The Broken and the Moon

[Esthalia]

ElleLunia​

​

The wind rustled the deep green leaves as is passed through the branches of the giant oaks. The moons purplish glow cast across the ground, transforming simple shadows into unending voids. Small animals skittered around on the forest floor, taking shelter from the upcoming storm. The air was thick as large droplets of rain plummeted from the charcoal sky, hitting the leaves with such a force that tore them from their branches.

Ellelunia could see the entrance to the cave from twenty feet back, knowing the camouflaged entrance by heart. Even if her lantern hadn't been out illuminating the small area in front of the cave mouth, she would have found her way.

Her boot heels snapped the fallen twigs as she walked briskly over the ground. The rain soaked through her within seconds, leaving her long black hair plastered to her perfectly shaped face. The long woolen cloak that kept her skin dry sucked in rain water, adding to the weight of the pack held tightly to her body by thick leather straps hugging her shoulders. After reaching the entrance, Ellelunia lifted a thick layer of vines and moss; entering the darkness of her make-shift home.

Standing in the silence of the cave, her slender fingers drew around the name of the heavy cloak; pulling it from her pale skin. The white surface of her body seemed to glitter in the ambient light entering the cracks of the dense vines covering the entrance. She wiped some water from her black, tight fitting armor, keeping her eyes locked in on the darkness.


Ellelunia took a couple steps towards the deepest part of the cave and clicked her tongue, feeling her long pointed ears twitch with the identification of slight sound within her home. The woman lowered herself to her knee, dead branches cracking under her weight. From deep within the cave a soft rumbling echoed off the walls.

She stood slowly, her lithe body shifting positions so she was baring most of her weight on one leg, ready to spring into action if need be. The low rumbling continues and she rolled her eyes; dropping her defensive stance. Ellelunia groaned with impatience and tapped her foot on the moist cave floor.

"who's there?" Her voice was stern. She reached her hands out, running her fingers along the dimpled cave walls. The rumbling faded slowly and the clicking of talons on rock replaced it; growing louder.

Her eyes had begun to slowly adjust to the darkness, allowing her to see dim shapes. Noticing the glowing eyes of a dangling bat or two.

"Of course" She sighed, walking more confidently towards the back and swatting at them to leave. that's what happened when you lived in caves.

 

[Spammy]

Trevor let out a long sigh of annoyance as the rain started falling. His torch started to sputter and dimmed, but just remained alight. But of course that wasn't the extent of his problems. His cloak was doing an admirable job of keeping the rain off of him for now, but he could tell even now that by the time he got back into Darkscale he would be soaked through to the bone. He was glad about one thing though, that he'd decided against wearing his armor when he went to visit all the outlanders and living around the village. He'd be inconvenienced now but he would be absolutely miserable with the armor.

The rain was no reason to give up though, not when there was only one person left to inform. The elf in the cave. He hadn't heard too much about her, but when people had mentioned her they'd exchanged the knowing kind of looks that said much more than words would. He didn't care though. And he also didn't care that she probably wasn't going to listen to him. The kind of person who was already living outside of the village was the kind who probably wouldn't come into the village for safety until it was too late.

For a moment he felt like he wasn't going to find this cave, not with the rain and forest. That he would have to come back during the day and try again. But then he finally saw a glimmer of light that wasn't from the moon or his torch. And not a moment too soon either, with the way the rain was assaulting him.

He hurried over to the hanging lantern, but then he had to find the cave. He stood at the cave moth, loosely running his hand over the rocks and vines, stopping to push his dark hair out of his face when the rain tried to plaster it to his face. Finally he found the disguised entrance and stepped inside, shaking the water out of his face and cloak, eventually pulling the garment off and draping it on a small outcrop to drip while he did his business here. The cave was dark, but he really doubted that there would be multiple caves with lanterns left hanging in front of them. "Hello?" He called out into the darkness, his voice echoing off the walls. "Is there anybody here?"

 

[Esthalia]

Ellelunia twisted her body on the nimble balance of one heel, swiveling to face towards the entrance of her make-shift home. There was a large shadow from where she had just come, making her wonder if she had been followed.

"Who goes?" She spoke confidently as she lowered her body closer to the pitted floor, not wanting to give away her position in case this was not a visit of the normal, lecherous nature.

"I'm not interested in working tonight. You should go" She was stern in her response, reaching out to grasp a rock in her palm just in case this shade didn't understand her demand.

 

[Spammy]

"I'm not interested in working tonight." That was not the series of words he had thought he would hear. His face furrowed in confusion while he held up both hands in a peaceful gesture, though he stood his ground.

"I am not interested in making you work tonight," He said as he looked ahead into the darkness of the cave, trying to piece out where she was based on her voice. It was an instinct, from years of training. It was hard not to when confronted with what could be a threat in the dark. She certainly sounded serious enough to try something. "My name is Trevor. All I'm here to do is deliver a message. I promise that I do not mean you any harm or ill will." He held his torch further forward so that he was more illuminated, although the light didn't reach much further into the cave. "Can we see each other as we speak, or would you rather we stay hidden?"

 

[Esthalia]

"All I'm here to do is deliver a message" Ellelunia knit together her brows in concern as she took a cautious step back; this was strange. With nimble fingers, she reached up touch the dimples in the cave ceiling, creating scattering sound as bits of dirt and rock fell around her.

"One mustn't see in order to speak. Say what you came to say and depart, before the storm takes a turn for the worse" The woman turned her back to him as she spoke, lifting her thick black hair over her shoulder to idly run the strands through her fingers as a way of occupying herself. She expected the words to come from him to be of a scolding nature, like some of the other villagers who had sought her out. Wives and mothers, angered with their husbands and sons for their choice of passtime.

The money was good and the act was nonsense; why wouldn't she keep doing it? Her arms crossed defensively over her bosom, rubbing the chill out of her arms while she wished for a fire.

"Come now, spit it out, before I kick you out into the rain."

 

[Spammy]

The hostility was not something that he was unused to, unfortunately. Trevor took a deep breath, willing the emotion to pass over and through him, and then started to say his piece. "My name is Trevor and I am from the Order of the Silver Hammer. I've come to this village because there are some who are concerned that the level of monster activity in this region is increasing, and they want someone to help. Well, I'm here now.

"I've been travelling today and going around to all of the outliers who live outside the village walls warning them of the danger and suggesting that they temporarily move inside the walls until it passes, or at least be prepared to." Trevor kept his tone level as he spoke, resting one hand on his hip as he still held the torch with the other. Even if she was going to be hostile, he was going to show as little as he could in response.

"Although I would suggest that you wait until the rain passes if you're wanted to head into the village now," He said, his tone lightening somewhat.