Post by Phantom Rose on Aug 28, 2005 22:56:46 GMT -5
Prologue[/u]
Arrei stood, head tilted up, eyes closed softly against the pouring water. Rain had the power to make her feel alive like nothing else could – especially in seasons such as it was then, incredibly dry and hot on the average days. With the cold water streaming down her, she felt it hard to imagine the blistering heat that had beat down upon the area just the day before.
“Hey Ar! Arrei Aaaaaaaaaah-raaaaaaaaaaaay!” a cheerful voice called out from behind her. Startled from her trance, she lowered her face again, hands raising and brushing across her face to dispose of excess water. Of course, this was a futile effort, since new rainwater came almost immediately down her forehead to replace it. Sighing softly, the noise actually more a product of serenity than it was of frustration, she turned to see who it was that had so cheerfully interrupted her peace.
“Standing in the rain again, little Ar?” the familiar person teased, the usual glimmer of mischief dancing in his darkly colored eyes. The dark brown eyes he had did not seem menacing on him, as with most others, but rather seemed to hold a softness in their depths, a sort of sly kindness that brought warmth into the shadows.
“Dayerou!” she said, running over and embracing her older brother.
“I thought I told you to stay inside while I was away.” He looked down at her, tone suddenly becoming serious.
“Day-“ she began, rolling her eyes.
“Hey. When I tell you something, I really mean it. You know how dangerous it is around here – I don’t want you hurt.” Arrei sighed in frustration at the lecture, albeit a short one.
“Don’t do that! I’m trying to protect you! I’m sorry I have to leave you so often, but you know-“
“I was inside!” she told him stubbornly. “I was just stepping out here for a moment.”
“For a moment? A single moment – one mistake – that’s all it takes to get you killed.”
Arrei glanced at her brother’s worried frown and forced down another sigh, raising one hand and brushing some of her soaking hair off her forehead. Now that she had started arguing, the pleasure of the rainy atmosphere had worn off, and she was all too aware of the clothes plastered to her slight body, and the freezing quality of the rain that was pouring down on her.
“Can we go inside to discuss this?” she asked, tone kept carefully neutral.
“Oh, so now you want to go inside.” Day stated grouchily, but nonetheless turned around and trudged through the mud back to their house.
Their house was not exceedingly large, but it was cozy and kept them generally safe from the fury of the seasons. They were slightly secluded, just barely on the outskirts of the small village Ajenn, which was where Day had been on his journey. With their parents dead, Arrei had been at home alone, but she did not feel particularly unsafe about this. Day was just rather overprotective of her – at least, that was her own opinion. Perhaps the reason for this was that she was all he had left; she didn’t really know. Contemplating this, she grabbed an apple off the wooden table and went into her little corner, seating herself on her bed. Their entire house was one room – her bed in one corner, and Day’s on the other side of the room. Near the middle was the large, round, wooden table and six chairs – one missing half a leg. The only other furniture pieces in the house/room were the similar trunks at the ends of their beds. They were well-made, with dark wood and intricate carvings. Day’s had a sword carved beautifully onto the front, and her own had an eagle in flight, a rose clutched in its talons. They had both been made by her father when he was alive, him having been a wonderful carpenter. She could hear the rain falling on outside, but she could not imagine the cold any longer, her damp clothes and hair already beginning to dry in the warm temperature. Small but secure – that was what her home was.
“Ar, it’s late. You should be going to bed.” Her brother told her from across the room, pulling on a plain shirt to replace the drenched one he had already removed. She had been quite absorbed in her thoughts, she realized then, not even noticing as he got dressed. Now, normally she would have protested against this, but she was tired and decided she had already pushed him far enough. Obediently she got under the slightly coarse blanket and relaxed against the comfort of her bed.
“Goodnight, Day.” She said softly, listening until he gave a quiet murmur of response before letting herself fall asleep.
A knock at the door caused her to awake the next morning. Day was practically out of bed and at the door before she could so much as sit up, opening it as she blearily rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Arrei yawned, pushing the blanket onto the floor.
