Legend of Se'phir [Inactive]

As the sun set behind her, Indira gazed at the interesting shadow cast in front by her and Acorn. It looks like a strange monster, she thought.


A warm, gentle breeze blew past her, bringing with it scents of the wildflowers which grew aplenty alongside the well-traversed road. Thank goodness it's the summer. I'll be able to cover a bit more ground before stopping for the night. This is what Indira enjoyed so much. While her sisters preferred an indoors summer ball to pass the evenings, Indira found immense pleasure in riding atop Acorn alone out in the wilds under the brilliant dazzling stars. By now, the sun was set completely and the only light to guide Acorn's steps was that of the crescent moon. The road was an open, peaceful one though, so Indira was not worried. After a little longer, she whistled to stop and hopped to the ground. The mossy earth provided a soft landing. After setting up her modest camp which consisted of a bear skin sleeping mat and a cozy fire, Indira filled a pot from her water supply and set it over the fire. While waiting for it to boil, she laid down on her back and gazed up at the night sky where she easily found her favorite constellation, The Wandering Woodsman. To most, it looked like a random clump of stars, however, Indira had learned to study the heavens and could easily make out a man with an ax across his shoulder. It wasn't because of her special love of forests or because she had always felt alone like a wandering soul, instead, it was a particular star in the constellation which connected Indira to it. She could still remember the night many years ago when her father had pointed up to the heavens and said to her as they sat on a garden bench outside their home, "You see that star there forming the point of the triangle? I named you after it, Indira."


"But why, Papa? Am I supposed to be a star when I grow up?"



"You, my dear, are to be whatever you wish when you are older. I named you after the star because of its importance to the constellation it is in. It is not the brightest, most dazzling star, but without it the whole identity of the constellation would change. In the same way, our family would not be the same without you." She giggled as he poked her nose.



"What does my name mean though? Isobel knows her name's meaning and so does Iliana."



"Well, my girl, it is the fairies who study the stars, thus they who name them. Perhaps someday you'll meet one and be able to ask him or her yourself."






Indira sighed. Coming back to the present she thought to herself, I suppose I'm traveling in the wrong direction in order to get an answer to that old question. Oh well, another adventure for another day.


Sitting back up, she lifted the pot of boiling water from the fire. As she poured the water into her tin cup to make some tea, Acorn let out a small whinny. "What is it girl?" She looked up and saw Acorn gazing in the direction from which they'd come. Turning around, she saw what had alerted her horse. There coming up the road, was someone sitting atop a cart being pulled by two pale, white horses. As they came closer to the firelight, Indira saw that the person was, in fact, an elf. Don't look so surprised. You are on your way to his land after all, she told herself.
 
Trotting along, Pierre noticed that the stars began to shine even brighter. The only sounds about were of the night and the occasional snore from Novelette. Looking upwards, he saw many familiar constellations, a study he had always hated with a passion. 'Who would want to study a bunch of aligned lore anyways...' Pierre scuffled his hair a bit while grumbling, until his ears slightly twitched. Looking ahead, he saw a small fire burning. "Woah there." He slowly pulled his cart to a crawl, and slowly reached for his dagger and thought of an incantation. Not everyone he had met on the road happened to be happy go lucky adventurers after all. Approaching, he saw a woman with brown hair and a familiar looking horse. 'Ah, the passerby from before.'


Releasing his grip from his knife, he pulled his cart up next to the woman's makeshift camp. Looking closely, she appeared to have the characteristics of an elf, but as a select few graduates were taught, the smell of the inner aura of an elf was different then other creatures. While this woman smelled slightly different, it was too slight to tell what was off, not like he could speak, Pierre thought. "Good evening, how are you? Are you traveling amongst the Eastern highway?" Looking around the woman, he saw she had many provisions, so it looked like a long journey.
 
Standing up, since before her sat a complete stranger, Indira sized up the elf. Because he remained sitting on the cart, she couldn't be sure about his build, although he looked strong enough, and Indira had heard that elves' average heights were tall compared to humans, so she assumed he would be at least taller than she was. Indira had also learned to look past a person's friendly manner, which the elf most certainly was presenting, to determine a person's true character. He seems nice enough, but again, so did Arin before he robbed me blind. She casually touched the dagger strapped to her left thigh, so as to let him know she wasn't unarmed.


"Good evening," she replied, "And to answer your question, yes, I'm headed East, as I presume you are?"
 
