The Draconi Forest was quiet today, or at least this part of it was. Towards one section of the woods there was a cave with a waterfall out front. The water poured down a fast rhythm while its occupant was inside, preparing a cook fire to cook some of the meat she had acquired. A couple rabbits were now slung over a spit, close enough to the fire but not too close so that they cooked evenly throughout. A golden-haired elf of otherworldly origins sat behind the fire, occasionally turning the spit with a pair of tongs on hand, eyes completely focused on her task of making her meal.
Once the rabbits were done, Calabell carefully took them off the spit and laid them onto a piece of clean scraped wood since she had nothing else to use for a plate and set about devouring the food with a pair of makeshift chopsticks, really just two sharpened sticks she had peeled the bark clean off of, and sharpened the tops of them into points with her knife. Taking the last bite of rabbit, she finished licking the juiciness off of her fingers, then proceeded to rearrange a blanket she had spread out near the fire and laid down to rest for a bit.
Closing her eyes, she began to slowly drift off but kept one eye open for danger. It was something she had to learn how to do, and it wasn't too difficult considering her kind were light sleepers anyway. The slightest noise could wake her up. This of course, had its downfalls too, as it a lot of times prohibited her from getting any sleep at all! But it was better to be tired and cranky, than wind up as lunch for a basilisk or behemoth of a spider or something else equally nasty.
Calabell wasn't asleep long when a noise did in fact wake her. Sitting up, she grumbled as per usual, letting out a curse in Clarion, the language of the Bright Elves, and proceeded to get up and take a look. If it came into her cave, it was toast. More meat for her, that is if it was an animal. A person she would kill and then toss their stupid corpse out the exit, but far enough away from it. Not only to avoid being detected and some foolhardy do-gooder come to 'teach her a lesson', but the smell as the corpses decayed was absolutely horrendous. She definitely couldn't stand the stench. Not to mention the pesky flies.
Elven eyes piercing the dimness around her, helped out by the fire dwindling as it was, it still provided enough light for her to see by, including her enhanced elven vision. There was nothing in here that shouldn't be in here. Walking outside, she scoured her surroundings but it was even darker out here, her enhanced vision not able to pierce complete darkness. Summoning a faint light, she held the orb in her hand as she looked around, the shadow cast by the light bouncing around on the ground and nearby trees. Still nothing.
Thinking about what she should do, Calabell waited a bit longer to see if anything or anyone would show up. Hand grasping her knife by her side, she extinguished the glowing light and waited. Staying utterly silent, Calabell hid in the shadows, lying in wait to pounce upon anything that came near. It was only survival mind you, living in these woods had taught her such. Usually any 'visitor' that came by was not of the friendly kind anyway. Training her ears, she listened for the smallest hint of a sound out of place here.
Kirl cursed, something she didn't do very often. She and the hyena, Oax, were walking through Draconi Forest, in the middle of the night. The hyena and young woman had been traveling all the previous day and into the night, but now they were looking for a clearing or dry spot to stay the rest of the night.
Kirl usually didn't make this kind of mistake, waiting to make camp when it was already dark, she was an experienced forester and traveler, and knew to make camp while there was still the light of day.
But she had been so eager to finish the trek through the forest that she had neglected to choose the wise course of action, and now the two were trudging through the dark woods. Oax was fine, in fact, she was quite content in the dark. Hyenas are nocturnal creatures, and Oax could see just fine. Kirl wasn't doing to bad either, she had very good senses, but she was tired, after walking all day.
It was then that Kirl saw a pinprick of light ahead. A fire. She drew her daggers and she and Oax silently advanced towards where the fire was. Kirl was no fool, she knew that whoever had made the fire was nearly as likely to want to eat her as to want to help her out.
By now she and Oax could see that the fire was inside a cave. The fire was dwindling, but Kirl could see a silhouette of someone as they moved past the fire. Kirl cringed as she stepped on a twig and it snapped beneath her boot.
The figure disappeared from Kirl's view and the young woman took a step to the side, hiding herself behind a thick tree trunk.
Kirl could sense the animals all around them, and in the direction of the cave Kirl sensed a rabbit fleeing. She saw the fire go out, they had been detected.
She readied her knives and Oax crouched down, ready to attack.
The snap of a twig reached Calabell's keen ears and she tensed, coiled like a spring as she too readied herself for an attack. Eyes trying to pierce the thick darkness around her, she could only see the generic shapes of trees, bushes and plants that were around her. She could have sworn she saw a humanoid figure dart behind a tree some ways away from her current location. Not to mention some kind of animal or creature with it.
Carefully maneuvering around the grassy ground, the elf did her best to avoid stepping on twigs or pebbles or anything else which would give away her whereabouts, trying to once again catch a better glimpse of what she had seen. Looking back at the firelight from her campfire inside her cave, the flames had mostly dwindled, going low with a few burnt orange embers glowing in the circle of stones, leaves and moss there. There was only the barest hint of a couple tongues of flames present now. Obviously whoever was here would have spotted that and no doubt been on their guard.
