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Author Topic: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate  (Read 2871 times)

ShiffDrgnhrt

Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
« on: June 02, 2010, 03:01:26 pm »
Swaddled comfortably in what must have been velvet, a little Corsainian boy travelled through the dark in the arms of a very dangerous man.  He did not know what had caused him to be in this man's arms, nor might he ever know.  'It would be better for him not to,' a certain woman, destined to become his 'mother' would say.  When he was brought into dimly lit room, hidden in the earth, the only thing that would disturb him would be the hunger in his belly.

And that's where fate turned.  It wasn't a desire to do anything other than sooth a crying baby that caused his soon to be 'mother' to want to take care of him.  It was not sense of justice.  How could she know what was justice in this situation?  All she knew is it was better off with her than forgotten in an orphanage, wondering about his history which would only lead him back to that hidden chamber, seeking revenge, and ultimately dying in vain.

Instead he was brought back to Co'rys, brought back to an old, haunted tower to sleep in a makeshift crib built of broken beams and animal skins, a pair of purple eyes watching over him...
 

RollinsCat

Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2010, 11:09:43 am »
A man reclined on his side across a bright cotton quilt, a baby lying against his chest.  The bed was clean; the furniture sturdy and the floor swept; an open bay window gave a full view the docks.  He'd paid quite a bit for this room but he wanted to see each ship arrive.  The rich tapesty of sound drifting in formed the orchestra to the songs he'd sung to his audience of one over the last four days.  It had been four days of bliss, with no worries and no demands.  But the mother would come hunting him soon and so he pushed his spectacles further up his nose and looked down at the infant.

"Aunt Aya's ship is late, and I have to take you home.  A shame, I was hoping to introduce you..."  The infant gurgled and waved a hand in the air with a drooling smile.  The man stroked the boy's cheek and marvelled, again, that anything could be so soft.  

"Are you ready to go, then?  We'll meet Aunt Aya and Minu another time.  I'm not sorry we had these days though.  You're going to be musical, I can tell."  He leaned to whisper, the baby smiling when the man's long hair tickled his face and neck.  "We're going to make that mother of yours sing, Tyri.  'Bad enough I miss your songs when you're gone'...yes, and I think you'll help me, won't you."  A giggle-snort, which he took for assent.  

"Good.  I'll write her some lullabys she can sing you.  Time to go, son."  The boy was lifted and tucked into a sling, and the packs and instruments arranged on the man's back.  He turned to give the docks of Port Hempstead one more worried look and left, closing the door with a quiet click.
 

RollinsCat

Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2010, 01:10:21 pm »
It was a happy day.  Dada carried in stuff.  Mama swept and Tyr'riel's floor was covered in softy tickly stuff that was warm.  They took away his dirt and little rocks but it didn't taste good so it was okay.  Dada made a lot of happy noise, on his funny sticks and singing.  Mama smiled sometimes which she didn't do often.  Tyr'riel liked this and held out chubby arms to be picked up so he could see the happy closer.  

There was a lot more stuff in the room now and he liked this too.  The soft floor was harder to move on so he rolled to what he wanted to touch and taste.  Dada put all his sticks and noisemaking things up high and Ty was mad about that but he forgot when Dada gave him a toy, his toy.  It was really soft and looked like a dog, or close enough.  He tasted and decided it was good.  

Dada had his own sleep place and a table and his noisemakers.  Mama's sleep place was pushed into a corner so the middle of the floor was left open for Ty.  Dada also dragged in a big bucket, big enough to hold Dada.  Mama didn't like that but Dada got to keep it even though he had to put in the room Mama never let Ty see.  Dada and Mama talked loud about Mama's boots on the soft floor but Mama ended up getting to keep them on.

He slept sometimes and woke, and Mama and Dada were still there and the room was full of Dada's happy sounds.  Mama even made some happy noises too, a little, like when it was just Mama and Ty and no one else.  Dada gave him some food that was sweet and he liked this very much.  And he had his toy.

It was a good day.
 

MommaT

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    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #3 on: June 13, 2010, 04:59:03 pm »
    Autumn giggled as she played with Tyr'riel, holding both of his hands and walking over him as he wobbled across the floor. The pair stopped moving as Ty looked around the room, and spotted his toy. He looked up at Autumn, to see if she saw the toy too, and the two of them wobbled their way over to it. Ty shakily let go of one of Autumn's hands to pick up the toy, toppling over in the process. Autumn smiled as the toddler gave the toy a big hug. "Dog," said Autumn, "Can you say 'dog?'" "Dah!" The boy offered the toy to Autumn, smiling. She grinned and accepted his gift. "It's a very nice dog," she said, petting it.

    Just then, there was some loud pounding as someone hammered down a loose nail. Ty looked up at Autumn with a concerned face, wondering how he should react. She looked back and smiled, putting her hands over her ears and shouting, "Loud!" Ty imitated her, covering his ears, but still looking around the house wondering what the noise was. Autumn distracted him by making silly faces at him and tickling him with his toy.

