Private Tales The Lost Princess and The Exiled Prince

[Arun]

Arun blinked. "What do you mean?"

There was genuine confusion in the elf's words.

"They're adorable." A human likely would have put some emphasis on the last word, but Arun might as well have been sarcastic with how he spoke. His hands came up to gently touch Maeve, not pushing her of course but urging her to take a step forward towards the clearing.

"I can assure you." He said as he moved forward with her. "They are far more afraid of you than you are of them."

Actually that was almost guaranteed not to be true.

Just as Arun stepped forward into the clearing with Maeve in tow one of the Elks looked up. A strange noise echoed from it's throat, and slowly the others within the field began to peer towards the two intruders as well. None of them moved, but they stared with curiosity.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve didn't know a lot of words to describe things in the Common but she was pretty sure adorable was not the one she would use in relation to the elk. For a start, they stunk. It was far from the comforting smell of horses and sweat she was used to and she found her nose wrinkling as Arun walked her forward step by reluctant step. Secondly, they were huge. Far bigger than any horse she had ever seen. She thought she would have to climb up one like a tree in order to reach its back.

When one of the things made a noise it was only Arun's firm grip that stopped her from pelting it back the way they had come.

"More afraid? They could squash my face with one hoof!" they were bigger than saucepans. She had been kicked nastily by a horse once and it had broken her collarbone. She could only dream about what their kick would do.

 

[Arun]

"Yes but..." He said with a slight frown, glancing at the Elk who were not at all perturbed by the approaching intruders. "Imagine how much ground we'll cover."

The great Forest beasts did not at all seem to care about what was going on, and most of them even returned to the grass that they had been previously grazing on. Great antlers swung low, and Arun pulled Maeve to a stop just a few feet away from one of the beasts.

It made loud munching noises as it consumed a swath of vegetation. "See?"

Arun told the human.

"You might as well not even be here." He motioned to the Elk. "Nothing to worry about at all."

For a few seconds he just waited, as if making a point about how docile the beasts were.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve stared at the thing as if it might decide to eat her at any moment but as the seconds then minutes ticked by she began to relax. Fear gave way to curiosity and she slowly stepped away from Arun to approach the great beast with her hand outstretched.

Slowly it raised its head, grass hanging from its great mouth as it watched her with the lazy interest of a predator that knew it could kill her at any moment but was choosing not to. There was a spark of interest in her hand she noticed from her own horse when she was curious about whether or not Mae had a treat for her. She held still whilst it reached out and snuffled her hand, biting her lip to keep her courage.

When it didn't eat her she slowly ran her hand up its face and scratched behind one giant ear. It gave a heavy sigh and melted into her touch.

 

[Arun]

"See?" The Elf said proudly.

Briefly Arun couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different for him had he been not from Saen but somewhere else in the Falwood. The bond with his eagle had always been strong, and in a way it had pointed him towards the war.

Would it have been different with one of these beasts?

The idea seemed silly, but he couldn't help but think about it. Taking a slow step forward Arun moved around the beast for a moment so that he was opposite Mae.

"Now." He told Mae softly. "What's the next step?"

Arun asked as if she should know.

 

[Maeve]

To not get killed?

Maeve swallowed as she watched the elk and the way he reacted to where her hands where. He definitely had a favourite spot he wanted her to scratch and when she swayed from it he moved his head and those sharp antlers towards her as if he hoped to nudge her in the right direction.

"Well..." Mae said hesitantly, like she was trying to answer a teacher. "Back home the next step is trying to get on the horses back," that was usually the beginning of the battle of wills and proving oneself. Horses of the Plains would not accept a bad rider and they liked to test them.

 

[Arun]

"Close." Arun said, trying not to admonish her. He was trying to teach her how it worked here, how one had to move and do things.

The Falwood was a different place, and the Elk's were not horses. Maeve would not break one of these great beasts, not in a contest of wills. Here it was about something vastly different, something that most would have called impossible.

At least most humans. "You have to ask."

The elf said simply.

"A simple question." Arun reached out and gently patted the Elk's side, his touch soft. The beast did not move, save for a flicker of it's eyes towards him for a brief moment. "Yes or no."

 

[Maeve]

Maeve looked from Arun to the Elk and then back to Arun.

"Just ask?" the great animal blinked at her then nudged at her hand once more because she had stopped her scratching. She resumed and thought about what he had just said carefully. It didn't seem like a trick, but was it magic? He had said the Elks didn't talk but understood things, and it had sounded similar to horses so maybe she should look out for something like that.

"Can I ride you?" she asked slowly of the great beast whose eyes were half closed.

 

[Arun]

There was a pause as Arun removed his hand from the great beast, taking a small step back away from it as he looked towards Maeve.

He nodded his head at her first question, glancing at some of the other Elk. They were all staring now, watching quietly. A few of them were still chewing, and in the silence of the glade The elf could actually hear them chew.

