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 Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:44 pm
"Have ye' heard 'bout the villagers jus' over the mountains?" asked the towns blacksmith, Ahro. A light coating of dirt covered his black leather pants and dublet along with a few variously sized holes. He had a hard face that softened with a beard; it was a laugh among the town how his wife had liked his beard long but Ahro always had it shaved short due to it catching on fire while he was forging a sword once. His thinning black hair was pulled into a low ponytail as it always was when he was working.
Smithy Ahro's companion shook his head. With dark colored trousers and a richly colored green cape that identified him as a merchant, he responded, "I just returned from down river. Been busy with my sons making more jewelry to sell. Must've been planning a big festival 'cause they near bought out my carts."
The tavern was full with townsfolk and travelers alike with not enough seats for them all, still, Smithy Ahro leaned closer, barely talking above a whisper, "a caravan passed through town yesterday. Not more than fifteen of 'em. They only stopped for new shoes for the horses. Said they wanted t' get as far away from the last town as possible; half the town was up in flames, the other half was jus' gone. Couldn' find no trace of it but burned ground; they said it tasted of the blackest magic they ever felt."
Dressed in a noble dress of purple velvet with accents of black around the wrists, waist, and hem, Kelsi place two mugs on the table in front of the men. "Your ales, gentlemen."
"Lady McClaire," Merchant Maze exclaimed, "an honor to be in your presence."
"Indeed it is, Mi'Lady," Ahro agreed. "Surely ye've heard 'bout the town across the mountains?"
Kelsi McClaire was the most powerful witch known in the lands and owner of the Magyk Flagon; despite her name, with lavender eyes and waist length black hair, she was unmissable. If there were others with her family name, they were scattered across the seas in hidden locations. Although Kelsi mostly stayed to herself, she occasionally traveled into town and she knew every townsfolk by name and occupation. On nights such as this, with a full set of cooks, bartenders, and serving wenches and they were still stretched thing, Kelsi would serve ale and hot meals along side the wenches. "I can't say that I have, Smithy Ahro," she replied.
"They say black magic, Mi'Lady," Smithy Ahro raised a brow, taking a swig of ale.
"I'll be sure to keep an ear open," Kelsi replied. "If you will excuse me, Smithy Ahro, Merchant Maze, I've other tables to tend. Wave a hand if you wish for another ale or the cook is making her famous meat and potato pie if you'd be so interested."
"Thank you Mi'Lady," Smithy Ahro nodded his head.
On her way back into the kitchen, Kelsi grabbed one of the serving wenches by the arm and whispered, "listen closely for any talk of magic or fear amongst any of the townsfolk or nearby towns. Spread word to the other girls as well."
"Yes, Mi'Lady," the girl nodded.
Things such that Smithy Ahro was speaking were not usually tales of rumors or drunken fears. Until there was more than words, Kelsi had a tavern to tend to.
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Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:39 pm
“Thanks for stopping.” The young man said as he through the lute over his shoulder and onto his back.
“It’s no problem at all. I’m headed down the pass towards town anyway.” The man gave a humble smile showing a few missing teeth, not an uncommon thing, he had learned, for someone getting on in years out in the countryside. The man’s shirt and vest were stained with various spots and his salt and pepper hair was thinning and receding. But it was the kindness of these strangers he had gotten so far in his travels. The man thrust a heavily veined arm down from the cart to pull up the traveler.
Adam took hold of the man’s hand and hoisted himself up onto the seat of the little hay cart the man was driving. He steadied himself on the bench and kept hold of the man’s hand as he shook it, “Name’s Adam. Adam Nolan.”
“Jasper Alwyn.” The man greeted with another less than toothy grin, “You’re not from around here are ya Adam?”
“You can tell, huh?” The young man gave sheepish smile, “It’s my clothes isn’t it?”He ran a hand up along his side gesturing to his drab olive colored cloak and the steely blue tunic that resided just below the cloak’s surface.
Jasper gave a nod of his head, “That and the fact that you’re traveling these mountain roads by foot alone. There’s some unsavory characters out here. It’s not a wise move to go alone.”
