years old. And any questioning about them to his father lead to terse reactions at best, the elder Chaucer having a somewhat bigoted view of the elves and their magic-using ways, or magicka users in general, really. The young Lord did not share his father's prejudiced outlook on such things. He was more curious about them more than anything. He was mostly worried that him entering their nation, if only to head north, would cause an incident; he was more skilled with a sword than with diplomacy.

He looked over the map again, his brow scrunching a bit in thought. There did not seem to be any alternate routes north from where he currently was-well no horse friendly ones at least, and heading east, north, and then west to Tolien Mountain would just make his long journey even longer. "Well, I guess we'll have to take our chances, huh girl?" he said, looking down at Chia, stroking the horse with one hand as he slid the map back into one of the satchels. He then took the reins of the saddle, giving them a gentle whip as he and his horse ventured onto the wooded road.

 

[Sheepy]

Verdant had heard many rumors of the dragon terrorizing the lands close by to the elf kingdom. Each and every story only escalated in the level of terror. The young, elven princess feared for the safety of each and every organism close by to the dragon. She had pleaded her father to send some soldiers out to soothe the best somehow, and then she had asked to be taken to the beast herself in order to speak with it. However, he had declined both her requests. As of late, Verdant had journeyed further and further away from her home. Her mother had urged her father to give her more freedom. The young elven princess acknowledged the danger of the outside world, and often took a soldier or two with her. Even though she wished to soothe and help the dragon, as well as everyone in danger, she knew that there was no chance of her doing it alone.

There were many noble houses around and about the human realms. But as far as Verdant had heard, none of them had volunteered to slay the dragon. No animal should be slain, is how Verdant felt. Dragons did not often go on such terrible rampages. But if the dragon did have to be slain, Verdant wanted no part of it. She was a healer, and although she had access to natural magic, she was not a violent individual.

Verdant had always been a very kind elf. Giving, and saintly was how most would always describe her. Her patience was close to godly, even. But the princess had been sheltered for a majority of her life, and was naive and shy due to it. She even had trouble speaking to guards, and she always found it difficult to order servants around, like most nobles and royals would. She did not have a forceful bone in her body. The young elf bit her lip, as she walked through the forest. It was a beautiful day, so she had decided to walk through the lovely forest on her way to one of the fields of flowers in the elf kingdom. She adored flowers, each and every single one of them. Verdant's love of life had always been very powerful. She lacked the ability to do anything other than heal. However, others had taken advantage of her in the past due to her immense kindness, which she was always oblivious to. Every noble and royal who attempted to take advantage of her would be punished by the king, so fellow elves were always sure to be incredibly kind to her.

The lush, green grass crunched underneath her feet, and the breeze was incredibly soft. The young princess smiled underneath the shade of the trees, glad that the recent storms had passed by so quickly. She did not mind the rain, but too much of it could prove to be rather dangerous to the environment. Floods were always threatening. Verdant hummed a soft nursery tune, smile widening as she heard the chirping of the birds. She was very familiar with this area of the forest by now. She had traveled to the flower fields so many times that she had memorized the way and no longer required guards to assist her. Her father could be overprotective at times, but it was because he loved her, and she could never get frustrated with him for that. She was simply grateful that her father cared so much about her.

There was a pathway that travelers used in order to pass through the elven kingdom. Often traders would take it in order to not be hassled by the guards of the elven kingdom. Her father had a habit of being very protective of his territory and his kingdom. Any threat to his kingdom would be quickly annihilated. But at times she knew he could overreact, which was why she was glad that her mother was with him. Her stern father could indeed have a dangerous temper when dealing with outsiders.

Verdant blinked as she arrived on the dirt pathway. The wooded road was not one she often traveled on. But that didn't alarm her as much as the sound of a horse's hooves on the ground. The young princess remained where she was, hoping to greet the traveler. She never interacted with outsiders very much.

Daniel and his horse emerged from around the corner, and her eyes widened. From his clothing, armor and visible, she guessed he was of the Chaucer house. The crest on his clothing said so. She had always been curious about the human nobility, and made a point to research every single noble house in the human realms.

"H-Hello." She had forgotten how hard it was to talk to strangers. As he came up to her, she waved shyly, eyes moving downcast. "I-I am P-Princess Verdant... It is n-nice to meet you..."

