PlaneShift
Fan Area => Roleplaying (Communitive Storywriting) => Collaborative Stories => Topic started by: Riune on May 09, 2003, 11:50:44 pm
-
(\'Ro! I just had an apiphany(sp?) about a enkidukai thief named Rhuarhii- (Rue-are-hee) Tell me whatcha think- should I or should I not work to continue it?)
The adolescent enkidukai sulked in a back alley, listening to the receding footsteps. This was her city. She?d been here all her life- born here in Yliakum:
.
They had no right to chase her down and try to restrict her freedom! So what if she borrowed stuff sometimes?it was mostly food- or else money to buy food. And maybe she wasn?t going to school- who cares? Who needs education? Living is her learning experience. She drank, smoked pipeweed and swore like a sailor, what of it? Those things made up the essence of life.
When the night was no longer echoing with the shouts of her pursuers, Rhuarhii straightened up and peered over the gate, glancing quickly up and down the street. Hoisting herself up to balance precariously on the narrow top of the gate, reaching up to grasp the edge of the adjoining building. Pulling upwards, she braced her powerful hind legs along the wall and made a not-so graceful scramble onto the roof.
-
If the city was her home, then the rooftops were the corridors connecting the rooms of her house. Rhuarhii had learned fairly quickly that this territory was least traveled, at least by upstanding citizens. Scaling walls and scampering across the thatched and shingled roofs was a constant enjoyment to her, it had a flavor of danger to it, you never what kind of less-than-legal creature you would meet.
Rhuarhii creeped up the steepened slope of the room, slide over the peak and slide down the other side. Catching herself with her footpaws rammed against the small edge of the gutter that peeped over the lip of the roof, she turned herself onto her stomach and peered over the edge into the dark dead-ended side street.
The darkness appeared unbroken, but she knew the back alley as not abandoned. The number of crates that people assumed to be filled with goods from merchants were usually sleeping quarters for her and her brethren.
Heh. Brethren. She was really one of the loner types, but it was obvious that there was safety in numbers in this fair city. There were only about five or six constant residents of Orphorian Back Street, as some child mocking the intellectuals had dubbed it, but it was constantly being infiltrated by outsider orphans and vagabonds.
Dropping down from the roof onto one of the crates, she noted the hollow sound with surprise. Taladio wasn?t home, and that was a very curious occurance. Taladio wasn?t his real name, they just called him that because he was absolutely dedicated to the God. Something none of the others could fathom.
Passing these thoughts within seconds, Rhuarhii leapt down to the ground, greeting the few she recognized from the shadows. ??Ro Faber, Sha?pe.? The Kran turned and looked at Rhuarhii, nodding it?s head before returning to whatever thoughts a Kran thinks about. Sharpie however, waved a red-skinned hand and started over. ?Hello Rhuarhii. Git anythin? good??
?Nah. Jess got chased by a couple o? goody-foos. Lost ?em real quick though. Where?s Taladio?? Rhuarhii looked the Ynnwn over, Sharpie didn?t really seen a fitting name for the relatively short Ynnwn, even though he towered over the young enkidukai, until you saw what he used for defensive weapons. They weren?t really weapons, just little wooden stakes sharpened to a fine point and fastened to a thick strip of leather, which then slid over the Ynnwn?s hand and worked as claws.
?I dunno, ?e was sayin? sumthin? ?bout Talad callin? ?im to pu..pur..some ?p? word?tha city o? rats.?
Rhuarhii looked skeptical, Taladio had some weird days?but this as pretty strange; and it was enough to coax Taladio outside into the huge city. ?Rats??
?Yah. Rats. Dun ask me. Mebbe he got tired o? the bread we bring ?em every once in a while. Ah well, I?m off. Heard that tha Krileef home is gunna be empty tanight. Figgered I?d take a look.?
?Alright then, ?ave fun.? Rhuarhii turned from the red-skinned giant and crept into her own crate, curling up as tightly as she can before settling her mind to sleep. ?Ah really need to git a biggar crate?? This was her last thought before the Orphonian Back Street world would shatter about them, leaving her alone to pick up the pieces in a futile attempt to unveil reasons.
-
*drools* More!! Need more!
-
Her sleep was dreamless, as it always was, just a blackness of though before awakening to the night once more. A good thief sleeps during day and awakens at dusk; or at least those who thieved from unsuspecting citizen?s homes. But the soft sounds of struggle and words of defiance jarred her sleep during this day, marking it different from every other. Scrambling from her crate, she surveyed the scene with disbelieving wide eyes.
They were actually taking them captive. The guards, city guards who always turned a blind eye to their existence, were rounding up the youngsters brutally with the help of some nasty looking mercenary types. While the entire concept was intangible to Rhuarhii?s mind, her body reacted. She ran. Vaulting onto the roof, she fled blindly, seeking a sanctuary she knew wasn?t going to find. Orphonian Back Street was her sanctuary?
The guards were a little out of shape, unable to follow the enkidukai, however the hard trained bodies of the mercenaries were well accustomed to the climbing of the roof and the pursuit of the young thief. Adrenaline lent its amazing powers to the muscles of Rhuarhii, allowing her to leap further distances than she had ever done before.
