|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:06 am
The wolf did not shoo. Instead, the grey shadow actually flitted even further along through the trees until it was just on the edge of the small clearing where the young woman stood. One gleaming yellow eye was clearly visible in the light that fought its way down through cloudy sky and rustling leaves, and as their gazes met, Merro felt a chill sweep through her from head to foot. For the first time since her impulsive dash from her father's keep, she found herself facing not just a vague possibility but the probability that she would not actually make it to Kiadawel, much less accomplish all her wild and fanciful missions.
She had hated enough to want to kill and she'd sometimes cursed the day she was born but she'd never before actually believed she would die before her time. And though she had seen death before it had always been attended by familiar people and surroundings and ceremony. She who could count with just her hands the times she had been allowed to travel beyond the family's private grounds had never conceived of dying alone and unattended, out in the wilds with not even a passing stranger to say a prayer over her body. As Merro stared entranced at the inhuman yellow eye visible in the gloom she suddenly felt weak and piteous as she had not done for years upon years. At that moment she would have welcomed even her father's presence.
Sensing that his was now the dominant spirit, the wolf suddenly grew yet bolder and took one step into the clearing, an ominous growl welling up from deep within his chest. The muzzle parted to reveal glistening white fangs and a vision of those fearsome teeth ripping at her flesh leapt into Merro's mind. As if bound by a spell, Merro remained rooted to the spot, unable to tear her gaze from the beast and somehow unable to move a muscle until she had first freed her eyes.
If he could just make her bolt, the fat hen would be his. The starving animal crouched slightly, muscled tensed and claws digging into the dirt. The bright red tongue writhed, saliva dripping from the end to patter onto the damp ground. The wolf's snout wrinkled and the bright fangs practically chattered together as the throaty growl increased in volume and then stopped for just a brief moment before a viscious snarl burst from his throat.
Merro had been shakily attempting to regain control of herself. Sweaty fingers loosened and then repositioned themselves, each in their own turn, both on the hilt of her sword and - as if it too were a weapon - the legs of the gamebird. She had no idea what to do, no idea at all in fact save that she did not want to die in this manner...not out here, not all alone. The only somewhat reasonable plan that presented itself was to face the wolf down and show with word and action that she was no fawn or rabbit kit to be snarled into suicidal submission. She took in some quick, shallow breaths and hesitatingly opened her mouth to say she knew not what, but when the wolf suddenly lunged forward with a startling roar Merro simply screamed.
ooc: And here Meriko goes to bed, because she hasn't quite decided exactly what should happen next. ^0^;
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:42 am
ooc: I was tempted to have Letalus just "show up" and save her, but...too soon for them to meet, I think. X3 He's getting ever closer, though!
Standing at the mouth of the cave, Letalus thought about his next move. He knew there was a town further west. Likely, that was were his prey had gone, hoping for some shelter and food. A girl raised in high society surely would not be able to stand roughing it for longer than neccesary. He almost sneered at the thought.
He leaned over and, with the same fluid movements he always had, began climbing further up the cliff face. The repetitive movement put him in a sort of daze, eyes heavy and dull as he climbed. Consumed with this dreamy trance, memories slipped in unbidden..
It had been a successful day. The town of Youth's Marrow was not prepared for the relentless onslaught Letalus and his men served them. His men called him bold and daring for attacking in broad daylight without any obvious plan, but they were fools, and they did not know what he did -- unpredictability was oftentimes the best strategy.
After cleanly and efficiently wiping out the Baron Oeweit and his Lady wife, Letalus ordered his men to ransack the villagers, leaving the women and children alive. It wasn't any sort of compassion that decided this, but rather the orders of his Master. As a meglomaniac, he wanted to be sure the village knew it was he who had the power to give life or take it. The name of Manglalim would be spread far and wide after this day.
Now, as dusk spread over the sky, the town was inflamed, the mournful screams of women ringing out over the raucous laughter of men. Letalus would not celebrate with his soldiers -- he couldn't. He stared with dead grey eyes as the men had their sport.
He likely would have remained there, watching blankly as his men tortured a barmaid, but he happened to glance up at the small hill over looking the town, and saw the temple there, nearly hidden in shadow and shimmering with magic.
Without blinking, Letalus turned and headed towards the holy ground without pausing, knowing what final step he had to take to ensure his Master's utmost control...
