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Post by Jisui on Jan 30, 2016 15:21:02 GMT -5
[[Just a fun little exercise. Also, behold my thread naming abilities.]] Jin Forest9:30 PMThere could not be any other way to describe the night than "moonlit". Despite the thick shroud of darkness that had enveloped the forest, soft moonlight had quietly wrapped itself around the gargantuan trees of the woods, illuminating the way for possible hunters and trappers. And kings, he thought with a slight chuckle. A tall, lithe figure garbed in a hunters cloak sleuthed through the forest which he had called home for all of his life. Stepping about fallen leaves and twigs as if he had memorized their presence, he took a moment to take in his surroundings. Dark trees, towering over him. The steady hum of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. Scents of pine and earth permeating the air. He had grown up in a castle, but this was home. Shaking his head free of thoughts, his sharp eyes snapped to the right, where a small boar was standing in a clearing. There was dinner tonight it seemed. Smoothly and quietly, the man removed an ornate longbow from his back, nocking an arrow and feeling the familiar strain of his shoulder muscles as he pulled back on the string.
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Post by SlvrNight on Jan 30, 2016 22:53:52 GMT -5
This forest. It reminded her of the one near her hometown. The color of the trees was different of course, but the feeling she got from within was similar. It was a forest filled with a sense of peace and tranquility. There was little to fear here, even in the dark of night. Then again, such a thing wasn't surprising when thought about. It was the forest near the kingdom, and the kingdom itself was known for both its own advancements and its ability to keep the peace. While the forest was nature, and therefore not under the control of humanity, it was difficult not to think that the kindgom's own sense of peace spread throughout it. The same thoughts spread through a young woman's mind as she moved, her waist-length brown hair tucked within the confines of her purple hood, attached to a fur garment draped over her shoulders. A black cloak, tattered at the edges with stitching-like designs wrapped around the arms, flowed with her movements, its zipper undone and exposing the simple black top that came with her knee-length dress. The dress itself shared its main color with her cloak, but bore some contrast with its purple frilled edge. Underneath she wore black leggings and knee-length black boots covered in faint marks and scuffs, showing their long use. Her outfit was complete with a red belt wrapped around her cloak, a green gem adorned in its buckle.
The sound of crunching leaves and branches echoed from her boots with each step. She was unfamiliar with the forest, having never been here herself and simply hearing about the kingdom it occupied. But she had little, if any, fear. She heard the whispers and sensed the ethereal entities that occupied this corner of nature, their words telling her of her safety and of past events that occurred within the woods. The young woman moved with care, respecting the land as she went.
She then stopped for a moment and narrowed her eyes. Ahead was a small clearing with a boar occupying its center clear as day. It had been some time since she last ate and it seemed she had found an unfortunate victim of her hunger.
Then, just like that, an arrow flew through the night and struck the boar in the head. A swift masterful shot, preventing the animal from feeling any pain before its untimely demise. The woman's eyes widened at this and she moved forward, stopping a few feet from the carcass. She looked up from it, scanning the area for the archer.
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Post by Jisui on Jan 30, 2016 23:54:13 GMT -5
"Most people would generally step away from the spot where someone shot an arrow, you know."
A male voice rang out distantly in the clearing, and the mysterious archer finally stepped forward on the opposite end of the clearing. Even a fool could see that the shot which felled the boar could not have been done by any ordinary archer. The distance between the two was far greater than the ordinary range of a longbow, and even the moonlight could not completely dispel the heavy darkness that permeated the area. It was a splendid shot.
But whoever he was, he did not seem to take much pride in it. Longbow still in hand, he casually sauntered over to both his kill and the young woman with an amused grin on his face. The closer he got, the more distinguished his features became amidst the darkness. The archer was tall and lithe, with long hair parted into bangs and secured into a simple ponytail. He was dressed simply enough, with a simple navy blue tunic covered with a brown hunter's cloak which had seen better days. His black trousers were dirt covered, and his black leather boots similarly looked as if they had seen quite a bit of wear and tear. There were plain leather bands secured slightly above his wrists, and a flash of gold on his left hand indicated the presence of a ring (although it was too dark to ascertain what it looked like).
