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Post by Vareesi on May 20, 2014 12:47:17 GMT 1
Aire chirped the moment a gust of chilling wind caught under his wings and made him raise higher into the sky, along the rocks which shaped the hull of the mountain and towards the stars which shimmered above. The moment the wind died down, he fluttered lightly but quickly with his wings to remain steady as he preyed down upon the forest which was unknown to him, waiting to catch a glimpse of the Glider which was his mistress.
Vareesi followed after the sparrowhawk through the tunnel and emerged quickly from the hole but instead of going upwards, she set her foot upon the ground and waited for Goldenbraid, Rokuta and anyone else to come through.
It was cold... winter. Rokuta said he was of winter yet he claimed to be cold back in the cave. He must have come from a mild winter if so. Vareesi sighed as she gazed upwards, knowing that star reading wasn't her strongest point with living inside a mountain for centuries. She couldn't tell if the sky was the same as it was over Silver Talon Spire and for a moment she cursed herself for not having paid attention to the night sky after accepting Almar's offers to go stargazing with him. The forest seemed the very same however... trees scattered before her, snow underneath her feet. snow with tracks.
Vareesi rose a brow when she noticed the foot and paw prints in the snow, all coming from the tunnel she had made her way through and she knelt down to have a closer look while she waited for the others. The footprints must belong to the elves that were mentioned earlier, those which had ventured out to look for food and water. At least these prints told her which direction not to go, which ways had been left unexplored.
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Post by Rokuta on May 21, 2014 15:02:32 GMT 1
“Sure I do” said the boy with a shrug. He just doesn’t understand why the giant (in his eyes Varessi was that) make such a thing out of some crystal and his magic. Was it so unfamiliar to the others? But for the moment he followed only the glider throw the tunnel, while her bird flew ahead. “Think I’m able to defend myself and if it’s only with magic…” Rokuta murmured when the tall girl seemed to organize their trip. It wasn’t his way to listen on the orders of anyone, not after the many years he lived on his own. “Say, what kind of animal are trolls? I’ve never heard of this.” He asked after Varessi had gone out of the tunnel, add the question: “And what’s that for a white stuff?!” the moment the stepped in the snow…for the first time in his life. As fast as a squirrel he jumped on a rock an climbed a bit upside, looking confused down to the ground. “Looks like clouds have fallen from the sky or like the salt you found on the cliffs after the Flooding...is that safe?” What he has learned was that no ground was safe enough to walk on, except the cliffs made from the ones who fall first. “And why is there no water? How could anybody live without the sea? And what kind of trees are those? Why they don’t grow in the water? Do you know what animals live here?” Many questions the small one had and he didn’t bother to say them out aloud, but it also proofed that he was from a completely different world. When the boy looked at the sky it was proofed that this place was not his homeland for there weren’t any formations he knew and he missed the moon that covered nearly a third from the night sky and shines blue, like a second sea. “And it is way too cold!”
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Post by goldenbraid on May 22, 2014 2:08:29 GMT 1
As Goldenbraid stepped out of the tunnel, she know she was far from home for the ground was blanketed in the snows of the White Cold, and it was nearly the end of the time of New Green back home, soon to be the time of the Great Heat when the daystar stayed in the sky nearly twice as long as the sister moons.
She looked about, seeing the elder Vareesi studying tracks, while Rokuta seemed to be on a rock looking about nervous and confused. “That is snow, a sort of froze water that falls when it’s very cold. It’s safe but cold on the feet.”
She walked up to where Vareesi was looking at the tracks, studying them herself. One trail showed three elves with a wolf and a…. cat? What was it with cats and wolves together? The other was of one elf, though it almost looked like a second’s footprints were there but they appeared and disappeared without indication of how, and of course another cat’s prints. The last of course she recognized as Lost-cause’s prints, the large wolf’s being easy to identify.
She was about to say something when the other wolf from the cave came running out and past, heading for who knew where?
“Going to be hard to find any decent prey if it’s the time of White Cold.” She said mostly off-hand. “Might find a few long-ear hoppers but the big prey will have moved to warmer places or be holed up till the cold goes.”
She sensed her bond’s mind reaching out, likely having caught her scent, but she told him to remain for now since neither of the other two seemed to be comfortable around him….. or other bond animals.