Calabell resumed her careful observations of the area. There. she thought with glee. The bright elf saw the shape of a boot poking up from behind a tree some yards away. She calculated the exact distance in her mind. Twelve feet away. Withdrawing her sharp knife, she slowly advanced once again doing her best to remain silent. Getting closer, she was now only three feet away and the bright elf could see a leather-clad figure with a dog-like creature nearby it, the latter pounced on all fours and ready to strike. Slipping behind a tall bush, Calabell ducked down behind it and again assessed the situation.
Peeking over the top, she saw them and studied what she was able to discern in the darkness. Definitely a figure in leather armor, a human most likely, garbed in a cloak that hid their features for the most part. She couldn't see their face for it was covered in deep shadows underneath the hood. The glint of weapons could be seen, as well as the top part of a bow slung over their back. The dog-like creature was fairly big, but it did not look like a wolf or coyote. Calabell wasn't sure what it was, but it definitely bore canine characteristics. Teeth flashed in the night as the animal remained in its attack position, claws digging into the ground beneath it. It was obvious the two were a team. Two against one, she thought. Not a problem.
The elf waited a moment longer before creeping up even closer using the bushes and trees around her as sufficient cover. She would address the issue of the animal first, then focus on the person. One and a half feet behind the duo, she raised her blade, ready to strike!
Kirl was no elf, but she knew the ways of rangers and used her sixth sense to help her. Still, Oax discovered the elf half a second before she did. She spun around as soon as Oax did, also sensing the presence of the elf.
Kirl could hardly see in the dark, but she could see the glint of a knife and knew it probably wasn't there to help her cut her meat.
She swiftly raised her daggers, pushing one against the elf's blade, blocking the coming knife. She swiftly brought the other around to attack, but Oax lept forward, making to knock the elf to the ground.
Blade met blade in a parrying strike as the other blocked her attack with one knife, the other heading towards Calabell at the same time. Since Calabell was focused on the creature before her, she was able to dodge the animal's lunge at her, but not before the knife the human wielded lightly grazed her arm in the process. Blood dripped down her arm but Calabell ignored it, spurred on by the fight itself.
Twirling around in a circular motion, she made to strike at the animal again as canine fangs flashed at her in the dark at the same time keeping an eye on the human as best she could.
Oax skidded on the forest floor as the elf dodged, but the hyena twisted around, making to attack again. But the elf's knife slashed across her shoulder, deep. She yelped in pain and blood started to flow, but she continued to fight, she would not let this elf stop her.
Kirl's eyes flashed in anger when she heard Oax yelp and saw the blood in her fur, but Kirl would not lose her cool. She switched her fighting style to defensive rather than offensive, and she tried to look into the elf's eyes.
"Stop! I don't want to fight! Look, we will retreat."
Kirl's eyes were very much adjusted to the dark now, and she leaped backward quickly, lowering her daggers, but not dropping them. Seeing Kirl's choice of action, Oax leapt back too, but she, as well as her human friend, stayed alert.
But Calabell wasn't ready to stop. After all, they had intruded on her space! "I don't take orders from a lowly human and her canine pet!" And she evened her weight between two feet as the bright elf positioned herself for another attack, this time at the human girl.
Brandishing her knife, she leapt at the human with the intent to slice across her neck!
Kirl lifted her daggers again, but she didn't use them.
"Wait! I really don't want to fight!" Kil said, but she saw that the elf was readying herself to attack again. "You must stop!" Then she frowned. "And Hyenas are not, in fact, canines, they have their own unique family, they are called Hyaenidae. Actually closer to cats than dogs."
She said this hoping to distract the elf, and, somewhere, she really wanted her to know that hyena's were not canines.
As the elf attacked, Oak leaped forwards, with the intention of knocking the elf aside and away from Kirl.
Calabell ignored what she said and was just about to slash at the human's neck when her hyena companion she called it, knocked her away from her target. The elf did not lose her footing, only being knocked off-balance a bit causing her knife to cut air instead. Of course, this only made Calabell angrier and so made to attack the hyena again in the same spot as before.
Oax screamed when the dagger slashed at her shoulder once again, in the same spot as the last time. Blood poured from her shoulder, and the hyena couldn't stand on that leg.
Oax had fallen to the ground when she had been cut, but now she scrambled to her three working legs and limped around behind the elf.
Then she leaped forward, meaning to bite the elf's lower leg.
When Kirl saw Oax get cut once again, she immediately took the offensive again, fighting furiously against the elf. But she still tried to talk.
"Stop this!" She shouted. "This fight is even, and you know it! Nothing can be gained from this, for either side! You must stop!"
