As the whole world stopped besides the wind, fireflies, and the duo surrounded by the flurry of insects, Oru found a place of happiness. A satisfaction that was clearly difficult to pull out of the stuffy elf. He let his eyes and mind drift away while the galaxy of celestial bugs gathered in a sublime display about them. He returned to reality when Sparrow spoke, and an excited grin filled his face once more. In fact, it went from a grin to a wide, happy smile. Oru turned and grasped Sparrow's palms in his own.
"They're creatures!" He laughed in a playful and awestruck manner that Sparrow too possessed. "Beautiful creatures that roam the earth just like us, and yet, with a beauty that belongs to the divine. Fireflies, they're gorgeous, aren't they?" He released her from his grasp and pointed up to the group of fireflies clustering along the vines and creating a string of pulsing light.
Oru sat back against a tree vastly tall behind them to watch what the world had produced. He scooped up a bit of water from the stream in his cupped hands and drank from it, releasing all his stress and any hint of wounds entirely. This was where he belonged.
The elf fixed himself into a patch of dew-blanketed grass and allowed the small surrounding plants and bugs to lean against his skin. It seemed that even the littlest beasts were attracted to the still elf leaned against their home in the bark.
It didn't take too long afterward for the fireflies to figure out a real shelter rather than behind the ears and arms of two humanoids. They cleared away one by one from the sky and receded into the coiled trees to reveal the true stars flickering in and out of existence while the last ray of sunshine fell across the forest and died away into the horizon.
The stars were even more incredible. Each one was like a dot of gentle light, but at the same time, the sheer amount of them made the sky look like an infinitely long ballroom with dancers made of sun and diamonds. They all danced together in a harmony that formed the glory that was the universe. Shooting stars, illuminated planets, purple, blue, and white nebulas. There was no pollution in the air, no buildings high enough to block the sky, nothing but the birds flying past. Space was completely clear for the admiring here, so bright and perfect that it felt as though you could reach out and touch the universe at the tip of your hands.
"This is home. I don't care who or what you are. This is what the Gods created us for in the beginning, not the big cities or high kingdoms. We were supposed to be under all of this, surrounded by nothing but life and freedom."
As the whole world stopped besides the wind, fireflies, and the duo surrounded by the flurry of insects, Oru found a place of happiness. A satisfaction that was clearly difficult to pull out of the stuffy elf. He let his eyes and mind drift away while the galaxy of celestial bugs gathered in a sublime display about them. He returned to reality when Sparrow spoke, and an excited grin filled his face once more. In fact, it went from a grin to a wide, happy smile. Oru turned and grasped Sparrow's palms in his own.
"They're creatures!" He laughed in a playful and awestruck manner that Sparrow too possessed. "Beautiful creatures that roam the earth just like us, and yet, with a beauty that belongs to the divine. Fireflies, they're gorgeous, aren't they?" He released her from his grasp and pointed up to the group of fireflies clustering along the vines and creating a string of pulsing light.
Oru sat back against a tree vastly tall behind them to watch what the world had produced. He scooped up a bit of water from the stream in his cupped hands and drank from it, releasing all his stress and any hint of wounds entirely. This was where he belonged.
The elf fixed himself into a patch of dew-blanketed grass and allowed the small surrounding plants and bugs to lean against his skin. It seemed that even the littlest beasts were attracted to the still elf leaned against their home in the bark.
It didn't take too long afterward for the fireflies to figure out a real shelter rather than behind the ears and arms of two humanoids. They cleared away one by one from the sky and receded into the coiled trees to reveal the true stars flickering in and out of existence while the last ray of sunshine fell across the forest and died away into the horizon.
The stars were even more incredible. Each one was like a dot of gentle light, but at the same time, the sheer amount of them made the sky look like an infinitely long ballroom with dancers made of sun and diamonds. They all danced together in a harmony that formed the glory that was the universe. Shooting stars, illuminated planets, purple, blue, and white nebulas. There was no pollution in the air, no buildings high enough to block the sky, nothing but the birds flying past. Space was completely clear for the admiring here, so bright and perfect that it felt as though you could reach out and touch the universe at the tip of your hands.
"This is home. I don't care who or what you are. This is what the Gods created us for in the beginning, not the big cities or high kingdoms. We were supposed to be under all of this, surrounded by nothing but life and freedom."
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xSkets | She/Her | Bi | Capricorn | Meme | FR + 2
xAuthor | D&D Enthusiast | Worldbuilder | Too Many OCs
xPWYW Dergs
xMeowdy-do
Nochnyr
|
.......................
|
Sparrow watched the fireflies go, eyes following them until they disappeared into the trees or moved too far off to see. Her gaze then fell on the sky far above. Or...was it really so far? The way it looked then, she felt certain that if she could climb into one of the nearby trees that it would only be one short step from the leaves to the stars.
She stared up at the heavens so long that for a moment, just a moment, she felt as if she were part of it. For just an instant, she was above the forest, above Meirlheim, above the mountains and the seas and the entire world. She was walking in starlight, reaching for the darkest corners of the universe, trailing hands and feet through wisps of nebulae. A laugh escaped her, though she wasn’t sure if it was real or just in her mind, because the sound seemed to echo back to her, reverberating off the cosmos around like a chorus of bells.
She’d had a dream like this before. No—not like this, it was exactly the same. She’d felt it all before once, a long time ago, she was sure of it. It was familiar, and she seemed to know what was about to happen before it happened. When have I been here before? she wondered. Yet no sooner had she thought it than the feeling begin to fade and she found herself sinking, slowly realizing she was still on the ground, still in the forest.
Oru’s comment brought her completely back to earth and she let out a deep, contented sigh. She knew a little of the story of the Gods, though no one had really bothered to teach her the history of the world’s beginnings in depth. But the elf’s word was good enough for her and looking at the world around them she could find no evidence to the contrary. Man and beast couldn’t have created something so impossibly wondrous.
It was so strange to see the world now, through eyes of twilight and night, and think it the most beautiful thing ever seen by mortal eye—when only hours earlier, it had seemed the most deplorable place, filled with danger and unsavory men and creatures. She’d fought hideous gnolls, basked in the warmth of someone’s burning possessions, and narrowly avoided a trip to the black markets with a few snake-people and a tabaxi who couldn’t quite seem to tell the whole truth. Yet there she was at the end of the day, feeling as if all that was the history of a hundred years ago. Right then, it felt as if she’d never move from the present point in time.
But she knew that time would go on eventually, and before they knew it the dawn would be there and they’d be deciding whether or not they would act on their previous plan of finding the remains of Clover’s caravan and scavenging what they could. She supposed they didn’t have to stick to it religiously—for once she didn’t have a set routine to follow. She could make up her own schedule as she went.
Sparrow looked back, spotting Oru leaned up against one of the large trees. She moved over to sit next to him, enjoying the peaceful silence for a moment. She could almost feel the sense of belonging radiating from the elf, as if he was literally part of the forest. She wondered what that felt like. It wasn’t the first time she’d wondered, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Slowly the weariness began to return, egged on by the complacent, safe aura Oru gave off. The exhaustion turned to drowsiness, but before she fell entirely asleep Sparrow reached out, clasping the elf’s hand for a moment.
“Thank you, Orurialy.”
Sparrow watched the fireflies go, eyes following them until they disappeared into the trees or moved too far off to see. Her gaze then fell on the sky far above. Or...was it really so far? The way it looked then, she felt certain that if she could climb into one of the nearby trees that it would only be one short step from the leaves to the stars.
She stared up at the heavens so long that for a moment, just a moment, she felt as if she were part of it. For just an instant, she was above the forest, above Meirlheim, above the mountains and the seas and the entire world. She was walking in starlight, reaching for the darkest corners of the universe, trailing hands and feet through wisps of nebulae. A laugh escaped her, though she wasn’t sure if it was real or just in her mind, because the sound seemed to echo back to her, reverberating off the cosmos around like a chorus of bells.