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Post by Vareesi on May 25, 2014 13:19:16 GMT 1
So many questions...
Vareesi stared at Rokuta when the flow of questions escaped from his lips and she blinked rapidly with her eyes to get back to her senses, watching Goldenbraid and soon after her a wolf make their way out of the tunnel. Where to begin? How could she answer something which was rather normal to her? Where ever Rokuta came from, it was very much unlike the mountains she grew up in.
She would take it one question at a time.
"Trolls aren't exactly animals," she began as she rose to a standing, letting Goldenbraid examine the marks in the snow while also explaining what snow was. A question less to answer; she didn't mind," they are like humans. They stand upright like us, a little hunched forward, big ears, big noses, lots of muscles, green skin. They live underground, mostly, mining away to find shiny trinkets."
She sent a mental image of a troll she had seen recently to both Goldenbraid ad Rokuta, a hulking creature which wore armor, had a lazy left eye and of which the visible green skin was covered in scars and warts. It wasn't a pretty sight but she figured it was better to show than to describe in words.
"There has to be water nearby," she said, softly however as if she was speaking to herself while pondering about it. She couldn't imagine a place which had no source of water, be it a lake or a river. The word 'sea' however was unknown to her but she let it slide as it was obvious that the fledgeling was from a bizarre place. Trees growing in water... ridiculous.
Vareesi looked upwards towards the sky to try and spot Aire soaring high above before she chuckled softly," it is cold because it is the season. There isn't much we can do about that, it is how it is. I do wonder how far into the season we are... It may grow colder for all we know."
She was lucky she was dressed the way she was, the cold didn't bother her as much as it must for the two others who had joined her outside.
"You may go back inside if it is too cold. I wish to look around a little more... in that direction," she said as she pointed into the opposite direction of where most of the footprints were going," Keleero said there were others and it seems they have all gone in that direction. I am not sure what is there but there is no need for us to trail the same path. We would have a bigger chance on finding any game in the opposite direction. I am, however, surprised your tribe lets you hunt so young..."
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Post by Rokuta on May 26, 2014 14:43:33 GMT 1
After Goldenbraids explanation the boy climbed down from the rock, slowly, but glad that this snow was harmless. Now interested, he examined the frozen water, but came to the conclusion that it was nothing for him. *Water should be liquid and blue or green, not white and harsh…* He spared the question what the thing under the snow exactly was, for it seemed to be the same ground like the one under the sea of his homeland, just without the sand, the corals and the seashells. Also he didn’t try to read something in the trails, for he never learned how to do this. How could he? On Vineta the longest track you could see appeared in the waves when you throw something in the water, for trees and cliffs weren’t made of stuff where you could see much trails on. When Varessi send the mental image of an ugly creature he grimaced. “Looks really like something that should hide where the sun and the moons don’t shine…but I remember stories about such creatures. The elders have told, that they came with the ones who fall first, but they extinct long ago, after the first Floodings ‘cause they couldn’t swim or so…and what are humans? Never heard of that.” It wasn’t that Rokuta wanted to upset the others with his questions, he was just curious about everything new. The imagination that it could get even colder wasn’t a pleasant one and he hoped that it wouldn’t come this far. “A season…is that the same like a Flooding? A kind of weather that comes and goes after a certain amount of days?” Like Varessi before he included an imagination of what a Flooding was, not really a picture, but the knowing that after many days the Flooding came with its raining 30 days long and the water level rising above the top of the trees so that every elf has to move to the cliffs or live on a boat if he doesn’t want to drown. “Some air that’s a bit colder than I’m used to will not hold me back from scouting. Just standing around and staring at a wall brings nothing.” The young one make clear after the offer from the taller one, even if he shivered from the cold. “We don’t have tribes where I come from…we had, once, but it only made problems so now everyone lives on his own. And I think after more than 300 Floodings living alone I’m truly old enough to hunt on myself. I could catch some birds or squirrels or anything else that lives on the trees here. And if we find water it’s easy to catch some fish with my net. For later I could set up some traps” the boy explained. Thinking of their biggest problem, finding food and water, he grabbed his bag a bit tighter. “For the case we don’t find anything, I would have some sweet water, dried fish and roots…enough for a 5 days trip for me, but barely enough to get all of us a proper meal and certainly not enough for this oversized squirrels.” In the cave he couldn’t say this, because the other ones could get wrong expectations about the situation. They needed food anyway, it was better when they started right away with hunting.