Making to slash again at the hyena creature, Calabell missed her mark when the animal went around behind her to bite her in the leg! Furious, she made to lift her foot wanting to kick the thing and hard.
"You intruded on my home! Now you will die!" And the Bright Elf saw no reason to stop fighting, being driven on by adrenaline as she was, this battle was on as far as she was concerned.
As the elf made to kick Oax, the hyena opened her laws and tried to bite her foot.
For the second time that night, Kirl swore. Couldn't this elf stop fighting?
"Fine! We'll leave! If this is your territory, we'll go, no one has to die! Can't you see how juvenile you're acting? You're acting like you were born yesterday!" Usually Kirl didn't use insults, but these were true, and she was ready for this fight to end. But she could see the elf wasn't going to stop.
Then Kirl had an idea, but she hoped it wouldn't backfire on her. "Wait! If you stop, I'll do a favor for you! Not killing anyone, but we'll do something for you, just stop this!"
Calabell's kick at the hyena creature missed its mark as the animal lunged for her foot to bite it. She grunted in pain as the creature's jaws bit into her skin through her well-worn boot. In retaliation, she made to swipe her knife in a downwards arc toward the creature's eye, while yanking her foot back at the same time.
"The only favor you can do for me is to die!" Calabell screeched, her emotions running at an all-time high now. In her heightened state of anger, it would be very difficult for Kirl and Oax to calm her down, their best bet being to subdue her somehow.
'Well, this elf defiantly is crazy,' Kilr thought as the elf screamed her words. Kirl was really starting to resent this elf, if the elf had stopped fighting when the girl had asked, then maybe they could have reached some understanding, but now Kirl kew that her and Oax's only option would be to knock out the elf. Hopefully they wouldn't have to kill her, Kirl hated killing, but if it came to it. . .
Oax dodged out of the way as the elf stabbed at her face. The dagger missed her eye, but scratched a long mark down her cheek. The hyena looked to Kirl, and quickly sent a message, as Kirl could communicate with most animals. Not through words, but through feelings, emotions, pictures in thought. Kirl nodded at the hyena's plan. She slashed at the elf to distract her and Oax leaped at the elf from the front, aiming right at her chest, her maw aimed for the elf's throat. Her aim wasn't kill her, but to knock her over, and hold her teeth to her throat so she would drop her weapons, then Kirl would be able to capture her.
It seemed that their plan just might work. As Kirl swiped her knife again at Calabell, the bright elf deflected that attack with her own knife but failed to calculate for the hyena leaping at her throat, and therefore knocking her down flat on her back. Calabell's weapon fell out of her hand as the ground rushed up to meet her and she was temporarily dazed from the impact. The gray haze in front of her eyes would only last about ten seconds but it might give her opponents the time they needed to tie her up and subdue her.
As the elf fell back, Kirl kicked the elf's dagger farther away from her and quickly unhooked the coil of rope on her belt. She grabbed the elf's wrists and quickly, but very tightly, tied them together. Oax sat on the elf, pinning her down with her teeth to the elf's neck as Kirl tied her.
Kirl nodded to the hyena and Oax raised her head from the elf's throat, but the razor-sharp teeth were replaced with an equally sharp knife at the elf's neck.
"Are you okay?" Kirl asked the elf, crouching next to her. Oax still pinned the elf down.
Calabell tried to struggle and kick out with her legs as the human and hyena subdued her, tying her hands together so she could no longer fight. It was to no avail though and as she felt the hyena's teeth being replaced with that of a cold blade at her throat, she stopped her struggling, but only reluctantly. Glaring into the large green eyes of the human scum above her, the aether elf could only stare hatefully at her opponent.
"Funny you would ask that considering the weapon at my neck!" the elf hissed, spitting out her words like venom.
Since the animal was still on top of her, holding her down, Calabell could not see where her knife went to from her horizontal position, nor could she attempt to feel for it either. Not with her hands tied together.
Continuing her murderous glare, her eyes then went to the hyena's, and she snarled angrily. "Get your filthy dog off of me!"
Kirl sighed. "I told you before, she's actually not a dog, more like a cat in DNA." Oax did not move from the elf as Kirl continued. "And I really do not want to hurt you, you left me no choice but to defend myself. I was walking through the forest, I had no idea you lived here, and then you attacked. Was I supposed to let you kill me? No. Life is what we all strive for, and I am not going to forsake mine for no reason." Kirl frowned. "Why did you try to kill me? I did nothing to harm you or the land you live on."
Calabell sneered. "I do not like trespassers near my home! It's the only home I have now! Now get your pet off me!" She bucked a little, trying to throw off Oax from her sitting position on the bright elf's chest.
Oax growled in the elf's face and then stepped off of her chest, but she still sat near, always ready to attack again.