But a body in good physic can assist not when the destination of escape is unknown. Slipping down the steep incline of a shingled roof, Rhuarhii landed heavily on the cobbled street, piercing pain shooting up her legs. Recovering out of necessity, she bounded down the steps into the Hydlaa plaza, stumbling through the cold water of the fountain and onward, leaping up the steps on the other side. The sounds picked up by her sensitive ears told her of the continued pursuit of her enemies.
Past the large urns of flame and through the impressive gateway of the huge iron temple, Rhuarhii knew not why she ran there, she had no beliefs of the Gods, but it was the only building she had never entered in her life-long stay in the city. Perhaps it contained the sanctum she so frantically searched for.
-
The only sounds in that empty iron temple were the heavy breath of her over-taxed body and the heavy step of her pursuer. Turning sharply to the left, her hand brushed against the wall on the turn, giving her a little boost of speed and maneuverability by using the power of the impact to her advantage.
A delayed shock of pain ran up her thigh as she clipped the edge of one of the pews on her mad rush towards the door at the opposite end of the large hall. Using hands and feet she bounded up the ladder two rungs at a time, her feet pounding against the wooden platforms in unison with the mercenaries following.
She ran down the long corridor that loomed over the open corridor she had just been fleeing through, her feet becoming more and more heavy with fatigue, her breath heavy and hurried. Her heart skipped as she neared the dead end of the corridor, her chaotic mind being thrown into a panic crazed state at being cornered. Whirling around to stare her two enemies in the face, she stepped back, the banister pressing into the small of her back.
The Ylians advanced slowly, catching their own breath, the triumphant look in their eyes stating the fact that both enkidukai and they themselves knew; they had won. ?Come now, stray. Yous got no where else to goes. Give it up, an? we won?t hurtcha.?
Turning her back to them, Rhuarhii gripped the pillar and stepped onto the banister, turning her face towards them. ?Ah think not. Ah?ve got no where else ta run, tis true, but Ah kin jump.? With a bitter sort of pride, she noted that her voice sounded a lot braver than she actually felt. She was having problems keeping her shaking knees holding her up.
?You?d die- yah can?t take much more o? this, stray.? The taller of the two mercenaries stepped forward, startling the enkidukai; who jumped. In truth, her legs chose to give out just then, Rhuarhii had no choice but to fall.
?What, pray tell, occureth here in the Sacred Temple of Laanx?? The new voice was strong and angry?but the enkidukai had other things to think about as she watched the polished temple floor rise to meet her.
-
*Grabs some popcorn* Keep going! :D :D
-
Sleep had always been a lack of being for Rhuarhii, an utter blackness that denied the existence of a single body or mind that made up her worldly form. It was a sort of peace for her, not being, so awakening from sleep was always a bit of an ordeal on her generally cheery mood. She returned from this bliss to a world of pain; the proof that Rhuarhii was Rhuarhii was in her aching muscles and sharp pain needling her shoulder.
?Ah, so finally ye awaken.? The voice seemed familiar, a soothing utterance that seemed to calm both her pain and her mind. Rhuarhii opened one eye hesitantly, rolling her gaze about the room trying to focus in on the speaker.
?Ye had best not right thyself, ye are sore wounded.?
Rhuarhii had indeed considered sitting up, but thought better of it as the slightest movement jarred her with agony. It finally clicked that the voice speaking now was the same that had spoken before she had fainted. ?Ah?m in tha temple, ain?t I? An? Ah?m alive. Did Ah break me arm or summin???
?Aye, and aye and aye again. Ye are here, the Dormitory of Novices of the Temple of Laanx. Ye dislocated thy left shoulder and thy right arm. Ye took quite a fall, m?lady. An? ye?d best remain still until thine body heals.?
?Hrmph. Ah?ll decide whot?s best fer me an whotnot. Bu? iffin yah wanna keep meh in bed fer now, yah shu?ld come o?er here so Ah kin see yer mug...? Rhuarhii would generally a bit more polite to pleasant-sounding people who apparently saved her from a nasty fate, but the pain and irritation at being bed-ridden was overriding her manners at this point.
The male made no audible comment on her irritable behavior, but complied to her abrupt request and moved over to the bed and peered down at her with probably the gentlest eyes Rhuarhii had ever seen.
He was a Ylian, but probably the most stately and beautiful Yliann that Rhuarhii had ever seen. His face was narrow, angular, with high cheekbones and a prominent forehead, his skin pale and smooth, like alabaster.
His eyes were large, framed with long lashes and flickering with energy in the lamplight of the small room. Tendrils of dark brown hair escaped the entrapment of the strips of cloth that withheld the majority of the straight silkiness from his face.
?Aye, now ye see me, m?lady. Now ye must sleep. Thy wounds will heal with more speed when thy mind is a rest.? The Ylian lifted a slender hand from his side and brushed the side of the enkidukai?s cheek, sending her once more into sleep that would last for several days.
((People can join in iffin yah want. ^.^ I dunno if I was clear on that point earlier. The next post or so will have Rhuarhii wandering about the Temple-ish..))