A sudden piercing scream broke through Letalus' trance and he started, nearly losing his grip on the cliff. He cursed under his breath and, as he was near the top, sped up and nearly leaped over the edge.
His expression hard, eyes glittering with promise, he headed in the direction of the scream.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:54 am
ooc: This post is just a bit of background info and such, oh and Terra is heading for the same village Merro is or was as the case may be.
Terra had been travelling for two years previous to this day; it had been two years since she was banished from her family's kingdom by her own brother! So Terra decided to start her own journey: Terra had then set off for a temple only heard of in legend for two reasons, this first being she was searching for hope and help, the other being Terra's past; Terra never looked like her family or acted like them it was as if she was an outcast or a 'throw back' as her brother, Leon, had called her. Terra didn't hate Leon, it wasn't exactly his fault he had gone a bit loony was it?
Terra was snapped out of her though trail as her horse blizzard stumbled slightly on a rock; they where skirting a mountain on there journey to a village nearby, Terra was tired and she could see rain clouds above...
"Hurry on blizzard or I fear will be caught in the rain"
The white horse spurred on quickly as if it understood every one of Terra's words. Terra was currently in long dress and looked as if she was going to some sort of ball, with that tiara perched on her head, of course the bow and quiver stung over her shoulder suggested far different. Terra was actually on her way to meet someone who claimed they knew where the temple was, this had been her only lead so far and so she decided to take it. Terra's green eyes seemed to glint in the dullness of the oncoming clouds, it was as if her eyes where scanning the horizon for something, maybe a sign of some sort or maybe she was looking to see if there was danger ahead. Before Terra had chance to think about what she had spotted an arrow pierced deep into her right shoulder, and she grimaced in pain...
ooc: and this is where I leave Terra for now, well until I post again as I've still got to think of who's shot at her and why...oh a few notes the whole of my posts will be in forest green, and speech will be marked by a new line and speech marks, I can't think of anything else I need to point out, oh wait, if I RP with a new character say a bar tender there speech will be made like this: Bartender "blah blah blah" and my speech will stay the same as always...*jumps up an down* yay I posted my first RP piece in here!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:26 am
ooc: Be prepared for a post that has an almost completely((and yet, it's so unavoidable right now, due to a minor case of writer's block)) unoriginal group of villains....I only hope I can do the scene right... **was never a good fight scene writer**
Chii moved like a regular girl might; well, at least, a regular tomboy-ish girl, anyway. A soft smile played across her face, her large silver eyes closed slightly. She loved feeling the wind in her face; it made her feel as if she could just jump up into the sky and soar across oceans of fluffy white clouds. However blissful Chii was, she could not help but feel that she should pay a bit more attention to her surroundings. She slowed to a halt, looking around slowly. Listening closely, she noticed that there was no sound other than the breeze; this could only mean something horrible was going to happen. Slowly and quietly, Chii unsheathed her broadsword, holding it in the standard 'attack' position.
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, bandits leaped out of a few bushes that had gradually become more plentiful as Chii ran. There were about 15 of them in total, and they all brandished swords, daggers, or spears. This isn't going to be easy, Chii thought to herself as the bandits closed in on her.
At the last possible moment, Chii lunged at the nearest bandit, a furious look on her face. The blade was blocked by another blade that looked, oddly enough, like a cutlass. Chii screamed with rage, swinging her trusty broadsword powerfully, slicing the man in half cleanly. Spattered with blood, she grabbed the blade of the man she had just killed quickly, throwing it at another bandit. The blade hit right through the heart, causing the bandit to die instantly.
ooc: I know, I know...it's retarded, right? I told you, I'm not good at fight scenes... sweatdrop Let's hope it gets better in the next post. sweatdrop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 11:07 am
No matter what Joeye did, the blood on her hand refused to come off. Finally, she gave up and tied another strip of black cloth around it. Maybe there's turpentine back at the tavern...or something to help get this off.
It was ironic that Joeye was in the pawnshop for only ten minutes, but it took her a good two hours getting herself clean. She estimated it must have been about three when she finally managed to return to the tavern. As quietly as she could, Joeye changed into her serf clothes; apparently, Mrs. Bibb didn't have pajamas to spare. She hung up her dress on the back of her door and hoped it wouldn't be discovered all wet the following day. Then she lifted her chin haughtily. It's my dress. I can do whatever I want to it.