"I understand that this is your home, and that it may be the only place you have left to go," Kirl said, he dagger still at the elf's throat, "but that doesn't mean you should kill everyone that happens to, unknowingly, be traveling through."
"It saves me the trouble of wondering whether or not they'll take it from me!" Calabell spat out.
Seeing that these two obviously had the upper hand over her, despite their inferiority, Calabell stopped her struggling as she was no fool. Continuing to do so might make the blade at her throat slip and cut her neck fatally. Plus that she was also at the mercy of her foes and right now there was little she could do about it. Perhaps there was some way she could convince them to untie her. Then she could finish what she started. Calabell began to think of a plan that might work in this instance.
"We don't want to take your home from you," Kirl said. "And I would like to let you go, except that I fear you'll kill me the second I do. I could kill you."
Kirl really didn't want to kill the elf, but she could say she had changed her mind about killing the elf, just to see her reaction. Kirl had come across enough evils in the world to know how to properly act like one.
"I might just kill you, I don't really want to get blood everywhere, but I can't really let you go, if you do you'll kill us, and I don't want to leave you here, you might hurt others when you manage to untie yourself,. which won't be for a while, i learned my knots from a sailor." That was true. "And you did hurt Oak, and I really feel very protective of her. . ."
Kirl pressed the knife down harder on the elf's throat, almost enough to draw blood, almost, but not quite.
Gritting her teeth, Calabell snarled her next reply. "If you untie me now, I promise not to kill you or your pet if you both leave the area and never come back. And you don't really want to kill me, I can see it in your eyes. If you leave me this way, I'll have no way to defend myself from the wargs and basilisks that prowl the woods here. Do you really want that to happen?"
Of course, this was a lie as Calabell fully intended on killing them as soon as she got free of her bonds. She would not let her guard down again. Calabell hoped she sounded convincing enough, as she really did not want to be tied up any longer. Her wrists were starting to ache from being tightly tied together with the thick, rough rope. If her plan succeeded, she could finish this and go back to her cave in peace so she could attempt to get more sleep. If not, she could be in real trouble here...
Kirl narrowed her eyes, and looked at the elf's face as she spoke. Kirk wanted to believe her, she really did, but she couldn't, not after how the elf had acted earlier.
"I can't let you go, you could very well be lying to me," the girl said. "But you're right, I don't want to kill you, and I won't unless you try to kill me. But tell me, if I can't let you go, I can't leave you here to die, and I can't kill you by my knife, what am I supposed to do?"
"I'm not lying." she lied. Calabell's act obviously didn't go down the way she had hoped it would. The girl before her wasn't buying it.
Thinking quickly, she answered. "I swear upon my own kind that I won't kill you." Of course, the elf hated her own kind, seeing as how they had exiled her in the first place. She could never go back there. That route had been forever closed to her all those years back. But of course her captor didn't know that.
Kirl bit her lip. Could she really trust the elf? She decided she would, because, for Kirl, at least, swearing on her own kind would mean a lot.
"Okay, I'll let you go," she said, walking over and picking up the elf's knife, so the elf wouldn't be able to get her weapon. She picked it up and stuck it in her belt, then she walked over to the elf. She looked over at Oax, and mentally told her to be ready for anything the elf might try.
She gripped her knife tightly, so that if the elf did try to kill her, she wouldn't be able to wrest the weapon from Kirl's hands, and then she reached down and cut the elf's bonds, ready to jump back, or attack, at any moment.
As soon as her hands were free, Calabell lunged forward and tried to grab for her knife from the girl's belt. Tackling her, she reached out for her weapon and also to try to knock the other down at the same time, keeping her elven ears open for whatever the hyena might do to protect her mistress.
Kirl spun out of the way, but the elf still landed on her. Kirl tried to push the elf off, and then Oax leaped forward, snapping at the elf's ankle, hoping to be able to drag the elf off of Kirl, nor at least distract her.
"Just stop!" Kirl cried, still grappling with the elf. "I promise we'll leave!"
Still trying to reach for her knife, Calabell growled in anger. "My kind left me to rot here in these strange lands! I hold no allegiance to them! Not anymore!"
She yelped then as the hyena's teeth latched onto her ankle, trying to free her foot from its jaw. Managing to do so, the aether elf continued the struggle to get her weapon back in her rightful hands.
"I'm begging you!" Kirl cried. "Please let us go!" She rolled away from the elf and got to her feet. Oax jumped away from the elf at a mind signal from Kirl. So now the two of them were away from the elf.
"We will leave.!" Kirl said. "I swear, I swear," she tried to think of something good to swear on. "I swear on Oax and my life's that we will leave and tell no one where you live!"
It was while Calabell was still trying to grab her weapon from the human woman, a dark shape crept behind a bush, waiting for the right moment to strike. The bright elf was too busy trying to grapple the other that she didn't detect the creature until it was too late.
