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Aaralyn nodded, already trying to figure out a plan in the back of her mind. When Jaruk offered her food, she couldn't help but chuckle. "I appreciate the offer, but no thank you. The plants give me all the nourishment that I need whenever I need it." Aaralyn watched him with a curious smile on her face, tilting her head to the side slightly. A lock of silver-blue hair fell in her face, but she quickly reached up and tucked it behind her long ear. "The stories that I've heard seem to have missed their mark a little bit." She commented quietly, recalling all of the frightening tales she was told of orcs as a child. Jaruk was so kind, though, so she couldn't really take the stories to heart anymore. Then she realized that he had called her "princess", and she frowned slightly. "You don't have to call me that. You can just call me Aaralyn, if you wish."
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Jaruk had procured what seemed to be a small portion of rations. Though he was willing to share, he was a bit glad he didn't have to. He seldom carried more than he needed to and that often meant only enough for himself. He glanced to her and a soft chuckle escaped his lips as he noticed her frown. "I had the feeling you'd say something like that. Aaralyn it is then." He said with a small nod as he began eating a bit. He made sure his mouth wasn't full before he addressed her previous statement as well. "Unfortunately, I must warn you against thinking all Orcs are as kind as I." It was a sad truth, but a truth none the less. He seemed to let out a soft sigh before speaking again, seeming a bit older than he looked. "My people tend to be a bit brutish. Not all of these scars I have are voluntary. Some were caused by the family I grew up with. It's what happens when you cannot pull your own weight." His gaze fell to the floor at his feet and his scratched his head lightly before continuing. "I myself am only half-Orc. The other part of me is Celestial." He said this casually, as if it were an everyday thing, though even he himself thought it an odd combination at times. "I've spent my time at a church, which is why I tend do be so docile." He said with a nod as he looked back up at her, his different colored eyes regaining their earlier warmth. "I shall not bore you with many details though. Just be careful if you do happen to run into an Orc. I wouldn't want you to get hurt because you assumed we are all kind and selfless."
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Aaralyn's eyes widened a bit in surprise. She was more surprised that his other half was celestial, not that he was a half-breed. She figured as much, since he didn't look too much like what she had pictured with the discriptions she had been given with the stories. "I see..." She mumbled thoughtfully. She blinked as suddenly she heard a familiar voice outside, and she rolled her eyes and groaned. She got up off the bed and went swiftly over to the window. She peeked through the curtains to see the three elven warriors in the middle of the street. The main one, whom was a bit more decorated, was cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice as he yelled. "Please, has anyone seen an elven girl with light blue hair and eyes!? She carries a bow and arrows and a black sword! I am Lianos, and she is Aaralyn, my fiancee! Please, I must find her!" "Hmph!" She glared at Lianos as she peeked through the curtains. She let the curtains fall back to place and sighed as she crossed the room and sat back down on the bed. "I will never marry you." She muttered stubbornly.
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Jaruk only paused briefly in his eating to watch Aaralyn stroll to the window. It wasn't hard to tell who the voice belonged to. It was the same arrogant tone that he'd heard at the entrance to the town. "Lianos..." He said the name softly to himself in order to remember it. He had the feeling there would still be another run in with that one as long as he remained with Aaralyn. He wasn't too surprised to find out that he was her betrothed, but even less surprised by the young elf's muttering as she reclaimed her seat on the bed. "Was he the reason you left your home?..." The question came a bit suddenly, even to himself. The lady's life was her own and he wouldn't pry at anymore information than she was willing to give, but he couldn't help but ask.
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Aaralyn looked up at Jaruk, and then smiled sheepishly. "I suppose you found me out." She admitted, chuckling. "Yes. He is the reason. My parents arranged it without my knowing. As soon as I found out that I was betrothed to that brutish-" She hesitated as her temper was starting to get the better of her, and took a breath. "Well, as soon as I found out, I decided I didn't want to be a princess anymore. I wanted excitement and adventure like I'd heard in the stories I was told as a child." Aaralyn's ice-blue eyes lit up in excitement. "I've never been out of the forest until now."
