Assa'cam Lantaraana - Meditations by Moonlight

[Assa’cam Lantaraana]

(Hello all, this be a bit after the fact I imagine... have been well, uh, hard to explain but haven't been around since approval, now I am, there easy enough . *Winks at Elohanna* Now then, after getting filled in by my friend she tells me this is where bios go so here I put it. A thank you goes to Elohanna for usage of her character with permission. No other notes really, I assume from seeing other bios no comments allowed, if you really wanna give positive/negative comments feel free with a PM. I like to improve my writing when I can.)

Full Name: Assa'cam Lantaraana
Age: 131
Class: Monk
Race: Elven
Subrace: Moon Elf
Alignment: Lawful Good
Deity: None now; Folian S'pae followed in accordance with father during younger years, now long since abandoned.
Domains: N/A
Languages spoken: Initially common elven, during studies learned Sylvan out of innate curiosity and want to be able to communicate more. In later years, learned common tongue out of necessity with Key’ran.

Physical description:
Assa stands tall at around five feet one inch, roughly weighing in at 120 pounds, perhaps less. The elf has a rather oval shaped face, long like most of his kind height wise. His eyes are a deep dark blue, with just a hint of paler sky blue mixed in. His eyebrows sternly fixed just above his eyes, long and silken almost meeting above his nose and trailing downwards at the edge of his forehead. His nose, being slender, curved and small, finds it place rather closely pinned by both of his eyes. His mouth is positioned and proportional to the lower part of his face, somewhat lower to his chin than most. His long jet black elven hair usually flows behind his head, falling down to at least his shoulders; revealing a high forehead, some might mistake for a receding hairline.

Through his rather adamant devotion to his own personal training as a monk, he has developed both his mind and body. His natural elven dexterity has only improved further under such exercise enabling to move very gracefully and quickly about in combat. His limbs have become highly toned, though not terribly muscular as he has never relied upon strength to inflict damage or undertake tasks. Both his hands and feet have become somewhat calloused and rougher when compared with the typical elf, through his own rigorous self-imposed exercise regime. Of note is that Assa has always found his body to be a bit more susceptible to damage than most, both to physical and other means of ailments. Only through his training as a monk has he been able to overcome such shortcomings moderately, he still feels he has a ways to go.

Assa’cam is usually dressed in simple wear, not favouring anything fanciful. This usually consists of nothing more than a pair of pants and a shirt, he prefers brown, a neutral color with ties to nature that he favours for his meditation. Most times he is seen wearing as simple footwear as he can find, usually sandals or simple shoes. Though, it is certainly not uncommon to see him barefoot in exercise, combat and sometimes even in cities.

Personality:
   Assa has always been an elf that differed from his peers, always feeling somehow while he was one of them that he did not truly belong with them forever. He is somewhat reserved, not always wishing to interfere in matters that are not of his concern. However, he is aptly behaved like his first name implies, “open hand”. He has always offered aid to others when it was a reasonable request that he could assist with. Apart from his helpful nature, he mostly keeps to himself. He does not pay tribute to any deity of note, even if he was raised to follow his families… he finds his own inner strength now and believes that, though the gods set him upon the ground, it is he that will walk his own path. He does not speak much at all of religion; it is not a preferred subject.

   As a monk through the years he has spent with Key’ran he had developed a bit a sense of wariness about populace at large, however remains somewhat optimistic and trusting with regard to people. In any event, he devoted most of his time to learning of the peoples and places of the land rather than studying ancient texts and such. As a result of his upbringing, he is knowledgeable in both Elven tongues and the common tongue spoken amongst most of the lands; the former learned from his family and beginnings in life and studies; the latter taught to him after many years of study to become a monk under his tutor. Last thing of note about Assa is that he certainly is no owner of the silver tongue, never even having been able to deceive his parents into giving him an extra coin or two… though, it is an ability he has never truly required.

Biography:

Every story has a beginning… and eventually all come to an end. A curious question is why do we concern ourselves so greatly with these two points in time, like the two anchors of an indeterminate length of string… They are nothing more than references for all other events to transpire within, for the truth is that all events of note are contained by them.

A man once said… “The past holds nothing but trivial answers and the future irresolvable questions.” Of course, he is but one man… and there are many who have never heard his words. Thus I imagine that I shall have to explain all, so that you may come to understand.

This story finds its roots in the vast city that is known as Saida. I say known, but perhaps I was too quick to use that word. Many know its name, few if any of those know Saida. Of course, they would tell you otherwise, but is that not what every man who claims to be wise does when confronted with the simple fact of his own foolishness? In any case, it matters not… the city is in fact difficult to know, even to those who live there.

Every person has their own opinion. To some, it is a place of refuge… where learning and studies can be undertaken without interruption, where knowledge gained can be archived and stored for another time. To others, it is a final refuge for nature… one of the last cities attempting to retain its ties to nature, certainly when compared to the rather brash and crude artificial cities that your every day human or dwarf might call beautiful. Much as I said, all have their own opinions… even I.

I suppose you may ask now, what do I think of Saida… a perfectly predictable and expected question… of course, not all questions receive answers. No, indeed some have no answers, and thus eternally they remain within our minds. I digress however, a bad habit some might say… let it suffice to know that neither my opinion of Saida nor my identity are of any consequence. The simple and clear explanation for that, is that I am not of any concern within this story.

Now, lets return to the topic at hand… Saida. The place is located in the southern edge of the continent of Voltrex. The city finds itself bordered on the left by the vast sea, and on the right and upper parts by the boundless forest. Spotted along the coastal ground is a sporadic assortment of wooden docks, bound together over years of time, some only 10 feet, others over a hundred with many branches. The wood seemingly over time has acquired an almost greenish hue shining through and covering most of the light wood. A low mist can be seen from the shore, seemingly it stretches on endlessly, low lying and dense, one can only imagine how those unprepared and unwelcome would fare…

Further in from the sandy beaches can be found the city, which is our interest. The would begins only 10 feet from the docks, huge mighty trees towering over even the boats that bob tied down. The dense vegetation mostly composed of trees can be seen covering all of the land as far as can be seen. All sorts of them can be seen, some small saplings taking root in the great shadows of massive ancient giants of a time gone by, small shrubbery sporadically growing in spaces where some trees have long passed, and many other such examples. All of the towering trees combine almost as a protective mother to shield the sun from all below, forming a dense canopy with only small holes of light to provide necessary illumination (though, not truly all that necessary to the elves).

Many houses come in all sorts of shapes and forms. Some find their familial lodging within the hollowed ancient trunks of trees, others find themselves disposed to construct their own abode from dead trees and other such natural materials. The majority however, adopt traditional homes, crafting small lodgings in the massive trees branches, sheltered by the trees themselves and high above the ground from sight, they seem most fitting for the elven folk.

Most imposing of all however, is the citadel. Buried in the center of the city is what can only be described as a wonder of elven construction. A massive castle, constructed from stone and wood, and built about the largest of all trees in the surrounding land. Many parts of the castle structure seamlessly tie into the towering oak. Shielded around by high walls and manned ramparts it is quite imposing a sight when viewed from a distance.

