Post by Fayerin on Oct 30, 2013 22:47:46 GMT -5
In one who had only just learned how to walk properly, dancing was a prospect entirely new and thoroughly difficult. Not that it stopped her of course, granted her version of dancing consisted of awkward bouncing in place to the hauntingly beautiful elvish music that permeated the air. Her father laughed at her attempts, but encouraged her to keep trying her best. It was a celebration of the returning of spring and all of the inhabitants of the peaceful elven settlement were encouraged to join the festivities. From fine elven wines, to delicious cuisine, to the song and dance, there was no end of activities to join in upon.
It was not unheard of for travelers and nearby farm folk to join in the revelries when they came under way. There was not a second thought given to the group that arrived amongst the giddy elves that fateful day, not until the first blade was drawn and sheathed within the flesh of a young elven lass. The air quickly filled with the metallic tang of blood, laughter quickly turning to screams.
Her father scooped her up and hurriedly handed her off to her mother, urging them to run. Her last vision of him was of a black mist that rent his innards inside out into a bloody heap of bones upon the ground, her tiny eyes peering over the shoulder of her mother as the elven woman fled. She felt her mother jerk to a halt, the world spinning as the woman turned quickly on heel. A tendril of mist brushed across the child's face at eye level, leaving a searing burn in its wake, and as the world began to turn dark her last vision was of her mother covering her tiny body with her own, screaming in agony as whorls of the woman's flesh peeled away from the muscle and sinew.
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Avarel woke in a cold sweat, met with the ever pervasive darkness that had become her life. Whatever the dark magic it was the mage wield, it had robbed her of her sight in a way that even their best healers could neither understand nor repair.
She threw the bed covers off of herself, rising to splash some of the cool water from the hand basin upon her face before she headed downstairs to the tavern's main room. She breathed in the sweet scent of the wood burning in the fireplace, mingling with the spice of herbs and roasting meat in the kitchen, the abrupt tang of the bar's many drinks and the hint of pine and sweetflower she had come to know.
"Lady Avarel, is all well? You're up quite late," the owner of the scent spoke. The young captain had become quickly besotted with their first meeting. She had already been forced to speak with him once about coddling her.
"By all means, the night is still quite young. I had far too much on my mind for sleep and decided that perhaps a nightcap to quiet my thoughts was in need of," Avarel replied, brushing off his concerns as she seated herself at the table. The bar had quieted quite a bit from earlier, though the distinct buzz of conversation among the late night patrons still met her sensitive ears.
"Mulled wine," the captain called out to the serving girl behind the bar before turning his attention back to the young elf maiden. She really was quite a beautiful creature, even more so now that her silky hair hung in soft curls over her shoulders, free of that immaculate braid she preferred to keep it in. Even the milky white of her sightless eyes, unnerving as they had first been to gaze upon, were alluring in their own way. Inexperienced to the world and knowing only a few elves of the male persuasion, she was as a goddess to the young man.
"Captain... stop staring," Avarel said, a hint of displeasure at his lack of manners crossing her face.
"Yes m'lady, sorry..." The captain muttered, quickly glancing down to the table. Even though she was blind, she always seemed to know exactly what he was doing. It was frustrating in a way, but he would still miss her sorely once her station at the farming village had ended.
She thanked the serving girl as the glass of wine was set before her, picking the glass up and swirling its contents to stir up the spicy and heady aroma of the wine. She decided that it was time for her to request a leave of absence in order to pursue the demons of her past in her ever consuming quest of revenge against the black mage and the cult that had ravaged her village and murdered her people so many years ago. The only difficulty she faced so far is where she could start in search of information about that fateful day and how she might come to find out about the mage and his whereabouts, if he even still lived.
It was not unheard of for travelers and nearby farm folk to join in the revelries when they came under way. There was not a second thought given to the group that arrived amongst the giddy elves that fateful day, not until the first blade was drawn and sheathed within the flesh of a young elven lass. The air quickly filled with the metallic tang of blood, laughter quickly turning to screams.
Her father scooped her up and hurriedly handed her off to her mother, urging them to run. Her last vision of him was of a black mist that rent his innards inside out into a bloody heap of bones upon the ground, her tiny eyes peering over the shoulder of her mother as the elven woman fled. She felt her mother jerk to a halt, the world spinning as the woman turned quickly on heel. A tendril of mist brushed across the child's face at eye level, leaving a searing burn in its wake, and as the world began to turn dark her last vision was of her mother covering her tiny body with her own, screaming in agony as whorls of the woman's flesh peeled away from the muscle and sinew.
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Avarel woke in a cold sweat, met with the ever pervasive darkness that had become her life. Whatever the dark magic it was the mage wield, it had robbed her of her sight in a way that even their best healers could neither understand nor repair.
She threw the bed covers off of herself, rising to splash some of the cool water from the hand basin upon her face before she headed downstairs to the tavern's main room. She breathed in the sweet scent of the wood burning in the fireplace, mingling with the spice of herbs and roasting meat in the kitchen, the abrupt tang of the bar's many drinks and the hint of pine and sweetflower she had come to know.
"Lady Avarel, is all well? You're up quite late," the owner of the scent spoke. The young captain had become quickly besotted with their first meeting. She had already been forced to speak with him once about coddling her.
"By all means, the night is still quite young. I had far too much on my mind for sleep and decided that perhaps a nightcap to quiet my thoughts was in need of," Avarel replied, brushing off his concerns as she seated herself at the table. The bar had quieted quite a bit from earlier, though the distinct buzz of conversation among the late night patrons still met her sensitive ears.
"Mulled wine," the captain called out to the serving girl behind the bar before turning his attention back to the young elf maiden. She really was quite a beautiful creature, even more so now that her silky hair hung in soft curls over her shoulders, free of that immaculate braid she preferred to keep it in. Even the milky white of her sightless eyes, unnerving as they had first been to gaze upon, were alluring in their own way. Inexperienced to the world and knowing only a few elves of the male persuasion, she was as a goddess to the young man.
"Captain... stop staring," Avarel said, a hint of displeasure at his lack of manners crossing her face.
"Yes m'lady, sorry..." The captain muttered, quickly glancing down to the table. Even though she was blind, she always seemed to know exactly what he was doing. It was frustrating in a way, but he would still miss her sorely once her station at the farming village had ended.
She thanked the serving girl as the glass of wine was set before her, picking the glass up and swirling its contents to stir up the spicy and heady aroma of the wine. She decided that it was time for her to request a leave of absence in order to pursue the demons of her past in her ever consuming quest of revenge against the black mage and the cult that had ravaged her village and murdered her people so many years ago. The only difficulty she faced so far is where she could start in search of information about that fateful day and how she might come to find out about the mage and his whereabouts, if he even still lived.