    "Hm...I think it's snack time! Ready?" She stood over him and held out her hands expectantly. Ty looked up and offered his hands to Autumn, who pulled him to his feet. "Here we go!" The two of them wobbled off to make some applesauce.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #4 on: June 18, 2010, 11:32:35 pm »
    Dada had been using the feather on his desk most of the day, and the sticks with the pretty colors too.  He'd fed Ty and they'd sung together.  Ty liked to sing.  

    Sometimes he'd go to Dada's desk and Dada would let him sit on his lap and watch but when he tried to help Dada would put him back on the rug with a smile.

    Autumn and Mama weren't there so Ty had to play with Tiger while Dada played with his sticks and his feather.  Tiger would play with Dada's wooden balls though and that made Ty giggle.  He pushed the balls to Tiger and Tiger would bite them until Ty came and got them and they did it again and again.  Then Ty found a bowl of strawberries and shared them with Tiger who liked that until Dada turned around and saw them and pulled the strawberry Ty had been sharing with Tiger from Ty's mouth.

    Then he made Ty take a bath.  Ty didn't like that.

    It was sleepytime and Dada picked up the thing on the desk he'd been playing with.  He sat down on the floor with his back to Mama's bed and Ty got in his lap and Dada showed him the toy.

    "Ty, this is a book.  Daddy wrote it for you, and I'll add new stories to it.  Maybe Mommy will too.  Someday you'll be able to read this."  Ty didn't know what a book or a story was but he wanted to see what Dada had been playing with all day.  Dada carefully opened the brown top.

    "A is for apple, and Autumn, and ant..."  It was pictures!  Dada was talking but there were pictures!  An apple!  And Autumn, a picture of Autumn!

    "'tum!  'tum!"  He pointed.  

    "Yes, that's Autumn....or Daddy's best rendition of her."  Ty wasn't listening.  He wanted to see more pictures.

    "B is for book, and bird, and butterfly..."  Ty loved the pictures.  Mama came home, but Ty didn't notice and neither did Dada until she lay down on the bed above them and read over Dada's shoulder.  Sometimes she would lean down and give Ty a kiss while he pointed out the pictures to her.  She kissed Dada once too, on his cheek.

    "D is for Daddy, and dog, and..."  A picture of Dada, which Ty pointed to a dozen times.  Mama thought the picture was funny and said something that made Dada reach back and poke her in the tummy.

    There were a lot of pictures.  He couldn't remember them all.  Elf and guitar and horse and halfling; icicle, jam and lamb; moth and mace and...

    "Mama!  Mama!  Mama!"  He was bouncing in Dada's lap.  There was a picture of Mama!  She was pretty with her purple eyes and smiling.  Mama didn't say anything about the picture but she looked at Dada a lot then gave Ty another kiss.

    More words and pictures.  He was getting sleepy.  He kept making Dada go back to his picture and Mama's.  Dada flipped past a bunch of pictures.

    "T is for..."  Ty was too tired to bounce but let out a really happy squeak.  It was a picture of him, a whole half of the toy was a picture of him playing with Tiger.  "...Tyr'riel, and Tiger."  He made Dada stay on that page.  He looked at the picture again and again.  His tummy felt warm.  He looked up at Mama to show her his picture again, in case she had missed it the first fifteen times he'd made her look, and she had her hand in Dada's hair.  He didn't seem to mind.  He looked kind of sleepy too.

    More words, then Mama and Dada whispering which meant he was going to sleep soon.  Dada shut the book.  

    It was a good day, except for the bath.
     

    ShiffDrgnhrt

    Destroying the Past...
    « Reply #5 on: June 21, 2010, 09:25:13 pm »
    Tyra sat at her desk, watching Tyr'riel trying to wrestle Tiger while Andrew was away.  Instead of letting the dog sleep, Tyr'riel would crawl up to the dog and tug his ears, poke his snot, pounce (as only toddlers can) on to his chest, tug his tail, resulting in the dog thwapping the boy on the head with his paw, or mouthing the boy knocking him on his bottom.  The boy just laughed, and tried harder, making Tyra grin at his efforts.

    In Tyra's hands sits a rice paper map, the map that led her, ultimately, to those who had the boy, whom after Tyra was given him, became Tyr'riel.  She knew she did not want the boy to know, though.  If Quill got his hands on him...

    She had wanted to give the boy the map, though.  Just the map.  No explanation other then to spark his interest and perhaps give him a chance to learn something.

    But not anymore.  She stuck it in the fireplace without a second thought, and went over to remove the fiesty toddler from his canine victim.

    "
    Come on, Tyr'riel.  About time you met your Grand parents..."
     