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Post by goldenbraid on May 28, 2014 2:47:41 GMT 1
The image Varessi sent of the troll fit the descriptions she’d heard of them from the tribes stories of the creatures of legend…., well an uglier variation but still about like they had been described. But the mention of humans had her ire up, the events of the few days still fresh in her mind.
“Humans are clumsy, vile evil creatures who live to kill and harm elves, and should be avoided at all costs, if not killed on sight.” She growled.
She had the images of her experiences with humans running through her head, making her hatred rise fast, but then she felt the thoughts of her bond reaching out to her, felt a raised level of aggression in him and closed her eyes as she made a great effort to rein in her anger. She slowly calmed herself, forcing the emotions to return to normal, thinking that the last thing they needed was a forest of mad and aggressive animals.
She caught some of the discussion of Rotuka’s home, thinking he was from a very strange sounding place, and could little comprehend the idea of no or little contact with a tribe, as loners most times didn’t survive long.
“Agreed, we should look in a different direction from the others to better get an idea of where things are and what this new place has to offer.” She said as Varessi indicated she was heading to explore the area not being looked at yet.
She raised an eye brow in confusion as the elder asked why they were hunting so young, noting Rotuka’s answer to it as well. “Among my tribe, when you are barely past the cub stage you are taken on collective hunts to learn…. if your skills suit such the hunt. Some do stay at the Holt and learn more peaceful skills if that is their direction. I am now over three dozen turns of the seasons past the time I was consider a full adult of the tribe and have been hunting alone as well as joining the tribe hunts for many times that many turns of the seasons.”
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Post by Vareesi on May 28, 2014 16:15:35 GMT 1
((OOC: I see you both are making the little mistake now, haha. Her name is Vareesi, not Varessi ;p ))
With nothing to add about humans, no matter that Goldenbraid laid it down a little harsh with Vareesi's own experience, the glider instead took her spear from her back to have her weapon ready for any hunting that the small group may do.
"You could say that.... a season causes the weather to change drastically and it repeats after a large amount of days and nights," she said to Rokuta while she nodded upwards towards the trees around them," during Whitecold snow falls from the skies, it becomes colder and most trees lose their leafs. It is said they slumber during the cold and will wake when it becomes warmer again, making the forest all green with their leafs once more. Though underground... you hardly notice any of it."
Vareesi took a moment to calculate when both Rokuta and Goldenbraid indulged her with their age, the numbers she wasn't able to fully comprehend too large to have them both be fledglings. But... they were the size of them. Why were they so short? With a thoughtful hum, the tall female circled around both Goldenbraid and Rokuta after he had climbed down, examining them while she rubbed her chin and pursed her lips. The snow cracked underneath her feet, even more so when she came to a stop and smirked at herself.
And here she thought she was dealing with youngsters, unable to fully fend for themselves and in need of guidance. She was glad to be proven wrong even though it was strange to have young adults be so much smaller than her.
"It will be getting used to how different we all are," she said before she brushed passed them to start making her way further into the sleeping forest," lets not stray far from the tunnel. I will fly up later to get a better view of our surroundings. If we don't find anything, I would like to take you up on your gratitude for offering your supplies with us, Rokuta. We should try and find some game, however... we will be needing more later if there are others wandering about. Even finding signs of there being any form of life in this forest is good enough."
Aire dove down the moment Vareesi began to move to disappear among the trees, lowering its altitude to keep track of its mistress as she began to search for anything edible with Goldenbraid and Rokuta.
((OOC: edited to have the right trees o.o; ))
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Post by Keleero on May 28, 2014 18:55:09 GMT 1
((OOC: Quick thing about the trees outside the mountain - they're pines and spures, so they don't have leaves. Will work to get the map updated to make this more clear!))