As she crawled into her cot, she listened to Mrs. Bibb still snoring loudly. What the hell was I tiptoeing for? I could've had a parade go through here and she wouldn't have stirred a bit, she thought, wrinkling her nose at the noise that the good old woman made.
Now, being out of harm's way and having scrubbed all evidence of her involvement in the pawnshop murders, Joeye's eyelids grew heavy. But before giving up herself to sleep, she reached into her shirt and pulled out the necklace. She put it on right before she started searching for the river, and it felt delightfully cool and heavy around her neck. It continued to glitter with the moonlight. For a moment, Joeye could do nothing but stare at it, thoroughly mesmerized. As her eyelashes fanned over her cheeks, the necklace sparkled brighter. Joeye was seized with a piercing pain in her head. It was not like the headache she got after racing out of the pawnshop. This time, it felt like a pointed needle was threading through her skull, from one temple to another. As slumber claimed Joeye, she thought, I must've shifted the stone, so it caught some moonlight rays in a different way. And I must've been relaxing so fast that it made my head hurt. And...
She was racing down the stairs, only a few footsteps away from the door. Suddenly, the door slammed in her face. Whirling around, she saw the little girl at the stairs. But the little girl was covered in daggers and blood, and a pair of dead sky blue eyes stared at her. Can't kill someone who's already dead, said the little girl. Joeye screamed. The blood and guts on the walls began to coagulate, forming some semblance of two men. But there was no skin to them. Their red, bloody faces grinned grotesque grins, and they lurched towards her. Joeye felt faint, but she knew if she passed out, she would never awaken again...
"Joeye!"
Help me!
"Joeye!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:13 pm
That night Shoneya started to pack her satchel. She packed her family photo, a sweater that was blueviolet with blue stripes, some clothes for her "trip", one night gown, a very small spell book, her little dragon doll from when she was little (he always held memories that they had together from when she was a child), a red and white scarf that her mom knitted for her last year, some sticks to light to make fire, a small snack in a paper bag, some treckles, her necklace that had a green stone with a black dot in the middle on it, and...a picture of her and Teddy when they were 12.
As she put her satchel down by her bed, she began to think.
Who did this? Why would they want to do this? Did they know I was Teddy's friend? Did they know I would come to the shop?!
As she thought about this she began to cry a little. She jumped in bed, squeezing her pink pillow, and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, when she woke up, she saw something near her night table. It was silver, yellow handle, diamonds on the handle, ruby in the middle. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she opened her eyes she realized. It was a sword! She grabbed it's handle and studied it. It looked old, but yet also new. There was a note next to it. It said in fancy writing:
Dear Shoneya,
This was your grandfather's when he was a young warrior. He fought many battles with it. Please respect that he handed it down to me, and now that you're on a dangerous adventure I'm handing it down to you. Take good care of it, and go get Teddy!
Love,
Your father
At the bottom of the note was his signature, it was King Chester in cursive in silver ink.
Shoneya saw that the sword came with a brown leather case that you can put it into, and then put that on your belt. She got dressed out of her night gown and got on a gold shirt that went down to a little above her knees, her name was sewn in pink in the middle of it, brown pants with patches (she ripped them a few times), and her elf-ish shoes. Then she put on her pink belt and put the case on it. She ran downstairs for breakfast and saw the cook made them a breakfast feast. She saw her mom and dad at the table. She kissed her mom on the cheek. She kissed her dad on the cheek and whispered into his ear "Thank you".
For breakfast she had pancakes, strawberries, a glass of milk, and some good ol' bacon 4laugh . After breakfast she turned to her parents.
"Mother, father. Thank you for letting me look for Teddy on my own. I reall appreciate it. I will miss you, I love you both very much!"
She went and hugged her mother and father. They both hugged her back. She kissed them on the cheeks and went to the door.
"Goodbye Shoneya!"
"Goodbye Shoneya!"
"Goodbye Mom! Goodbye Dad!"
She turned the knob and headed out. She started running toward the Big Apple tree, that's where she found the portal to the human world.
To be continued...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:04 pm
(ooc: Oooh I'm going to be gone for a week starting tomarrow. I'm almost afraid to see how much I'm going to have to skim through when I get back. I hope I can get on the internet where I'm going (insert sweat here) ooc))
Siri was still confused by the little charm (that now resembled an "S", or maybe it was a "5" Siri couldn't tell), but was still interested in it, even if it wasn't the heirloom. After all who wouldn't be? As Siri turned it around in her palm again (Siri was very amused that it seemed to find a new shape everytime) she suddenly remembered her father's warning.