    ShiffDrgnhrt

    Happy Birthday, Orphan Boy
    « Reply #6 on: June 24, 2010, 03:47:29 pm »
    ~Threas, Apreal 19, 1467~

    It's been a year since Tyra brought the boy home with her.  What was once a (mostly) quiet infant is now a (mostly) quiet toddler, except for when Andrew sings to him.  Tyra, being the way she is, does not speak much to him.  She's much more tactile than verbal.  She holds him, hugs him, tickles him, and lets him touch things, reserving words for when they are needed.  Andrew, on the other hand, talks to him unceasingly, telling him stories or singing him songs, teaching him the names of pictures or pretending to be Tyr'riel talking to Tyra.

    To mark the occasion, Tyra made him a deer skin vest.  Black, of course.  She also made him a teddy bear.  It too was black, with greenstone eyes and a white patch for it's belly.  Andrew, on the other hand, made him a slide whistle, which Tyra took away after the first five minutes of the boy's 'performance.'

    Tyra also made him a rice cake.  His first taste of 'solid' food.

    Shiff, Tyra's father, ended up crashing the party, much to the boy's delight.  He wanted to give the boy his first sword, by which he planned to give the boy a full blown greatsword.  In a rare moment of agreement, both Tyra and Andrew urged Shiff to wait until the boy was at least as tall as the sword.  Tyr'riel, of course, was just enamored with a shiny thing to look at, though he never got to touch it.

    Valmara, Tyra's mother, was there too, shaking her head at her husband's idea of a present for a toddler.  Her present was a big cookie, which the boy was thankfully unaware of how bad her cooking was when he started munching on it.

    Eventually, after many hours of the boy playing with the two new big people, it was bed time.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #7 on: July 03, 2010, 06:14:23 am »
    Tyr'riel woke and there was talking and scraping and thumping.  The big BIG man was there, helping Daddy move stuff out of the room.  Ty had seen him before, the big BIG man, and liked him.  Sometimes when the big man was there he would sing which Ty liked because the man's voice was so deep it made him tickle; but Daddy seemed to like it more and sang with the big man and wrote things.

    Watching the big BIG man and Daddy move stuff was funny because the big man was as much taller to Daddy as Daddy was to everyone else so all the stuff was tilted.  It made Ty giggle.  Tiger kept running around them too and barked a bunch.

    Mama was packing things and moving them out.  She talked a lot more than usual about "don't forget this" and "let's leave that" but she seemed happy.  Or maybe it was because she was around Daddy.  She was always happier around Daddy.  But sometimes she'd stop and touch the walls of the room and then she'd look a little sad.  She didn't cry though.

    Daddy didn't talk much because he was moving stuff and he got tired quick.  So it took all the way to Ty's late snack for the room to get empty.

    Daddy came and got Ty and carried him outside.  Mama came out with Ty's crib.  There was a long cart with Daddy's big white horse in front.  Daddy made a space for Ty in the cart with blankets and his toys, so he could play.  Tiger got a space too, near Ty.  Mama came out and got on the cart and they both said goodbye and thank you to the big BIG man who didn't say much but waved.

    They left.

    It was a long trip, Daddy and Mama talking some and sometimes letting Ty sit up with them - always holding him a little too tight - and sometimes they made him stay in his space while Mama watched him.  Daddy always had the ropes in his hand to make the horse go, Mama didn't do that.  Daddy would put his stinky sticks in his mouth and Mama would make faces and grumpy noises.  Ty slept a lot.

    He didn't know how long but it was light and dark and light and dark.  Then they went through some gates and there were people, more people than Ty have ever seen before.  He hid low in his spot and watched through a space in the cart sides.  Lots of people, lots of noise.

    The cart stopped and Ty peeked out and smelled something funny.  There were noisy birds and bells clanging and men yelling back and forth, boxes and people moving around, and the air smelled like when Mama cooked fish but different.  Mama and Daddy left the cart and the horse by a big...boat?  It was like a picture Daddy had made him.  A boat.  Only so big Ty thought a whole bunch of cart would fit in it.  Men were moving their stuff into a hole in the boat and Ty and Mama and Daddy walked up a board and then Ty could see a bunch of stuff, buildings and people, and yelled until they held him up higher.  Daddy had to put his silver shiny things on his face.

    It was a long time on the boat.  Ty slept a lot and so did Mama.  Daddy was outside almost the whole time and Ty even saw him in the white sheets sometimes, over Ty's head.  Mama watched Daddy do this and Ty could tell she was thinking because her face did that scrunchy thing.

    Then the boat stopped and they got off and Daddy was happy.  More happy,  because he'd been happy a lot.  The stuff went to different places; Daddy dropped Mama and her stuff off at a big house and then took Tiger and the white horse to another big house.  Tiger jumped right out and ran inside, barking, and Ty heard another bark even deeper than Tiger's.  And a lady's voice.