Our story though does not unfold within this important castle, but rather further away, a good distance from the city’s core. Young Assa’cam is the name of this stories focus. A note for those not of elvish decent or who have no knowledge of elven, the closest translation for his name is “open hand”. He comes from the house of Lantaraana, not the most prominent name of the city, but certainly above the common trade folk. The small family abode is tree house settled upon the crossing branches of two massive trees, towering over the ground roughly 80 feet high above the path below (as a side note, the path leads through an assembly of homes to the cities inner limits). A small net of wood frames the bottom of the home, interwoven with the branches to form a strong sturdy mesh for the home to be set upon. The main body of the home is set upon the left most tree, the body of it a composite of bark, leaves and dead wood hewn to shape. Oddly enough, it all seems to fit together naturally, flowing even with the tree itself. Some might even venture as to say it was a natural growth.

The home has been the house for Lantaraana for many a year, the exact time not really known. The family at its present time was quite compact, only Cest’eel and Kryana, the father and mother of Assa’cam. Cest’eel was not a small man by any means, standing a rather tall five foot three inches, he was a tall elf. He sported dark hair, and a small glimmer in his eyes, perhaps from all the time he spent in the forest. At one time he had been a fair ranger of the continent, regularly travelling to many parts of the land. With the birth of his son however, he decided it best to settle closer to home. Thus, he became an instructor for the castle’s guard, teaching both survival and bowery skills to the newer generation.

Kryanna was a bright young woman, a few decades younger than her husband. She had fairer hair, and pale green eyes that complemented her perpetual smile perfectly. She was and always had been a perpetually joyful person, always looking at the positives and being cheery. She had chosen a simple life early on, becoming a weaver for a local ensemble. She was by no means the best, but found herself producing many works that were well made. After the birth of her son, she chose to continue her work with clothes even with her diminished hours. It seemed though, that her work however little she made, seemed to spring to life, colourfully and sturdily… many of the other craftswomen (and a few men, likely not of their choosing as a profession) were a bit jealous of such a gifted hand.

They were both very loving parents to Assa’cam, his father always trying to apprentice him to ways of a ranger and his mother always trying to shower him with her love. Assa’cam was a very colourful, curious and caring boy. His name rang true all through out his youth as he was always about in the wild and open, running around the city’s limits and lesser known parts helping those others knew little about. He came to know many by their first name, some came into the habit of referring to him simply as Assa, it was shorter.

Throughout his young life he attended studies in the local schools, learning as many others did, though he found that he was certainly not most interested by arcane texts and old histories of times long past, he preferred people, understanding, talking and listening to them. He was not about to leave studies though, his family certainly would not condone this so he kept himself in tow, performing average at best in most subjects. One subject that caught his attention was languages, he would always pay attention when he was learning at a young age to speak elven and write it, there was no other way he would be able to speak to or help other people lest he could communicate with them. In the course of his education, he also came to learn and speak sylvan, another dialect of Elven. It was not in great use, but he was always wanting to speak to as many as he could and thus found it only a natural extension to his learning.

Meanwhile, at the same time, in his personal time during his young years he spent much time with his father Cest’eel. His father of course, tried his best to apprentice him in the ways of a ranger. At the young age of 60 he had with the help of his father crafted his very first bow. Carved with the guidance of his father from a large piece of soft white wood, then after being treated he had stringed it. Assa always prized that bow, it represented the ties he held with his father. After a short while, Cest’eel began to teach his son the proper ways of using such a bow, in his somewhat sage ranger voice. It was that voice that Assa found captivating, listening for hours and absorbing all the stories and advice his father had to give.

Assa’s mother meanwhile, found the two bonding to be both a blessing and a hindrance. She enjoyed seeing Assa’s eyes brighten, but she retained a worry in the back of her mind. She wanted him to become great in life and felt that as time went on he had been neglecting his studies. She had very clearly voiced a bit of her concerns, not one to be able to hide her displeasure as it was rare to see her without a smile. Assa however, had retained with all appearances his efforts at his studies. Thus, she refrained from pursuing it any further.

Many years would pass from those days, years that went by so fast it seems within the tranquil place that is known as Saida. Cest’eel, who had been an active ranger all throughout Assa’s childhood, retired when Assa turned 80. He was at the time, roughly 470 years of age, and had begun to feel the sting of age slow his reflexes. He decided to do so out of a desire to remain closer to home more, thus he found himself work for the Castle’s training halls, as an instructor in both archery and survival skills. He never lost his abilities in those fields, and was fond of teaching others thus it felt a natural position to take.

Over the time however, a pattern began to occur. Both Cest’eel and Kryanna had been a bit concerned for the boy during his first few years, he had proven to have incredibly ill luck and had contracted several ailments which, while most other of their kind resisted naturally with little difficulty, he seemed to take very badly. Treatment from several of the cities healers however enabled the boy to overcome such conditions. After their treatments however, they were fairly uncertain as to why such a serious affliction had overcome him. They however, hoped for the best and left it to his parents.

Later in life, Assa realized that he himself was simply sicker than others of his age. He knew that he was simply more prone to infections. These afflictions however, often went far in between each outbreak. He tried to ignore it and be normal, his father felt the same… thus, to a greater extent it went as a topic of little note, something the family simply accepted as a fact of life and spoke not about.

Now as he became older in life, around the age of 90, he began to find interest in women. He was however, not one to go out of his way hunting one like a wilderbeast. No, instead it was perhaps by chance that he saw a woman one day that interested him. She had been wandering in the forest near his house, while Assa had been collecting certain herbs for his father. Assa kept quiet and out of sight, it was not very difficult at that, both because of his training under his father and the fact that she was clearly absent minded about her adventures in the forest. She was a beautiful young elf, a sun elf he reasoned from her clothes. He observed her from afar, behind a tree; she was certainly not looking about her and seemed deep in thought about something. Assa simply remained there observing her, she captivated him with her beauty. He left that day, but it was not the last time he saw her.

As it became apparent quickly, she was prone to habit it seemed. Once or twice a month she would appear in the same vicinity, always later in the month. Assa never approached her to ask why, he had however found out her name… Elohanna Min A'Litae. A pretty name, one would even venture so far as to say a fitting name for his mate, for she was daughter of light and he that of the setting moon. He continued to watch her from afar, content simply to observe her, he knew that she was a fair bit older than him, at least 20 years. It was something about her though, that kept him coming back.

As these months passed, it became apparent to his father that something had been occurring. He had never seen his son so ready to help him gather herbs and other such vegetation… a fact that drew his attention, but did not concern him. He was not so naïve to think his son would remain the same forever, and knew now was the time women began to appeal. He smiled as soon he need not even ask at all and found nearly every month his stocks full, sometimes even twice what was needed.

Assa, had become a bright, young man at this time. He had begun to lessen his studies, finding them to be trivial and unnecessary as he put it. Mostly now it was simply histories and other such ancient matters that had no bearing for him. Thus, he devoted more of his time to training himself, both with his bow and body. Taking up his father’s sword, though he was not very graceful when wielding the metallic bulk, his father tried his best but he never really demonstrated as much skill with the blade as he did with the bow.