She’d had a dream like this before. No—not like this, it was exactly the same. She’d felt it all before once, a long time ago, she was sure of it. It was familiar, and she seemed to know what was about to happen before it happened. When have I been here before? she wondered. Yet no sooner had she thought it than the feeling begin to fade and she found herself sinking, slowly realizing she was still on the ground, still in the forest.
Oru’s comment brought her completely back to earth and she let out a deep, contented sigh. She knew a little of the story of the Gods, though no one had really bothered to teach her the history of the world’s beginnings in depth. But the elf’s word was good enough for her and looking at the world around them she could find no evidence to the contrary. Man and beast couldn’t have created something so impossibly wondrous.
It was so strange to see the world now, through eyes of twilight and night, and think it the most beautiful thing ever seen by mortal eye—when only hours earlier, it had seemed the most deplorable place, filled with danger and unsavory men and creatures. She’d fought hideous gnolls, basked in the warmth of someone’s burning possessions, and narrowly avoided a trip to the black markets with a few snake-people and a tabaxi who couldn’t quite seem to tell the whole truth. Yet there she was at the end of the day, feeling as if all that was the history of a hundred years ago. Right then, it felt as if she’d never move from the present point in time.
But she knew that time would go on eventually, and before they knew it the dawn would be there and they’d be deciding whether or not they would act on their previous plan of finding the remains of Clover’s caravan and scavenging what they could. She supposed they didn’t have to stick to it religiously—for once she didn’t have a set routine to follow. She could make up her own schedule as she went.
Sparrow looked back, spotting Oru leaned up against one of the large trees. She moved over to sit next to him, enjoying the peaceful silence for a moment. She could almost feel the sense of belonging radiating from the elf, as if he was literally part of the forest. She wondered what that felt like. It wasn’t the first time she’d wondered, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Slowly the weariness began to return, egged on by the complacent, safe aura Oru gave off. The exhaustion turned to drowsiness, but before she fell entirely asleep Sparrow reached out, clasping the elf’s hand for a moment.
“Thank you, Orurialy.”
Oru flinched the moment Sparrow's skin touched his own. It came, at that moment, to his attention that haven't ever touched before. They didn't ever shake hands like Clover had been so eager to do, and lifting her up from Bumblebee had been a matter of shirt collar instead of grasping her arm - which might have been a safer option now that it was pondered over. It wasn't quite that the elf pulled away from Sparrow, but it was obvious to tell that he wanted to.
His face and stature completely changed and made a much bigger deal out of little more than a thanks. Somehow, he was hesitant to even be this close to Sparrow, or anyone, for that matter. His comforting aura was completely useless considering his flaming hatred for society and crippling sensitive claustrophobia.
He, too, returned to reality from his spot of thinking over what the matter with him or this girl that he barely knew was. Instead, he allowed himself to relax and the content smile to crawl back to his face. Even if it was a pretend satisfaction, at least he was trying. "So you can pronounce it." Oru joked in response, let his hand fall away from Sparrow's, and watched her drift asleep with his less than tired eyes. He sat, and waited, and wondered. What if he could get over his aversion to humanity? To everybody? Would that get him anywhere, or would he be tricked and scandalized into trusting the disgusting lies that was loyalty a second time? Or rather, a third, or fourth...
Was this his chance? Oru shifted uncomfortably as the creatures crawling across his legs and ruffled grass beneath him grew less and less welcoming as he thought. His second chance? Could he get things right this time?
This wasn't going to kill him, was it? The elf furrowed his brow and shook off the nature surrounding him and became individual again, separated from his domain and into the real world of decision and practicality. He had to pick something. Leave her? She would survive, right? Perhaps, not without him...
He would live longer than her. No matter how well she lived, how good she ate, how much she stayed in good condition, Oru would see so many more bright sunrises and calm evenings. So many more births and deaths and joys and griefs. He had been assigned by the world with a charge, and the least he could do was to protect it for as long as it lived. This, right then, he decided would be his new life. He wasn't going to fail at protecting someone near and dear again.
...
"It's no problem." He whispered beneath his breath, knowing well that Sparrow had succumbed to slumber. "Anything for you."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Sparrow. Sparrow? Sparrow, wake up, be silent."
Oru's voice was suddenly muttering in her ear, quiet as a mouse. They both still remained where they had fallen asleep against a tree deep in the woods, but the sun had made its mark on the world once again and a brilliant radiant beam shimmered with all the passion of the Gods over the towering canopy and through its delicate leaves. It dappled onto their faces and caused every inch of their skin to glow vibrantly, as though they had never been in the sunlight before.
The radiance was again continued by another entity. Over Sparrow stood a tall, slim, graceful white figure with a divine light that matched that of the sun itself. Standing above her was a unicorn, undoubtedly and fully. It was sleek, appeared inherently well groomed, and was heavy in pelt. At the ankles of the creature was great plumes of snowy fur that lead up to a much softer and, well, alpaca-like coat than most legends propose. And yet, the fur of this beast seemed equally silky as it was thick and beautiful. The horn was long and slender, pointed at an extreme sharpness at the tip, giving the creature before her a much more intimidating look for its survival. The unicorn's tail was as huge, long, and extravagant as its mane of thick leaf-colored hair.
The beauty of the equine was topped off with the vines, moss and flowers of all colors growing on its coat and camouflaging it with its surroundings if it wasn't for the brilliance it seemed to emanate. And it stood, motionless, and almost fearfully close to Sparrow with its eyes of pale green locked with Sparrow's own.
Oru flinched the moment Sparrow's skin touched his own. It came, at that moment, to his attention that haven't ever touched before. They didn't ever shake hands like Clover had been so eager to do, and lifting her up from Bumblebee had been a matter of shirt collar instead of grasping her arm - which might have been a safer option now that it was pondered over. It wasn't quite that the elf pulled away from Sparrow, but it was obvious to tell that he wanted to.
His face and stature completely changed and made a much bigger deal out of little more than a thanks. Somehow, he was hesitant to even be this close to Sparrow, or anyone, for that matter. His comforting aura was completely useless considering his flaming hatred for society and crippling sensitive claustrophobia.
He, too, returned to reality from his spot of thinking over what the matter with him or this girl that he barely knew was. Instead, he allowed himself to relax and the content smile to crawl back to his face. Even if it was a pretend satisfaction, at least he was trying. "So you can pronounce it." Oru joked in response, let his hand fall away from Sparrow's, and watched her drift asleep with his less than tired eyes. He sat, and waited, and wondered. What if he could get over his aversion to humanity? To everybody? Would that get him anywhere, or would he be tricked and scandalized into trusting the disgusting lies that was loyalty a second time? Or rather, a third, or fourth...
Was this his chance? Oru shifted uncomfortably as the creatures crawling across his legs and ruffled grass beneath him grew less and less welcoming as he thought. His second chance? Could he get things right this time?
This wasn't going to kill him, was it? The elf furrowed his brow and shook off the nature surrounding him and became individual again, separated from his domain and into the real world of decision and practicality. He had to pick something. Leave her? She would survive, right? Perhaps, not without him...
He would live longer than her. No matter how well she lived, how good she ate, how much she stayed in good condition, Oru would see so many more bright sunrises and calm evenings. So many more births and deaths and joys and griefs. He had been assigned by the world with a charge, and the least he could do was to protect it for as long as it lived. This, right then, he decided would be his new life. He wasn't going to fail at protecting someone near and dear again.
...
"It's no problem." He whispered beneath his breath, knowing well that Sparrow had succumbed to slumber. "Anything for you."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Sparrow. Sparrow? Sparrow, wake up, be silent."
