Private Tales A whole new world

[Smiling One]

Willis knew that Caliane wasn't comfortable in hiding her wings under her cloak especially when the weather in Alliria is hotter than usual. He knew of a Cove large enough for her to stretch her wings and fly around. There was even a good view of the city far away enough so merchant ships wouldn't see her take flight. "Not sure," Willis said leaning back a bit. "They rarely travel in our territories but the Easterlings are people who reside in the eastern lands of Arethril. Easternlings are said to have views similar to Elves: They try to be in tune with nature, they respect the environment."

The young man took a bite of chocolate. "The Elves know more about the Easterlings than the other races," he said. "They often trade with them with some Elves traveling to their lands to explore." Willis frowned. "I've heard there's another subspecies of Elves who reside in the Eastern lands," he said matter of factly. "But those are rumors."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane was trying to wrack her brains as to who in her peoples chronicles might be the Easterlings that Willis spoke of but she was not sure. She knew of elves to the east of the spines for sure, little pockets of different groups, but other species she wasn't sure. Shrugging her shoulders a little she make a mental note to include it in her letter home to her mother, maybe she might know who they were. By the time he had finished his story she had demolished both bars of chocolate and was happily licking the melted bits from her fingers. Maybe she would send home some chocolate too, she was pretty sure her mother would adore it as much as her.

"A very interesting story," Cali inclined her head, satisfied with her bargain so far. "Do you have another three questions?" she stretched out her long legs with a contented sigh and lay on her back, making the most of the warm roof tiles to ease the aches in her muscles.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis didn't even finish his story yet it was probably a good thing since it was about to become dark. As Caliane was about lay back, Willis tapped her shoulder. "Hey I got a place where I used to hang out as a child," he whispered. "Come on I think you'll like it."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane raised an eyebrow, resting on her elbows when he stopped her from laying down entirely. Probably wise, on their journey over the past few weeks whenever she had laid her head down she's been unconscious in seconds and would sleep deeply until Willis woke her. The drawbacks to healing broken ribs.

"Oh?" she raised a slight eyebrow and then pushed herself to her feet. "I would like to see more of your childhood playgrounds," a warm smile as she held her hand out to him to help him to his feet.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis gave her sad smile, it was less of a childhood playground more of a place where Willis hid the stuff he stole as a child and another place to hide from his mother whenever she was in her drunken rants. Offering his hand to Caliane, Willis grinned. "Come on, " he said. "It'll take a while to get there and I might have to buy a boat."

As Willis guided her to the ladder the young man stopped and turned around. "So Caliane," he said. "I think I should teach your first how climb down a ladder. It's what we groundlings use to get up and down tall buildings. There are other ways of course like the stairs but this one of the more common."

The young man held her hand. "Let me teach you how to go down," he said letting go and beginning to climb down. "Watch me closely and do the same thing."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"A boat?" That was definitely confusing. Hadn't they just got to the city? Where were they going now? Intrigued and liking surprised she decided not to question it, but did say. "Have we done everything we need to in the city first?" if it would take a while to get there she didn't want him to be late in doing the business they had come to the city to do first. As they walked to the edge of the building, Caliane spread her wings, anticipating to just drop to the floor and meet him there, but he put a hand on her shoulder which caused her to pause.

"Climb... down... a ladder....?" she repeated quietly, confused, and watched him as he put one foot on the rung, and then put down the other foot on the lower rung again, and repeated. It didn't look too hard... Swallowing she braced her hands on the top of the ladder and put both feet on the first rung. She did not like not being able to see where she was going, especially as she was going down. It was lesson 101 in flight school - always keep an eye on the ground. Glancing down all she could see were her toes, and it made her feel a little sick. Gods, was she going to be the first Avariel to get sick from being up high? Making herself move one foot she felt gingerly for the next step, slowly putting her weight onto it, and then again and again. It took a while to get to the ground and her knuckles were white from holding onto the rails - boy had she never been so glad to be on the ground.

"I... do not like ladders," Cali pronounced firmly.

 

[Smiling One]

Well Caliane didn't like ladders that much, neither did Willis to be honest. He recalled taking a Monster Hunting contract in Alliria to take care of some Bullywags who were stealing baked goods from a cook. Willis eventually tracked them down on the baker's rooftop using his chimney to go in and out. The young man tried to climb the ladder the rusted hinges tore off under his weight sending him land back first on to the stone ground. Needless to say, he did kill the beastfolk but it Willis ended with back pain for about a month.

"Neither do I," Willis said winking. "But now you know how groundlings feel."