It was around this time that he found himself in need of a new bow. Under the supervision of his father, he had found a ripe but dead piece of yew, larger than his first bow. He carved it on his own time, with a steadied hand and small dagger. It was a fine material to make a bow out of. Eventually, it took the form of a large composite bow, perfectly sized for his frame. His father was proud of his fine workmanship, concluding that even in his finest days he had not made a better bow. This became Assa’s new prize, he tended to carry it about whenever he tread the woods. As it so happened, his curiosity did grow and some days he found himself going farther out from where he lived, even sometimes, informing his parents he would be gone for a day or two. He found it to be a most liberating feeling, and realized there was so much more than his small corner of Voltrex, nay, Layonnara.

He continued to watch Elohanna when he could, it was one day later that would stay with him from that moment forth. Assa had finished picking herbs and carried them in his sack, under his cloak. It was a bit darker that day, winter season had come and nights were becoming dark. He stayed under cover of a smaller oak tree from a distance, she had been singing a bit in an enchanting voice, obviously thinking to herself once more. Though perhaps also attempting to memorize incantations, as she favoured herself a magic user. The dark night seemed to loom, and she remained seated on a small overturned log long since dead, absorbed by thoughts. Word of the rangers had been that some disturbances locally by powers unknown had unsettled the wolves in the north western evergreens and pushed them south a bit.

It was then that Assa heard a small snap of underbrush, then a larger branch. His eyes darted to the left of Elohanna, he saw the beginnings of a snout peering out of the brush. Assa immediately sprung up from his crouched position tossing his cloak down and removing his bow from over his shoulder. The wolf barred its teeth and seemed intent on preying on the quiet and unaware victim before him. Assa drew and notched a single arrow, he watched as the wolf began to charge at her and without another moment lost he let fly his weapon of choice. Not wishing to needlessly kill the animal he aimed below his midriff and luckily his arrow struck its right hind leg, immobilizing it rather instantly. It yelped in pain and Elohanna, now very aware of what was occurring, ran away with her notes. Assa kept to the shadow until she had left, surprised she had not tried to find out who shot the arrow, the wolf had remained there though, speared quite thoroughly by it.

Assa came out from behind the tree and walked quietly towards the wolf, who noticed him once he was within twenty feet. He growled, but after Assa handed him a few scraps of meat left from his lunch he settled down. Assa pulled the shaft from his hip once the wolf had calmed and took out two herbs, mixing them together over the wound. A minor cure to the ailment but one that had proven to be effective in his father’s practice. After the wolf seemed to lose the feral eyes that had taken it before and licked his hand in appreciation, then his wound. The beast then wandered off slowly, with a slight limp but otherwise no worse for the day’s events. Then, as Assa turned, he could have sworn someone had remained hidden behind a tree not more than twenty metres in the direction Elohanna had run, Assa wasn’t sure though and was not interested, he retrieved his bow and cloak and went off the other way to his home.

Assa did not see Elohanna again, even if he wished to. She never returned to the glade. She didn’t even know he had been watching her. Of course, she was not the only one being watched. Little had Assa known, but Cest’eel, his father had followed him that day. Quietly, along the trees above him, he had seen the entire incident and understood. He was content that his son had responded well.

Time passed once more, as it always does. You know, even with all the knowledge and mysticism of the elves, even they cannot prevent the stream of time from flowing. In any case, years did pass as I said… and with time, Assa began to forget a bit about Elohanna. Though, the image of her beauty remained engraved within a deep bowel of his thoughts, ever-present and vivid as in person. Thus, he turned his attention accordingly to other matters, such as his own training.

He began to adventure farther into the woods, to several other smaller cities about the continent, never more than a few days march from his home. It was quite enlightening for him, to see other people and speak with them. Saida was indeed, not the staple mold that all other cities fell under.

On one of his adventures he found himself deep in another glade, of a forest but two days from his home. He spied in a small clearing a man, covered in a brown robe, simply seated there. He found it curious, he moved closer to the very edge of the cover. To his surprise, the man raised a hand and called him over, having heard him apparently. Assa was surprised, but then admitted that he wasn’t the best at moving unnoticed.

Moving nearer to the man, he approached from the left without a word. The man simply motioned in front of him, clearly expecting him to be seated, Assa was not opposed to sitting and not that untrusting that he would decline. Thus he seated himself. They spoke for quite a time in that glade, the man revealed himself to be an elven monk. Not exactly a most common thing to see, certainly not something elves flocked to in droves. His name was Key’ran Crestune. They spoke quite a while and got to know each other a bit. The monk seemed to grow a bit concerned as they continued to speak. His eyes fixed intently upon Assa, something he was not accustomed to.

Towards the latter part of their conversation, Key’ran posed him an odd question. He asked openly if Assa was prone to sickness, or had been ill recently. The boy explained quite clearly, how things had been when he was younger and every other incident since; somewhat sporadic along the line that was his life.

Key’ran remained quiet a moment and explained to Assa how he had perceived this through seeing his chi force. Followed promptly by a quite long, tedious and boring explanation of the ways of the monk, chi, its uses and many other things related. All of which, I am not likely to recount here for I would drone on far too long, not that I don’t already find myself droning on that is. Suffice to say, Assa found himself very taken by the ways, especially how one comes to better control his body gradually.

Key’ran and the boy spent many hours in that small sheltered glade, in fact long through the night did they go before finally they rested a short while in the morning. Amazingly, the monk never seemed to show much wear on his face, almost appearing exactly as he had that night, as if he never tired.

As morning broke, Assa decided it was time to part ways for now. He began to leave, but the monk was not done and quickly spoke to draw his attention. He wished to extend an offer, to teach the boy, to both better himself and others. Assa’cam wasn’t quite sure what to make of the offer, standing there; he thought about it and replied that he needed time. They agreed to meet here again in a month’s time. Both men parted ways then, each fading into the foliage of the forest.

Assa returned home with no other incident, other than a minor encampment of no notable worth. He had a decision to make, an important one. One that he would not make without careful deliberation. So it was that he returned to his home in Saida, his father and mother, and a handful of friends happy to see him. All the while he was greeted he retained a bit of a reserved demeanour as opposed to his usual self, it was by no means difficult to see. Only his father brought the matter up, the rest simply puzzled, apart from his mother who had decided it a matter she not interfere with.
Later that night, both he and his father went out under the night sky into the forests outside the cities furthest limits. Assa began retelling his adventure beginning from whence he left up till the unexpected encounter with Key’ran. Once he was done retelling he told his father of the offer, and there was silence. All except a few insects were quiet. Almost as if the glade waited upon the heels of the tale to see what would happen next.

Then it was that his father spoke to him again, in a calm voice, the same sage ranger voice he had grown up with. “Assa… your of the age now when you must make your own mark in these lands. I have tried to guide you with my hand from your young years, but you never really needed it. Go forth, and do what you know is best… for no one, not even I should hold you back from what you consider to be your path.” With that, Cest’eel smiled at his son.

The next month went by quickly, with Assa spending most of the time thinking on his own. When he was not alone, he spent time with his father, time well spent, they spoke of things and Assa listened to his father’s tales of lands beyond the shores, smiling. He found himself captivated by even greater, wondrous, variety that was beyond the shores, and also in awe at the evils there existed. Every word seemed to sink into his mind like a rock in the cities fountains.