“Yes, well, I have nothing of value they would really want, so, I figure I don’t have much to fear in the way of robbers. They’d be wasting their time trying to loot me.”
“If you say so boy. Speaking of lute. I see the one you’re toting around, Musician?” The man eyed the boy’s instrument as he started up the donkeys that were pulling the cart.
“More so, a bard, but yes, I suppose that’s make me a musician to. Although, I don’t think many simple musicians could compare to what I can do.”
“Oh,” The old man cocked an eyebrow the young bard’s way, “You’ve got a bit of an ego to ya. How ‘bout in exchange for the ride you show me what exactly makes you so great of a musician.”
In seconds the Lute was spun around to the front. Adam’s fingers on the strings and the bottom of the instrument resting on his lap as he held it up, “Certainly, sounds like a fair trade to me Jasper.” He strummed his fingers along the strings to check the tune and quickly fell into a simple rhythm.
“It’s decent there, Adam, but I don’t—“ The old man stopped mid-sentence and watched as the air around them seemed to come alive with the music, he knew the story the music told and no words were needed. Jasper’s old brown eyes searched the air to find his passenger’s face to see the boy’s eyes closed, head swaying slightly to the music. “You have the gift of magic.”
Adam let his finger continue to pick out the beat as he opened his eyes. The music continued but the magical feeling that had been enveloping them during the trip had mostly dissipated. Slight, subtle hints could just be made out here and there. “Just a little, in the last town I was in a woman told me I was an Enchanter.” He let out a small chuckle, “But, I think she was just being kind.”
Jasper looked somewhat humble as he steered the wagon down one of the little side paths, “That’s all well and good but what does a foreigner, an ‘Enchanter’ have business with, out here in the mountains?”
“Business?” The blonde man smirked and halted his fingers on the strings of the lute. “I have no business but to travel and play my music.” There was an awkward pause the only thing filling the silence was the creaking of the cart and the steady hoof beats of the donkeys in front of them, “Jasper, how long until we reach the next town?”
“We should be there in a few hours.” His old eyes searched the horizon for a moment, “We’ll get there before sunset for sure. Plenty of time for you to find an inn or somewhere to stay for the night.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:02 pm
Nearing the end of the night, the only relevant talk that the serving wenches reported were from a couple of stable hands. They spoke whispers of the small caravan looking for the blacksmith and then hurrying off curiously musing over reasons for their strange behavior but never coming to an agreement. The more ale they drank, the less sense they made and the wenches averted their attention elsewhere. By the 'morrow the tale would be spun and merchants would sell their trinkets at the highest price mothers were willing to pay to ward their children from the black magic. Bards would spin their words to make the song more dramatic and engaging. Bakers and butchers would close their shops early once the sun started to set below the horizon. All because of a few passing words. Still, Kelsi held no doubt those people had seen something. To pass through the mountains wasn't more than a few days ride. Far enough that Kelsi was reserved to form her own opinions, close enough that she would take extra cautions.
A low growl resonated through the open door in the kitchen were the serving wenches huddled together wondering what it could be. "Stop ye cowardin' and get back to rinsing them bowls. Ain't nothing but an animal out there. More 'an likley it's Mi'Lady's Zoey, out huntin'," Ona chided, tapping her worn wooden spoon over the side of the large cauldron. She always had on a pot of soup in case a straggler, as she called them, came in the middle of the night looking for a warm bed and small meal. There was a small room above the kitchen where she slept and kept a few personal items in exchange for being the chef at the tavern. Although her hair was near the color of snow, the chef still had a youthful appearance with bright blue eyes and a healthy set of bones. Often times the serving wenches spent more time serving than with their families and looked to her as a second mother.
A long howl sounded as though it emanated from the edge of the forest and Kelsi felt a chill in her bones. She had heard the serving girls talking and knew Ona was right, Zoey was out hunting however, that howl was a calling. Perhaps even a warning. Standing in the doorway, Kelsi put her fingers to her lips and whistled twice. Zoey's orange eyes glowed in the darkness, the only indication other than her size that she was part wolf. The rest of her black body came into view when she stepped into the pool of light given off by the torches. "Inside," Kelsi commanded, and Zoey padded into the tavern earning a few glances before settling down in front of the fire. Travelers were most wary when they first glanced upon the large dog, the townsfolk had known Zoey since she was a pup, but were quick to fall for her endearing looks and often relented when she begged for scraps. Behind her, Kelsi closed the door, pausing as she eyed the lock, and then shook her head returning behind the bar to pour herself a glass of water.
