The Fight for Valeroma IC

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Vivian blinked at the sarcasm dripping off of Nym's voice; it had jerked her back for a second. She had lost control of her fiery temper again... She sighed as she ran her hand through her silky and shiny, silvery hair. It had been a long, emotional, energy driven day, and she was nearing her breaking point. Never in her hundreds of years of life had she felt as tired as she did right now...the weight of what they were chosen to do laid heavily upon her shoulders and all she did to the members of this little group was criticize them. Maybe I should apologize. But surely, surely they realize how hard it has been for me? Surely they understand that I just can't be the nice person right now. Her thoughts spun in circles, she had always struggled with pride, it was a trait most elves shared in varying degrees.

She brought her attention back to Nym, who was talking to Valaina at the moment. "Well, I for one would appre-" Viv was cut off by the crashing sound coming from behind her. She whirled around just in time to see Tysin crash through the front door. At Emma's startled scream emanating from the house, Viv walked inside to see Tysin lying flat on his back with his chest heaving. A genuine laugh escaped her lips for the first time in weeks. Once she started, however, she couldn't stop and fell into an intense fit of laughter. The day had definitely taken it's toll, and she was utterly unprepared for Tysin's explosive bursting into the house. "Are...you.....okay?" Viv managed to choke out between the gasps of breath between the fit of laughter. Emma glared at Vivian was normally controlled, and respectable. Elora just took one look at the gargantuan of an elf on her living room floor and turned to the kitchen. Filling a wooden bowl with a generous portion of the stew boiling on the stove, Elora went and knelt by the large elf on her floor. "It's not everyday a stranger as large as you comes barreling through that door and collapses." She said, a smile hidden in her voice. Giving Tysin a hand up, she offered the stranger the bowl.

Vivian, having finally managed to control the fits of laughter, walked over to Elora and draped her arm over her mothers shoulders. "This is Tysin. Tysin, this is my mother, Elora." A wicked grin escaped Vivian's face as she turned her head towards her mother and whispered loud enough for Tysin to hear "He's not normally this energetic, I don't know what came over him." She kept her voice light, letting Tysin know that she was only teasing. She was determined to maintain a light heart in her own home, even with guests who've only seen her very serious, critical side.

Just then, her stomach growled very audibly, she went over to the door already swung wide open and ushered the rest of the group inside after they had finished talking with their not-so-helpful guide, leaving the door open for when Nik finally decided to shift and join them; she knew he had to be just as hungry as she. Luckily, her mother had made enough food to fill all of them. She was used to feeding two dragon shifters...which meant she was probably expecting Raul to be home by tonight...her heart skipped a beat at the thought that she'd have to tell them soon, but she pushed it away for now. She would tell them later.

She introduced the group to her mother, and reintroduced Emma, as they came through the front door. "This is Kolmar, Valaina, you've already met Tysin, Nik and Colleen are taking care of a few things, but will be here shortly. Guys, this is Elora, and this is Emma." She said, as she turned to set the table. Everything was as she remembered. After the introductions, she set about helping to finish the meal. Chatting amiably with her mother while the others mingled.

Emma, recovered from the fright Tysin had given her, looked around the group. She eyed the large dwarf her sister had named Kolmar. She tried her best not to stare, but her eyes kept coming back to rest upon the rather large dwarf. Suddenly, her eyes caught his. A scarlet blush rose to her cheeks, and she looked away, embarrassed to have been caught. She couldn't help it, she had never seen a dwarf before. Were they always that tall? Weren't they supposed to be short? Her thoughts went in circles as she looked around at the other members of the group.

An hour later, Vivian pulled eight settings down, placed to food on the center of the table, and gave herself a generous portion of her favorite stew. She talked with Emma, seeing what she's been up to. She hadn't shifted yet, which probably meant she wasn't going to. But she was fine with that, she was learning magic from their mother. Viv smiled at the energy of her younger sister. She looked up, and met Kolmar's eyes across the table briefly. Her eyes twinkled somewhat, smiling when she didn't want to. "So Kolmar, where are you from?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light.