-
You should write a book or something :))
Please, go on.
-
((Okay, I can\'t resist. If you have any objections at all to my post, just say the word and I\'ll delete it. My writing style doesn\'t hold a candle to yours, so if you don\'t think it fits, just tell me.))
For the youthful, black-furred female, the Temple of Laanx offered sanctuary and peace. To the dissapointment (and irritation) of some of the clergy, however, her interests were not that of worship. Like many other Enkidukai of her age, Valfaran was an orphan. But, unlike her ill-fated brethren, she had found herself a quiet, warm, and clean place to live.
One might wonder why the Temple\'s guardians would allow such a vagabond to live within their walls; it was, after all, a place of worship, not a homeless shelter. The young Enkidukai grinned to herself as she sat against the cool stone wall, perched to survey the rows of pews below her favorite wrought-iron banister. None of them knew. They thought of her as merely a consistant worshiper of their god, who appeared inconspicously in the morning and dissappeared with equal stealthiness at night. No one ever noticed her coming or going; only her presence and absence. This was assisted by the fact that she never really did leave.
With a few clever cuts and the loosening of a few nails, Valfaran was able to make herself a little loft above the cloistered second floor of the Temple of Laanx. Thus, she was able to have a warm home of her own, with a spectacular view of Ylaikum only a short roof-climb away. Despite, this did not take away much from her hardships; foodof course, did not appear on her command, and she could work no respectable job in her tattered and dirty clothes. Stealing was a way of life for her, but, as the wealthy merchants were in control of much of the city\'s market, considered it retribution and did not let the constant theft bother her. A merchant-turned-politician had slain what little family she had, and drove her from her home, forcing her into such a life, so the greedy merchants were to pay, in some form or another. Although she was capable of more than mere stealing, her conscience and her father\'s words kept her from doing so.
Her daily routine consisted of little more than sitting in the Temple and contemplating things. Sometimes, she would venture to Jayose\'s library to learn what she could, and they treated her kindly there. Other times she would stalk around the city at dusk, when the merchants and sellers were closing up their stands and shops, and pilfer what she could in the lengthening shadows. Mostly, though, she sat and thought. The Temple was tranquil, clergy chantings creating a sonorous and almost sleepy background to the setting.
Thus, one could easily imagine what a shock it would be to be sitting silently, lost in thought, when a stranger, obviously being pursued, burst noisily into the chamber below. Immediately, Valfaran had been whipped from her daydreams back into reality, and had hastily scrambled up into her loft, and through the hatch to the roof where she could make the dangerous climb to the top of the Temple. It was there she sheltered herself for a few nights, watching the scene below her as orphans and vagabonds were being rounded up. Something told Valfaran that there was more behind this than merely wishing to \'clean up the streets\'.
She was even more surprised, upon return to the Temple, to hear that one of the clergymen was tending for the same vagabond stranger. The clergy whom she inquired to about the incident was surprised, for Valfaran did little and spoke even less. With a silent nod, the Enkidukai padded silently towards the dormitories, intent on eventually meeting this strange Enkidukai. Instead of entering the dormitories, however, she decided to settle herself upon a low marble pedestal outside the door. As the piece of stonemasonry was used for holding a large candle in certain ceremonies, the top was crusted with wax drops. Valfaran brushed these off as best she could and hoisted herself nimbly up, sitting cross-legged and prepared to wait as long as she must.
-
(Waaah! I love it! I would post \'n\' stuff, but I\'m currently traipsizing across the Colorado Rockies and have very little time to write anything. >.< I\'ll be back around the 16th or so, and I have a laptop already pages filled with fun fun Rhuarhii stuff...but that will be for a long while yet- sorry!! And I adore your stuff Valfaran!!)
-
(I love floppy disks. I made a friend sign on for another half hour- so I got ten minutes or so out of it to transfer this to disk \'n\' all. Thank you soooo much Valfaran! You have no idea how much I love your stuff! (I had been reading your stuff before I started my own RP board thing.) There\'s nothing like Colorado sunny rocks, inspiration, and a laptop. Hope you enjoy what\'s been written so far!)
Rhuarhii dreamed. It was not an unpleasant dream, but not altogether what one would consider memoriable. But for Rhuarhii, she who had never dreamt before, it was a marvel. It was, in itself, a strange dream; but when one took it on a whole with the recent events in the young Enkidukai\'s life, it was not so strange for her to feel as she did on the dreamscape.
Rhuarhii described it as being trapped, she was herself, as she could see her paws and tail, but the bars or walls of her cage were unseen, darker than the sky of thunder, yet not black. There was nothing that she could see or touch that held her, but restrained she was. Her mind panicked as she struggled against her tormentors.
Then she was suddenly blinded by a dazzling azure light that cut through the dark like a blazing knife. The ray of shimmering color flickered, struggling to displace the darkness, penetrating deeper and closer to Rhuarhii\'s dream self. Tiny droplets of darkness trickled down the gleam, leaving small trails of grey behind a halfcircle of utter dark.