Oru's voice was suddenly muttering in her ear, quiet as a mouse. They both still remained where they had fallen asleep against a tree deep in the woods, but the sun had made its mark on the world once again and a brilliant radiant beam shimmered with all the passion of the Gods over the towering canopy and through its delicate leaves. It dappled onto their faces and caused every inch of their skin to glow vibrantly, as though they had never been in the sunlight before.
The radiance was again continued by another entity. Over Sparrow stood a tall, slim, graceful white figure with a divine light that matched that of the sun itself. Standing above her was a unicorn, undoubtedly and fully. It was sleek, appeared inherently well groomed, and was heavy in pelt. At the ankles of the creature was great plumes of snowy fur that lead up to a much softer and, well, alpaca-like coat than most legends propose. And yet, the fur of this beast seemed equally silky as it was thick and beautiful. The horn was long and slender, pointed at an extreme sharpness at the tip, giving the creature before her a much more intimidating look for its survival. The unicorn's tail was as huge, long, and extravagant as its mane of thick leaf-colored hair.
The beauty of the equine was topped off with the vines, moss and flowers of all colors growing on its coat and camouflaging it with its surroundings if it wasn't for the brilliance it seemed to emanate. And it stood, motionless, and almost fearfully close to Sparrow with its eyes of pale green locked with Sparrow's own.
|
|
xSkets | She/Her | Bi | Capricorn | Meme | FR + 2
xAuthor | D&D Enthusiast | Worldbuilder | Too Many OCs
xPWYW Dergs
xMeowdy-do
Nochnyr
|
.......................
|
Sparrow’s sleep, though sound, was harried by strange dreams and scenarios, including a vision of multiple Clovers giving a performance for a crowd of cheering gnolls and an enormous roast chicken.
She was pulled from her dreams by the utterance of her name once, twice, then a third time—blinking awake she looked up and felt her brow furrow in confusion. She’d heard Oru’s voice, she was sure, but the face before her wasn’t Oru’s. Was it? It seemed rather...long, and awfully pale—and whatever had happened to his nose?
Still a little groggy Sparrow prepared to ask what in the world had happened to the elf before recalling he’d said to keep quiet; so she kept her mouth shut, blinking a few more times and gradually waking up more fully. It was then she took in the heavenly morning sunlight, the fresh new smell of the forest all around, the gentle bubbling of the stream nearby...
For a just a moment she let her gaze settle on Oru and felt a satisfied little hum in her chest. She'd known somehow he wouldn't have left during the night and it wasn't all some dream...but it was still nice to see it was indeed so. Almost like when you plant flowers and they grow and make leaves and buds, and you know they're going to be blooming the next morning when you look out your window; yet, when you look out and see the lovely petals spread in the morning sun, you don't just nod to yourself and turn away again. You admire the view and feel pleased that the flowers had indeed opened and were there.
Coincidentally, Sparrow also realized at that time that Oru was beside her and not in front of her, and that the being she had previously thought was the elf was equine in appearance and had a long, slender horn protruding from its forehead. Despite looking somewhat like an equine, it would have been easy to mistake the creature for a large, oddly-shaped mass of plants if not for the radiance it seemed to emminate. Sparrow couldn’t distinguish between the being and the sunlight. With or without the greenery and the brilliance, however, she knew what it was.
A unicorn. She’d only ever heard of them in stories from the merchants and the old travelers that came to visit Graeyorn now and then. If her sources were reliable, then unicorns were incredibly picky when it came to revealing themselves to anyone—had this one maybe stumbled across she and Oru by mistake? Possibly, but...it was rather hard to think so with the way it seemed to stare straight into her soul.
For several long, silent moments, Sparrow just stared back, unable to look away. She didn’t know if there was some proper way to respond to a unicorn’s presence or what the creature’s disposition was; a wrong move or something else had the potential to anger or frighten the unicorn, which in turn might end with Sparrow skewered on the end of that wickedly-sharp horn.
Oru might have called for silence, but the unicorn’s intense gaze made her feel as if she owed it some greeting—as if it was waiting for her to do something. “Hello,” Sparrow said, so softly she could hardly hear herself.
She moved just a little, straightening and wondering if she dared reach out. Though the current situation was a very delicate one—probably, she didn’t know for certain—she couldn’t help but fawn over the unicorn. Its fur looked so incredibly soft, she just wanted to give the creature a big hug. The various plantlife adorning the fluff looked springy and fresh, and the little blooms here and there looked like they’d been painted on by a master artist.
Gathering up her courage, Sparrow slowly, slowly stretched out a hand. She was probably about to get herself killed but she couldn’t resist. Maybe it was just her mortality nipping at her heels, but she had a feeling this was a once in a lifetime experience. She had to feel it, to be able to look back on it years from then and say yes, it was real—I saw it, I heard it, I felt it.
She halted her movements just before she touched the unicorn’s whiskered muzzle. It was at least true for less magical creatures that they responded better when they were allowed to instigate any petting or touching, not the other way around. Sparrow had learned long ago only to extend a hand and let the animal come forward to meet her palm at its own pace.
Boy, she wished she knew elven. What would a unicorn say if it could speak? Would it sing and rhyme like old ballads often depicted ? Or would it be solemn and wise and prefer philosophic ramblings? She had a feeling that, whatever the creature thought, it was a little more sophisticated then Bumblebee.
Sparrow’s sleep, though sound, was harried by strange dreams and scenarios, including a vision of multiple Clovers giving a performance for a crowd of cheering gnolls and an enormous roast chicken.
She was pulled from her dreams by the utterance of her name once, twice, then a third time—blinking awake she looked up and felt her brow furrow in confusion. She’d heard Oru’s voice, she was sure, but the face before her wasn’t Oru’s. Was it? It seemed rather...long, and awfully pale—and whatever had happened to his nose?
Still a little groggy Sparrow prepared to ask what in the world had happened to the elf before recalling he’d said to keep quiet; so she kept her mouth shut, blinking a few more times and gradually waking up more fully. It was then she took in the heavenly morning sunlight, the fresh new smell of the forest all around, the gentle bubbling of the stream nearby...
For a just a moment she let her gaze settle on Oru and felt a satisfied little hum in her chest. She'd known somehow he wouldn't have left during the night and it wasn't all some dream...but it was still nice to see it was indeed so. Almost like when you plant flowers and they grow and make leaves and buds, and you know they're going to be blooming the next morning when you look out your window; yet, when you look out and see the lovely petals spread in the morning sun, you don't just nod to yourself and turn away again. You admire the view and feel pleased that the flowers had indeed opened and were there.
Coincidentally, Sparrow also realized at that time that Oru was beside her and not in front of her, and that the being she had previously thought was the elf was equine in appearance and had a long, slender horn protruding from its forehead. Despite looking somewhat like an equine, it would have been easy to mistake the creature for a large, oddly-shaped mass of plants if not for the radiance it seemed to emminate. Sparrow couldn’t distinguish between the being and the sunlight. With or without the greenery and the brilliance, however, she knew what it was.
A unicorn. She’d only ever heard of them in stories from the merchants and the old travelers that came to visit Graeyorn now and then. If her sources were reliable, then unicorns were incredibly picky when it came to revealing themselves to anyone—had this one maybe stumbled across she and Oru by mistake? Possibly, but...it was rather hard to think so with the way it seemed to stare straight into her soul.
For several long, silent moments, Sparrow just stared back, unable to look away. She didn’t know if there was some proper way to respond to a unicorn’s presence or what the creature’s disposition was; a wrong move or something else had the potential to anger or frighten the unicorn, which in turn might end with Sparrow skewered on the end of that wickedly-sharp horn.