A few more seconds passed, and then the Elk's head seemed to lower in front of Maeve.

She would notice the massive beast dip slightly, it's entire form seemed to shift slightly lower to the ground. Maeve would still have a difficult time to get on the thing, but the answer was clear.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve watched, emerald eyes opening wider and wider until the elk looked towards her expectantly. It took effort to make her limbs move and shake off the hesitation and shock that rippled through her body but eventually she did manage it.

The horses of the plains were short things, stocky and built to last for hours across long distances. The elk was the complete opposite and even if she had had her full mobility she doubted she would be able to vault onto its back with the same skill she had been able to do with her horse. Mae took a fistful of the tangled fur as far up its body as she could reach and with a few small bounces she then heaved herself up. It took a tiny bit of scrambling but she managed to get seated on his back with as much of her pride in tact as possible.

When the animal stood up she squeaked and gripped at the fur once more to hold on, shifting her position on his back.

"That is a long way to fall..." she looked down at the ground and paled.

 

[Arun]

This was the first time Arun had to actually looked up to be able to see Maeve's face. There was something highly amusing to that for him, and he couldn't help but smirk slightly as he watched her seated atop the Elk.

"I have a suggestion for that." The Elf began. "Don't fall."

Good advice really.

Before Mae could argue or sass him back though, Arun simply smiled and then leaned in towards the Elk. His lips whispered something, a quiet few words, and then suddenly the massive beast tensed...and then jolted forward.

Without warning of regard the Elk began to rush forward, making it's way towards the edge of the clearing before sharply turning and rounding on just the edge of the trees.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve would have liked to have said she was the epitome of calm, collected, and a real credit to her people for her first ride on an elk at speed. She would have perhaps even settled for mild fear. What actually happened was a full shriek as the beast lunged forward at a speed that surprised her for a creature of its size. It felt far quicker than her horse though that could have just been because of its size and the greater fear of falling.

Don't fall.

Arun's advice echoed in her ears like a taunting song and she managed to grit her teeth and dig her hands into the creatures fur to lodge herself in place just as it went round the bed as a break neck speed. There was a moment she thought she was going to come off but then they rightened and plunged onwards.

"HOW DO I STOP IT?!" Mae screamed back over her shoulder as she flattened herself to its back and just tried to avoid the branches coming for her face.

 

[Arun]

Arun considered the question for a moment.

There wasn't really much for him to say. When it came to the Eagles it was...well it wasn't really so much as you stopping it as the mount deciding that it was time to stop themselves. They were not pets, and it was much the same for the elk.

"Ask!" He called out.

She would probably think it was stupid, and hell she might not even believe him, but this was a sort of...trial by fire. She needed to know how to ride the Elk if things came to a head, and Arun wanted to ensure that she could do it from the start.

Only then did it occur to him that she might be rather upset about this.

 

[Maeve]

"PLEEEEEEASE S-STOP!" Maeve squeaked as another branch nearly took her head off. The elk came to an abrupt stop and it took every muscle in her body to keep herself seated on the animals back. Even still it jarred every bone in her body and made her bite down on the inside of her cheek so harshly she ended up tasting blood. Only when she was sure that her mount wasn't about to go bolting off again did she sit back up right and rub at the small scratches on her face from the branches she hadn't been able to avoid.

"Thank you," she said after a moment and then scratched behind the Elks ears. "Let's go back to Arun," the massive beast gave a low moaning noise then turned and lumbered back at a 'trot' to her friend.

"I swear to god... if you do that again..." she glared at him when they came to a halt in front of him.

 

[Arun]

The Elf flashed her a brief smile. "But you did learn."

Arun thought she had done a surprisingly good job. He'd had faith in her from the start, but the fact that she'd made it back was rather encouraging. A wide smile touched his face, as she trotted back towards him, his hand coming up to pat the Elk's neck.

"I think this will be fruitful." He said looking up at her. "Now you just need to ask him to accompany you."

Arun knew that the Elk would likely agree.

The creatures were intelligent, and The Elf knew that once they'd accepted someone they tended to stick with them. At least from the stories he'd heard.

 

[Maeve]

"You remember when I told you... days ago how we humans like to use our words to teach instead of randomly sending someone into peril?" Maeve muttered darkly. She was still not best pleased with how he had gone about trying to teach her to control the animal - no, not control, the complete opposite. Still, the more she sat on his back the more she grew confident and comfortable with its movements.

"Would you like to come with us?" she leaned down to try and look the animal in the eye as she asked her question so he couldn't mistake who exactly she was asking. Her hand smoothed down his fur and for a moment he seemed to consider it before giving a docile grunt and lumbering off in the direction they had originally entered the clearing from.

"I think that's a yes!?" She glanced back to Arun.

 

[Arun]

It seemed so indeed. Giving a pleased smile Arun looked around the clearing for a brief moment. The other Elk seemed to be watching their compatriot for a moment, and then they simply returned to their mid-day meals.