Meanwhile, when Cest’eel and Kryanna were alone, they found time to have a long talk concerning their offspring; the old ranger did much of the talking in the beginning to explain, to his surprise, Kryanna remained quite composed and understanding. Towards the end, Cest’eel explained he already knew his son’s decision and he hoped she would understand. She remained silent and also thought long into the night.

On the last day of the month he had to decide, he packed a small bag in the early morning with food and a small knife. With his bow in hand he walked quietly into the room of his parents and set it on a chair always kept next to his father’s side of the bed. Gently it seemed to shimmer a bit in the early morning glint of day’s break. He turned to leave when a hand grasped his wrist rather tightly and suddenly. It was his father, he nodded to him and spoke quietly under his breath one word, in sylvan, Assa smiled. He then left through the front door with nothing more than his simple tunic and pants, light leather shoes, and his pack. Quickly, he made his way through the forest and directed himself towards the place of the meeting.

It was the last time he saw his home for a long time.

Many things happened after that, years seemed to flow again, one into the next, just as the waves crash into each other and the next. Assa met with Key’ran and together they journeyed for a time, both in Voltrex and then later on in other lands, most notably in Mistone which Key’ran had often business in. Assa’cam followed the words of the trained monk carefully, listening to his knowledge of people. One of the most useful things he inherited from the aged elf was the use of common speech. It was far more common than elven in all other lands, and both much easier and more direct than elvish dialects. It took quite a few years, maybe even a whole decade but along their travels Assa found many chances to practice and most found him rather cheery and forgave his sometimes poor choice of words in common.

As time passed, the two spent many days together, meditating in the wilderness. Assa was a patient and attentive student, and he was quickly taken in by his tutor’s lessons about chi and the body’s inner strength. Many days were spent in glades outside of cities training physically, and learning how to strike at foes without any weapons. The art was difficult to learn and it did not come as naturally as languages did to him. However, as time passed he found it easier to train with Key’ran, both with his mind in discussion and his body in exercise.

After many years passed, Assa had turned a hundred and thirty-one years of age. He had been apprenticed to his tutor for over a quarter of a century and it had been a worthwhile time. Much had he learned, and most of all, he found his health to improve ever slowly, though he still found himself somewhat prone he felt that with more time even that would change.

It was at this time that he felt a need arise, a need to go his own way. Key’ran understood it fully and offered no resistance to his departure. Wishing him the best, they parted ways at the city of Hlint, his tutor walking off into the nearby forest and he into the city itself.

Thus, we come to a close of the beginning. This point has been fixed, forever kept here. From it, we shall spring forward into what comes next, for it is that which happens now which is most important. That which, you had best pay attention to… perhaps however, I should rest a moment, afore the story unfolds any further.

[Assa’cam Lantaraana]

(Arg, was meaning to post this yesterday but I fear I am sometimes a wee bit too perfectionist with my word usage and it seemed to take forever to finish it off, here is it )

Well then, quite a pause we did take. I needed my rest; it is difficult to continue to tell such a long winded story to you without break. A voice can only last so long before it must give way. Let us see, where did I leave off? I believe we had just finished retelling the beginnings, I hope you remember what I said before. While what I tell you now is most important part of our adventure, without a beginning to affix the story there is no context and the rest is worthless.
   
The day had given way to night, and the stars had taken their rightful place far above in the heavens. Sadly however the young monk saw not a sign of them, the sky seemingly perpetually blotted out by the dust and clouds far above. Assa sat in the middle of a sparsely populated section of trees, smaller trees younger than the surrounding forest. From the touch of the tree and the disturbance of the earth, he could see they were not a year old. Trees planted to replace what the city had needed no doubt, the trees while not mistreated were certainly not tended to like the elven kingdoms he had known for so long.

The trees here however, were quite different from that which he was accustomed to. Their bark faded to a more greyish earthen tone, their bark somewhat thin and dry, crumbled at his touch. Most pathetic of all seemed to be the young saplings who were simply dying off, with their low hung branches and sparsely leafed limbs. The sight sent a shiver down Assa’s spine, perhaps a combination of the sights he saw and the cold which seemed to come rather swiftly that night.

While the plight of the trees bothered him somewhat, he pushed beyond that and crossed his legs in a soft patch of black earth, turned recently he had noted. The night was still somewhat young, the moon was high midway to its zenith from the monk’s knowledge but just as the stars, it too was beyond sight. After a while of haphazard searching, Assa turned his eyes towards the ground and felt the earth with his hands.

How sad, this land cries and weeps and none can soothe its pain… were I able I would.

After a while, Assa closed his eyes and let himself drift off somewhat. He was thinking of things, that day’s events. It had been his first day within the village of Hlint. He had run across a most interesting human, by the name of Amireana Mandrine, quite by chance too. She had been one of the first people he had seen. Not particularly interested in approaching her, she had come towards him and begun.

Amireana… he had thought it a pretty name, though she seemed to be a bit reclusive with her cloak hiding much of herself. A pretty face she was nonetheless when she peeled away the cloth to speak with him. Her eyes an amethyst purple, and while others may have found them cold… Assa could do naught but gaze into them for a time as she spoke.

After a brief introduction, she had agreed with a smile to show him around. Assa could feel a strange warmth from her, such that made him comfortable to follow her but in a way uneasy, something held back, something he didn’t know. He decided not to pursue it with question further.

They walked about, she led him about the town with an enthusiastic grin. Interested in showing him all the important places of which he knew little about, all the while he kept a small smile upon his face when she walked in front with her back to him, her company a pleasant distraction from his own training. Their final visit upon the tour had been an outfitters shop, where she had purchased for him a line and pole for fishing while he looked about the shop at its wears. She had taken it upon herself to do so and would accept no recompense for such, which, was to the chagrin of Assa who was not fond of charity having been self-reliant since he could remember. It was at this time he queried to himself whether she did this only to aid him in finding nourishment given his diminutive supply of gold, or whether she wished to continue speaking to him. She had begun to walk out the door a bit impatient before he even had time to begin considering.

Thus he ran after her swiftly, with pole over his shoulder. They talked some more, he was willing to answer her questions regarding him with ease. While they walked at a slow pace towards the outskirts of a forest, a small lake just on its interior seemed to be their target. She pointed towards the edge of the river where small schools of trout could be seen floundering about the edge. Assa was greatly out of his element wishing he had his bow at this time, which he knew full well was safely out of his grasp. With a small smile and a bit of time she quickly showed him the proper fashion to cast and explained the lures needed for each fish.

Assa was quite taken by fishing. Without any notice the skies became severely overcast and a downpour ensued. Assa did not even flinch, quite used to the rain upon him. He also glanced over at Amireana who seemed to simply be watching him with that same gleeful smile. It seemed it was a perpetual smile, at least the time she did spend about him. The clouds parted just as quickly as the downpour had begun and naught had made even a nibble upon the young monk’s line, much to his disappointment.

