Open Chronicles Alliria

[Syvis]

She entered the tent fully as Elliot told her to 'go ahead'. Syvis was truthfully unprepared, she hadn't a clue what to say. So she kept walking toward him until she found herself in front of him. Silently she threw one leg on either side of his own and sat perched without so much of a damper in her posture. Her arms laced themselves behind his neck as her head fell exhausted onto his shoulder.

"Let me stay the night..." The blonde told him dryly.

Syvis didn't mean it in a sexual way; no. She simply craved something she didn't even know.

She sat soaking in his warmth well prepared for the shove that was likely to send her spiralling onto the floor in the most inelegant manner, such was the risk she took. Yet finally for once on this horrid journey Syvis found herself close to sleep; a real sleep.

 

[Dulthir]

Ceri ate some meat, and drank some water. Dulthir smiled. He laid back as she laid down and snuggled up to him. Ceri buried her head into his chest. It had been a very long time since Dulthir was happy. Even tho the past few days was a cluster fuck, he smiled. He was happy and couldn't wait to see where this relationship was going. Whether or not the elves stayed with them, he knew he'd never leave Ceri's side. With her next to him, for the first time in days, Dulthir relaxed, and sleep began to overtake him.
Ceridwen Syvis Elliot Aldmar

 

[Ceridwen]

She felt him settle besides her as sleep overtook him and she smiled softly. She could hear Syviv and Elliot, though she could not make out their words, just that they were speaking, or at least had exchanged a few words. She sighed softly as she shivered, not from cold but from overall exhaust on her body.

She buried her head against his chest once more, sinking her face into his beard lightly as the exhaust began to take control once more. Soothed by his breathing against her and by his beard against her skin she slipped into sleep, though it was hardly a deep sleep. Her sharp hearing was alert for intruders, the sounds of footsteps or danger.

While she would normally only sleep in this, alert state, exhaust took control of her senses and after a short time she slipped deeper into the depths of sleep and into the darkness of dreams. Her heart seemed to skip a beat as the nightmares came, but outwardly she made no movements that gave away her dreaming state.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis
Dulthir

 

[Elliot Aldmar]

Elliot watched Syvis approach. He waited without judgment to hear what she would have to say, for, in truth, he couldn't reckon upon what she had in mind.

But she did not speak. Though, in a sense, she had spoken very loudly, the preamble to what she would come to say having been expressed wordlessly through action. She sat down, legs about his, arms around his neck, head cradled upon his shoulder, and her own warmth descended upon him. He allowed for it all, again without judgment.

Let me stay the night...

Elliot reached up with a single arm and wrapped it about her body, hand to her back.

"Very well."

And like this they sat for a time, breathing, being, the free exchange of body heat between them and the small motions of each other felt, the rustling of tree branches outside the tent heard, the waning of the last light into night's early dark seen. After a time when this darkness had come and the chill of night crept into the tent, Elliot tipped back and gently guided Syvis as he held her to lay down on the bedroll. He lay on his side, facing her. And with his free hand he reached back and grabbed the open flap of the bedroll and brought it over the two of them like a blanket.

He'd no mind for his injuries now, the peace of the moment in simple, relaxing company with Syvis banishing the awareness of them.

And that was well enough.

Syvis Dulthir Ceridwen

 

[Syvis]

His reaction was unexpected to say the least, she'd very well been expecting to be kicked out of the tent yet his hand had found it's rest on her back. The world truly was full of topsy turvy surprises. The time she spent just laying there flew by yet felt like an eternity all at once. Her mind felt blissful as their body heat mingled.

He moved very slick for an injured man as he guided her body under the bedroll as if she was nothing more than a feather that needed to be readjusted. She found herself laying on her side looking at him the way he looked at her. Syvis wanted to speak, to say something, but she felt the way she acted said more then whatever words she could come up with ever could.

After some time studying his face she cuddled in closer as the night air brushed at her skin causing a chill. Her head rested on his chest as she felt her eyes fall heavy. Sleep was coming to her and fast, "don't kill me in my sleep." was all she said before exhaustion hit her like a wall.

 

[Dulthir]

"Da... where are you?" Gramir called out to Dulthir. "I'm here lad. I'm here..." replied Dulthir. "Why havena ye found me da? Where are ye?" Dulthir searched frantically. "I canna see ye lad. I'm coming..." A fog covered the ground. Dulthir continued his search. Suddenly he tripped over something, hitting the ground face first. He looked back, and it was the bodies of Valya and Bagrin. He gasped, then felt a boot kick the side of his head. He rolled and looked back at his attacker. It was Gramir. He stood over him, his sword raised. "You let them die, and, you let me die as well..." Dulthir shook his head, tears in his eyes. "No... I tried to save them, to find you. I..." Gramir screamed "LIAR!!!!" He then brought the sord downward towards Dulthir's head. Dulthir sat bolt upright in the tent.
"NO!!!!..."
Sweat drenched his body. It was only a nightmare. He sat there, breathing heavily.
Ceridwen Syvis Elliot Aldmar

 

[Ceridwen]

She was asleep, Dulthir's body close and comforting which soothed the nightmares she had slightly. But the rest was to be short lived and he wrenched himself to sitting, yelling "NO!!!!" suddenly. She startled, ripped from her own nightmares by his sudden movement and cry. Instinct tempted her urge to shift, but she avoided it just barely, holding on to her human form painfully as exhaust seeped into her senses again. He glistened with sweat and was panting. She pushed herself to her knees and touched his face gently, bringing her lips to his.

