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| | | From: Hiel Troiye (Original Message) | Sent: 11/16/2003 10:23 AM |
| Location: Elmshade. | | ~ ~ ~ Definitely surprised by Tessa's hug, the tired Silenni had neither presence of mind nor the where with all to stop her from escaping his grasp had he so desired. Numbly, the Shadoweir watched his female companion disappear into the Twisted Root then slowly turned heading for the Temple to make his report to High Priestess Siannodell. ~ ~ ~
(3/4 1st level - X3 Cure Light Wounds) | (DM: In continuing threads, Hi'el runs afoul of the Weremacht and their Slaver Circus, embarrasses himself in front of the Paladin Marsala Moreheaart , gets forgiven and quested by Mielikki, and as of this post confronts with Lita Starfire a Strange Musician at the Shrine. Riddick is scheduled to stroll tiredly back into Elmshade in a little over an hour, or perhaps will seek out a ship taking up piracy once more on the open seas.) | | Hi'el Troiye | |
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| Location: Elmshade. | Tessa is freshened up from her recent bath and feeling much, much better and looking radiantly alluring, as usual. She has had her clothes cleaned at the Inn and is dressed in a satiny, blue robe as she sits by the fire, waiting for her long, blonde hair to dry.
Tessa sips at a white wine, glad that the tavern is deserted this evening. Jarlosh brings her clothes to her, freshly cleaned and pressed and she smiles, taking them back to her room with her wine and getting fully dressed again.
Tessa opens the windows to her room and sits near it, sipping from her wine and watching out the window, staring at the full moon and thinking.
Tessa’s attention is drawn to the forest's edge as she sees a silhouette slowly making its way out of the foliage. Her green eyes concentrate, trying to pick out who it might be, and the bright light of the moon helps some.
Rider At first glance, Tessa sees a figure mounted on his horse slowly walking down the slope toward the gardens of the Temple. At a second glance when the figure passed along the shore of one of the tranquil ponds with the moon reflected full upon ...
Rider ... the surface, she could discern something strange about the silhouette. The rider was too far forward on the horse with no legs hanging down along the mount's barrel. The head of the horse was missing. In fact, the rider and horse were one.
Centaur Tessa beheld a centaur slowly making its way to the Temple.
Tessa’s gaze widened a little upon realizing that she was actually seeing a legendary creature she had only read and heard about. She watched raptly, her attention completely held by the wondrous horse-man, and she wondered if it would run away if she were to
Tessa try and approach it. She made a mental note of where it was and gathered her cloak, not bothering to put on her boots. She quickly descended the tavern stairs and slipped out into the night air with a curious and delighted smile on her fair face.
Outside Tessa exits the inn, and heads for where she last saw the centaur, but can't find him at first. As she walks around in search of the centaur, she spies movement on the grounds of the Temple, and a light near the rear of it. There again...
Temple ... silhouetted by the light stands the centaur with another robed figure. An exchange is made, and the light is extinguished as the door of the temple closes, blocking out the light.
Tessa sees the light and heads towards it, her bare feet quiet in the well kept grass of the Temple grounds. She pulls her cloak tighter around her and she stops, frozen, as she notices the centaur exchange something with someone from the Temple. Her emerald
Tessa eyes narrow in curiosity and she tries to hide a little behind a tree, watching with wonder as she studies the large horse-man, watching the way he moves.
Centaur Standing quietly in the shadows of the Temple, Tessa gauges the Centaur to be about 6'2" and perhaps around 600lbs of horse flesh. The centaur was wearing a black mantle that covered his shoulders and flowed down over his equine back. He puts..
Centaur ... away whatever was received into a pocket of the mantle and prepares to leave. Along his left equine shoulder hangs the curved scabbard of a katana sword, and in his right hand is a metal shod staff. Out into the moonlight, the centaur ...
Centaur ... walks, heading away from where Tessa hid and deeper into the Gardens. She now discern more easily that the centaur was male. He had long auburn hair that flowed down his back, and red dun coloration of his equine body. The centaur moved ...
Centaur ... with ease and grace along the gravel paths of the Temple toward the lake and water falls of the Garden.
Tessa sees him put the token away and notices his weaponry. The thought goes through Tessa's mind that he might not take kindly to being surprised at night, and so she boldly stepped into the moonlight, following him curiously. The gravel would hurt her tender
Tessa feet, she knew, so she stayed in the grass as long as possible. As he moved deeper into the Garden, she suddenly wondered what she would say to him, or if he would be friendly... taking a breath, she softly called out, "Hello?" and drew her cloak tightly
Tessa around her slender form again, wishing her hair was completely dry, for the air was turning slightly chilly.
Centaur As Tessa moved from her hiding spot and moved to follow, the centaur stopped, and twisted his torso about at the waist to see who was behind him. He regards the young lady who had come after him, and reply to her greeting, bows his head to ...
Centaur ... her saying in deep tenor "Peace to you. Is there something wrong?" He stares at the young woman.
Tessa smiles gently at him in wonder and moves closer, her eyes full of amazement. "Nothing wrong... no... I... I just... are you real?" she asks sweetly and then flushes pink at how stupid that sounded. She bites the bottom of her delicate lips and looks down.
Tessa "Um, I mean... I've never met a real centaur before," she says shyly and glances back up at him. "May I ... may I touch you?" she asks hesitantly and stretches forth a slim hand to do just that, the moonlight cool and turning her hair to platinum.
Centaur As Tessa steps with 10 feet of the centaur, a powerful sensation sweeps over her of powerful goodness and incorruptible trust. Like a blanket of warmth, it covers her and pushes back the chill of the night air. He tilts his head quizzically...
Centaur ... at her question, and grins at her flustered reaction to him. He sidesteps his hindquarters out of her reach, turning about to face her, and takes hold of her hand, saying good naturedly "Wouldn't you like to know the name of the centaur whom ...
Centaur ... you are about to touch first?" He smiles at her, his full lips spread back revealing even white teeth from his beardless face.
Tessa’s blush gets even brighter and she turns her hand to shake his her with another shy smile. She chuckles and nods, agreeing. "Why yes, actually, forgive me, where are my manners? " She shakes his hand softly and looks full into his handsome face, her own
Tessa beautiful features almost child-like in her wonder as her eyes travel the length and breadth of his impressive form. "I'm Tessa," she says quietly. "And I love horses, but I've never met a centaur before... I... I mean no disrespect... and... why do I ...
Tessa already trust you? It's so much warmer here next to you... is that magic? What's your name? Are there more like you? Why do you come to the Temple... and.." She stopped suddenly, grinning and biting her lip again, feeling foolish. "I'm sorry, I don't mean
Tessa to ask so many questions."
Centaur He continues lightly holding her hand, as she rattles off her questions in rapid succession. The mantle he wears hangs open revealing deeply tanned copperish skin and his strongly muscled human abdomen and chest. As she finishes her initial ...
Centaur ... barrage of questions, he swings his hindquarters around to stand beside her facing deeper into the Gardens, and tells her "I am Kiayel Lansrian. Come let us talk by the fire pond where we can see better." He steps off, pulls Tessa with him.
Kaiyel He leads her into the Gardens to the fire pond, where natural gas bubbled up from the pools depths and burned on the surface in bright orange flames. As they walk, his equine flank and shoulder brushes against her with every step. He tells ...
Kaiyel ... her "I am a Servant of the Forest Gods, and there are only a few like me. I came here to get Holy Water to replenish my supply." He leads her into the fire light where she first glimpses his bright blue eyes regarding her.
Kaiyel Standing in the flickering orange firelight, he asks her "You mentioned you loved horses, does that mean you're also wondering if you'll love centaurs also?"
Tessa smiles at him, her green eyes crinkling in amusement and she cannot suppress the chuckle that escapes her lips. She shakes her head slightly and blushes again. "I... I have no doubt that I will like you, as well," she says. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
Kaiyel He nods, and tells her "By all means, do as you please. And since we've introduced ourselves, you asked to touch me. Have you satisfied that need?" He watches her, silhouetted by fire pond.
Tessa studies him a moment, quietly. She shyly smiles and stretches out her hand once more, tracing it lightly along his withers, stroking the short hair there as she would any horse, feeling the fine hairs lay smooth beneath her slender fingertips. She avoids
Tessa his gaze as she does so, afraid she will find him laughing at her with his amazing eyes. She stops and then smiles at him again, sitting down near the bank of the pond and looking towards the firelight.
Tessa "So what do you use the Holy Water for, Kaiyel?"
Kaiyel The skin beneath her finger tips dances just as any horse's flesh would then settles into still firmness under her touch. He curiously watches her as she satisfies her own interests in touching him. In answer to her...
Kaiyel ... question, he tells her "The Holy Water is good for any number of things. Cleaning festering wounds, destroying Undead... " He in turn asks her "Where are you from? You don't fit in around here."
Tessa keeps the smile on her face and regards him silently, thinking about his question. The firelight flickers against her blonde tresses, turning them to burnished gold. It reflects in her eyes, too and she again looks to the dancing flames. When she speaks,
Tessa her voice is quiet. "I come from a town quite a ways from here. It is a larger city, and had many things this little backwater village lacks. As for fitting in... " she sighs and closes her eyes slowly. "I don't fit in anywhere, Kaiyel. But I make the
Tessa most of it." She forces a smile and meets his eyes again. "Have you been in this area a long time?"
Kaiyel He regards her thoughtfully in the fire light, and sees she's probably had a troubled past of some sort. "I just passing through. I rarely stay in one place for very long. What brought you here?"
Tessa looks back at him and her smile grows a little. "Won't you come sit with me by the fire, Kaiyel?" She runs a hand over the grass near where she sits, thoughtfully and watches him. "I was forced to leave my home. The bank came to collect the debts
Tessa incurred by my father, after my mother died." Her green eyes show sadness and a little repressed anger. "I had to leave my horse, too... " she says and sighs softly again. "So, I left to make my own way in this world, hoping to earn a living as a mage. My
Tessa master recommended that I come here, to Elmshade, to study under the Mage Trinity. But I haven't approached them yet." A frown crosses her delicate features and she shrugs. "I've been too busy fighting undead as of late."
Kaiyel He moves near to where she sits, and aligns his body with the bough of a tree before kneeling down to lay upon the ground. He folds his legs under himself, getting comfortable, and reclines his torso against the bough of the tree. He lays with...
Kaiyel ... the length of his body fully illuminated by the flames. He sighs, and replies "I'm sorry for your loss. What of your father?"
Tessa shrugs and looks away from him again, her smile fading once more. Her voice is still quiet... subdued. "Thank you, but life goes on, right?" She nods to herself at this statement and plucks a few strands of grass, twisting and twining them between her
Tessa fingers. "My father is a drunk, a thief, a fool and a letch. I don't know what has become of him, and frankly could care less." Her voice is icy cold, and she shivers a little at the memory of the evil man.
Tessa’s eyes turn hardened again and she once more forces a smile, looking over at him and reaching out once more to stroke his skin. Her gaze softens a bit as she does so. "So do you let people ride you?"
Kaiyel He stares at Tessa as she speaks, and sorrowfully shakes his head. He says "Life does indeed go on. I apologize for reviving such painful memories." Under her touch, his skin again shivers and leaps like that of a horse's. Inside the opening...
Kaiyel ... of his mantle near his throat, the centaur's heartbeat pulses visibly. He watches her caress his smooth soft skin which grows taut at her continued touch. He tells her "Only a few times have I carried people. They have never ridden me."
Tessa frowns a little in confusion at his answer and looks at him curiously. She continues to stroke along his flank and her smile becomes a little puzzled. "Is... is there a difference?" she asks innocently.
Kaiyel He shifts his hind legs further out from his body to ease the pressure upon his more sensitive body parts. He inhales deeply, and shivers slightly at where her touch has drifted upon his body. He reaches across his equine body to take her hand.
Tessa lets him take her hand and smiles at him a little. "Is... is something wrong?" she asks, sensing an unspoken tension about him.
Kaiyel He slowly pulls her from where she sits near his hindquarter more toward the front of his centaur body. He brings her to him, saying "Its hard for me to keep looking back at you where you were at." He directs Tessa to a spot where she would sit ...
Kaiyel ... between his front and rear legs up against his front equine shoulder and the barrel of his chest a much more comfortable place to sit, and within his reach of her.
Tessa smiles wider and blushes, looking down at the ground where she is now sitting. "Oh, I'm sorry. You should have said something sooner." She strokes his withers this time, liking the feel of the smooth, short hair beneath her touch, just watching him.
Tessa "So tell me more of those like you in the area?" she asks politely.
Kaiyel He shifts back against the tree he leans against, and after a quiet moment of thought tells her "I don't know much about them. I was raised apart from my birth parents."
Tessa listens to him curiously and continues her unconscious smoothing of his hair. Her voice sounds a little sad when she speaks again. "Then you have been alone most of your life?"
Kaiyel He shakes his head 'no' and tells her "I was born blind and diminutive compared to my sire and dam. He took me to a 'human' who owed him a favor. He was Taburg Shen, the War Master of the King of Cormyr, and the instructor for the Monomachs...
Kaiyel ... the High King's Elite Body Guards and Palace Guard."
Tessa absorbs this information and clasps both hands primly in her lap. "So you were a Palace High Guard, then? How very interesting. Does that mean you know how to fight better than most centaurs?" Her green eyes are sparkling with curiosity and her smile is
Tessa warm towards him.
Kaiyel He lightly rests his hands upon Tessa's shoulders, and meets her gaze with his crystal blue one, saying "I am a better fighter than any centaur with a katana or most swords in fact, and also with a staff. With other weapons, they could be... "
Tessa’s smile falters a bit as he rests his hands on her shoulders, but she is very careful not to pull away. She doesn't want to offend him. Instead, she grins. "Would you give me a demonstration of your prowess then, Kaiyel?" she asks softly.