Amireana stood up and motioned her to follow him, saying that she wagered he might have better luck with the carp in town who had been multiplying quite readily. So it was that they walked back to the confines of the walls of Hlint. The sun began its decent from the sky, already past noon… Assa was taken by how much of the day had passed without his notice.

Thus, after walking for a time with the sun to their backs they came to the town’s pond. The teal light blue shimmering as it seemed to team with carp in every portion of it. Assa was a bit anxious to catch a fish; he sat down next to the edge attaching a worm to his line and began to fish without so much as a word to Amireana. He made sure to slip his sandals off and dip his feet lightly into the waters. It had been his expectation that she seat herself next to him. A short time passed but, this time success was had by Assa, who managed to catch first a small carp and then with rapid succession two larger ones laying them all on a small cloth he carried in his pouch. It was then that he took notice of the absence of his new found friend.

Quickly, he wrapped the three raw fish in the cloth and set both the pole and the fish into his pouch. He slipped on his sandals and quickly stood up, no where could his new friend be seen. What a shame… just when I thought we were getting along… Assa bid adieu to the pond and carp and walked out of the shadow of the building into the main walkway of the little village.

While the sudden disappearance of his new friend bothered him somewhat, he remembered her saying that the postmaster had need of a letter to be delivered and wandered off in the general direction she had pointed to before. With little other to do now, it seemed only right to help where he could. Thus with a small talk to the man named Vale, he went out and delivered the letter. Not a particularly difficult task, but one he was only happy to do as he explored more of the village on his own in search of the person. A short while later, he found the recipient of his letter, exactly where he had been fishing just a time before…

A slight bit of frustration crept upon Assa, he leaned with his back against the foundation of the bank, cloaked in its shadow. All the days walking had made his thirst grow and he removed his canteen and drank some slowly as he thought what to do next, no real plans did he have at this time. I wonder where my new found friend Amireana has gotten to…

Then, just as if to be responding to his thoughts she appeared, that same smile seemingly glued upon her lips for all time. She sat down next to him and they spoke for a time. Towards the end she spoke of the undead that had seemed to be manifesting in greater numbers beneath the crypts, also mentioning the fact that few of the other heros within the town seemed to take any real notice. Assa saw where she was heading, the glint of danger seemed to appear in her eye, as well as perhaps the shaft of her blade which only now Assa did take note of. The monk while not entirely confident he was most suited for such a task at this time, did not turn her down and agreed to accompany her.

Following their talk by the pond, they rose and began their short traverse of land towards the crypts. In the day they did not appear too intimidating, some stones fallen and others shattered… three entrances were spread about the small graveyard, leading to lower levels. A faint but odd odour seemed to be emanating from the depths, not of the pleasant variety to say the least. With nary a word more they ventured onwards, down the stairs of one of the entrances; Amireana with her blade in hand and Assa with well… simply his bare hands, he was a monk after all.

The rattling of bones was the first noise to be heard by both companions, no simple movement either, the sound only seemed to grow louder. Assa simply stayed at the ready, a step behind and to the right of his friend… she was better protected with shield and armour for the unknown. Within the first several chambers naught but a few sparsely place skeletons walking about with little purpose were found and quickly dispatched with little effort. Continuing on, the dark decrepit place only seemed to darken, Assa took a torch from his pack and lit it quietly so that the way could be seen.

It was then that they came upon a narrow hall, long towards an opening at its end, a small archway appeared a third of the way down its length to their left. Inside could be heard the rattle and crack of many bones, much more than the other rooms. Assa was a bit uneasy at this and peered around the portal of the room to see no less than 7, no more than 10 foes within, armed with blade and axe and nary more than their bones. Assa put out the light before they were seen and whispered to Amireana for a moment, while uneasy about such a large engagement Assa nodded and agreed to it.

She whipped about him quickly and stepped into the room, with less care for her step than the monk she incidentally kicked a loose stone from its place towards the skeletons, alerting them quite fully. Assa followed suit directly behind her and standing just a bit to the left remained closed to the door, his friend a bit to the right. The ensuing battle lasted a while, with Assa doing his best to dodge and deliver blows with his bare hands and feet while Amireana seemed to take on a larger portion clad in her armor. Luckily, none were ranged archers making the engagement simpler.

Towards the end of the battle however, Assa began to tire a bit from the incessant evasion and blows he was forced to land upon the rough bones. It was then, that in this tired state he made an error, striking too quickly with his fist he found his back hand cut upon a sharp piece of bone, chipped in the person’s original death it would appear. With a quick turn, a ready kick to the back quickly shattered the skeletons spine at several vertebra and it fell to pieces. Assa staggered back a bit, his hand bleeding somewhat from the open cut across his flat back of his right hand.

It was at that time that he noted the foe directly behind him. Caught off guard he tumbled to his left, very poorly I might add, and was caught by his enemies blade. A horizontal spray of blood leapt from his midriff and sprayed the skeleton a deep red where it was hit, as well as wall when it made its way through the gaps in his ribs. Assa recovered from his roll not very well and found himself on his back, his blood seeping out of the gash across his stomach and across the right of his ribs.

The skeleton was quick to move in on Assa, but was met with the cold steel of Amireana’s blade. She had during the fight been drawn off from the door somewhat by a small portion of the skeletons, only after dispatching two of them had she taken note of Assa behind her, left to fend off the rest. She finished off the skeleton by smashing its skull thoroughly under her foot, obviously frustrated by it. Quickly after which, she rushed to Assa’s side.

The monk now soaking in a small pool of blood was surprisingly calm with the situation he found himself in. Amireana looked over the wound and took out a small potion taken from one of the corpses. Pouring a small amount of the blue liquid onto her soft hands she spread it evenly over the gash with her fingers, which, stopped the bleeding quite effectively. He smiled up at her and found the strength to stand on his own feet, supported against the wall quickly. She seemed a bit concerned for him, what with his lack of any real protection but he just smiled and told her not to worry with a few words of thanks before moving on.

Assa lit his torch once more and they agreed that was enough for this day, the two slowly worked their way back to the entrance, from whence they had come. The sun now low, the day passing unto night. Assa sat down a short distance away from a tree, only a few paces from the graveyard’s entry. Amireana joined promptly and set about making a fire. She found several sticks nearby and erected a makeshift spit with which she cooked the fish both she and Assa had caught that day. The two spoke for a time longer, she still smiled… he wasn’t sure but it seemed she was simply taken by something about him, he wasn’t sure what it was, but the perpetual smile was certainly not something he was accustomed to. With the fish cooked, they each took their share and Assa took the extra he had cooked and wrapped it away for the morrow.

Thus had Assa’s first day passed… shortly after their meal, his friend said she needed to part but that she would return the next day. Assa smiled, waved goodbye and sat down comfortably next to the fire for a time, before extinguishing it and walking off into the forest.

So it was, Assa was in the forest, lost in thoughts of the day. Even with all that had happened, it seemed a face seemed to linger in his mind. Elohanna… it puzzled him, out of no where her face seemed to come to him. It was not the first time, for some reason moments after he stepped within the town, a feeling overcame him, almost as if he had been expecting to see her again. He couldn’t explain it, even after thinking upon it for a while longer that night, he spent the evening and early morning there in the woods, natural it seemed to him after so many years in his home.

