Curious, Lost, and Wandering to Unknown Land

[Synful]

From the direction of Niahi Woods wandered Elwynn, her wings glowing in the darkening air. Amazement was her primary thought, gazing toward the candlelit houses. The houses she knew back home were all built inside trees. But these... Wow! And the light, little fires, like they had shrunk the communal fire she was familiar with.

She looked around with widened eyes, probably the same way others would see her! A humanoid figure with glowing blue wings, wearing clothing fashioned from natural, rugged materials, smeared with mud.

Are there elves here? she wondered. ...or am I all alone? She walked up to a house, glancing into a window.

[Doc]

He didn't come to town often, hardly at all really. There wasn't much he needed that he couldn't make or find in the woods. Sometimes though, and he was loath to admit it, Michaeljust missed the company of people. That was what he liked most about La'marri, for the most part they were good people. He had known plenty of bad ones in his time, but here generally everyone had a kind word or a smile. Even better, few ever mentioned his ears. Michael was very sensitive about his ears.

He had made his rounds to the various shops. Trading furs he hadn't needed and some cured meats for coins. The only thing he had needed this trip in were a couple different spices. That hadn't stopped him from staying to grab a pint (of milk) from the local inn and then making a stop at the bakery. They had these delicious sweet rolls that he loved. The baker had given him a fresh one and now as Michael stepped out into the street to head back to the woods he took a bite, savoring the flavor.

Michael enjoyed it so much that he almost hadn't noticed the girl peeking into the window of one of the houses. The glow of her wings though caught his attention and he stopped a few feet away giving her a curious look. In the back of his mind he could hear the sword, which peaked over his right shoulder, throbbing with talk of her treachery and a need for vengeance. Michael, however, had become fairly used to the swords influence and inane clambering.

"Excuse me," He cleared his throat and spoke in a rather businesslike manner, "is there a reason you are looking into that persons house?"

[Synful]

Elwynn jumped in fright, due to the sudden voice behind her. Turning quickly, she faced a male holding something in his hands. It looked eaten, and there were tiny crumbs lingering on his face, so she came to the conclusion that it must be food. It looked like a fancy bread.

"H-hello... I... " She stammered, unsure of how to answer the question. "I've never been out of the forest before. This is a house outside the forest, I see... Ours were in the trees and..." she trailed off her sentence nervously.

"I mean no harm to these people. Just... the tiny fire.. it... it's pretty." Elwynn studied him as best as she could without proper lighting. He looks a bit like an elf... but not quite. There's something... off. "A-are you an elf?"


[ooc: Elwynn actually doesn't understand about non-elf humanoid beings, even despite her not being an elf.]

[Doc]

Michael eyed her suspiciously for a few moments. She didn't look like any forest creature he had ever seen, but it didn't take his heightened senses to smell the forest on her. He took a few steps closer so he could look into the window as well. Seeing the small candle he looked back at the peculiar creature, eyeing her up and down.

"Half.." Michael grumbled quietly in answer to her question. Then, remembering a talk he had had with a recently made new friend, he forced himself to show a small smile. Michael held  out his hand, palm canted slightly up, and bowed his head, "I am Michael.."

[Synful]

"Half?" Elwynn asked. "I've never heard of that before. Wh-what's the other half? Are you like me?" She started to shake. "D-do you know what I am?" Panic was clear on her face. She mostly tried not to concern herself with not fitting in. I was raised an elf. I am an elf. But... I'm not... Elwynn composed herself, trying to make herself appear as if it hadn't affected her.

"My... My name is Elwynn. Nice to meet you..." Her normal heartwarming grin appeared on her face, but her eyes didn't get the message. They were still thinking about... what she was.

[Doc]

Never heard of it before? Michael knew it wasn't exactly common, but it wasn't that uncommon either.. He frowned slightly, responding in a somewhat flat voice, "Human... I'm half human as well.."

It felt odd, and maybe a little rude of her to ask. But then she was asking about herself, and it drew his brows down in a frown. He looked her over and considered saying something rude, but the way she was shaking made him stop. He a somewhat comforting grin spread across his lips and he let his extended hand fall away, "No, I don't think I'm like you, Elwynn." He bowed his head when he said her name for the first time.

"What brings you here, Elwynn? Are you from these woods?" He asked, gesturing to the looming forest at the towns edge with a small jut of his jaw. Thinking it might have been off putting, Michael flashed a quick disarming smile when he looked back to her, "Sorry, don't mean to pry. It's just, I can smell the woods on you.. And," His nostril flared slightly as he snorted, "and elves. At least, some elven cooking.."

[Synful]

A.. human..? Elwynn's face flooded with confusion. She didn't quite remember being told anything about humans. The main difference she noticed was that he seemed a bit bigger than the elves. So humans were bigger? She hesitated to ask more, but how else would she learn? "What... what's a human?"

"A shame that you don't seem to know what I am... my... my family, the people I grew up with, anyway... They didn't know either.." Elwynn sighed. Her mind only rarely ventured to these thoughts. "These wings... They're what set me apart from everyone. I know I'm different, but... I tend to push it aside."

She nodded silently. He's got senses like an elf, then. "I'm from the woods, yes. Deep.. deep in the woods. It was morning when I started walking..." She seemed disappointed in herself. "... and now it's dark. I didn't really think things out." She stretched out her aching wings. "Yes... I was raised by elves. They are... all I know. Except for today. They said... that I could leave the forest if I so wished. To wander on my own." To find out about who I am. "It seemed like something I'd like to do, so I just upped and left. But it's so different... I didn't expect this. Not at all."

[Doc]

Her question shocked Michael. How did she not know of the humans? Even being raised by elves, as she said she was, they should have told her. Should have at least warned her. It was dangerous enough for a girl to be alone in this world, city or woods, but to be so naive as this and then be let to wander? Michael instantly felt bad for the girl, though he also felt a bit of anger seeping in that someone would have allowed this to happen.