All of them knew that he would be well taken care of, all of them knew that he would eventually return. If he did not...his fate would be that of the ancestors.

There was a patience there, a knowledge. Arun couldn't help but smile, frowning for only a brief second as he noticed one of the Elk staring at him for a bit longer than the others. There was an odd green tinge to it's eyes, the way it seemed to peer at him more intently than any animal would.

"Sy-" His head shook.

No, that was silly.

Without a moment more of hesitation Arun darted up behind Maeve and her new Elk companion.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve hadn't noticed Arun's hesitation in catching up, she was too busy awkwardly talking to the Elk who had agreed to be a part of their little adventure.

"- So that's where I came from and why we're going on an adventure to find iron," she was finishing just as Arun appeared at her side. The elk gave a series of odd noises she was beginning to work out had different meanings, though what exactly those meanings were yet she still wasn't entirely sure. When Arun did appear she threw him a smile and leaned down to once more pet the elk who had so kindly agreed to come with them.

"I have to admit I'm glad for the ride, I'm not sure I would have made it back," Mae's face was bright but there was a tightness to her expression which suggested she was in pain.

 

[Arun]

Arun decided not to let the sight of the Elk bother him. The question was there, but he would not be one to ask it. Not today at least. Instead d a smile flickered over his face as he looked over towards Maeve.

This would be the first time she could ever enjoy actually looking down at him.

It wasn't that she was particularly short, at least from what he understood of humans, but Arun was tall for even most of his people. "Yes, I'd have had to carry you."

He mused out loud.

"At least with our new friend the journey will not be as hard." Besides, the Elk were fierce in combat and utterly protective of their charges. Arun had once seen one chase down and gore a Dreadlord who had gotten the better of it's rider. The sight had been a...disturbing one.

 

[Maeve]

"Are you saying I'm too fat for you to carry all the way back?" Maeve raised both brows and tried her best to look insulted. She was, of course, joking. Not only due to the fact she was naturally slim but she was laughably underweight still from her time in that hell hole. Whenever she caught a sight of herself in one of the mirrors in Arun's cottage she did a double take.

"Should I give him a name?" the topic shifted quickly to something far more pleasant and her eyes left him to look down at her new friend. "Or do you speak Elk and could ask him for me?" the question was purely an innocent one; she had seen him sing to a tree so talking to an Elk seemed pretty plausible.

 

[Arun]

Arun's eyebrows shot up and his hands waved. "No no."

The joke was of course lost on Arun, sarcasm was something he was still working on.

"I would never me-Oh." The elf said as he frowned and slowly nodded at her, realizing of course what she had done. A sigh escaped him, and he internally wondered if he would ever get to used to human mannerisms like that naturally.

Lips thinned for a second, and his head shook his head.

"You can suggest names." The Elf offered. "He will let you know if he agrees with them."

He smiled up at her. "I'm afraid I do not speak Elk."

Though his sister did, in a way.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve would never get tired of winding Arun up in such a manner. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to stop herself from grinning as he flushed and spluttered like a teenage boy caught peering through a girls bedroom window. She cast her eyes away from him and back to the Elk as he continued on about the naming process though and thought about it carefully.

"I don't know any of your names from here," she said after a while. "I do not think he would like a name from my home," it would probably be a little strange to him if nothing else.

"What are some popular Elk-y names?"

 

[Arun]

Arun considered for a moment, glancing up at him with a frown. "Súre."

The word was practically sang from Arun's lips, resounding within the air like the sweetest melody one could imagine. The Elk seemed to shake it's head almost as soon as he said the word though, and Arun let out a sigh as he continued to rattle off a list of suggestions.

"Ohtatimeáro, Arasse, Ecet, Sicil, Tál." Arun simply began to throw out as many names as he could possibly think of.

Most of them were just random words that he had thought would make good names, though one he threw in just for a small laugh.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve blinked at every name. They sounded so strange; musical and alien all in one. Some of them she felt like she knew. It was a feeling in her gut and the word was just at the tip of her tongue... and then it was gone. Perhaps she had heard someone in the tribes utter those words or maybe it was just a sense she was imagining. She glanced down at the elk to see if he liked any of them but only one name got a snort and a flattening of the ears.

"What did you say to him?" Mae demanded, brows pulling down in to a frown. "He doesn't like any of those. What about... Séamus? Áron? Roibeárd?"

 

[Arun]

"Foot." Arun said with a small smile on his lips, his head shook slightly as he cast an amused glance towards the Elk.

It was funny to him that not even fifteen minutes ago Maeve had been absolutely terrified of the great beast, now she was apparently making fast friends with him. It was a good sign, and he wondered if there were other humans like her.

She'd certainly been nothing like he expected.

"Áron is a tad close." He glanced up at her. "No?"

He meant to his own name of course.