Hehe, still a bit of a confused one he was at this young age… learning many things. Oh, I completely forgot, it is the afternoon, I should prepare my tea or else I’ll miss it again like yesterday… I must be more attentive to these things, what is a person to do though.

[Assa’cam Lantaraana]

(this a bit late, actually happened two days ago but I only got round to writing it today, now, was rather a short small incident as I had to go soon after and my friend got busy >.

[Assa’cam Lantaraana]

(Part one of two, log from yesterday, its long enough that I broke it into two parts)

Well then, here we are again. A long enough break we have had, now that I have my tea at hand this will be a sight more enjoyable for I. Ah, now comes a part I believe you’ll find a fare bit more interesting than that which came before, our young friend’s first real adventure.

The day began much like others, Assa’cam found himself by the pond, after a night kept on the outskirts of the village, a small campfire all that had kept him company through the night. After a small snack consisting of a small piece of corn bread and some water, he packed up his things and went back inside to the pond. It was a nice place to wait for people to find him, somewhere a ways from the rest of the bustle and yet close enough so that folk he knew need not go far to speak with him.

The young elf sat by the side of the pond, cross-legged as he was accustomed to and stared into the deep pool. Something about the pool of water inhabited by carp resonated with him, a soothing effect it had. This day he traced a line in the water with his index finger, with a steadied and slow hand. The surface rippled somewhat and the water shimmered in what little light could be had at this time of morning; the fish also seemed to respond vividly to this. However, it was difficult to tell whether that was actually because they responded to his presence or simply a disturbance in the water.

Twas a short while later in the morning, when his good friend Amireana came upon him. By this time of course, she had come to know his habitual resting place. She had her pretty smile about her and sat down next to him, staring down at the water too. Their conversation was a bit trivial in topic, but they were happy to speak of whatever they could.

Their time together though was not to be long lasting, just a short while after her arrival a few other strange fellows arrived upon the scene, somewhat disturbing the serene appearance of the place… as well as their conversation. Amireana stood up without a moment more passing and moved over to the two folk who had now come to sit on the benches. Assa, was a bit less inclined to greet the newcomers but got up and followed his companion to the benches, taking a seat at the farthest seat away.

The first of the strange folk was a small Halfling, just over 3 feet in height and almost childish in both appearance and tongue. He seemed somewhat jovial by nature, with a fair accent to his words but nothing beyond actual comprehension. He was quick to strike up a conversation with Amireana and they spoke for a time. Assa remained somewhat quiet during all this, not really drawn into the conversation and more content simply to listen in to what was pertinent.

The second newcomer to join their small group was an older elf, Caniel, at least that is what Assa had thought he overheard her called. She appeared to be more reserved than Lyle, really only dropping a word or two into the conversation when absolutely needed or asked for. She was fair upon the eyes, and in a small way reminded him of Elohanna but the similarity was of a more fleeting kind.

After what appeared to be a short time, a third new friend appeared by the name of Canius. He was a short Halfling, just like Lyle and they seemed to know each other. With an eagerness he plopped himself down into the ongoing conversation and immediately became active in the topic at hand. He seemed a degree more mature than Lyle and soon the conversation seemed to have found its way onto a journey to Fort Himlad. Amireana had brought it up with mention that she had received a post bound for their, Assa had said little about it but he too had a letter and was more than willing to go along to assist. Lyle seemed very keen on helping them, knowing the way to Rilara and beyond well.

Thus, with a few last words upon their road of travel, they all agreed it would be best to travel together for a time. Lyle and Canius lead on ahead talking between themselves rather quickly, sometimes about trivial things even so far as incomprehensible but always leading the way for the others to follow. Assa stayed behind them next to his friend Amireana, she smiled and was happy for the friendly company that had joined them and even Assa could not complain, all appeared very well indeed. Caniel seemed to stay back a bit from them, following but alone. She did not say much and the others did not pry into matters.

Thus they set out, via the goblin wastelands with a steady and heartfelt pace. They trod the path and made way through the forest, making good time for the day as they headed south towards the port city of Hampshire. Assa’s mentor had mentioned that place in passing before, but nothing truly specific… only citing it may prove useful if he ever needed passage to other corners of Layonara. Lyle and the others kept on a quickened pace, driving through many areas, a few forested and even a minor settlement or two. Little obstructed their path in any real sense, and by the late afternoon they had made it all the way to their destination.

With the long travel by foot over, they slowed their pace a bit and Lyle pointed out a few sights for them to note; should they ever pass this way again with more time. They continued along, heading directly towards the docks, finding a small fleet of ships docked it appeared they had made it just in time for the afternoon call to Rilara and each bought their own tickets, Lyle though had taken it upon himself to buy an extra ticket for Amireana out of friendship… noting earlier her lack of coin upon her personage.

As the light seemed to fade early this day, all five companions found their way below decks of a small boat. The quarters somewhat cramped with a few makeshift cots laid in corners of the room to accommodate the extra passengers they had taken on. Assa spoke little during the voyage, save maybe a short exchange with Amireana. The rest of the time spent having a small meal of fish, followed by a session of meditation. He found the latter necessary to alleviate the voyage from his mind. Our young fellow was not sea sick, but he found it bothersome to be so cramped without room for any training of a more physical nature.

The afternoon passed gently and unnoticed into night, flowing like the water until morning came once more. The trip was shorter than expected, the waters fair and calm and the breeze full and ready to steer them correctly. They made landfall by mid-morning, thanking their captain for a good and safe voyage. All five companions disembarked at Point Harbor and after a short conversation of the days travels they set off, having eaten their small breakfast together below decks.

They lead off again into the thicker forest here; it appeared somewhat less sickly but not much of an improvement on the whole. They moved quickly through the greenery, Assa feeling much more comfortable with his feet on the green grass and shrubbery of this new land. So much so, he decided to remove his simple footwear and feel the ground with his feet.

It wasn’t long before they came upon what was some trouble. Lyle had seen up ahead that several cougars lay in the way of their expedition towards Himlad. They seemed innocent enough, however Lyle and the others seemed intent that they had to be removed from the way, also interested in their skins as it were. To Assa’s surprise, Amireana made little opposition to this drawing her sword quickly, as Caniel gifted her with a minor blessing. The elf stood there, a bit conflicted at what to do, however, in his moment of thought Amireana had sprung upon the Cougars and supported by Lyle and Canius they fell somewhat quickly. Assa’cam had begun to rush to Amireana, but it was all over far too quickly for him to really do anything.

He walked over to the side of the animals before Lyle had time to approach them and begin skinning them for their hides. The young elf brushed his hand through their finely matted fur and spoke softly a small prayer his father had passed along, a ranger prayer for when the death of animals was necessary. No one had heard it, at least none said anything. It was a small glimmer or religion, but more tied to memories of his father than anything else.

After it was said, Assa got up and walked off back to the tree where Amireana was and said little.

The company continued their journey, hedging around a small patch of dangerous forest and finally after some time resting by a small campfire. The day was growing long and early afternoon seemed to be upon the group. They made a quick meal by the fire and ate.