Kaiyel ... better than I am. But I was never a Monomach. Taburg taught me a deeper spirituality that my kind would never achieve without his help."
Tessa looks a little puzzled. "Spirituality? Like what? And are you saying your kind are not spiritual?"
Kaiyel He lightly shakes his head, and tells her "I could show you many things with my sword, but they aren't all that appreciable unless you saw them used in a real life or death situation." He blinks and answers with a kinda nod "Yes there are some ...
Kaiyel ... who have devoted themselves to spiritual beliefs, but not the extent that Taburg taught me to become." He looks thoughtful for several moments, and says "The humans have a holy warrior called a Paladin. I've been called such before."
Tessa’s smile looks impressed and she nods, her emerald eyes widening slightly. "Then you are a holy knight?" She giggles, realizing that that is almost literal and then blushes again. "I mean... that is... you do battle for a God? What God?" She shifts lightly
Tessa on the ground and stretches a lean calf out to keep it from going to sleep.
Kaiyel He bows his head, and shakes his head saying "No, I serve the Forest Gods as best I can." He sets his eyes down the lines of her leg, and asks "Do you often stay up this late at night? Or did something keep you from...
Kaiyel ... sleep this night?"
Tessa "oh... " she looks away towards the firelight of the lake and shrugs very slightly. "I... sometimes I just can't sleep. I was watching the moon tonight, thinking about my life and where it's brought me so far, and I happened to notice you." She smiles shyly
Tessa at him and says, "What about you? Are you always out this late?"
Kaiyel He folds his hands over his waist behind her head, and tells Tessa, "I usually travel at night when I have to get supplies in certain human cities to avoid their attention."
Kaiyel He smiles down at her, and asks "You said you were going to study with some mages here? Do you know with whom you will study?"
Tessa shakes her head and sighs quietly. "Actually, I haven't even met them yet. Maybe Mistress Silvara or Master Stormcrow, I'm not sure." She rests her silken hair back against his arms and manages a faint smile. "I'm not that powerful a mage yet, anyway."
Kaiyel Inside the comfortable back rest she leans against, Tessa feels the steady beat of the centaur's heart pounding in slow heavy throbs. She rises and lifts with his slow breaths. He asks "Is that what troubled you this night? When and which of ...
Kaiyel ... the mages you would learn from?"
Tessa tilts her head back to study him, her deep jade gaze curious on his face. "Who said I was troubled?" she asks a little defensively. "I... there are many things to be concerned about here, the least of which is whom I will apprentice under." The young woman
Tessa crosses her arms over her chest and grimaces. "No. There are undead about the area, and I have still not managed to make any more money. I have few friends, and I hate this backwater village, although I have to admit it's peaceful enough. " She shrugs
Tessa again, the movement slight against him. The scent of her newly washed hair is like jasmine and her long, blonde tresses are almost completely dry now.
Kaiyel nods, saying apologetically "It was something in your voice made it sound to me like you were seeking a distraction from whatever troubled you is all." He shifts his front legs straight them out more from his body.
Kaiyel cranes his head lower, and sniffs at the scents of her hair, finding it pleasing.
Tessa realizes she had snapped at him, and immediately feels bad. "I'm sorry," she says. "Here I've just met you and already I've distanced you from me. I don't *mean* to be this way, you know, I just... well, I don't get along well with others... mostly."
Tessa smiles a little in amusement as he sniffs her hair. "Do you like the scent?" she asks innocently. "It's something that I had made especially for me, and it always seems to calm my nerves."
Kaiyel smiles back, relieved that she had calmed down, and softly strokes her hair, lightly saying "I do like this smell. It reminds me of fields I've walked through in spring." He looks down at her, and asks "Why do you have such a hard time getting ...
Kaiyel along with others?"
Tessa tenses at the question and stays silent. "Do you travel many fields, then? I imagine you must, being what you are." She half smiles and turns her face up to regard him again. "Do you eat grass like horses?" she asks, feeling silly for asking, but curious
Tessa about what centaurs eat. "And how do you... well... are all centaurs as polite as you?"
Kaiyel feeling her tense up wisely leaves what ever raw nerve lay beneath her aversion to talking about her own pain. He tells her "I've traveled great distances and many fields." The auburn haired centaur chuckles at her question about eating grass...
Kaiyel and tells Tessa, "We can but its about as tasty as say eating... " He looks about, then lifts up strands of her hair curled about his index finger. "About like eating hair, not very tasty." He releases his entangled finger from her hair lets his ...
Kaiyel …hand fall down to his equine shoulder where she leans, touching her shoulder. He looks at Tessa, and tells her "I'm atypical of how centaurs behave. They are just as a diverse as humans, but they do have bad elements just as humans do just not as ...
Kaiyel …prevalent.
Tessa laughs at his analogy and nods in agreement. Normally, anyone playing with her hair would have made her extremely uncomfortable unless she knew them well, but for some strange reason, Kaiyel's touch is comforting to her and she doesn't pull away.
Tessa "I have heard stories of the bad ones," she admits to him, bringing one leg up under her and shifting again on the grass. "Some say that your kind are bloodthirsty savages, that rape women and eat children." She ponders this a moment and then looks at him
Tessa apologetically. "Not that that's true or anything," she amends quickly. "They're just rumors... "
Tessa "But since one rarely sees centaurs, I guess all kinds of stories abound, hm?" She smiles sweetly and the firelight reflects in her face, making the lines of it softer, somehow... even more alluring.
Kaiyel shifts slight more onto his side, giving Tessa more of a reclining slope to lay on. He somberly tells her with a sad smirk "Don't be so sure they're rumors. Unfortunately, what you say has happened before with tragic consequences though very...
Kaiyel …much a rare occurrence on account of size. My father alone is a torso and a head taller than myself (9.6')." He looks down at her smile, and tells her "It a great pleasure being in the company of such a beautiful lady as yourself."
Tessa blushes faintly again and looks away with a small frown. "Thank you, but sometimes it's more of a curse than anything." She sighs and leans back against him. "People only judge the outside most times, and it's hard to be taken seriously."
Tessa looks back up at him and forces a smile. "But it's nice to be in such pleasant company with a centaur, too, Kaiyel."
Kaiyel nods and tells her "Yes, that's the same problem we have is people looking at us only from the outside and using their narrow minded frames of reference to judge what they know nothing about."
Tessa nods and stretches, yawning a little. "I'm sorry, it's way past my bedtime... but just out of curiosity... do you ever get brushed?"
Kaiyel brushes the hair back from her face, and shakes his head, saying "Hardly ever. I can't remember the last time I was ever brushed."
Tessa smiles sadly at him. "Then you should let me sometime, Kaiyel. I'm very good with a curry comb, you know."
Kaiyel nods, and smiles back saying "I would enjoy that immensely." He reaches into a pocket of his mantle, and pulls out a brush for currying. He smiles more widely at her.
Tessa grins in surprise and nods, taking the proffered comb from him gently. "Alright, then we'll start with... umm... well, I guess with your withers?" she asks a little nervously.
Kaiyel gives a small shrug, and nods saying "As good a place as any to start."
Tessa "okay." She gets to her feet gracefully and begins to run the comb over his fine hairs, starting with his withers and smoothing the bristles over him until where she was brushing began to gleam softly.
Tessa hums quietly to herself as she moves, and he can tell she has some skill with horses and knows what she is doing.
Kaiyel beneath her strokes his skin shivers like her own horse's does, and he grows quite relaxed at her ministration. He sighs in contentment, and like any other horse shows slightly in his relaxation.
Tessa is glad that she can relax him and she moves along his shoulders and back to his flanks, keeping the brush in smooth, even strokes, still humming softly to herself.
Kaiyel says "That feels heavenly, Tessa." He practically purrs at her touch of the brush to his hide
Tessa smiles as she works. "So tell me more about yourself, Kaiyel. What's your job nowadays? Besides being a paladin, I mean?"
Kaiyel dreamily says "I serve those in need, who need me to fight or defend them. I don't frequently stay long in one area." The relaxation she brings to his body allows her to innocently catch regular glimpses of his equine flesh. She almost ...
Kaiyel has him sleeping with her brushing. | | Kaiyel Lansrian | |
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| Location: Elmshade. | Tessa stops for a moment and smiles as she notices his relaxation. She moves around to his other side and asks, "So how long will you be around Elmshade, do you think?" as she begins to comb this side of him.
Kaiyel sighs softly, and distantly mumbles something to her about "finding the source of the undead."
Tessa’s ears perk and she asks him as she continues to brush along his side, "What? What about the undead?"
Kaiyel shakes his head, and blinks quickly a few times, saying "I wasn't sleeping!" He looks slightly chagrined, and looks back over his equine body, saying "What?"
Tessa laughs and stops her brushing, watching him amused. "I said, how long do you think you'll be around this area? Around Elmshade?" she smiles and begins to brush him again.
Kaiyel gently swishes his tail as she nears his hindquarters. He tells her "I will see about the undead you spoke of. They always are a source of evil and a cause of worry." He shivers at her touches, tries harder to keep his attention on Tessa.
Tessa nods at him and uses the brush along his legs, smoothing the hair on them. "A friend of mine and I have been fighting them in the forest north of here. So far we have encountered zombies and skeletons, and a rogue wolf or two. But I'm not sure where they
Tessa are all coming from, or how they even GOT here."
Kaiyel stirs slightly from her brushing of his legs, and grows suddenly more aware of how much exposure she was getting. He tenses up all that she could see vanished back inside him. He answers her saying "Then I will start ...
Kaiyel ... where you found these monsters, and try to find where they did come from."
Tessa pauses and moves back to the front of him, done with her brushing. She hands him the brush and frowns, shaking her head. "It's too dangerous for only one person, no matter how good a fighter you are."
Kaiyel takes the brush from her and returns it to his pocket. He tells her "I agree, going alone into danger is always foolish."
Tessa nods. "It would be good to find out where they're coming from, but it's dangerous, alright. No doubt about that." She shivers a little and her frown deepens. "And there was a little man... a bat man, sort of... HE was REALLY evil."
Tessa looks pensive. "AND he got away."
Kaiyel looks at Tessa, and holds out his hand to her, if she's interested in again reclaiming her place beside him. He pursue his full lips, and frowns at her description of the small bat man. He shakes his head saying "I don't know what that means."
Tessa smiles at his hand and looks longingly back towards town, but gives a small shrug and sits next to him again anyway. "It means that there are more than just undead around, is what it means," she says.
Kaiyel slips down from his reclining position against the tree, stretching full out on the ground. He rests his elbow on the ground and his head in the palm of his hand, saying "Ah, I see, so the little bat man was working with the undead."
Tessa nods slowly, trying to think of how to explain it to him. She rests against him again, reclining a bit and relaxing against his side. "Well, I think so... he was in the cellar with them, so I assume so. But he... well, I've never seen anything like him."
Tessa sighs quietly and frowns, thinking. "I don't guess there are more of you in the area to help fight this threat, are there?"
Tessa "The more people we had to help fight them, maybe the faster they'll be gone... but it leaves more bodies, and I hate that," she said in an anxious tone. "I... I'm not used to all this, Kaiyel."
Kaiyel catches Tessa's longing look back toward the town, and answers her question saying "I'm afraid not. While there are other centaurs in this region, they have not learned what you know to warn them of the danger." He settles both hands to the ...
Kaiyel ground, and struggles back upright to lean against the tree behind, his warm body shifts behind her own as he struggles into position.
Tessa turns as he shifts, not meaning to be timid, but still uncertain as to exactly how the whole sitting thing worked for centaurs. She half smiled and said, "If it's uncomfortable for you to sit thus, then you have only to say something, you know." Her green eyes
Tessa were warm and friendly as she looked him in the face, curious and curiously unafraid, though seeming a bit worn thin at the edges from stress.
Kaiyel once comfortably settled once more tells the young woman "I understand your discomfort. Its never easy doing something that goes against your upbringing and your innate sense of right and wrong. Yet these distasteful things must be done to...
Kaiyel ... protect the innocent and make the world a better place. I applaud your efforts."
Tessa’s smile widens and she leans back again, snuggling a little closer to his hide for warmth. "Thank you, Kaiyel," she said. "It really helps to be appreciated. But I'm no priest, either, and that concerns me, as well. A friend of mine that was with me has
Kaiyel lays partially on his right equine side, not fully horizontal more a forty five degree to the horizontal while his human torso rests back up against the tree. He has his legs extended out so as to make Tessa comfortable place to recline back...
Tessa gone to see the high priestess, but if there are more places full of them, then we should find them."
Kaiyel ... against his equine chest between his front and rear legs. Tessa finds a strange and comfortable warmth emanates from the centaur and extends out from him almost five paces.
Tessa smiles and looks at him in wonder. "You are such warm creatures. Is that innate?"
Kaiyel looks at Tessa when she turns to face him from her reclining position, and automatically lowers his eyes down her form watching her movements then back raises his own brilliant blue eyes to her green ones. He smiles, and tells Tessa, "Its okay...
Kaiyel ... I just needed to sit up. Your friend is doing the right thing. No doubt the High Priestess will see the need to devote resources to the extermination of these undead." He watches her snuggle close to his body, his hide reflexively shivers ...
Tessa "Well, you see... he's *kind of* like you," she says, looking thoughtful.
Kaiyel ... under her touches. At her question of the warmth he radiates, he broadly smiles at Tessa, and tells her "No, it is an added blessing from the Powers whom I serve."
Kaiyel looks interested at her remark, asking "Really? How so?"
Tessa "Well," she started. "He's part horse, but he's not exactly like you."
Kaiyel watches the young lady tell him of her friend with plain curiosity written upon his face.