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Post by Rokuta on May 28, 2014 22:45:55 GMT 1
„I’m glad that we have neither trolls nor humans in my world…“ the boy murmured after Goldenbraids explanation of what a human was. Since his childhood he had lived peacefully, only killed when he needs to and internalized the storys about the problems with tribes, kings and war. In his opinion rulers were the cause of all suffering, no matter which way they lead. Like the blond haired girl he agreed with Vareesis Plan, but nodded only. Rokuta didn’t made any further tries about asking what a season was, since it seemed to be the same like a Flooding, just with other weather changes. “In the Flooding it rains…and then the sea level raises and anything that can’t swim has to go on higher places. It’s the only time where everyone came together and when the Flooding ends we have a big celebration. After that everyone spread all over the Mangrove Forest again” he said. *Think Koya will miss me on the next one…* It was understandable that the tall one needed to get used on being around smaller ones when everyone of her kind was as big as he. For the boy she was a giant, for her they seemed to be youngsters. “I’m sure we find anything. I haven’t seen any place yet where no birds live and if there are any I can catch them.” When the high one began to moved he followed her, but climbed up the first tree he reached and jumped from one branch to another. “I will go this way…I’m not used on walking on the ground.” When the young one would try to hold the pace from Vareesi he would only be a burden. This way he was fast enough and not in danger, for he knew the necessary movements by heart.
((OOC: Sorry, I’m not used on double vowels, there quite rare in my mother tongue))
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Post by goldenbraid on May 30, 2014 8:47:00 GMT 1
ooc : oops..... sorry about that.....  ic: “Then you are lucky.” She told Rokuta as he said there were no humans where he came from. “We had them around for many upon many turns of the seasons.” As Vareesi circled them, Goldenbraid wondered what was up, why she acted like they were small cubs barely free of their mothers. Then an idea accrued to her….. it was their height…. more than likely all were of the tall stature like her. As she mentioned getting use to the differences in each of them, Goldenbraid spoke out. “Yes it will. I assume you have no mixed bloods where you’re from, that all are pure bloods of around your tall size elder….. I mean Vareesi.” She fell in beside the tall elder, bringing her bow around as Rokuta climbed into the trees, apparently planning to travel that way. :: Search for prey, old friend, but do not attack. Alert me, and I will come check it, as we don’t know what is friends here. :: She sent to Lost-cause. |
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Post by Vareesi on May 30, 2014 15:11:12 GMT 1
"No birds," the Glider said sternly to Rokuta before she pointed upwards towards Aire which kept flying in circles to keep track of the group below," my clan does not feed on birds."
Another custom, one she held in high regard. It was an almost appalling thought that elves would devour their closest companions and mounts, ones which devoted themselves to be of service almost willingly. Rabbits, boars, deer and fish were the kinds she and the other Gliders would hunt for and feast upon, but never any kind of fowl. Did other elves really eat them?
A nice taste of the differences she mentioned but moments ago...
With how he spoke of floods, other kind of game must be hard to find but did it justify eating birds? She wasn't so sure but she would have to accept different traditions if she were to find a way back home, a way back to Almar and her family. To cause bad blood between her and the others so soon wouldn't end well.
"Mixed?"
Vareesi sounded genuinely confused at the word, her eyes up high as she watched Rokuta move through the pine trees she passed under. She would rather be up as well in an unknown land, but she was with two elves who could not glide, at least not from what she could tell. While she had found out these were not fledglings but adults, she still felt responsible for them.
"I am not certain what you mean with mixed, Goldenbraid," Vareesi admitted, apparently not ashamed to be honest or at a fault but also willing to learn," mixed with what, exactly? You are right though... my clan is all pure, direct descendants from the High Ones and their children. And don't worry, you may call me elder if it pleases you. My age surpasses your own so many times..."
She had to keep herself from calling Goldenbraid a fledgling.
Her high-heeled feet kept sinking away in the snow. While she was light, the snow was soft and easily gave way to her weight. At least underneath the pines, the blanket of snow was thinner and at times non-existent. At least the snow made tracks clear... it would help with the hunt.
