Previews

[MegaKooala12]

Previews

This is a topic where players will be able to post brief samples of their future writing in order for events to smoothly progress throughout the roleplay. You may choose to either reveal secrets in your writing or not, it is completely up to you. In addition to writing your own previews, you may also give comments about samples written by other players. Be nice, please. You may make your previews as long or as short as you want.

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So here are very short previews of two posts i am planning to make at the very beginning of this roleplay. They may inspire future interactions between characters, but mainly they are written for things to have a certain start. Keep in mind, both of these previews are excerpts of what i am planning to write in the future. Not only do they lack some detail, but they may be subject to change in the future depending upon input/comments from everyone.

So without further ado, let's get started, shall we?

Bowman Woodcroft
Remembering the knife he had put in his pocket earlier, Bowman reached up towards the flap in the back of his trousers, expecting to wrap his hands around the handle of his makeshift weapon. His hand wandered, but it could not find anything to grab onto. He dropped his arms down, and sighed with subtle annoyance.

"Looking for this?" said a sly-sounding voice behind him. Bowman tried to move his head back to see who had muttered the quiet words, but his eyes couldn't see past his shoulders. Fortunately, the person came in front of him. It was a small woman with a large red scar across her cheek. There was a blue turban wrapped around her head, and a smug smirk upon her lips. She twirled Bowman's cheap dagger in the palm of her hand before swiftly throwing it across the camp, where it stuck to a nearby tree. Soon came two other men, both muscular and plastered with stern yet wild looks on their faces. Bowman shuddered in his skin.

"Can I help you?" he muttered with a slight shrill in his voice. The men gave no introduction, they turned to the woman in front of Bowman and started to interrogate her.
"Did you check 'im?" said the one man with a tattoo of a serpent on his collar bone.
"No. I will. Didn't think a human would get caught." Without haste, the woman searched through all of Bowman's pockets, and looked through his backpack that had fallen to the ground when he got caught in the complicated snare-like trap. She handed the leather bag off to the other man, who had a lazy eye and long curly brown hair. He pulled out one of Bowman's many maps, stared at it with curiosity, and then smiled with a vicious grin.

"Farendell, huh? That's what you have circled here," he said while leisurely sauntering across the camp. "Y'know, I was going to make the trip myself. Until of course everyone else decided to make it a new priority of theirs to get that damn sword."
"I here they price it for more than 10,000 in Walden," replied the woman, her arms crossed as she sat on a tree stump, "Even more if you sell it past the border of this pathetic land people mistake for a country."
"But why would you sell it? Ain't it supposed to have fancy enchanted powers 'er somethin'?"
"People care more about their present situations rather than the future. Besides, Hollidelt's magic powers are only superstition." The woman leaned back on the stump, and then continued, "Nobody knows for sure if that sword can grant immortality. Then again, nobody even knew that sword existed before Queen Rowan got kidnapped by Cyrodil..."

"If there's anything I can offer you, I swear, I'll give it to you..." Bowman spoke, abruptly interrupting the group's conversation, "Just please have mercy and let me go!"
The man with the lazy eye chuckled under his breath, and slowly yet intimidatingly approached Bowman.
"Don't you know, peasant? We're thugs. We don't have any 'mercy'. Don't waste your breath trying to persuade us."
"Weston, should I let this man go? He has next to nothing on him. He's clearly no use to us."
Weston, presumably the leader of the group of bandits, stared at Bowman as he replied to the woman. "Don't be foolish, Esther. If we let him go, he'll just tell the authorities. If he's no use to us, then kill him."

"Wait, no, I won't tell anyone about this! I swear!"
"Shut UP, you measly twit." said the man with the serpent tattoo.
"We'll kill him later. For now, let's go check on the other traps. I'm starting to feel like there's a hole in my stomach. Thelon, you wait here and make sure this lanky man doesn't break free."
"Aye."
And with that, the lazy-eyed Weston and the woman, Esther, ran off somewhere into the forest, leaving Bowman hanging with the muscular man named Thelon. He couldn't believe that everything the innocent-looking girl said was a lie. Such an elaborately planned trap, and he found himself in the middle of it. He would try to escape while he still had the chance. But then again, how could he? His weapon was on the other side of the small camp. It was useless calling for help, as the bandit would only slit his throat in a matter of seconds. With a sigh, Bowman loosely hung by his legs, (which were starting to loose feeling, no less) silently praying to the gods that he would be able to find an escape or somehow manage to survive. Hopefully he wouldn't be asking for too much if someone was able to swing by and take care of the thugs for him, and then manage to cut him down....