Few people still lingered in the tavern, most having returned to their room upstairs or to their homes. The bar maid was tidying up and the serving wenches were busy in the kitchen helping Ona prepare for the next day.
"Ye look troubled, Mi'Lady," Smithy Ahro commented.
"Not troubled," Kelsi replied, putting a piece of hair behind her ear, "cautioned. Like as not if there is someone using black magic, I rather not like the thought of trouble just a few days ride. Though unless there is more than just words and hearsay, I'm inclined to wait for the traders that will make their routes in no more than a few days."
"Understood, Mi'Lady," Smithy Ahro said, with a bow of his head.
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:06 pm
“Well, so much for making it before sunset.” Adam said rubbing the arm he had landed on. He was now walking the pass alone once more only now in the dark of night. There had been a slight mishap with the hay cart.
They had gotten only about an hour or into their trip before a very distraught man made his way down the pass. Hollering and screaming with tears streaming down his face. He looked confused and more than half crazed. He babbled nonsense and had spooked the burros that had been pulling the cart. Try as he might Jasper couldn’t stop the cart’s wild careening along the trail. The caught the sides of trees and rocks in the road jostling both men off the front bench and tumbling to the ground.
Adam had hit the ground hard on his left side while Jasper had struck a tree trunk head first and become unconscious. From there it had taken a bit of work to get everything back under control. The man who had caused the disruption disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared before and just as mysteriously. But there was no time to search for him. He tended first to his kind companion who had laid so still on the ground, he wondered if the blow he had suffered had in fact killed him. However, with some simple care and little magic old Jasper was soon awake and well.
They then set off in search of the cart, an hour long venture that had left them tired and hungry, but, successful. They had found the cart with both donkeys still in their harnesses, still spooked and the cart itself a little worse for wear. With the whole ordeal done the Donkeys as well as the man were far too tired to carry on anymore that night.
“I suppose we’ll make camp here tonight and I see if I find someone tomorrow to help with the cart.” The old man said as he rubbed the dry blood from the cut along his forehead.
“You sure camp is a good idea out here on the road?”
“Don’t have much choice, boy.”
“I guess that’s true.” Adam paused for a moment and started to compile a little group of kindling that could be used for a fire. “What do you think happened to that man back there? Does that kind of thing happen often out here?”
“Only as of recently.” Jasper said with a heavy sigh, “There’s rumors going around. People sayin that some kind of darkness has descended on the area. Stories of nearly whole villages just vanishing over night.”
“Do you believe any of that?” He raised a blonde brow at the old man as he awaited the answer.
Jasper just gave a shrug of his shoulders which caused him to grunt slightly with the effort, he still seemed to be sore from the crash. “Anything is possible I s’pose.”
“Guess that’s true.” The man mused and pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head to keep the chilling evening air off his skin, “I remember seeing a little Tavern not too far back along the pass.” He turned on his heel and pointed into the darkness, “I’ll stop by there and see if I can find someone to swing by and fix the wagon in the morning, or at least get you a ride back to your town.”
“You’re gonna go now? That’s at least a good 2 hour walk.” The old man looked out at the dark trail, “I think you should stay here for the night, we can head out together in the morning.”
Adam didn’t leave much case for an argument to be made, just shook his head with a small humble grin that was concealed by the dark shadows of his cloak. “No, let me return the favor. I’ll get someone out here to you first thing in the morning, it’s the least I can do. Until then stay safe Jasper.”
The older man gave a small sigh, he seemed to realize that there was no arguing with the young lad, “Alright, you be careful as well.”
“Will do Sir.” Adam gave a slight bow of his head before carrying off down the trail they had trekked earlier that day.