Watching her touch her dagger, Pierre could feel himself tense up. She was definitely smart, he begun to think. "Yeah, me and my useless coworker are. Just selling and buying, a regular route and all." Looking up, he noticed that all though night had indeed begun, some clouds were rolling in to block the moon's light. "Listen, would you mind if we set up camp near yours? Maybe even swap a few tales? Heh, I can also sell you something nice if you want." Sliding off of his seat, Pierre casually walked to a dirt spot near the woman, but not too close to her own camp. Throwing down a grabbed blanket, he sat on it and folded his legs. "What's your name? I'm gonna take a guess you're not from around here? Normally I recognize everyone in these few towns, especially elves."
 
Wondering if the myth between the twin elves were true, she sat there for a moment, thinking she should do research on it as soon as possible. The library was sure to have something on it, if not she could go to a private book collector. Fierra was glad that Saito didn't think the idea of the Warriors of Legend was ridiculous, it would make it much easier to tell him about herself, if they came to that. A sharp buzz came from the oven, reminding her to check on the scrumptious meat. Dinner was probably ready. Standing up from her rickety chair, she walked over to the blazing oven. She looked at the meat. The meat was looking brown and juicy. Just the smell of the food made her mouth water. Grabbing the meat with her leather glove on, she placed it in the plater and inspected it to make sure it was cooked all the way through. Using her careful eye, she saw that the hare and the sparrows were good to go. She called,"Dinner appears to be cooked! I'll be serving it shortly."


Fierra solicitously carried the plater to the long, oak table where the guests were sitting. Rushing back to the kitchen she grabbed some ceramic plates and silverware. The vegetables were on plates scattered around the table for people to get if they wanted them. She then disrupted the plants and silverware to her guests evenly. Fierra plopped herself down next to Saito and said,"Feel free to serve yourself." Doing so herself, she grabbed a sparrow, and a few carrots.
 
Saito nodded. "Thank you" He said as he gathered his helping of food. "I'm sure you ladies might have discussed it already but I would like you know more about you two." Saito helped himself to his plate as he waited for the girls to answer. Fierra was actually a very good cook. But then again when you live alone there are skills you learn real quick. Saito remembered when he first set out on his own he ate mostly burn meals. Thankfully a girl in the beast kingdom taught him to cook, after she found his passed out in the desert.
 
Litina stood up from her chair and grabbed some of the meat. "I guess that's fair enough," She said and began to eat her food. She began to talk in between pieces of food. "Well, I used to live in Yarrin with my father. Then one day he disappeared. I've been trying to find him since." She shrugged her shoulders and went back to eating. "I've been living in the woods for quite some time. It's nice to be back in a home again."
 
Morning had soon approached - must faster than she was used to - and a ray of sunshine shone in through the window, the shades cracked just enough for it to disturb her slumber. Not that Cedric was particularly upset about getting up at that time (what time even was it, again?), she just wasn't used to the light waking her up, rather a gentle hand on her shoulder and the soft scent of tea from beside her bed. The girl shifts a bit under the blankets before sitting up and stretching. Once her eyes had adjusted to the amount of light in the area, she looked around. As it so appeared, Yuuichi was at the end of the bed and everything seemed to be in tact. On the nightstand, there was a letter. Obviously curious, since it was addressed to her, she picked it up and began to read it.


The things he wrote... Cedric couldn't help but be a little suspicious. Then again, she shouldn't have let a stranger invite her to his abode in the first place, but she hardly knew any better. Aside from that, apparently Arys had a sister too? And a good one, at that. It wasn't totally implausible, but it also didn't seem incredibly likely. However, she decided to trust him. His intent seemed kind enough, and his heart seemed true. Though she wasn't usually one to befriend some stranger she just met, the female really had no one else to turn to at that point, and so she took a leap of faith, and could only hope she would make the landing.
 
Feeling Cedric stir a bit as she wakes up, Yuuichi's ears perk up, listening to her as she picks up the slip of paper. The young fox sits up and starts to stretch a bit as he yawns. He turns to face her as he pads across the bed to sit beside her. Tilting his head up at her, he gently nuzzles against her right arm.


A bit hesitant to do so with a female in the room, the first time he has ever truly been self conscious, he nudges Cedric hoping she would look away from him while he transforms and gets dressed. He concentrates for a moment, creating illusory letters in the air: Please turn away from me for a moment so I may get dressed. He hops off the bed and quickly runs around it, gathering his clothes in his mouth and dragging them into a corner of the room.