(Seleste's preview coming soon...)

[Arithmatus]

For my 1st post...

In a flashback to a couple years prior to Cyrodil's devastation of the capital city Ingotstone, Prince returns from his military campaigns in the East and finds himself in the Halcionian council before the King and the council members. His army had been defeated by Aramatian forces and Prince tells them of how he was forced to make a ceasefire agreement that was highly favorable to his enemies. The council blames him for his brashness and forces Prince to relinquish his title as general for an indefinite time.

Fast-forwarding to the present, Prince appears before the citizens at the public forum and tells them that he had made it his personal goal to find and defeat Cyrodil. To the citizens' dimay, he describes that he requires a donation of whatever gold they have to finance his journey and hire mercenaries because the council refused to provide him with fighting men. Prince also tells them that it would be an honorable thing to step forward and join his party to lend whatever skills they may have to aid his cause (this would be an opportunity for any of your characters to join Prince, if they wish).
The citizens complain and refuse to offer help to Prince because Cyrodil's attack on the city had made their livelihoods more difficult than it was.

[Vix]

“Lady Death, I have great need for you to undertake a task much greater than others I have asked of you.” The King of Halcion had requested a private conference with the Wood Nymph whom he had long since forged an alliance with, making sure to have appealed to the young woman before any other Kingdom. They sat across from one another hidden away in his private study as the hooded figure ran a single digit across the tip of an arrow. “You wish me to hunt Cyrodil.” Her voice was as smooth as silk, a melody lingering in the air. Halcion's King gave a light nod, folding his hands upon the table between them. “Indeed - More specifically, I wish you to join my son's traveling party and ensure his safety. I have heard news of other Kingdoms sending their best to retrieve the legendary sword. I know not how they have heard, but I suppose something like that does not stay secret for long. I have no doubt that they would kill anyone who got in their way. I am pr-” He stopped as she held up a finger to gather his attention. “I have my own personal reasons for pursuing Cyrodil and that sword. Now we come to the main point. What's in it for me? Obviously with your precious Prince having to collect donations from the denizens, financial reward is out of the question. You know quite well that I don't do "I will pay you back later".” Her accent was thick and foreign, her words seeming to echo the soft sounds of a forest at night as she had stood and began to talk. “But you have been an excellent provider for some time. Here's what I shall do: I will shadow your arrogant Prince and should his paltry party fail to defend him, I will step in. My reward will be Hollidelt.”

The King's face wrinkled with confusion. “I thought Elves wer-” He had stopped mid sentence once more, jumping back in fright as an arrow flew through the air and thumped into the wall just a few inches to the right of his head. The King barely had time to blink before the motions of her attack had been performed. “I. Am. Not. An Elf. How many times must I...” She lowered her bow and snarled before recomposing herself. “Nymphs are immortal and Elves are long lived. The powers of the blade are of no use to me nor is its efficiency in battle. What I intend with it is my own business. I also would love the manor house south of Ingotstone near Teisol River. Now - Do we have an accord?” The King, clearly shaken up, placed his hands down. He was no stranger to the Bounty Hunter's temper at being referred to as an Elf, chastising himself for letting it slip. But she proved her loyalty to Halcion so he let it slide. “The sword is yours if my son returns safely. But that manor is property of the Marquis Teisol. And my brother. Pray tell why I should remove it from his ownership.” He could have provided her with monetary reward, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. “I'm sorry, but is the Marquis risking his life to ensure your son's safety? Is the Marquis going to aid in saving the life of our beloved Queen? No. He is neither sending any of his fine fighters to aid. He instead hosts lavish parties, enjoying wine and women. Need I continue?” She did have her personal reasons, though they would remain her own. The King nodded as she presented him with the scroll detailing their agreement. He poured candle wax upon the bottom, pressing his ring into it to give it the royal seal. “You knew I would ask this of you?” He lifted a brow as he handed it back to her, watching as he made a shallow cut to her palm and leaked the blood over the seal to make it glow. “The walls have ears, your majesty.” She smirked from under her hood mysteriously. Before the King could say any more, she faded, replaced with soft blue petals that soon swirled out of the room, carried by a mysterious draft of air.