A stranger stood at the door, a gruff-seeming man who looked to be around his late thirties. He had short-cropped brown curls and eyes the same near-black as her brother, but lacking in the friendliness his expressed so freely. His face was lined, worn, and rough – the face of one who had seen quite a lot in his life, and also the face of someone who had not shaved for quite a long while. A sheathed blade so large it had to be a broadsword hanged from his belt.
“Umm… Hello.” Day greeted, allowing a small smile to light his face. Arrei had always thought of her 17-year-old brother as being big, but compared to this broad-shouldered swordsman he looked almost pathetically small.
“Hello Dayerou, Miss Arrei.” The man said, voice deep and as rough as his face. He inclined his head slightly, although he remained grim and unsmiling. “My name is Goramous, or Gor for short. I believe you have heard of me at least, young sir.” He turned his gaze in the direction of her brother, who seemed to be nearly overcome with excitement at the mere mention of the man’s name.
“Y-Yes, I have, sir. You are the one recruiting fighters-“
“To fight against our tyrant king, yes. And I’ve heard you are an excellent swordsman. Can I sit down?” Day nodded eagerly, and the large man entered the house, seating himself at the table. Day slid into a chair across from him, waiting.
Arrei didn’t get up from her bed, simply sat and watched suspiciously as the two began to converse in low voices, concealing what was being said. She frowned and moved as if to stand up, but her brother sent her a quick look that efficiently made her sit back. Now she was dying to know what was going on – the need for knowledge was like an itch to her that just got worse as time wore on. Impatiently she shifted on the bed, staring hard at the two as if the look alone would force them to include her. Finally, after what seemed like hours to her but was only a few minutes, they stopped. Day turned and looked at his sister, a hopeful look on his face.
“Hey, Ar… How ‘bout we go on a bit of a journey?”
That was how it all started. Neither could foretell the tradgedy that was soon to come...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hmm... That's an older medieval-set story I have, that I never continued - I always wanted to continue it, but had too many problems with my characters being not detailed enough...
Arrei stood, head tilted up, eyes closed softly against the pouring water. Rain had the power to make her feel alive like nothing else could – especially in seasons such as it was then, incredibly dry and hot on the average days. With the cold water streaming down her, she felt it hard to imagine the blistering heat that had beat down upon the area just the day before.
“Hey Ar! Arrei Aaaaaaaaaah-raaaaaaaaaaaay!” a cheerful voice called out from behind her. Startled from her trance, she lowered her face again, hands raising and brushing across her face to dispose of excess water. Of course, this was a futile effort, since new rainwater came almost immediately down her forehead to replace it. Sighing softly, the noise actually more a product of serenity than it was of frustration, she turned to see who it was that had so cheerfully interrupted her peace.
“Standing in the rain again, little Ar?” the familiar person teased, the usual glimmer of mischief dancing in his darkly colored eyes. The dark brown eyes he had did not seem menacing on him, as with most others, but rather seemed to hold a softness in their depths, a sort of sly kindness that brought warmth into the shadows.
“Dayerou!” she said, running over and embracing her older brother.
“I thought I told you to stay inside while I was away.” He looked down at her, tone suddenly becoming serious.
“Day-“ she began, rolling her eyes.
“Hey. When I tell you something, I really mean it. You know how dangerous it is around here – I don’t want you hurt.” Arrei sighed in frustration at the lecture, albeit a short one.
“Don’t do that! I’m trying to protect you! I’m sorry I have to leave you so often, but you know-“
“I was inside!” she told him stubbornly. “I was just stepping out here for a moment.”
“For a moment? A single moment – one mistake – that’s all it takes to get you killed.”
Arrei glanced at her brother’s worried frown and forced down another sigh, raising one hand and brushing some of her soaking hair off her forehead. Now that she had started arguing, the pleasure of the rainy atmosphere had worn off, and she was all too aware of the clothes plastered to her slight body, and the freezing quality of the rain that was pouring down on her.