Willis lead Caliane to a rent a boat place ran by a female Elf named Mialee. The young man hung out with her when he was a child. The boat store she ran was just a front for her criminal activities mainly drug dealing. Willis looked to her to do a run whenever he needed coin.

"Mialee!" Willis said to the black haired Elf. "Been a while! I need a boat!"

"Willis Reede!" The Elf's green eyes examined Willis and Caline. "Of course! This one is on the house for helping me that last time."

The young man blushed remembering how he fended off a Vanderhop who was prowling in her drug trade routes. He didn't Caliane to know that though. "So who's your girlfriend?" she asked.

"This is Caliane," Willis said rolling his eyes. "And no she's not my girlfriend."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"Maybe I should have let them cut me open to ease such a burden to your kind," Caliane said with a dry bit of wit, trying not to smile and keep her serious expression. Her eyes betrayed her, the dark green irises lit up with an inner playful fire. It was a good sign that she was beginning to feel more like herself, and that she felt like she could be herself. Willis was easy company to keep, he didn't pry too hard and he was a fantastic story teller.

As they meandered back through the market, Caliane was content to follow in silence and drink in the atmosphere of the city. She watched as children played with one another and a couple of sticks they were using as fake swords; she watched a woman struggle under the weight of a tray of eggs, making her way back to her stall; a proud father was showing off his newborn son to a group of friends. Such ordinary brilliant lives. If she had been with her mother, she would have remarked on how extraordinary it was that each of them would touch this world, leave a mark, and they would be none the wiser.

The winged elf came up short when they stopped - she had been too busy watching a pair of sailors with their rope lines. Considering she had never seen the ocean, seeing those who worked on its waters was fascinating. Her eyes turned to the new elf, which caused her pause. She hadn't seen one of her Ground-Cousins before. It was a bewildering sight. She looked like her people in every way except the lack of wings. Blinking twice in rapid succession Cali shook her head slightly to clear it.

"Willis is showing me around the city," she offered with a friendly smile. "I'm hope to join the Monster Hunters."

 

[Smiling One]

Willis liked the fact that Caliane was playful and witty, she didn't display those qualities much when she rescued from her captives. She usually stuck close to Willis absorbing everything he said to her like a mage casting an absorb spell. He was happy that she was at least feeling safe, when the Winged Elf encountered her kind, her green eyes glowed with fascination. "What's with your girlfriend staring at me like that?" Mairee asked.

"She's um," Willis chuckled nervously. "Haven't been outside for a while, she's been very sick."

"Oh," Mairee gave sympathetic shrug. "Well kid you're around 120 years old? You're just starting already and you're going piss it away by killing monsters half your size and receive shit pay by ungrateful clients? If that's what you want fine. That's your life doll face, you're going to take the trials?"

"She will," Willis answered. "I'll be her mentor."

Mairee nodded. "Just take care of her Willis," she said. "This Caliane girl seems to be out of her element, be sure to look out for her."

"Of course!" Willis said. "I promised to protect her from anyone who harms her."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

((OOC: Elvish = pink; Common tongue = red))

"He should be so lucky," Caliane chimed in Elvish when the other elf called her Willis' girlfriend once again. The woman snorted a laugh. Speaking in her own tongue, her voice was even more musical - every word sounded as if it were sung. The winged elf shot Willis a look when he informed the woman she had been sick. Rude. Folding her arms in front of her she listened to the whole conversation with slight bewilderment. What was wrong with helping others? Money did not matter much to her, as long as she could afford to get food then she was golden. No, correction, as long as she could now fuel her chocolate addiction, she was golden.

The comment on elements made her snort a laugh. Given her magic was centred around fire and Willis wanted her to get in a little wooden boat to head across some water.... she would definitely say she was out of her element.

"If Monster Hunting doesn't work out, I'll be sure to look you up," Cali gave the girl a quick smile before climbing into the boat behind Willis.

"I'm sick now am I?" she huffed at him as soon as he had pushed them off the dock.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis only understood a little Elven only picking up words such as: "Lucky" and "looking Mairee up." the last thing Caliane needed to do was associate herself with a person who would gladly sell her out if she found out who she really was. It was times like these that Willis wished that he had friends that weren't morally questionable but those were the people he liked to hang around with.

The young man sighed as he pushed the yew boat into the water. "Trust me," Willis said. "I don't want to say anything that'll allow her to capture you." Willis turned around and crossed his arms. "Believe me," Willis warned her. "Mairee can be friendly but she'll sell her mother if it meant giving her more coin."