Praying that Cedric is facing a different direction, he transforms into his human form and quickly dresses himself. Making a particular effort when putting on the collar his master gave him to cover up the scar on his neck. Once finished buttoning up his vest he turns to face Cedric. "Is there anything you would like for breakfast Lady Cedric? I plan to head out soon and you are more than welcome to join me. After all, company makes all trips better." He smiles at her, hoping deep down she will join him, after all the beginning of his trip by himself was lonely with no one to talk to.
 
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She swallowed a mouthful of roast bird before replying,"Oh, my life isn't that exciting to be honest. I grew up as an only child in Pavv. I learned how to hunt and entered some archery contests. Then, I traveled for a while, until helping the city rebuild after the dragon attack. I'm debating wether I should live here or not." She took a sip of wine. "You can ask me more specifics if you want, but that's the quick overview of my life." The room felt sort of cold to Fierra. She seemed like she was always freezing in her home. Fierra tightened her hands together, trying to warm them up.
 
Saito finished his plate as the girls told their stories. Like all boys he shoved practically everything down his throat. His mother would always scold him for eating too fast, especially when they had company over. She would always say 'How do you expect to attract a wife eating like that?' That was the only thing he hated about growing older and being the only son. A lot of pressure was on him to marry into a good family and carry on the family name. However, now he could choose how he wanted his future to go. Saito was quite content living a humble life compared to the plush life he grew up on.


"Well life is nice here in Elesidd is nice. I personally prefer a quieter one in a smaller village, but that's because I grew up with the bustle and noise of the city. However, the politics are a pain in the neck. The only perk to living among the elite is the access to a lot of information. I can find just about anything in the books that is either at home or the Council's library. Actually Litina, if you have any leads on your father then we can look and see if we can find anything with the resources."


Saito noticed Fierra trying to warm her hands up and did notice it was a bit chilly in the house. Looking around he spotted a small fireplace. "Fierra, if you want I can start a fire. Where do you keep the fire wood?"
 
Elf? How does he know? I don't look like him and his kind at all, do I? Indira cocked her head to one side as she examined him. This elf man was either very trusting or very confident in his own abilities. Who would approach a complete stranger and ask to 'swap stories' with them? A friendly person would I suppose. Indira hesitated. But suppose this was all a trick? Suppose he was trying to rob her? She immediately realized the fault in this assumption though, seeing as he was the one with all the supplies worth stealing. Still, she was a bit weird-ed out by his "elf" comment. She was about to sit down when she realized what else he had said.


"Wait, what coworker?" It was then that she heard a garbled snore coming from the back of the cart.
 
"Mmm, coworker." As if in response, a rather manly snore could be heard from the cart. Jabbing a thumb in her direction, Pierre grinned as he spoke, "Her name is Novelette, my boss, er, granny that is, granddaughter. She's normally polite and nice, but she tends to drink quite a bit whenever she gets into town. Almost like a hobby." Stretching his legs out as he laid down with his hands behind his head, Pierre looked at the starry skies. "It's a bright night, great for travel. I don't normally sleep for more than 4 hours, but seeing that this spot is so ideal I doubt I'll get lucky later on."


The woman seemed to be eyeing him, so Pierre just grinned at her as he grabbed his knife sheathe and threw it onto the cart away from him. "I'm not going to attack you, there'd be no gain. My name's Pierre. Lavendoria that is. Maybe you've heard of my family, probably not, regardless I'm a merchant. Anyways, I'm traveling to just buy some magical supplies to bring back and sell. Easy money and all. And you?"
 
Indira's eyes widened in surprise. Lavendoria? This couldn't be the same Lavendoria family as great-great-great grandmother Iloneth, could it? She hardly knew this man, so Indira decided to wait before asking. Walking over to his cart, she glanced in the back and saw a young female elf lying on a pile of finely-sewn rugs. The girl elf looked to be sleeping in peace, but Indira could easily smell the strong odor of alcohol coming from her. Eck, vile liquid, she thought to herself.


Returning to her camp fire, she eyed Pierre again. Ideal spot, eh? Raising an eyebrow, she said, "Well, I'm glad I could be of service to such an important traveling salesman." Indira berated herself the minute she realized she had said that out loud. Why am I so quick to say nasty things? Shrugging off her embarrassment, she nodded to Pierre. "You might as well make the most of it and come sit by the fire. Here have some tea," she said, offering him her tin cup. "My name's Indira. I live in Toor Valley, right next to Pinnella with my family."
 