To put it plainly, he looked like he was a hunter who probably lived in a hut in this very forest. Something about him however, perhaps his smooth and graceful gait, suggested otherwise.
"Unless you're planning to plunder my spoils of course, which would leave me hungry and you with a hopefully guilty conscience." The archer's face was still hooded, similar to the young woman, so it was impossible to read his expression. However, his voice was reminiscent of a sun-lit brook, clear and smooth with a hint of mirth in it. Despite the young woman's strange appearance, he seemed unusually carefree and relaxed, tilting his head to stare at the cloaked girl as if seeing what she would do next.
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Post by SlvrNight on Jan 31, 2016 0:12:55 GMT -5
Ah, so it was a hunter from the forest. From his appearance, or at least what she could see in this darkness, it could be assumed this was where he lived. She was actually disappointed with herself for not thinking of that sooner. It was obvious there would be at least one person within this place that made it their home. He must have had years upon years of experience with his bow however, as the shot he pulled was magnificent, especially considering it was pulled off in the dark. That, or he was a natural prodigy blessed with raw skill. At the very least he didn't let his skill go to his head since he wasn't bragging about the shot.
Part of her was curious as to why the entities within the forest neglected to inform her of this man's presence though.
The young woman waved his worries aside with a movement of her hand, her voice sounding like someone in their late teens or early 20s. "Nah, you don't have to worry about that. I'm not like that. Your shot, your meal. Besides, with aim like that I doubt I'd even make it far with this thing before I felt an arrow in the back of my head."
Of course, she likely wouldn't even feel the arrow and her world would just go black but that was an unnecessary detail.
"I'm not beyond asking for a bit though. Unless you have others to feed besides yourself. I'll be on my way and find my own food if that's the case." There was no distaste in her tone and it was, instead, filled with understanding.
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Post by Jisui on Jan 31, 2016 17:32:54 GMT -5
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. Whoever the young woman was, she seemed quite reasonable. Unless of course this was all a ruse, but he thought of himself as perceptive enough to notice whether she was sincere or not.
"...You're making me out to be quite the bad guy, kid." The man complained as if offended at the thought of him killing random strangers over food. Despite his words, his tone was still light and relaxed, his voice showing the deeper timbres of a man in his 30s or 40s. Well... its not like he wanted the meat that badly anyway. And his prize was large enough so that they could both be fed quite adequately for the night.
"Well, you're in luck. If you don't mind the company of a random stranger, we can split this over a good old-fashioned campfire."
Unsheathing a hunting knife at his hip, the archer took a step closer to the boar in order to begin skinning the boar. Pausing, he glanced over the clearing they were in and gave a slight nod. It would be a suitable location for their campfire.
"You mind getting some tinder for us? It shouldn't take long given where we're at... oh, guess its hard to see. Here." Giving a lazy wave of his offhand, a small orb of light appeared over the young woman's shoulder. After a few seconds, it began softly pulsating with a radiant light that filled the area around them. The darkness dispelled, the two were able to get the first real look at each other since arriving.
With the shadows of his hood gone, the archer's face was clear to the young woman. He was very clearly quite handsome, with sharp, defined features and high cheekbones. A few stray bangs were present on his face, framing a pair of dark blue eyes reminiscent of the ocean itself. Although he seemed to be in his late 30s, there was a boyish charm to his features and a glint of mischievousness in his eyes that said otherwise. A slight stubble decorated his chin, and a single golden earring adorned his right ear.
Likewise, the hunter took a few seconds to take in the young woman's appearance, although he seemed to stare mostly at the tattered black cloak she wore with a strange interest. After a while, he turned back to his original task of making sure they had dinner for the night.
