Laelit - RP Thread

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"Yes, Lord Faeylin," Torben wrote the name on the register in a neat, small script. "Follow me please and I'll show you to your room." He went up the stairs and down the right hall. He took a large key ring out of his cloak, took off a key, opened the door and handed the key to Alandro. Then he lit a candle from the lantern in the hall, went in the room and lit the kindling in the fire that he had set up earlier that morning.

"I'll have Diegin bring up a kettle, as I'm afraid it would be too heavy for me to bring. This keg here is full of rain water, it refills from the rain caught on the roof. Extra blankets are here in the chest, as well as a few candles. Please let us know if there's anything else you require."

Torben was itching to get back downstairs and talk to the interesting new comers, and even more for the inn to close so he could go talk to Miost, but he waited a moment to see if the guest needed anything else.

 

Breyd looked over at Torben and signalled him over "I'd better have a room as well please, can you arrange for a meal for myself and some meat for my companions" her voice still held a trce of wonder in it; turning to the woman at her side "Why don't you share with me it'll better for your egg as well, you do have one don't you?"

 

Alandra grabbed her older brother's arm, becoming visible for a split second behind him.

"His friend had an egg, brother! Ask him! Show him!"

Alandro was wary, but he turned back to Torben, and rummmaged through his sack as he spoke.

"Your friend downstairs had an egg, a strange one. Are they some kind of animal native to this area?"

With this question, he produced his own egg.
"I found this in a cave near here. I know not what it is, perhaps you could shed light on the matter?"

 

Torben was very surprised. Eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs! What was the world coming to? He also felt a bit jealous that everyone else's egg seemed to be shiny and glowing, while his was lumpy and dull, uglier than a rock.

"Um, no, I didn't know what type of egg hers was, and I don't know what that is. It is similar to hers, but a different color. There are many egg laying animals in the area that I'm familiar with, foul and scaled, but these eggs are really making me wonder what's going on. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything. Diegin will be right up with your kettle."

Torben rushed back downstairs, only to find that Breyd's egg had hatched into a small dragon, which she was wanting meat for, along with a room. "Yes, right this way. The fellow I just took upstairs also has a similiar egg as you had, you might want to talk to him about it. We've some fresh lamb chops, would they do for your, um, dragon?"

 

Miost saw the familiar buildings coming into view as he exited the forest. He ventured towards the tavern. He arrived just before it, and looked around. The town was bustling. He guessed it was for the festival that was coming up later on in the month.

He pushed open the door of the tavern, and scanned the crowd for his friend. He caught his eye, and gave a sign with his hands, that they had had made up years earlier. They had symbols and signs for almost everything. His sign meant "lower lab", which means "meet me at the lab". Torben acknowledged him and went back to work.

Miost strolled out of the bar, and to the edge of town. He carefully glanced around. There was no one looking. He jumped behind a large rock, and pulled a small twig that was jutting out of the ground. The rock lifted up a bit, and he slipped in. This was he and Torben's easy way into the lab.

He slid down the shute and landed with a thud onto the straw that they had laid there. He took the dragon out of his shirt, and placed it on the ground. It walked around lethargically, falling down occasionally. Miost sat and waited. Boy, will Torben be surprised!

 

Lena came out of her shock slowly. So many people around her! They all had eggs, like she had, too! Well, the colors were all different, but this many eggs in one spot, especially *dragon* eggs...it made her head go whirling in her skull.

The dwarf beside her sounded very friendly and had that naturalistic charm. Lena grinned shyly and withdrew the egg she had found under the shub, along with the roots she'd gathered.

"Yes, Fireweed, yes," she stammered and laid her bounty on the table. "You know how to make the potions? I only know the poultice. Would you show me how to make some?" The heat of her blush filled her face with ruddiness. "I found the egg buried under where I got the roots. I didn't know it was an egg, until now. I hope the mother does come looking for it!"

 

Torben saw Miost signal him, and all but rushed Breyd up to her room, bringing up a platter of lamb chops, plus the kidneys, stomach, and lungs, just in case her dragon preferred those better. Then he went back to the kitchen. "Frehicke, I'll be back in a bit, cover for me, will you?" he asked the cook.