After a short rest, they began again on their travel through the woodlands. Again trouble seemed to mar their path, this time not avoidable. A large clearing lay before them, to the left Thalos and an old farmer and to the right Fort Himlad and their goal. A gryphon of nasty temperance had taken a firm patch of ground in the middle of the clearing and eyed it carefully. It was clearly not friendly, nor intending to let any pass.

The group of companions prepared themselves, Caniel and Lyle casting several protective spells upon the group and the rest simply steadying their nerves. When the place seemed quiet and all was readied, the lot of them advanced quickly upon the wary gryphon and a difficult fight ensued. Assa and Amireana charged at the creature while the remainder hurled spell and bow at the beast. The former two doing less damage than expected, more focused on evading the mighty talons of the large beast which could cut them down rather easily. The bird fell after a time, and Amireana searching it carefully found a small necklace hidden in its feathered cow.

After this mighty event, the group quickly hurried off towards Himlad and met with no other notable opposition upon the path. The Fort was a small establishment within the wooded area. Fenced in by a large primitive wooden wall, a few houses scattered about and most people in the open. Johan the recipient of both Amireana and Assa’s letters was easily found near the entrance and was happy to see his messages delivered. He readily expressed his gratitude with a substantial sum of true and his thanks.

The troupe of friends sat down and rested the night there, waking early the next morn. They spoke a bit amongst each other what course of action would be best to take next and decided to go to the aid of a nearby farmer by the Thalos river just a short ways away. The journey was short and the farm easily found. Assa had held back a bit from the group somewhat keeping to himself at this time. He noted the somewhat blatant disregard some of his companions had for the crops of the man they were about to help by the way they simply trod upon them. Assa took care to go around. Upon catching up quickly, he found the rest conversing with a man called Parts and walked up next to Amireana to listen in.

It seemed the trouble was being caused by several scarecrows as difficult as that may be to believe. He reported that they had sprung to life and had been causing mischief amongst the daily workings of the farm. All present agreed to help, even Assa with a nod, for a small reward of course.

Canius lead both Amireana and Assa to the southern bank of the river, showing them a point of interest… it was a beautiful view of the river and they watched it for a moment before they returned quickly to the other side to undertake their endeavor. To their dismay, the Scarecrows had already appeared and were attacking their friends. Lyle already seemed to have been struck down and Caniel staying a ways off fending them as best she could. They charged into battle but the fight was short lived and somewhat futile with four of them being cut down, save Caniel with her powerful magics.

Assa found himself in a black void, death had taken him; as well as his companions. He thought for a while he could see his small friend Lyle but the image faded rather quickly and so did his sight after a few more moments.

Assa awoke to find himself at the Harbor where they had disembarked, standing before the bind stone that had returned him to life. He felt no worse for wear, grateful not to have passed into nothingness forever. However, none of his friends could be seen. A sad fact. Alone, once more… how sad. The young monk walked to a nearby dock edge and sat with his legs hung over the wooden deck, staring out at the vast ocean. He was quite a ways from where he had started and now quite uncertain where his friends could be had. He sat there for the latter part of that day, waiting and thinking. He got up later in the day to turn and see his good friend Amireana in the company of another man, standing a few paces away. She smiled and waved to him. Assa’cam smiled back, happy to see her, with a hurried stride he made his way to her side and greeted her warmly as well as her new friend whose name it appeared was Lif’lo Aldar.

They spoke for a while and Amireana retold her small adventure returning to the harbour and after that, it was decided they would return to see if any of their friends remained at the farmer’s lot.  They made good time and no enemies barred their path. They spotted clearly Caniel and the others, with another man at the farm. All of them seemed fine. Together, they spoke for a time, the scarecrows vanquished they had little else to do there. The company seemed to wish to continue adventuring, but Amireana seemed otherwise distracted and whispered to Assa that she had a few matters to attend to in Hlint that she should return to take care of.

So it was, that Assa’cam picked up on her subtle hint and told her he would come along. They told the party of their departure and wished them well in their endeavours, knowing the new additions in their stead would make worthy companions from first glance. They journeyed steadily towards Point Harbor and waited for the first available ship to return them to their home within Mistone.

[Assa’cam Lantaraana]

(Part 2 of the above log

Part 2

After the lengthy journey that had spanned several days, through the somewhat densely forested area that was Rilara, both Assa’cam and Amireana now returned to the mainland of Mistone. They had taken a boat from Point Harbor to Port Hampshire, the journey had been fairly calm waters. Nothing special had happened, the two had spoken only a short bit during the journey keeping to themselves somewhat. After a full day and a half of sail upon the salt ridden ocean, the two adventurers found themselves at their destination; they finally found themselves on the shores of Mistone again.

Amireana had been quick to rise early that day of their return, coming up from below decks and staring out over the ocean. Assa instead had chosen to stay below decks for a time longer, sitting atop his small cot, meditating for a time… a bit flustered by the fact that he had no real room for exercise over the time they were at sea.

About mid day their boat came to a stop within the port of their destination. Assa’cam came up just an hour before their eventual arrival, his dark hair waving somewhat in the wind. He spied his female friend overlooking the stern rail and walked over to her, she was intent to gaze out at the ocean and Assa remained quiet for a while until she eventually struck up a bit of conversation. Together, they spent the rest of their time talking until eventually the boat came to a gentle and easy rest alongside the docks. The deck hands quickly tied down the boat and laid out the plank for the passengers to disembark.

With an easy and relaxed stride, the two adventuring friends walked down the plank and off the docks, continuing their previous conversation. Then, suddenly, as their feet hit the cold stone walkway of the port city Amireana pulled Assa’cam aside eagerly to the side. With a smile in her face she said “Assa, why don’t we go to Leilon, it’s another nice port and you haven’t been there yet… at least, I don’t think you have. It’s also a safer route back to Hlint. Well?”  Amireana gazed at him with those pretty purple eyes, almost with a yearning to go to that place, he couldn’t really say no.

After thinking on it for a moment, Assa’cam nodded to her and replied with a calm tone, “Alright, I’ll come with you. I haven’t been to Leilon, and I guess we aren’t really in a rush to return to Hlint.” The young elf let a small smile take form out of his lips and he reached into his pouch to take out the coin needed for the passes, Amireana of course felt obliged to pay for her ticket. After getting two passes, they waited a short time sitting over the edge of the docks, their feet dangling into the water as they spoke of themselves. When their ship came into port, they boarded without a moment wasted and were off once more upon the ocean.

Assa was now somewhat getting used to the experience of being at sea. At the first mention of their journey heading far down to Rilara by boat, the elf had been somewhat apprehensive, not really fond of his first journey with his mentor to the continent of Mistone, that trip had simply been wracked with troubles. However, after their return to the mainland of Mistone, Assa felt much more confident when it came to travel, even if he still preferred running through forests with his bare feet feeling the ground with every step, it simply felt more natural.

In any case, this trip seemed much shorter than either journey to or from Rilara. The smaller craft skimmed along the coast and shores of the land and a nice view of the country could be seen over the stern. Generally it headed to the north, with a few deviations avoiding shallow beach and rocky outcropping. Assa spent a good time below decks again, Amireana had joined him and they spoke a bit. They turned in after a while and slept for a time, knowing they’d arrive later in the day.