Willis ate more chocolate and guided her to the boat. "Hop in," Willis said. "Trust me once I begin rowing, you'll appreciate the wind blowing through your hair."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane wished she could understand, but she didn't.

If the elf would sell her own mother, surely that made her a bad person, especially if it was only for a bit of gold. Why was Willis helping her? Shouldn't you hand criminals over to the proper authorities? Groundlings were confusing. More to add to her letter; she was sure her mother would love the friendly debate on ethics. As Willis pushed the boat out into the water, the winged elf decided to push those thoughts from her mind and focus on this surprise location

She stepped into the boat, remembering at the last minute to put her arms out to steady her instead of her wings, she then elegantly folded herself into one half of the boat. She dipped her hand straight into the water, weaving it around and admiring the ripples it caused.

"Aye, aye Captain," Cali replied very seriously to Willis' dire warning, and then in the complete opposite of anything serious, flicked a bit of water up at him with a smirk. "I promise not to go running off with your criminal friends, even if they are cute," she held a hand over her heart.

 

[Smiling One]

"At least you know," Willis chuckled looking Caliane. "That I'm the Captain now," Taking the sticks, Willis began to row away from the dock while Caliane hit him in the eye with some water. The winged Elf was teasing him eh? The young man felt his ears redden so she knew that they were criminals? Maybe Caliane was guessing, Willis tried to keep his criminal activity a secret from her but it seems that he's failing miserably.

"Well seesssh Caliane," Willis rolled his eyes while he rowed. "Mairee is married don't you know that besides we got a cute person right in front of you." Willis flashed her a smile as he continued to row.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane laughed so hard her ribs began to hurt from the effort.

"Willis, I'm older than your grandmother," Leaning back slightly she pressed her hand to her side but tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she continued to giggle. "In fact, I might even be closer to your great grandmother's age," How long did humans live again? "Besides, the distinct image I'm beginning to get from everyone we meet is that you have quite the reputation with women. I wouldn't want to be just another notch in the bedpost," her lips twitched and her eyes glinted with her teasing comment. She hoped she wasn't offending him by being so blunt, but she had seen enough romances in the ranks to know sleeping where you worked was not the wisest of ideas, especially in a field that required you to be focused at all times at the risk of bodily harm or death.

 

[Smiling One]

While Willis was happy that Caliane was laughing even though it was at his expense, part of him wondered how she picked up his reputation when it comes to pretty women. He guessed that she noticed all of the people who kept calling Caliane Willis girlfriend. The Winged Elf was very observant something that was needed for a Monster Hunter.

"Caliane," Willis said continuing to row. "Age is relative amongst us groundlings, sure you might be older than my great grandmother but by Elven standards you're around my age so yeah of course it's going to be compaitable."

The young man then grinned. "Besides," he said. "Who said I was drag you in bed? Why can't I just lay back and admire your beauty. You look so cute when your eyes glisten and when you smile."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

I guess inter-racial relationships are less curious when you mix as often as these people seem to, Caliane mused as she watched the city grow smaller the further they rowed out in the ocean. The wind was picking up now and it whipped her hair back from her face. The breeze even managed to find its way under the cloak and. though she kept it pinned down, it was a welcome balm on her hot feathers. His last sentence started a laugh out of her.

"Admire all you want Willis, but don't look so hurt when I admire people I find beautiful too," she gave him a coy smile before shaking her head. "I'm sure you would break many hearts if I were to take you to my home city," yes she could think of a few of her friends who would be interested, if nothing more so than to see how "compatible" - as Willis said - the Avariel's were with humans. Caliane herself couldn't help but wonder the implications of whether a human woman was to bear a winged child. She wasn't sure it had ever happened, had never heard of such a thing in all her reading. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top.

"So, what are these trials your friend mentioned?"

 

[Smiling One]

Willis laughed as he briefly looked behind him, the Cove was growing bigger they were getting closer. "What you do think I'm beautiful?" the young man said his eyes glistening against the Sun's rays. It was a beautiful day and the cool winds brushed off Wills' dark skin. What better way to spend it than having a teasing relationship with Calaine.

Still part of him did wonder what were the women of Avariel were like. Might as well use a question now. "So Caliane," Willis asked still rowing. "What are Avariel women like in you society?"

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane simply smiled at Willis' question to his own beauty and offered him a wink - but she said nothing out loud. Her eyebrows raised when she was presented with his next question and began to laugh. How to explain the women of her homeland?

