Fate - First Reply Dangerous roads

[Aerdeth]

The Eastern edge of Vel Anir's territory had always been a dangerous place as it collided with the Falwood. Monsters often came from the woods making it hard life for the Anrian Frontiers people, but not all monsters that came from the woods had fangs and claws, some stood on two legs and came in the shape of man with pointed ears. Bandits, rogues, marauders they had many names and prayed on those who strayed too close to the woods.

At the edge lies a solitary forest, a replacement for the once prosperous Falwood. It was now a source of lumber and game for the local humans, with a road cutting through. In the forest, across the road, laid a recently fallen tree. sat a top of it was a figure draped in red, the cloak covering his head, body and features leaving no hint to who he was as his hand slipped through to slit in the cloak playing a lute as he waited for company to arrive.

 

[Maveriel Valthoras]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Monsters. Even amid the cradleland of the elves, monsters were most certainly no mere fables. In the vast verdant forest of Falwood, for all its exquisite charm, its beautiful beasts, there were fell beasts aplenty ready to do harm. This was a certainty that she had experienced since childhood while in the wood. Truly, life beyond the elven sylvan, across the fringes of the forest, was not much different.

Whether a girl or a woman, the world was adversarial. Dangerous. Maveriel Valthoras knew this.

However, no matter what monsters she might encounter, Mave had taken it upon herself to wander where she wanted, when she willed it. Today was no different.

Garbed in traveler gear, with grey cloak and bow on back beside quiver, hood lowered, her curved sword in scabbard at hip, she walked along the road. Ever aware of her surroundings, though one may not notice this about her. Yet it was a natural trait of her race. Mave had the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox.

She had heard it before she had seen him. As pristine as the serene singing of birds were, their chorus as bright as sunlight in a forest, beasts could not play this instrument. The lute. It was a tune that Mave moved toward, finally finding the figure on the fallen tree. Another elf.

“You play well,” the female elf spoke simply. No smile graced Mave’s countenance as she paused her walk a measured distance away. Not taking her ears off of her surroundings, armed and armored for battle, the red-headed woman lifted her hand and bit into an apple.

Aerdeth

 

[Aerdeth]

Aerdeth's eyes had been closed as he calloused hands picked at the strings of his lute even though his ears were filled with music, he could still hear the approaching of footsteps. One person, light footsteps, hunter? His mind asked before the voice of stranger rang out. a familiar accent, not anrian, one of his homeland, a wood elf, she's awfully far from home. Raising his gaze, he thanked her, his eyes meeting hers. As his headscarf partially unveiled his scarred face, it painted a picture of resilience and mystery.

Taking her in the first thing he noticed about her was her age. He was considered still young by elf standards, but she had to be less than a hundred, still considered a child by most of their kind. "Your accent, southern Falwoods, am I right? Your awfully far from home, girl." There was an indifference in his voice which clashed with the curiosity in his choice of words.

Maveriel Valthoras

 

[Maveriel Valthoras]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

Taking him in, the first thing she noticed was the scarf around his head that further covered his right eye. She didn’t stand far enough away to not notice that mark on his face. A scar that ran to the corner of his lips. She could only imagine what did it but she didn’t. It wasn’t her business. His left eye looked fine. Forest green, even jade; an emerald that stood out all the more amid his marred visage.

Whatever the first thing he noticed about her it was most likely her own countenance of which truth of age could be betrayed in its youth. While elves mostly looked forever young, perhaps it took their own kind to recognize the lines in order to determine thirty from three hundred, three hundred from three thousand, but Mave may look just that young anyway.

She had ivory skin, smooth as pearl, full lips with an upper lip like a bow, though in the midst of fiery red hair and amber eyes that might appear like fire in the right light. When she was angered, oh how they burned.

Currently, she was at ease and in peace like the music the man had been playing with his lute. He paused to speak as another song emerged between two persons in conversation. Girl. The expression was taken neither as a compliment nor as offense.

“Aye. Falwood.” She folded her arms, resting her apple on one. “I take it you’re from the same place. So maybe that’s two elves far from home, hey?” Her tone wasn’t so indifferent, given more casually, a bit playful but bereft of grin. “Name’s Mave. That seat taken?”