A strange sensation came over her then, as a basilisk emerged from behind the bush and sent out a psychic ray of petrification. This psychic beam hit Calabell, and promptly turned her to stone stopping her in her tracks, with arms raised threateningly. The beast then turned its beady red eyes Kirl and Oax's direction, and began to fire up another ray to petrify them as well, before it could then feast upon the bodies, mouth opening wide to enact its psychic ability.
Meanwhile, Calabell was paralyzed, a statue frozen in time. It would be up to the others to kill the creature. Perhaps the elf would even be grateful for it and stop her attacks.
Kirl's eyes widened as the elf froze in place. A split second later she saw the basilisk. She dove out of the way, grabbing Oax and pulling her to the ground as the basilisk show another ray of energy.
The human and hyena rolled behind a tree and got to their feet. Kirl peered out from behind the tree to see the basilisk slithering rapidly towards them. The young woman leaped from behind the tree and dashed around the basilisk. The mental link the two shared helped them a lot in battle, and as Kirl ran behind the basilisk, Oax ran in front, distracting the beast. The basilisk snapped at Oax, but the hyena, despite her injured shoulder, was to fast and leaped out of the way every time.
Kirl jumped onto the basilisks back and climbed up its neck. The basilisk swung its head around to try to bite at Kirl and dislodge her, but the girl held on tight and climbed up to the beast's head. holding on with one hand, she raised her dagger with the other and brought it stabbing down right behind the basilisk's skull.
The creature swayed, and Kirl tried to leap clear, but her foot snagged on a frill, and the basilisk fell sideways, its heavy body landing on top of Kirl's lower half.
The girl cried out on pain, but could not push the basilisk off of her or squirm out. Oax rushed over, and tried to push the beast off, but with her injured shoulder she could not.
With the death of the basilisk, Calabell was free from its petrification effects. Looking around confused, she spotted the spiky beast lying dead on top of Kirl, with the hyena trying to push it off but failing due to her injured shoulder. The elf realized they had most likely saved her life at that point.
With much ferocity, she kicked the dead creature with as much force as she could muster, more out of retaliation than anything, ignoring the barbed spikes which dug into her boot as she did this. Now the beast was off the other woman. Calabell stared at the two for a moment as she thought of what she should do now. They had saved her life, and the bright elf was not entirely ungrateful for it.
As Kirl saw the elf unfreeze, she stiffened, but could not reach her dagger. Now that she was trapped, would the elf kill her? From the way the elf had acted before, her unrelentless attacks and ruthless behavior, Kirl expected the elf would kill her, she had shown no mercy before.
'She'll kill Oax, no!' was the first thought that went through the young woman's mind, but then again, Kirl and Oax had saved her live, maybe she would be grateful. . .
Oax growled at the elf, but then the other woman kicked the basilisk off of Kirl and the young woman got to her feet. Oax continued to look suspiciously at the elf, but Kirl smiled at her.
"Thanks," she said, but she didn't push it, just because the elf didn't kill her that didn't mean they were on good terms.
It seemed Calabell had made up her mind on what to do now. As Kirl and Oax turned to leave, she called out to them hesitantly, "Wait! Just...wait." Struggling to find the words she wanted to express, Calabell managed to give a thank you. It was not something she was used to doing, especially living alone all these years further cemented that in her.
"Thank you." she said. "I mean, for killing that thing and saving my life too." Another pause. "And I appreciate that." The bright elf sighed audibly, as she raked a hand through her golden locks, now tussled with many tangles in them. "I just am not used to that sort of help. It is...strange to me."
Looking straight at Kirl, she said, "I won't harm either of you. I...I promise this." Glaring at the body of the basilisk, she scowled at it and plopped down on a rock nearby. Waving a hand at them, she told them, "Go, if you will. I will not pursue you."
Kirl stopped and turned back to the elf as she asked them to wait. She stood and smiled faintly when the elf thanked them, though she frowned when the elf said that she was not used to that sort of help. When the elf sat down Kirl cocked her head to the side questioningly.
"You said we may go, but may I ask," Kirl decided to talk to the elf, if the elf would talk back. When she was not trying to kill them the elf seemed rather sad. "Why do you live in this forest, all alone, with no one to keep you company?"
Kirl wondered if she had pushed too far, but she stood and waited for a response. If the elf said nothing or responded negatively, Kirl and Oax would leave without another word on the subject.
A moment of silence passed before Calabell spoke, her head still cast down. "I was exiled from my home. Cast out, like yesterday's garbage." Looking up at the woman, the aether elf responded sadly. "I don't belong anywhere anymore."
Kirl smiled sadly as the elf spoke, and sat down across from her. "I've got a similar story," she said. "I was twelve years old and I was cast away from my home. My family completely forsake me and chased me out. I don't really belong anywhere either, I just travel around with Oax."