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[Lady Alainn]

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Kolmar could feel the corners of his mouth sinking downwards with each passing, tension-filled moment. How could Vivian expect any of them to listen to her when she kept villainizing the one link to what was going on in the world? He was ready and willing to admit their "guide" a bit scatter-brained, somewhat childish, and even at times utterly ridiculous, but never would he breathe it within her hearing. As long as the spirit lass held the vital clues to ending this threat, he would allow her those whims and inconsistencies. What could he do about her temperament anyway? Nothing, except to provoke her. And if Kolmar, son of Ranthar, Lord among the Longlegs could do naught, what chance had anyone else?

CRASH!

The dwarf jerked from his musings just in time to catch the last of a flailing Tysin foot disappearing over the threshold. His brows rose in surprise with a darting look to Vivian before following her into the house. Tysin lay panting in the middle of the floor, much to the enjoyment of the ladies. That darned elf. He wouldn't put it past him to have pulled that stunt on purpose. Kolmar grunted and shook his mane, refusing to give in this time to the elf's antics. Though, Vivian's laughter was good to hear as it smoothed over the remaining tension from her confrontation with the spirit lass. It warmed him with its bright intensity. He found himself smiling after all, but in response to the relaxed features of the maiden instead of any tomfoolery on the part of the monk.

---

"So, Kolmar, where are you from?"

Kolmar looked up from his half-empty bowl to find Vivian's eyes upon him. They'd lost their aggressive coldness which had sharpened them throughout most of the day and gained something of a glimmer within their blue-grey depths. A glimmer of what, though? Appreciation? Mere curiosity? A more pointed interest? She had singled him out first, which showed only a mild partiality. Perhaps she was certain he was the only one who wouldn't turn such a question into drama. Perhaps it was merely to assuage the curiosity of the smaller pair of elven eyes regarding him most acutely. But whatever the reason, Vivian had asked him a question and he, Kolmar, should answer. He swallowed his mouthful and set his spoon down before obliging her.

[Actually, if anyone knows anything about dwarves, this action was quite significant as it proved his superior manners to most of his fellow kinsmen. Just as they stuffed food and objects in each others' beards without so much as a second thought, they also smacked and chewed their way through meal-times with only a bother to wash down the remnants with ale before resuming conversation. Kolmar even knew the proper way to use a napkin and often chose the cloth over the sleeve of his tunic or, even worse, his beard.]

"Iselthir," he replied. Knowing that name would mean little to most of those seated around the table, he continued with an explanation for the benefit of all, though his attention kept straying to the silver-haired maiden with the sparkling eyes. "It is the main city of the Longleg clan in the midst of the Warring Mountains, full of expansive halls, superior forges, and underground waterfalls. Crystals imbued with the power of sunlight suspend from the vaulted ceilings and bring its warm rays into the coldest of depths. It truly is a sight to behold." He paused, only to look Vivian more fully in the eye before turning to address her younger sister with a broad smile.

"Perhaps after supper we can spread out a map and I will point it out to you, hm?"

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[Kelairn]

Niklaus

Nik snorted as Tysin stumbled his way into the house. The action, amusing as it was to watch, reminded him of himself, tripping and stumbling around on two legs. It had never really bothered him to be the source of others laughter, but it felt good to bring lightheartedness. He snorted again. When had he become so dreary as to worry what he looked like to others? Tysin must have been rubbing off on him as much as he, seemingly, was rubbing off on the elf. A sense of resolve crept in that he would have to do better, before the absurdity of it all washed over him. Resolve to be more optimistic? The idea was almost laughable. Instead, Nik merely resolved not to resolve. Far better was the free air, carefree life, and easygoing smile.

Laughing, Nik stood to join the others, only then realizing that he had already shifted, and stood on but two feet. Following a quick survey of the ground (it wouldn't do to repeat Tysin's grand performance, after all) he strolled casually towards the house but, noticing Colleen off by herself, he diverted his course to join her at the hitching post where she tended to the horses. He didn't know two bits about caring for horses, but since everyone else had abandoned her to the task, he might as well try to help. She was probably as hungry as the rest of them, and it wouldn't do to leave her all alone.

"Any way I can be useful?" he asked.