[Pyroteknik]

Well, I don't want to presume, but I think the most logical place for Elion would be with the royal party, since he's such a close friend of the queen. This is a tidbit from the post I'm planning on for him.

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It had been many years since he had tread these paths, the worn cobblestones under his feet a harsh contrast to the soft, quiet earth of the forest he had grown up in, had received his tutelage in, and now lived in, solitary as a soul could be without going mad. Well, not so solitary anymore, as he was reminded by the dark shadow looming at the corner of his mind. It was always there now, his passenger. It observed, watched, and waited for the inevitable moment of this wizard’s weakening, when it would be allowed to take possession of this form and unleash the wanton destruction it so craved. The thought alone put a hitch in his step, and Elion shook his head under the hood that draped it, shadows cutting his face into sharper angles even than usual. It would not do to think of such things here.

Once his task was complete and Cyrodil was gone—then he could allow himself to contemplate the predicament he had so willingly stepped into. But now, while the dark dragon was still loose, while Rowan was still captive, he could not allow himself the weakness of doubt. He owed his friend that much; he had just never expected to pay the debt with his soul.

There were more folk about than usual for this time of day, he thought, or perhaps his memory served him poorly and it had always been thus. Still, the throng of people seemed to be heading more or less in the same direction, and he slipped quietly into the crowd, moving with the flow of it until he was brought to stand in front of a large square in the middle of town. It was not long before the purpose of this gathering was evident—the crown prince himself stepped up onto a large wooden platform at the forefront of the people, and spoke.

Had it really been so long? The last time Elion had visited, this youth had been only on the cusp of manhood. Now, he was a man full-grown, and the elf was reminded tragically of the lifespan of humans. Even lesser elves, his cousins of a sort, lived hundreds of years. High elves were immortal, something as much curse as blessing, but humans… their lives passed in the blink of an eye by comparison. Even he was scarcely more than a child by the standards of his people, and yet… he had lived four times the prince’s life. They burned so quickly, but so brightly, he could not help but think. The young future king’s speech was flavored with impatience, and what Elion took as a clear desire to accomplish this thing, to walk forth into the unknown and slay the dragon to rescue his mother.

It was met, alas, with much reluctance.

Frowning, the elf waited a few moments for the murmurs of discontent to subside, then reached up with a hand, pushing the hood back from his face and exposing himself to the sun. It was uncomfortable, and the passenger assaulted him immediately with complaints of its own, but he ignored it. “I am no citizen of your domain, your highness,” he said, clearly enough to be heard over the crowd, “but all the same, you shall have what I can give.” Elion smiled, a close-lipped expression of subdued warmth, and inclined his head towards the young man.

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And a preview for Tarquin:

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The forest was quiet in the slight chill of the morning, a misty fog congealing upon the ground underneath his horse’s feet. He may not be a spirit of wilderness itself, but Tarquin Rethleon was no stranger to surviving in the woods, and he did not allow the superstitions about this place to bother him. He knew very well what dwelt here—he had spent his childhood here, as a matter of fact. Though the memories were at best tinged with the distinctive flavor of bitterness, he did not allow them to show on his face, which was to the external world the very essence of languid boredom.

The tall man in dark linens and his night-black horse passed like wraiths through the trees, making nary a sound. Smarter than the average idiot and quite well-connected in the underworld of Ingotstone, he’d had a fair head start on this whole quest for the sword business, and intended to take full advantage of that. The Night Court would get along just fine in his absence, and frankly, he didn’t much care if it collapsed without him anyway. Therein lie one of the greatest, most tangible benefits of being a complete and utter rogue—if one did not care, one did not feel pain upon the inevitable passing of the transient. The only lives he took any care to preserve in particular were his own and Ishtar’s: but the great warhorse would die eventually as well, and though he had some fondness for the beast, he would not allow himself to mourn. Never again.