"They had killed Greyden. He was the only friend I ever had. And all I did was support him. We had our reasons for doing what we did." Calabell started to become visibly angry, but not at Kirl and Oax, her hand clenching in her lap.
"They killed him, beheaded him without mercy and I had to watch it!" she screamed out loud. She started to shake as her anger began to steadily mount.
Kirl's eyes widened, and, before she even knew what she was doing, she went over and sat next to the elf, putting her hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," was really all she could say, she didn't know enough about what had happened to comment further. "I'm really very sorry."
Oax hesitantly walked over to the elf and say in front of her, the hyena's large brown eyes looking up at the elf.
The bright elf stiffened at the contact, but did not do anything else. Still shaking in anger, she made no attempt to reign it in and promptly threw a flaming ball at the dead basilisk, the corpse quickly going up in flames.
Several moments passed as she tried to get a grip on her emotions, and it was obvious to anyone that this was not something she was used to doing. Her emotions and egocentric behavior had driven her onward for much of her life and Calabell was finding it to be extremely difficult to control it. Whether or not she would try to change some of this remained to be seen.
Finally after at least five minutes had passed, she looked up, an expression of sadness and melancholy present on her face, her golden-bronze eyes telling a story all their own. They spoke of hopelessness, loss and resentment, these feelings she had been dealing with for well over a hundred years now.
Taking a shaky breath, Calabell finally said something. "Why do you even care? After all, I did try to kill you."
The elf was completely uncertain about this entire situation. She didn't make befriending those beneath her a habit of hers. Even among her own kind, Greyden had been the only other aether elf she had felt a connection with, thus them having had become good friends while he was still alive. Now he wasn't here anymore, with Calabell being unable to go back to the way things were. Change was certainly a bitch. she mentally concluded, a certain sort of cynicism present in that thought.
Kirl raised her eyebrows as the elf's magic engulfed the basilisk, but she sat in silence next to the elf until the other spoke, asking why she cared.
Kirl smiled. "Why do I care? Why do I care." Kirl took a moment to reply. "Because, because, well, first of all, I care because I care about lives and I care about yours. And I think that you deserve it, at least in some way. You tried to kill me, yes, and you may have killed others in the past, you lied to me, but I want to give you another chance. When you were fighting me, trying to kill me, I only saw one side of you. Perhaps it was an evil side, a terrible side, but people are not one face, they are made up of several faces that make their being. I wanted to see another side of you," Kirl smiled, "and I have. Now I see you as a person, rather than a soulless killer."
Calabell snorted in derision, but didn't comment.
After another minute though, she got up and brushed off her trousers from all the dirt and grime covering them before making her way over to the waterfall by her cave home, just staring idly at the rushing water. She still didn't say anything though, but kept staring in front of her, her back turned to Kirl and Oax. It would be difficult to tell what she was thinking now.
Kirl stayed sitting on the rock when the elf stood and walked away a bit, the girl watched her, but the elf said nothing, she just stood there.
After a moment of silence and stillness, Oax stood up from where she had bee sitting on the ground next to Kirl and walked over to the elf. They hyena sat down right next to her, her fur just brushing the elf's leg. Then Oax leaned sideways so she was putting much of her weight on the elf. She looked up, as a dog would look up when it wanted to be petted, with its eyes wide, but Oax's large eyes were not filled with longing, they were more filled with pity and comfort.
"It is strange." Calabell commented, still looking ahead of her at the flowing water. "I never thought I'd allow myself to talk to a human before, much less about my life prior to now."
She went silent again, then looked down at Oax curled up against her leg. "Many of my kind do not take kindly to those different than us. We are after all, a proud people, proud of our race and cultures. We do not let outsiders in at all." The bright elf meant this in both a literal as well as a figurative way.
"I suppose change is bound to happen when one is kicked out of their home without mercy."
Kirl listened in silence until the elf had finished, then she nodded, almost to herself. "Change definitely came for me," she said, looking down at her hands, which rested in her lap. "And it was a scary thing indeed. I was twelve, still a child. I had to grow up very fast, out in the world. All alone except for Oax, who really, I guess, was all that I needed. It's not easy being cast out. I guess you just have to find a place somewhere else then. That's what I did. And even though I don't live anywhere, don't really have a family anymore, I have a place in this world. Adventuring around, traveling, that's what I do."
"This cave, this forest is all I have left." Calabell seethed once more. "And those who have tried to take it from me met their end at my hand. They deserved nothing less. It wasn't their place."
Calabell paused here, but turned her head slightly towards Kirl. "But you... you seem to be different than those vermin."