"What do you want me to tell Nimmkelt?" she asked. But Torben didn't answer her. He scooted down to the root cellar, then back to the well and plunged down to his lab. Miost ... and a small DRAGON! were already there.

"You too! Everybody's getting a dragon now! I wonder what mine will be." But he didn't have to wait long, because he felt his small lumpy egg moving under his shirt. He took it out and laid it on the ground. All at once, the egg turned to a redish powder and fell apart. Inside was a small four legged creature, like Torben had never seen before. But it definitely wasn't a dragon. It had a roundish, bumpy body, two small beady eyes, a little beak, a long tail with flukes on the end, and two long antena coming out of its head. It started to eat the powder that had been its egg with a small tongue that darted out of the beak.

Torben was fascinated with it. He approached it just as it was finished eating the rest of its egg. It felt him with its antennae, and his brass buttons immediately turned to rust, which the thing licked up greedily. Then it let Torben pet it.

"It likes me!" He gleefully said to Torben. "I think I'll call it Rusty. What's your dragon's name? Where'd you find it?"

 

"I don't know what to name it yet; but I found it in the woods, up in a tree. It needs a majestic name. Something flashy. It is a white dragon after all." He admired the shiny scales and white teeth. The dragon met his gaze, and stared back lovingly. It let out a puff of smoke to show some feeling, although Miost didn't know what it was.

"I think I'll name it:.. wait a second.. I don't know if its a girl or a boy!" He flipped it over onto its back, but there were not distinguishing marks.

He let a list of names flow from his mouth, and finally the dragon perked up at the name 'Súrion', a female elf name that was used in legends that the elders told around town.

"Okay, a girl you are then. Súrion." It let out a squeak and jumped into his lap.

 

Breyd gave the plate of offal to Bast with a couple of chops, who happily ate them and then settled down cleaning herself the way only cats could. The rest of the chops she left in easy reach for Mnemeth.

Turning to the young woman beside her she said "Let's eat while the food is still hot. I don't think you have to worry about the mother of the egg I have a strong feeling we were meant to find these eggs each of us. Afterwards we'll talk about potions and the making of them, if you can make poultices you're well on the way. I think also we need to talk to young Tobren he seems to know more than I, I'm guessing he's an alchemist judging by the burn spots on his clothes" and so saying she sat at the table and pulled a plate towrds herself and started eating. She stopped for a moment and said "You never did tell me your name".

 

Kayn silently walked back to his table. His order of sausages were there. The others who had found the strange eggs had all had theirs hatch.

Setting his softly on the table, he started in on his food and drink. Failing to notice his egg begginning to move. Rolling towards the young man the egg rolled off the egg of the table and landed with a solid thud on the floorboards and rested against Kayns foot. Gathering it back up, he put it back on the table, jumping with a little shock as a small green tail was sticking out of the egg. Picking the egg up he set it on his plate so that it wouldn't roll off the table. With a shudder the rest of the egg seemed to vaporize and there sat a small green lizard It was a bright green with a black crest that looked like mohawk running from it's head to is tail, and it had black claws. It looked around the room with it's strange silvery eyes and gave from what Kayn could understand was a shrug. Suddenly it jumped at him, landed on his shoulder and curled it tail around his neck and settled there. Smiling Kayn gave it a small piece of sausage. The little beast swallowed it whole, and gave a satisfied burp that was followed by a small burst of flame. Jumping Kayn swore loudly and drew the ire of some tavern occupants. "What're you about?" He muttered quietly to the little wingless dragon beast.

Kayn wondered if he should show the others. But he decided he would wait a few moments and finish eating.

[ January 13, 2006, 03:56: Message edited by: Benan ]

 

"It's Lena," she breathed. Breyd was the friendliest dwarf she'd ever met. Okay, the *only* dwarf, but still. "I like your friend. He's very...umm, cuddly. Did you feel this pull inside you? Like something was bringing you here?" She picked up her little egg and held it close to her eyes.

Barely a shadow behind the shell she could see. Peering closer, she frowned and scooped up a bite of her meal. A small flame licked her fingers while she chewed and caused her to cough, dropping the egg to the table. The flame enveloped the whole of the egg and grew brighter and higher until the reddish tint vaporized to a pure white.