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Post by SlvrNight on Jan 31, 2016 19:26:02 GMT -5
"A campfire..." The woman repeated quietly. She had never been out camping. She never had a meal over an open fire. Such an experience was something she thought was limited to the books she read. The thought of sharing the experience with someone else, even a stranger such as this hunter, was appealing. The young woman had little doubts about him as well, for the entities she felt around were filled with a faint warmth in the man's presence. They weren't always right, for she didn't always agree with them, but she took it as a good sign.
The young woman watched as the hunter cast his spell, her eyes focused on the orb of light as it expanded and banished the darkness. She looked at the man's features, silently noting his handsome appearance. Truly he looked like a heroic forest rogue one would imagine in a novel. She then lowered her own hood, revealing her tan skin, bright green eyes, adorned with eyeliner and heavy eyeshadow, and lips covered in black lipstick. She had a nose that ended in a slight point and her face was more oval than completely round, giving her a look befitting a young woman and not a mere young girl. Her mouth curved up into a wry smile, a slight chuckle leaving her at the end of her sentence.
"Well it seems you're more than just an archer."
She turned away and began walking, picking up good sized branches and pieces of wood as she went.
"I have no problem getting some firewood. Plenty of it around here after all."
A few minutes of relative silence passed and her curiosity then got the best of her.
"So what are you exactly? A hunter who lives in this forest? Practices his arcane craft in relative isolation? Sorry if I'm intruding in your territory by the way."
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Post by Jisui on Jan 31, 2016 19:53:20 GMT -5
The archer found himself looking up from his work and staring at the young woman again while she was gathering firewood. Not because he found her attractive or because of her striking features. There was something about her that was just inherently familiar in a way that he couldn't place...
Shaking his head, he broke his gaze and began working on the boar again, his knife skillfully carving away at the unfortunate beast which had become their dinner.
Giving a slight hum in contemplation of the woman's question, the archer gave a quick thought as to why he was here. A hunter who lived in isolation practicing spells? That admittedly sounded a lot cooler than what he actually was. But alas, he was past the age where he wanted to impress the younger ones.
"Man, you're a polite one." The hunter stated with a grin upon hearing the young woman's apology. Whoever had taught her manners had done a good job. Usually at this time in the forest, you would expect bandits or the like. A pleasant surprise indeed.
"Its fine." He continued, turning his gaze back to the boar and finishing his work skinning it. Now he would need to cut it apart. "And sorry to disappoint, but I'm not too special."
"Just your average guy hiding in the woods from his spouse." The statement was spoken lightly enough, but the slight shudder that inadvertently ran down the man's spine, and the way he fingered the golden band in his ring finger suggested that he wasn't joking.
"What about you kid? What brings you to this lovely forest?"
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Post by SlvrNight on Jan 31, 2016 20:12:01 GMT -5
"Ha!" The woman released a genuine laugh. "What sort of a normal person hides in the woods from their spouse? Quite the opposite of normal if you ask me." She tossed aside a piece of wood she deemed too small to be of use. She wondered though. Perhaps the man was in genuine marriage troubles? An abusive lover possibly? But he could have also just been looking for some time along to think. Maybe his lover was a woman and was pregnant with their child and he needed a walk to think about how big such a step is? There were many possible reasons for it. So she chose not to prod any further.
"Ah." She started as she thought of his question. Was was she here? In this forest in particular? At first she was going to lie, come up with something different. But he had told her the vague truth so it was only polite that she do the same.
"I'm looking for someone. I heard there's some good healers in the kingdom but I'm looking for a particular one. Dunno if he's even around anymore though. The information I got on him is several years old after all." The brunette sighed. "Part of me thinks it's a bit of a wild goose chase but I'm not gonna give up that easily."
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Post by Jisui on Jan 31, 2016 21:49:04 GMT -5
"Heh, you'll understand when you're married." The man retorted with a grin, although there was always the chance that she wouldn't. Not everyone was like her after all... not that he was complaining.
