Private Tales Rest your weary head

[Caliane Ruinë]

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To outsiders The Spine was a realm of nightmares: monsters from the stories parents told their children to make them behave, thieves and looters used the unkempt pathways to ambush unsuspecting travellers, varying climates and dangerous terrain that even the most athletic people might find challenging. It was what kept the people who called it home safe in a way, and there were many who called it home because it was not a place outsiders went. But even those who called it home did not know every inch and cranny of The Spines: whole civilisations could live side by side in peaceful bliss for the simple reason they did not know one another were there. The people in The Spine valued their privacy.

For a few travellers the promise of running into these illusive species compelled them to take the risks and explore the extensive mountain range and the forests that surrounded it in the hopes of uncovering a myth, a legend.

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This was one of Caliane's favourite places in The Spine. The curious rocks looked like giant frogs and from their mouths spouted a water so clear and pure it looked like crushed diamonds. Despite her numerous explorations of the rocks and waterfalls she had never been able to find the source of the water itself - no river connected to this part of the forest, it simply appeared from the surrounding rocks. She had discovered it with the fellow Hunters in her unit beyond the boundaries the Avariel considered their territory. It had seemed unclaimed, though on her many visits since she had seen all manner of species take a dip in the pools. It seemed the water had special healing qualities; an hours soak and muscles would be rejuvenated, small wounds healed. She had once seen a curious nymph dip one of her brethren into the pool and it had healed a broken bone.

It had become a curious neutral zone for all The Spine's inhabitants.

Caliane sighed as she eased herself into one of the pools. Today it was relatively quiet: only a few deer grazed on the banks nearby and she had seen two water sprites disappear to share a moment alone together behind the curtains of one of the waterfalls. It felt good to be in a place where she did not need to hide who or what she was like she did in Alliria. She was still uncertain on how the people would react to her there; Willis had been right, since her races disappearance many rumours had begun about them. Some were outrageous in the good sense, comparing them to celestial creatures of great beauty and kindness and others cast them in the same light as demons who carried souls off to the underworld to feast upon them. One day, perhaps, she would feel comfortable enough to be herself amongst the Groundlings but that was not just yet. It didn't help she knew that out there was the group who had plotted her kidnapping and experimentation in the first place - if they caught wind of her wandering around Alliria they might try their hands at binding her again and she knew next time she would rather die. She was no bird to be kept in a gilded cage.

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and banished such thoughts, luxuriating in the healing touch of the water instead. From here she was only a short journey away from her home and she wasn't due there until this evening. Plenty of time to enjoy a moment to herself after weeks of hunting monsters.

 

[Adius Alvawyn]

Adius wiped his brow with a handkerchief, sweating as he walked. He was heading to a waterfall he'd been too a dozen times. Always helped his muscles after the long walks he made one the carriages wouldn't take him any further. He wore his usual grey robes, a walking stick in his hand and a large leather satchel on his back. He was heading for a building he knew existed deep in the Spine, a small cabin he spent the night in during his travels in the Spine.

As he reached the waterfall, he saw what appeared to be a woman resting within it. No trace of her wings were visible as they were under the water, and Adius approached cautiously. A normal woman in the dead of the Spine meant one of three things. She was either a witch, using magic to do evil, a celestial being, as rare as that was, or the whore of a member of a band of raiders. The former was usually the best bet, as he could easily avoid her if she was a witch.

Regardless of who she was, he spoke, loudly and clearly. "Excuse me. I'm just wishing to not startle you. I plan on relaxing in the water. I hope you do not mind." He knew it was neutral land, hopefully this woman respected that. He was here for the mountains of the Spine, looking for dragons. He was a scholar, certainly not one meant to fight, and so if she chose to fight him he'd have a few limited tricks up his sleeve, but that was about it.

He awaited her reply, not wanting to get comfortable before she showed signs of friendliness.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

The quietness of the forest soothed her very soul. Caliane enjoy the cities but they were making her visits home to these quieter places a lot more valued. Her eyes drifted shut as she listened to the songs of the birds overhead, the bubble of the water, the methodical lapping of the pool against the rocks...

The winged elf had all but dozed off when she heard a man's voice. Her eyebrows pulled together into a slight frown that crinkled her nose and very slowly she opened one eye. Gazing at the figure she seemed to only get more confused for he didn't look like any of the creatures she knew who regularly harboured these bits of the Spine. At least he had been polite to ask whether she minded if he bathed in the pools, though again none of the creatures she had come across who had used the pool would bother with such niceties. They would strip off and get right in. Which meant...

Opening her other eye Caliane sat up a little bit. The movement would have caused her red hair to shift slightly and reveal her pointed ears, at least marking her as non-human. But he most definitely was. At least... Cali squinted a little, running her eyes over the structure of his bones with an intense focus. It was hard to catch his scent this far away with no wind to bring it to her. Perhaps, there was a little other about him but the majority screamed human to her.

"As long as you intend to keep to the rules of peace here..." It was a veiled warning and even though she sunk a little back into the water it was clear she wasn't going to doze off again anytime soon.

 

[Adius Alvawyn]

Adius nods as he drops his stick and satchel on the ground by the water. He slowly begins to remove his robe, revealing a pair of undergarments underneath. He removes those as well before sliding into the water. She was a non-human. Perhaps an elf with extreme magical capabilities. He felt his muscles almost immediately relax as he sat down, resting against the rocks. He cupped some water with his hands, pouring it over his head and giving his hair and beard a few half-hearted scrubs.

He relaxes for a moment, eyes shut and head back. He clears his throat and speaks. "So what is a seemingly normal elf girl doing in this part of the Spine? Exploring or hiding? Or are you not a normal elf?" He asks her.

He cups some more waters, stroking his beard with it. His eyes were shut and he seemed to be in a deeply relaxed state. He could feel his body de-stressing and knew the sanctity of the waterfall was respected. There was no reason to feel a threat while he was inside of it.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"I guess it depends what you class as a normal elf," the amusement made her melodic voice even more sing song than usual. Many elves called The Spine home she was sure, tiny pockets all over the place, but it was largely understood by most creatures who lived in it the "normal" types of elves were the Avariels and the Sky Elves. Races which preferred to keep themselves away from the rest of the world for their own safety. Of course, outsiders would not know such things as even though they called it their home, both races very rarely set foot on the ground preferring the freedom and sanctity of the skies themselves.

"You know, it could be considered rude to ask such questions without even introducing yourself first of all," Cali raised an eyebrow. She was watching him with interest but her emerald eyes held no malice. It was curiosity which burned in them at this moment in time. Humans did not stray this far into The Spines unless they were lost and had been forced to do so. So what we he doing here? Close to her home too, like the other humans had been but, she spied no traps amongst his person. He seemed to understand this place and the peace that existed so maybe he was not a human but something else. Judging by the beard perhaps a rare tall dwarf. She tried to hide a smile at the thought.