Then the grey began to spread. It followed the darkness like hunter to hound, intertwined with the azure until the last remnent of light was but a pale shine. It spread still further, flooding the dark and enveloping Rhuarhii until she too was but shades of grey.
When she awoke, the memory of the dream dimmed, like most dreams, until it was forgotten but minutes after awakening. It was during those minutes that she reoriented herself on where she was and why. The room was dark, still shadows arose from the darkness, identifying themselves as outlines of furniture and the door.
So enrapt she was in her surroundings that she deigned to sit up, and found that she could not do so without much pain. A gasp escaped her lips as she fell back onto the pillow, eyes narrowed, face contorted in an expression of the wrenching pain surging through her.
A door opened and a narrow face peered around the edge at her. \"Are ye awakened, miss? Caet wished me to check in on ye.\" The youth inquired, his voice not yet deep with adolescence.
?Aye, Ah am. Bu\' Ah wish Ah weren\'t. \'Ow long \'ave Ah slept? Et seems like ages ta meh.\" The pain had subsided as Rhuarhii resigned herself to sitting still, but her voice was still laced with effort.
\"Ye have slept long, a month and two days-\"
\"Yer joshin\' me, yah ly\'n rat. \'Ow coul\' Ah \'ave possibly slept fer a month \'n\' two days, eh? Tha most Ah\'ve eva \'eard o\' sleeping is three days. A month is downraght imposs\'ble. So quit ly\'n \'n\' tell me straight.\"
\"I would that ye would nae yell at yon apprentice, m\'lady. For he speaks truth.\" The Ylian from before opened the door fully and stepped into the room. \"Thy unnatural sleep was due to mine draught which heals thy bones and body quickly.\" He crossed the room and cupped a hand about one of the candle lanterns, uttered a word, and a small flame erupted on the wick. The youth had already dismissed himself with the priest\'s arrival.
\"Ah dun think et worked, beggin\' yer pardon, Ah cannae move wit\'out pain- An\' yer a magic user!\" Rhuarhii replied, her last sentence more of a question than a conclusion.
\"By the power of the mighty Laanx, aye.\" The Ylian crossed towards her and sat on the edge of her bed. \"Do ye wish to learn the secrets of Laanx\'s power, m\'lady?\"
Rhuarhii stared wide-eyed at the Ylian priest. Learning magic always required vasts amount of money, not to mention a rank in life she did not have. He was offering her a fortune. \"Ah..Ah\'d be most in ye- thy debt, iffin yah please...\" The priest smiled, and Rhuarhii felt as if she would do anything to please him, just to glimpse that smile. \"Bu\', well, Ah need to find out wha\' happened to meh brethren..\" She watched as the smile on his face froze, it no longer was sincere, but a mask.
\"I would have that ye would forget thy unfortunate past, m\'lady. But we will speak of that later, ye cannae venture outside for a while yet, but come, I shall assist ye to the breakfast hall so that ye may fill thy stomach.\"
Rhuarhii felt reprimanded, and it upset her, yet a little part of her rebelled that she should obey this priest without question. \'Bu\' \'e did save meh, so Ah\'m jess bein\' ungrateful..\" She thought to herself, while nodding in agreement with the Ylian.
\"Take mine hand, m\'lady, I shall sooth the first use of thy muscles in a very long while.\" Rhuarhii reached out and grasped the man\'s hand, feeling a warmth seeping into the pain and dulling it. It was in this fashion that Rhuarhii slide her feet out from the bed and stood, discovering that she was wearing a long pale yellow robe, and not her old clothes. She started to pull her hand away from the priest\'s, but he held it firm.
\"Where are meh clothes?\" Rhuarhii demanded, looking sharply up at him, and regretting it as a flash of pain crimped her neck. \"I had them burned. They were not suitable for such a fair young lady.\"
Rhuarhii felt another pang of regret that she had upset the priest, but continued to question. \"And meh things? What of them?\"
\"Ye will have no use for such things, m\'lady. Now come, let us go eat, and I shall answer all thy questions later.\"
-
(Boy, what I wouldn\'t give to be where you are right now! I\'ve been to Colorado only once before, and what I saw of it was awe-inspiring. My sister and I went horseback riding up a mountain in Silverthorne, where my mother\'s boss has a summer home. There\'s no need to thank me for joining a roleplay board...I was actually a bit apprehensive to join this board because I didn\'t think my writing is up to par with yours. I\'m sure I\'m not the first to say this to you, but you certainly have a way with words!)
-
(Bwuahaha! I have access to a computer!! A 48k modem...but..it\'s better than nothing, and it\'s all mine for a few days at least. And I loooove Colorado. ^.^ Anywhoo- I really adore your writing- I was reading Valfaran\'s story before I joined the RP forums here at Planeshift- and I don\'t really think I\'m all that great. But I suppose all writers say that. ^.^ Here\'s some more of the story- a chance for Rhuarhii to meet Valfaran! Wh00+!!)
Caet, the priest?s name as Rhuarhii had gathered, led her out into the dimlit hall. She clutched the Ylian?s hand tighter, feeling oppressed by the shadows. It was during then, that bordering terrified glance about the darkened hall, that Rhuarhii caught sight of the huddled figure on the pedistal. Curiosity bade her draw nearer, but Caet had other plans for his charge.