"Mm... I would presume similar to any woman you would meet out here. Everyone is different. There is no men are better or women are better, if that is what you mean - everyone has a chance to decide where their fate goes and excel well regardless of sex. If you mean what are they like to date," Cali chuckled again. "Again, probably similar to the women you know - everyone is different. But, for many centuries the Avariel have taken their courtship very seriously - my parents generation for example were of the opinion you mated for life. My generation are a little more lax to their irritation," her lips twitched. She had had this conversation with her parents many a time; they just couldn't fathom why the youngsters would want to lie with multiple people. "Women lay with women or with men, and vice versa," she shrugged her shoulders, her race had been in isolation for millennia of course the boundaries a lot of groundlings kept had disappeared. "No Avariel has ever mated with someone who is not a Avariel though - not even with the sky elves. It's just... not done. It is hard to put into words but, to allow someone to touch your wings is... very intimate. Only another Avariel can really understand that depth of trust and love to allow for another to do that."

 

[Smiling One]

Willis smirked when Caliane winked at him "ah you trying to play your cards close to your chest then," he chuckled. "It's all right I like it when a woman is a tease." Might as well be open for his flirtations with pretty women. Caliane quickly figured that out, hopefully she wouldn't know his past about being a Pirate and a smuggler. However given how observant Caliane is, it will be a matter of time.

"Well basically the same thing as us groundlings," Willis said as they approached the shore line for the Cove. "But of course given how you guys are reclusive well..... you won't be too out of place since while there are plenty of inter racial mixes over the years many races prefer to mate with their own."

The young man raised an eyebrow when Caliane said the most intimate thing an Avariel can do is to touch their wings. Willis still has the feather in his bag and the item felt soft and smooth in his fingers similar to a regular bird. "I see," Willis said as they touched shore. "Well we're here," Willis smiled allowing Caliane to exit the boat first.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"It's good to know in at least one thing, my people may not get such a shock to the system," Caliane's lips twitched up into a faraway smile. She was thinking about what it would be like for the Avariel's to reopen their doors to the world. In the histories she had read, there had once been markets like those here where foreigners were allowed to set up and sell their wares on certain days of the year. Perhaps, there had been inter racial couples back then but they had been erased from the books. Another thing to write to mother about, she thought absentmindedly.

The winged elf looked up when Willis announced they had arrived and she carefully stood up in the boat. It rocked a little, but even if she didn't have sea legs the fact she was so light meant the boat wasn't shaking a worrying amount. Whilst she had enjoyed the boat ride, she had to admit she preferred her feet on the ground more. It was incredibly hard to swim with sodden wings which suddenly weighed almost triple what they did dry.

"And where is here exactly?" she tried to make it sound casual, but it didn't look like too much from where they were currently. She joked: "is this is a very elaborate plan to murder me in an isolated spot?"

 

[Smiling One]

The cove was a place Willis discovered by accident as a child when he was being chased by drunk mercenaries whom he stole some loafs of bread from. He remembered it being a rainy day in Alliria, the sounds of thunder and lightning rumbled inside the dark clouds. The pitter patter of raindrops colliding with the wet wooden floor as the boy ran to the edge of the docks. He turned around to see three mercenaries: All human armed with an assortment of clubs and swords.

"Give up the food kid!" His past self remembered one of the men said. "And we might only chop off your fingers!"

A flash of thunder followed by the crackle of lighting shook the boy as he fell off the docks was whisked away by the ocean. He thought he was dead and was certain to be transported to Davy Jones' Locker, instead he ended up stranded in the Cove in which Willis used as an occasional hiding place. Only a few people know of it, Achates and Kikwi for starters and now Caliane.

"Sweetheart," Willis said. "If I wanted to kill you than I pick place less dismal than an island." The young man then stripped Caliane of her cloak revealing her wings.

"All right!" The young man chuckled sitting on a boulder. "I put you in this place so you can stretch your wings and fly around! Without the worry of people gawking at you or trying to shoot you down."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane was about to give some smart-ass remark when he took the cloak off of her. She paused, like an animal that had been let out of a trap: was this a test? Was she just going to have to put it back on again if she failed this test? The other elf had mentioned trials... but she hadn't signed any papers as of yet. She held Willis' gaze for a long drawn out minute, trying to figure out if there was an ulterior motive to this new found freedom, but when he gave her a reassuring smile, she couldn't help the one that spread across her face in answer.

Carefully she stretched her wings, mindful of the still tender wounds in her back and then stretched out her shoulders. It was always important to stretch properly, especially when recovering from an injury, before flying. It would be like someone running on a mended leg days after they had had it removed from a cast. She didn't want to do more damage. Satisfied her muscles were sufficiently warmed up she gave Willis a wicked smile and shot into the air with a powerful beat of her wings. The movement sent sand spiralling up with her into the air and she let out a whoop!