"Aw darn. Well I've already been touching it, lets hope that doesn't have any nasty side effects. It doesn't seem to have any, not yet anyway." Siri's words didn't reasure her at all however, so she shoved it back into its paper packet and then dropped it into her bag.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:35 pm
Chii stood there for a moment, before leaping backward over the bandit that had charged at her. She ran straight for him, stabbing him in the lower back powerfully. She yelped loudly as another bandit, the leader, threw a dagger at her, grazing her left shoulder. Furiously, she turned around and leaped at the leader, slamming him on the top of the head with the hilt of her broadsword. It didn't kill him, but he was knocked unconsious immediately. Chii yelled and jabbed at a nearby bandit, slicing him cleanly through the stomach.
Now covered in blood, she yelled at the remaining bandits.
"Unless you want some of this, I suggest you leave now! Leave now, or I'll kill your leader immediately!"
Having a surprised look on all of the remaining 11 consious bandits' faces, one of them ran forward and retrieved the leader and they all ran off. Chii glared furiously after them, before seeing what they had left behind in their hurry to get away. In the bushes, there was a large, regal looking mare. She was mostly white, but had several black blotches on her dirty coat. She didn't have a saddle, but that didn't matter much. Chii walked towards the mare slowly, but the horse whinnied loudly, the whites of her black eyes showing clearly.
Chii stopped, looking carefully at the rest of the equine's body. She spotted several gashes, clearly made by whips, and she could count nearly every single one of the mare's ribs. Her expression softened, feeling sorry for the poor creature. She got out an apple she had bought earlier that day and held it in her hand carefully. Slowly but surely, the mare walked towards Chii, looking at the apple cautiously. She reached Chii and sniffed the apple before biting into it enthusiastically. Chii extended her right hand slowly, touching the mare on the neck gently.
Suddenly, the alabaster white feather-shaped marking on Chii's right arm lit up, and Chii looked at the mare's head, noticing a silver bridle with the feather marking on it for the first time.
ooc: Yesh, it's odd...weird feathers mean something, clearly. I really hope this is suspenseful enough to appease to the rest of the world, 'cause I don't think you'll be getting anything better than this....at least, from me anyways.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:48 pm
ooc: *mweehee* Let's see how long Merro can keep ahead of Letalus, despite her player misfortune constantly tripping her up. Hmm...should Merro keep calm and figure a way out of her predicament, or should she panic like the little ninny she really is and flee?
Sword: I vote for panic and flee.
Meriko: You got it.
Merro: :scream-vein-evil:
If she had been a more rational creature she might have thought to appease the wolf with the dead hen she carried, and she certainly never would have come to the conclusion that she could outrun a wild animal, especially while still clutching a sword and gamebird. If she had remained just a bit calmer she might have at least dropped the unnecessary burden of the hen before fleeing and thus put paid to any pursuit from the wolf. Rebellious against those who formed her world but ignorant of any life except this one, spirited enough to want her freedom but too sheltered to know what freedom really was, having been much abused but at the same time having also been raised in comparative luxury, Merro could perhaps be forgiven for succumbing to blind panic.
Then again, Fate was not known for her forgiving ways.
Before her short, piercing scream had even begun to wind down into a breathy sob, Merro spun around on one heel and took flight. With her state of mind closer to a fugue state than rationality, Merro registered the landscape in front of her but only enough so that she did not run headlong into a tree trunk. Actual direction, avoiding possible dead-ends, and anything else requiring her to think and plan ahead further than three feet remained unconsidered. She simply ran, bare feet digging into the soft dirt and crunching down on fallen branches without her mind registering any difference between the two.
The wolf had shied away slightly at the scream, which in his limited experience could have been anything from a cry for help or a prelude to some unknown attack. Upon the human's taking flight, he hesitated for one moment and then began loping after her, still cautious but still hungry.