Kaiyel asks "Not exactly like me? He's not centaur?"
Tessa frowns and thinks a moment. "Well, yes, partly, I guess, but he seems more like a satyr, actually."
Kaiyel raises both eyebrows, looking kind of surprised. He asks "You have a saytr friend?" and trails his eyes down over Tessa's body then back up before asking "Um, your saytr friend shows more restraint than any I've ever met before. He hasn't made ...
Kaiyel ... any, um... intimate advances toward you?"
Tessa looks slightly outraged, and shakes her head. "He wouldn't do that, we're good friends, and besides, I didn't say he *was* a satyr, I just said he's more like a satyr. He walks on two legs, not four, Kaiyel." She sighs and shrugs and smiles at him again.
Tessa "But he has horse legs and such."
Tessa frowns again. "Do satyrs do that?"
Kaiyel slightly taken aback by her outraged appearance, ducks his head and holds up his hands saying "Sorry, I didn't mean to infer anything about the character of your friend. I've just known many saytrs whose overriding preoccupation is their ...
Kaiyel ... fondness for the fairer sex." He appreciatively runs his blue gaze slowly down Tessa's figure, and then returns his gaze to her face, complimenting her with "You are without question THE fairer sex among any of the races."
Tessa’s smile curls larger and she looks down, shyly, not knowing what to say. "Thank you, Kaiyel, but there is more to me than the outer skin I wear. And one of the main reasons I became a mage." She looks out over the lake, her emerald eyes seeming lost in
Tessa memory. "People underestimate those with outer beauty sometimes," she says. She leaned her neck to the side and stretched her shoulders again.
Tessa "But I thank you for the compliment. I might say the same to you, except you're the first centaur I've actually met, and so I have nothing to reference you with."
Kaiyel gently chuckles at her description of herself, and slowly lowers his hands to the shoulders she's stretching to gently begin massaging them. He softly tells her "You have the truth of the matter exactly. There is always more to what a person...
Kaiyel ... is than meets the eye." He points with one hand at the pond of leaping flames, saying "Take this pool of water for example. It in its own way is beautiful, but beneath its burning waters there is more to it than meets the eyes. As so is there to...
Kaiyel ... you, Beautiful Tessa." He returns his hand to the gentle massaging of her shoulders working the stress of the past few days from her muscles sore from her swinging of the staff in life and death combat.
Tessa melts under his skilled fingers, though there are a couple of knots the recent bath hadn't quite taken care of. She let out a faint sigh of pleasure as he kneaded them. "I must admit, the first time I had ever seen a lake burn thus was when I came to this
Tessa place." She winces just a little and then relaxes again as he hits a spot right between her smooth shoulderblades.
Tessa "Thank you, Kaiyel, that feels divine."
Tessa’s long blonde hair, made silken by the bath, was now dry and she asked quietly, "Do you know the story of this place, Kaiyel?"
Kaiyel works in gentle circles moving from one shoulder across to her other shoulder paying careful attention where she tenses or wince. He nods and whispers "You're most welcome." as he continue his ministrations.
Tessa "How is it you made friends with the Temple?" she asks, thinking of it.
Kaiyel looks around the place, and regretfully shakes his head, saying "Alas, I do not as this is my first visit to this holy site. Do you know of it?"
Tessa nods a little and settles back against his hands. "I'll tell you, if you like."
Tessa "Well, what I have heard, in any case, that is," she amends.
Kaiyel smiles at her question, and tells her "I need to replenish my supply of holy water so my steps were guided here."
Kaiyel nods behind, saying "I would like that."
Tessa nods at his answer with a wry smile. "Yes, I think I will be replenishing my own stock soon."
Tessa "Well, the story," she begins, placing her hands in her lap primly and smiling, daring to close her eyes.
Tessa "Is that the Temple is built on where the old one was razed in the disaster. Apparently, the Goddesses themselves have an interest in Elmshade."
Kaiyel shifts his gentle touch to the muscles of Tessa's neck softly caressing her flesh as he lightly works her muscles.
Tessa "It's actually," she says, motioning vaguely towards the white building which shines palely in the moonlight. "Built on an iron wall, brought forth by the mages of the Trinity in the battle. Ohhh... " she trails off and smiles. "That feels so wonderful... "
Tessa "The lake still burns in tribute to those who fell in that war."
Tessa "There is supposed to be a shrine around here somewhere, but I haven't had the time to fully explore the wilder areas yet, except in passing on horseback or hiking."
Kaiyel smiles in appreciation at how Tessa enjoys her massage, and then replies "That is an amazing tale. It sounds as though these Trinity Mages lived through the battles?"
Kaiyel finishes his ministrations, and lets his hands rest upon her shoulders, not having any place more comfortable to put them.
Tessa nods in a relaxed, complacent state. "Yes, from what I gather, they helped fend the village from minions of Lloth and others. There were floods of lava and other unnatural events... small earthquakes, lightning storms, you name it," she continued quietly.
Tessa "I'm sure you can imagine with three mages involved." Then she smirked, but looked disbelieving. "Not to mention Goddesses."
Kaiyel tells her "I have not had many dealings with mages nor Goddesses so its somewhat hard for me to imagine such power."
Tessa chuckles, nodding in understanding. "Though that does surprise me some, coming from a fey creature as yourself."
Tessa "I thought all wild, magical creatures had bonds with the ancients... is that not true?"
Kaiyel repeats her words, saying "Fey creature? Never really considered myself a true constituent of the Fey Consortium, but I guess all the dealings I've had with them does qualify me as a part of their circle."
Kaiyel shrugs behind her, twitching his equine shoulder beneath her back, saying "I don't know about such things. The connection between these ancients and the magical nature of creatures is unknown to me." He shifts his hands down Tessa's arms and ...
Kaiyel ... leaves them resting beside her upper arms. | | Kaiyel Lansrian | |
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| Location: Elmshade. | Tessa nods slowly again. "Well, I would love to see Mystra sometime in person."
Kaiyel asks "Who is Mystra?" He heaves a deep sigh beneath her, causing her to raise up then fall back.
Tessa frowns at his sigh, and then looks at him. "She is the Goddess of Magic, Kaiyel, she is the weave and more... " Tessa says cryptically, opening her eyes and spreading her arms a little.
Tessa "But, I count myself lucky to have met some of the people I have met here... In fact... " her green eyes get a little amazed. "Now that I think about it, I have met more half animal people here than anywhere else in my life." She narrows her eyes at that,
Tessa as if in confused amazement.
Kaiyel leaning back against the tree, simply enjoys listening to Tessa's voice, his eyes closed not realizing she was looking at him. As she stretches open her arms, he opens his eyes, and slightly startles at finding Tessa looking at him. He stammers...
Kaiyel ... apologetically "I... I'm sorry. I wasn't sleeping or anything just enjoying the sound of your voice."
Tessa smiles warmly at him and shakes her head in amusement. "Sure you weren't," she chuckles and gives him a playful wink. "It's alright, are you tired? Am I boring you and putting you to sleep, Kaiyel?"
Kaiyel's eyes follow the movement of her arms, and then looks back to her face with an abashed grin, saying "Boring, no never. Pleasant to have around, Tessa, so absolutely very much." He settles his hands on her waist, and asks "What of yourself, are...
Kaiyel ... you tired?" remembering her wistful look back toward town.
Tessa sighs a little and nods. "Yes, but I don't... that is... I won't get any sleep right now anyway, so I may as well stay here and speak with you." She smiles again and watches him, studying his face. "What is it like to be half animal, Kaiyel? Do you have the
Tessa animalistic instincts? The urge to run like a horse?" There is a faint blush of embarrassment as she asks, but she is curious and knows the best way to learn is to ask.
Kaiyel slowly applies pressure to his grip about Tessa's waist, carefully raising her to a standing position before him, his face even with her waist so he looks up at her. He looks at her with deep blue eyes reflecting back the flickering dancing ...
Kaiyel ... lights of the Flame Pond, and with a look of sad resignation, tells her "Tessa, it's a constant struggle being a centaur and a stallion, and yet maintain a sense of decorum. There is always the need to be the stallion among mares even though...
Kaiyel ... they may go on two legs." He inhales deeply Tessa's scent from where his face is positioned, and lightly shivers closing his eyes to savor the fragrance of her person. He sighs, and pushes Tessa back in preparation to rise to his...
Kaiyel ... hooves. Kaiyel opens his eyes and surges to his hooves to stand before Tessa once more. He tells her "There is always the urge and excitement to...
Kaiyel ... gallop and race with the wind." and stares down at Tessa, offering her his hand.
Tessa’s eyes get a bit frightened, but she boldly holds her ground as he raises her up to meet his gaze face to face. She swallows a little nervously as she hears his words and offers a tentative smile. "You ... you want me to ride you?" she asks hesitantly,
Tessa "Where would you take me?" she asks, not accepting his hand, but neither pushing it away.
Tessa "I... you do quite well, then, you know. Should I fear you, Kaiyel?" she asks, unable to stop the words before they slip from her lips.
Kaiyel still continues to radiate about himself and Tessa a sense of complete trustworthiness and overarching goodness. Sensing both her nervousness and trepidation, he smiles tenderly at her, and gently reaches down to take one of her soft ...
Kaiyel ... hands in his own. He guides her hand to his warm withers, earnestly saying "Tessa... to have you fear me would be a wound of the gravest depths, and an intolerable reality for me to behold you experiencing such feeling. Shall I take you back...
Kaiyel ... to town?"
Tessa looks at him curiously and feels ashamed at her own nerves. She smiles warmly and takes his face in two of her warm, soft hands, pulling him down so that she can kiss each cheek and smile into his blue eyes. "If you would be so kind... " she says quietly.
Tessa "And I will not fear thee, Kaiyel... but you are the first of your kind I have met."
Kaiyel looks happily surprised by Tessa's kisses and her words.
Kaiyel holds out his hand to Tessa once more to help her up to his back.
Tessa takes his hand and mounts up, wincing and sore, but struggling not to show it.
Kaiyel helps raise her onto his back, and waits for her to get comfortably situated as much as she can on his bare back.
Tessa gets situated and asks him quietly, "Can I hold on to your... umm... where should I... ?" She blushes and stammers and is not sure where to put her hands.
Tessa eventually just wraps her slender arms around his waist and rests them gently there, leaning against him and ready to ride, digging her knees into his sides a little as she was taught.
Kaiyel gently caresses Tessa's arms where they wrap around his waist, and tells her "This is perfect. Are you comfortable, Tessa?"
Tessa swallows and nods again, though her arms are a bit tense. "As much as I can be, yes, thanks."
Kaiyel slowly steps off at a walk, his gait smooth and rocking her body back and forth without jarring her in the slightest. He heads out into the brush and vegetation making up the garden landscape of Mielikki's Temple. He moves through the shadows...
Kaiyel ... and moonlight with easy grace picking his path to circle around the inhabited sections of the town and approach the Inn from the wilderness side where he'd be unlikely to be seen.
Tessa has, in the meantime, fallen asleep on his back, her breathing soft and shallow as she dreams. Her arms have loosened somewhat, and her hair lies silkily against his back.
Tessa "Mmmm... " murmurs quietly in her sleep, her face peaceful and serene for the first time in days. She has given in to pure exhaustion and stirs only a little against the warmth of his skin.
Kaiyel looks over his shoulder at the sleeping woman, and seeing the peacefulness and serenity of her sleep, decides to return to the safety of Mielikki's Garden. He returns to the Flame Pond, and keeps a light hold on her arms to keep her from ...
Kaiyel ... falling while she slept. He lets her sleep upon his back, and leans against the bough of tree for his own sleep.
Kaiyel’s warmth and the protective sense of goodness is a healing balm for her spirit.
Kaiyel stands sleeping against the tree for several hours with Tessa comfortably balanced upon his back in her own pleasant sleep. For those several hours, she breathes in the thickly pungent and musky equine scent of a centaur stallion, and though ...
Kaiyel ... deep in the grip of sleep, on some subconscious level hears the strong, steady beat of Kaiyel's heart slowly pounding inside his equine chest. These stimuli combined with the warm aura of absolute trust and protective goodness inspire in...
Kaiyel ... Tessa, dreams of riding bareback along a sandy ocean shoreline with her bare legs strongly clasped about the sweating body of her favorite steed. The soft susurration of waves washing over the sandy shoreline. The sun shines warm on her ...
Kaiyel ... face and back as the hooves of her smoothly galloping mount splashes through the salt surf. The warm wind off the ocean combined with the galloping speed of her steed caresses and exhilarates her body. The strength and power of her ...
Kaiyel ... steed's galloping body between her legs provides a sensuous rocking sensation.
Tessa shifts on his back in her sleep and smiles at the wonderfulness of the dream. She nuzzles closer to the heat of his body and stirs slightly. "Mmmm" she murmurs again. "Sunshine... "
Tessa shifts a leg over his broad back and half wakes... looking around sleepily.
Tessa "... MMmm? Ahhh what a nice dream... Kai... Kaiyel?" she asks softly, still half asleep.
Kaiyel awakens at the sound of Tessa's voice, and straightens from resting against the tree. He shakes his head, and looks back over his shoulder, answering "I... I'm... here, Tessa.",
Tessa smiles at him softly. "Have you ever run along a sun-warmed beach, Kaiyel?" she asks, stretching a little, but staying close to his warmth., her green eyes curious and kind.
Kaiyel tilts his head slightly to the side, regarding her with flame lit blue eyes, before slowly nodding and saying "Yes, I have. There was the Starwater River which had a broad expanse of sandy beach to gallop beside in the summer." He shivers ...
Kaiyel ... beneath her not because of the temperature, but perhaps the memory.
Tessa smiles as she watches his eyes in memory. She sits up and stretches her back, popping it lightly. "Do you ever miss such things? Was there someone to gallop beside you then?"