"It is ok love... you're dreaming... we are safe..." something she needed to remind herself everytime she awoke. Her emerald eyes sought his out, trying to catch them so he would see that she was there and they were ok. She was unsure what his nightmares consisted of, things much older and darker than the things that plagued her mind, but she'd led a pretty calm life until just recently. She smiled faintly as she watched him, soothing him the only way she knew how, rubbing his arm gently as she listened to him.

She also listened to the sounds around them, seeing if she caught anything that would be of concern but she heard nothing that she recognized immediately as a threat so she just kept rubbing his arm to help sooth him.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis
Dulthir

 

[Elliot Aldmar]

Elliot smiled, admiring the nonchalant humor in Syvis's comment. It was his kind of humor, wry and casual, spoken like the trading of jabs between two good sparring partners. Such was the mirth of mercenaries, and yet, even before then, he'd found his brand of humor amidst his unsatisfactory conditions in Dornoch.

Syvis had cuddled in closer, and Elliot's good arm was around her, their shared warmth in the bedroll keeping the chill of the Allirian night at bay.

"No. Not you," he said quietly, and by way of response. "That card's reserved for someone else."

And it was then that he closed his eyes. His wounds seemed to make a viable protest against sleep for a time, but fatigue, already heavy upon the lids of his eyes, settled in more deeply and guided him to rest.

* * * * *​

Dawn.

There was a light patter as Elliot woke. Rain, only a small step above a drizzle. More than likely it had rained more heavily during the night and was just now petering out. The fresh smell of it was thick in the tent, and outside he was sure that he'd find the soft gray light of a gently clouded sky.

Elliot slowly sat up. Immensely sore and aching were his wounds, all of them, from the day previous--and it made for a nasty welcome back to Arethil from the shifting dreamscape of deep rest. He would need to apply a fresh round of salves and change out the bloodied bandages for new ones. His morning meditation could come after. And then breakfast, perhaps, whilst attending to those questions he had meant to ask of Dulthir, Ceridwen, and Syvis alike.

And of Syvis, he glanced over to her. Seeing if she was yet awake.

Ceridwen Syvis Dulthir

 

[Syvis]

Syvis fell asleep with a smile on her face, from both the comfort and the cynical nature of a conversation held by two in a comforting embrace. It was moments like that, that made the two half-breeds seem like two sides of the same coin.

The night was a mix of chill from the rain battled by the body heat that radiated off of Elliot. A comforting mix in a strange way.

******

Syvis felt Elliot stir and she groaned. "Not yet." she whispered dryly. "A few more moments." her body and conscious thrummed in various states of pain and relief, both in harmony. At least in the tent there was protection from the big bad outside world for a few relaxed beats.

Her acute nose crinkled a tad. "You need to change out your bandages." she could smell the familiar tangy smell of Elliot's blood. Yet she cuddled in closer. "After I get my moments." she said petulantly, her princess complex setting into its natural position once again.

Ceridwen
Elliot Aldmar
Dulthir

(I am so sorry, I had a couple shit kickings from life but I am back! )

 

[Elliot Aldmar]

((Continuing on))


And she was awake.

The tent flapped lightly as if in agreeance when Syvis said A few more moments. That was quite alright. Even if he disregarded the stabbing protests in his arm, in his chest, on his forehead, there was still the potent bite of the chill that had come with the frigid duet of the light rain and the new dawn. It was easy enough for Elliot to reckon that he could spare those few moments.

"Fair."

So he (slowly, carefully) laid back down. Came to rest on the collected warmth of the bedroll and within Syvis's close embrace. He gave a subtle nod at the mention of his bandages, the fabric of the pillow creasing slightly anew with the motion, and he said quietly, "I do."

But they were of a similar mind--it could wait.

Elliot considered performing his morning meditation. Contrary to a popular misunderstanding, one did not need to assume any particular posture in order to meditate--though it did help. One could, with masterful focus, enter a meditative state truly at any time. He considered it. But decided against it for now.

There was value in simply being present, in appreciating the present moment. That in and of itself was a form of meditation.

And so, for those moments, Elliot laid there in the pocket of warmth that was the bedroll and Syvis's company. She had cuddled in close, and he had put an arm around her. Held her. And despite the wounds of yesterday this was their own space of comfort and serenity for a small while, the world outside the tent with its rain and its breeze and its swaying branches and rustling leaves a distant thing.