With a final carve, the hunter finally finished his job on the boar in a relatively quick time. He would use the rest of it later, but the meat had been cleaned, cleanly carved into pieces and wrapped in a special leather wrap that was neatly tied together. Carrying the package, he walked towards the young woman, eyeing the bundle of wood in her arms and giving a slight nod.
"That'll do. Just drop it on the ground and I'll take care of the rest."
After the soft thuds of wood hitting the ground, one small fireball spell later, they had a reasonably good looking campfire going. Thankfully the young woman had chosen decent tinder, and it looked as if the fire would go for a moderate length of time.
He stared into the fire quietly, the archer's cheerful visage morphing into a quiet, contemplative image. It was silly, but even after all this time, he couldn't help it.
The gentle flicker of embers dancing across his view. The warm heat wrapping around his body in the night chill. And the dull glow of the flames that seemed to reflect previous nights, previous campfires.
They never failed to bring him to past memories, both good and bad.
So lost in the flames, he barely caught the woman's reply, giving a slight hum as he passed the bundle of meat along with some skewering sticks to her to help cook them. If she was looking for a healer, then that meant...
"Is someone you know sick?" The man asked, not at all unkindly.
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Post by SlvrNight on Jan 31, 2016 23:24:44 GMT -5
She sat with her legs bent, her arms draped over them and leaning forward, her emerald eyes focused on the crackling flame. She was silent for a few moments, simply enjoying the warmth and peace. Her mind wandered for a brief time, thinking back to past events, wondering how others were doing and what was going on with them. The young woman was brought back to reality by the archer's words.
"Is someone you know sick?"
She gratefully accepted one of the sticks with meat, holding it above the fire and listening to it sizzle. For once, the woman didn't care to keep it secret. There was little reason for it anyways, for her motivations and reasons weren't malicious at all. In fact, they were noble. But she had never been an open person. The terms "introvert" and "socially awkward" were used to describe her more than once in her life.
"Yeah. My mom." Her voice was quieter and she moved her stick around some more, positioning it partially inside the tallest parts of the flame. "She's slowly been getting more and more sick. At first I thought it would pass but it's only been getting worse. While the doctors back in JX City try to figure something out with their science and medicine, I'm out here looking for some help in the arcane."
She sighed and looked up at the archer's face. "Sorry to bring down the mood. Wasn't my intention."
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Post by Jisui on Feb 1, 2016 16:56:50 GMT -5
"We'll get you to stop apologizing by the end of the night, you know." The man placed his own skewer of meat into the fire, and was rewarded with the sizzling sound of meat being seared by open flame. Despite his words, he spoke in a light, kind tone that suggested that he was attempting to brighten her mood a bit.
Well, it seemed like she was new to campfires after all. They held different meaning to different people... but to him, it was a place where one could escape the outside world and bare their soul for a night. He had been to many campfires, and had met many different people through them. Even if she was a stranger, hearing another's troubles or stories was something that didn't bother him.
"Your mother huh... that must be tough on you." The hunter noted quietly with a hint of understanding in his voice. Staring silently into the flames of the campfire, the thought of his own parents flickered across his mind like a stray ember.
His gaze drifted away from the flames. It was dangerous to drown in memories for too long.
"So, you said you're looking for a particular healer?" The archer inquired, taking his skewer out from the fire and giving an impatient frown upon seeing that it needed more time. "You have a name? Maybe I can help out."
There was a pretty good chance he actually could help out. Jin carried records of every professional practitioner of healing magic in its state. He assumed that if the young woman wanted a particular one, it would most likely be a famous one, and if it was a famous one, it'd be pretty easy to find them.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 1, 2016 20:08:13 GMT -5
Black lips curled into a smile. "I was about to just apologize for apologizing so much, but that would've been redundant." She pulled her skewer back, looking at it for a moment before deciding to push it back into the flame for some more cooking.