Oru might have called for silence, but the unicorn’s intense gaze made her feel as if she owed it some greeting—as if it was waiting for her to do something. “Hello,” Sparrow said, so softly she could hardly hear herself.
She moved just a little, straightening and wondering if she dared reach out. Though the current situation was a very delicate one—probably, she didn’t know for certain—she couldn’t help but fawn over the unicorn. Its fur looked so incredibly soft, she just wanted to give the creature a big hug. The various plantlife adorning the fluff looked springy and fresh, and the little blooms here and there looked like they’d been painted on by a master artist.
Gathering up her courage, Sparrow slowly, slowly stretched out a hand. She was probably about to get herself killed but she couldn’t resist. Maybe it was just her mortality nipping at her heels, but she had a feeling this was a once in a lifetime experience. She had to feel it, to be able to look back on it years from then and say yes, it was real—I saw it, I heard it, I felt it.
She halted her movements just before she touched the unicorn’s whiskered muzzle. It was at least true for less magical creatures that they responded better when they were allowed to instigate any petting or touching, not the other way around. Sparrow had learned long ago only to extend a hand and let the animal come forward to meet her palm at its own pace.
Boy, she wished she knew elven. What would a unicorn say if it could speak? Would it sing and rhyme like old ballads often depicted ? Or would it be solemn and wise and prefer philosophic ramblings? She had a feeling that, whatever the creature thought, it was a little more sophisticated then Bumblebee.
Oru's breathing stopped when her hand reached out inches away from the muzzle of the mystical equine. Not a muscle moved as he sat there, watching intently and fearfully, his hand locked in place above his lap and shaking like a leaf in the autumn breeze. "Sparrow..." His whispers were so impossibly quiet that it could hardly be heard from the inches away that the human sat. "Stop. Moving." The elf's hushed utterances came out rapidly and in a sort of horrified, frozen, yet frantic panic.
But the unicorn had other plans. One of its graceful thin hooves took a slow step forward. Despite its size, there was no doubt that nothing was harmed in its path - each time it took another inch of space and advanced further upon Sparrow, the grass sprung right up around its footprints and not a single leaf nor insect crunched in its way.
A puff of warm steamy breath circled in rings from its delicate nostrils and into the face of its daring friend or foe, not yet determined. The head of the dazzling creature completely disregarded Sparrow's hand, and was now face to face with her, eyes slit and ears folded back.
It took a few long whiffs of Sparrow's surely curious smell, of stale city air mingling with tree sap and fresh dew-covered soil. Of tabaxi fur and elf skin, the sheds of embers and dancing smoke, the haunting, putrid, unmistakable scent of a rabid gnoll. They all intertwined to be Sparrow - Sparrow the human, the wayfarer, them motivated, the lost yet out to find. The one with a goal for money, but money for a purpose, and a purpose for a life. For the rescuing of one, at that.
It was so, incredibly soft.
After finding, picking out, and sifting through every mark of adventure within Sparrow's odor-identity, the unicorn pressed the side of its heavily furred and plant-grown muzzle against her bare, warm face. Its movements were slow, but kind-hearted, loving, and welcoming. It had sensed the smells of experience, the face of bruises, and the humble stature in one go, and accepted Sparrow as one of its own with a compassion that could only be found in the most pure and gentle of souls.
Its fur felt like a cloud of tenderness, grace, beauty - a rare puff of greeting from the world that was rare, now, considering all the hardships that life will test you with. Even when the tests seem over, pain, grief, sorrow, it lasts. But the feeling of this beast, though quite simple, was as though the Gods had never punished the sentient with sadness. As though this creature standing before her was what humanity would be had it been perfect. That was the touch of a unicorn.
Oru, however, was completely and utterly flabbergasted. He now dared to move and speak, but never touched the equine. Instead he sat a bit closer to the unicorn, while letting it have space, not allowing his hand to ever reach out as Sparrow had.
"H-how?" He breathed in unbelievable awe. "They're never this... tame." His words came slow in a wonder that wasn't the first sight of a unicorn as most would possess, but instead, the wonder of its acceptance... easy acceptance, at that, all Sparrow had to do was sit still.
"Last time even I encountered a unicorn, I was nearly sliced through and through my heart by that horn of theirs. I... I just... wow. She sees something about you, Sparrow. There's something special about you. Without a doubt."
Oru's breathing stopped when her hand reached out inches away from the muzzle of the mystical equine. Not a muscle moved as he sat there, watching intently and fearfully, his hand locked in place above his lap and shaking like a leaf in the autumn breeze. "Sparrow..." His whispers were so impossibly quiet that it could hardly be heard from the inches away that the human sat. "Stop. Moving." The elf's hushed utterances came out rapidly and in a sort of horrified, frozen, yet frantic panic.
But the unicorn had other plans. One of its graceful thin hooves took a slow step forward. Despite its size, there was no doubt that nothing was harmed in its path - each time it took another inch of space and advanced further upon Sparrow, the grass sprung right up around its footprints and not a single leaf nor insect crunched in its way.
A puff of warm steamy breath circled in rings from its delicate nostrils and into the face of its daring friend or foe, not yet determined. The head of the dazzling creature completely disregarded Sparrow's hand, and was now face to face with her, eyes slit and ears folded back.
It took a few long whiffs of Sparrow's surely curious smell, of stale city air mingling with tree sap and fresh dew-covered soil. Of tabaxi fur and elf skin, the sheds of embers and dancing smoke, the haunting, putrid, unmistakable scent of a rabid gnoll. They all intertwined to be Sparrow - Sparrow the human, the wayfarer, them motivated, the lost yet out to find. The one with a goal for money, but money for a purpose, and a purpose for a life. For the rescuing of one, at that.
It was so, incredibly soft.
After finding, picking out, and sifting through every mark of adventure within Sparrow's odor-identity, the unicorn pressed the side of its heavily furred and plant-grown muzzle against her bare, warm face. Its movements were slow, but kind-hearted, loving, and welcoming. It had sensed the smells of experience, the face of bruises, and the humble stature in one go, and accepted Sparrow as one of its own with a compassion that could only be found in the most pure and gentle of souls.
Its fur felt like a cloud of tenderness, grace, beauty - a rare puff of greeting from the world that was rare, now, considering all the hardships that life will test you with. Even when the tests seem over, pain, grief, sorrow, it lasts. But the feeling of this beast, though quite simple, was as though the Gods had never punished the sentient with sadness. As though this creature standing before her was what humanity would be had it been perfect. That was the touch of a unicorn.
Oru, however, was completely and utterly flabbergasted. He now dared to move and speak, but never touched the equine. Instead he sat a bit closer to the unicorn, while letting it have space, not allowing his hand to ever reach out as Sparrow had.
"H-how?" He breathed in unbelievable awe. "They're never this... tame." His words came slow in a wonder that wasn't the first sight of a unicorn as most would possess, but instead, the wonder of its acceptance... easy acceptance, at that, all Sparrow had to do was sit still.
"Last time even I encountered a unicorn, I was nearly sliced through and through my heart by that horn of theirs. I... I just... wow. She sees something about you, Sparrow. There's something special about you. Without a doubt."
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xSkets | She/Her | Bi | Capricorn | Meme | FR + 2
xAuthor | D&D Enthusiast | Worldbuilder | Too Many OCs
xPWYW Dergs
xMeowdy-do
Nochnyr
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Sparrow closed her eyes, letting her cheek rest against the unicorn’s soft face for a moment. Hesitantly she lifted her hand, sifting her fingers through the warm, thick fur and the moss-laden mane. A breath she hadn’t realized she been holding left her mouth and she laughed a little. For a split second when the unicorn moved forward she thought she was about to be impaled. Sparrow opened her eyes again, running her fingertips over a few small flowers blooming along the unicorn’s shoulder.