    Daddy took him inside.  Ty held on to Daddy's hair and looked around.  He could see big dragon-birds but they didn't move.  There was a lot of stuff in the room.  Daddy took him into a smaller room, with another crib like the one they'd left at Mama's house.  

    "Welcome home, Ty."  Daddy was so happy that Ty was happy too.  Ty got to look around; there was a big big desk, books that Daddy ran around and picked up before Ty could get to them, more of Daddy's music sticks and a bunch of his rappers (or that's what Ty thought they sounded like) which Daddy moved up high so Ty couldn't reach.  And a big bucket with water in it - which Ty didn't like.  It meant Daddy could give him baths.

    They laid down on a big bed and Daddy let him bounce until Mama came in.  Ty was so tired by then that his crib felt as soft as clouds when they finally laid him in it.

    It was the longest bunch of days he could remember.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #8 on: September 25, 2010, 02:34:38 pm »
    Originally posted by Shiffdrgnhrt:

    Another year had gone by.

    The little boy was now walking, something his mother found annoying. No longer would he sit in one spot chewing on a toy or banging things together, but now he was taking things off shelves, opening drawers, knocking over bottles, and running after mice. Mother would tie a leash around his waist and keep all but his toys out of reach, but he was learning how to unbuckle it. The only time he wasn't tied down is when his mother took him to see Father or Autumn.

    Father didn't mind the boy's locomotion as much. He would let Tyr'riel chase Tiger around, or make forts out of pillows for the boy to demolish. but even Andrew found it uncanny that the boy would find ways to get at Andrew's instruments, even the heavier ones. Andrew once turned around after giving him a bath to find the boy almost into the case of Andrew's most precious violin, and also got woken up in the middle of the night by Tyr'riel blowing on some pan-pipes. A strange mix of pride and annoyance was on Father's face that day.

    Autumn on the other hand made use of Tyr'riel's new found propulsion to play hide and seek. She giggled as Tyr'riel would just chase her around through the leaves, but surprised how well he managed to search for her.

    And then there are times where he would just suddenly stop and listen and stare out in to his surroundings. Autumn and Mother would find him staring down rabbits, foxes, even the occasional chipmunk gorged on acorns. But he would just stop and stare. Then just as suddenly try to chase them down. Mother always seemed to smile after that, and Autumn used to giggle. 'That must mean it's a good thing,' he thought. 'One day I'll even catch something.'
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #9 on: September 25, 2010, 02:36:43 pm »
    Originally posted by RollinsCat:

    Gentle scratchings of quill on paper. A warm and patient tenor voice.

    "Okay, Ty. What letter is this?"

    "Uh, uh...tee."

    "Good!" More soft writing. "And what is this one?"

    "Uh...uh...Idunno."

    "It's a Y. You know, like that word you say all the time? Why? It sounds like that." The voice sounds like it's smiling. The sound of a quill again. "This one?" A tap.

    "Aaaaarrrrrrrrrr!" The child's voice drags the sound out like a pirate, and there is a giggle.

    A quick scratch on the paper. "I haven't explained this yet but it's called a comma, to separate the first and second sounds of your name. Say it with me: Comma."

    "Kama."

    "Good, that's a comma. And this again..." A plunk, a quick rapping of metal on glass, then the whispered scritching again, longer this time.

    "Arr arr arr!"

    "R, yes it is. And this one?"

    "Eyyyyyyyyeeeee."

    "I, right. And this is..."

    "EeeeeeeeeeeeeEE!" Giggles again.

    "Right, the same sound Mommy makes when I tickle her. And last is..."

    "Uhhh...eye?"

    "No...."

    "Uhm, mm..." The child's voice trails off.

    "Say your name, your whole name."

    "Ti-ri-el."

    "Okay, say it again, and listen to the last letter sound. The last sound in your name."

    "Ti-ri-el. Ti-ri-ellllllllllllll...lllllll...ell!"

    "VERY good, very good." Patting, and then the echo of little feet bouncing on the floor.

    "Yay, yay! Cookie?"

    A sigh...
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #10 on: September 25, 2010, 02:38:41 pm »
    Originally posted by MommaT:

    Autumn takes Ty'riel out for a walk in the woods for some exploring and learning. She crouches down next to him and speaks softly.

    "I know a special trick for hide-and-seek, want to know what it is?"

    The boy nods and listens intently.