Having some food in her empty stomach felt great. Saito already finished his food surprisingly fast. She hoped he had enjoyed it. Trying to get herself warmer she said, "Sure! We can hang out in that room until we go to bed. The firewood is in the same room as the fireplace, in the cabinet of the table right next to the hearth. Let me finish eating first." Fierra ate a couple more bits of her meat, leaning back in her chair, and relaxed. The effects of the wine started to hit her. Fierra wasn't drunk, just a tab bit tipsy. She didn't really get drunk often and if she did, she was a placid drunk. Scraping her red ceramic plate she felt pleasantly full. Snatching a couple carrots, she finished eating. Litina looked like she was getting close to done, too. Fierra stood up and took her plate to the basin full of water that was in the kitchen. She would have to wash the plates tomorrow.


"Litina, you can take your time eating if you want, but I'm going to start a fire in the other room with Saito." She gestured towards the kitchen counter. "You guys can have some more wine if you want to." She headed towards the cozy room where the fireplace is. There were a couple leather couches along the walls of the room, with fur blankets close to them. If the fire ran long enough, the heat would spread to the rest of the house. Grabbing the firewood, she put it into the ash filled hearth. She arranged the wood into a triangle shape. "You can light it Saito" Fierra didn't like to play with fire that much.
 
Showing a look of slight confusion towards her sudden burst of rude behavior, he just smiled and shrugged it off. "Not at all mi'lady, the honor's all mine." Seeing her walk to his cart, Pierre's eyes narrowed slightly, as he wasn't sure of what this girl would have down. 'Not just once, but twice in a day is a bit too much for me...' As she walked back, he released a short sigh. Getting up, he joined her by the fire.


Taking the tin, he nodded in thanks and sipped the liquids. It was warm and tasted of some Eastern leaves. "Toor Valley eh? I can imagine you have a bit of cash then? Not that it matters to me or anything, I'm just checking to make sure you didn't steal that horse!" Laughing aloud a bit, Pierre settled down with a short chuckle as he released a tired sigh. Still smiling, he replied, "You should've stayed with your family Indira. The road... It's scary. It's not the bandits or animals, or the magical forces attempting to crush your very soul. No, it's the simple fact that no matter how far you go you can never escape from the road you took. And the whole while, you begin to realize you're alone in a world far too big for anyone..." Realizing he had brought a depressing mood, he coughed before looking up and grinning. "I've always liked campfires. So cozy, like a miniature home right on your adventure!"
 
Indira grunted. "You don't always have to leave home to realize that," she muttered as she stoked the fire. Reaching into her bag for a second tin cup for tea for herself, she said, "It's quite the opposite with me actually; not until I'm out on the road do I feel at peace." She found the extra cup and then dumped a clump of tea leaves into it. "In response to your first statement, my family's cash, no matter its amount, is not my own," said Indira, as she poured water into her new cup. The tea leaves once sitting at the bottom, now swirled around inside, turning the water light green in color. "And yes," she said, glancing up at Pierre, slightly amused, "the horse is mine. She's been mine since I was fourteen." Settling back against her pack, she decided to find out more about who Pierre was.


"Anyways, why the sudden piece of advice? Have you tired of travelling because you miss your family?"
 
Listening to Indira, Pierre just nodded and listened. She appeared to think that her family was a lot different than her, which he could relate to. "No, I can't miss my family," He began, "Because there's nothing left to miss." Chugging down the tea, he couldn't help but feel a slight bit of resentment towards Indira for not being with her family. "I just felt like out of everything I've learned over the years, that bit was the most noteworthy is all. And not eating the yellow snow of course." Chuckling at his own joke, he swirled his cup around as the last drops swished about inside. "Forget all that, let's swap some stories as promised. Where have you been? Right now it doesn't look like you're set for world travel but I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time. I'm guessing you're visiting a certain destination? It looks like you have an exact amount of supplies ready."
 
Following Fierra's lead, Saito placed his empty plate in the wash bin. He then filled his glass once more and joined Fierra in the sitting room. He looked around the hearth and found a flint near the mantle. He struck it and a flame soon was crackling in the fireplace. Saito sat for a moment to make sure the fire was set and then joined Fierra in a couch across from hers.


Saito glanced out the window and up at the star scattered sky. He forgot what she sky looked like here. His mind went back to when him and his two servants, who were also his best friends, would hang out in the tree by a pond in the courtyard and made up shapes in the sky. When they got older and learned the constellations, they would challenge each other. Saito's heart ached just a bit. He has dealt with that happed pretty well so far but being back home has made it harder. The happy memories just flood back and he will never have times like that again.