There was a puff of smoke. The egg vanished and in it's place was a tiny pile of gray ashes. Lena felt bad about the poor creature and scraped the ashes off into her hand as she finished her bite of food. "Bah!" she shrieked, reflexively slapping her burning palm against her shirt. When she looked for the blistering skin, she saw her hand was normal.

"meep" came a cry from her shirt. She tipped her chin downwards and spied a brightly plumed, crimson bird. The bird was no bigger than a sparrow, but it had enourmously long tail feathers and a jaunty crest on its head. A pair of dark eyes blinked at her and the beak let out another "meep".

Stunned at her good fortune, Lena gasped to her newfound friend, "A firebird! Oh my, this is nice!"

 

Rayenna hurried back to camp. It was growing dark and she knew the clan would be worried. As she neared the family wagon her mother stepped out. "Lo, Rayenna, there you are. I was worried and about to get Bracdorn. What took you so long to gather a few herbs?" Aryann spoke quietly but sternly.

Rayenna pulled out the bags of herbs and gave them to her mother. "This bag had plants I didn't know and thought you might want to look at them."

She waited a moment while Aryann checked the plants. "Good, I can use these and will take a closer look at the others later but you still haven't explained what took you so long."

The cloak against Rayenna's chest shifted slightly. She saw her mother's sharp eyes staring at it. "Aye, Mother I have a tale to tell but would like Father, Bracdorn and even prehaps the whole clan to hear it. Aryann looked sharply at her then waved to Jex, the eldest. "Jex, call a gathering for now and here." Jex stepped to the wagon lifted a small horn and blew it. In a short while a small group of people gathered and seated themselves in a semi-circle near the wagon.

Most of them had the blond/white hair that Rayenna had. A few had redish hair and some darker from light brown to black. Both men and women wore baggy pants and tunics of various colors, quiet colors not loud or garish.

A tall middle-aged man with dark blond hair worn in a braid stepped to the front of the semi-circle. "Rayenna, Owl of the Clan of Dravera the Gentle why have you called us here? He spoke with respect but also with authority.

"I have a tale to tell." The man (Bracdorn, clan leader) folded himself into a sitting position.

She placed herself in the front center of the group raised her head looked at each member of the group and fell into a 'talking' bard mode. She told of searching for herbs, finding the egg and going to the village. When she was finished she unwrapped the egg and holding it it both hands showed it to each person. There were no questions, just a quiet studying of the egg. Her mother touched it gently then drew her hand away.

The egg shivered in her hands and she saw faint lines appear in the shell. A soft silver white light shone from the egg. Concerned she might drop it she sat and placed the egg on the cloak on the ground.

The egg shook harder, the lines became cracks, then fell into small pieces that turned to a fine silver dust. Before them lay an owlett, a rather large white owlett. As light from torches and camp fire struck the feathers a slight silver sparkle could be seen. The owlett shook itself, turned to Rayenna and she could hear its voice in her head but stronger now.

"Her name is Salana and she is hungry." Various types of food appeared before the owlett as people gathered what was nearest to hand. Rayenna heard the murmering of her people. "An owl. The Order of the Owl. The Order of the Bard." But Rayenna was caught in union with her new friend. Her own stomach growled and she felt starved as if she hadn't eaten in days.

Finally the hunger partially slaked, Salana waddled over to Rayenna, on to her lap and snuggled there. "We are together now. Only in death can we part." Salana closed her large blue eyes and slept.

Bracdorn rose turning to the group, "Tomarrow at day break we go to the village. We will see if we can set up trading and Rayenna will find the others with eggs. This is a great mystery but the signs are clear. Something has called power to this place." He looks very thoughtful and serious. "That spells danger and it is our charge to help fight this danger. Go now. Eat and rest. We leave early."

All in the camp did as he told them. Moonlight shone on a peacefully sleeping camp but on a far off hill, almost a mountain, strange lightning crackled and thunder shook its trees.

[ January 13, 2006, 04:07: Message edited by: Nakia ]

 

The kettle had been delivered, and was now perched over the fire. Alandro was pacing round the room as his spectral sister stared wondrously at the egg sitting on the table.

"I wonder what it is, brother?"

ALandro stopped his pacing "I don't know, Alandra. You know more about these things than I."

"I don't think it's a normal animal. I think it's something...else" she finished lamely, unable to express herself.

