Take Back the Crown

Valeiah snorted. "He's always a pain. Mentally and physically." She healed a few scratches she got on her arm from being shoved off of the horse. "Yeah, you're lucky. I've had to deal with that numbskull up there, I don't think I need to explain why he's an inconvenience to the world, an older sister who pushed me out of trees whenever she got the chance, and a younger brother that tried to cut off all of my hair once. All of it!"


@Lo Alyssa @OlKaJa77
 
Foxrun continued to keep to himself, however, not as sullen as he had been. He was curious about the stocky men that now huddled around with their group. He had always heard that dwarves made for great hosts, maybe not in the sense that they were polite or well mannered....but their dinners seemed to always be like feasts meant for celebrations, so he had heard. His interest peeked with every lite movement he could take in. He had seen a variety of shaped beings in the fae world, some far more odd than these dwarves. Yet he found himself amused by them. They worked just like the rest of them, just, short by comparison. Definitely the distraction he had needed. The knot he had previously felt seemed to have released itself with the relief that these were friendly dwarves. But it didn't mean they were quite out of the clear, did it? They made mention of a rival clan, which uneased him a bit. At least until he reassured himself it would be fine, they did have these other dwarves that would surely back them if anything came up.
 
Oceana frowned at the reappearance of the human healer but couldn't help be amused by her sour words about her brother.


"I never had a brother or sister." She said softly, somewhat shocked at herself for speaking to the humans about something so personal.


"But I did have an elder cousin named Duananne. She loved playing tricks on my father. Tying ribbons in his hair as he slept or putting coal in his apron pockets."


The elf smiled, the pull of her lips felt natural in this way; though she looked like the fox that had found a nest of delicious geese eggs.


"And I helped her pull trick after trick on Papa. He could have ordered us to stop at any time but he humored us."


"One day he even walked into the village with all of these colorful ribbons in his hair, humming a jaunty tune through the square! As if it was normal and he enjoyed it! I swear he did it just to embarrass us.."


Oceana scrunched her nose in a theatrical scowl.


@Danika @Lo Alyssa
 
Valeiah sighed at the elf's obvious disappointment in her showing up. "Don't worry Oceana, I'm not as much of an imbecile as my brother."


"Maybe he didn't exactly enjoy the ribbons, but he enjoyed watching you two be pleased with yourselves for pulling tricks on him. So he allowed it, just to see you happy."


@OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa
 
"At least he was alright with it. When I was younger, if I ever tried to prank my father he would pick me up by my feet and dangle me upside down until I couldn't scream and kick anymore. I bet you can imagine how many times he did that to me." Valeiah grinned.


@OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa
 
Bo was pleasantly surprised to hear a compliment on his mediocre performance as a scout. It was very clear on his face, which wore a wide, slightly-open-mouthed smile. God, I look like such a dork. He stammered for a moment, finding it difficult to express his gratitude, even though it was but a simple compliment he was given. "Th-uh-thank you!" But Yaroslav had then turned to talk to Phaedra, so he feared his thank you fell on deaf ears (but perhaps not).


He was actually very happy that Yaroslav dragged Phaedra into the conversation... or at least, he wanted it to be a conversation between the three of them. If not, it was now, because... well, he wanted to talk to Phaedra too. She was one of the only gosh darned people who didn't make him feel silly about himself (although he did a good enough job of doing that for himself). He nodded in agreement at Yaroslav's praise of Phaedra's stunt she did back on the ship, and... well... you know what? Never mind. This is awkward, and we're leaving to follow the dwarves anyway. I can talk to her and Yaroslav later.





And with that he gave a goofy smile before abruptly jogging away to his horse. AaAaAAND off to the dwarves's wherever-they-live-place we go!





He did notice though, that Nameen was sitting in a very secluded and small spot of shade provided by the wagon. She looked kind of odd just sitting there on her horse, but it began to make a lot more sense when he took into account the fairness of her skin. Not everyone tanned like he did - and he was sure that she most likely burned.


He rode over to her, tilting his head to the side as he looked at her, hoping it would catch her attention since she seemed to be gazing far off into the distance. He smiled, with laughing eyes (although not in a mocking manner). "You ok there, buddy?" He wondered if he could actually provide her shade like Foxrun had suggested earlier on the beach! He could probably actually provide just a big enough shadow for her to ride under, but she'd have to stay close. Just as close as she was to the wagon, actually.

 
Nameen bit back her signature scowl, knowing that Bo was not here to intend any harm. Upon this realization she actually found herself feeling glad that it was him who had approached her, and not one of her more direct or- harsh companions.