Now, he stood within the light of the lanterns that were hung just outside of the structure. It had taken like Jasper had suggested a good two hours to reach it and from where he was he could see where other little mountain passes met to lead to other small nearby villages that had passed along the way. “Magyk Flagon.” He read the sign by the lantern light before pushing open the door and taking a few steps inside, “Seems cozy enough.” The building was warm on the inside with a bit of a homey feeling that seemed to make the patrons so comfortable. At least what patrons there were left. It seemed most of the guests had left or retired for the night. Not that he could blame them, he no longer knew what the actual time of the night was. He pulled on the strap to the lute that was still intact and hanging on his back after the crash and headed over to a small group of still lingering patrons.
He gave a small nod of his head in greeting before speaking up, “Pardon me, I was wondering if any of you could possibly help me. It’s kind of an odd story but, a friend of mine had a mishap with his cart. It’s pretty beat up and he’s still out on the mountain pass. He’s content with camping for the night, but I was wondering if there’s someone nearby who’d be able to repair his cart or give him a lift back to his town.”
{{ooc: So, just kind of threw him into the little tavern group.}}
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:12 pm
"It's late, Mi'Lady, near first bell past midnight," Smithy Ahro wiped the remnants of the last of his ale on his sleeve, "would ye allow me to see ye safely back to ye're castle?"
Kelsi closed the leather bound pages of her ledger that she used to keep records of the coinage that the tavern generated and expenses paid. She closed the ink bottle and placed the quill and ink on top of the book and put the items under a false board built into the bar shelves. Kelsi found it of no matter should anyone know where it was since it was unable to be opened without knowing the right mumbled sequence of words. "That's quite alright, Smithy Ahro," Kelsi replied, "It's a restless night and I do believe I'll wait until dawn to return home."
"It'd be no trouble at all, Mi'Lady," Smithy Ahro insisted, "even should ye decide to leave before dawn. Jus' send a stable boy to fetch me from bed."
"Thank you, Smithy," Kelsi nodded, "however, I'm sure your wife would appreciate a warm bed to sleep in. There's a bit of a chill this night."
"G'night, Lady McClaire," Smithy Ahro said, exiting the tavern with a bow.
As she watched the door close gently behind him, Kelsi looked around and realized the smith was the last patron in the tavern who wasn't too shy to approach her. A few boys, no older than seventeen, sat around a small table in the corner rolling die and wagering a few copper pieces or the occasional trinket of jewelry probably swiped from a merchant’s cart. At the opposite end of the bar sat a burly man with curly black hair flowing from beneath a worn hat, nursing a whiskey. A traveler probably thinking of the home he left to make a few spare coins for his family. At another table sat an older woman, her face shadowed beneath a fine cloak covering her tattered clothes. She was silently spooning a bowl of stew into her toothless mouth. Kelsi recognized her as one of the elderly widows that Ona took pity on and gave leftovers that were cooked that day and would have fed to the horses otherwise.
One of the serving girls came from the kitchen carrying an assortment of meat too stubborn to leave the bone that it was attached to. Zoey's ears perked straight as the girl approached the step the dog was lazing on. Her tail wagged and brushed ash from the fire as the girl placed the bones in front of her nose. With a quick pat on the head, the girl retreated back into the kitchen and returned with a pitcher of water to refill the glasses that were near empty.
"I'll have a glass of mulled wine," Kelsi told the girl as she made her way around the room. With a hurried nod, the serving girl rushed through the door to the kitchen returning not more than half a minute later with the drink Kelsi requested. "Thank you." The cup was warm to her lips and smelled strongly of cinnamon. When the liquid reached her tongue the subtle taste of cloves and nutmeg lingered delicately. It seemed nothing would lift the chill she felt since she heard Zoey howl and return to the indoors.
Upon hearing the door swinging open, Ona bustled from the kitchen to greet the newest "straggler". Zoey momentarily lost interest in her bone and watched the newcomer with keen eyes. After a moment, Zoey went back to chewing on her bone although one ear was still pointed towards the door. "Awful late to be walkin' these roads alone ain't it, Mi’Lord? Not the most likely places to be campin' either,” Ona announced. “Are ye sure it was wise leavin' ye're friend?” After taking a sweeping look at the man, she said, “Nothin' to be done now though," waving him further inside the tavern. "Most of the townsfolk are asleep in their beds save for this lot an' the servin' wenches. I’ll get ye a bowl o’ stew."