Alandro looked to the kettle, then removed it and placed it on the table. It was empty, and had only been warming over the fire. He pulled on his thick woolen gloves, ususally worn under his gauntlets, and opened the kettle. He packed an old shirt inside it, and then nestled out a hollow in the middle, in which he placed the egg.

He left the kettle on the table, and began to removed his armour, the process taking a long time; he wasn't used to removing the armour himself, yet another symptom of being alone again after all these years.

He laid the plate down carefully near the bed, and sank down onto it, swinging his legs up and onto the blankets. He was asleep within minutes, his sister watching over him.

 

"Yes it is Lena, very nice indeed to meet both of you. Here give your friend some of this bread and fruit I'm sure they're hungry after such an adventure as birth."
As she said this the dragon had finished eating the chops and flew up to Breyd's shoulder where he settled himself before looking at the Phoenix and began humming at it, he stopped and then looked at Lena who was still looking at the Phoenix with a look of rapture upon her face.

"He says that you are amongst the rarest of the rare to find a Phoenix and he's very pleased to meet you and know you. Now I don't know about you but I'm tired as are my friends, I'll take the bed on the right" pulling off her tunic and the mail shirt and padded undershirt, she sat on the bed to remove her boots and then slipping under the sheets Bast curled up in the empty lower half of the bed and Mnemeth curled on her pillow

"Goodnight Lena, I'll see you in the morning and we'll talk more" within moments the three were all softly snoring.

 

"Wake up brother!"

ALandro stirred in his sleep, moaning as he rolled over. The ghostly woman swept past him and poked him again.

"Brother, the egg hatches! Awaken!"

ALandro shot upright, passing straight through his sister.

"The egg?"

Sure enough, it was hatching. A crack had appeared at its apex, and it was spreading. A ligth appeared from within, a thin ray of light that grew in size and intensity until it flooded the room, causing Alandro to close his eyes in pain,and even Alandra had to turn away. When they both looked back, the egg was gone, and a small bird sat where it had been.

The bird was fantastic. It's feather were a vibrant mixture of reds, greens, blues. It's tall was twice it's length, and it's wings were tucked comfrtably into its sides, but even so he could tell that this bird would be big when it was grown. ABove its eyes was a strange marking. Three feathers formed a crest that resembled nothing more than a blue flame. It looked about self-assuredly, before fixing its eyes on him.
-Greetings, Lord- a voice appeared in his mind.
The bird looked past him, to where he could feel his sister.
-Greetings, Lady-

Alandra was shocked. "You can see me?"

The bird blinked calmly -Of course. Your names?-

"I'm Alandra."
"And I'm Alandro."
-Siblings?-
"Yes" Alandra replied
-Ah, I see- The bird turned its gaze to Alandro
-Lord, you retrieved my egg. I am now in your service-

"What?"

The bird walked forward, not the unsteady stagger of a newborn, but the strut of an adult bird of prey. It stopped before him, and blinked.

-Your hand-

ALandro rested his left hand on the table, and the bird laid its head on it.

A light appeared under its head, and when it removed itself again, a the shape of a blue flame was on Alandro's hand. He scratched a nail at it to see what it was, but it moved under his finger with his skin, as permenant as a tattoo.

-We are bonded now-

Alandro leaned closer to the bird, peering at it.

"What are you?"

The bird stretched, spreading its wings, and opening its mouth in a close approximation of a yawn.

-I am a Songbird. Now, we must go. I need sustinence-

With that, it leapt from the table to the back of the chair, then to his shoulder, its tail hanging down his back like a cloak.

Alandro headed downstairs, his awestruck sister in tow.

 

"Sleep well, Breyd," she whispered with a smile. The firebird waited patiently as Lena readied herself and climbed into bed. Then, it curled onto the pillow and nested itself in the halfelf's long red hair. To anyone walking in, it looked as though Lena had fallen asleep with an expensive cap on her crown.

 

After a couple of brews with Miost, both silently contemplating their new companions, Torben jumped up.

"Frehicke! I told her I'd be back soon. I've got to go. Do you think it'd be okay to leave Rusty in one of the pens?" he asked Miost. In an alcove off his lab, he had several wooden pens and cages, as some potions required components that were very fresh. Miost shrugged his shoulders. Torben picked Rusty up and put him in a small pen filled with hay.