A journey’s length was of little consequence to him, and he expected to be traveling in like manner for at least three days in total—of this, half a day had passed already, and the forest revealed to him many things, but nothing he had not known before. Under its arbors, he felt nothing in particular. No added sense of safety, no homecoming, borne of his blood and lineage, and though perhaps if all were right with the world, he would have been prince here, he was much more content being Prince beneath the cobblestone streets of the capital city. It was much more lucrative. Neither, however, did this place assault him with a sense of foreboding or danger. It accepted his passage as he accepted its presence in between himself and that which he desired—with a certain kind of admirable, eminent equanimity. They were strangers, and they were not, but whatever that meant, no hostility was his for the encountering, at least not while daylight yet shone stippled through the emerald and jade leaves above.

Perhaps it was because he’d always known exactly what to expect that the presence of a seated human, a horse tied not far away, threw him off-balance and somewhere slightly to the left. He did not let it carry him away into the abyss of shock, however—he was considerably more grounded than all that—but all the same it was as though his world had tilted, just a little, and he did not like it. Though the bored cast to his features never quite left him, it was sharpened into something much keener by the narrowing of his green-black eyes, and they flashed faintly under the influence of a rogue band of sunlight. He pulled his horse to a stop, and what loomed before him was another thing he’d not thought to see: a massive labyrinth, no doubt the conjuration of one of the myriad old magicks that lay upon this place. No doubt also, a delay he did not wish to dally with.

His head listed just slightly to one side, the earring in his right ear chiming just faintly with the motion, and cut an obsidian glance to the seated woman. Dark hair, clearly trained in some form of combat, and not in the least homely—these were cold observations, made with the precision of one accustomed to sizing up everyone he met. There was not a trace of approval or disapproval in them, only the inexorable nature of fact. “’Tis not particularly safe, to linger,” he said shortly, that same cool neutrality infusing the words, though to call his voice a monotone would be to betray a lack of subtlety. It was rich, surprisingly deep, almost bass-toned, with the faint hint beneath it of a whetstone over steel, a clean rasp. It sounded a little as though he were unaccustomed to using it.

[Sirk]

This is a small exert of what will write for my first post. This may change slightly depending on what is written by the others but it’s got the general idea of what I will write.
Ash had spent the morning standing at the edge crowd waiting for the crown prince to address his subjects and beside him his massive horse was growing impatient of the waiting. Ever since Ash had told Lightning they were going to leave the city his horse had been unable to contain the excitement at the thought of being outside of the, finally free of the tiny streets and smelly people that in the horses mind were the bane of his existence. Lightning pulled at the reins in Ash’s hand, the unexpected move caused Ash to stumble slightly before he caught himself. Pulling the reins Ash brought Lightning’s face close to his. “Calm down boy, we will leave soon, first I want to see what the crown prince has to say.” Snorting his horse pulled away from him, but was quiet after that. Shortly the prince arrived silencing the crowd who waited interested in seeing what he would say.

The speech was quick and simple it asked for money and aid in the quest to rescue the queen. Snorting Ash tried not to laugh; the royal prince was truly a little brat if he expected people to aid him simply because he was the prince. If the prince had a head on his shoulder he would never have asked for donations. Most people wouldn't have any extra coin to spare, not so soon after they had lost so much in the dragon’s attack. Around Ash people began to mutter but their voices all died down when unexpectedly a hand rose from the crowd volunteering to help the prince. Towering above the crowd Ash saw that the volunteer was an elf. Interesting he thought, he never would have guessed an elf would volunteer to help the crown prince, most tended to stay out of human affairs. After the initial surprise caused by the first volunteer a few more people raised their hands offering to join the prince on his quest, all the luck to them he thought. Ash wasn't one for groups; he figured he would travel faster alone anyways.