There was something otherworldly about the creature’s touch and the air that surrounded it. Something that was beautiful and pure and completely unfamiliar, as if a world that could’ve been at the beginning of time was reaching through to the world that had prevailed. The sensation was a spiritual one, but...also a painful one. It was as though everything that could have been was there, waving across the barrier as what was.
Sparrow felt tears stinging her eyes even as she tried to fight them away; she couldn’t help thinking of everything that was different from the unicorn, everything that was wrong. All the pain she’d gone through, all the pain others were going through in the same place she’d been only a few days ago. And Lark, her sister—though her position in the Kessel household was better than Sparrow’s had been, the two had been inseparable since before they could remember. Sparrow knew it hurt her little sister just as much as it hurt her for the two of them to be parted.
She’d barely heard Oru’s frantic whispers earlier, but when he spoke again she heard him clearly and lifted her head, looking over the unicorn’s muzzle at him. She brushed away a few stray tears with the back of her hand, managing a small smile before blushing slightly, muttering, “Oh, no, not me...”
She wasn’t special—if she was it was only because of what Graeyorn’s experiments had done to her. Why she was so against believing anything nice about herself was a mystery; maybe years of being a slave had all but obliterated her sense of self-esteem and made her believe she wasn’t worthy of being someone…‘special’. Or maybe she was just a little too humble, afraid to accept compliments for fear she’d grow conceited. Or possibly she was just so unused to anything nice being said about her or to her that she simply didn’t know how to respond. At any rate, she had to admit that it gave her a bit of a tingly feeling to hear Orurialy say there was something special about her, whether she could really believe it or not.
Sniffing a little and rubbing her hand over her eyes once more, Sparrow leaned back to stroke the unicorn’s soft muzzle, saying quietly to the equine, “Thank you.”
Louder she joked, with a little grin, “Maybe you’d like to come along with me and Oru? So long as you promise not to run him through, of course...”
She laughed lightly, smiling over at the elf. She’d never been much of a morning person but she found she actually felt very keen and happy then, even if she had gotten a glimpse into the solemnity of the world’s condition. A small splash from the stream nearby drew her eyes to the water and she recalled the night before; despite all the world’s unpleasant sides, there were still moments of beauty and peace. So far, Oru had shown her more in a day than she’d ever seen in her life. Which reminded her—they still had some unpleasantness to endure in Meirlheim. They had to go find the remains of Clover’s caravan and see if they couldn’t find some unburnt clothes and supplies.
Slowly Sparrow stood, keeping one gentle hand on the unicorn's shoulder and being careful not too move to suddenly or abruptly. Once she was on her feet she pushed some of her tousled, snowy hair out of her face, glancing around and wondering which way the burnt caravan was. She could hardly remember which direction they'd come from last night. Whichever way they needed to go, however, she had a feeling they'd figure it out and make it there alright. A friendly unicorn--so she'd heard--was a sign of good luck. Surely today would be better than the last.
Sparrow closed her eyes, letting her cheek rest against the unicorn’s soft face for a moment. Hesitantly she lifted her hand, sifting her fingers through the warm, thick fur and the moss-laden mane. A breath she hadn’t realized she been holding left her mouth and she laughed a little. For a split second when the unicorn moved forward she thought she was about to be impaled. Sparrow opened her eyes again, running her fingertips over a few small flowers blooming along the unicorn’s shoulder.
There was something otherworldly about the creature’s touch and the air that surrounded it. Something that was beautiful and pure and completely unfamiliar, as if a world that could’ve been at the beginning of time was reaching through to the world that had prevailed. The sensation was a spiritual one, but...also a painful one. It was as though everything that could have been was there, waving across the barrier as what was.
Sparrow felt tears stinging her eyes even as she tried to fight them away; she couldn’t help thinking of everything that was different from the unicorn, everything that was wrong. All the pain she’d gone through, all the pain others were going through in the same place she’d been only a few days ago. And Lark, her sister—though her position in the Kessel household was better than Sparrow’s had been, the two had been inseparable since before they could remember. Sparrow knew it hurt her little sister just as much as it hurt her for the two of them to be parted.
She’d barely heard Oru’s frantic whispers earlier, but when he spoke again she heard him clearly and lifted her head, looking over the unicorn’s muzzle at him. She brushed away a few stray tears with the back of her hand, managing a small smile before blushing slightly, muttering, “Oh, no, not me...”
She wasn’t special—if she was it was only because of what Graeyorn’s experiments had done to her. Why she was so against believing anything nice about herself was a mystery; maybe years of being a slave had all but obliterated her sense of self-esteem and made her believe she wasn’t worthy of being someone…‘special’. Or maybe she was just a little too humble, afraid to accept compliments for fear she’d grow conceited. Or possibly she was just so unused to anything nice being said about her or to her that she simply didn’t know how to respond. At any rate, she had to admit that it gave her a bit of a tingly feeling to hear Orurialy say there was something special about her, whether she could really believe it or not.
Sniffing a little and rubbing her hand over her eyes once more, Sparrow leaned back to stroke the unicorn’s soft muzzle, saying quietly to the equine, “Thank you.”
Louder she joked, with a little grin, “Maybe you’d like to come along with me and Oru? So long as you promise not to run him through, of course...”
She laughed lightly, smiling over at the elf. She’d never been much of a morning person but she found she actually felt very keen and happy then, even if she had gotten a glimpse into the solemnity of the world’s condition. A small splash from the stream nearby drew her eyes to the water and she recalled the night before; despite all the world’s unpleasant sides, there were still moments of beauty and peace. So far, Oru had shown her more in a day than she’d ever seen in her life. Which reminded her—they still had some unpleasantness to endure in Meirlheim. They had to go find the remains of Clover’s caravan and see if they couldn’t find some unburnt clothes and supplies.
Slowly Sparrow stood, keeping one gentle hand on the unicorn's shoulder and being careful not too move to suddenly or abruptly. Once she was on her feet she pushed some of her tousled, snowy hair out of her face, glancing around and wondering which way the burnt caravan was. She could hardly remember which direction they'd come from last night. Whichever way they needed to go, however, she had a feeling they'd figure it out and make it there alright. A friendly unicorn--so she'd heard--was a sign of good luck. Surely today would be better than the last.
((Ack, internet went down for a few days. Finally back again!))
The silence was broken with leaves shuffling around Oru's bare feet as he, too, lifted himself from the ground and leaned against the thin, swaying tree behind him. "Shall we be going then? I think the smell of smoke has lasted, I've had a twinge in the nose all night. Although, I don't think our friend can be coming along with us if we have any plans to enter the city. Her head will be off and blood boiling in a pot faster than the first autumn leaf falls. Perhaps she could lead the way to the-"
"Ow! Violence isn't necessary- oof! I am perfectly capable of walking on my own you furry scoundrels-" A hauntingly familiar voice disrupted the entire serenity of the woods, growing louder by the second, and the sound of leaves and twigs snapping and being pushed out of the way slowly approached Sparrow and Oru's sleeping spot.
Out from the brush and bramble appeared the infamous feline, every hair on his body ruffled and matted, and the only thing left on him being his clothes, his lute, and an empty looking gold pouch on his waist. Not a single treasure, weapon, or, for a matter of fact, loyal mule in sight.
He was completely riddled with insects, snapped branches, and a few bruises here and there on his neck and arms that sweltered and pulsed as though fresh and potent. Dragging him along the ground by his gaudy puffed sleeves as though he was a prisoner on the way to the noose, was a pair of unicorns much like the one Sparrow ad met, but younger and shorter looking, with much less greenery flowering along their coats.