Tessa "But I meant an ocean, Kaiyel... with wind tossed waves... and... the cry of seabirds... have you ever seen an ocean?" she asks with a sense of wonder apparent in her voice.
Kaiyel smiles back at her as she sits up, and tells Tessa "I do miss such things... the freedom and carefree nature of youth, but I never really had anyone... who galloped beside me as friend or soulmate." He looks away at the Flame Pond almost sadly.
Kaiyel returns his gaze to Tessa, and nods to her, saying "Yes, I have seen the ocean and heard the cry of the seagulls, felt salt wind on my face and in my hair." He looks puzzled and asks "Do you dream of the ocean?"
Tessa nods slowly, closing her eyes as if to recall the beautiful imagery. "I was... " she answers in a quiet voice. "I miss that sense of freedom, as well... "
Tessa gazes at him seriously and tilts her head as if in empathy.
Tessa "Why did you never take a mate, Kaiyel? Is it rude of me to ask such things, since I only just met you?" She looks a little shy once more and crosses her arms over her chest, seeming to withdraw only slightly.
Kaiyel notices her turn of expression, and almost asks her 'What was wrong?' when she asks her question of him. He looks away from her to the Flame Pool, his blue eyes reflecting the leaping orange flames, and slowy tells her "Remember I told you I was blind...
Tessa nods, listening to him speak and watching him quietly from her perch on his back.
Kaiyel ... from birth and sent to Taburg Shen's home." He swallows hard, pausing a moment before continuing to say "All I learned with him taught me how to survive, but I never learned what it was to be centaur. I feel estranged from my own race." He ...
Kaiyel ... looks to Tessa to see if she understands.
Tessa frowns in sympathy. "You are not attracted to those females of your own kind?" she asks, a little puzzled at that idea.
Tessa : "How could you not be attracted to women of your own race, though?"
Tessa : "Isn't it... well... isn't it like instinct?"
Tessa stretches a long, lean leg out a little and rubs her hands over it, trying to wake it up again, as it has gone to sleep... but she watches him, waiting to see what he has to say.
Kaiyel stares at Tessa for several heartbeats before saying "I have been attracted to a few female centaurs, and if instinct does play a part, I have found myself attracted more often than not to... women... " He drops his gaze down to Tessa's leg, and...
Kaiyel ... softly finishes saying "human women." He lifts his gaze back to her face, his red dun hide shivers beneath the movement of her leg where she rubs it.
Tessa follows his gaze and blushes slightly, looking out at the Flame Pond and ceasing the rubbing of her leg, not meaning to entice him. "But... " she bites her lip and looks uncertain how to say what she is thinking. She seems even more shy now and shifts
Tessa uncomforatbly on his back then sighs. "But... human women and... I mean... that is... that wouldn't be... possible... right?"
Tessa 's face turns a brighter red and she looks down, fidgeting with her dress.
Kaiyel tells Tessa "I was raised among humans. Taburg Shen had a close friend Mier Ramaun who had two beautiful daughters. My heart beat painfully every time I set eyes upon them. I ... " He pauses at her stammered question, and seeing her discomfiture..
Tessa looks up and waits for him to continue.
Kaiyel ... as she fidgets with her dress drawing his gaze to where she adjusted the fabric. He stares disconcerted by the flashes of her flesh, and inhales deeply, tearing his heating gaze away from her body. He clears his throat, saying "Not possible...
Kaiyel ... No, it's possible. I am small for a centaur... " He looks back at her, his tails swishes across her bare leg, saying "I'm not exactly sufficient for female centaurs."
Tessa frowns and looks back to where his tail swishes, and she shifts again, her face still flaming. "Well... but... oh." Tessa has no idea how to respond without offending him, and she sighs, still playing with the fabric of her dress. "But that means... " she
Tessa looks at him with sadness in her eyes. "that you'll be alone for always?"
Kaiyel sadly shakes his head, and says "I dare to hope that my life will not be spent alone, and someday one regardless if human or centaur will accept me for who I am, not what I am." He sighs and looks to the pond again away from her hands playing ...
Kaiyel ... with the fabric of her dress.
Tessa nods again and gets up off of his back, walking slowly towards the water. "Then I think you should make a wish, Kaiyel. In this pond, tonight. Make a wish and we shall see if it comes true." She turns and regards him closely. "I do not think you were
Tessa meant to be alone. Your spirit is too kind for that."
Kaiyel feels her ease of his back, and watches as she walks to the pond. He keeps his eyes upon Tessa, and walks toward..
Kaiyel ... where she stands, curious as to her intentions or his perceptions of what he believed she inferred. He stops before her, and looks down at her.
Tessa glances up at him curiously, then out to the softly burning fires of the pond. "You should make your wish," she says innocently. "And although I cannot make it come true, I can be your friend, if you would allow it. Perhaps I could even find someone... "
Tessa stops and bites her lip again in thought.
Tessa sighs and shakes her head, looking down. "No... " she says quietly. "I cannot even find someone for myself, let alone someone else."
Kaiyel stares down at Tessa, and quietly whispers "I wish that my Friend Tessa finds someone to love and cherish for the span of her life." He folds his hands before him.
Tessa swallows hard and looks back up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "The wish was supposed to be for you, Kaiyel," she says, moving closer and laying a warm, soft hand on his cheek. "Though I thank you for the thought. But... I am not meant for... "
Tessa pauses and shakes her head again, looking away. "Such things. Not in this life, anyway."
Tessa : "Or at least it would seem so."
Tessa smooths a hand along her dress as way of example.
Tessa : "All that men want from me... "
Tessa : "Is what is under this clothing."
Tessa looks jaded and her voice is saddened.
Kaiyel leans into her touch, savoring it, and reaches up to hold her hand to his smooth face. He rubs her hand against his cheek, and leans into her body, saying "I hope my wish comes true for you."
Tessa 's lips turn up into a small smile and she shrugs. "Thank you, Kaiyel. Perhaps it will." She doesn't take her hand away, but simply watches his face. Her green eyes close a little, and she tries not to yawn. "Where will you go now?" she asks, referring to
Tessa after the two of them part.
Kaiyel Kaiyel's face relaxes into a peaceful expression at her touch, and he slowly kisses her wrist before releasing her hand. He turns, and walks several paces away from her his lower body disappearing behind some bushes from her view. He tells her, "I...
Kaiyel ... I will stay around here awhile longer... and not because of the undead." looking at her. She hears the sounds of water strongly spraying to the ground from where Kaiyel stands.
Tessa looks away to give him privacy and smiles nodding to herself. "I am glad. I have enjoyed meeting and speaking with you," she says, watching the firelit pond.
Kaiyel walks back out from the bushes behind where Tessa stands, and says "I am equally blessed to have met you this night as well and hope we can meet and speak again."
Tessa nods with a small smile. "Would you mind terribly if I went back to town soon?" she asks. "I fear I am rather worn out and I would not keep you from your rest, as well." Her green eyes are warm and she looks at him with an innocent hopefulness.
Tessa : "And if you do so desire for us to speak again soon, then I am sure I can arrange that."
Kaiyel nods to Tessa, and at her look of innocent hopefulness leans down and brushes her lips once with his own saying "I need no rest when I am with you, and would not keep you from that which you need. I shall accompany you back to town."
Tessa is astonished at the kiss and nods mutely in shock. "I... um..alright... yeah... I need to get some... sleep... " she says quietly, watching him carefully. Her hand strays casually to her face as if in thought and she blinks a few times, slowly.
Kaiyel slowly steps back from Tessa, and waits for her. He licks his lips tasting her.
Tessa looks up suddenly, as if realizing he is waiting for her to mount his back again. She blushes again. "Does it bother you?" she asks shyly.
Tessa : "Kaiyel.."
Tessa starts and then hesitates to say what is on her mind.
Tessa : "Why did you... "
Tessa brushes a fingertip to her lip in thought and watches his bright blue eyes seriously.
Tessa : "I'm sorry... it just... I'm a little confused."
Kaiyel meets her gaze, and answers without hesitancy "Why did I kiss you just now."
Kaiyel steps closer to Tessa.
Tessa nods slowly, her heart seeming to speed up a little as he draws closer.
Kaiyel softly tells her "To express my gratefulness, that you walked into my life this night, and brightened my lonely existence. It was my way of saying 'Thank you'." and reaches out to hug her gently to his torso.
Tessa is a little afraid, but then melts into the hug, realizing he means nothing but warmth and friendship by it. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him back, knowing he needs it almost as much as she.
Kaiyel holds her to him, and kisses the crown of her head before releasing her.
Tessa smiles and steps back, though she does not let go of the embrace. "Thank you, Kaiyel. I very much needed that." Gazing up at him with her emerald eyes she finally lets go and then moves to his side to sit astride his back again.
Kaiyel turns and smoothly walks the trails through the Garden of Mielikki to the main street where he speeds up into trot. He boldly carries her swiftly through the deserted main streets to the Twisted Root.
Kaiyel tells her "You are most welcome, Tessa." as he carries her.
Tessa slides gently from his back when they reach the tavern, and she studies him for a split second... then wraps her arms around him again with a soft, tender smile. "Dream well tonight, my new friend." she tells him, then lets him go reluctantly.
Tessa : "And know that you have, indeed, made a new friend this evening."
Kaiyel enfolds her in his arms, pressing her to his torso more firmly than before. He holds her much longer enjoying the feeling of her body pressed against him, and says "Thank you, my Flower of the Garden." He slowly releases her, eventually letting ...
Kaiyel ... go her hands at the last. He nods to her, saying "I am very selective of my friends, but the privilege of calling you Friend, I hold dear to my heart."
Tessa 's smile is genuine, and she nods slowly. "As am I, Kaiyel." She turns and starts to walk into the Inn, then stops and looks back at him. "I know we shall see each other again soon." Then she makes her way into the silent darkness of the Inn's front
Tessa door, just a shadow among grey shadows after a moment... | | Kaiyel Lansrian | |
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| Location: Elmshade. | Hi’el-Game: Tessa wakes up late in the morning after her night out talking with of all things a centaur, a knight of the forest. As she said, she'd met many half animal people here in this one town than she'd ever conceived in the realm of possibility. The ...
Hi’el-Game: ... gray light of an overcast day shines in through her open window. It was an hour before noon. Tessa had over slept, and funnily enough Hi'el had not come pounding on her door or sent someone to pound on her door considering his fear of enclosed ...
Hi’el-Game: ... places. Highly improbable that the one who'd led them to the farmstead and fought beside her against the undead would not show up as he'd told her he would. He said he'd come in the morning to find out what she'd learned about all the 'stuff' ...
Hi’el-Game: ... they'd found in the cellar, which something she still had yet to do.
Tessa rubbed her green eyes sleepily and immediately sat up, already worried about not having identified what was in the bag. The fact that the Silenni had not shown yet was something of a puzzle to her, but she thought he would probably be coming around very
Tessa soon, so she had best be ready for him. She got up quickly, got dressed in a hurried fashion and ran her fingers through her longe, blonde locks, tousling them into fullness, though they looked somewhat mussed from her sleep. She yawned a large yawn, and
Tessa shook her head, trying to wake up. "Ugh," she mumbled. "Coffee... must get some coffee." After slipping into her green dress, she grabbed the bag of 'stuff' and made her way downstairs to the main room, where Jarlosh was tending to the few midmorning
Tessa customers. She padded sleepily over to the bar and ordered a steaming cup of the black bean brew and went to sit at an empty table by the hearth, setting the bag down atop it and sitting in a chair with something less than her normal grace.
Tessa took a long sip from the cup, burning her tongue in the process, and wincing. She opened the bag and began to sift through the contents, pulling them out and laying them on the table in front of her.
Hi’el-Jarlosh: The barkeep nods to Tessa, and a few moments later brings out a pitcher and mug for her of the black strong liquid. He asks "Would you care for something to eat?"
Tessa looks at the hefty man and shakes her head. "Not this morning, thanks, just the coffee for right now, Jarlosh."
Tessa: "Just make sure the pitcher stays full for now."
Tessa: "... please."
Hi’el-Jarlosh: "Fair enough, mi'lady." says the big man, and wanders back to tend to the needs of the other inn's customers. "Aye." he says over his shoulder.
Tessa whispers to Hi’el: do you happen to have the complete list in front of you of what was in the bag?
Hi’el whispers to Tessa: Yes, have the full list.
Tessa whispers to Hi’el: ok... would you tell me quick like so I can rp her taking them out as she does so?
Tessa whispers to Hi’el: I can get her sheet which has all of it written down, but I thought you might have it available
Hi’el whispers to Tessa: working on it
Tessa whispers to Hi’el: k
Hi’el whispers to Tessa: Treasure: 6087cp, 19 Gems, 3 Jewelry Pieces, 39pp, 15gp, 1 Potion, 5 Scrolls
Tessa leaves the money inside the bag, pulling out the gems and the potion first, gently setting them aside... then she takes out the pieces of jewerly to examine them more carefully, picking them up one at a time to study them closely with her deep green eyes.
Tessa takes a sip from her coffee every few minutes, finally glad when the caffiene starts to pump through her system.
Hi’el-Game: The jewelry consists of a simple ring, bracelet and necklace in that order of increasing value and worth.
Hi’el-Game: The ring is a silver-gold work with a moonstone easily worth 6 months of a guard's pay.
Tessa studies the pieces, looking carefully for small runic writing that might be evident upon their surfaces, somewhere. Not seeing any, she sets them aside and examines the potion more closely, turning the vial over to see if there are any etchings upon its
Tessa surface that might indicate the contents.
Hi’el-Game: The bracelet, a gold piece with garnet stones easily worth a years boarding at the inn with all the fixings.