As Ash turned from the crowd something caused him to pause. Scanning the crowd his gaze focused on a group of three people stand nearby all of them had their hand’s raised signalling they were volunteering to join the prince. Ash stared at them trying to figure out why they had caught his attention, and then it hit him like ton of bricks, they were bandits. Ash saw the way they watched the prince, different from the greedy gaze of mercenaries, their gaze while it was full of greed it held the same madness and thirst for death he had once embraced. Ash knew no one else would think them any different from other mercenaries but Ash knew what they were and he had a strong idea of what they were planning.

Sighing he placed a hand on Lightning to calm the rowdy horse he whispered to the horse “Sorry boy we won’t be leaving just yet”. Raising his hand and calling out to the prince “I offer my services to you your… highness”

So basically Ash will be joining the prince though only because he doesn't believe anyone will believe him if he tells them those three are bandits with no proof.

[~Living-Dead Doll~]

Slowly the young girl's eyes opened and scanned the area. She could feel the sorrow that had been absorbed in the rubble that remained from the dragon's destruction. She could still hear the screams as the dragon destroyed the area, leaving nothing but rubble, fire, and ash in its wake. Shaking the memories from her mind, she leaned down and scooped up her bag and then grabbed her violin. For a moment, she choked back tears as she could almost feel the loss of the ones still trapped in the rubble. After taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a second and let her back slowly slip till it was touching the ground. Her feet moved forward three steps before her eyes opened and she moved her violin bow to the opposite hand of the violin. She cleared her throat and bowed her head. Slowly, she began to play the melody she had played almost every morning since the attack.

((Below is a link to a song that I found that could give you an idea of what she plays. I searched for a while and this was the only thing I found that sounded remotely like what I had in my head. Please not, that when she plays, it will only be the violin. So when you listen, try to ignore the piano playing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvkTALt7dVA))

As the song ended, she sniffled a bit and carefully wiped under her eyes. "Someday you will be avenged and then you will find peace." She whispered before walking back over to her bag. Without another thought, she headed into the heart of the city, where there were less traces of the destruction.
In the town she could see things were bustling as normal. A small smile crept onto her face as she walked into the tailoring shop. "Ello" She greeted the older woman before bowing her head. "Greetings, Alice." She later smiled brightly while waving with one hand. The woman was already busy with her regular duties. "May I help you today?" Alice asked while trying to look to see how many orders the woman had for the day. "Deary, shouldn't you be in town with the other bards?" The woman asked in a sweet voice. "They are trying to raise money for the Prince. I am not sure why he is askin for money, but I hear tale of him fighting Cyrodil. I am sure the King is not thrilled about tis at all." Alice gave a concerned look towards the woman before nodding. "Thank you." She said while bowing her head and rushing out of the building.
Without running, but still swiftly, Alice headed for the town square. "Alice my'dear, have you heard?" One of the older bards asked as she came close enough to him. "The Prince is askin for money. Can you believe it? Royalty in need? Ha" She smiled kindly at the elder man, who looked to be in his forties if not older. "I heard he was raising funds to battle Cyrodil." Alice replied while her eyes darted around people, trying to find the Prince. "Aye, I heard the same. I also heard he is recruiting since the King couldn't spare any of his men." He old man gave another laugh before grumbling something under his breath, but Alice wasn't able to tell what he said. Suddenly she spotted the Prince and bowed her head lightly to the old man before rushing over to see what the Prince had to say.

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This is a brief preview of what I have in mind for my first post. I plan on adding more detail and such but I still have to wait until my character is accepted, which hopefully won't be long. Also, I am not going to post the youtube link in the IC, thats why I posted it here so you could listen to it and know what she is going to play. I am probably going to do this periodically, unless someone can tell me a better idea. Also, if someone can tell me how I should describe the music in great (I mean GREAT) detail that would be wonderful and greatly appreciated!

[Pyroteknik]

My apologies that this isn't a full preview, but I figured a small note would be better than nothing.

So Sadia currently lives more or less on the road, and sticks to the forest and other wild areas whenever possible. In all likelihood, therefore, she's in there somewhere, and since I don't think it makes much sense for me to integrate her with any of the groups as they are, I'll likely have her stumble upon someone at a later time, or perhaps appear in advance or immediately after an obstacle or enemy encounter of some sort, I dunno. Unless anyone can think of a specific place to put her right now, I shall eventually post an intro and leave anything else until it's logical.