?Come, m?lady. There will be time enough for thy exploration.?
With a firm hand, he steered the enkidukai out of the dormitory hall and further away from the darkened shape, and turning her back on it caused the back of her neck to bristle with anticipation. She dared not glance back, however, for fear of upsetting her benefactor.
It was many hours before Rhuarhii managed to escape the monotonous introductions, lectures, and religious rantings and limp her way back up the ladder and down the corridor to where she had fallen from the banister.
?By rights Ah shoul? be dead?? She muttered to herself, watching the worship of Laanx occuring below her without interest. ?Or Ah differen? an? even worse fate..? Her voice was soft, hardly audible above the religious chants.
?Rhuarhii? Rhuarhii!? Caet?s voice filtered from down the long hall, and the enkidukai turned towards him as he approached. ?Roight ?ere, Caet.?
?Do not venture far from mine side, Rhuarhii. I, not the temple, offer ye sanctuary. Many would easily enter these sacred walls to retrieve ye for their original purposes.? The robed priest held out his slender hand toward Rhuarhii. ?Come, I have yet to show ye the inner sanctum that leads to the Labrynth. There, we shall begin thy training.?
Rhuarhii nodded, and took the Caet?s smooth unworked hand, now used to the dulling of her pains as she did so. ?What shall I train, Caet?? She queried as they turned and walked towards the ladder leading down.
?It is not proper for a student to address their master as such. If ye shall be mine student, I am to be addressed as Master Caet. And ye shall learn of Azure magic, in time. But before that time, ye must have bestowed upon thee the novice robe of the Temple.?
Rhuarhii stopped short, her hand jerking from the Caet?s grasp.
?Tha temple? Ah neva said Ah wanted ta be part o? no religion. Ah really coul? care less ?bout yer Laanxy God! Thank ye, ?n? all, buh-?
Caet?s hand tightened and he looked down at the enkidukai, and she could see a flash of raw anger reflect from the depths of his thought. ?I will forgive thee for slandering Laanx, but pray to do repeat it. Now, ye must be tired. It is late, get some sleep.?
And Rhuarhii went.
(Reply soooooon!! Your posts are my inspiration!)
-
Indeed, waiting had never been a problem for Valfaran. To her, time was judged more by her stomach than by the cycling of the Azure Sun; finding food enough to sustain herself was the only thing that became any sort of scheduled priority. Despite this, it took a far longer time for any appearance of the stranger than she had expected. What brief respites from her post she took were always anxious; Valfaran did not know why. Something about the fact that the clergy were harboring a vagabond, or perhaps the way that they whispered amongst themselves whenever they walked past the dormitories where the stranger was harbored. Or maybe it was something else.
On one of her food visits, Valfaran had been surprised to see a sharp decline in the amount of ragged and hungry people wandering the streets. One of the few that was left recognized the sable Enkidukai and approached her as quickly and frantically as his hunched form would allow. \"Vhaddaya doink here, theyse goinks ta take ya avay!?\" Still the silent type, Valfaran only looked at the ragged old Diaboli quizically, but she already had an idea as to what he might mean. The stranger in Laanx Temple was undoubtedly connected.
\"Deys is roundink ups all us homelesses! Youse lookink likes ya one, das fer sher!\" he croaked, grabbing att the Enkidukai\'s ragged and dirty clothes. She looked down at herself, acknowledging the fact that she did indeed look like a beggar. With a grateful nod and a small smile, she handed him the chunk of crusty bread she had most recently procured and padded dutifully off towards the tailor\'s shoppe.
Head bowed and hands clutched behind her back, Valfaran strode once again into the Temple. Her fur was neatly brushed and shone dimly, and she sported a new set of canvas knee-length trousers and a cotton shirt. The templegoers hardly gave her a passing glance, however, and she returned once again to her post at the dormitory entrance.
Only hours later, she was rewarded. A priest exited the dormitory, followed by a female Enkidukai whom Valfaran had never seen before. She did not meet the gaze of this stranger, but instead lowered her eyes as the other passed, only looking up once the pair was a distance down the hall. Knowing somewhat the manner of this particular priest, the Enkidukai decided to leave her perch and retire to the secret loft.
Sounds of the priest\'s low voice echoed up to her nook from time to time. Valfaran knew she would not want to meet the stranger while Caet was with her. Huddling down, she slept, only to return once again to her post at dawn.
-
It was at dawn that Rhuarhii awoke, what had caused her to do so at what she considered an ungodly hour of the day, she did not know.
But awaken she did, and could not force herself to return to slumber. She felt uneasy, as if something was amiss. \"Jess muh \'magination. Calm dun Rhuarhii. Ah\'ll go take a walk \'n\' git a breath o\' fresh air, mayhap that\'ll \'elp.\"
The enkidukai stood, dressed herself in the soft yellow robes supplied to her for her use alone, and set about cleaning the shallow groove of her claws.