    "You can find where people are by looking for their foot prints." She turns around and points to their own tracks. "These are your foot prints, and these ones are mine. Do you want to try finding me by using my foot prints?" The boy nods again. "Okay, I'm going to go hide, and I want you to close your eyes and count to 30." Ty'riel begins counting, as Autumn runs off to hide, being sure to stay on ground where she will leave foot prints that are easy for a child to follow. Ty grins when he finds Autumn, who motions for him to stay quiet. Autumn speaks in a whisper. "You did it! Good job! Look down here." Autumn points to some tracks on the ground. "These are bear foot prints, do you want to see if we can find the bear by following the foot prints?" The boy's eyes grow wide, and he nods excitedly. "Okay, you'll have to stay really quiet so we don't scare it away." The two quietly creep along, following the tracks, until they see the bear munching on some blueberries. "Look Ty, the bear is eating! You should never bother a wild bear when it's eating, or it might get angry and attack you. Does that bear look familiar to you?" Ty'riel looks closely at the bear, and then smiles when he realizes who it is. "Osarya!" "That's right! That's Osarya!" Autumn calls Osarya over, and they both pet her happily before joining her in her blueberry snack time.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #11 on: September 25, 2010, 02:39:33 pm »
    Originally posted by RollinsCat:

    He was sick, again. He didn't know it was bad. He didn't know why his parents wrapped his hands so he could not itch the little hurting spots on his face and chest or why he was rocked night after night and held when he wanted to scratch, or why they were all so very worried. He only knew that his head hurt a lot and he was tired, too tired to play and sometimes all the stuff in his tummy came out of his mouth and tasted bad and felt worse. And he wanted to scratch and they wouldn't let him.

    Mommy and Daddy and Autumn whispered a lot. Daddy sang which he usually liked but sometimes he wanted Daddy to be quiet because the sound made his head hurt a lot more. But he was too sick to talk.

    They made him drink. He didn't want to. They patted him with wet rags that were cool and it hurt, he wanted to be warm, not cold. He cried for a little bit but it only made the ouch worse so he quit, finally, and just lay in Daddy's arms, not understanding, not caring anymore. It all just hurt.

    Daddy cried a lot.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #12 on: September 25, 2010, 02:40:18 pm »
    Originally posted by RollinsCat:

    He was moved again - from the houses with the dragons and the big bath to a new room, far away. At least he thought it was far away. There was lots of time on boats, which he didn't like too much at first because they made him stay in his room even when he wasn't sick and he couldn't run around on the deck no matter how much neat stuff was up there. He was bored and cranky until Autumn made up a game called "Can't See Me" where they would sneak around and try not to get caught. He loved that and then it wasn't so bad - when Mama found out she tried to frown but he could see she was really kind of happy about it and she didn't hardly scold Autumn at all.

    Then it got cold, and then there was snow. Lots of it, which made him kind of excited because it looked like a lot of fun to play in, when he felt better. He was sick though and stayed in Mama's arms, all wrapped up in an itchy bear skin.

    Mama took him into a big stone house with snow all around and stopped outside to talk to Autumn about something and the talking and warmth and sickness put him to sleep.

    When he woke he was in a stone room and Daddy was there, talking to a voice he didn't know. They thought he was asleep so they kept talking and he stayed pretending, breathing quiet and slow like he'd learned. They were talking about Daddy being sick then Mama started being bad and Daddy yelled at her, or kind of yelled, he never raised his voice much. Pretty Elly was there and joined in and Autumn too and Mama whined then got quiet.

    Then they talked a lot about being sick and Daddy wanting cigars, and Daddy and Mama had a talk after everyone was gone. He fell asleep in between the sick and the cigars for real because the bed was really soft and he was tired. But he woke up again when just Mama and Daddy were talking and Daddy gave this long talk about some old bard Willie and trust, and she got mad but not really for long, she just sounded tired. Then they moved him to a cot and he pretended to wake up.

    He was happy to see Daddy, and Daddy was happy to see him even if Daddy had bandages on under his clothes and gloves like he'd been hurt. They talked and tickled and Ty's little cot wasn't as comfy as the bed until Daddy put the bear skin under the sheets to make it softer then it was warm and thick and he went right back to sleep.

    The next day he got to play in the snow and made friends with another little boy in the temple who had something wrong with his legs, and he saw a lot of Daddy that day, and the next, and the next, and the next...

    It was a good time, except for being sick.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #13 on: September 25, 2010, 02:41:39 pm »
    Originally posted by RollinsCat:

    A forth birthday came and went with a little party for him by Daddy, Mother, Elly, and Autumn, held in the temple. Nick was there too but Ty's other friends were gone home now. He wasn't sick on his birthday either, although the sickness still came and went, only less than before. A little less bad each time. But Aeridin made him not sick on his birthday and he thought that was a nice present from the god Daddy called their "host".

    Instead of cake, Elly made a really big cookie, big enough to be a cake, the tastiest cookie he'd every had. Way better than Grandma Val's and Mother's even. She taught him the elven words for "celebration of a life's progression" (which she said was birthday, essentially) and "cookie, please". Everyone was using elven these days, since Mother was teaching both Daddy and him to speak it. He was learning way faster than Daddy.

    Autumn gave him a cloak that was all kinds of browns, greens, some yellow - it was all spotted but she said it would help him hide. He went to bed wearing it sometimes. Nick made him a picture of the two of them together, sitting because Nick couldn't walk. Daddy said Nick had talent. Ty loved the picture and begged until they had it framed so it would not get ripped. And there were a tiny bag of candies from someone Daddy knew, a lady named Anna. He really liked the candy.