Merro ran and ran, the gamebird an awkward but unnoticed weight flopping about in her hand as she ran, and the sword unconsciously used as an extention of her forearm to help slap away branches. The young woman had only run for a short way when a sapling dealt her left shoulder a glancing blow. The hit to her shoulder spun her slightly, and her mind cleared somewhat as she desperately tried to keep on her feet. A glance back showed the wolf barely a stone's throw behind her. Despite fear and adrenaline, she was unused to any exercise more strenuous than wrestling baskets of laundry or potatoes up and down stairs, so now that she had dropped out of her mindless panic Merro suddenly became aware of her aching limbs and burning lungs. Knowing suddenly with awful clarity that she could never outrun this beast, she simply stumbled back a few steps instead of attempting to run any longer.
"No," she sobbed, the sound barely above a breath. The wolf came on, limping but still so fast that she had hardly any time to actually react to the sight of it. Merro took another unthinking step backwards and for the second time in as many hours lost her footing and fell, landing heavily upon her backside. The pheasant fell from her hand but neither Merro nor the wolf noticed. The chase had driven all else from the front of both minds, and now, at the moment when one last leap would bring them together to the death of one, both the young and desperate creatures reacted instinctively and lunged.
The wolf, once he had come within pouncing distance of his quarry, sank low to the ground on his next bounding stride and then leaped into the air, seeking to slam the human into the earth with his paws and weight and then tear out her throat. It would be quick and simple and he could leap clean away once his slashing fangs had done their work, taking him safely out of the way of any death throes that might occur.
Merro knew she was about to die, but it was unlikely that she could have ever resigned herself to the idea even if she'd had time or opportunity to even think of such a thing. Call it spirit or will or mule-headed stubornness...even if there was nothing she could actually do about any given situation, the girl would at least kick a cat instead of calmly accepting her fate. As the wolf crouched and sprang, Merro's gasping breaths were turned into an inarticulate cry of half fear and half defiance as she grabbed her sword's hilt with both hands instead of just one. There was no time to lift the sword into position much less aim the point at the wolf's chest, and so she simply threw all her strength and weight forward, lunging forward on one knee and bringing the blade around in a sweeping, angled blow.
If she had grasped the sword in such a manner that the blade hit flat against the wolf, likely the creature would have suffered quite a nasty bruise and Letalus would have delivered quite a nasty report to his master the following day. Merciful Saints presiding, however, the combination of the wolf's weight and impetus and Merro's desperation-born strength caused the sword to bite deep and cut through muscle and sinew before coming free on the other side of the animal. Blood flew from the wound in the wolf's neck and chest and trailed after the sword like a red curtain, and then both combatants fell heavily to the ground. Not even expecting to survive the initial clash, Merro had given no though to her form or footing and her wild swing had pushed her entirely off balance. The wolf lay snarling and choking and struggled to rise to his feet, while a few feet away, Merro half-lay, half-leaned against a fallen log, staring in shock.
ooc: And now Meriko goes to lunch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:32 pm
Joeye's eyes flew open. And she was greeted with a piercing pain in her head. I can't go to school today, Mom. My head hurts so bad, she began to say. But the words died at her lips when she saw Mrs. Bibb anxiously hovering over her.
"Are you alright, dear? You looked like you were having a bad dream."
Trying to ignore her monster migraine, she sat up and turned towards her window. The sky was a pale purple. Had she been sleeping that long? It felt she just closed her eyes. "What time is it?"
"It's six, dear. Now, up, up. We have a lot of work to do. I let you sleep in today; you must've been tired after your first day's work..."
Sleep in?! She never got up at six in the morning. On schooldays, she would get up at seven-fifty, giving her five minutes to get dressed and another five minutes to get to school before the bell rang.
She was formulating an excuse to really sleep in when Mrs. Bibb's eyes fell to her wing. "What happened to your wing, dear?" she asked in alarm.
Joeye's mouth opened, and then closed. It was especially hard to think with her head hurting. Finally, she said, "I accidentally closed the door on it."
"Closed the door?" Mrs. Bibb was already reaching forward and unknotting the makeshift bandage. Her jaw dropped. "My dear, it looks like you've been cut with a knife!"
"My wings are very delicate," she lied again, her hand coming up to her neck as she looked away from the good old woman.
Mrs. Bibb's eyes fell to her bandaged hand. "And what happened to your hand?" she demanded, her voice rising in alarm.
Joeye quickly drew her hand away. "I got the door closed on it too. Left a nasty welt, yup. It'll be fine in a few days." She managed a laugh.