\'Rhuarhii coul\' beh wa\'owing in mud, long as \'er claws were clean.\'
That\'s at least what her brethren sai...Rhuarhii stopped, then stepped lightly towards the door, opening it to the slightest crack and peering out.
The dormitory hall was empty. Most of the novices were already awake and preforming various ceremonies or praying to their Laanx, so Rhuarhii was at liberty. Liberty to find out what the hell was happening in this city...
Snatching the silken plaited belt, she fumbled with the slippery rope, attempting to tie it with a decent square knot.
Hissing with frustration, her nimble fingers finally looped the belt around her narrow waist, and pulling up the yellow hood over her head to shade her eyes, the enkidukai opened the door just enough to silently slip between it and the doorframe and out into the hall.
Rhuarhii froze, and stared...the hall was not empty after all.
(Enter Valfaran! ^.^)
-
(You can check out a dead RP I had with someone a while back on this board if you want to read more of my stuff. It\'s shorter posts, simpler, less developed. And if you really like my stuff, you can read the first five chapters of my craptacular non-PS story. That\'s the old version, however; I\'m totally revamping it. The original version has no direction. RP Clean Cup (http://planeshift.oodlz.com/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=2513&boardid=15&styleid=3) Dagora Khelian (http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/libr/a/e/aeryndrake/aeryndrake.html) )
For once, Valfaran was discontented to merely sit and think. She dug absent-mindedly at a chunk of wax with a claw, drawing the flowing symbols of a strange tongue her father had taught her. Often, the Enkidukai glanced about nervously, rubbing the pommels of her two short swords. The priests did not favor the possesion of weapons inside their temple, so Valfaran was running quite a risk. But something told her she might need them.
Not to say that this stranger would be a threat; she did not even know of deeds past done by the silent temple-goer, let alone would she feel the need for reprimanding Valfaran for them. Or would she? These mysteries plagued the sable-furred Enkidukai. However, they were not as hard to answer as the underlying question: why was it Valfaran felt the need to worry at all?
She figured it was a question best left unanswered. After all, she had trusted her instincts countless times before, and they had thus far not failed her... at least not terribly.
As she reviewed her random scrawlings in the wax, Valfaran grew tense. The words meant something, spoke a cryptic message she herself had unconsciously written. Before she could contemplate its meaning, however, a light whooshing noise cut through the hall\'s thick silence. Rigid, she let only her eyes stray to the door adjacent to her, and the figure which had just crossed its threshold.
Frozen, the stranger seemed surprised by the presence of another being. Feeling it was appropriate to make the first move, Valfaran turned her head slowly to meet the stranger\'s staring gaze. She narrowed her eyes in an inquring fashion, but the question was a more broad one than merely \'What are you doing here?\' Radiating something like a brooding serenity, the sable Enkidukai blinked twice slowly and said nothing.
-
((Iffin you don\'t like how I\'ve somewhat portrayed yer char, just tell me and I can edit. ^.^ But I think I did alright. Feel free to take the same liberations with Rhuarhii if you so desire.))
The hall was utterly quiet, an absence of noise that was thick with the silent testing of one enkidukai to the other.
Narrowed, inquisitive eyes opposing wide, untrusting ones. Then the silence\'s reign fell as the untrusting one stepped towards the other, a semi-sweet smile crossing her countanence.
\"\'Ro-er, Good evening.\" Rhuarhii had hoped that she would be able to trick the other into believing that she was just another novice, but the level gaze of the enkidukai led her to aknowledge that such trickery as this was futile.
\"Ah was jess goin\' ta tha inner sanctuary fer meh classess with Ca..Master Caet.\" It sounded plausible enough. \"Yer...Ah thought Ah was tha only enkidukai in tha temple..Ah\'m not sure whether ta be pleased \'r put out that Ah ain\'t.\" She laughed softly, rather falsetto, and nervously. She did not like this encounter; it put her usually calm nerves on edge.
Her sharp eyes flickered down the crouched form of Valfaran, the dim light of dawn highlighting very little of the darkened fur, but clearly reflecting off the rounded pummels of the blades at her side.
\"Uh..yer not Ah temple-goer, are yahs?\" Rhuarhii\'s hands slipped into the sleeves of her robe, fumbling with the tiny dagger she had kidnapped from the dinner table; a crude thing that barely served it\'s purpose, but Rhuarhii felt some comfort in being armed.
-
((Nah, you\'ve done a wonderful job...I think you catch Valfaran\'s personality quite well. Sorry I didn\'t post earlier, I\'ve had quite the busy weekend. On Saturday, I spent all day cleaning for the graduation party I had on Sunday, and yesterday, I went on a trip to Six Flags with the band. The party was for me (8th grade promotion) and my big brother (he graduated from college and got a new job.))
-
(Wow! You -have- been busy! Take your time, I\'m getting shuffled around because me cousin is gittin\' married, so Ah\'ll be busy a bit for a while as well. ^.^)
-
Though nervous, Valfaran maintained well her facade of calm inquiry. She was somewhat surprised at the Enkidukai\'s words and approach, and merely nodded in response to the greeting. However, the other\'s explaination as to where she was going evoked a bit of amusement in the sable creature, as most others required words to be spoken for them to understand. Yet, the only outward sign of this was a slight humorous glint to her eyes.