Hi’el-Game: The necklace is a platinum and diamond piece worth a small cottage or home. Tessa would have to find an appraiser to determine their true value.
Tessa eyes the jewelry again and decides to put it on, being the debutante she is... and not seeing anything dangerous or magical about them, assumes they are safe. She sets the vial down again and picks up the ring, loving the way the moonstone seems to absorb
Tessa the light. Then she tries on the bracelet and admires the way it shines, a smile playing on her beautiful face.
Hi’el-Game: The potion contained in a small hexagonal vial of glass sealed with a wax covered stopper to prevent accidental spillage. From what she can tell the contents are a clear liquid.
Hi’el-Game: The items she wears enhance her appearance as is her due as a debutante. They give her the 'air' of upper class socialite.
Tessa holds the necklace up so it can reflect the light from the lit fire and a small breath escapes her at it's beauty. The stones are dazzling and seem to capture the light and spread it into a rainbow about her delicate form. The young woman grins in delight
Tessa and puts it on, smoothing it over her creamy throat.
Tessa sits a little straighter, seemingly aware that the jewelry defines her social class even further and then picks up the vial again to examine it with a curious expression. She takes another small drink of her coffee, realizes it is empty and pours another
Tessa cup.
Hi’el-Game: There is nothing more she can discern about the vial.
Tessa sighs and sets the vial down, then pulls out the scrolls, setting each of them onto the table and almost hesitant to look at them.
Tessa has a sense of unease, but knows she should at least try to read them anyway. She is, after all, a mage. So she carefully opens the first one and skims it with a casual glance.
Hi’el-Game: The first scroll she opens tells her the person who uses it will be protected from any harmful gas attacks.
Tessa "Hmmmmm," she ponders to herself. "That could be useful." She then sets that one aside and opens the second in the group of rolled parchments.
Hi’el-Game: The second scroll she opens tells her the person who uses it will be protected from any attacks of an acidic nature.
Tessa nods as she reads it, thinking that she isn't sure they would ever need such a thing, but still happy to have such. She lays that one aside too, and takes a drink of coffee before opening the thrid one.
Tessa *third
Hi’el-Game: The third scroll she opens is in writing similar to other examples of arcane spell inscriptions. This one requires read magic to determine what it can do (roll %d chance to learn).
Tessa frowns and then smiles cunningly as she knows the spell Read Magic, which she promptly casts. (( % to learn spell is: 85%))
Tessa 's jade eyes open wider as she sees the runes glow a little and she thinks perhaps she might be able to not only read this spell, but inscribe it into her spellbook to study further later.
Hi’el-Game: The spell alludes to the determination of what a thing is and can do. (Identify, what is Tessa's INT?)
Tessa: ((18))
Hi’el-Game: Tessa just barely understands the working of the spell. It requires her to get owl feathers, 100gp of powdered pearl and wine all ground and mixed together in a pestle then drank. It warns that the spell can be very taxing to the body and mind.
Tessa 's smile broadens and she sets that one to the opposite side, thinking she might actually have to try that one someday. But then she comes back to the task at hand and decides to read the other 2 scrolls while her Read Magic is still active, just in case
Tessa they are magical in nature too.
Hi’el-Game: The next two scroll are incomprehensible written in some form of religious cannon beyond her understanding. The two scroll are voluminous with their written script. The fourth is broken down into 7 sections and the fifth into 5 sections.
Hi’el-Game: Tessa gets the impression that they're prayers to a deific power, and that if properly implored will do allow the user to do many different things if the power responds to the prayer.
Tessa frowns and TRIES to read them, but the writing on them just ends up making her eyes hurt, so she sets them back down and rubs at her eyes, feeling the first twinge of a headache. Taking another large swallow from her cup, she glances out the door, her
Tessa frown deepening, as the Selenni has still not shown up.
Hi’el-Game: Tessa before she put them away got an inkling that they dealt with combining power, calling animals, walking in air, dispelling evil, finding paths, magical barricades, talking with monsters, thorny growth, more calling animals, fire, forest, and...
Hi’el-Game: ... tree changes.
Hi’el-Game: Indeed, her other half-horse friend had not shown up yet and it was almost noon.
Tessa sighs to herself, biting her bottom lip a little in concern. She puts everything back into the bag and drains her cup. Then she gets up and walks over to the bar, trying to get Jarlosh's attention.
Hi’el-Game: The scent of her centaur friend lingered in her clothing from last night.
Tessa: "Jarlosh, have you seen Hi'el this morning?"
Hi’el-Jarlosh: He looks thoughtful a moment, and shakes his head, saying "No, miss. I haven't seen him this morning. He came here last night with High Priestess Siannodell from the Temple in a terrible rage over them people what setup near the sparring fields."
Tessa looks down at her clothing and actually gets a whif of herself with a faint frown, then looks back up at the barkeep.
Tessa "Hmmm... I wonder if he's still at the Temple then," she muses to herself.
Hi’el-Jarlosh: He hands her one of the flyers, saying "But that was last night. So I'm sure they'd be back at the Temple. Them being worshippers of Mielikki and having to do prayers and such."
Tessa nods in thought, taking the flyer from him and skimming it quickly. Her green eyes darken in concern as she reads the flyer, and she shakes her head. "Ohhh... yeah, this would probably upset them both, I imagine."
Tessa "Hmmm. Alright, if anyone comes looking for me, I've gone to the Temple. If Hi'el shows up, would you be a doll and tell him to wait here for me?" The shapely blonde bats her long eyelashes at him expertly, and twirls a finger through her long, platinum
Tessa tresses.
Hi’el-Jarlosh: The big barkeep nods his head emphatically, and says "That would be an understatement. I would say more enraged than anything. They was darn near set to bring Mielikki here to deal with them."
Hi’el-Jarlosh: He gives her a thumbs up sign, saying "Can do miss."
Tessa nods at him. "Thanks ever so much, Jarlosh. I'll be back shortly, hopefully."
Tessa makes her way down the road which leads to the Temple of the Alliance, carrying the sack she has just examined and its contents in one hand, with the afternoon sun sparkling off the jewelry she has adorned from the treasure. As she reaches the Temple's
Tessa perimeter, she gazes briefly towards the back gardens, wondering if she would ever see Kaiyel again. Then she makes her way inside, where she is greeted by Melanie, the oldest acolte under Siannodell's tutelage.
Tessa (Melanie) "Hello, welcome to the Temple. Is there some way I might assist you?" she asks Tessa politely. Tessa looks at the young woman around her age, but with dark brown hair and eyes and the debutante sighs.
Tessa: "Well, I was hoping you could tell me if Sir Hi'el was about?"
Hi’el-GAME: Melanie know he usually camps out in the back of the gardens by the water falls.
Tessa (Melanie) frowns faintly and thinks for a moment. I believe he was here earlier, but I think he is asleep at the moment. Would you care to wait or is it an emergency?"
Tessa just looks at her a little imperiously. "Well where is he and I will wake him?"
Hi’el-GAME: Melanie also hasn't seen him this morning.
Tessa (Melanie) "Well, I haven't seen him yet this morning, but he usually camps out back by the waterfalls. Feel free to wander around, maybe you'll find him." The young acolyte smiles helpfully, then shrugs.
Tessa simply nods. "Thanks, I'll go look for him, but if you should see him, please tell him that Tessa was looking for him?"
Tessa (Melanie) "Alright. Good luck." she says and then goes back to dusting the inner sanctum statues.
Tessa leaves the sanctuary and makes her way to the gardens in the back of the temple, looking for her friend.
Hi’el-GAME: As Tessa wanders the trails of the gardens, a familiar forest tone, leaf pattern cloak fluttering in the afternoon breeze catches her attention. It is far back from the Temple in the opposite direction from the Flame Pond.
Tessa calls out softly, "Hi'el? Hi'el? Are you back here?" while making her way towards the waterfalls.
Tessa's attention is drawn by the flutter of familiar fabric, and she approaches it quietly.
Hi’el-GAME: As Tessa goes to where she sees the cloak fluttering from a tree's branch, Tessa comes through low row of shrubs, and finds lying on the ground his leaf green long sleeve shirt. It is freshly torn and stained with blood from last night's battle ...
Hi’el-GAME: ... with the Cat Lord. There is also the soft leather buckskin he wore as loincloth. At the lean-to, she can see Hi'el's hooves and lower parts of his equine legs. She see his staff, bow, quiver, 2 sabers, daggers, field pack laying scattered near ...
Hi’el-GAME: ... the lean-to.
Tessa blinks in surprise at the disarray of everything of Hi'el’s and frowns. She gathers everything up and piles it quietly nearby in a neat pile.
Hi’el-GAME: When Tessa comes around the lean-to and gazes upon the Silenni, she finds him sleeping in peaceful repose. She finds signs of terrible wounds suffered by Hi'el, but which were now mostly healed (Ring of Regeneration). Tessa sees the Silenni in ...
Hi’el-GAME: ... all his natural splendor. The blending of man into horse, and the male endowments that came from being part horse. The cloak she'd been reaching for to tend wounds she'd expected was equally torn, shredded and recently bloodied.
Tessa stares at him for a long moment then gives a small half-smile, kneeling down next to his shoulder and gently shaking him.
Tessa: "Hi'el? Hi'el wake up... "
Hi’el frowns in his sleep, and then softly groans at the touch of Tessa pushing on a still tender spot from his battles last night.
Hi’el cracks open an eye, and looks at Tessa.
Tessa winces and leans back on her heels, watching him.
Tessa: "I... I'm sorry to wake you up... you look like hell."
Hi’el breathes slowly, his deeply tanned bare chest lifts and falls. He stares at Tessa, and finally speaks saying "You should see the other guy." with a wane smile.
Tessa smiles at him with the worry apparent in her deep green eyes. "Are you alright? Should I get one of the priests or something to come heal you?"
Hi’el slowly shakes his head, saying "Alright? That's a matter for some debate. I'm still a little tired, and no don't bother the priests. I'll be fine just a little tender is all." He continues to lay there.
Tessa nods, still leaned back on her heels. "Oh... well... I'll let you sleep then, since you need it. What happened, Hi'el? More undead?" she asks almost afraid he'll answer yes. She flips a long blonde section of hair over one shoulder and sits flat on the
Tessa ground, trying to get more comfortable.
Hi’el unconsciously tightens his lips as though he was holding back the answer and turns his gaze from her to stare at the wind swept garden lake. He then sighs, and turns back to her telling her the entire story of what had happened to him from finding the ...
Hi’el ... flyer to summoning the Trinity and High Priestess Siannodell to confront the invaders to the furious anger he felt toward the one called Gillette to his hurt at Siannodell asking him to remain behind to his return to the temple and confrontation ...
Hi’el ... with Sir Marsala Moreheart to the personal visit of his Goddess Mielikki and his guilt ridden confession of the accidental death of Celebril to the Quest he must fulfill of bringing back High Priestess Siannodell's daughter and her unborn child to Elmshade to his...
Hi’el ... destruction of the Shrine and subsequent battle with Priestess Lita Starfire against the Cat Lord and gets into extreme detail about the battle. He finishes with him staggering back here stripping off all his gear and collapsing asleep at his lean-to.
Hi’el while telling this story remained completely exposed to her eyes without the slightest hint of shame or modesty about his unclad state. He was built much like any other stallion she'd ever happened to notice with a protective fleshy pouch called a sheath that housed his equine length and extended partway up his lower abdomen to his navel from his groin. At the base of his sheath was as she'd come to expect two soft velvety brown spheres.
Tessa listens to him speak, and goes slack-jawed at his revelations. She shakes her head when he is done and opens her mouth to speak, but can't think of what to say.
Tessa "You've really had a time of it, haven't you, my friend?" she asks quietly and she reaches out a hand to lay on his shoulder in friendship, trying to not look at his privates, and finding her mind going back to Kaiyel for some reason.
Tessa "I examined the contents of the sack, and had my own adventures last night, but we can talk later when you've fully rested, if you'd like." She smiles uncertainly at him. "I don't want to tire you further."
Hi’el nods at Tessa's reaction and smiling says "Well, you shouldn't forget that prior to all that we were fighting for lives and then rode and ran all the way back here. So yes, it was definitely a time of it."
Hi’el blinks and tells her "No, Tessa. I've rested enough for now. Besides, I need to find someone who can mend my shirt and cloak. And some food would be nice also."
Hi’el thinks a moment and asks "Have you been hanging out in the stables?"
Tessa frowns at him and shakes her head. "I don't think you *have* had enough rest, but I'm not going to argue with you... " she looks puzzled at his question. "Huh?" she asks, confused. "No... why do you ask?" thinking it an odd question.
Hi’el pushes himself up from the ground, and looks down at his body. He flicks his tail up at himself, catching it, and sighs at all the knots in it. He looks back at Tessa, and answers "Well, you smell like a centaur, and I thought I must have mistaken it ...
Hi’el ... for the scent of horses."
Tessa flushes bright red and looks down at her hands in her lap. She swallows hard and says in a quiet voice, "Well... that's what I meant by my own adventure last night." She chews on her bottom lip, thinking how stupid she was for not realizing that Hi'el
Tessa would smell Kaiyel's scent on her, being from the same family-tree, so to speak.
Tessa: "See... I... I met a centaur last night, Hi'el."
Hi’el lifts both eyebrows in surprise, and asks "So it is a centaur, I smell?" He looks at Tessa blush furiously red, and asks "I guess that was some meeting."
Tessa looks up quickly, feeling the blush deepen even more and she shakes her head, green eyes bright. "No... no it wasn't *like* that."
Hi’el slowly pulls his knees up, and rolls onto them.
Tessa "He was so nice... and it was the first centaur I had ever met... and... " she stops and watches him, feeling absurdly guilty for some reason.
