ooc: Guess I'll go after you then. Let’s see what I can do this early in the morning, heh. That’s some good writing there btw. Sorry this is so long, didn't mean it to be, lol. I think I'm going to play Arashel in the other thread finding out information until he is forced to return to Faraday's side)
Arashel, where did you go? Faraday thought as she felt her body being led down unfamiliar territory. She looked behind her, her eyes searching the darkness for any sign of her friend, worried that he might have been found out and had been hurt. But what had Arashel told her the first time they set out together in this bizarre and dangerous land? He was an elf, and no matter what situation he found himself in, most elves had strength, stamina, and agility that most other kind didn’t possessed.
She recalled a memory some weeks ago when he proved this true after having left her to watch camp as he went hunting to bring them food for the night. Her one great weakness was worrying about him, after all he was the only one she ever called friend in this lifetime, no matter how funny his face got when he would get angry with her, or how many times he teased her when agitated by her delicate nature. That night he didn’t return for many hours. Faraday sat there by the fire her eyes darting to the woods when an unfamiliar cry or howl would tear through the night. It had been frightening and she had gotten so worried and scared she had jolted from her spot and went running into the dark forest unsure where she was headed. Her mind bringing to life the shadows in the forest, which became strange dark predators to her, branches tugging on her hair transformed into pale long fingers reaching out for her. In a cry she felt her body falling, thrashing about until she hit soft, cold ground.
To this day Faraday couldn’t recall how many hours she had sat in that scary pit with broken bones and the scent of decaying animal carcass her only company. But when she woke with the sun blinding her from above, she had found Arashel standing over the pit staring down at her until all she could do was look away from his piercing gaze. The look he gave her; Faraday couldn’t grasp exactly what Arashel was feeling towards her at the moment. She was sure he would be angry with her, but he didn’t say anything as he made a quick leap down the twenty-foot hole, landing gracefully beside her. With one quick swipe she was in his arms and flying out of her prison into fresh air and sunlight.
They had stood for some time side by side as he had brushed the dirt away from her, pulling out dead leaves and other things Faraday didn’t recognize from her long locks of hair. She didn’t look pretty he had said, although there seemed to be relief in his voice, his eyes soft with care as he fussed over her. After that he had walked away, Faraday’s mind leaping to that image of him soaring to her rescue. It was unbelievable! She had never seen anyone do such a thing, or be so graceful. Even with all the darkness penetrating his soul, there was still something bright and unwavering about the elf.
After that Arashel had sworn that he would teach her to be stronger, to be able to survive on her own if need be, and make sure to teach her the ways of the world. But so far that teaching hadn’t gone much of anywhere except for what the elf called “common knowledge� about what was safe or dangerous in the forest, and how her own naive nature could get her into trouble because she was too trusting. Trusting strangers had been one of the things Arashel was most displeased about. What she was doing now was probably getting to him. Faraday could tell Arashel didn’t trust the stranger who was leading her into this maze of beauty and decay. She had spent so much time with the elf that she could read almost every emotion on that beautiful face of his as if he was telling her directly what he was feeling all the time. If he knew this or not she could not say, but the elf had a way of expressing himself that showed mostly on his facial features.
Faraday jerked her head back to the present as she felt her body being set down. She stood and watched the blonde man, following him, unsure what to say and unsure what would happen now. Excitement seemed to blossom inside her, a new feeling she hadn’t felt before. It made her skin tingle, and every sense heighten until all she knew was the scent of the man in front of her, and the feel as ivy brushed up against her ankles as she proceeded through the man’s home. Perhaps he will be the one to help free me? she thought.
Then she was descending down, down into darkness only lit by the torches along the wall. She only became fully aware when her eyes found the paintings. Quite taken by them and not sure she understood what they represented she turned to him. Then her eyes fell to the ground. It was rude to stare at what the man felt was private, unbecoming of her to question anything in this man’s home when he had been so kind to take her in. But it seemed she didn’t have to ask because he began explaining himself.
Still alive? What ever did he mean? Faraday watched him but like a little lost kitten she was behind him, almost as if she became his shadow, then…he was gone.
She tried not to cry and spun around, not quite sure which direction she had come in. Always was like this, wasn’t it? Always someone else, who had to watch out for, the weakling who couldn’t even feed herself. A frown creased her brows, upset with herself for being so weak. Then her mind drifted again. Still alive? Why couldn’t she get those words out of her head?
Something made her stop. The scent of…blood? No, her mind was playing tricks on her, and she felt a part of this house beckon to her. Her eyes half-closed she numbly headed down a corridor. She was suddenly lost in a maze of hallways, but her feet had a mind all their own as they patted softly on cold ground. She stopped short before an open door and curious at what had drawn her to this place she stepped inside a bedroom that was decorated lavishly in dark silks and satins, a bed large enough to fit at least two or three people, if not more. The bed looked inviting. She hadn’t slept in a bed in so long; her body was aching to slip under the covers. She looked down at her appearance suddenly at the thought of spoiling such beautiful sheets and pillows. The muddy and torn clothes, the unbathed scent on her…she began to undress until she was completely naked alone in this grand room with her long hair spilling over the curve of her buttocks. In the corner of her eye she spotted something that resembled a robe, quite too big for her but she shrugged it over her shoulders anyway, even though she fought to keep it on her and it didn’t cover much and left her legs and shoulders bare to the coldness that enveloped the room.
Abandoning the robe that was too heavy to carry she sat down naked in front of a large fireplace, her knees pulled up to her chin as she tilted her head side to side, a playful smile on her face. She was happy not to be sleeping outside for once, and perhaps if she, what Arashel called, "played her cards right" she could get the man to draw a bath for her.
(ooc: Yeah, left her naked. She doesn't understand really and is used to people finding her clothes, lol. Hmm, I assumed there was a bedroom nearby, so I didn’t quite describe it much if you want to use it later)