The duo dropped him at the feet of the much taller equine guest, huffing and snorting presumably in their horse-language and scuffing their feet at the dirt-ridden tabaxi. Clover groaned and scrambled to his toes, dramatically leaned over to grab his poet's beret and wave it around to clear it's ostrich feather off thorns and soil, planted it in between his ears, and struck a pose with his hands on his hips in annoyance with the mystical creatures that had managed to find those who carried his scent. "Well I don't suppose we'll be havin' to do that again- oh, would you look at what ye found, too!"
He spread his arms in exasperation at Sparrow and Oru. Although his tone was jolly, it didn't match the true joy and excitement he carried before. In fact, the hint of ebullience mingled well with the sadistic glee and roaring rage that found a subtle sneak into his words. Clearly, their absence hadn't gone unnoticed. What wasn't clear is how in the world he was back here, and not performing in Meirlheim's center and swinging from the elaborate Roman fountains that marked the wealthy edge of the marketplace.
"A couple o' traitors I see, loungin' in the sun! How neat is this, my one-horned friends?" A brisk stab to the arm from one of the younger unicorns established quite effectively that they were not, in fact, friends. "We're back where we began! How nostalgic. I was really lookin' forward to a pleasant little act and a heroic rescue mission, but we've returned to the beginnin', haven't we? Allow me to introduce myself again, for the sake memory, hm? The name is Clover Quinwill, and my unique skills are playing lute and skinning elves!"
((Ack, internet went down for a few days. Finally back again!))
The silence was broken with leaves shuffling around Oru's bare feet as he, too, lifted himself from the ground and leaned against the thin, swaying tree behind him. "Shall we be going then? I think the smell of smoke has lasted, I've had a twinge in the nose all night. Although, I don't think our friend can be coming along with us if we have any plans to enter the city. Her head will be off and blood boiling in a pot faster than the first autumn leaf falls. Perhaps she could lead the way to the-"
"Ow! Violence isn't necessary- oof! I am perfectly capable of walking on my own you furry scoundrels-" A hauntingly familiar voice disrupted the entire serenity of the woods, growing louder by the second, and the sound of leaves and twigs snapping and being pushed out of the way slowly approached Sparrow and Oru's sleeping spot.
Out from the brush and bramble appeared the infamous feline, every hair on his body ruffled and matted, and the only thing left on him being his clothes, his lute, and an empty looking gold pouch on his waist. Not a single treasure, weapon, or, for a matter of fact, loyal mule in sight.
He was completely riddled with insects, snapped branches, and a few bruises here and there on his neck and arms that sweltered and pulsed as though fresh and potent. Dragging him along the ground by his gaudy puffed sleeves as though he was a prisoner on the way to the noose, was a pair of unicorns much like the one Sparrow ad met, but younger and shorter looking, with much less greenery flowering along their coats.
The duo dropped him at the feet of the much taller equine guest, huffing and snorting presumably in their horse-language and scuffing their feet at the dirt-ridden tabaxi. Clover groaned and scrambled to his toes, dramatically leaned over to grab his poet's beret and wave it around to clear it's ostrich feather off thorns and soil, planted it in between his ears, and struck a pose with his hands on his hips in annoyance with the mystical creatures that had managed to find those who carried his scent. "Well I don't suppose we'll be havin' to do that again- oh, would you look at what ye found, too!"
He spread his arms in exasperation at Sparrow and Oru. Although his tone was jolly, it didn't match the true joy and excitement he carried before. In fact, the hint of ebullience mingled well with the sadistic glee and roaring rage that found a subtle sneak into his words. Clearly, their absence hadn't gone unnoticed. What wasn't clear is how in the world he was back here, and not performing in Meirlheim's center and swinging from the elaborate Roman fountains that marked the wealthy edge of the marketplace.
"A couple o' traitors I see, loungin' in the sun! How neat is this, my one-horned friends?" A brisk stab to the arm from one of the younger unicorns established quite effectively that they were not, in fact, friends. "We're back where we began! How nostalgic. I was really lookin' forward to a pleasant little act and a heroic rescue mission, but we've returned to the beginnin', haven't we? Allow me to introduce myself again, for the sake memory, hm? The name is Clover Quinwill, and my unique skills are playing lute and skinning elves!"
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xSkets | She/Her | Bi | Capricorn | Meme | FR + 2
xAuthor | D&D Enthusiast | Worldbuilder | Too Many OCs
xPWYW Dergs
xMeowdy-do
Nochnyr
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((no worries! ^^))
Sparrow had started at the sudden noise coming through the underbrush, and when the first two little unicorns appeared she’d begun to relax—but only for an instant, because the next second she registered the voice accompanying them, and right after that the owner of the voice came into view.
Clover—!
She felt little to no guilt about having abandoned him earlier, but quite obviously the tabaxi was rather irked over the matter and viewed them as very guilty; her shocked expression and wide eyes probably didn’t help his opinion much. In all honestly, she hadn’t really expected to see him again. If he’d been in a genuinely cheerful mood she might not have minded seeing him again...but he seemed far from cheery. Almost a little on the manic side, really. The subtle undertones of rage in his voice would’ve been enough to send her scampering if not for Oru and the unicorns.
Though startled, she almost wanted to laugh. He looked so miserable and unkempt, the opposite of the jovial, vibrant minstrel she'd known him as before. He almost looked like a cat who'd just had its first outdoor experience.
What Clover happened to be doing in their neck of the woods once more and why he looked so horribly bedraggled—also the fact that he’d just been dragged in by two young unicorns—was a complete and utter mystery, one she simultaneously wanted to know yet was afraid to ask about. Especially since he’d just mentioned skinning elves.
With a short gasp she jumped forward, exclaiming, “You wouldn’t dare!”
She couldn’t be sure whether there was any weight to Clover’s words or not. On the one hand, he seemed very displeased and enraged and quite ready to skin someone. Also, though he didn’t appear to have a blade nearby, he did have that strange, magic lute of his which just might’ve been capable of doing some serious damage. On the other hand—well, it was obvious he was a flamboyant fellow and liked to exaggerate. Maybe he was just spewing his frustrations like a child threatening to tantrum.
What was that he’d said about...a rescue mission? Was there some plan she and Oru had missed on? Had Clover been expecting them to hustle him out of a sticky situation with the naga? Or had it been the other way around? Whatever the case, her head was spinning. Any plans she and Oru might have had were out the window now, certainly. They couldn’t just turn around and walk off, not with Clover there fuming at them and the unicorns with th—
The unicorns! Sparrow held in a gasp. What did the unicorns have to do with all this? Could they have purposely brought Clover back to she and Oru from—well, wherever he’d been? But why?
The girl cast a confused, plaintive look back at the flora-covered equine she’d first met, on the verge of asking Oru to make use of his elven tongue and ask the unicorns what in the world was going on; but she figured they’d find out soon enough, Clover looked as if he were about to burst with indignation.
((no worries! ^^))
Sparrow had started at the sudden noise coming through the underbrush, and when the first two little unicorns appeared she’d begun to relax—but only for an instant, because the next second she registered the voice accompanying them, and right after that the owner of the voice came into view.
Clover—!
She felt little to no guilt about having abandoned him earlier, but quite obviously the tabaxi was rather irked over the matter and viewed them as very guilty; her shocked expression and wide eyes probably didn’t help his opinion much. In all honestly, she hadn’t really expected to see him again. If he’d been in a genuinely cheerful mood she might not have minded seeing him again...but he seemed far from cheery. Almost a little on the manic side, really. The subtle undertones of rage in his voice would’ve been enough to send her scampering if not for Oru and the unicorns.
Though startled, she almost wanted to laugh. He looked so miserable and unkempt, the opposite of the jovial, vibrant minstrel she'd known him as before. He almost looked like a cat who'd just had its first outdoor experience.