Hi’el unconscious of the display he was putting on for the mage, carefully pulls one leg up and settles a hoof on the woven straw mat he’d laid on. He does the same with the other leg, and slowly stands up.
Hi’el winces at some of the tenderness and soreness still causing him pain.
Hi’el nods and asks "Nice, you say? Why are you blushing?"
Tessa frowns and gets to her own feet, looking at him worriedly. "Are you sure you don't want me to fetch a priest?"
Tessa looks down again quickly and twists at her robe with one hand, fidgeting. "I... well. He was nice, yeah. And... he... well, he kissed me... that's why I'm blushing."
Hi’el holds his back and rubs his chest where the telekinetic blow had hurt him the worst. He looks at Tessa, and smiles down at her saying "Tessa, thank you, I'm just still a little sore is all from the injuries. I'll bathe and ... He kissed you?"
Tessa shrugs and boldy meets his eyes again. "Not that I've never been kissed... or... or anything. But... well, he was so nice and interesting as a person, and he seemed interested in what I had to say, and... well, it doesn't matter, because I'll probably never
Tessa see him again anyway."
Tessa turns away towards the lake, thinking of how to change the subject as she crosses her slender arms over her chest.
Hi’el nods his head, and says thoughtfully "Hmm, that must have been nice. I can't say as I've ever shared a kiss." He looks toward the waterfall, and grabs his cloak, walking toward it. He asks over his shoulder "Do you know anyone who can repair my cloak...
Hi’el ... and shirt?"
Tessa looks back at him, a slight frown on her fair face and she walks over to catch up with him. "Well, we could ask Holga, I'm sure there is someone in town who could do it for you."
Tessa picks up the bag she had set down and her face brightens a bit as she remembers the two scrolls that maybe Hi'el can read.
Hi’el leaves the cloak on a nearby rock and steps under the falling water. He quickly scrubs at his long auburn hair, and then rubs his hands over his torso and lower body washing himself as quickly as possible in the cold water. | | Hi'el Troiye | |
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| Location: Elmshade. | Tessa "Oh, and I meant to tell you... there are a couple of scrolls in here that I can't make head nor tails of, although I could make out that they seem to be religious... sorta."
Tessa rummages through the bag as he cleans up and pulls out both of the scrolls a minute later, waiting for him to dry off before handing them to him.
Hi’el finishes up with his long tail, and steps from under the falls. He shivers with the coldness, his skin prickles at the chill growing taut, and grabs the cloak, using it to dry himself.
Hi’el rubs his torso dry first then his hair, tail and legs. He sits down on his cloak and comfortable rock, and takes the scrolls from Tessa when she offers them to him.
Tessa: "They might be spells or something, the others were."
Hi’el studies them for a while and nods his head at Tessa's words, saying "Yes, that's what they are."
Tessa tilts her head, watching him as he reads. "Well... um.... you keep them then, since you can read them. And what do you think about these?" she asks with a smile, showing off the jewelry sparkling in the sunshine.
Hi’el stands up from the rock, and steps close to Tessa. He bends down near to her to look at the ring, bracelet and necklace she shows to him.
Tessa smiles as he steps closer, absolutely loving being able to wear such finery.
Tessa: "Aren't they beautiful? They make me feel like I'm back home again."
Hi’el takes in the appearance of the jewelry and its compliment to her own loveliness. He nods his agreement of Tessa's opinion, and tells "Yes they are very beautiful. A perfect match for your own beauty."
Hi’el stands back up, and steps back from Tessa, saying "You can keep those. They are very nice. What else did we bring back?"
Hi’el moves to stand behind a stand of shrubs, and settles into a forward leaning position. Tessa can just barely make out the top of his raised tail.
Tessa looks deeply into his eyes for a moment seriously, before he steps away again. "There's more to me than the outside, Hi'el," she says and then sighs, looking down at the bag again. "Well, the other scrolls are spells, like I said. I haven't been able to
Tessa tell what the potion is yet, but I think one of the scrolls will help me do that when I have a chance to learn it and gather the necessary components."
Hi’el frowns at the outside comment, but doesn't know what to say in response. He takes care of his bodily needs, and then returns to where Tessa stood. He asks "What do you need for this spell to work?"
Tessa frowns, thinking. "Well, I need owl feathers... and a pearl worth fifty gold. Then I have to powder the pearl and crush the feather into a goblet of wine and... " she turns slightly pale at the thought. "Then drink it."
Hi’el sticks out his tongue, making a 'bleah' face.
Tessa nods in agreement. "I know. Gross, huh?"
Tessa shrugs and then looks into the bag again.
Tessa "And then there's LOTS of money... and the jewelry, of course," she says, looking back at it again with admiration.
Hi’el sits back down beside Tessa, and agrees saying "Um yes, that's pretty distasteful sounding. I hope you don't have to de-feather many owls."
Hi’el looks at Tessa and the jewelry she wears, and asks "Have you seen Riddik?"
Tessa chuckles and then her face gets saddened. "No, not since we left the farm."
Tessa: "I hope he's alright."
Hi’el inhales, and looks curious at Tessa, his ears perked forward. He pauses, and shakes his head asking "Um do we divide the money now or wait to see if he shows up?"
Tessa frowns at him with a slightly confused look. "Well, I dunno, Hi'el. I mean... he *did* help us get it, so maybe we should take out his portion in case he shows up? That way, we'd each have enough to use in the meantime for... for... things."
Tessa "Money doesn't have the same meaning to me these days," she says quietly, handing him the heavy bag of coin and other few treasures.
Hi’el nods at her answer to the division of the coins. He smiles and says "That's a good idea. I think he deserves a portion." He takes the bag and asks "Am I to hold this for you?"
Tessa blinks and shrugs. "Uh... well, no, I just thought you might want your portion now?"
Hi’el nods, saying "Oh, right." He walks over to the lean-to, and carefully sits down being careful of his tail.
Tessa offers him a half smile and says, "It's kinda heavy the way it is now. Will you be giving your share to the Temple?"
Hi’el begins counting out coins into three even piles of the differing kinds of coins. He enjoys hearing Tessa talk. For some reason, it sent shivers up and down his spine. It also made him loose count but he wasn't going to let her know that. He nods to ...
Hi’el ... her about turning his part over to the Temple.
Tessa regards him curiously with her emerald green gaze as he begins to count the coins. "Well, in case you need some extra, you can have some of mine," she says with an uncharacteristic generosity. "To mend your clothes or something, I mean." She looks back
Tessa over the surface of the lake and keeps talking, unaware of how her voice affects him and thinking about some of the things Kaiyel said. "So I'm curious, Hi'el. Kaiyel said that many of the centaurs are actually not as nice as him. Have you ever met one?"
Tessa rests her pixie-like face in one hand and continues to watch the wind skim the lake's reeds.
Hi’el separates out the gold to five pieces each. That was the easy part. He has to count out the platinum twice to get it right at 13 piece each, and answers her saying "Thanks for your generous offer. I would not deprive you of your fair share. The Temple...
Hi’el ... takes care of its followers when it comes to money." He pauses before counting the large number of copper, saying "Yes, I have met centaurs before that's why I was able to smell one on you."
Tessa looks back at him. "Oh," she says. "I thought it was because you were... well... that you were... urhm... kinda related?" The beautiful young woman blushes again and looks down.
Tessa: "Am I wrong about that, then?"
Hi’el tries to suppress a shiver that races down his spine and causes his tail to twitch and thump against the ground. He looks down at where she looks.
Tessa notices his silence and looks back up to regard him again. "Is something wrong?"
Hi’el holds a handful of copper coins from the bag, and after thinking for several moments staring at her, says in his light baritone, "Um, no. Were not related. Centaurs are a breed apart from my kind. There are no females or so I've been told."
Hi’el trails off slowly saying "Of my kind."
Tessa nods, listening to him and her jade eyes fill with sadness. "Then how will you... I mean... what about children?" she asks, watching him carefully to observe any moves that might indicate what he's not saying.
Tessa: "Kaiyel said that centaurs... that they um... with human women."
Hi’el starts counting out the copper coins in piles of ten. He pauses in his counting, and looks up at Tessa trying to figure out what she was asking about. He watches Tessa's body language, and asks "Children?" not making the connection of what she's saying.
Hi’el asks "Kaiyel?"
Tessa keeps the blush from earlier and looks away again, rubbing one foot against the other in embarrassment. "Well, I mean... how will you... *swallow*... mate and have children if there aren't any females like you?"
Tessa nods. "That's his name. The centaur. Kaiyel."
Hi’el gives Tessa the 'oh' look, and tells her "My mentors have told me that when I grow hard and heavy here... " softly laying a hand upon his sheath and velvet orbs "that I must go into the Forest away from the world of the civilized races to find my mates ...
Hi’el ... among the Forest women. You call them nereids, nymphs and dryads. That's what they've told me I must do to protect the women of the civilized races from the lust fever. I don't know who my Father was, and have only a vague recollection of my Mother."
Tessa nods, listening to him. Her eyes soften in understanding. "Oh... " She sighs and asks in a quiet tone, "What do you remember of your mother, Hi'el?"
Tessa: "I remember my mother so clearly... like it was yesterday. She was so very beautiful, Mother was. My father was the luckiest bastard in the world to have married her, but he never appreciated her."
Tessa absentmindedly plays with a lock of blonde hair and looks into the woods in thought. "She would have liked it here, I think. She used to take me on picnics in the woods near the Manor, sometimes, before she got sick."
Hi’el looks down at his endowment then at the coins saying "The Forest women will carry my seed and bring forth children if I'm lucky." He looks up at Tessa, and says "I just remember her smile, her green eyes, her brown hair. The Druids don't tell me much...
Hi’el ... about who She is."
Tessa looks back at him with a soft smile playing on her delicate lips. She studies him a moment and then says, "I wonder who you get your good looks from, Hi'el? Have you ever thought about trying to find either of your parents?"
Hi’el looks at Tessa with a frown. He had trouble understanding the concept of the parents staying around to help raise their child. He says "I did but when the Druids taught me of Mielikki, I accepted Her in my heart as my Mother."
Hi’el asks "Your father was not appreciative of the Mother who bore you?"
Tessa nods slowly in understanding. "Ahhhh, I see. And now you have a quest... " she smiles wider, her eyes crinkling a little at the corners. "I still can't believe the Goddess came to you and talked to you like that. Are you sure you didn't just dream it all?"
Tessa 's gaze turns sad again as a flash of pain crosses her features at his question and she looks away yet again, simply shaking her head mutely.
Hi’el brightens and forgets all about the question he was about to ask regarding what she meant when she'd told him about the centaurs and human women. The Silenni relaxes his face into a dreamy expression, and distantly tells Tessa "You know that warm ...
Hi’el ... protective feeling you have in the arms of your Mother? That's how I felt when Mielikki came to me, and why I feel it was not a dream. And even if it was a dream, Tessa, when I go to ask High Priestess Siannodell of her daughter that would reveal ...
Hi’el ... the truth of my experience. Besides I have my Faith. I was so distraught over accidentally killing Celebril that I couldn't even pray to her, and She came to easy my anguish. I must fulfill this quest to let Celebril rest in peace, and affirm my dedication to Mielikki."
Hi’el looks back at Tessa to see if she understood his meaning.
Tessa frowns slightly, trying to grasp the whole concepts of everything he said.
Tessa "I think so... but... I thought that High Prietesses weren't allowed to... I mean, I thought they had to be... ?"
Hi’el continues counting out the coins, and asks "Had to be what?"
Tessa: "Had to be... well... virginal or something?"
Tessa looks at him in confusion and shrugs.
Hi’el thinks for a moment, and shrugs, shaking his head "I don't know that there's any such requirement by Mielikki to remain 'virginal'. The Druids never told me of any mandates by our Goddess. It may have something to do with Her afinity for the Unicorns."
Tessa nods again with a frown and studies him. "So... will you be taking anyone with you on this... quest, then?" she asks seriously.
Hi’el counts through all the coppers, separating them into three piles of 2029 pieces each. He pauses in a curious form of shock at Tessa's question never having considered it.
Tessa looks at him. "Well you ARE, right? I mean you can't just go off on your own like that, Hi'el."
Hi’el looks up at her, and tells "I hadn't thought that far in advance about if I should ask someone to go with me on the quest. I figured I would find out from Siannodell when I spoke to her."
Tessa nods with a frown. "Well... I think you should. Just in case you run into trouble... or something... and so in case you get hurt, it's not just you."
Hi’el asks "Would you come with me, if it was permitted, Tessa?"
Hi’el looks rather hopefully up at Tessa.
Tessa's pretty face brightens as she smiles warmly at him. "You would want ME along?"
Tessa sits up straighter. "Well. sure, Hi'el, I'd love to go questing with you."
Hi’el smiles, and tells her "I don't know many other people here in Elmshade aside from Arienne and Siannodell. In all honesty, you're the person I've known longest since coming here."
Hi’el feels his skin prickle at Tessa's smile and again his tail flicks to the side.
Hi’el tells Tessa "All counted up. You get 2029 of these coppers. 13 of these platinums, and 5 of the golds."
Tessa tilts her head, feeling flattered and smiles. "Well, actually, I think you are, too. The one I have known the longest since being here, I mean."
Tessa nods, thinking about where she might put all that money. "Thank you for counting it all. I really didn't wanna have to do all that."
Hi’el looks over at where Tessa had neatly stacked his things and at his shirt in particular. He sighs and puts her portion in the bag. He then crawls over to his field pack giving her a good side view of his long slender muscled body. He digs in the pack and ...
Hi’el ... pulls out two more sacks. He settles back to the ground, and puts the other portions in these sacks.
Hi’el hands Tessa her bag, saying "You're welcome."