 

[JmBz]

Daniel and Chia rode along the dirt pathway, the chestnut horse's hooves clopping softly against the road. The young Lord took this opportunity to enjoy the serene surroundings of the forest, the shade of the leaves casting small shadows against them and the soft breeze feeling like cool kisses against his skin.

In the relative silence that they were currently in, he could heard the sound of birdsong in the treetops. Daniel had a soft spot for animal life, something that he had inherited from his late mother. Horses had a special fondness to him, but birds were a close second. When he wasn't studying or honing his combat skills, he would sit in the House gardens, taking in the sounds of the numerous birds that had made their homes there; he had listened to their calls so many times that he was able to tell the name of them by sound alone. The chirping of the birds he currently heard were unfamiliar to him, but not unpleasant, a sound not unlike wind-chimes.

Daniel's ears perked up as a new sound graced them, slowing Chia down as his listened to it. A soft, melodic hum in the distance. It was a very pleasing sound, he had to admit, the tune vaguely reminding him of the nursery songs that his mother used to sing when he was younger. But what could be the source of it, he wondered? He would not have to wait long for an answer, as he moved up the pathway some more, and as Chia turned the corner he came across Verdant.

He took a moment, as the horse slowly approached her, to look over the Elven woman, for he was quite certain that was what she was, seeing the pointed ears that adorned her. She was very beautiful, he had to say, with golden hair that went down almost to her feet and dazzling emerald-like eyes. She was dressed a bit oddly; clothed by a white fabric that accentuated her pleasingly lithe curved frame, her sizable bust held in place by golden rings similar to the ones on her arms, with a wreath crowning her head. She was bare-footed as well, save for a small patch of fabric below her toes that were held together by criss-crossing strings that went up her long, slender legs, stopping just short of her knees.

The young Lord was so breathtaken by the sight before him that he almost didn't hear her stammered greeting. Blinking, he came to his senses as she waved to him, steadying his horse until she came to a complete stop in front of the shy princess. Noticing that the elf wasn't making eye contact him, he raised his brow for a brief moment before offering a warm smile to her. "I am Lord Daniel Chaucer II," he replied to her, removing himself from the saddle of his horse and setting foot on the dirt road, his sword and arrows jostling a bit from his landing as his boots connected with the ground, turning to face the fellow member of royalty. "And the pleasure is all mine, Lady Verdant," he added, giving her a small formal bow, as was the custom taught to him by his father when greeting others.

Daniel looked at her as he lifted himself from his bow, still smiling at her. "I am traveling through your kingdom because I am on a quest," he explained to her, straightening himself just a bit. "I am to head north to Tolien Mountain, to slay the dragon that has been terrorizing the lands and bring fame to House Chaucer." He once again clenched his hand determinedly into a fist as he spoke these words, before loosening his grasp. He then looked at her, a realization dawning on him as his voice took on an inquisitive tone.

"Tell me, Lady Verdant, I am a bit curious as to why someone of your status is out here all alone in these woods. Do you not have guards to watch over you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. He did find that a bit odd if that was the case; until this point, whenever he and his father had ventured from their House, they did have Chaucer guards watching over them, to protect them from any impromptu assassination attempts or the like. Were the elves different in that regard? He did still know that much about their people.

 

[Sheepy]

She shied away from the large horse as she came closer, but couldn't help but be curious about the young lord, and why exactly he had opted to come through the elven pathway. Perhaps he was heading to the dragon's lair? The thought caused her to frown in a troubled manner, disliking the thought of him putting himself in such danger, and also disliking the thought of the dragon being slain. Dragons were very beautiful creatures. Surely there was a reason to why one of them had suddenly become so violent? She could not fathom any of it. But there had to be some way to soothe the beast. Unfortunately, no one besides herself seemed to agree with that idea... And there was no way that she could even go all the way to the lair herself. And if she did indeed get in trouble, what would she do with no one else there?

The young elf was jolted from her inner thoughts as the young lord hopped off of his mighty horse. She looked up at him curiously, and gave him a soft, abet wary smile as he came closer to her. She certainly was reassured as he bowed to her. But the question still stood. What was such a lord doing here? Then again, if he was from the Chaucer house, he might not have much to do... As much as it pained her, they were not the most well-known house. That was most likely why he was traveling. Possibly to bring some much needed fame to his family's estate? She was unsure of his reasoning. But she may be too timid to even ask.