The man at the end of the bar looked up from his empty glass and said gruffly, “these nights I’d not be staying outside with a group of men. Without a choice, I’d ride through the night ‘til light. Stranger tales have been heard with these ears through the last few towns. And from opposite ways of the mountains.” He turned to look at the man with ice blue eyes that were almost pale enough to be white. “Not from around these lands are you?”
“Surely jus’ tales from too much ale,” Ona said, almost with a hopeful tone, after seeing a few of the serving girls cluster together and whisper.
Kelsi stood and turned towards Ona and the man. Smithy Ahro’s words lingered in her mind as she stated, "I'll go. Wake the stable boy and have him ready three horses. The carpenter can assess the damages to the wagon in the morning and see if it can be fixed." Zoey dropped on ear and whined softly. To another serving girl she said not unkindly, "give the man a few biscuits, I'm sure it wasn't a short trip." The girl bid as she was told quickly also bringing a flagon of water.
"Mi'Lady," Ona said, "surely the lad an' his friend can wait 'til the morrow. It's near past two bells, not many dare travel under only the light o' the moon." The kitchen door opened and closed as one of the serving girls went to fetch the stable boy and bring the horses. "I know ye'll be fine but an old woman like m'self is prone to worry."
Kelsi unhooked her deep purple cloak from the wall and fastened it around her neck. "Blake would have never hesitated," she stated quietly. Especially not on such a night, Kelsi thought, peering out the window at the full moon. "The night is restless; best to make something of it."
"Lady McClaire," the serving girl called as she came through the kitchen, "the stable is ready with the horses, Mi'Lady. He's waitin' in front."
"Thank you," Kelsi replied, lifting her hood to shadow her face. The girl gave a curtsy and returned to stand by Ona to see her Lady off. Kelsi noticed the minute change in the way the girl stood, almost as if alert but unknowing as to what. In a way, Kelsi felt the same. She turned towards the man, taking in his entire appearance for the first time since his arrival. He was well kept and undoubtedly caught the gazes of many young ladies. "We'd best be off. The quicker the better I think."
[Perfect. smile ]
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:13 pm
“Didn’t give me much choice.” Adam said as he lowered the head of his cloak and took a few more steps closer to the counter, “He’d hit his head in the crash. He can walk about as straight path as one who has had been favoring a few pints.” He paused for a moment as he took in the reactions of the rest of the group that remained in the tavern. Perhaps he should have not left Jasper alone. He had chosen life as a bard. He had heard many stories in his travels and told them to the tune of his lute but, rarely did believe in such wives’ tales. ‘Such superstitious people in the mountains.’ He noted to himself.
He leaned against the wooden countertop glad finally for some reprieve from his night long journey. It looked like he’d found somewhere to at least get a decent meal and a drink. That was a good start. But, he wasn’t just going to leave poor old Jasper out there. Even if there was no one to help now, he’d gather some food and make the trip back to the old man’s camp tonight. The talk from the folks in the tavern had left him a little weary of these mountain roads at night. He’d make the trip back to camp and in the morning make the trip back to the tavern and see if there was anyone around then who could offer a helping hand.
He gave a shake of his as he waited catching the words from the man at the end of the counter, “’fraid not. Came ashore here about a fortnight ago. Seems I came unprepared. I didn’t know there was much too fear in these parts of the mountains.” Adam let out a small sigh and offered up a humble smile as Ona seemed to push aside the worries as nothing but faerie tales.
The bard was however surprised when another woman had spoken up and offered to go with him to help Jasper. With the way she commanded attention in the room he came to the conclusion that she must be the owner of the Tavern or the wife of the owner. The others in the room had addressed her as McClaire, he knew of no McClaires and didn’t quite care who she was. He was merely thankful for the offer to help. As the woman he recognized as ‘lady McClaire’ gave the orders to her fellows about the tavern Adam collected the biscuits and the water given to him, wasting no time to bite into one of the baked goods. He was going to need the energy if he was going to stay up for another trip.