[Arithmatus]

Here is a summary of my next post:

After Prince accepts Elion, Ash, Alice, and several unmentioned others, they leave the city gates immediately, to where food, supplies, and horses await his party. After traveling North for several hours, they set up camp by a river in the wilderness as the sun sets.
Over supper, Prince tells his new companions about political unrest and even news of rebellion after the recent events. Cyrodil's devastation of Ingotstone had weakened the city financially because a substantial sum of money had gone into repairing damage. The king had to raise the taxes of the Earldoms to which they responded by open rebellion and even declarations of independence. Prince tells his companions about his plans to quell rebellions, restore order, and recruit more men before he deems himself ready to face Cyrodil. He then encourages his new companions to talk about themselves and their hopes for the future.

[Thadine]

Just a rough idea about my upcoming post.

Elias is reading once more over the newest contract he has received for a certain lycanthrope, Sadia. There wasn't much reason behind the contract besides an apparent fear and hate for the target. With information gathered, he is beginning to feel a bit of sympathy for her. This realization of how he is feeling angers him, and he needs someone to talk to. Though Lady "Death" is not around the Guild often, he searches for her, and one of the members tells him that they heard rumors that she was planning on going on a journey with the King's son and his party.

By coincidence, the wilderness and beyond that his target resides in most of the time is also where his friend is. He readies himself for a long journey, thinking up of stories in his head that he will tell people if they ask questions about who he is. He will take the facade of nothing more than a simple merchant aching for adventure, and a bit of money.

Knowing that at the present moment, his teammate is most likely residing within her forest, he sets off with his sole goal to find her first, knowing that they could both aid eachother and accomplish all their goals.

[Arithmatus]

Summary of my next post(s):

Minor scene of Prince talking to one of his shieldbearers Dorin Sorrowsweet before bedtime. The next morning Prince is woken up with news that the three mercenary men who had volunteered to join Prince at the forum had kidnapped Alice and left a note demanding ransom money in exchange for her safe return. Some valuables had also been stolen and Alice's wolf Kiva had been drugged to sleep the previous night. Some of Prince's followers try to convince him that Alice's life is not worth the risk and that they will likely be ambushed if he tries to rescue her by force.

(Any other ideas will be appreciated and this is only a possible outcome that can be changed.)

[~Living-Dead Doll~]

Here is a preview for my next post and kinda happens in between some of everyone elses posts.
Ok the actual post is MUCH longer than this and I'm kinda posting them at the same time, but I thought I would also post something here......anyways
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Alice sits outside the circle of the men, listening to each one. While going through her bag she realizes that she isn't really prepared for the journey and it would be a good idea to buddy up with someone, if she can. In addition to that, she realizes she does not have any food. This moves her to speak to Elion, who she hopes in the future she can buddy up with based upon their conversation and his understand of her 'people'. She eats on the food and then presents her reason for traveling: to gain recognition for her people. After finishing the food, Alice then performs a upbeat melody for everyone while dancing around. ((See link below as it is the base of the song she plays. Ignore anything that is not a violin though.))
After the dance, Alice decides to retire for the night. Seeing as Kiva has long fur and she has no cover, she cuddles up to him.

((Melody at Campfire Please ignore everything except the violin as obviously that is the only thing she is able to produce.))

Please NOTE: I did not god-mod in any way. Any action or words spoken by Elion were done by White Rock through a collaboration we did.

[Arithmatus]

For my next post I made some adjustments:

Prince talks to his herbalist Ruwa (who is also a priestess) who tells him that the gods revealed to her that Alice would one day protect him from some dangerous event in the future. I haven't exactly planned out how or when that would happen, or if it would even actually happen though. I just want to establish Prince as a character who is also heavily influenced by his followers. After this scene Doll you can go ahead and post the kidnapping of Alice scene when youre ready. I'd like to write the details of the ransom and its discovery though. I will postpone Prince's talk with Dorin until the next day in the story.

