[Bronze Woods] The Fall of Summer (Telrin)

[Krahe von der Nebel]

Fall 7, 513 AV The Autumn winds blew between the trees, whistling past the deciduous giants to sing a song of Fall. A song of changing seasons. One that reached from the highest branches to the lowest valley. It reached the ears of the birds and beasts who called the woods their home, and even to those just passing through. It carried smells of wet bark and soil. It whispered promises of snow and ice to the hunters and travelers, gnawing their fingers and noses to prove its sincerity lest they try and question it and brave the coming cold. Bravery was a commendable trait, but mother nature has a tendency to smite those who try to do battle against her. The forest canopy swayed and shook in a sort of dance to commemorate the coming change. Trees creaked and groaned as they begrudgingly accepted their fate. Yet the leaves seemed to reject all this. They clung to their branches with and almost childish defiance of fall. They refused to break free. Like a child refusing to break free from the comforts of their mothers. But some were more willing than others and a gentle cascade of appropriately bronze and gold leaves fluttered to the ground and covered the trails and paths that cut through the forest. As the weather changed and the temperature dropped, the creatures and beings both inside and around the woods braced themselves for the harsher season. They hastily gather their food to store for winter, farmers planting their last batch of crops, and travelers bundling warmer clothes and thicker tents as they venture forth. Krahe was lulled into some sort of trance as he watched nature begin one of its many cycles, stunned at the simple beauty the world around him was providing. The animal within forced his attention to switch between the wind, the leaves, the trees, the smells, the animals, back to the wind again. It took a great deal of mental effort to rip his attention away from the many distractions and instead focus on the rabbit feeding a mere 20 feet away. His boots pressed firmly into the dirt as he crouched down with his bow drawn. He drew in his breath softly, careful not to lose his balance and fall into the bed of crinkly leaves and risk scaring away his breakfast. His fingers gripedp the string tight, shaking slightly as he pinched the base of the arrow between them. His other arm pushed out against the grip as the wooden frame bent back. The sound is barely audible over the wind. He let out his breath, and released. With a squeak, the rabbit collapsed to the ground. Krahe made his way over, his boots crushing leaves under his feet as he recovered his arrow from the dead creature before slinging it over his shoulder. Feeling accomplished, the Kelvic marched proudly back to base with his meal in tow. He allowed himself the freedom to admire the beauty all around him, but found a discrepancy almost immediately during his trip back. Another being. Not a creature, but a small human. He immediately fell into a crouch before advancing further. Using his small frame to hide behind a tree, Krahe peeking around as his fingers gripped the rough texture of the bark, his gaze fell down onto the stranger.

[Telrin]

A new city. New people and places, each with eyes fresh and untainted by previous opinions. A new forest, with new creatures, new land to learn and new paths to follow. A new home. The sun had just passed her peak when the horse and rider chanced to halt by a stream. The boy slipped from his mount, landing a bit heavily but not altogether gracelessly. He pulled the reins over the mare’s head and held them as she moved to drink, and when she was done he knelt by the stream to take a few gulps himself and to refill his waterskin. With that business finished, the child hoisted himself back into the saddle and they were off again. He had hunted early that morning, coming away with two hares and a raccoon. A very nice haul for him, and he had pawned off the meat and pelts as quickly as he could; he had promised himself a day of exploration, and today seemed as good a day as any other. The caravan that he had traveled with had departed the day before, leaving Telrin completely alone in a foreign city. That knowledge had left the boy breathing just a bit easier, understanding in his heart that this was a chance to start fresh. No one knew him here; he was free to create himself in whatever way he wanted, to be whatever he wished to be. And today, all he wanted to be was alone. Though his quiver was strapped to his back, it was nestled snugly next to his shortbow, where neither would be easily accessed unless Telrin went out of his way to do so. He didn’t want to hunt anymore today, at least not animals; the only thing that lay at the forefront of his mind was hunting for a home. He followed the brook upstream, taking note of the foliage at its banks. He spotted a stand of cattails a bit farther up the bed, and carefully stored away their location. Making camp near cattails always guaranteed food when lean times came, and there were almost always frogs or crayfish hiding within the water between them, if he became truly desperate for meat. In fact, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to return later. For now, though, he continued to ride at a steady walk upstream, glancing from side to side. There. Shafts of light announced a clearing by the bank. Telrin urged the mare into a trot; he was fairly certain it wouldn’t be the perfect campsite, but it would be good to have a fallback plan in case he couldn’t find a better one today. He pulled the Windrunner to a stop and dismounted. He scanned the ground with a barely-trained eye, noting tracks and trails even though he couldn’t quite identify what they were, and it was for this reason that he did not see the man observing him.