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It sounded like a familiar tale as Jaruk listened to Aaralyn's plight. Being forced to marry someone you did not care for was something he assumed most people would not willingly agree to. It was no surprise that she would run from this fate. Had he been in her shoes, he probably would have done the same. "That would explain quite a bit then..." Before he'd spoken, the food he'd been eaten had all, but disappeared into the confines of his stomach. "Traveling can be an enlightening experience, though it can also be very dangerous, Aaralyn. You shouldn't take 'adventure' lightly." He didn't wish to scare the girl from her dreams of exciting adventures, but the thought of a princess who had never seen the outside world traveling on her own, was a bit unsettling to him. "It sounds like you may need more help than I had initially thought." Disposing of the remains of his dinner, Jaruk scratched his head lightly, trying to find a solution to this predicament he was now faced with.
He couldn't very well leave the girl on her own now that he knew her situation. Even with a good amount of luck a girl with no experience in this world might be easily manipulated or taken advantage of. Not to mention maybe injured or killed. He knew that she didn't wish to return home, so he wouldn't ask her to, but he wouldn't be able to leave her side knowing that he did nothing to help her. "If you don't mind, I'd like to travel with you. I know you don't wish to impose on me anymore, but you will need some sort of guide if this truly is the first time you've left your home." |
{OMG, I am soooo sorry ^^" This won't happen again!}
"Ah," Mejimi nodded knowingly. It was always a pain to be scolded or cautioned by someone, but Tarra was right, she should have been more careful. "Thank you Tarra," she stepped closer, letting the warmth of the fire embrace her. Sitting down across from the fellow celestial, she pulled out a small block of cheese from the folds of her kimono. "Want some?" she Mejimi asked, breaking off a chunk for herself and a second for Tarra if she wanted one. Looking at Dyne with distaste, Oki turned to leave before a thought struck him. No one ever came up to him, not unless it was a monk trying to exercise him. Glancing back at him, Oki didn't think he could be a monk or a priest. He looked more like a pirate, so then why was he talking to him? Offering him food? Facing Dyne once more, he took the half of bread. "Thanks," he muttered, the warmth of the bread pleasing. "What brings you here?" he asked, knowing that the best way to understand what Dyne was planning to do was to start a conversation. |
Aaralyn smirked over at Jaruk. "Don't worry, I know that there are dangers out there. I can take care of myself." Then Jaruk made the comment about Aaralyn needing more help than he thought. She was a bit irritated at that, and frowned slightly. The elf princess didn't like it when people underestimated her. She wasn't stupid, and she could fight quite well. Then Jaruk offered to travel with her, and her ice blue eyes lit up a bit, and her frown disappeared. "I would actually very much like the company." She admitted, smiling warmly. "And I must admit that I have no idea where I'm going or what I plan on doing with myself if I ever lose the guards." She said, nodding at the window to where her betrothed and the other two were outside.
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He could tell that his words had stuck a nerve within her. It was a bit unfair for him to assume she couldn't handle herself. After all, if she carried a sword, he assumed she would have at least a little skill in using it. That wasn't the problem, it was the little things. "I don't doubt you at all Aaralyn, but it is true you didn't understand the concept of money. There are other ways the world outside your forest works and I've traveled to many different places with different customs." He was glad that she seemed excited about him joining her, that meant he'd be able to keep an eye on the wandering princess. However, her admitting she had no real direction besides the opposite of her fiance had him a bit troubled. "Well, that will be one of the things we can discuss then. I've simply been traveling where I'm needed, but if you follow you may find the adventure you're seeking. We first must concentrate on loosing your fiance or you won't be able to get a moments peace.
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Aaralyn smiled sheepishly. He did have a point about the money thing. "I suppose you're right..." She looked back over at the window and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I would very much like to get as far away from him as possible." She said, meaning her betrothed. Aaralyn looked down at her belt where her sword was strapped, and stared at it as she traced the outlines of the black flames with her index finger. After a little bit, she looked back up at Jaruk, looking serious. "So what shall we do? Where should we go?" She asked, needing a little nudge in the right direction.