As Mrs. Bibb waddled off for supplies to treat her wound, Joeye hastily unwound her hand bandage and recoiled. The blood was still there, redder than ever.
ooc: i think i'll stick joeye in a domesticated situation for a while, what with all the wolves (and sword-wielding daughters of merchant princes) running amok in the mountains XD let her gonk and goggle at her spoiled right hand XP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:10 pm
Nami felt a slight headche as she woke up, she looked around she had relized that she had fainted. She was soked in mud and water from the storm, she lay there feeling peace at the silence after the rain. It was strange, usaully people who just woke up from passing out in the rain, they would get up as fast as they could, but she laid there for a what felt like was long, short time. Then she lifted up her head, she was soaked in the mud, her now mud soaked clothing were stuck to her body clinging to her. Her pole has near her right hand. she started to get up using her hands, when then she noticed her backpack was gone.
"Oh god"
she said with a faint cough. she looked all around her but it was no were in sight. Did someone take her belongings and leave her to die?! She then realized that what she thought was true. Somone took her stuff and left. She got up to her knees.
"How could someone do that"!
She gripped her pole and started to walk down the mud written path. Using her pole as a crutch. Every time she took a step she felt the mud in her shoes. by then she was very hungry and wanted something -anything to eat. he made her way throught the field, and up a small hill. Just over that hill was a town! She thought that she could use her money to go get a room! She paused.
"But my money was in my backpack, and my backoack is gone......How wonderful!"
she said sarcasticly. She didn't know what to do, when she reached the town.
Beg for money?
she thought, and dreaded the idea.
Maybe I shouldn't have left the school in the first place?...It was my home my safe place. Maybe I shouldn't have left in the first place....what if this is just for nothing and I'm just following a lie?
She thought deeply before apporaching the town. When suddenly she heard a gasp from behind her. She quickly turned around.
"Oh my! You poor little thing, all mud soaked and wounded!"
A large woman, with a white dress approached her. Her hair was brown and warped up nice and tightly in a bun. With a zig zag blanket wraped around her shoulders.
"...?"
"You need food two! Oh my, my, my. You are going to have to come with me, I'll get you all nice and clean."
"Wha!?"
Nami stuttrerd with her words.
Really ma'm?"
"Oh! no need to call me m'am just call me Ma' Grehan!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:56 am
It was terrible having her wing treated with alcohol. Joeye was still grimacing in pain after Mrs. Bibb bandaged her wing with gauze ("This is like tending to a little bird!" Joeye didn't bother dignifying that comment with a reply) and bustled out of the room to open the tavern ("Remember, dear, come down right away for breakfast and then start doing the dishes!").
The pain in her wing was competing with the pain in her head. But she wasn't that much in agony to remember. She grabbed the bottle of alcohol that the good old woman thankfully forgot to put away. This better work, she thought as she poured alcohol on the black cloth and began scrubbing at the blood on her hand.
Several minutes later, Mrs. Bibb was hollering at her to come down, and she was still scrubbing. The blood showed no signs of fading, let alone disappearing completely. I can't wash dishes like this! she thought in panic. Joeye couldn't stall any longer, though, and she sprang to her feet and hurried downstairs. The tavern was already bustling with the morning activity: men having their coffee and toast before work, women catching up on the day's gossip in-between shopping.
A breakfast feast was laid out for her on the small, rickety kitchen table. Joeye was bitterly disappointed that there was no coffee; she needed all the caffeine she could get to make up for the lack of sleep and the migraine. As she took a bite of her toast, she nervously kept an ear out for any talk about the pawnshop. But it didn't sound like the bodies were discovered yet.
Joeye looked down at her still-bandaged hand. At some point, the bandage would have to come off, and Mrs. Bibb would see the blood on her hand. The good old woman might be gullible enough to believe that she lost her memory and that she closed a door on her wing, but she doubted it would go as far as believing some made-up story about the blood on her hand. Not with the impending news about the pawnshop murders.
It doesn't make sense. Why won't it come off? Unbidden, a memory came to her mind, of the shop backdoor slamming, followed by the flying daggers. And how the little girl in the blue dress looked too small to be carrying too many daggers with her. Enchantment? Joeye wondered, not at all happy at the thought of somebody else's blood magically stuck to her palm.
It wasn't like she was unfamiliar with the thought of magic. After all, Leo came from a wizarding school. To Joeye's horror, a wave of homesickness washed over her. Resolute, she shook her head to ward off thoughts of home and grudgingly returned to the problem at hand. She didn't know diddlysquat about magic. She would have to start learning.