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Litina nodded as Saito and Fierra left the room. She ate her food in silence as she thought about what to do next. Should she stay with Fierra for a few more nights or move on to try to find her father. But her thoughts of hope were dwindling quickly. It had been months and everyone she had asked had not seen him. It was becoming a lost cause.


She sighed and put her plate on the counter top. Litina decided to join the others in the other group. She decided to avoid them for a while, especially if they are going to have a moment.


"I hope I'm not ruining anything," She laughed as she walked over to the window and stared out.
 
Saito snaps out of his daydream and back to the room where Litina has now joined them. "Oh no. I was just off into my own little world. The stars a wonderful here aren't they? I have traveled all over Se'phir and they just dont look the same to me. But it could only be because this is the view from home. Litina, tell me more about your father. I would like to help you get any clues you can. I have been to many places and maybe I have heard of something or maybe I can research in our records to see if there is any mention of his name."
 
"Ah, similar family issues huh?" Indira stared at the flickering flames before her. She could sit there and watch their enchanting dance for hours. What a magical property fire truly is, she mused to herself. I can create it, but I don't really know how it works, producing heat and light like that. She sipped her tea. Pierre was saying something in the background, but at the moment she wasn't paying attention. This elf couldn't be part of the family I've set out to find, could he? Maybe the family name Lavendoria for elves is similar to the name Smith for humans... Indira blinked her eyes, returning to the present conversation. "A certain destination?" she repeated. "No, not really. I'm just traveling into your land for the first time. I thought I'd take a break from my family's way of life and seek out new places for a change. What about you, where are you headed? Anywhere exciting?"
 
"Yes, I agree. I've enjoyed looking up at the stars while laying down to rest. That's one of the only things that I really enjoyed about sleeping outside." She thought about the cold nights that she endured, when she only had Kitira to keep her warm and her thin tweed blanket.


"My father? He was a very simple man. He was a fairy, as well. We both lived in Yarrin. He never moved from there, as far as I know of. My father was a hunter and liked to take small journeys and quests every few months. But he would always tell me if he were to leave. I don't understand why he wouldn't do that... if that's what happened. I know that he had a different approach on his thoughts about..." Arys. Litina stopped talking and began to tap the window sill as she thought about what her father would say about him. He was a pure evil, and if word did spread about what her father thought about him... she didn't want to think about what had happened.
 
Standing next to Saito, Fierra felt awkward and blushed a faint tinge of pink. The stars were beautiful tonight, painting a blanket over the black night. Of course, the stars would be even more spectacular in the countryside, but this was still amazing. She turned around from the window, looking towards Litina. Fierra's hands rested on the cold wooden windowsill. The fireplace was still working on warming things up. Saito, as usual, being the kind man he is, offered to help Litina. Litina talked about her father. He seemed to have similarities to Fierra. Not wanting to look rude or selfish, even though she was inside, she decided to speak up.


"I'll be willing to help you. I'm good at picking up trails leading to a person, from my years of hunting," Fierra said.


She wondered what Litina was going to say. Although, it probably didn't matter that much. Fierra rubbed her eyes and sat down her almost empty wine glass on the windowsill. She wondered if the quest to find Litina's father would include danger. Danger wasn't one of Fierra's favorite things.
 
0-Saito listened to Litina's story. Her father seemed like just an average person. Probably a merchant that traveled every now and then for wares to sell. However when she cut off, it caught Saito's attention. If he had a different of opinion on someone with power, then that could very well put his life in danger. Especially if he was outspoken about it. Well, at least thats how it is in the Elvin Kingdom. He thought about asking more about it but he decided to wait till needed. "Well, since I'm sure now the guard records everyone in and out of the town, we can look to see if he has been through here lately. I need to have a talk with the Captain anyways."


He looks over to Fierra, who is showing signs of of either sleepiness or having a bit too much to drink. "If you go, then I must insist I go as well. Litina, I'm sure you are use to traveling alone but I just have an issue with you ladies traveling alone." He gave a slight discomforted look. Not from the idea of traveling with the girls but he has ran across victims of bandits and highwaymen. Those that were still alive he often had to get someone in a nearby village to help since they wouldnt allow him to come near them without screaming in fear. "I just ask that if you do allow me to tag along, if I can just have time to look through my mother's library. There are so many old books that I'm sure I can clues about how to complete my mission."
 

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