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Tarran shook her head, "I ate already." She stared into the fire for a moment, thinking about her time on the road, looking for hints of what had happened to her mother after she left the village. "Mejimi, was it?" She looked at the woman across from her, "What brings you out into the woods?"
((Sorry it's short, being back in the dorms hasn't kicked off so well, it was too quiet last night. And I'm tired.)) |
Jaruk was wondering that very question as she asked and it startled him a bit to hear her say it. "Hmm? Oh, yes, well..." He was silent for a moment, looking to the window as if it held some deeper wisdom just waiting to be unlocked. Unfortunately, the half-orc hadn't the means to obtain such knowledge so he turned back to Aaralyn. "I'd say our direction isn't as important at the moment, but leading your fiance in the wrong direction, is. What he currently need is a plan to do just that." He placed a hand to the back of his head, scratching light as he tried to think of a way to do this, but to no avail. "Any ideas?" He asked hopefully, looking to his companion questioningly.
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Aaralyn's face frowned in concentration as she thought, her mind going through different ideas and scenarios, trying to figure out which would be the best way to lose her begrudged fiancee. Then a particular idea popped up in her head that seemed to suit her rather well, and at the same time it would show Jaruk not to underestimate her abilities. She smirked. "I have an idea. How do you feel about the forest?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Jaruk.
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Jaruk looked a bit puzzled by her question. He could see her mind was already in motion with a plan, but he didn't have the slightest idea of what it could be. He was glad that she at least had one though. He was really drawing a blank. "I'm pretty familiar with the forest and more comfortable there than I am in the city. Why do you ask?" His head tilted slightly as he looked to her questioningly.
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Aaralyn's ice-blue eyes lit up. "Splendid! Then my simple yet effective plan should work out rather well! We'll lure the guards back into the forest, and lose them in there." She started to strap her bow and arrows back onto her back and smiled, ready to get underway, but stopped, wondering as a bit of an after thought if Jaruk needed to recooperate from his travels. She froze, just then realizing that she knew nothing about Jaruk except for his name and the fact that he was half-orc. She blinked in surprise at herself, but then set her bow and arrows back down, looking at Jaruk. "However, before we leave, if you need to we can stay and rest. And if you're alright with it, maybe you can tell me a bit about yourself." She said, smiling softly.
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(I know it seems rather redundant to recap my chars bio...but I enjoy story telling >.> )
Jaruk was inspired by the girl's willingness to go on, but he was more glad that she considered his well being. He would have liked nothing more to execute her plan that evening, however, he had been traveling most of the previous day and now needed a full night's rest to be on any use to her. His smile to her was still warm, but also a bit weary. "I don't mean to be a burden already, but I have done quite a bit of traveling today. Just a nights rest is all I will need to recuperate and we can be gone as early as dawn." Jaruk took a moment to consider her second question as well. She had been nice enough to disclose a bit of information on herself already. It would be rude of him to withhold his own information. If they would indeed be traveling together, it was wise for them to know what they could. "I suppose telling you a bit about myself couldn't hurt." He motioned for her to take a seat on the bed once more and he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before beginning his tale. "I was born of a Celestial mother and Orc father. My father was a leader among my village and had rescued my mother while she was questing near there. She regained her strength there, under the care of my father, and the two fell in love. My mother remained there as a healer, but it wasn't long before I was conceived. Unfortunately, my mother was unable to survive my birth and my father died around the time I was an adolescent. With them both gone, I was seen as a nuisance. I'm not as physically strong or sturdy as full blooded Orcs, but I also had no one to teach me the healing ways of my mother. It was a rough time and I was lucky to get away with only the scars I have now. I took refuge at a monastery where I've learned the ways of the god Illmater. It was there I learned to harness my healing abilities as well as train myself to fight without the use of a weapon. As I've already told you, I travel to places that are in need as part of a sort of pilgrimage. That should about place me here." Jaruk glanced to the window for a brief moment, as if he'd heard something, but quickly turned to face Aaralyn. "I must apologize. I did not mean to give you my life story, but I always feel compelled to give the whole thing when I start part of it. Do you have any questions for me, perhaps?" |
Aaralyn sat on the bed, quietly listening to Jaruk's story about himself. When he asked if she had any questions, she just smiled and shook her head. "No, I have no questions. Thank you for telling me about yourself. I hope that we can become very good friends." She said truthfully, the smile remaining on her face. She stood up, grabbing her bow and arrows, and walked over to a corner of the room, where she leaned her weapons up against the wall. She kept the sword still strapped to her belt, however. Then she walked back over to Jaruk and put her hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead and take the bed. You need your rest. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She assured him. Even though she'd been running most of the day and most of the day previous, Aaralyn wasn't tired at all. Even for an elf, she had been told that she was quite resiliant. Especially for a princess. She even planned on maybe exploring the town a little bit while Jaruk was sleeping.