Assa had awoken first this time; the subtle but a bit sudden lowering of the mast had disturbed him in his light sleep. He quickly got up off the cot, walking quickly above decks and saw that they had weighed anchor just a short ways off of the docks and were tying down the lines. The monk quickly walked down and stirred his companion gently with a tap on the head. She woke a bit slow, mumbling something about a nice dream but got up after a short time. Then the two finally got off the boat and were back on the nice firm ground, now in the city of Leilon.

It was a nice port city, a bit smaller than Hampshire Assa thought but that mattered little. Amireana quickly lead him off the boat, without much more word. Pointing out a few places of interest as they went through the central path to its entrance; she seemed a bit rushed, but Assa made no objection he simply wanted to return to his familiar village of Hlint, it was a nice place to stay.

They journey by land didn’t take as long as Assa thought, several hours by travel at night, they had quickly passed by the Blackford castle, which his friend had pointed out in passing. Their pace while not a run, was hurried enough to create exertion. Travelling through more rather bleak and unoccupied lands they passed Fort Llast which Assa also took note of, one never knew when you might have to come this way. Overall, Amireana was quite right and this journey had been much safer than their original path to Hampshire, nothing but a few birds and crickets had been spotted along their travel.

In what seemed the dead of night, difficult to say with the sky so darkened by cloud and obscured they arrived at the outskirts of town. The two walked along the outer walls towards the entrance and spotted a nice small fire by the corner of the wall, in a small sheltered and dense part of the sickly forest. They approached and relaxed near it, finding it to be safe enough to stay there. They spoke a bit, about their adventure to Rilara and ate a small late meal to recover their strength after the days travel and then decided it best to turn in, before they waste the whole night without a morsel of sleep between them.

The following day, Assa’cam awoke a bit late in the morning. To his surprise, Amireana had disappeared again… this frustrated the elf a bit, and he couldn’t help but wish that she would stop leaving so abruptly. Assa packed away the few scraps of food that had been left over from the night, not wanting to waste any. Then he set out, with his pack over his shoulder into the town.

Assa walked slowly, breathing in the fresh but cold air. He wasn’t really in a rush to go anywhere, no quest or other engagement pressing, so he walked briskly down the main road heading towards the bank. He carried now a fairly large sum or coin from his adventure and did not wish for it to be lost by any means. All the while, he kept his eyes open to see if his companion was about somewhere in plain sight but no luck seemed to come to him this day.

Entering the bank establishment quietly, Assa walked over to the banker and withdrew his purse from his bag. He quickly counted off 100 true and handed the rest to the banker, who promptly counted the remainder and marked it down with a smile. Assa preferred not to carry a large sum, it was rather unnecessary, especially when he bought little. The banker didn’t exactly make Assa comfortable, but there was no other bank in the village so he put up with it. Once the banker was finished, he handed the black haired elf an official note with a seal denoting the amount he had deposited.

With that taken care of, the monk walked out the doors and back into the fresh air; instantly feeling refreshed from the natural if somewhat chilled air. Picking out a small piece of his salted carp, he ate a bit of breakfast as he walked down the main path, nodding to folks he passed. He was not going in any particular direction, but felt a compulsion to walk after having spent enough days on a cramped boat.

A short distance off from the bank, postmaster vale hailed for our young monk to pause a moment and inquired with regard to his delivery. With a smile and an easy look in his eyes, Assa retold a short bit of his adventure leading up to Fort Hilmard and replied that the Johan had certainly received the letter and was content. Vale, was somewhat happy even if a bit frustrated by the drawn out story that Assa had been interested in retelling, he cut him short just after getting to the part about the successful delivery and handed him another letter and small tip, telling him to do another good job on this and hurrying off down the road to catch up with another courier.

Assa shrugged a bit, not that bothered by the postmen’s abruptness and continued walking along the path. Taking a small drink from his canteen, he felt incredibly energized and was wondering what he would do with this day. It was at this time that he came by the crafting house; Amireana had mentioned he should stop in and see how things are made, and perhaps take up a craft himself. He walked over to the window and peered in a bit to see a few adventurers hard at work creating clothes, weapons and other implements of use… it piqued his curiosity and he felt drawn inside to observe this.

After a few steps within the large craft house, Assa’cam was stilled by what was just a handful of paces before him.

The girl… Elohanna… it can’t be.

He remained fixed to the ground, remembering her face from that night… she was now bent over a table in front of him, working with a piece of cloth no doubt making some sort of clothes from it. Her face was tilted somewhat down and to the left, almost looking in his direction. He took a step forward and stared a bit intently at her face, making sure it was in fact her. However, as he did, another tinkerer to his direct left dropped one of his flasks to the floor and a loud shattering of glass ensued, he immediately stared up and toward him. Assa’cam wasted not even a moment and had already opened the door by the time she glanced his way, peering back only a moment and disappearing out the door.

Assa ran a short ways away down the path and then took a left ducking behind a house, carefully wrapped in its shadow. He wasn’t sure why, but he had run away… an odd feeling had come over him at seeing her face, he lay with his back to the wall of the house and breathed deeply to relax. Looking from the shadows he made sure that she did not follow and then got up from the ground brushing off the dirt from his clothes.

Hmmm, why did I run away like that… I wonder if she even knows me… Our somewhat flustered elf walked back towards the other end of the town, where his favourite spot was near the pond. His mind was a bit consumed by what he had seen, pondering now if it was possible that he were mistaken of her identity, and if he wasn’t what to do about it. It was then that he heard a footstep behind him, a light one turning only slightly he spotted her on the same path as him a ways behind him, she was looking at the ground and saw him again as he began to ran, she seemed to notice him a bit more intently this time and motioned for him to wait but he had already broken into a run and dodged behind a row of houses and disappeared into the shadows, as his father showed him. He made his way quietly but quickly to the pond where he liked to sit.

Assa’cam sat at the edge of the pond, peering down at the fish. He thought to himself, trying to remember more clearly Elohanna’s face… it had been a time since last he had seen her. Twas at this time that he noted a more elderly man hail a girl, glancing up and beyond the man it was easy to make out the same person who seemed like Elohanna. Without another moment, he sprung up and darted to the side of the bank, out of sight. She hadn’t seen him this time, or at least he thought. She stopped and spoke the elderly man, pointing a bit in his direction but sat down and spoke with him abandoning whatever pursuit she may have followed.

The young elf was confused, a bit uncertain if it was actually her. He walked along the front of the bank quietly and came to the end, peering around the edge to spy on her a bit. He could see her plain as day now; she looked no less beautiful than that night. Assa smiled a bit at this and walked off towards the entrance, not particularly sure what to do at this time but knowing his training exercises might provide him clarity. Thus, he walked out the door and found a small secluded spot to continue his self training alone… all the while thinking somewhat of her.

Well, there you have it. I hope that is much more to your liking than the other bit I gave you before my tea. *Sips his cup* Not that it really bothers me, you asked to hear the story, I give you all the details, both large and small, important and dull… without exception. Now, leave me a bit… I should think I can get a small repose before I continue; I wouldn’t want this tea to go cold. *Sips his tea once more*