 

[Warenai hana]

Valaina hadn't planned on keeping the scroll, in her mind it was just a temporary thing, just keeping it safe until Nym returned for it. However when she went to return it Nym stared at it rather blankly. 'So, this scroll is just some worthless parchment that Nym gave me on a whim? Something given and forgotten…' Valaina sighed and stared at the scroll in her hand. 'Of course I wouldn't be given something important, everyone else in the group could protect it much better than I could ev-' Valaina was caught off guard as Nym leaned down and sniffed the scroll before finally seeming to recognize what she had been offered. "No, no, no. You keep it. Or one of you if you don't want it anymore. It's how I know where to keep track of you all when I have to leave." Valaina's eyes widened even bigger than Nyms when she finally understood what an important task she had been given. "Oh, no! That's alright. I just didn't know why I had it. I thought you wanted me to hold onto it since you seemed to be in a hurry to leave so I thought now that you were returning... Sorry, no, it was my misund-" *Thud* Valaina jumped as Tysin came barreling past her, knocking into the half opened door and then cringed at the sound of an even louder crash as he tumbled to a stop on the living room floor. She was lost for words. She stared at the open door, frozen in place, as she tried to understand what had just happened. The graceful elven monk just came tumbling down a hill?...

Vivians laughter cured Valaina from her stupor and even she couldn't help but let a smile form as a giggle escape her lips. She was torn between being worried for Tysins wellbeing and bursts of laughter similar to that of Vivians. Valaina peeked around the corner as Vivian walked over and asked Tysin if he was alright, which he was, at least for now, Valaina turned back to Nym. She could look over Tysin after he had his fill of stew. "If you trust me with it, I can hold onto it." She said confidently before slipping in a quiet, "If that's alright."

---

After _[time]_ Valaina found herself sitting at Vivian's dinner table with a large (at least compared to her normal dinner) helping of stew in front of her. Despite being hungry from the long journey and the mouthwatering smell coming from the bowl in front of her she still found herself staring at Vivian's mother and sister. Up until yesterday she had not met a single elf, and now she was surrounded by quite a few of them. Her curiosity had taken over and even her manors were starting to slip. After all, no mater what anyone said, staring was rude. She handled stared for long, as soon as Vivian's Mother caught her eye Valaina dropped her gaze to the bowl before her and started to eat.[/COLOR][/time]

 

[Lady Alainn]

Of course Nym was perfectly happy to let the-female-elf-standing-in front-of-her keep the scroll in her possession. Especially since the-female-elf-standing-in front-of-her seemed to have a pretty good memory. Unlike Nym. It wasn't that Nym had a particularly bad memory but rather absolutely no short-term memory at all. The fox-girl-spirit supposed it was a good thing the-female-elf-standing-in front-of-her kept the scroll in her saddlebag when she travelled or she would eventually forget this very important, oh so vital mission was real and not just some crazy ghostie dream she sometimes got when snoozing too closely to The Prophetic Pool. It was very difficult to forget constant bumps and bruising!

"It's all right! All right! Definitely all right!" Nym concluded with insistent head-bobbing. The delicious, savoury aroma of stew wafted through the open doorway and curled teasingly into her nostrils. Her mouth watered. Oooooh, how yummy a bite of stew would be! She hadn't eaten in ages. Months. Years. Gosh, how long had it been? Her stomach growled. Or, it would have growled if her stomach still acted like a stomach should. That was the problem with being a ghostie now. Her senses were as sharp as ever yet she couldn't do anything about it!

Vinvinny's voice rose above the clatters from inside the home as she listed off all the names of the people in her travelling group in an introduction. Nym's ears perked up. Names! Kolmar, Valaina, Tysin, Nik, and Colleen. Kolmar the... dwarf? Yes, dwarf. Valaina must be the elf she was just talking to. Tysin was the monk and then there were Nik and Colleen. Kolmar, Valaina, Tysin, Nik, Colleen, Vindinian. Gosh, now if she could only just remember them all! The guide was so excited in this new discovery she completely overlooked the fact that Vinvin had overlooked her.

Not that it would have mattered much. Ghosties couldn't enter houses without permission anyway. [That was a rule, right?] And even if Nym did get asked inside, it would be torture sitting/standing/lounging there and watching them eat.

It was much better staying outside where she could press her nose up against the window and sigh wistfully to herself alllll niiiight loooong.

 

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Reserved for a Viv post