Silently, she took a moment to absorb the stranger\'s words. It struck Valfaran as odd that Caet would be teaching this former vagabond; not that his personality necassarily disallowed it, but rather that it was not a thing often done by the clergy of the Temple.
Valfaran leapt down from the pedestal nimbly, as if in response to the other Enkidukai\'s last question. Her next actions were on instinct rather than well thought out, and she wondered if she would later regret them.
With a flourish, Valfaran drew her twin short swords and twirled them at her sides, bringing them to rest crossed over her chest. She then placed one foot in front of the other and bent at the waist, giving an elegant warrior\'s bow. After a momentary pause, she lowered her arms to her sides and straightened up, but did not sheath her blades.
\"Valfaran of the Shadows, Advocate of the True Sun and Prisoner of the Azure Claw.\"
She spoke the last few words with some contempt, but her face still stoic, devoid of emotion. This did not at all mean she was without emotion, however; something radiated from her, dormant and unpredictable, not unlike the inner fire of a sleeping volcano.
Despite, something else shone through in her voice: a certain faint tremolo, inaudible to a lazy ear. With this introduction, she had divulged not only her name, but the fact that she was not a worshipper of Laanx, making her somewhat of a tresspasser to the Temple.
-
Rhuarhii took an involuntary step back as Valfaran leapt down gracefully, going through the ritualistic movements of a warrior\'s introduction- something that startled the other more than she would allow the sable enkidukai to aknowledge.
Being an enkidukai, as well as a nightstalker by trade, Rhuarhii\'s ears were sharp, and had indeed caught a slight...something, that made Rhuarhii feel slightly more secure in her brash manner.
Quickly recovering face, Rhuarhii bowed at the waist, flourishing her paw as if holding a hat, and rose again, one eyebrow raised mockingly.
\"Rhuarhii tha\' Vagrant. Advi\'cate o\' thieves an\' vagabonds, pris\'ner o\' tha\' Temple.\"
\"Ar\' yah sure ye kin handle them blades, Valf\'ran, ye look a bit young ta be a mercenary. Bu\' Ah give ye full marks fer bravery, mos\' dun set foot in tha temple armed, much less them that dun\' worship.\"
She was continuing in her testing Valfaran, tentative yet firm, pushing the conversation slowly to discover the depth of the enkidukai\'s limits; perhaps not the best thing to do when faced with two wicked looking blades.
-
Valfaran expected the step backwards at her approach, and even the cordial bow in response to her greeting. What surprised her, however, was the fact that this stranger responded with a bow and similar introduction.
Silently, she took a moment to look Rhuarhii up and down, measuring her stature against her given title. It seemed fitting, so it was not likely that the unfamiliar Enkidukai was lying; but a prisoner of the temple? That struck Valfaran as odd. For what terrible reasons would the clergy hold a rankless vagabond prisoner? They were not likely on the side of those who had previously pursued Rhuarhii, otherwise they would not treat her as a novice.
Through all these puzzled thoughts, the last few sentences spoken by Rhuarhii were barely heard by the sable Enkidkuai. When they did sink in, Valfaran lifted her eyebrows slightly in surprised and somewhat cynical amusement, and sheathed her blades with a quick twirl of the wrists.
\"A mercenary I am not, but it would be unwise to doubt my experience.\"
While speaking these words, Valfaran fixed Rhuarhii with a strange gaze, with eyes full of the sort of wisdom forced upon one by circumstance rather than choice.
-
Rhuarhii was shorter than Valfaran, who seemed just a touch taller than most enkiduaki, and for most, this would have been a very imposing scene, being stared down by an apparently blood-hardened warrior who was a lot more skilled.
Rhuarhii held the enkidukai\'s cold gaze for several moments, a tribute to her pride and, however brash, bravery. But in the end, the enkidukai broke the glance and looked the other up and down.
\"Ah\'m glad ya ain\'t no mercenary. Ah was not question\'n yahs as much as Ah was testin\' yahs. An\' fer tha mos\' part, Ah\'d say yah passed.\" Rhuarhii held out her hand in a friendly matter; well, minus the tiny blade clenched by whitened knuckles.
\"Whoops! Wrong \'and!\" Rhuarhii quickly retracted the hand, dropping the small kitchen knife back into the bell sleeve of her robe, and held it out once more, a disarming grin on her face.
-
((It will probably be a few days before I can post again, (unless by some miracle I get a chance tomorrow) since I\'m going to be driving across country once more, and I\'ll have very limited access to a computer, much less the internet. >.< When I get back home, (Maybe the 9th or tenth?) it will take a day or so to get settled back in...I\'ll try to peek on the board and post when I can, however. It\'s on the high-priority list. ^.^
So go ahead and play with Rhuarhii how ever you want, I\'m not paranoid about anyone screwing up her behavior/personality stuff, since I haven\'t really developed her. You can adopt her as your own char for the next few days if you want, and I can pick up where you leave off. ))
-
(Home not-so-sweet home! Waah! I return to find my computer infested with my sister\'s MP3 files, and that I have a new SONY Multiscan15sf monitor...a touch larger than my eeevil forgotwhatitwasitwassoold- and it doesn\'t have a rounded screen, and the color is a bit nicer...which means happier graphics! *yay!* Anywhoo- in short, I have returned, hopefully for a while.)