    Grandmother and Grandfather Reid sent him a cup, saucer, plate and bowl just for him - it came late though because they sent it to the old house, with the two dragons in the big room. Grandma and Grandpa Dragonheart sent him a big cold-weather cloak. Mother said Grandma must have picked the gift this year.

    Mother gave him a little wooden sword. It looked like Mother's right-hand sword and she'd had Daddy paint frost on it even. He loved it but Mother was stern when she gave it to him. This is for practice with me, Tyr'riel. Don't hit anyone with it - or else! And she kept it when she wasn't showing him how to use it after the first time he went "monster hunting" in the temple storeroom and valiantly slayed a menacing bag of ground wheat, two evil boxes of nuts, and a jar of maple syrup (an innocent bystander - he'd have to work on his return swing, said Mother, trying not to laugh).

    Those practices would become some of his strongest, and best, memories of her.

    Daddy gave him two presents. The first was a guitar Daddy had made for him. It was made of hickory and was just small enough for Ty to learn but Daddy said it would last him a little while before he needed a big one. Ty was happy Daddy hadn't made him a violin. He liked guitar much better.

    The second present was his most favorite though; his very own swing. The temple didn't have many places to play, so Daddy found a big, strong old oak with a long branch that was on the temple grounds and made him a swing with a short board and some rope. He made one for Nick too with rope to tie him on and a back so he wouldn't fall backwards too much. Nick's mama liked it a lot and Nick was always wanting to go out and swing even if it was snowing.

    Ty's swing had his name carved on it, like a throne. Tyr'riel William Reid Dragonheart. Mother and Daddy argued a lot over the name - he didn't know he had a middle name until then, and apparently neither did Mother. Daddy won that argument the same way he'd won the ones about calling Tyr'riel Ty - he just wore Mother down. But she would not budge on Reid Dragonheart. Every argument from Daddy that it should be Dragonheart Reid got the same response from Mother: she had Ty first, and if Daddy wanted to cough up a ring and get properly married and be monogamous (whatever that meant) then she'd think about changing it. It always shut Daddy up, but since they came to the temple they didn't have that argument anymore.

    It was a good birthday, and he loved his swing.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #14 on: September 25, 2010, 02:42:12 pm »
    Originally posted by Shiffdrgnhrt:

    Mother's toy has turned out to be more work then fun. Every morning when the sun isn't up yet (and the grass is still frosty) Mother comes into my room and wakes me. She scared me so bad the first time. She was dressed in all black, which was not the scary part since she is almost always in black. It was the way she appeared like a black shadow in the door, dressed liked the bad guys in Daddy's songs.. Mother never snuck up on me like that before. She simply tossed Gramma's cloak at me and told me to get up and be outside before the sun came up... or else. I never liked "or else"...

    When I went outside, Mother handed me my wooded sword, stuck into a new leather holster. Even a belt! She told me to put it on, which I did but it wasn't easy. It did not have a buckle like Daddy's. Mother showed me how to tie it though, making a small loop in front. It felt nice. I felt like Mother and Daddy, ready to slay more monsters... just no more slaying syrup jars. Mother made me clean the entire store room after that. (Daddy wanted her to "let me slide" but Mother said something about responsibility and consequences and handed me a bucket and brush).

    We then walked off toward the woods. Autumn was heading back with a berry basket but Mother kept me from running over for some. Autumn just smiled and said she'd see me later. She looked unsure of something though, but when Mother looked at her Autumn just nodded and went back to the temple.

    After a long walk in the woods, we arrived at a clearing, with all sorts of weird wooden things in it. Some looked like circles within circles, another looked like a weird person, and then there were more wooden weapons. They were too big for me. That's when Mother told me to sit on an old log and pay attention. She said that as long as we were at the temple, we would come here once a week "to train." I didn't know what that meant, but she said it was like playing and learning at the same time. I was a little bit excited. Mother said she wanted me to be able to take care of myself when she's not around.

    The rest of the day Mother showed me how to properly use my sword, but I started falling asleep around lunch time. She kept saying that if I don't focus I would never learn, so every time I saw a squirrel or chased a butterfly she made me work harder.She wouldn't let me rest though, even when I cried cause my feet hurt, until Daddy showed up. Then she came over and picked me up and kissed my cheek softly, and whispered in my ear that she was proud I managed to keep at it for that long. I feel asleep when she passed me to Daddy...

    I woke up to the smell of dinner and Autumn's berries when it was dark outside. I could here Mother and Daddy yelling in the other room, along with my name. Autumn told me to stay in her room, though. Eventually they stopped. I think Mother won... They both came in and Mother gave me my sword with a warning about breaking things. Daddy did not seem to happy though. He had my guitar in his hand. He said he'd show me how to use it latter, but I was too tired to get excited.