"Humans dominate these lands..." He gestured vaguely, "all of them. An' you may not be so unknown as you might think.." He took a small step forward, gesturing to her wings, "I've heard talk of humans in the south with wings. I don't know if they are like yours, never met any, but I know a few of the travelers at the inn have said a thing or two about them from time to time.."

He offered a small shrug, "It may be an option, is all I am saying." Michael frowned then, looking back to the woods and then back to the girl, "And the elves you stayed with? They said you could leave, but they gave you no provisions for your trip? No advice on what you may find out here?" His frown grew, "It seems very dangerous for you that they would have allowed this.."

[Synful]

"I see. So, I'll probably run into one soon enough. Hopefully I'll work out what they are, I guess." And hopefully they're as welcoming as Michael has been. "Humans with wings? I think that may be worth checking out. You know, once I get my bearings."

"They considered me old enough to leave them, yes. They had been sheltering me from learning who I was, all those years. They disliked it. I know they did." Elwynn sighed. "The elves... they weren't bad people. In those depths of the forest... None of us really knew about the outside world. Just passed down stories. They told me there were many different beings, but I didn't know exactly what they meant." She laughed nervously. "Not sure that they did, either."

"As for food and things... I don't have too many things of my own. Nor would I had have any way to carry them. Food... that was my fault. I had been waiting for this day for weeks, you see... I rushed out before anyone even noticed me leave... I didn't think the forest was very big, and..." I'm such an idiot. "I expected I could get food somewhere here or.. I don't know..." Elwynn blushed.

"It's not like I haven't eaten or anything, there were berries and nuts..." She seemed defensive, trying to cover up her mistake. But she knew there was no way out of it. "There aren't many berries or nuts to pick for myself in this town, huh..."

[Doc]

"I remember my time with the elves fondly enough.." Michael said with a small half smile and then shrugged, "but I do not remember them being very comfortable speaking of outsiders. In fact, I believe my father was the first human they had ever let live in their grove.."

The memory brought back a brief but wistful smile. It faded soon enough however as the dark reality of life settled in. That life had been taken from him. Burned away and replaced with only terror, pain and torture until he found the strength to stop it. That strength was his sword, which was throbbing dully with anger like gentle lapping waves at the back of his mind. The sword gave his strength and courage, and fed his anger against slavery, but it's true hate was for something in nature. Michael couldn't pin-point it, but he could sense it. Feel it on the tip of his tongue or in the back of his mind. It was the reason he wanted so much to live a life in the woods, and yet also found himself driven into the confusing sights and smells of the town.

"They do have food here.." He offered and turned, looking back at the bakery. It was closed now, as most businesses were. In fact, the only thing still making noise was the muffled sounds of singing, laughter and music barely escaping the inn. Michael turned back to the girl with a small smile, "but most of the shops have closed up. It's not like with the elves here.. Here, you have to pay with coins. I get them by brining in the pelts from kills that I did not need, or some of the meats and I deliver to the apothecary those herbs not found on her own or too dangerous for her to gather.." He shrugged, "It is a cycle of life of sorts," And then he leaned in and gave a low, conspiratorial whisper, "At times though it feels a bit pointless, and certainly foolish.."

Michael leaned back and then, with a small smile, offered out the last half of his sweetened bread, "Here. It's not much, but it's very tasty. It should hold you over at least.. You're right, there is no food to pick or forage in cities. At least, not without trouble.."

[Synful]

Elwynn nodded knowingly. "They hardly spoke even about me being different. Rare conversations, they were." She shrugged sadly. "I wish they gave me more information, but I took what I could get."

Her face scrunched up, learning about coins. "So.. I get.. coins? And exchange them for food? That seems... difficult. Humans... are they not as generous as elves?" I wish I could get these.. coins. I'll certainly be very hungry if I can't get any food.

Elwynn's eyes brightened as she was handed the bread she spotted before. "Thank you very much, Michael." There was a slight hesitation before taking a bite, but as soon as it hit her taste buds she smiled. "It's very tasty." And I was getting very hungry. She ate the rest of the sweet bread bite by bite, savoring it's taste.

[Doc]

"No," Michael said with a bit of scorn. It soured the smile that had taken hold as he watched her enjoy the sweet bread, "Humans are not generous. Nor should they be trusted, at least not at face value. They are greedy, for everything. Wealth, power, and sex.. They will take what is not freely given and, even if it is given, they will take and take until there is no more..."

He let out an agitated breath, focusing quietly until he was able to push away the anger welling up inside of him. Once it was gone, Michaels smile returned, "Not all of them are like that, just their people as a whole. Some of them can be kind and generous," He gestured around them to the town of La'marri, "such as the people here. It is sort of a haven for the lost.."

[Synful]

Elwynn frowned. "I do not much like the sound of humans, then." How could people not feel a desire to make others happy? "I hope.. my quest does not take long, if there will be harsh encounters with their kind." And... I hope my kind isn't this way, as well.

"Kind and generous like you have been to me?" She smiled. "I fear what could have happened if a meaner soul had found me here." She analyzed Michael. He was generous. Clearly it was his elf side that shone brightest. "Fitting," she laughed, "that I ended up here, then. For I am lost."

[Doc]

"There are many more threats in the world outside the forest than just the humans." Michael cautioned. He forced himself to smile, to bring the tone of their meeting up a few beats, "The safest bet, Elwynn, is to simply not trust anyone.."

"Yes, well..." He gave a small bow of his head, "I guess you can say I know the feeling. I was lost once and though I was not as naïve as you, I needed a help and was turned away.. I would just hate to see the same thing happen, or to be a party to such a disgusting act.."