What Clover happened to be doing in their neck of the woods once more and why he looked so horribly bedraggled—also the fact that he’d just been dragged in by two young unicorns—was a complete and utter mystery, one she simultaneously wanted to know yet was afraid to ask about. Especially since he’d just mentioned skinning elves.
With a short gasp she jumped forward, exclaiming, “You wouldn’t dare!”
She couldn’t be sure whether there was any weight to Clover’s words or not. On the one hand, he seemed very displeased and enraged and quite ready to skin someone. Also, though he didn’t appear to have a blade nearby, he did have that strange, magic lute of his which just might’ve been capable of doing some serious damage. On the other hand—well, it was obvious he was a flamboyant fellow and liked to exaggerate. Maybe he was just spewing his frustrations like a child threatening to tantrum.
What was that he’d said about...a rescue mission? Was there some plan she and Oru had missed on? Had Clover been expecting them to hustle him out of a sticky situation with the naga? Or had it been the other way around? Whatever the case, her head was spinning. Any plans she and Oru might have had were out the window now, certainly. They couldn’t just turn around and walk off, not with Clover there fuming at them and the unicorns with th—
The unicorns! Sparrow held in a gasp. What did the unicorns have to do with all this? Could they have purposely brought Clover back to she and Oru from—well, wherever he’d been? But why?
The girl cast a confused, plaintive look back at the flora-covered equine she’d first met, on the verge of asking Oru to make use of his elven tongue and ask the unicorns what in the world was going on; but she figured they’d find out soon enough, Clover looked as if he were about to burst with indignation.
"I would, though! You little muskrats found some need to leave me in, quite literally, the most crucial part of the journey to get right? I haven't just got a lost caravan now, everything is gone! Do you have any idea how important it is to stay in the same state when traveling with a mafia? Nothing can get left behind, nothing new can be taken, no one can enter, and most importantly, nothing can leave. You're lucky my head ain't on the choppin' block!"
Clover shoved his boot into a rather sharp looking stick below, tossed into the air with a brisk kick, and caught it in one of his sharp-clawed hands. He waved it around at Sparrow, and took two steps forward right into her face. The frown on his muzzle escalated into a smirk, then a wide grin. "And you know what? Bumble's dead, and now we can't get into the city! Haha! Isn't that hilarious? If any one of us try to step foot towards those gates, are throats are goin' to be on the end of a cutlass."
He poked the stick lightly into Sparrow's shoulder and loomed over her a little more menacingly than he had ever been before. But before another word could be made out, the eldest of the unicorns snatched up his cuff in her teeth and launched him into the ground and through the dirt, snapping his 'weapon of choice' in two. Leaves flew up and floated gently down like a snowfall onto the wretched cat.
Clover groaned and hoisted himself into a sit, this time not getting up again for the sake of keeping himself safe from being skewered. "Why, exactly? Was there anything inherently wrong with the situation you were in?" The tabaxi hissed, this time a little less angry - his fury started to wear off ever so slightly. "I suppose the black market is a bit of an inconvenience, but not a road block. We could have been knee-deep in the city by now doing whatever it was you two wanted to do and starting up a well-good living."
"A good living for you." Oru piped up near immediately when Clover finished. "You rotten thing. You were going to force us to be your fools to appease your crowd. It was all about you. Do you even remember why we were going in there in the first place?"
"You were banished, and she needs to find her sister." His words were so matter-of-fact that it was obvious he was attempting to make it perfectly clear that he wasn't an egomaniac. "I mentioned I rescue mission, did I not? I was trying to help, and earn a pouch full o' gold in the process. It was going to be us. Clover, Sparrow, and Oru, adventurers of Meirlheim. The next city with a roc port is at least a mountain range away, with a dragon in between. If we don't get somewhere by sundown, too, we'll be facing a lot worse than gnolls."
"I would, though! You little muskrats found some need to leave me in, quite literally, the most crucial part of the journey to get right? I haven't just got a lost caravan now, everything is gone! Do you have any idea how important it is to stay in the same state when traveling with a mafia? Nothing can get left behind, nothing new can be taken, no one can enter, and most importantly, nothing can leave. You're lucky my head ain't on the choppin' block!"
Clover shoved his boot into a rather sharp looking stick below, tossed into the air with a brisk kick, and caught it in one of his sharp-clawed hands. He waved it around at Sparrow, and took two steps forward right into her face. The frown on his muzzle escalated into a smirk, then a wide grin. "And you know what? Bumble's dead, and now we can't get into the city! Haha! Isn't that hilarious? If any one of us try to step foot towards those gates, are throats are goin' to be on the end of a cutlass."
He poked the stick lightly into Sparrow's shoulder and loomed over her a little more menacingly than he had ever been before. But before another word could be made out, the eldest of the unicorns snatched up his cuff in her teeth and launched him into the ground and through the dirt, snapping his 'weapon of choice' in two. Leaves flew up and floated gently down like a snowfall onto the wretched cat.
Clover groaned and hoisted himself into a sit, this time not getting up again for the sake of keeping himself safe from being skewered. "Why, exactly? Was there anything inherently wrong with the situation you were in?" The tabaxi hissed, this time a little less angry - his fury started to wear off ever so slightly. "I suppose the black market is a bit of an inconvenience, but not a road block. We could have been knee-deep in the city by now doing whatever it was you two wanted to do and starting up a well-good living."
"A good living for you." Oru piped up near immediately when Clover finished. "You rotten thing. You were going to force us to be your fools to appease your crowd. It was all about you. Do you even remember why we were going in there in the first place?"
"You were banished, and she needs to find her sister." His words were so matter-of-fact that it was obvious he was attempting to make it perfectly clear that he wasn't an egomaniac. "I mentioned I rescue mission, did I not? I was trying to help, and earn a pouch full o' gold in the process. It was going to be us. Clover, Sparrow, and Oru, adventurers of Meirlheim. The next city with a roc port is at least a mountain range away, with a dragon in between. If we don't get somewhere by sundown, too, we'll be facing a lot worse than gnolls."
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xSkets | She/Her | Bi | Capricorn | Meme | FR + 2
xAuthor | D&D Enthusiast | Worldbuilder | Too Many OCs
xPWYW Dergs
xMeowdy-do
Nochnyr
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|
Sparrow had been determined not to feel sorry or show weakness, but when Clover mentioned poor Bumblebee’s demise she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. No matter what Clover had been getting at, the plump little mule hadn’t had any ulterior motives. Perhaps it wasn’t exactly the equivalent of a humanoid’s death, but Sparrow felt as sick as if it had been.
She forced herself not to dwell on it, trying to pay attention to his infuriated rambling; her eyes widened as he stepped towards her and she wondered if the tabaxi really had been driven to violence by his rage. But before she could react to the poke he gave her, the largest unicorn had darted forward with a surprising show of strength for such a dainty, fluffy-looking beast, casting Clover to the dirt in one powerful move.
Sparrow flinched slightly, her natural goodwill urging her to stretch out a hand to help him up—but she kept herself standing in place, reaching to put a slightly-trembling hand on the unicorn’s leaf-strewn mane as it snorted in the tabaxi’s direction. She watched as Clover sat up, glancing to Oru when he spoke before turning back to the minstrel. She kept silent for several moments, listening, trying to figure out what was going on.
At this point she wasn’t sure how to tell whether Clover’s claim of selflessness was real or not. It was quite obvious he didn’t truly know their reasons for wanting to go to Meirlheim—she wasn’t “looking” for her sister after all, she knew where she was—but maybe he had genuinely wanted to help them, even just a little bit. If all the minstrel wanted was gold and treasure then he probably would have been content once he had it and let her and Oru off just as easily as he’d taken them on. All the same, Oru had a point; Sparrow didn’t want to be in anyone’s circus, and she doubted Clover would have tried very hard to come up with any other ideas.