    I hope guitar is easier then swords...
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #15 on: September 25, 2010, 02:42:54 pm »
    Originally posted by Shiffdrgnhrt:

    "Tyr'riel, iream ilma aey anewila?" Mother spoke in Elvish again.
    "E ils oela, Seaniram." I did not want to practice though. "Can't I-"
    "Le, aey sylaan tymilnyanenya. E ils laemma."
    That's what she always said. "Aala, Seaniram." At least then I could tell Autumn secrets. She liked talking to me in Elvish, even if I didn't always understand her. "Iream ilma aey anewila?"
    * * *
    Spending time with Autumn and Dad has been fun. Autumn and I have been hunting rabbits. I find it funny when I disappear on her and she gets scared. But I don't do it much. Especially since I've been sick. Autumn said she gets scared because I don't respond when she calls me, but I do. I come back. She then says, 'Why didn't you say anything?' but I don't need to say anything, do I? I know where I am. Doesn't she?

    Dad on the other hand has been wanting me to sing but I just like to hum. I think it makes him sad. I don't feel like talking or singing. Especially if I don't have to. I tell them when I like something or when I see some thing bad or if I hurt. But I don't sing or talk. I don't ask many questions. I like to figure things out. Mother was surprised when she saw me sewing a doll together for Autumn out of my old clothes. She had no idea I knew how. But I watched Mother enough. It's just hard to thread that pointy needle.

    Life's been quiet. I like that.
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #16 on: September 27, 2010, 09:36:02 am »
    Guitar was easier than Mother's lessons, mostly because of Daddy.  The guitar itself wasn't easy - there were a lot of things Daddy had to teach him, chords, strings, letters that went with the strings, how and where to press his fingers and strum to make this sound, or that one.  How to write the little tadpoles that were the music letters; he wasn't very good at that, yet.

    But Daddy taught very differently than Mother, and that made it easy.  Mother would make him do things over and over until he wanted to scream and cry, and then make him do it again. It's for you own good, Tyr'riel.  Someday this will save your life.  

    Daddy would sit and talk, enough for both of them since he didn't feel like it much.  Daddy would put his fingers where they needed to go and help him strum.  Daddy would let him stop if he wanted a break, and let him decide when he was done.  Daddy showed him a place he could go for just himself; music.  There was never a time that he felt pushed or forced and he liked that, a lot.  

    Mostly at first he'd just copy Daddy's sounds, and when Daddy was away in Lor he'd practice that, but one day when Daddy came home he was able to play a little song he'd made up.  He didn't know if it was any good; Autumn liked it, Mother didn't really say anything when he played it but he thought maybe she smiled.  

    But Daddy.  Daddy asked him to play it again, and again, and then sat with him and played a backing melody.  It was the first time they'd played something together that he'd made up.  Daddy did make him sit down with the bar-paper book thing that Daddy had given him and write the song down in music language.  That took a long time and Daddy had to help a lot.

    But when he was done he felt really, really proud.  As proud as if Mother had given him one of her rare but sincere compliments after practice.  And it was his.  He made it, he played it, he wrote it.

    He would always remember that as a very good day.
     

    ShiffDrgnhrt

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #17 on: October 20, 2010, 08:18:18 pm »
    //Tyr'riel is now 5 or 6.  Born some time in 1466.  This is for reference.
     

    ShiffDrgnhrt

    There are many like it, but this one's mine... Part 1
    « Reply #18 on: October 22, 2010, 12:23:05 pm »
    Today was my birthday, or at least it felt like it was.  Daddy is usually the one who gives me fun things.  Mother just gives me stuff to wear.  Today though Mother gave me a sword...

    This morning, Mother woke me up when it was still dark outside.  I was hoping it wasn't because she wanted me to go somewhere with her.  She always wakes me up like that when she wants me to go somewhere with her.  And of course she did.  She threw a leather coat on my head and told me to be at the door in ten minutes dressed or I'd be going naked.

    Eleven minutes later Mother burst into the room was I was fighting with my boots.  They wouldn't go on!  I started crying, I didn't want to walk around naked.  She walked up to me, looking down from inside her hood.  That always scared me.  I never knew what she was going to do.  I closed my eyes, expecting some sort of punishment, when I felt my boot slip on and get tighter.  She was putting my boots on.  I opened my eyes to see her looking at me as if worried, her hood pushed back.  "Just ask me for help next time, okay?"  I felt a bit bad.  I forgot how Mother gets worried when I don't talk.  I just nodded and replied that I would next time, and put the coat on.  Mother took me on a boat after.  I'd never been on a boat before.  

    A few weeks later...