"Oh dear, don't dawdle over your breakfast. Look, your food's all cold now," scolded Mrs. Bibb as she bustled into the kitchen, effortlessly balancing a giant pile of dishes on a tray. The sudden sound of the good old woman's voice made streaks of pain shoot through Joeye's head. She tried not to grimace. "Best get to work. We'll be especially busy today, what with everybody coming in to catch up on news."
Joeye wrenched her attention away from her headache. "News?" she asked, a shiver going through her.
"Yes, news." Mrs. Bibb looked around and lowered her voice. "The magistrate just stopped by for coffee and told me the news. Old man Louie was killed in his shop last night, along with two other men and a little girl."
Joeye gulped.
"Can you imagine, a little girl getting killed?" the good old woman shivered. And then she patted Joeye's head. "I'm sorry to be scaring you like this, dear, but best you know about it and take care not to wander around after dark."
"Do...they know who did it?" she whispered around the lump in her throat.
Mrs. Bibb sagely nodded. "Yes, they suspect ne'er-do-wells from the other side of the mountain must've done it. Those horrible men are still on the loose too." She wrung her hands. "I certainly hope they'll be caught soon."
ooc: working on what joeye'd do next. it's not easy moving around a cranky girl with a monster migraine, a wounded wing, and a bloody hand XD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 2:03 pm
Merro lay back against the log, stunned and silent, while the dying wolf struggled just a swordlength away. The animal's hind limbs clawed weakly at the ground, kicking up damp clumps of dirt and dead leaves, while the mostly useless forelegs simply twitched and spasmed in the bloodstained earth. The body was dying, of a certain, but the wolf's spirit was still intact, with the glittering eyes locked onto Merro's and the bloodstained fangs still biting off terrible, gurgling growls. The victor of the field might well have sat there until her opponent had finally bled to death save that the wolf managed to dig its hind legs into the ground at one point and then gave a sudden, convulsive lurch toward her.
With a gasp and a scramble she was up on her feet again, trembling slightly and suddenly feeling chilled now that the adrenaline was beginning to fade. The sword that now lay in her left hand seemed to provide a ready answer to the current situation. With a brief and random feeling of thankfulness for the sword's significant length, she quickly side-stepped around the wolf, coming around to the flank instead of those snapping jaws. One thrust - and a bit of luck in the blade sliding cleanly between two ribs - and the deed was done.
Merro immediately felt a rush of what seemed a strange mixture of exultation and relief, and she stepped away from the now-still body to sit down upon the fallen log and try to calm her racing heart. She didn't feel able to immediately pick up and trot off westward just now even though the chills and shakes had vanished. As tried to gather her thoughts and take stock of her situation she finally realized that her mad flight through the woods had done some damage to her feet. Putting aside other considerations for the moment, the young woman fell to wincingly picking twigs and leafy bits from between her toes and in some cases, out of her flesh. The boots she had purloined and then lost in the mud and water were thought of with a brief pang of regret, but there was no use in turning back for them now. Likely she would only waste time getting even further lost, and who knew how long she could last out in the wilds? There was nothing for it except to keep heading west and hope that she would come upon the small village she had sighted sooner rather than later.
Merro put her feet gingerly back onto the loamy ground and then glanced about her, making a brief catalogue. To the loss, she had ruined her clothing with mud and rain and dirt, lost her boots, cut her hand, torn up her feet, and bruised the rest of her body fairly well with all her falling about. To the good, she had one dead game hen, sans head. She was not entirely sure what account to put the sword to. An entire day had not even gone by yet since she'd run away. At this rate she would be dead by tomorrow morning. Instead of falling prey to melancholy or despair, now that there was no immediate danger of death chasing her down Merro gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes in what had become a habitual expression of resentful determination. She had made it thus far. She would make it the rest of the way, wolves and wilderness and her father be cursed.
She stood up suddenly and began walking westward once more, pausing only briefly to slide the sword into her belt and stoop to pick up the hen which was looking more bedraggled as post-mortem adventures fell upon it.
ooc: cardi's comment gives me the urge to send Merro - and thus Letalus as well, in theory - trotting straight off to Mrs. Bibb's to wreck the peaceful domesticity. XD I guess as a roleplayer I just like to mess with characters. I would make a terrible diety. *snicker*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:19 pm
Aaa-choo!
