A Coryi Omnibus

[Seluna]

As you look at this book, small pieces of leaves fall out of it, it appears as though a few of the pages are made out of large, soft leaves that are now dead. Along the edges there are some small drawings and designs, some of which depicting a panther, and two people in the woods. Looking past all this, you begin to read the book from where the drawings begin to appear.

 "They can't do this to me. What am I to do? I will not let them kill my friend to honor the spirits! He is not an enemy, and yet they still persist on treating him so very cruelly. It is as though anyone not in our tribe is an enemy, they all look the same in their eyes.. its such a shame... What am I to do?"

[Seluna]

 "I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't bear it. So i took two of my parent's cloaks and helped him escape... I think I can hear yells of my fellow tribe members over the hooting of the owls.."

[Seluna]

 "It has been many moons since he and I ran. I am very worried that the whole tribe will be out searching for me, and, hopefully, if that search is made they won't find us. My father will hate me for this... my mother will only worry, and send out her panther, Mercedes, to search for me. They are so very hard headed.. why coudln't they open their eyes and see that Druke was not a true enemy?
 "He is just like me. There is a certain kindness to him, but I have only seen glimpses of this at times when he and I could trully talk freely to each other. It was so hard to do so with only a layer of animal skins dividing us from the rest of the tribe outside his tent where he was held prisoner. I hope now that we are gone he will open up to me more, it would be such a great pleasure to see that happen. Anatheim has taken to him as well. At first, when I brought her along to care for Druke she was unsure of him, but because she came everytime I went to visit him, she has learned that he is just as caring as I. So out here she protects us both. I have asked her to do so, but she would have anyways."

[Seluna]

 "We are always moving. Always. It is my fear that keeps us moving. It keeps me on edge. Every stick breaking sounds like someone after us. Every owl hooting sounds like a warning to go faster because they are catching up. I don't even know how far we have gone. Druke worries about me, he says we should stop and rest for a few days, but not yet... Only when we are far enough away will any sound in nature stop frightening me to death. When that time comes I will rest.

 "Sometimes I am very glad I grew up in the trees, it makes it all the easier to forage for food. Druke is just as good as I, but sometimes he finds very odd plants and foods.. Things I wouldn't normally eat, but then again, begars can't be choosers..."

[Seluna]

"The life I lead now is so odd in comparison to when I lived with my family. We move around so often, staying in one place for only a day ata time. Sometimes Druke and I go back to places we have been just because we know they are safe at the time. We try to stay away from all other beings, so we never leave the forests. They humans are far too many outside of its protection...

 "A few times we have almost run into adventurers and hunters, by almost I mean that I was the one to make a noise as we hid out of sight. Druke is very talented at staying out of view, perhaps one day he will teach me how to do it. It would be very handy, especially if we were to live out our lives in the same way we are now, on the run.

[Seluna]

"Despite the moving, and the constant looking over my shoulder, I quite like living with Druke. He is so much more than I first saw in that tent 100 miles away. I'm glad I escaped with him... Maybe one day, when I won't have to worry about my parents as much, he and I can buy a house somewhere nice and live together.

 "The area we are in right now is along the edge of the forest, and by the looks of it, we would be safe there... but Druke thinks we should keep moving. There are all different kinds of people there, i've seen little haflings, giant 10 foot tall creatures, and elves like me only dark-skinned, ones I've never seen... Its a lively place, there was a group of adventurers in the streets carrying on about ogres throwing 'magiks' at them and fire birds biting at their ears and ankels. I think half the group was drunk too, perhaps a little too much seeing as their story was cut off at the knee when the main teller passed out in the dirt. Druke thought it funny as well, it made him laugh, it made me laugh too... Its been a while since i've enjoyed myself while on the run..."

[Seluna]

"Its been a while since I could call a place home... about 20 years in fact... but finally Druke and I have decided to stop moving. That little town we passed last year with the funny people, Hlint it is called, is where we are going to be staying. There are all kinds of odd jobs the townfolk need done, but then again its pay, and all the money is going to our future house.

 "After a day or two here one of the more experienced adventurers, Headcrack Skullbanger, offered to show us around the crypts. A group of us, including Druke and I, worked our way through the gloomy halls, we found gold here and there that the skeletons had swiped from their unlucky victims. Luckily no one perished, for our guide was very strong and slayed many of them.

 "I opened up an account at the bank too, and deposited all our gold in it. Its so nice not to have to lug it all around with me. I have decided to learn how to tailor after finding out there was a supply of cotton just north of the city, It can be quite difficult at times, and I have broken many needles.. it frustrates me when that happens.. Druke wants to learn alchemy so he can protect us both when we go adventuring. I think he is having much more difficulty with it than I am with tailoring, I guess it just takes time though."

[Seluna]

"Earning a living is kind of difficult here, seeing as many of the quests are out near some very difficult creatures that would surely kill me. So many days I just stay around town and work on my craft. I've gotten better at tailoring, good enough to make some basic armors, gloves and boots. But I have also expanded and am now learning wood working and food crafting. The woodcrafting is hard to learn because I don't know how to properly use an axe, so Druke does all the chopping for me, but the food crafting I enjoy.

 "Druke has been caught up in an episode of epilepsy it seems.. I have looked into cures, but nothing in town seems helpful, so I have turned to my friends in the forest. The other day I asked a deer in the Seilwood forest what she thought I could do to help him, and I think she suggested sitting on his chest whenever he dropped of to sleep. It seems a bit odd, but it doesn't hurt to try does it?"

[Seluna]

"I've asked another animal how to cure Druke, this time a skunk east of the town. He said to take a vial of his horrible smell and waft it under Druke's nose, but I think that would make him smell like the skunk so I decided to pass on that idea... It may scare the townfolk."

[Seluna]

"The animals here have taken a liking to me, and I to them. They keep me company when Druke is off working, or face down in the dirt, seeing as I haven't found a cure for him yet... They gaurd me while I am collecting items of need to my crafting. But there are also cruel animals around the town.. ones that are immune to my fondness of them. They attack blindly when I mean them no harm, and in return I must protect myself. One occasions such as this it burdens my heart to know that I have slain a friend of the forest, even if it is no friend of mine."