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"Very well," Mejimi shrugged before popping the second chunk of cheese into her mouth. Wiping crumbs off her lips with the sleeve of her cotton kimono, she waited a second before answering, "I'm trying to find an old friend. Though I'm starting to loose hope, it's been awhile since I lost saw him." Trailing off, her gaze shifted from Tarran to the crackling fire and then to a stink bug traveling pass her crossed legs.
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"It was my pleasure, Aaralyn and I'm sure that we will become fast friends." Jaruk gave a small nod to her, feeling the fatigue setting in. He frowned at her offer of the bed, though it did sound quite nice at that moment. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I think this chair here will suite me just fine. I think I shall retire though. If you have any more need of me, don't hesitate to ask. " He gave her a smile, but it was sheepish and his eyes were already closing. He straightened up the backpack he'd set aside, before slouching a bit to get comfortable in the chair he was sitting in. Placing his hood low over his eyes, he let out a relaxing breath before getting ready to doze off, unable to keep himself going any longer. "Sweet dreams to you, Princess..." He mumbled softly.
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Aaralyn smirked as he went to sleep, and waggled her fingers silently in a little ta-ta wave. After a few minutes of hearing Jaruk's slow and steady breathing, Aaralyn tip-toed without making a single noise to the door and exited the room just as silently, smiling to herself. "Sweet dreams, Jaruk." She whispered, walking down the hall and out of the Inn. The town seemed like mainly a human town, and she'd never been to one before, so she intended to explore it to her heart's content before Jaruk woke up. She practically skipped through the streets, looking around at everything there was to see. Once she nearly ran into the elven guards who were stopped at different Inn and were eating elven food that they had packed in the lobby. She quickly turned around and ran into an ally, pausing and making sure that they hadn't seen her. After a few minutes, she let out a breath of relief and started to exit the ally when she felt a strong hand grasp her by the shoulder. She froze, startled, even more so when she heard a rather deep voice. "Lookie what we got here. A pretty elf girl all by herself." Aaralyn turned around to see a small group of human men standing there in rather ratty clothes, all of them smirking at her. She counted, and there were five of them.
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((Where'd ya go, JayKaruma? o.O))
Great. Now what have I gotten myself into? Aaralyn thought to herself. She examined the men with her quick eyes, and saw that a couple of them in the back held metal shackles with strange writing writen on them. She blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she realized what they were. If she were to put them on, her powers would be held inside her, and she would be unable to fight back. She glared at the men. They were slave traders!" "Now come on, little missy. Come with us. You'll be taken care of REEEAL nicely." One of them said, stepping closer. Aaralyn took a step back, only to find that she had bumped into another one. She spun around, her back now to the ally wall, and looked to see that two had come from outside the allyway to cut off her escape. "Stay away from me!" She yelled as they drew nearer and nearer. "Sorry, girly, but pretty elves fetch for a great price where we come from." One of them said, causing all of them to chuckle darkly. Aaralyn's eyes widened in fright and shock. She opened her mouth to say something, but then the sword on her belt began to give off a black aura, lined with silver. She gasped, and the men stopped, staring at the sword. "Stay away, or you'll be killed!" She warned them, her eyes still wide. The men laughed, and one of them took another step forward, but that was a big mistake. The aura of the sword shot out and suddenly the man was screaming, engulfed entirely in black flames. The others looked at Aaralyn in shock, and then ran away as their comrad was burned alive. Aaralyn was shaking, and a couple tears escaped from her eyes. She quickly just let her fight or flight instinct take hold of her, and she ran as quickly as she could back to the inn. The elf ran into the room where Jaruk was still sleeping, shutting the door a bit loudly, and fumbled trying to get the sword off her belt. She got it off and it clanged to the floor, while she backed herself into corner and slumped to the ground. She hugged her knees to her chest as her body trembled, and she looked over her legs at the sword. A couple more tears escaped from her eyes as she remembered the blood-curtling screams that the burning man had produced. |
(Apologies apologies! >< I had some crunching to do in my college classes and had a lapse of memory as far as my rps go XD I'm caught up and back now though. Sorry again for not giving ya a heads up.)