If you have any other ideas feel free to share. Thanks.

[~Living-Dead Doll~]

Ok, this is pretty much the same thing I will be posting in the IC, except it has things translated in parentheses here.
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Alice laid there, completely relaxed against the large wolf. Though there was a slight breeze, Kiva had moved his large bushy tail across her legs. Kiva had been her companion for almost five years now, but she was still amazed at how smart the creature was. Clothing covered everything except her legs, and he knew that her legs would be cold because of this. On the other hand, it could just be animal instincts that told him to cover her legs because they felt colder than the rest of her. Though this was possible, she liked to think he was very intelligent. There had been other time in her life where he had helped her and it seemed more like intelligence than animal instincts.

After about an thirty minutes, Kiva whined a little before shifting, obviously trying to move without disturbing Alice. She smiled before moving to make it easier on the creature. Kiva whined a little more before getting to his feet and gazing at her with a look that was somewhat an apologetic one (at least, as much as an animal could make). However, him moving did not bother her. She had figured he would have gone hunting long before this. "I don't mind Kiva. Be safe during your hunt." She whispered to the large wolf before rubbing his side slightly. With that, he quickly ran off into the woods to do his regular hunting. Alice grabbed her bag, rearranging the clothes so they would be thicker and hopefully make the bag more comfortable. After a few minutes of working with it, she finally got comfortable and started to dose off.


Alice looked down at the green grass she sat in. She was in a valley of grass and bright flowers. It all seemed very familiar..... It was a memory.
"Ye 'ave learned much in such a short time, Chavi." Baba Puridaia ('Baba'- a word for respect used with older ladies // Puridaia - Grandmother) stated while smiling at Alice, who sat in the grass listening intently. The old woman was the leader of the cavern she had been taken in by and didn't know very many words that were in the common language of the kingdom. During the time with the Wildfolk, Alice had learned many of the words they used.
"Devlesa araklam tume. (It is with Gods we found you) Me dikh zor in tu. (I see strength in you.) Akai is tu own lavuta for tu romipen." The old woman moved her arms from behind her back and presented a hand crafted violin to Alice. The small girl's face lit up with delight as she carefully took the violin and inspected it. She had been using a fellow Windfolk's for the longest. This one seemed specially crafted as she saw spots for special items. The crafting of the instrument was the best she had ever seen.
Tears swelled in her eyes as she knew what this meant. She was now an adult gypsy. Days of being a child were now over and, if she wished, she could now leave to start her own life. "Tu Ves'tacha chey" (you beloved- as in 'you are my beloved daughter')Baba Puridaia muttered while wiping under her own eyes. Alice quickly jumped to her feet and while being careful of the violin, hugged her beloved adoptive grandmother. "Nais tuke Baba!!" Alice cried while cringing to her grandmother. The old woman patted her back gently before smiling down at her. Though she had only been with the cavern for three years, Alice had learned so much and the old woman had grown extremely attached. However, she knew of the events to come and that she would not be here for the girl much longer.
"Me give tu ruv. Ruv xa mas." (I give you wolf. He eat meat.) With that, Baba turned and whistled a few times. Alice waited with large eyes. She had encountered a few wolves before, though they were wild and tried to attack her. Her heart began pounding against her chest as she waited and looked in all directions. She trusted Baba, but a wolf was a bit different and she was not so sure of. However, if Baba trusted him, she knew she should too. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw a large black wolf running in her direction. The sun shined down, illuminating the red tint to his long fur and all fear seemed to fade away. The creature was beautiful and elegant as he ran towards them. His large eyes shined a bright blue and there seemed to be a odd calmness to him. As he stopped in front of Baba, he lowered his head, as if bowing. She petted him lightly before motioning to Alice to move closer. Slowly, Alice moved her hand to the large wolf who came up to her waist. He was easily the largest wolf she had ever seen. Her hand slowly touched his fur and she was surprised at how soft it was. The wolf nuzzled it's head against her hand, which made her tense up a bit. "No worry, chey. Ruv protect." Baba reassured Alice before speaking to the wolf in words that Alice did not understand. Though she did not know what Baba was saying, the wolf seemed to understand completely.