"O-Oh... I-I'm glad." She gave a soft laugh. "That... y-you're happy to meet me." She mentally scolded herself over her wording. But she paid full attention when he began to tell her exactly why he was traveling through their woods. She was sure that her father would have no issue, as long as he did not stray off of the pathway. Her father was a stern and protective man, especially when it came to his territory. "You're going to hurt the dragon?" Her wide, inquisitive eyes looked up at him. This time, she did not stutter, but instead looked rather troubled. "Dragons usually don't get set off for no reason." She stated quietly. "I'm sure that there's something I can do... without hurting it." She blinked, surprised after she said that.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to speak out so boldly. But... Father says since I know the way, I can travel on this path alone now. I just go to the flower field every now and then. It's summertime, so now the flowers have bloomed beautifully." She commented fondly. "I also know magic. So I can protect myself." She added, speaking in a determined tone. However, she actually doubted that she seriously had it in her to hurt anyone.

She had only been trained in healing, magic and at times acrobatics. She wasn't capable of using physical weaponry in any way, shape or form. Her father had never wanted her to get involved in any type of battle. But the dragon... there had to be some way to soothe it! An idea, a rather daring one, popped up in her head, and she looked up at Daniel. Biting her lip fretfully, the elf princess struggled to get the words out.

"I-I know healing magic!" She blurted out suddenly. "I'm sure I can be useful. I also know nature magic and I'm good with directions..." She then realized that she had not stated what exactly she wanted from him. After mentally reprimanding herself once more, the elf princess spoke without really thinking about her words. "Please take me with you!" The words came out, and she didn't think them over. She instantly regretted it... But she didn't apologize, or try to take them back.

 

[JmBz]

Daniel smiled as he heard the shy elf princess elicit a small laugh in response to his greeting, the noise sounding like the ringing of small bells. He saw that she paid rapt attention to the explanation he had given her, and when he had finished her graceful facial features distorted into a look of worry. The young lord also noticed that as she spoke her next words, her stammer had vanished, nodding his head in response to her question, wondering why it seemed to cause Verdant some stress.

He raised his eyebrow slightly at her quiet statements. She wanted to find a way to take care of the dragon without killing it? It sounded rather odd indeed. He had read before about people in the past subduing, pacifying dragons non-lethally. But back then, they were much weaker. He wasn't sure such a thing would be possible with this one, after the tales that he had heard...

Daniel turned his attention back to the princess, giving her a reassuring smile in response to her apology. He gave a small nod as she gave her explanation. The young lord couldn't help but feel a bit jealous about her father's leniency in this regard. He himself had requested to his father a few times before to head into the nearest town on his own, without the guards, but he had steadfastly refused each time.

The determined mention of her using magic to give herself protection caught his interest. "Oh?" he queried, raising his eyebrow once more. His father, again, despised the use of magic for reasons that were never really clear to him, and had forbade his son from ever learning such things. What he did not know, however, is that the young lord had learned a solitary spell in secret, having snuck into the area of their library that he had been restricted from. It was a relatively simple spell; it only allowed him to summon a small palm-sized ball of fire from his hand, to either use as a light source or a projectile. He had practiced with it when no one was around, knowing it would be suicidal to use it in front of his bigoted dad.

Daniel was taken off guard by Verdant's sudden blurting, breaking the relative silence of the last few moments that was only punctuated by Chia dragging her hoof on the dirt pathway in impatience. His eyes further widened when the elf requested to join him on his quest. He looked at her, his mouth agape for just a moment before closing it. He considered her words silently, noticing that she seemed to have regretted the sudden outburst. Someone with knowledge of clerical spells could indeed be useful; he did have a few healing herbs in one of his satchels, but they were slow to work and often unreliable-sometimes causing more pain than they removed. Magic that controlled nature could also be of use, as well as someone knowledgeable in directions; he did have a map, but they too were often unreliable, often several years old and thus out of date. He eyed up Verdant as he thought; she could be a considerable ally, and-if she could indeed find a way to stop the dragon without hurting it-it would make his quest just that much easier.

Daniel was silent for another moment before he looked up to the princess. "It would be an honor to have you accompany me, Lady Verdant," he replied finally. However, the smile that he gave her slowly started to fade as another realization came to him. "But, ah, are you sure your father would approve of you coming along with me? After all, we've only just met, and the last thing I want to do is upset him or your people, taking you on a dangerous quest such as this."