Tessa smiles and takes the bag gratefully. "So shall we go to town and find you a tailor then?"
Hi’el carefully stands up to tower before Tessa with both of the bags holding the mixture of coins. He walks over to where his field pack lays along with the rest of his gear. Tessa can see the smooth play of muscles flex and stretch beneath his chestnut ...
Hi’el ... hide covering his lower equine body. He walks with a fluid smooth flowing gait, and crouches setting the coin bags on the ground next to his belongings. He lifts his buckskin loincloth from where Tessa had laid them, and proceeds to put it on. He ...
Hi’el ... lifts his tail up, and snuggly settles the 'Y' portion of the cloth up under it. He then loosely wraps the upper 'Y' arms around his waist, and then pulls the bottom 'Y' arm of it up through his legs to cover his equine endowments from Tessa's sight. ...
Hi’el slips the bottom 'Y' arm of the loincloth through the wrap around his waist, which he then tightens and neatly spreads out the excess cloth down over the swell of his male endowments. He puts on his belt holding belt pouches, sabers and daggers. He ...
Hi’el ... glances over at Tessa to see what she was doing as he picked up his ruined shirt and cloak. He puts them both on, and then grabs up both bags of coins ready to go to town.
Tessa turned away as he dressed, feeling like a voyuer and not wanting to invade upon his privacy. She scanned the windswept lake with her deep green eyes while he finished and the breezes played with her long, blonde hair, tugging it behind her slim shoulders
Tessa in a tangled mass of shining platinum. At his softly cleared throat, she turned and offered him a warm smile. She studied him for a long moment, then asked, "Ready? I think we should stop at the tailor's first, to see about getting your clothes mended,
Tessa don't you?" With a light step she made her way near to him, and they set off for Elmshade together.
Hi’el says as they wander through the garden "I need to drop off these coins with the Priests."
Tessa nods at him and waits while he enters the temple to place the coins for safe-keeping. "Alright, just make sure you hold back enough for what you might need, Hi'el."
Hi’el diverts toward the Temple to find one of the Temple Priests.
Hi’el looks around for any of clergy out, and about in the midday hour. He wasn't feeling up to entering the Temple proper.
Tessa frowns at his odd behavior. "What's the matter, Hi'el?" she asks innocently.
Tessa (One of the acolytes comes walking around the building's corner and spies them both, recognizing Hi'el. "May I help you?" she asks.)
Hi’el blinks and looks at Tessa. He remembered telling Tessa about his fear of enclosed places at the ruined farm, but she must have forgotten about that. He swallows, and hesitantly says in his light baritone "I'm a creature of the open spaces. It's hard...
Hi’el ... for me to willingly enter or stay in any building or enclosure." He looks to the acolyte with palpable relief written on his features, and quickly says "This bag... " holding one up "is to be held for our comrade who has yet to return, a minotaur by ...
Hi’el ... the name of Riddik. This bag is my portion of the treasure, and may go to the Temple coffers minus what I need now to repair or replace my shirt and cloak. Do the Temple stores have replacements?" He earnestly looks at the acolyte.
Tessa (The acolyte nods and says, "We do, but you might want something better? They are only cotton, sir Troiye." She takes the bags and groans with the weight of them. "Shall I fetch you some now?")
Hi’el nods to her, and says "Yes, please. Would you take one of each out to my camp in the gardens, and leave them inside my lean-to? I'll go and have these repaired." He watches the acolyte, and smiles at her groan, knowing the bags were not light.
Tessa (She nods to him and says, "Very well. They will be there waiting for you when you return." Then she takes the bags inside to store them appropriately.)
Tessa looks at Hi'el and shakes her head. She had remembered his claustrophobia, but somehow didn't think it extended to the Temple. He WAS, after all, one of Siannodell's own acoltyes. She shrugged and waited for him to take the lead towards town, walking
Tessa beside him and humming under her breath as they walked.
Hi’el looks to Tessa, and nods to her his readiness to head into Elmshade. He brushes the silver buckle on his belt, summoning up the illusion of humanity to cloak his equine features, and starts walking toward town.
Hi’el walks at a slower pace than normal for Tessa so as to not have her running to keep up with him./
Hi’el now appears to be wearing black billowing satiny pants and black pulled down leather boots.
Hi’el also has his equine ears seemingly concealed beneath fuller layers of his hair.
Tessa looks over at him as they walk and asks casually, "How did you get such a wondrous, magical belt, Hi'el? Did you have it specially made?" Her own soft grey suede boots make little sound in the packed dirt of the road.
Hi’el starts to ask Tessa when she asks him first, and answers saying "It was a gift for me from the head of the Druid sect to which I'm dedicated. She (Aeryie VanZant - need to make a NPC for her) knew I'd need it to pass among the civilized races.
Tessa nods slowly, listening. "Quite the gift," she comments, flicking her eyes to the left and right of them, watching the woods and thinking. "Do you miss being with the Druids, Hi'el?" she asks softly. Her curiosity about him is genuine, and she clasps her
Tessa hands gently in front of her as they walk, the jewelry sparkling in the sun's light.
Hi’el shakes his head, telling her "No, I'm never apart from the Druids. They are here in Elmshade. Now, more than ever since I sent word of the Weremacht threat to the Forest and our People." He asks "What was that you were humming at the Temple?"
Hi’el moves with smooth easy strides, his hoofed steps making surprisingly little or no noise.
Hi’el-TIME: Early Afternoon around 1 or 2.
Tessa blushes and gives him a small, shy smile. " Oh, 'twas a tune called Careless Love," she says and walks in silence, feeling like a sentimental girl. "I'm glad someone sent word to others about that horrible circus. I've heard bad things about it from
Tessa several people, you know." As they reach the perimeter of the town square she pauses and glances at the buildings. "Maybe we should try the leather-worker first?" she asks him, not really knowing where to start.
Hi’el nods his sentiments to Tessa about the slave circus not trusting himself to remain calm about it. He tells her "Yes, we can start at the leather worker. I guess I could use a replacement loincloth as well."
Tessa looks down at his loincloth just out of reaction and nods to herself. "Alright, well maybe they can help us." She walks towards the small building and slows as she sees several hides hanging on a rail outside, wrinkling her pert nose in slight disgust.
Hi’el finds the stench of the tanner's shop to be quite sickening, but endures it as best he's able. He hesitantly walk among the dealers wares looking for the perfect soft quality of buckskin leather to cover his tender anatomy.
Hi’el notices Tessa's reaction, and tells her "Not the most pleasant of smells, but the leather selection is good."
Tessa also walks along the aisles and traces delicate fingers over some of the softer suedes that the man, a scrawny elder gent with a graying handlebar mustache has to offer. He simply smiles at them and continues to work on something behind the counter.
Hi’el asks of the man, "What selection of buckskin or kidskin leather do you have?"
Hi’el adds "The softer the better."
Tessa nods at him distractedly, finding a beautiful section of suede that has been dyed a rich, emerald green. She picks it up and her smile softens as she studies it. The man behind the counter looks up and says, "Over there in the corner," he points. "Those are the ones that have been worked the most. Soft as a baby's a... " he stops, taking note of Tessa. "They're plenty soft, anyway."
Hi’el looks where the man points, and carefully walks to the corner. He examines the selections, running his hands over the leather feeling the softness.
Tessa (They are, indeed, fine quality work, and just as the man said.)
Hi’el compares from memory the size of the loincloth laided out on the ground compared to the sizes of leather sheets available in the shop.
Hi’el picks one that he thinks will provide the right amount of leather to make another loincloth from and takes it over to the man. He asks "How much do you ask for this?"
Tessa (The man looks up again and eyeballs the square. "That one would run ya a silver, for the whole sheet. You be needin the whole sheet, do ya?" He glanced over at Tessa and smiled, thinking he might have a sale with her, too.)
Hi’el nods to the man, saying "Yes, I need it to make a loincloth out of so I'll have leather left over. I'll figure something out with what's left." Hi'el counts out 10 coppers for the man.
Hi’el glances at what Tessa is looking at.
Tessa (The man grinned and nodded at him. Well, I could maybe make ya the cloth, if'n ya wanted. I'm right good with a needle, sometimes. You find somethin you like, missy?" he asks Tessa. She nodded her blonde head absentmindedly, rubbing the super soft green
Tessa suede against her cheek with a smile. "yes, how much for this piece?" she asks. The man looks at it and then glances at Hi'el, then back to her. "Well... I reckon 2 silver would do it, but I usually sell the dyed ones for more. But you're such a dainty
Tessa lil thing, I'll give ya a deal, what say?"
Hi’el says "Okay. I'll be right back." He walks among the deeper sections of the shop where his actions below the waist would be unobserved. He undoes his loincloth and brings it back to the man to use as his template. Hi'el is still concealed by the illusion.
Tessa nods at the man and pulls out the required silvers from a pouch at her waist, dropping them on the counter and watching after the Silenni as he makes his way to the back of the shop.
Hi’el holds it out to the man saying "Here you may use this as a guide for what I need to have made."
Tessa (The man nods, looking at the "template" carefully. "Aye, I can do 'er," he says and smiles. "Come back in about an hour, and she should be ready, eh?"
Hi’el agrees saying "Good." He takes the loincloth back into the rear of the shop, and puts it back on.
Hi’el finishes putting back on his loincloth, and checks on Tessa to see if she was finished perusing the selection of leather goods. He walks over to see which goods have appealed to her tastes.
Hi’el steps close behind her to look over her shoulder, and view the suede cloth she's haggling for with the shopkeeper.
Hi’el inhales the fragrance of her hair as he looks over at what she holds. | | Hi'el Troiye | |
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 She had decided upon seeing the suede that she simply must have it. It appealed to her finer tastes, and the color was a rich, deep green. She turned to Hi’el with a dazzling smile and held the suede up to show him. The contrast of the material was lovely against the honey-gold tones of her hair, and her fair, peaches and cream complexion. "What do you think?" she asked the Selenni. "Does it match my eyes? I simply adore it, and I want to have it made into a pair of low boots, since my others are almost worn completely out." The debutante turned to the shop-keeper again and fluttered her lashes at him prettily. "Can you make me a pair of low boots from this?" she asked. To which the man behind the counter looked a little uncertain. His face scrunched up slightly and he slowly shook his head, hating to see more money slip away, but being an honest type of man. "No’m," he said sadly. "I’m sorry, but I don’t get much call for cobbling. We need a good shoe-maker round these parts, if’n ya ask me. I’d say the nearest bet would be Norwood. But you might ask around town. There might be someone stayin up at the Inn that could do it fer ya, ma’am." |
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| Location: Leather Worker's Shop, Elmshade. | | ~ ~ ~ Standing close behind Tessa, Hi'el smoothly steps back from the mage when she turns to face him. The 'dazzling' smile she directs at the Shadoweir, leaves him curiously disconcerted and slightly nonpulsed for the blink of an eye. He feels the blood burn and roar in his equine ears at the sight of her smile and the sound of her voice, and unconsciously swishes his tail, beneath the cover of the belt buckle's illusion, mildly concerned by the curious sensations. The young Silenni, in an effort to please her with an answer to the best of his ability, crouches down to her eye level to critically compare the suede Tessa held up to her own eyes. He earnestly gazes into Tessa's eyes with his jade-colored ones for several heartbeats, and then looks at the suede, before honestly answering in his light baritone voice, faintly surprised "Amazing, your eyes, Tessa, are the same color as the suede." Happy with his answer, he rises back to his full height, and listens to the exchange between Tessa and the shopkeeper. At the mention of the elven city, Hi'el, not knowing of it, curiously asks, "Who is this Norwood? Can he make the boots Tessa wants out of this?" and glances from the shopkeeper to Tessa then back. ~ ~ ~ | | Hi'el Troiye | | HPs = 57 / 57;
Spells = Hasn't prayed to Mielikki yet.
3 / 4 1st level [X3 Cure Light Wounds], 1 / 3 2nd level [Bat Sense, 8 tns]; | ((OOC: Missed you this weekend. Those 400 pages must have been rough reading. 'bleah'. Hope your latin turned out okay.)) |
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The man chuckled a little at Hi'el's question, shaking his salt and pepper head. "No, man, Norwood be a place, not a person," he said. "We do some business with 'em sometimes. All that live there...well, most of 'em anyways, be elves. 'An ya know the elves do things right proper, they do." He nodded to himself and crossed his sinewy arms over his skinny chest, resting them atop the leather apron he wore. "Ayup," he said. "They might be able to make lil missy here some right fine boots." Tessa also smiled at Hi'el and the answer the shopkeeper gave. Rolling up the suede, she said in a smooth voice, "Thanks for all your help, sir. Maybe we'll try there. We'll be back in about an hour." She glanced at Hi'el curiously, as if something were on her mind and opened her delicate lips to speak, then shut her mouth again. Instead, she silently walked out of the tanner's shop and stopped outside, looking disconcertedly at the hides again. She waited until the Selenni had joined her and then asked, "So what do you want to do for an hour?" The afternoon sunlight turned her hair into a soft, golden glow around her face and her green eyes studied him almost appraisingly. "We could go to the Inn if you want, it's only a ten minute walk or so from here. Or we could wander the forest, looking for owl feathers," she joked. "Although, I'm sure I wouldn't even know where to begin to look." |
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| Location: Elmshade. | | ~ ~ ~ Hi'el faintly says "Oh." in response to the new information about Norwood, and nods, absently replying "Yes, an hour or so, we'll be back." All the talk about boots between Tessa and the shopkeeper brought back memories of the prior evening's battle, and what he'd taken from the dead Cat Lord's body... one pair of black boots marked with runes down the sides, and a book with arcane writings that the Shadoweir couldn't read or understand. The Silenni follows Tessa outside lost in his own thoughts, thinking 'Maybe Tessa could wear them, if she liked them, and possibly read the book.', and accidentally bumps up against the back of the young woman when she stopped to look at the hides. He quickly reaches out to lightly grasp her shoulders with his large hands so she wouldn't fall on account of his distraction, and quietly says "Sorry." He releases her once certain of her steadiness, and intently listens to the lady mage words. Tessa having been around Hi'el long enough gets the impression that beneath the cover of the illusion he wore that his equine ears were sharply perked forward at attention. Tessa's mention of the inn sparks hungry grumblings from the Silenni's stomachs, and he stares embarraassed at the beautiful mage for several heartbeats after it growled at her, before saying "Hmm, let me think a moment... owl feathers and forest wandering with you... or lunch at the inn with you... each would be enjoyable since you'd be with me, but... the inn sounds decidedly more appealling. I didn't realize how hungry I was until you mentioned the inn. I can't remember the last time I ate." He grins at Tessa, and extends one arm down the road toward the inn, saying "Shall we?" ~ ~ ~ | | Hi'el Troiye | | HPs = 57 / 57;
Spells = Hasn't prayed to Mielikki yet.