“Can we go inside to discuss this?” she asked, tone kept carefully neutral.
“Oh, so now you want to go inside.” Day stated grouchily, but nonetheless turned around and trudged through the mud back to their house.
Their house was not exceedingly large, but it was cozy and kept them generally safe from the fury of the seasons. They were slightly secluded, just barely on the outskirts of the small village Ajenn, which was where Day had been on his journey. With their parents dead, Arrei had been at home alone, but she did not feel particularly unsafe about this. Day was just rather overprotective of her – at least, that was her own opinion. Perhaps the reason for this was that she was all he had left; she didn’t really know. Contemplating this, she grabbed an apple off the wooden table and went into her little corner, seating herself on her bed. Their entire house was one room – her bed in one corner, and Day’s on the other side of the room. Near the middle was the large, round, wooden table and six chairs – one missing half a leg. The only other furniture pieces in the house/room were the similar trunks at the ends of their beds. They were well-made, with dark wood and intricate carvings. Day’s had a sword carved beautifully onto the front, and her own had an eagle in flight, a rose clutched in its talons. They had both been made by her father when he was alive, him having been a wonderful carpenter. She could hear the rain falling on outside, but she could not imagine the cold any longer, her damp clothes and hair already beginning to dry in the warm temperature. Small but secure – that was what her home was.
“Ar, it’s late. You should be going to bed.” Her brother told her from across the room, pulling on a plain shirt to replace the drenched one he had already removed. She had been quite absorbed in her thoughts, she realized then, not even noticing as he got dressed. Now, normally she would have protested against this, but she was tired and decided she had already pushed him far enough. Obediently she got under the slightly coarse blanket and relaxed against the comfort of her bed.
“Goodnight, Day.” She said softly, listening until he gave a quiet murmur of response before letting herself fall asleep.
A knock at the door caused her to awake the next morning. Day was practically out of bed and at the door before she could so much as sit up, opening it as she blearily rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Arrei yawned, pushing the blanket onto the floor.
A stranger stood at the door, a gruff-seeming man who looked to be around his late thirties. He had short-cropped brown curls and eyes the same near-black as her brother, but lacking in the friendliness his expressed so freely. His face was lined, worn, and rough – the face of one who had seen quite a lot in his life, and also the face of someone who had not shaved for quite a long while. A sheathed blade so large it had to be a broadsword hanged from his belt.
“Umm… Hello.” Day greeted, allowing a small smile to light his face. Arrei had always thought of her 17-year-old brother as being big, but compared to this broad-shouldered swordsman he looked almost pathetically small.
“Hello Dayerou, Miss Arrei.” The man said, voice deep and as rough as his face. He inclined his head slightly, although he remained grim and unsmiling. “My name is Goramous, or Gor for short. I believe you have heard of me at least, young sir.” He turned his gaze in the direction of her brother, who seemed to be nearly overcome with excitement at the mere mention of the man’s name.
“Y-Yes, I have, sir. You are the one recruiting fighters-“
“To fight against our tyrant king, yes. And I’ve heard you are an excellent swordsman. Can I sit down?” Day nodded eagerly, and the large man entered the house, seating himself at the table. Day slid into a chair across from him, waiting.
Arrei didn’t get up from her bed, simply sat and watched suspiciously as the two began to converse in low voices, concealing what was being said. She frowned and moved as if to stand up, but her brother sent her a quick look that efficiently made her sit back. Now she was dying to know what was going on – the need for knowledge was like an itch to her that just got worse as time wore on. Impatiently she shifted on the bed, staring hard at the two as if the look alone would force them to include her. Finally, after what seemed like hours to her but was only a few minutes, they stopped. Day turned and looked at his sister, a hopeful look on his face.
“Hey, Ar… How ‘bout we go on a bit of a journey?”
That was how it all started. Neither could foretell the tradgedy that was soon to come...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hmm... That's an older medieval-set story I have, that I never continued - I always wanted to continue it, but had too many problems with my characters being not detailed enough...