And truth be told it was something that greatly puzzled the bright elf. All her life, she had been taught about the viciousness and inferiority of others, humans in particular. No respect for what wasn't theirs. Of course living on another plane of existence Calabell had been fortunate enough not to meet too many of them in the Aether. There had only been a couple if she recalled correctly, and they were just like what she had been told about. Cruel, worthless scumbags who cared nothing for her home or her kind in general. Although to be fair, Calabell's people were no less prejudiced to them. One of them had been killed, head severed from his body for trespassing without their consent, while the other had managed to escape. Her people had never found where that one went. As long as it didn't come back, Calabell could care less about what became of the creature.
Being dumped here in the mortal world had been a complete shock to her and for many months she had completely flipped, killing many no matter who they were. Age, gender, race or species, to her it didn't matter. Calabell had been utterly furious and took her rage out on all she saw. Whether or not there was a bounty on her head she didn't know nor did she care. As long as they didn't show their face here, she would be happy enough. After some time had passed she had calmed down and managed to find her current home. After that, the story was more or less straightforward from there on out.
Hearing the other's words, the elf considered this carefully. She still did not trust Kirl or her hyena to come into her dwelling but there was the hint that she was starting to warm up to the idea. But perhaps, there could be something they could do for each other. But at this time, she had no idea what that could be. Sharing a similar history though, it was interesting.
Turning around fully, Calabell looked down at Oax curled against her leg, the barest hint of a smile showing, although it seemed more like a grimace. "Do hyenas usually act like that?" Motioning her head to the animal in question.
Kirl partially raised her eyebrows when the elf said, that she seemed to be different from the others who had come here and been killed by the elf.
'One of the large differences is that I'm not dead, I was probably just lucky,' Kirl thought in silence, then she frowned slightly. 'But maybe not, perhaps Oax and were meant to come here. . .' her thoughts trailed off as the elf spoke again, this time about Oax.
The young woman smiled, and Oax, seeming to understand the elf's words, leaned even heavier on the her leg.
"Not usually," Kirl said. "She's very friendly, to nearly everyone." Oax made a strange little laughing noise and licked the elf's pant leg and nudged her hand.
Calabell stiffened again, before she slowly and hesitantly petted the hyena, but the act of doing so was a bit awkward for her. She stopped then, hand stilling by her side once more.
"Is that so." she mused, looking down at Oax.
Looking back at Kirl, she said, "I'd apologize for trying to kill you earlier but that is not something I've really ever had to do much before. At least not with those who are not kin of mine." Breathing a sigh, she went on. "But you and your pet did help to save my life, so I guess I owe you something for that." Smiling tightly, but again looking more like a half-smile, half-grimace instead of a true expression of one. "So I...I apologize." The words tasting rather bitter in her mouth as she said them.
Oax made a sort of purring noise as the elf petted her.
Kirl smiled as the elf apologised. The young woman was surprised that the elf had, but glad as well.
"Thank you," she said. "I think I at least partially understand what you are feeling. My name is Kirl, Kirl Moonharbor, and that's Oax."
"You are not the only one who is surprised." Calabell said, noticing the expression on Kirl's face. "You are honestly the first human I've ever apologized to. The rest bit the dust either by my knife or by a fire spell. And sometimes even my bow."
Thinking back, Calabell continued. "A couple orc scouts as well. I moved their charred corpses far away from my home to ensure my safety. Couldn't have a band of orc savages tear my home down and kill me, now could I?"
After a couple minutes of hesitation, Calabell also gave her name. "I am Calabell White-Star. I used to live in the Aether, a different plane of existence." A moment passed. "I still can't get over the fact how different everything looks here."
Kirl nodded when Calabell introduced herself. "What did it look like there?" Kirl asked. "Was it very different?"
Kirl knew of a few different planes, but had only heard of the Aether in passing, and had never delved deeper into knowledge about it.
"You could say that." Calabell pondered on how best to explain it. "It is more bright there, as though its very foundation has an inner light to it, giving everything a transparent glow. While the part I lived in was for the most part solid, other areas were not nearly as much. Some places are more intangible the further away from the cities one goes, but the ground is always solid."
Sitting down on the ground, the bright elf glanced over to Oax briefly, before tracing random patterns with her finger into the dirt by her feet absently. "There are different kinds of flora and fauna there too, some that do not exist here."
Kirl nodded. "I't sounds very interesting. Can people from your plane travel to this one any time they want? Or do your people only come down here every once in a while?"
As Kirl spoke, Oax laid down next to Calabell and rested her head on the elf's lap.
Hesitantly petting the hyena for a couple seconds, Calabell responded to the question posed by the human. "No, my people rarely come down here. In fact, the mortal plane usually only serves as punishment for those who have wronged our own kind." She scowled, and spat out a curse in Clarion, her native tongue. "Curse them all..." she muttered.
Calabell wasn't sure she'd ever fully accept the circumstances of her exile. It had after all been one hundred fifty years since then. She still remembered being shoved through the portal that was constructed by the Elite Magi. A one way portal no less. "Either that or they just execute us for poor conduct. With the executed ones' heads mounted on pikes to serve as an example to the rest of us."