Joeye wiped her nose with her sleeve and continued scrubbing a particularly greasy cauldron. So this is why I got a monster migraine. The migraine was gone, but now her throat hurt and her nose was so stuffed that she could barely breathe.
Mrs. Bibb must've been really preoccupied with serving the masses; Joeye had been sneezing and sniffling all over the place, hoping she would be sent back to bed. But all the good old woman would say were things like, "Are you done with those forks, dear?"
Aaa-choo! Joeye sniffled loudly and thought with revulsion, I wouldn't eat at this tavern, knowing the dishes are covered with cold germs. Just then, Mrs. Bibb bustled in with another mountain of greasy dishes. Joeye wanted to collapse in a puddle of misery and snot. And it wasn't even noon yet.
Her only comfort was the weight of the necklace around her neck. After the good old woman waddled out, she took out the necklace from underneath her serf shirt. It glittered up at her, as if to say hello. "Hi," she rasped.
The townspeople had been talking about the pawnshop murders all morning, since good old Mrs. Bibb let it slip. Joeye could clearly hear conversations from people who sat just outside the kitchen door. Someone said he saw a dozen ragged men entering the shop; another woman swore she heard screams of mercy from the little girl. And it wasn't long before Mrs. Bibb herself started saying she thought she heard gunshots in the middle of the night. Joeye almost snorted at that one, if only she wasn't so miserable and the incident wasn't so grisly.
Not all conversations Joeye overheard were drivel, though. From what she could gather, old man Louie's pawnshop was the only one in town, and everybody was aghast at the reportedly massive amount of jewelry that was stolen (at this, Joeye had slowly raised her eyebrow, wondering if the magistrate had a shady reputation). The two men were winos who panhandled during the day and slept in trash bins during the night. And nobody know who the little girl was.
"Oh, what a terrible day this is turning out to be." Joeye was just starting on the fresh mountain of dishes and was stifling a gag as she tossed regurgitated food in the trash. She recognized the voice to be that of Mr. Caldwell, the magistrate. She pictured him to be short, round, with a handlebar mustache and a pocketwatch on a thick, gold chain. Just like in the movies.
"Have you any luck locating the poor Mary Jane's parents, Mr. Caldwell?" asked Mrs. Bibb. Mary Jane was the name they gave to the dead little girl in the blue dress.
"No such luck, Mrs. Bibb. I don't know which is worse; not finding them or finding them and having to break the news to them."
Joeye sneezed, dunked her sponge in a bucket of soap, squished it until it was good and foamy, and began scrubbing a plate. She had a feeling the magistrate and his men would be searching for a long, long time.
ooc: just as long as the wolf's not included, meri XD oh yeah, how's merro's immune system?
first laundry, and now dishes. methinks i must treat my muse better (insert gonk here) XD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:36 pm
Ooc: Wow, I got some serious catching up to do...well, here I go... :Ooc
*After finishing her food, Setsuka went back to the shrine, to do her usual job, guard it. Her mom would go there, to give her company, but that would be later on. Now, she had to keep an eye on the usual visitors that came to the shrine to meditate or prey.
After some while, a stranger, a weird, old man she had never seen before came to the shrine. Setsuka let him in, but always kept him on sight. It was getting dark, and almost everyone had left; except the old man. He was still in front of the huge statue. That statue, appeared to have the figure of an ordinary woman. But everyone who knew it's legend, knew that was no ordinary woman. The old man, seemed not to be staring at the statue itself, but he's attention seemed to be drawn by the topaz jewel in the necklace the statue had.*
Hello sir? It is almost time to close up. Would you be so kind to leave please?
Ehh?? what?? Ahh...of course, of course, yes...I, I was just intruiged by the beautiful necklace the statue has...
Hehe, yes, everyone thinks that way.
Yes of course. Everyone should, since it has special powers...right?
*With a bit of a shock, Setsuka quickly answered*
Ehh powers?, I'm not sure I understand what your talking about...
Ohhh I see, it must have been my mistake... Well, goodnight youngling, take good care of yourself.
*And with that he left...
Setsuka remained inside the shrine. She let out a deep sigh, and sat on the floor.*
Ooc: ehh to be continued, sorry, I can't make up anymore right now sweatdrop :Ooc
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