Before he knew it the horses were ready and waiting for them out front. “Yes, good idea Miss.” He stuffed another one of the biscuits into his mouth and quickly washed it down with a guzzle of water before pulling his hood back up and following McClaire out the door to the horses. He pushed his foot into the stirrup and pulled himself up and onto the back of a dark chestnut mare to start their journey back to Jasper and his ruined hay cart. “It took me a good while to get here on foot. I’m not sure how long it’ll take on horseback.” He clicked with his tongue and gently pressed his heel into the mare’s side to take a slight lead, since he had the best idea of where they were going.
The young man glanced over his shoulder at his new travel companion but saw nothing but the shadow of the hood over his face, “I didn’t get the chance to thank you in the tavern. But I appreciate your kindness in helping me and my friend. It was McClaire wasn’t it?” He didn’t really wait for an answer, he was pretty sure that was what the woman in the tavern had called her so, he moved on, “Jasper told me. When we were riding through the pass about some weird stories he had heard…Something about towns and folks vanishing overnight. They’re just stories, right? Or does stuff of that kind happen often out here?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:44 pm
The young stable boy held a light brown colored horse, Fayil, and Kelsi's black stallion named Boots because of his white calves. When Kelsi approached, the stable boy handed Boot’s reins to her and stepped aside as gently swung her legs over her stallion and settled into the seat. The hem of her dress exposed a pair of black leather boots which extended above mid calf. The stable boy handed Kelsi her black and white riding glove from the boy, which her hands easily slid into, and then took Fayil’s reins. Each of the horses were equipped with small saddle bags containing an assortment of essential supplies needed for wounds and basic tools that were useful along the trails.
"Safe travels, Mi'Lady," the stable boy said, "I'll be awaiting your return."
Kelsi smiled at the boy and turned the horses to face towards the woods. "Keep close by and make sure Zoey stays indoors." Giving Boots a tap with her heels, the horse trotted alongside the man and Fayil trotted alongside Boots.
"You're welcome," Kelsi replied, keeping her eyes ahead. Given the full moon above, lanterns weren't needed to guide them; Kelsi would have opted to keep under the cover of the darkness to help keep away unwanted bandits or animals were it a new moon. "That's Hayzly," she introduced the horse, "she's a strong rider and carried men three times your weight; best to make good use of their strength and speed."
When he addressed her without "Lady", Kelsi refrained from chiding him. She wasn't born into nobility and had never truly gotten used to people calling her "Mi'Lady" or "Lady McClaire". Kelsi hadn’t even known that her husband, or his sister and her best friend, were Nobles until after they had gotten engaged. While the two siblings were both out-going and friendly, Keelin preferred to live a simpler life out of the public eye enjoying a few riches when it suited her. Her husband, on the other hand, preferred all the lavish luxuries being a noble offered and was very well liked by the people and enjoyed being amongst them. It always made Kelsi smile to know how different she was from both of them, and yet, they're lives together had been perfect. Now she was the last known McClaire, having been given the McClaire bloodline gifts rather than been born with them. Regardless, being a simple anonymous face to this man brought her a short respite from the life she couldn't renounce.
Kelsi turned her head slightly, the moonlight accentuating her lavender eyes in contrast to the shadows cast by her hood. I've not heard about or seen towns being burned and ruined since the existence of the Irish Clan, Kelsi thought to herself, if there is any truth to the tales, who, or what, has the abilities to do such a deed? I had hoped the days of extensive magic use and warring were passed... "You're the second person I've heard speak of towns disappearing in such a way. The first was someone who heard about a town, or lack thereof, from a small passing caravan. I have no knowledge of whether it's true or a tale spun to scare potential trade rivals. Though occurrences of magic have been known to happen from time to time." Kelsi was certain he was aware of magic as she could feel a soft humming radiating from his body. It was almost as if there was a humming bird without the hum although she'd never encountered anything of the like. "Forgive me for asking however, I wonder what you title yourself."