The young woman looked at the archer. His tone was gentle and filled with compassion. Maybe even understanding. He probably went through a similar experience as her. Maybe with one of his own parents or even a sibling. She was curious but she wasn't going to pry. It wasn't any business of hers.
"Tael." She answered, her eyes returning to the fire. "He was a friend of my mother's back when she was younger. She would tell me stories of her and her friends' journeys when I was younger, often as bedtime stories. She would mention this Tael person a lot. Was a good archer and skilled with healing spells as well."
A small smile returned to her face.
"I have no idea where he is though or even if he's still alive. But I'd like to ask him to help her. I figured a friendly healer, one she knows and is fond with, would help maybe. Be more effective, you know? People say a person's emotions and such can help with their recovery from sickness. Seeing an old friend after all this time, back to help her in her time of need? I think my mom would like that. I think it'd help."
The young woman then laughed quietly to herself.
"I must sound like such an idealist. Like such a child."
She pulled her skewer out of the fire, studied it for a moment, then bit into it. She nodded her head in approval and looked at the archer with gratitude, chewing her meal.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 1, 2016 21:43:11 GMT -5
Thud.
The sound of a skewer of meat dropping to the floor hit the young woman's ears. Paying no mind to it, the archer simply stared with wide eyes at the woman, jaw slightly dropped and hands frozen in the air. For the rest time since she had met him, the archer truly looked rattled, as if what she had said had completely caught him off guard.
He didn't speak. Instead, he looked over the young woman's features again, a serious expression replacing his carefree visage. He took in her slightly pointed nose and familiarly tattered black cloak, but his suspicions weren't confirmed until he stared back at a startlingly familiar shade of bright green in her eyes. This girl... she couldn't be...
"Impossible..." Tael Whitemane muttered with disbelief, waves and waves of questions arising in his head. Attempting to piece it all together, there was only word he could say that might make sense of the situation.
"...Suna..."
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 1, 2016 22:23:25 GMT -5
The young woman looked at him with an expression of confusion, her eyes on the dropped food. "Are you alright, sir?" She was truly perplexed as to what happened. Did he not feel well? Did he see something in the forest that was cause for alarm? She then noticed his eyes were completely fixated on her and she scooted back a few inches.
"Oh dammit, please don't tell me you being all nice and such was just a front..."
"...Suna..."
It was barely more than a whisper, but her mother's name was unmistakable.
"Please explain why you know my mother's name and why you're staring at me like that."
Faint black and white energy emanated from her body and she narrowed her eyes threateningly.
"Or you're going to force me to do something I won't enjoy."
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Post by Jisui on Feb 2, 2016 0:21:46 GMT -5
The archer didn't even look concerned at the energy that was starting to course around the young woman, nor was he even paying much attention to her. Instead, she watched his face shift various expressions in a few seconds, ranging from disbelief, to confusion and even anger. Grinding his palm into his forehead and narrowing his eyes, he began to grumble to himself quietly.
"...Not enough that he disappears off the face of the planet, or that he misses my wedding. Gets a kid and doesn't even tell me..."
To be fair, two of those complaints couldn't have been helped, but it felt better to complain about them. Still, so many questions were raised at the young woman's existence that he couldn't help but feel somewhat hurt at being left out of the loop. This wasn't even including the question of how the hell he could have children in the first place, which he wouldn't try to delve into.
"...Settle down kid." Sighing and seeming to calm down some, the man turned his gaze back to the wary young woman. Giving a small smile to try and ease her tension, the archer rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and tried to think of an easy way to diffuse the situation.
"Guess we didn't introduce ourselves." He muttered, glancing at the young woman and giving her what he hoped to be a reassuring look.
"I'm Tael Whitemane... king of Jin, so called 'good archer' and 'skilled healer', and..." Tael let his words drift off, but the meaning was clear to her. He was the mysterious family friend that she had been looking for all along.
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