"I don't do well with such a strong sun," she admitted slowly. "Nor such heat for that matter." She wiped her brow, gazing up at the giant up a man with a wry expression.


"My former home was nothing like this. Most of the time it was cool and clouded over, with the abnormally nice day every once in a while. The first time I crossed such a desert I gained a lasting fever and blistered all over."


She gave a heavy breath. "If anything happens here I won't be any good to this group lying sick in the wagon. Speaking of which-" Nameen leaned forward a little to try and catch sight of the activity taking place beyond her small shaded area. "What exactly is going on over there?"


@soundofmind
 

Yaroslav chuckled, "I was a child once." He said, "It was sometime after the war against the invaders was over, my grandmother and I traveled across Algoran selling odds and ends. We needed to go through this pass and our caravan, as we only had one at the time, broke down. The wheel had split after hitting a rough patch of rocks. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere under the blistering hot sun, it was hours before the dwarves found us. My grandmother had always been a sweet talker, and she managed to sooth the dwarves and their distrustfulness towards outsiders. We stayed with them for a couple weeks, even after Sverrir, the dwarf leader over there," Yaroslav pointed at the stubby man who was still barking orders, "fixed our wheel."


Yaroslav folded his arms and leaned against the bench as the caravans began to move, following the dwarves who had finally finished resetting the trap, "He is a little aloof at times, but he is a wonderful host. His people make the best feasts." He added, hoping they would be able to enjoy one when they arrived.


@TeeKay





Hjalmar smiled at their reminiscent conversation, "The only family I had growing up was my mother and my uncle Rolo." He laughed, "He technically isn't my uncle, but he knew my mother well and was a close friend, so that's what he felt like to me. He'd get me into all sorts of trouble with my mom... but... we had fun." He crossed his arms and put his legs up on a box, "I never grew up in a small village or clan, it had always just been my mother, Rolo, and I versus the world. What was your home like, Val? Oceana?" He asked the both of them, wanting to know more about where they lived, and what it was like having a group of family and friends at your side.


@OlKaJa77 @Danika
​
 
"Well, we have a giant pit in the center. That's where we cook food, and where we sit around and talk. Just spend time together."


"To the left of the fire pit, there's the tents. The family tents. Like houses. To the right, there's the tents for teaching and such. There's a knife-throwing tent, though that one is usually outside, a hunting tent, there's one for climbing trees, and one for healing."


"I'm in charge of the healing tent. I've been teaching in there since I was thirteen." Valeiah explained. "There's tents for other things but I forget, my parents didn't find those neseccary for me."


"Mending wounds used to be taught by parents, but after I became the best healer in the tribe, they handed that duty to me. I mastered the art of it at a mere twelve years old." She crossed her arms and smiled proudly.


@OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa
 
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Oceana scowled.


This she really didn't want to talk about. She had said enough already.


"My village was small. Near a rushing river at the base of mount Eldur." She answered in an aggressively clipped tone,


"Most of us lived in the towering trees. Our square was built up in the trees. And our shrines to the gods; Our hunting school too."


That's it, she wanted to say but her treacherous mouth continued.


"Small gardens lined nearly every window, growing peppers and flowers. The shrines held beautiful carved effigies of all our deities, wreathed in flowers by worshippers."


"The only buildings on the ground were the smithy, and boathouse."


Sighing, the elf maiden looked out at the desert canyon, longing for the green gullies and swift streams of her youth.


"Who smiths now, I wonder? I donnae think I'll ever get to find out."


She murmured to herself, in elvish- lost in thought, forgetting completely about Valeiah and Hjalmar sitting in the wagon with her.


@Danika @Lo Alyssa
 
"My clan was completely different, we did not even have houses. Only wagons and tents, all easy to move." Kacel'la spoke up from where she sat in the corner of the wagon after she heard Oceana speak. "Must have been nice to stay in one place for a while."


@OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa @Danika (tagging everyone in the wagon)
 
Her ears perked up at Kacel'la's voice. She turned, her mood lifting somewhat.


"So you have decided to tag along too?" The raven-haired elf maiden smiled wide, cheeks flushing slightly.


"I'm very glad."


Thinking back on what the other elf had said she tilted her head.


"That's very interesting. Elves are few but adaptable. Different places create different habits I suppose."


There's one thing...


"How did you learn to smith if there wasn't a forge?" The question wasn't skeptical or accusatory but genuinely curious.


Oceana's heart hammered, excitement and curiosity overcoming her at last.


"A-and if you could... Would you teach me one of the songs of power... Erm perhaps now?"