[Krahe von der Nebel]

Krahe let out a quiet breath as he followed the boy on foot after his dismount. Something about the child made it known that this was not his natural element. Perhaps it was the uneasiness with which he tread. Or that his eyes seemed to scan the world around him with a certain degree of uncertainty. The Kelvic watched the boy's eyes dart around to the many wonders of the forest, the same ones that had lulled the hunter into a trance only moments earlier. However, they were not frantic. No. These glances were full of importance. They looked to be determined. As if taking mental images of the area for later reference. Even at such a young age, the child showed levels of impressive attentiveness. Questions formed in his head. Who was he? Why was he here, so deep in the forest? Why was he alone? But something else, entirely, made the Kelvic's interest in the stranger reach its peak. He could feel a magical aura. But it was faint. So very faint. And from the looks of things, this young man was not destined to be a magician. Not at first glance, at least. But still... there was something brewing beneath the surface. Something... something... hmm... the Kelvic couldn't put his finger on it. Gah! It was too much! He had to know. Krahe stood up and made his way to the crest of the hill looking down at him. He waited for the opportune time to speak, trying his best not to frighten the boy. Yet it never came. Mmph. It was either now or never. "Excuse me." He spoke just above the sound of the wind. "But uh... what are you doing out here all alone?"

[Telrin]

Telrin knew that he had to find an open space to set up camp. It was easier to maintain a fire in a clearing that between trees, and even if he didn’t find the perfect spot today it would be a good idea to find a place to fall back on. It was with this in mind that Telrin took the mare’s reins and led her upstream, looking from side to side for any indications of a good camping site. His stomach growled, and he decided that it might be a good idea to find a place to have lunch, too. A thick shaft of light caught his attention ahead, heralding a break in the canopy. Telrin broke away from the stream and emerged into what was, indeed, a clearing, ground covered with leaves and ferns. A hill rose in the center, very gentle but a hill nonetheless. The mare dipped her head to tug at some of the grass that grew beneath the ferns, and Telrin let her. It was a good place to rest, at least. The snap of twigs alerted him to the approach of something else, on another side of the clearing. He narrowed his eyes and pulled his shortbow from his back, nocking an arrow and tensing in case he had to draw. But what emerged from the foliage was not a dangerous animal, nor an animal at all. Telrin tilted his head slightly at the man as he walked slowly to the crest of the hill. He relaxed his grip, but did not put away his bow, even when the stranger began to speak. “What are you doing out here all alone?” “Having a tea party. And you?”

[Krahe von der Nebel]

It was a response, he had to admit. Not a response he expected. But... a response none the less. The Kelvic took a defensive stance as the bow was aimed towards him, forcing him taking a step back. A twig snapped under his boot and made him jump a bit, making his hand clench and his arms tense. He had no idea whether or not this child was capable, and willing for that matter, of taking him down. The way he held the bow made it obvious that he knew how to use it. He'd rather not have to fight someone so young. And even more-so, he wouldn't want to have known that he was beaten by a child should the boy in question best him in combat. He'd probably get laughed out of the afterlife. He imagined a table full of spectral, ghostly versions of humans drinking together, Krahe situated on one side between two heavily-armored adventurers. "Yeah, man, I fell off a ledge trying to fend off some wolves" | "Oh, really? I got turned into ash by an evil magician. Nasty stuff" | "Well... erm... I got shot it the face by a 12 year old." Probably wouldn't earn him any awards. "Hey, look... let's relax. I'm not here to hurt you. Just... curious why there's a kid out in the middle of a dangerous forest. Not like this is an ideal place for a school field trip" He explained, holding his hands out and up as if to say "I surrender". He slowly got into a standing position and relaxed his posture to try and ease the tension of the situation. "Are you from the city? I don't see many people out this way unless they're hunting for pelts."

[Telrin]

Telrin considered it a good sign when the man held up his hands in peace rather than pulling a weapon of some sort, at least enough to relax. He lowered his bow and released tension, though the arrow remained half-nocked against the string.

He almost snorted out loud at the man’s words, but managed to remain silent. Instead, Telrin gave him a cold smile. “Well, if I see a school trip, I shall be sure to say you said as much.”