When Baba had finished her speech to the wolf, she turned her attention back to Alice. "Te merav, tu protected." (May I die, you protected.) Baba stated in a loving tone before looking to the right, where in the distance a large city could be seen. It was Ingotstone, long before the dragon had attacked. It was the first real 'city' that the cavern had been to since Alice had been taken in by them, and she was ecstatic to see what the city had to offer. In the many towns they had traveled through, they had been greeted warmly by some but scorned and hated by others; though the majority of them loathed the Windfolk.
"Alize, 'ome join us."A young woman called from a small wagon. Alice looked to Baba, who nodded her head, telling her it was alright, and told the wolf to follow her. Alice swiftly made her way to the woman who was a dear friend. "Look look!!" She said, showing the woman the magnificent violin Baba had given her. "Yes, I know. We all berry proud of tu." The woman replied lovingly before moving her dark eyes upon the wolf who followed Alice. "Eh? Who 'this?" She asked with a large smile, glad that the girl now had a guardian to protect her. Alice looked over at the wolf then shrugged. "Baba didn't tell me his name.." she answered, wondering what his name could be. "He is yours now. Name him." The woman stated before turning to the wagon, pulling things they would need to make camp to the front.
Alice stared at the great beast and tried to think of a name that might suit him. "Rikono?" She asked the wolf but the woman behind her scoffed. "He a ruv not a rikono." (he is a wolf not a dog) Alice nodded, thinking that naming a wolf 'dog' was quiet mean. "Hmm...." She thought some more before looking to the woman. "Kiva?" She asked, wondering what she thought. "Kiva? That sound good. What tu think?" The wolf looked at the woman then Alice and gave a small bark, that seemed like it was pleased. "Kiva it 'tis!" Alice cheered while moving her hand to pet the wolf. All the worry she had felt before was now gone as she could 'feel' he was to protect her.
The woman smiled at the girl and her beast before turning and looking back at the cavern. "Ah- we need so much..." she mumbled.
Slowly, everything seemed to fade, though Alice knew there was more to the memory. It was as if she was being pulled away.

"Gag her." A man whispered from the right of Alice and before she could react, a man who stood at the head of her tied a rag around her mouth. She tried to scream, but it was muffled. Since almost everyone else was on the other side of the camp, no one would hear her.
Alice's eyes darted around as she tried to find something to grab, however she realized her hands had already been bound. Her heart began to race as she prayed that Kiva would show up and alert the others. "Good thin shes light, eh?" One man laughed while another tied her feet together. She tried to kick as much as she could, however the man who had been to the right of her put all his pressure on her legs. "Stop squirming!!" The man at the head of her nearly yelled while slapping her hard across the face. "Shut up! Do you want to wake the whole damn camp?" The one at her feet asked in a loud whisper. Alice winced in pain as she could feel the hand print the man's hand had left on her face. Despite this, she still tried to wiggle free and scream. These efforts were pointless. Soon, Alice was completely bound and one of the men had tossed her over the side of a horse. With a note left by the camp for the prince, the three bandits took off.

[Arithmatus]

for my next post:

Prince sets out with Dorin, Ash, and Elion to meet the bandits at the abandoned temple. In an unlikely turn of events, Alice is not at the scene, as well as one of the three bandits who had kidnapped her. The two bandits tell Prince that Alice is kept somewhere else and that she would be returned to him once the ransom is paid. Sensing that the bandits are lying, Prince attacks them but is immediately ambushed by numerous others from the woods. Prince and his companions fight the ambushers and eventually cause them to retreat. One of two bandits who got incapacitated tells Prince that they were hired by someone to do this who wanted Prince dead. Prince asks him where Alice is being kept but he says that he does not know where she or the one other bandit went. Later, Prince uses Kiva to track Alice down and is led to some old ruins but Alice is nowhere to be seen. Elion reads some inscriptions in the stones which leads him to suspect that mythical Sidhe (Aos Sí) people were responsible for Alice's disappearance.

(If you have any other ideas for the plot Sirk, Doll, or Rook, I'll be open to that. )