-
(Sorry for the delay in my response...summer school just started, along with another series of unfortunate events. I\'m sorry about your sister\'s MP3\'s, they are a tragic waste of hard drive memory ;( :D But the new monitor seems like good compensation.)
If not for the possible consequences, Valfaran might have backed down in respect for the Rhuarhii\'s resolve. Before she could get past her hesitation, however, the other Enkidukai broke her gaze and spoke once again.
Valfaran found it strange to once again hear the voice of another of the cat-folk. This one almost reminded her of one she knew in her old village, with a slightly similar speech inflection. The sable Enkidukai was surprised that Rhuarhii admitted the fact that she was testing, and was doubly so when the otherwise benignly proffered hand was revealed to be clutching a crude blade.
Taking an involuntary step back, Valfaran\'s hand gripped the hilt of her right-hand blade, Kith\'neo, while her other hand hovered readily over her left-hand blade, Kith\'nek. \"Wrong hand indeed,\" came the somewhat cynical reply. There had been something strange about this Enkidukai; Valfaran\'s first instinct was distrust. On the other hand, she thought, would I not do the same in such a postition? Another part of the sable female was beginning to take a liking to this stranger, if not somewhat grudgingly against her instinctive nature.
With a short sigh, Valfaran forced herself to relax, and crossed her arms decisively. \"I cannot say I trust you,\" she murmured, \"but the enemy, you are not, I am sure.\" After a pause, she clasped Rhuarhii\'s outstretched hand, and though her mouth did not move, there was a certain amount of respect in her eyes and the way she set her jaw. \"I offer you my assistance in whatever your endeavors may be.\"
-
((I\'m sooooo sorry for not replying soon! In short, I managed to go through a glass door and now have eight stitches in my arm, in short, typing was banned for at least a day or two. (I am now typing \"illegaly\") Hopefully all will settle soon.))
While the enkidukai spoke, Rhuarhii\'s eyes watched Valfaran\'s hands linger on the pommels of her blades, but made no motion or speech indicating that she was doing so other than the quick glance.
\"Aye, yahs a smart u\'n, neither do Ah, trus\' muhself, tha\' is. An\' iffin yah tru\'lee are ta assist meh in whoteva Ah choose ta endevah in..\" She paused, her eyes once more flicking down to the blades, then up at the other\'s garb.
\"Ah\'ve a\'ready got a request. Firs\' off, Ah want ta git me some decent clothin\' an git out on tha streets- where Ah kin figger out whot tha in Laanx\'s arse is goin\' on \'round \'ere.\" Rhuarhii tugged at the huge sleeves of her robes, staring down at the soft yellow fabric in dismay.
\"Bu\' Ah want this ta go real quiet li\'e, see? Ah fancy \'angin\' \'round fer a bit more, simply so Ah kin git free bed\'n\' board. No ta mention an eddycation in tha Arts o\' magic.\"
Upon her countanence a slow, slightly wicked and fully mischevious grin drew across her face, as curtain on stage, and one bright eye winked impishly.
\"As one Enkidukai to another, are yah in fer \'elpin\' meh?\"
-
((Rah! I can type now. ^.^ The pain is minimal, and so all is good- and typing is fine. ^.^ Hope to see you post soon!))
-
((I beg of you forgiveness for my lengthy absence! But, alas, I have been grounded off the computer for these many weeks!))
Mischief glittering brightly in her slightly narrowed eyes, Valfaran pulled down the corners of her mouth in the most subtle of grins. \"I\'ll help you. Just follow me.\"
Taking a quick glance down the hall, she made her way for the stairwell, not bothering to check whether the other was following or not. Padding quietly down the upper hall, Valfaran stopped abruptly in front of a bare wall and withdrew a slim, hooked metal bar from a pouch at her side. She placed it between her teeth and grabbed the nearest rafter, swinging herself up with practiced ease. With only a moments hesitation, she glanced briefly downwards and slipped the bar between two warped wallboards in front of her. Turning it ninety degrees, she tugged on the tool gently and a part of the wooden wall section swung slightly out towards the enkidukai from the bottom, then back inwards, revealing a hidden chamber in the space between the roof and the main building.
\"Laanx\'s followers had the right ideas, but they weren\'t the greatest architects. There are all sorts of gaps and hidden rooms that were closed off because they weren\'t part of the main design of the building,\" she explained. The small space was cozy and well lived-in, though one needed to bend over slightly to keep from hitting one\'s head on the low ceiling. A rush mat, a small table, and a wooden chest provided bare furnishings. Strewn about and pinned to the walls, however, were numerous maps of different places, mostly of the Labyrinth, some signed Quelnao at the bottom, others signed with Valfaran\'s own name.
With a sigh, she turned to see if the other Enkidukai had even followed. There was no turning back now.