    I like boats.  They make my tummy feel funny.  Mother seemed fine, as always (though I thought she smelled like rotten eggs again).  There was lots of places to hide, but when someone found me they chased me until I found Mother.  "Keep that rat in his hole, woman, and out of my hold."  Mother just took me back to the little room by the hand.  There she would talk to me in Elf.  I was starting to like talking in Elf, even if I wasn't good at it.  Mother said she wasn't either, but she was better than me.  She said I was getting better though.  "Yer not confusing the past and future tense any more..."  I didn't know what that meant but it made me smile.  I asked her why she didn't teach me how to write in Elvish too, but she said she didn't know how.  I asked her about reading elvish but Mother said she didn't know how to do that either.  I didn't believe her though.  Mother always seemed to know everything.

    Eventually we got off the boat.  Mother had taken me to another city, but this one did not look as nice as Leringard.  Mother called it Fort Vehl.  She also called it something else but I didn't understand it, but I bet it wasn't nice.  She told me to stay close to her, or some bad person may take me away and do bad things to me.  The way she looked at me was different than the way she does when she just wants me to do something.  She had her hand on something inside her cloak and it was even scarier than her 'death glare.'  I whined and asked for her to carry me, and she did.  She held me tight and pulled her cloak around me.  It was nice.  Mother didn't hold me much anymore.  She would always make sure I was playing and then go work on something.

    She carried me through the city quickly, and no one seemed to notice.  Mother always spooked me with how quietly she walked.  Eventually we came to a big building.  She said it was a arena.  I didn't know what that was but when we went inside, I figured it out.  There were lots of people fighting each other inside.  They seemed like they wanted to hurt each other.  I asked Mother why and she said that that's how the world is.  There are people who want to hurt others and take their things just because they can or because they find it fun.  It sounded mean.  I asked her why she doesn't beat them up cause they're bad.  She just looked at me for a while.  "There is only one of me, and many of them.  You have to take out the big ones first, and the little ones will run away."

    Later we went to a small room.  It had a wooden person in it, and lots of shiny metal things Mother called 'weapons.'  She told me these were like the wooden sword I have at home, but these ones are real, and can hurt people.  She then just sat down, and looked at me.  When I glanced at the shiny weapons she said, "See anything you like?"  There were lots.  Some long, some small.  Most were pointy, a few were curved or round.  I saw one that looked like Mother's, and one that looked like Dad's.  I even saw one that looked like Grampa's...  But which one would be mine...
     

    RollinsCat

    Re: Tyr'riel - Twists of Fate
    « Reply #19 on: October 22, 2010, 02:00:07 pm »
    The rapiers were light - easy to pick up, easy to swing.  Like Dad's and oji-Reid's.  He looked at the three hanging in a weapon rack.  None looked exactly like Dad's, with the woven metal basket that completely covered the hand.  Mother called them skinny poking sticks, always with a smirk, when she saw Dad practice.  He passed them by.

    There were short swords, like Mother's.  He glanced over to her once as he stood in front of the short, slim blades hung in a neat row; she was smiling and her eyes glittered under her hood.  He knew these the best because he practiced with a little wooden one.  These were all copper or iron and pretty plain.  He kept looking.

    The greatswords, like Grandpa Dragonheart's.  Too big for him to hold and really heavy.  Grandpa would be proud, if he chose that - but they were really, really heavy and didn't let you use your other hand for anything else.  He almost touched one with scrollwork on the hilt but Mother shifted pointedly where she sat.  He withdrew his hand and moved to the other wall.

    Longer swords, somewhere between short and great, at least seven he could count and each a little different.  The edges gleamed with oil and they looked pretty neat.  But long, and hard to use with one hand, at least they seemed that way.

    There were other weapons hanging on that wall, whips and really big poles with blades on the end; axes from little to big, but he had no interest in them.   Some clubs with knobby heads but he thought clubs were for orcs.  He moved on.

    Finally - hanging in pair on the wall behind the door - two swords, differing only in length, blades curved with only one edge sharp.  Dad had taught him about these when giving him history lessons about the islands.  They were popular on Corsain (Dad taught him at lot about Corsain, which was weird, because they were from Huangjin, weren't they?  But Dad would smile and say that it would be important to him someday, and change the subject).  

    Huangjin sabres.  That's what they was called.  The longer one was too long, but the shorter one looked just right.  He walked up, studied the metal and the cloth-and-leather hilt with the patterned grip, felt Mother's eyes on him.  

    He turned and took in the room again, each weapon, each sword, in silence.  The sabre shone in the corner of his vision.  He could use it one-handed...it would make both of his parents happy...and it was just pretty neat looking, different.  Maybe it would be hard to learn with only one side sharp but then he'd have a way to strike without hurting if he wanted.

    "That one."  One finger went almost imperiously to the sabre.

    "Are you sure?  That's not easy to learn and we'll have to find you a tutor to learn two - "

    "Just one, Mother.  Please."  She frowned at that, but his small face was set not in stubborn petulance but in calm determination.  She stood and pulled the sword off the wall in one fluid move.

    "Happy birthday, son."