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:02 pm
“Second Person?” Adam repeated quietly and raised an eyebrow slightly. Surely, whole town disappearing couldn’t be true. But, she had that it wasn’t uncommon for magic to pass through these hills. Magic, he leaned back in the saddle as he pondered this word. He wondered what type of magic this land possessed. He’d come across many different types and styles in his journey from Shaman, necromancy, and elemental. Even his land his variation of magic was seen as somewhat odd. He wondered how the people of this land used magic. He’d seen very little in the small valley towns he had passed through, so perhaps there was more to be found here in the hills of this land.
The woman’s question snapped him back out of his thoughts and pondering of magic. He grinned under the shadow of his hood, he’d forgotten to introduce himself. He’d just barged into the tavern in the dead of night asking for help and now that he’d received some he still hadn’t given the kind stranger his name. As for title, back in his kingdom he had many. First and foremost he was the son of a Duke and the title was his birthright. Those who supported his taken of the throne had called him prince, lord, majesty, and king. Those inside his family’s estate who knew of his powers called him mage, sorcerer, wizard, but none of these titles ever seemed to fit for him. “I’m just..” he hesitated only for a moment as he glanced over his shoulder, “a simple bard Miss. My name is Adam Nolan.” He felt as though the introduction should be accompanied with a hand shake but with both of them currently on horseback he figured the handshake would have to wait. He turned back around and gripped the reins once more with both hands. “I’m sorry, I should have introduce myself earlier. I guess I was just tired and my manners were forgotten somewhat.”
As they rode on he kept an eye out for familiar looking trail markers he’d seen on his travel back down the pass. But he just couldn’t get pass the thought of magic and the weird tales that seemed to be floating around the place, “So, magic can sometimes be common place around these parts? What kind of magic is it exactly, that you usually see out here?”
{{sorry, for the short post. Also I'm gonna be gone this weekend for a camping trip. Just as a heads up.}}
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:31 pm
"It's nothing to worry over," Kelsi said, dismissing his lack of formal introduction, "I'm sure it was a hard trip by foot after the mishap with your friend's cart."
The hesitation before his answer, albeit only present for a fraction of a second, was not lost upon Kelsi's ears. She had no doubt of his title as a bard however, simple was more than likely far from accurate. Kelsi was still mindful of the soundless humming when she focused her attention towards him. Regardless, she was more curious than cautioned. There were far more dangerous things lurking than a simple man even if the rumors weren't to be held true. "On another night, I'd be interested in having you weave a song. The Flagon fills passed full most nights and the townsfolk enjoy a talented bard on the stage." Kelsi also knew that the young ladies of the town would fawn over Adam's looks; he was younger than a handful of the bards that frequent her tavern although none lacked in their ability to engage a crowd with their tales and music.
Kelsi tilted her head slightly to the side, bemused. What types of magic were prevalent in these lands? Had he come across clusters of towns in other lands who shared a common magic trait and therefore settled within a close distance of each other? In the lands where she had grown up as a child, they had Shamans and Priestesses so Kelsi hadn't known much about magic until she had met Keelin, when they were nearing the end of their days as girls. When she met her husband, he showed her even more things magical than Keelin. Neither Keelin nor her husband ever mentioned clusters of people or towns who specifically shared a common magical trait. Rather, they talked of the times when magic users flourished in these lands and lived harmoniously with nature and people alike. "Well, there were witches, warlocks and magicians, and those who specialized in potions, charms, healing, singing, things of the sort," she replied. "That was before the clan war started centuries ago though and only ended within the last few years. I've heard travelers speak of hedge witches and charmers as of late. Of what sorts of magic have you encountered in your travels that you would ask?"
Ahead, a large tree lay fallen across the path. Boots needed no motivating to break into a run, leading Fayil, and leaping effortlessly as the two horses quickly approached what they must have thought of as a giant hurdle. Mid-jump, a flash of light caught Kelsi's eye near her stirrup and she noticed that her skirts had risen briefly exposing the gem encrusted hilt of her dagger before they landed. She looped the reins over the saddle horn and adjusted her dress so that it nearly fell as it should took a quick glance around to see if there were signs of any other debris. There hadn't been a storm recently. Kelsi briefly wondered what had caused such a sturdy looking tree to break. Perhaps the inside had rotted and the weight was simply too much for it to bear. "You're friend must be close by now," she commented. Her best guess was that they had been riding little over half a bell.
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