"We'll talk more later," he called to Miost as he rushed up the tunnel.

Coming back into the kitchen, Frehicke scolded him. "There you are! Took long enough. I told Nimmkelt that I needed another bushel of potatoes. Well, the Annersinn brothers just came in, so now it's true. Get to work, hurry up!"

Torben hurried out into the tavern, just in time to take a platter with seven large mugs of ale and a bowl of pickled peppers from Nimmkelt, it was always good to let his boss see him working, and take it to a corner booth were the brothers always sat.

They had a large and prosperous farm on the edge of the village, but ever since their mother died a few years ago, they'd become regulars at the tavern, as none of them could cook anything that turned out to be edible nor found a wife yet. He overheard their conversation as he served them.

"I tell you, it ain't natural," Hosful said. "Turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, all sitting on the same egg, and not a one of them that laid it, we should just sell it and be done with it."

"But what if it's a valuable bird we can bring to market?" Jarl said. "It would be wise to wait and see."

"I say, we bring it in and have Frehicke make us a big omlet with it. That way we can all share in its benefits. Torben, stop gawking and bring us our food, we're hungry," the eldest, Daniv said.

"Right away," Torben ran back into the kitchen, down to the root cellar, and up with a bushel of potatoes. There was no way he was going to get it done in time, normally. He fished a small bamboo tube, stoppered with a cork and with a thin sheet of glass blown on the inside, it was a good thing the glass blower accepted fire resistance potions as payment, and took a sip of his Quick-Quick-Juice.

Grabbing a paring knife, he started peeling potatoes. The skins flew off in astounding speed, then the potatoes were diced lickety split. The one thing that would still take normal time was boiling them. He'd have to work on something for that. Hmmn.

"Order up!" Frehicke called.

He took a plate of whitefish and kelp out to Fisher Fritz, one of the old fisher folk.

 

Alandro entered the common room, the Songbird on his shoulder. He cast his eyes about the room, seeing everything but saying nothing.

He moved to an empty table, and sat down, the bird hopping from his shoulder to the table immediately.

-Food, Lord?-

"Soon."

Alandra sat down next to her brother, and peered at the bird. It lifted its beak, and stared back at her.
She blushed "Sorry, I've just never seen a bird like you before."
-I know. We are very few-
"What is a Songbird?"
-Well, I am.-
The bird lowered its head for a moment, before continuing -We are named for our voices, which give us certain benefits over predators and enemies-
"Such as?"
-Our songs can cause sleep, confusion, call wind, rain, snow and other such things. The power increases with age. I can do very little now, but over the next weeks, my powers will increase-

Alandro entered the conversation at this point, pulled from his maudlin musings by something the bird had said.
"How do you know this?"
-All Songbirds know this, we are born with self knowledge. Its one of our ways of ensuring survival. We are born alone, after all-
"Why?"
-A Songbird gives its energy to create its newborn. When a SOngbird nears the end of its life, it creates an egg, and gives its life to create a new life-
"How does it create the egg?"
-Through a song-

Alandro leant back, pondering the answers he'd been given. His sister continued to quiz the creature, asking all kinds of questions.

"What do you eat?"
- Meat, Fruit. Anything we can get. Nectar, especially- It bobbed its head eagerly at the thought of nectar.

Alandro got up to find someone to order food with, and spotted Torben delivering a plate of fish to a customer.

"Master Torben, could I trouble you for some fruit?"

[ March 26, 2006, 00:00: Message edited by: Daie d'Malkin ]

 

"Of course, Lord Faeylin. We have fresh apples and pears, and the Annersinns recently brought in some of the best of their grapes from the recent vinyard harvest, though those will cost a pretty penny, nine to be exact, and we have last seasons raspberries, strawberries, elderberries, bearberries, peaches, and cherries in sweetsyrup or liquor. What would you prefer?"

Torben took the moment Alandro took to decide to study the beautiful bird, and he felt that it was studying him as well.

 

Alandro turned to the Songbird and raised an eyebrow.

-Cherries, rasberries, strawberries, my Lord. Whichever suits you best-

He returned to Torben "Cherries, Raspberries and Strawberries, thank you Master Torben, and an ale. And whatever you would like, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment or two? I'll be at my table."