So, fate—or a few unicorns, as the case may be—had struck again and brought the three oddballs back together once more. What then? Should they stick together this time and give it another go? The stakes would be drastically different should they do so, especially now that they had twice as many enemies in the woods as they’d had before. Not to mention Oru didn’t like Clover and Clover didn’t seem too fond of either Oru or Sparrow at the moment, which would no doubt make things a little awkward.
Sparrow wasn’t very sure how she felt about the tabaxi herself; she’d liked him well enough before, even if he did seem to be hiding something half the time and was willing to parade she and Oru about like performing monkeys for gold. But now—well, she just wasn’t sure what to think. She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, that was certain. She felt some grudging sympathy for him, yes, but it might not be enough to wager her voting to team up with him again. Yet, at the same time, they were somehow in the kind of situation they’d been in before, with Clover being the obvious expert in the field they needed to venture into...except that now, somehow, the tabaxi had apparently fixed it so that Meirlheim was off-limits to all of them, not just himself. Sparrow had felt before that she might be able to keep she and Oru afloat in the city if they’d gone in by themselves; she’d lived there all her life after all, and even if she wasn’t as street-smart as Clover she could handle herself. But now that Meirlheim was no longer an option—well, she didn’t know how other cities were, but she doubted she’d be much good to Oru anywhere else.
At that thought a pang of uncertainty hit her and she couldn’t help but wonder if this whole situation would change the elf’s opinion of her. If he didn’t need her help anymore, would he leave her? After the night before she’d felt...well, she’d felt closer to him than anyone she’d ever known, except her sister of course. She wanted to think they’d stick together, at least for a little while, and she had to admit those dreams of traveling the world they’d shared for a moment were wonderful dreams. And the fireflies, oh—! It was like they’d been in another world. Maybe she was just a sentimental fool, but no one had ever done anything like that for her or with her. She’d already gotten herself into the mess of becoming emotional attached to the elf, so she’d do what she could to avoid the two of them separating.
She came out of her thoughts to catch Clover’s last sentence and looked up, frowning slightly. “Wait, what’s that supposed to mean? Are those naga after you?”
The black market and mafia might not have been familiar subjects to her, apart from rumors amid the servants and commonfolk, but it sounded like Clover was suggesting the naga would be after them tonight too, along with the usual gnolls and...whatever else was out there.
Where would they even go? Where was there to go? Whatever a roc port was, the nearest city that had one, according to Clover, was about a mountain range and a dragon away. Was there maybe a city without a roc port within a more reasonable journey’s distance?
Sparrow frowned again, at a complete loss for what to do. It wasn’t even mid-morning yet, as far as she knew, so hopefully they wouldn’t be rushed to come up with some answers—all the same, her ideal morning didn’t start like this. The unicorn was alright, but the rest was just frustrating.
Pushing some of her silvered hair out of the way Sparrow looked to Oru, uncertain who else to turn to. She couldn’t talk to the unicorns, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what Clover would say, and she most certainly didn’t trust herself her to come up with any answers. She knew Oru was probably just as at a loss as she was but she looked to him anyway.
Sparrow had been determined not to feel sorry or show weakness, but when Clover mentioned poor Bumblebee’s demise she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. No matter what Clover had been getting at, the plump little mule hadn’t had any ulterior motives. Perhaps it wasn’t exactly the equivalent of a humanoid’s death, but Sparrow felt as sick as if it had been.
She forced herself not to dwell on it, trying to pay attention to his infuriated rambling; her eyes widened as he stepped towards her and she wondered if the tabaxi really had been driven to violence by his rage. But before she could react to the poke he gave her, the largest unicorn had darted forward with a surprising show of strength for such a dainty, fluffy-looking beast, casting Clover to the dirt in one powerful move.
Sparrow flinched slightly, her natural goodwill urging her to stretch out a hand to help him up—but she kept herself standing in place, reaching to put a slightly-trembling hand on the unicorn’s leaf-strewn mane as it snorted in the tabaxi’s direction. She watched as Clover sat up, glancing to Oru when he spoke before turning back to the minstrel. She kept silent for several moments, listening, trying to figure out what was going on.
At this point she wasn’t sure how to tell whether Clover’s claim of selflessness was real or not. It was quite obvious he didn’t truly know their reasons for wanting to go to Meirlheim—she wasn’t “looking” for her sister after all, she knew where she was—but maybe he had genuinely wanted to help them, even just a little bit. If all the minstrel wanted was gold and treasure then he probably would have been content once he had it and let her and Oru off just as easily as he’d taken them on. All the same, Oru had a point; Sparrow didn’t want to be in anyone’s circus, and she doubted Clover would have tried very hard to come up with any other ideas.
So, fate—or a few unicorns, as the case may be—had struck again and brought the three oddballs back together once more. What then? Should they stick together this time and give it another go? The stakes would be drastically different should they do so, especially now that they had twice as many enemies in the woods as they’d had before. Not to mention Oru didn’t like Clover and Clover didn’t seem too fond of either Oru or Sparrow at the moment, which would no doubt make things a little awkward.
Sparrow wasn’t very sure how she felt about the tabaxi herself; she’d liked him well enough before, even if he did seem to be hiding something half the time and was willing to parade she and Oru about like performing monkeys for gold. But now—well, she just wasn’t sure what to think. She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, that was certain. She felt some grudging sympathy for him, yes, but it might not be enough to wager her voting to team up with him again. Yet, at the same time, they were somehow in the kind of situation they’d been in before, with Clover being the obvious expert in the field they needed to venture into...except that now, somehow, the tabaxi had apparently fixed it so that Meirlheim was off-limits to all of them, not just himself. Sparrow had felt before that she might be able to keep she and Oru afloat in the city if they’d gone in by themselves; she’d lived there all her life after all, and even if she wasn’t as street-smart as Clover she could handle herself. But now that Meirlheim was no longer an option—well, she didn’t know how other cities were, but she doubted she’d be much good to Oru anywhere else.
At that thought a pang of uncertainty hit her and she couldn’t help but wonder if this whole situation would change the elf’s opinion of her. If he didn’t need her help anymore, would he leave her? After the night before she’d felt...well, she’d felt closer to him than anyone she’d ever known, except her sister of course. She wanted to think they’d stick together, at least for a little while, and she had to admit those dreams of traveling the world they’d shared for a moment were wonderful dreams. And the fireflies, oh—! It was like they’d been in another world. Maybe she was just a sentimental fool, but no one had ever done anything like that for her or with her. She’d already gotten herself into the mess of becoming emotional attached to the elf, so she’d do what she could to avoid the two of them separating.
She came out of her thoughts to catch Clover’s last sentence and looked up, frowning slightly. “Wait, what’s that supposed to mean? Are those naga after you?”
The black market and mafia might not have been familiar subjects to her, apart from rumors amid the servants and commonfolk, but it sounded like Clover was suggesting the naga would be after them tonight too, along with the usual gnolls and...whatever else was out there.
Where would they even go? Where was there to go? Whatever a roc port was, the nearest city that had one, according to Clover, was about a mountain range and a dragon away. Was there maybe a city without a roc port within a more reasonable journey’s distance?
Sparrow frowned again, at a complete loss for what to do. It wasn’t even mid-morning yet, as far as she knew, so hopefully they wouldn’t be rushed to come up with some answers—all the same, her ideal morning didn’t start like this. The unicorn was alright, but the rest was just frustrating.
Pushing some of her silvered hair out of the way Sparrow looked to Oru, uncertain who else to turn to. She couldn’t talk to the unicorns, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what Clover would say, and she most certainly didn’t trust herself her to come up with any answers. She knew Oru was probably just as at a loss as she was but she looked to him anyway.