But that was just the way of her people. It had always been that way, just that Calabell had hoped never to be on the receiving end of it. Of course, things didn't turn out that way. While she was glad she wasn't executed like Grayden and most of the others had been, she sometimes wondered if maybe that would have been a better fate than being cast out. But the Aether elf supposed she would never know the answer to that. What was done was done. But she was still very peeved about the whole thing, and likely would be for a long time to come.
"I know I can't really judge, but from what little I know, you're people don't sound very nice," Kirl said. "Though I guess here isn't much better, but here you can at least get away. What I've learned in my short time here, is that there is always, always someone who will accept you."
She looked up at Calabell and smiled crookedly. "All you have to do is look."
Calabell said nothing, as her emotions were starting to take hold of her again. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she looked back at Kirl. "I wouldn't know since I've never taken the time to really speak to anyone. Except for you."
Silence passed before she spoke again. "I'm not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life now. Starting a family with one of my own kind is no longer an option for me, and there's no way I will ever subject myself to doing so with anyone else." By the Dream Lords, the very thought was just...unacceptable.
"Having a family is not the only course open to you, other than staying here," Kirl said. "You could wander, like I do, or settle down, make a living somewhere, and, who knows, you might come across some one you want to spend the rest of your life with. I've met many people who swore they would never be with another outside of their own kind, but then later broken their promise because they met just the right person."
As much as Calabell did not want to give the human that kind of credit, Kirl did have a point. At least about the first part. "The only way for me to settle down with anyone and have a family is if I met another Aether elf down here. But that seems highly unlikely. Although...not entirely impossible." she finished slowly, thinking.
And if the bright elf did meet another of her kind here, she would consider that a rare blessing.
Kirl shrugged. "You never know what might happen."
She sat down on the ground as well, playing with a piece of grass she pulled from the ground. "What do you plan to do now?" She asked. "Are you going to stay here?"
"I don't see what other choice I have." Calabell snorted in disdain. "It's not like I would move to a city full of humans or any other species. The solitude offered here is nice, I just have to keep ever alert for basilisks, bears and other creatures." Looking over at the still burning corpse of the dead basilisk, she scowled at it before turning back around.
"I suppose you'll be on your own way soon?"
"You could travel, like I do," Kirl said. "You can stay here if you want, but I don't want you to feel like you have to stay here. Just know you have other options."
Oax stood up and nuzzled calabell's face. "We will be going soon," Krl said in answer to the elf's question. Kirl stood and walked over to Calabell. "It really was good to meet you," she said. And it was the truth. Meeting the elf had been a good experience, and one the young woman would not forget for a very very long time.
Giving some thought to what she said, Calabell supposed it wouldn't hurt to venture out a little further than normal. The only problem was keeping intruders out of her cave. "Perhaps." she finally said.
She wasn't sure about her own feelings regarding this meeting, but for now Calabell chose not to concern herself with it. "Before you go, I don't suppose I could have my dagger back?"
Once they would leave, Calabell would return to her cave and try to get some more rest. After that, she would decide later on what to do afterward. She had no idea what kind of currency the people of these lands used, and Calabell herself didn't have much of the type that was used in her home plane as it were. Only a couple silver coins, but they were of definite Aetherian make. However she would cross that bridge if and when she came to it.
"Of course," Kirl said, handing Calabell her dagger. Oax nuzzled Calabell one more time and then walked over to stand next to Kirl.
"I wish you the best of luck, Calabell," Kirl smiled at the elf. "I really do."
She nodded to Calabell and then turned and walked away into the woods. The meeting with the elf had opened some very insightful thoughts in Kirl, and the young woman hoped that the elf would find happiness. Despite Calabell's, at first, ruthless actions, Kirl saw the elf as vulnerable, emotionally.
Kirl remembered when she had felt this way, but she had found her place in the world, and she hoped that Calabell would as well.
Taking the dagger back from Kirl, Calabell sheathed it at her side then. The elf did not say goodbye, only nodded solemnly in response. Watching as they walked away, she sighed and turned back to the entrance of her cave and went inside.
Settling down on the floor with the thin rug underneath her, the bright elf lay down and attempted to rest, still keeping one eye open for danger. Listening as well. The meeting with the human had certainly been different, as in she Calabell hadn't killed her and had actually talked with her as though Kirl were one of her own kindred. Strangeness aside, it was a bit of an eye-opener for the aether elf. Perhaps not all others were bad, however it was much too soon for Calabell to think any more beyond that initial thought. Right now, she needed rest. What little she was able to get, that is.
She soon drifted off into a light sleep, not too deep but deep enough for the time being. The embers from the fire had completely burned out, casting the cave in a thick blanket of darkness. The only sound was the elf's soft breathing as she slept, and a slight wind that blew into the cave.
((The End))