@L1d1ja @Lo Alyssa @Danika
 
"I learned to smith when we often stopped by other villages, be it elven, human or other. Plus we had some tools of our own, if we didn't, we could always improvise." She shrugged.


"And, okay. Which one would you like to learn first?" She asked. "And I really have no clue how to even teach them." She chuckled.


@OlKaJa77
 
Oceana blinked.


"Well... Uh...hmmm"


Gods, I feel like Bo.


The elf scrunched her nose in distaste at that thought.


"They are words, right? Ancient magical words. In a certain rhythm... Surely you can teach me to sing it?"


Her eyes widened,dark eyebrows curling upward in dismay.


"You do know how to sing, don't you?"


@L1d1ja
 
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"Of course I know how to sing." She rolled her eyes. "It's how I often make a living outside of selling maps and trinkets. Now I have to ask once again: which song."


@OlKaJa77
 
Her cerulean eyes set alight and she nodded.


The song of enduring.


The song her father sang to forge her daggers and the closest one to her heart.


"Do you know the song of enduring?"


She asked, voice full of hope.


"That one is... Special to me"


Rummaging through her bag for parchment and her inkwell, Oceana readied her ears for the melody she could never really remember but chased and chased in her dreams.


@L1d1ja
 
"Yeah, I know it quite well." She nodded. "I guess you should first learn the melody, it's easier to memorize words afterwards, at least for me." Kacel'la said and them started to sing, her voice very quiet as not to disturb anyone, but one could still feel the power hidden beneath.


@OlKaJa77
 
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Oceana hummed along softly, her sensitive elven ears attuned to all the nuances of Kacel'la's voice.


She felt a strange tingling as the notes swept through her.


Her heart swelled with joy.


This. This is what she had been searching for.
 
"Well, when Yaroslav and I went ahead to scout, we ran into some dwarves who live and scavenge here in the desert. We told them we were just passing through, but they wanted to speak to the leader of our group. So we sent Dorian to go fetch the Princess, and when they met the dwarves, it turns out that Svetlana knows them - or, at least the guy who's their leader. His name's Sverrir, and he's invited us to eat with him and he's gonna fix up one of our wagons, I think. So that's where we're headed. Wherever the dwarves's home is." He explained, watching the small dwarves lead the way. "Sverrir seems like a nice guy, even though the first impression was..." He moved his hands up and down in a juggling fashion. "...baaaad-ish."



@Rydellius (sorry this is kinda late ahah, I slept in a ton)
​
 
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Oceana had been fully prepared to hastily jot down words as Kacel'la sang them and was pleasantly surprised by her generous offer to write them down for her.


"I-if you wouldnae mind..." She stammered.


She handed over the parchment and ink and metal quill.


And then began to hum the elegant tune over and over again to commit it to memory.


@L1d1ja
 
Nameen let herself smile. Just Bo's flamboyant arm gestures alone were enough to bring up her mood. But just a little.


All of a sudden, she sprang to her feet, wiping sand grains off of her before risking a move into the sun to see the dwarves conversing with other members of their party. She couldn't help but notice that they were beginning to slowly travel away. Their home should have shade, if that's where were headed. Nameen greatly relished the idea of getting out of the dry heat, even if it was only for a meal.


Twisting herself around, she seized her cloak from where she'd tossed it in the caravan. Ignoring how sweltered she was already, Nameen threw it on and flipped up the hood to keep the sun off of her exposed skin.


Hopefully I can make do like this for a little while.....


Nameen peered back up at Bo. "We should- maybe-" There it was again. Moments ago she was speaking without any hesitation, now she was stumbling again. Nameen shook her head, frustrated.


"We should probably get going," she finally sputtered after pulling herself together. "Better not to get left behind, right?"


@soundofmind
 
"Of course! We don't want to miss out on food. That would be tragic." He laughed, following her lead and getting moving. "Especially since I'm hungry." He'd grown accustomed to being hungry most of the time.


@Rydellius
 
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It isn't really food I'm worried about. But I guess it seems fitting to agree? Even though she herself wasn't hungry, Nameen decided to nod wordless and awkwardly to Bo's comment.


As they walked, Nameen glanced every so often back at the giant of a man. Repeatedly, her eyes flickered up to his own jagged scar that cut through his face. She couldn't help but wonder how he got it, but it seemed too personal a subject to ask. If anyone asked her how she lost her eye, she was likely to send the individual filthy expression.


So, like in most cases, Nameen kept her words to herself, and hoped that Bo couldn't read her like an open book.


@soundofmind
 
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