They could exchange names but she wouldn’t wait. Ultimately it was a free tree, fallen though it was, and looked good enough to sit and eat, if not also listen to him play.

Aerdeth

 

[Aerdeth]

Aerdeth emitted a sharp, amused snort at the mention of him being far from home, he hadn't had a home in a long time. His life didn't allow for one, not that he wanted one at least not until his goal was done.

"From the Northern falwoods and go ahead it's free," he replied as began to play another song, purposely not introducing himself yet "So what brings you to Vel Anir? This land is not known for its hospitality to our people." Anrians had long held views against elves, any in their Territory were treaty harshly by lord and commoner a like, though it was supposedly changing but hearts and minds aren't so easily changed, especially humans.

 

[Maveriel Valthoras]

Spoiler: Music IC

Two elves from Falwood. North. South. Whatever. Didn’t really matter to her. Mave gave her name. He didn't. Not yet, anyway. That may change within the moments.

For now, however, she sat on the tree as she intended, whatever his offer. She bit into her fruit. Listened to his lute. Didn’t look at him. Just listened. It was sweet music. As serene as the trees in their shared presence. He speaks. She chews and thinks.

Vel Anir. Falwood. How do I get from here to there? What is it that truly moves you quite like this music, Maveriel Valthoras?

“Well, I go here, I go there, I go wherever I please whatever the danger.” An honest answer, not given so smugly, however, despite her confidence in herself. “These roads are quiet enough at the moment and my cloak has a hood that covers my head.” She gave him a grin, whatever his own reservations on present environment. Though he would surely notice that her hood was lowered.

“I’m an explorer. A voyager. I wander.” She shrugged. “Though others would just refer to me as a vagabond, maybe. I love my home. Ever since I was a little girl. And although I have no love for the evil things in this world, I want to explore it.”

Mave’s gaze ventured from the man’s face to his fingers as he played away. “To hear its music in wide variety. Basically. If vaguely.” She admitted and swallowed another morsel of her apple. “And you?”

Aerdeth

 

[Aerdeth]

He sat and attentively listened to her explanation. To him, she appeared naive, but before embarking on his present path, he too might have sought to explore the world, driven by the wanderlust typical of youth and inexperience. Her use of 'evil things' caught his attention; what did she know of evil, he wondered.

"My story, my goal is tied to these people, to this land and I won't leave until it is realised." he stated, his words shrouded in ambiguity. It was almost certain that if he revealed his true reasons for being here, she would, at the very least, view him with disdain, much like the others from Falwoods have.

"And what do you consider evil? as evil is matter of prospective. I doubt the wolf considers himself evil but if you were to ask sheep it would be a different story." he had done many acts many would consider evil, but they are all a role, playing a part to hide a shrewder and more tactical reasoning.

Maveriel Valthoras

 

[Maveriel Valthoras]

Whether this man was lying about his desire to realize his story in these lands, or there was more to said story, it sounded simple and honest enough to Maveriel Valthoras. In a way, she hadn’t left her own lands, not really. She could go back and stay any day. She visited. Her home ventured with her; it being where the heart it was no cliche. She certainly didn’t spend every night in a different bed or under a different log anyway.

Holding back a snort, either from his words or the apple in her mouth, it was unfortunate how so many used the trite line about the wolf not being evil, with or without the sheep. To Mave it was as good as saying the rock that falls on someone’s head isn’t evil. That was too obvious to even mention it. The thrown stone wasn’t wicked. Potentially the person who throws the stone though.

“Let’s see…” Though Mave didn’t exactly need to think. “I’ve seen a woman get punched in the face for not wanting to dance with a patron and his gang. I’ve seen an abandoned babe in the rain whose parents, while not going hungry, admitted to simply not wanting it. I’ve seen and heard murder, torture, rape and other tragedies for no good reasons I can think of so…while not a topic that needs a debate…those seem like evil things to me anyway.”

And she wasn’t even being argumentative. Sometimes ‘good’ and ‘evil’ were, to the inexperienced Mave, things that simply didn’t need much perspective. There were cruel deeds made due to poverty, to mental instability, to misunderstandings, to improper anger, or for the conscious enjoyment of it, but the things themselves were no less evil.

Aerdeth