He paused, considering the best way to answer the second question. “No, I don’t hunt for pelts. Lone pelts very difficult for me to find, so I usually go after the animals inside them first.”

It was at this point that he reluctantly put the arrow back in his quiver, though the bow itself remained it his hand.

“What about you?” Telrin asked, resting the weapon at his side. “Do you hunt these woods, or just really enjoy sneaking up on strangers?”

[Krahe von der Nebel]

He let out a chuckle at the boy's remark. The tension seemed to ebb away, Krahe's heartbeat returning to a healthy speed now. So he wasn't going to get an arrow to the head. That was a good start. And it was obvious now that the human meant no harm. He was simply hunting. Still, this forest was full of danger he himself was afraid of. So he must have some a really big pair of... ego, or was blissfully unaware of the dangers. The question that he was dealt wasn't at all unexpected, but he still sensed some hostility from the boy. "Me? Oh, no, I live here. Just half a mile away from here in fact. My Kelvic kin grew up in these woods, same as me." He told him, a smile on his face. With the cold weather and darkening sky, his body was beginning to yearn for the heat of his campfire. Even more-so now that he was thinking about it. "I'd hate to leave a child to his fate in the middle of the woods. I've got some food and warmth back at my camp if you're interested" He had not had the pleasure of having company at his restsite for many weeks. The last person to have shared a roasted rabbit with him was a traveling merchant selling tonics and scrolls. Apparently going to Syliras to try his luck at the Bazaar. Krahe wondered idly if he had any luck. They seemed marketable enough. But what did he know, he wasn't a businessman.

[Telrin]

The man relaxed, and still his body showed no signs of aggression or danger, leading Telrin to chance replacing the bow on his back. His gaze became suddenly curious when the man mentioned Kelvics, but Telrin held his tongue until he was finished talking. He was a Kelvic? Could it be true? Only once had Telrin encountered a Kelvic, and she had been exceedingly kind, not for a Kelvic but for a person. Another Kelvic? What would he be like? "I'd hate to leave a child to his fate in the middle of the woods. I've got some food and warmth back at my camp if you're interested." And just like that, the curiosity vanished, replaced instead by a spark of annoyance. The timbre of his voice, the words themselves, the entire aura of thinking to know better grated on Telrin's nerves viciously. Of course Telrin was the child soon to be helpless against his fate and the man was guiding light to fend off the monsters. Typical. “As much as I appreciate your offer,” the young hunter said with a chilly voice, “I’m afraid this child will have to face his fate with or without you. A fate that includes food and warmth of his own.”

[Krahe von der Nebel]

Krahe was a bit taken aback by the sudden hostility. Had he said something wrong? In retrospect, he hadn't had much experience talking with humans. Much less human children. They were strange, that was for sure. It made sense in his own mind, offering a young person supplies and a warm fire. Perhaps personal reliance was a trait admirable in humans. The Kelvic pack-mind found little logic in a person striving to be a loner. But, regardless, he was not a man to question others. He would respect whatever customs or beliefs they held. Who was he to call them wrong or misguided? He was a bird. "Oh... erm... sorry. I wasn't trying to offend you. I just thought you might want some free food and a fire. Not that I'm saying you're incapable of getting it on your own, no no. Just though I'd be a good host. To be honest, I try to have company over whenever I can. Hard to stay sane when you live in a forest by yourself, surrounded by danger 24/7. And to be honest, bears and wolves don't make for great guests. They have a habit of destroying everything" He managed, somehow, to say without stumbling over himself. The tension was starting to rise again, making the hair on his neck stand up. There was definitely something very, very strange about this boy. Or perhaps he should stop referring to him as a child. It seemed this human carried himself in a way that would contrast what many would think of as "childish". Right down to the way he spoke.

[Telrin]

The man backpedaled, and Telrin couldn’t restrain the curiosity that bubbled up once again. He’d never seen someone with such years on them try to explain themselves in the manner that he did, almost like a child himself. Though the annoyance remained, Telrin’s hostility did begin to ebb, at least enough that he did not appear to have the temperment of a hackled wolf. “Forget it,” he said, voice becoming for all the world like that of any other child, as if he were having a conversation from the safety of his own backyard. “You’re not the first. Nor the worst.” He sighed and looked back to his mare, who shifted uneasily at the tension in the air. “I know what you mean. Being alone can be… well, lonely. If you want me to break bread with you then I will do so, but I said what I meant. I must find a place to make camp before I can think about a meal."