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Post by Rokuta on May 30, 2014 21:56:02 GMT 1
„Your people doesn’t eat birds, mine doesn’t eat lizards and hers probably doesn’t eat these oversized squirrels.” He said pointing at Goldenbraid “If we take care of every single preference, we’ll starve. I respect the idiosyncrasies of your clan, but new places mean new rules too. You mustn’t eat birds if that’s against your conscience.“ was the answer from the boy to Vareesis strict words. He needn’t to be watched by the elder, for it was clear that the boy could climb as good as any squirrel, if not better. There wasn’t any necessary to fear that he would fall and he wasn’t too high up to hear the other two. “If you mean with High Ones your ancestors, my people and me are too what you call pure blooded. But our ancestors are called The Ones who fall first.” Rokuta involved in their discussion, hanging upside down from a branch. Then he suddenly let go, turn around in falling and landed without wavering on a lower branch. “I don’t see many animals in the trees…would it be ok if I climb up higher and search for some squirrels?” Since Vareesi acted like she was responsible for the small group he rather asked than getting trouble. ”I will send when there’s any trouble and if something attacks me my shielding will protect me.” he tried to avoid any objections about his offer.
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Post by goldenbraid on Jun 4, 2014 3:41:20 GMT 1
Listening to Vareesi and Rokuta discuss birds and other creatures not huntable, made her remember her first thought when seeing the elder’s companion…. that sharp-claw birds had the best feathers for arrows. And her tribe did eat birds occasionally, but it was rare for to get one meant downing one with a bow and few had the skill to hit on flying, and most were too small even for that.
“Not that I can imagine an elf hunting a wolf….. the large squirrels….. but you are right, my tribe doesn’t hunt wolves for food.” She answered back Rokuta’s comment. “Still try to honour her request in part, keep birds to yourself, and don’t kill any of the kinds like her friend….. sharp-claw birds.”
Both confirmed they were of pure-blood tribes, which she suspected of Vareesi’s but was a bit surprised to learn of Rokuta’s tribe. “We had a few pure-bloods in my tribe, and they were long of living….. the reason we called them elders most times….. but way back a few ‘high ones’ thought the only way to assure the survival of their descendants was to mix their blood with the blood of creatures already living there….. so they mix blood with an animal that had the appearance of being able to survival…. Wolves. So we share blood with the animals now…. We have a little of their blood in us and the wolves a little of ours in them….. it makes us bond with them.” She explained as best she could. “That’s what I mean by mixed blood.”
As Rokuta took off up the trees, going for his ‘squirrels’ she called after him. “Have fun then, but do let us know if you get into trouble.”
“Not many tracks.” She said looking at the snow. “Either the prey doesn’t come this close to the mountain for some reason, or this place has few creatures who don’t sleep through the White Cold.”
She had not received any sending from her bond and so assumed he too had not caught scent or sight of anything.
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Post by Rokuta on Aug 4, 2014 23:06:46 GMT 1
„Fine. No birds then.“ The young one agreed. He mustn’t hunt birds, they were hard to catch and not half as nutritious as fishes were, but if they found nothing else they would have to think about different ways. Maybe it was the same thing that Vareesi connected with those sharp-claw birds that the Mangrove Forests People connected with the little feathered lizards, which were no animal but not elf either. “On Vineta you need to be small to survive…we have not enough land to live on and anything bigger just falls from the branches. And only fish lives in the water.” Sure it was strange to live in a world full of water and not live in the water, even avoid it with fear, but that was the way of his people. A peaceful way. “Sure. Send if something happens, stay in the shield if there is a danger that can’t be beaten alone and don’t fall from the branches. I know the base rules, they are nearly everywhere the same” Not that the boy disliked the concern of the golden haired one, but he thought that he was old enough to know how to avoid trouble even in an unknown place. Quick and nimble he moved up in the trees and farther away from the others and if someone would have watched him, he could have believed that the boy had a weak ability for flying. But any ability – no matter if with magic or anything else – could let more huntable animals appear. He listened and looked out, but there was nothing to find. It was only when he looked into some tree hollows that he found some prey – squirrels, nearly the same as they were in his home, but deeply asleep. Nevertheless irritated about the mere fact that an animal slept when it was still day he decided to send after his companions. **Found something…but they are quite small and I think it won’t be worth killing them for food. And they sleep…that’s no fair hunting** He included a picture of the squirrels, for he wasn’t sure if these animals were known to them and then waited for an answer.
(OOC: Since Vareesi didn’t seem to write, I went again)
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Post by Panaetha on Aug 5, 2014 4:47:18 GMT 1
OOC: Sorry, I should have mentioned that Vareesi's player is going through some personal struggles, but we're hoping she'll be able to rejoin soon.
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