After a time, Elliot's eyes opened again (he had not slept, merely relaxed) and he asked, "Syvis, have you ever been to Dornoch?"

Syvis

 

[Syvis]

Elliot asked her if she'd ever been to Donarch, to which she slowly shook her head no. "My kind aren't welcome there.." she told him sleepily, it was a fact he knew already. High Elves and Drow were not meant to get along. She was well aware that it was her people's fault for such an occurrence but when dealing with species that lived for centuries grudges weren't often forgotten.

Syvis smirked, "My father would have my head for this you know." she told him in a joking tone before cuddling into his warmth more. She was mindful of his wounds but took care to ensure she didn't appear to be coddling him. She'd despise it if she was coddled should the situation be reversed.

"Elliot?" She started not waiting for him to answer, "Have you ever entered reverie... or the trance?" Syvis didn't know why it bothered her so much that she couldn't. Perhaps it was just a reminder of the fact that half of her DNA was defective and weak. She knew she couldn't change or alter the makeup of her genetics but gods above being a half breed disgusted her. Humans were so frail and inadequate. Syvis knew maybe her opinions were based off of the society she grew up in, half-breeds rarely made it to such positions in Elven high court but her father's position and her Teu-tel-quessir bloodline.

Elliot Aldmar

 

[Ceridwen]

Ceri startled awake once more, having fallen asleep at some point while trying to sooth Dulthir. She shivered heavily as she came too, her body temp having dropped drastically in the last few hours. When her emerald eyes opened she blinked, looking around slowly.

She was alone... she realized as she looked slowly around, shivering again. She was within the tent still... so everything hadn't been a dream, but where was Dulthir. She remembered his night terror and somewhat remembered him leaving... but she thought he'd have come back by now.

She swallowed dryly as she wrapped her wings around herself for warmth as she stood and headed to the tent flap. She could hear Syvis and Elliot, but nothing else. She stepped out of the tent but Dulthir and Karrazark (however it is spelled. Lol) were gone.

She didn't know what to do so she simply said "Syvis?" softly as she looked for prints left by Dulthir, but there were none. She turned her eyes back to Syvis and Elliot's tent before moving back to her own with another deep shudder. She wanted to cry, but she didn't, not yet, still not fully comprehending what was happening.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis

 

[Elliot Aldmar]

My kind aren't welcome there.

"Neither are mine." Though he wasn't talking about Drow.

Perhaps what Syvis then said of her father was exaggeration, or perhaps not. Regardless, there would be a measure of anger, so much was evident. Anger stemming from a violation of some principle. And this was more than Elliot could say of his own father--Ormarel would need to have principles, standards, in order for a similar anger to be inflamed. But he did not, for he was utterly deficient as a man. Elliot did not know of Syvis's own relationship with her father, he did not know of the man's character, but he at least had his own principles, whatever they may be.

Elliot?

He turned his head. Looked to her. And gave a deep, scrutinizing gaze when she asked her question.

He shook his head in small motions, the shared pillow rustling lightly. "No, I cannot say that I have. And meditation doesn't count." He had heard of these states of mind, unique to Elvenkind, yet they were so distant to him as to be unreachable. On a conceptual level he could understand it, but (in a mirror of Syvis's own thoughts) perhaps on account of his half dark elven, half human blood such an experience was simply unavailable.

"Why do you ask?"

There wasn't much time for an answer, though, as Elliot heard Ceridwen outside the tent. He lifted his head to look toward the flaps of the tent, toward that gray morning light and the patter of soft rain outside.

"Ceridwen's awake." He started to sit up. "And I should get to changing these bandages."

Syvis Ceridwen

 

[Syvis]

Syvis heard Ceri's call, a sad one. She shot up gracefully like an alert animal, careful not to harm Elliot. She looked at Elliot who was starting to sit up himself. She nodded, he really should and she needed to help her friend. Her ears twitched and strained as she listened for any dangerous noises but all she could hear were the sounds of the forest coming alive around her.

Syvis made way to leave the bed she and Elliot had shared that night and rushed out of the tent the second her feet hit the ground. "Ceri!" the elf called as she saw the woman heading back to her tent. "What's happened beautiful?"

 

[Ceridwen]

Ceri stopped as Syvis called her name. She bit the inside of her lip and looked at the elven woman, then she looked around. "Sorry for bothering you... Dulthir is gone. I.... just wanted to let you know so we... or you guys can plan accordingly. I will, figure things out." She said softly, not wanting to be their problem going forward.

She smiled weakly and stepped to Syvis, hugging her gently before pulling away and looking to her own tent, a look of determination upon her face. "I er... will pack the tent and everything up for you guys, you can have it all for your travels, I won't need it." She ducked into the tent and began cleaning up, folding blankets and the likes as she focused on getting things together, forcing herself to not think about Dulthir. She'd have plenty of time to dwell on what made him decide to leave, now was not the time.
Elliot Aldmar
Syvis