Jaruk slept soundly enough when Aaralyn left, but not much long after. Part of being a celestial was having a natural sensitivity to evil energy. He hadn't been able to before, but in his slumbering state his slumbering state he was able to feel the dark aura of Aaralyn's sword. His eyes shot open and he looked around quickly as if awakening from a nightmare. A cold sweat had already formed on his brow as Jaruk looked about the room for his companion. He was about to rise from his seat when she came bursting into the room. He could only watch as the elven girl scrambled to relieve herself of the evil weapon before huddling into a corner of the room. He could see the fresh tears streaming down her face and a look of concern became evident on his face as he rose and walked to her. Jaruk knelt down next to Aaralyn, ignoring her sword for the moment. Right now, it was more important to calm her nerves and figure out what the problem was. He reached in and wiped some of her tears away as he spoke in a calm collected tone. "It's alright now, Aaralyn. You're safe...just tell me what happened." Though his voice was soft, it was also reassuring. He hoped that combined with his comforting gaze would at least help to calm the girl's nerves. However, what he hid was the feeling of dread creeping up his back. He could still feel the dark aura of her sword and it made him a bit restless, but he put his own feelings aside to deal with her for now. |
((No biggie. Glad you're back, and hope your studies payed off. ^.^))
Aaralyn looked up at Jaruk, more tears welling up in her ice blue eyes. "Jaruk..." She said, her voice trembling along with her body. She sobbed and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his cest and burying her face in his chest as she cried. "I tried to tell them! They wouldn't listen!" She said, trying to control her sobbing, and barely managing it. "I went out to explore, and there were slave traders. They tried to capture me, and since I was in danger, it activated the sword! I told them to go away, but they didn't, and one of them..... He... He..." She bit her lower lip, not wanting to say anymore. |
Jaruk blinked a moment as she threw herself at him, but he held firm. He allowed her to relax against his chest and explain everything that happened as she did so the consoling monk patted her back gently. He listened to her tale and when she could explain no more was when he spoke up again. "Shhhh...it's alright. Those men are gone now. Don't worry yourself, alright?" He could feel that Aaralyn was trembling against him and a small wave of guilt washed over him. He should have been there for her. Even after his little speech about being there for her, he allowed this to happen the very first night they were together. The feeling tied a knot in his stomach that he had trouble releasing. "You just relax for now...take as much time as you need."
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Aaralyn took a few minutes, fighting for control of her hay-wire emotions. She brought her arms back from around Jaruk and rubbed her eyes vigerously. She took a few deep, calming breaths, and stood up, a serious look on her face as she looked over Jaruk's shoulder at the sword still on the ground without it's aura. "Don't touch it." She said, her voice almost dark with her seriousness. She calmly walked over to the sword and knelt down next to it. She reached out and grabbed it by the hilt with one hand. As soon as she touched it, the aura flared up, and black flames danced up her arm and around her body, hopping as if they were happy to see her. She blinked and gasped in surprise, because the flames weren't even hot on her skin! After a few moments, the flames danced back down her arm and into the sword, and the aura was gone, taking all traces of the powers of the sword away. Aaralyn frowned. "Looks like it connected to me..." She mumbled.
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