She was a speck in the sky amongst the clouds in seconds, and then she was hurtling back down with speed. It looked like she was going to hit the shallow water but at the last moment she snapped her large wings open and skimmed its surface instead. Lazily she twisted so she was on her back and pushed up in the same moment, shooting off to a higher altitude. Levelling out she angled her wings and began exploring the small cove, weaving in and out of the nooks and crannies in the rock face with a surprising agility considering the sheer size of her wings. For anyone who was watching for longer than a few minutes would begin to notice there was a pattern to her flight - movements repeated in cycles or a series of the same move for longer periods of time, and then all of them together one after the other. It was clearly an exercise routine but it looked like a dance.

She was gone for a good half an hour before she finally touched back down in front of Willis breathless, but she came bearing fruit - quite literally. She carried in her arms several sweet plums she had plucked from a tree clinging precariously to one of the small rocky outcrops.

"I am unfit," Cali admitted, pained by such an idea. She would have once been able to do the simple exercises she had been doing for hours. She held out a plum to him before biting in to one herself. "Thank you, for bringing me here. It must be special to you."

 

[Smiling One]

Willis underestimated how fast Caliane flew when she spread her massive wings and sprung high in the air leaving a large dust of sand splashing on his face. The young man felt grains of sand entering his mouth and eyes simultaneously and began to cough frequently scratching his eyes in order to adjust his vision. Caliane was already high up in the air in less than a few seconds! "Fucking Incredible," Willis muttered doing his best to maintain his gaze on the Winged Elf.

The way she flew in the sky was a sight to behold, Willis adjusted his position on the boulder wondering what it was like to fly high in the air. Willis was friends with many people who have different abilities except for him..... he was so ordinary even by human standards. What he would give to have a special ability it would help him in Monster Hunting at least.

Caliane will be an excellent Monster Hunter with those abilities, she can easily convince the Grandmasters. Willis though felt happy for Calaine, she was so desperate to fly and he wanted her to get an opportunity to do so before they take on the contract. Willis was eating some chocolate by the time Caliane descended from the sky. "About time you showed up," he grinned. "I was worried that you would've flown close to the sun."

Taking the fruit Willis sank his teeth into the Plum. "Think nothing of it," he said between bites. "What's it like though, flying? for an Averial?"

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"I don't think I could ever get that high," Cali said wistfully, gazing up at the sun. She liked to push herself and with her abilities with fire it meant she could keep herself warm enough to get higher than most others in her race, but the altitude made her wings heavy. She would need to get fitter to be able to touch the stars. She was a little out of breath and her shoulders rose and fell with her breaths. Her wings hummed with that after exercise glow that felt so good but you knew would be a little sore in the morning. Cali finished off three plums quickly and then took it a bit slower with the fourth as she pondered the question.

"Like you're... home," she struggled with the words before settling on that. "The closest thing I have ever read to it is the waterbreathers - the Kivren? - how they feel a pull back to the ocean. It's like that for Avariel's, except we obviously won't dry up and die if we don't. I haven't really understood it much as in our city there are limited walkways per say, you fly most of the time, not until I was bound for three months and now having to wait for the injuries to heal..." she sounded frustrated, she looked it too. Those monsters had taken something incredibly precious and small away from her; something she had taken for granted but now craved almost as much as chocolate.

Cali eyed him up. "Wanna have a go?"

 

[Smiling One]

"Home...." Willis repeated when Caliane described what it was like to fly. While Willis acknowledged that he was from Alliria, it was never home to him. There was just too many bad memories regarding his mother and his life before meeting Captain Davis. In many ways, Willis was a Vagabond a traveler without a home drifting from place to place and never committing to stay.

A lot of it had to do with Wills' lust for adventure it was the only the thing that surpassed his lust for pretty girls. It was why he took on dangerous jobs such as mercenary and Monster Hunting work it gave him a sense of excitement and the opportunity to see new areas. When Willis was killing things and traveling that was when he felt most alive. Was it in a way home the same way that Caliane puts it?

"What do you mean?" Willis asked adjusting himself on the boulder. "That you want to lift me up and fly? You think you can hold me for that long?"

Caliane was stronger than she looks but Willis didn't think she was that strong. Still there was a giddiness inside of Willis that wanted to fly high in the sky. He read books about Dwarves achieving flight and how wonderful it was to see new lands from below. Willis even dreamt that he was an Hawk flying above the people soaring and free.

"I guess," Willis shrugged wondering how she would lift him up.