3 / 4 1st level [X3 Cure Light Wounds], 1 / 3 2nd level [Bat Sense, 8 tns]; | |
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 Tessa had started a little at Hi'el's unintentional jostling of her and she smiled gently at him to ease his mind. "It's alright," she said. Her light brown, well-defined brows knit into a curious frown as she watched the Selenni carefully. She canted her head to the side slightly, her emerald eyes intent upon him. Tessa got the feeling that there was something bothering her friend, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. The blonde was usually very good at reading people, and her gut was telling her that Hi'el was not quite himself. But she had no proof...so she kept her thoughts to herself for the moment. As his stomach growled loudly she couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her. "By all means," she said with a mock-curtsy to him. "Let's go get something to eat." She almost skipped gaily down the road, seeming to be in lighter spirits than she had been in over a week. Tessa glanced over her shoulder with another smile. "I'll even bet Holga has some of her infamous slumgullion in the pot!" The debutante's smile turned impish and she wrinkled her pert nose at Hi'el defiantly. "Race ya!" she laughed, and took off at high speed down the road towards the Twisted Root, holding her skirts off the ground as she ran. |
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| Location: Elmshade. | Hi’el perks his ears forward the Tessa's curious declaration about 'Racing' which implied 'chasing' and 'catching' and 'flirting' and then... No, she couldn't be teasing him like that on purpose... It had to be innocent.. He felt a flush of heat creep over his body.
Hi’el watches the mage as she runs away from him down the street, and how her body moves... the motion of her hips, the stride of her legs and arms. He lets her get further and further away getting a healthy lead of almost a full distance short bow shot, and...
Hi’el ... takes off after Tessa. He stretches out his long equine legs into a faster than any human sprint which quickly allows the Silenni to close the lead that the lady mage had on him.
Tessa ran at a light sprint first, thinking that the Selenni would undoubtedly give her a headstart... and she wasn't mistaken. She glanced over her shoulder and couldn't help but laugh as she saw that he was doing exactly that. She grinned and then put
Tessa on a fresh burst of speed as she saw him finally start to race. Gods but he was fast! She found herself wondering just exactly what breed of horse was in his heritage, and made a mental note to ask him sometime. The tavern loomed closer and closer
Tessa in the distance as they ran.... he quickly caught up. Tessa yelled a laughing shriek of dismay as he picked her up and carried her toward the Inn.
Hi’el kicked up divots of earth from his flying hooves as he rapidly closed on the human mage with his tail lifted high flying out behind him. In a matter of two score heartbeats which now thundered in furious beatings inside his equine ears, he raced up...
Hi’el ... to Tessa looking almost ridiculous in the way the illusionary form hid his equine grace, and instead of passing her as she'd envisioned him doing in their race, scoops her up in his arms without breaking stride carrying her cradled in them the remaining ...
Hi’el ... distance to the inn. He smelled the beginnings of the sweat which had begun to sheen her fair skin with her own unique... virgin... fragrance... Hi'el gently settles Tessa to the porch floor outside the inn, and backs several steps away from her to ...
Hi’el suck in deep breaths of air not laden with her virgin fragrance. Heavily panting, the auburn haired Silenni shakes his head to clear the strange haziness which suddenly clouded his thoughts, and smirks at Tessa.
Tessa laughed again as Hi'el put her to the floor of the tavern's porch, her green eyes alight with mirth. "I had no idea you were so fast!" she excalims and then her smile becomes a little faded as she notes his heavy breathing. Stepping closer, she
Tessa lays a soft hand on his arm, and looks at him concerned. "Hi'el? Are you alright? Surely that short run didn't wear you out, did it?" Her face is nothing but kindness and worry for him, and she frowns a little. "I'm too heavy, perhaps. I have been trying
Tessa to watch what I eat, but maybe I've gained some weight." She immediately looks down to her nearly perfect figure, as if looking for flaws.
Tessa looks back up at the Shadoweir and smiles a half-smile. "But nevertheless, it was a good race. Shall we go inside so that you may eat?"
Hi’el feels the blood burning in his equine ears and roaring with the thunderous beating his heart. He felt a little light headed which only increased when she stepped closer to him bring her virgin scent more strongly to his nostrils which involuntarily flare deeply ...
Hi’el ... inhaling her fragrance. Something Hi'el wished he hadn't done. He swishes his tail at the young woman's innocent touch on his arm fanning his own equine scent, which now strongly emanates from his with his own sweat. He shakes ...
Hi’el ... his head in response to Tessa's half heard question about the racing wearing him out. Though in all honesty, he would've been were it not for his Silenni heritage, especially considering he'd just run a marathon from the farmstead the day before with her. He ...
Hi’el ... nods at her words about it being a good race, and replies a little breathlessly in his baritone "Outside, let's eat ... out here." The flush of heat travels over his body again, and takes up residence in the equine orbs between his legs where a ....
Hi’el ... new pressure slowly started to build. He moves away from Tessa, and quickly turns a chair about to sit down astride it at a table, his thoughts felt sluggish.
Tessa is completely unaware of any effect she might be having on him and nods at him in agreement. "Alright," she says with a sweet smile. "Tell me what you want, and I'll go get it and have Holga bring it out for us." The shapely blonde pauses in
Tessa thought, and crosses her arms over her chest. "I think I might just have a water, although I should probably eat something, too...hmmm...I know that Holga said something last week about maybe making lambchops this week. Would you like me to see if
Tessa she has those available yet?" Tessa frowns a little at him. "Maybe you're not getting enough iron, Hi'el. Would you like me to see if she has any red meat available?"
Tessa studies him for a minute, thinking, wondering at his suddenly odd behavior. Then she looks up at the blue sky and smiles again, as if unconcerned with heavier thoughts once more. "I'm glad you suggested eating out here. It's not a bad day for
Tessa doing that at all. So what do you want?" she asks innocently, brushing a few stray tendrils of platinum blonde hair behinnd her ears.
Hi’el glad for the distance which now separated them, and which helped clear his nostrils of her alluring scent. He shakes his head making the 'bleah' face sticking out his tongue at her offerings of meat just as he had when she'd told him about the ...
Hi’el ... wine-pearl-owl feather concoction she had to drink for one of spells. He felt the desire for Tessa burning in his equine orbs, and worriedly lashed his silken tail from side to side. It was happening just as the Arch-Druid Aeryie VanZant, his ...
Hi’el ...Shadoweir mentor, had warned him of so long ago in his teachings about dealing with the 'civilized' races. He would speak with High Priestess Siannodell about what he should do. He was still in control for now. He blinks, and suddenly realizes ...
Hi’el ...Tessa was waiting for his answer. He watches her toss her hair behind her ears, and says "Tessa, I don't eat the meat of animals with the exception of some types of fish." He looks up at the sky following her examination of it, and then turns back ...
Hi’el ... to his human companion, his pulse visibly beating in his throat, saying "Please ask Holga for a double helping of oatmeal spiced with brown sugar and cinnamon and diced apple pieces. Bring a pitcher of hot water and a mug so I may mix up some tea."
Tessa nods at him and blushes faintly at his mention that he doesn't eat meat. She silently berates herself for not knowing that about him already. "Alright. But it's no wonder you don't have enough iron if all you ever eat is horse food, Hi'el."
Tessa Shaking her head to herself, she goes inside and does just as Hi'el asked, also ordering some water for herself. Holga informs her that she will bring it out shortly and Tessa digs into her coin purse to pay for everything. There is something
Tessa decidedly odd about the way Hi'el is acting, but again, she can't put her finger on exactly what it might be, so she tries to dismiss it from her mind. "And make sure that the water for the tea is hot, Holga," she reminds the woman before heading
Tessa back outside to take the seat opposite the Selenni with a feminine grace. She leans forward and places an elbow on the table, gently cupping her beautiful face in one palm. "She'll bring it out when it's done. So tell me. Do you have any idea
Tessa where I might find a couple of owl feathers?"
Hi’el rolls his eyes, relieved at Tessa's departure to go order their food, and relaxes, leaning forward against the back of the chair. He rests his head on his crossed arms, and closes his eyes, working to compose himself. He mentally beats out the passion ...
Hi’el ... of desire burning in his groin, and sadly considers asking Tessa not to come with him on his quest because of the wildness that threatened to overwhelm his rational self. He'd ask Siannodell what she thought first about what he should do. He didn't...
Hi’el ... want to estrange Tessa by suddenly saying she couldn't come with him on his quest because he'd likely succumb to the lust fever the longer he stayed in her presence, and if he didn't wind up raping her would abandon her and his Quest to seek out ....
Hi’el ... the Forest Women to extinguish the aroused passion of his Silenni heritage. It was a bad situation, and the reasons why Aeryie VanZant had warned him against continued interaction with females of the 'civilized' races were more than ever clearly ...
Hi’el ... apparent. He looks up from where he'd rested his head on his crossed arms when Tessa returned to take her seat. He answers her question with a nod, saying "Good, I think I may know a couple of places to get the owl feathers you seek. The first ...
Hi’el ...would be the Temple. They're always taking in sick and injured animals, so it stands to reason perhaps sometime in the past there might have been an owl. The second place would be to go, and see the Mage Arienne. I haven't seen her in a very long ...
Hi’el ...while. You know she saved me from a Hobgoblin raiding party when I first came here to Elmshade."
Tessa's green eyes round at his words and she nods. "Of course," she says, lightly hitting her hand against her forehead. "I should have thought of that." She shifts in her seat and cants her head to one side, curiously. "I never knew you had met the
Tessa Lady Arienne, Hi'el. How did she save you?" she asks with an intrigued smile. "Did she use a great amount of magic to strike them with a lightning bolt from the heavens?" The young woman grins in delight, imagining that very thing. "I've heard she
Tessa is quite the powerful mage. I've even gone to see the tower she lives in, but didn't have the courage to knock." She looks down. "I think the White Wizard will take me as an apprentice, though." Then she looks back up at him with a soft smile
Tessa playing on her lips. "So how did she save you?"
Hi’el looks more composed and at ease than he had earlier when he'd first *carried* her onto the porch of the Tavern. He'd been surprised by Tessa's virgin fragrance, and was unprepared for how powerfully it had affected him. He calmly smiles back at Tessa, ...
Hi’el ... now more firmly in control of his Silenni urges, and thinks back to the day he met the elven Mage Arienne Starsinger, his eyes turn distant and out of focus for a few brief heartbeats before he ...
Hi’el ... answers, saying "I came across a raiding party of a dozen hobgoblins, and was picking them off in hit and run shots with my bow. I was easily staying ahead of them as they aren't that fast. I was staying in easy bow range for myself, but long ...
Hi’el ...distance for the hobgoblins. Then it happened Waukeen's luck fell with my pursuers as I was dancing down a shale slope in the mountains northwest of here, and two of their arrows struck me soundly in the back, sending me tumbling down the slope. I ...
Hi’el ... was badly hurt by the arrows and the fall, and easy prey for the hobgoblins if they got to me first. They were charging down the slope very pleased with themselves at having finally knocked me down after I'd been mercilessly picking them off one ...
Hi’el ... by one. They weren't to happy with me so were in a big rush to send me to Mielikki as quickly as they could. Thankfully Arienne was out that morning, and in typical mage fashion flew in from over head and nuked them with a fireball, ending their ...
Hi’el ...pathetic existence. I think I still owe her a favor for saving my life, so we should definitely go pay her a visit in any case."
Tessa listens to him, rapt in her attention, her eyes on his face as he artfully tells the story. She greedily devours every detail of the elven mage's daring rescue of her friend, hanging on his words regarding her use of magic. Being an aspiring mage
Tessa herself, Tessa is intrigued at the mechanics involved in such great displays of the Arcane. "Do you think she will mind me tagging along?" she asks suddenly, feeling that perhaps her being a lower ranking apprentice might lower her in the lovely
Tessa elven mage's eyes. Before Hi'el can answer, Holga comes out with their order and sets it on the table. Hi'el's oatmeal is steaming, as is the pitcher of water for his tea. Tessa gets a tall and cool glass of water set before her and she offers the
Tessa hefty, rather ugly woman a slight smile. "Thank you, Holga," she tells her as Jarlosh's main waitress goes back inside.
Tessa takes a drink of her water and smiles at Hi'el. "So when do you wanna go see her then?"
Hi’el suddenly looks longingly at the bowls of mouthwatering oatmeal. The scent of cinnamon and brown sugar loudly causes his stomachs to growl out their hunger. He quickly answers Tessa's question saying "Today, as soon as we're through here, and then back ...
Hi’el ...to the Temple. I have somethings for you that I forgot to tell you about earlier. I want you to have them." He brings out a packet made from a leaf, and empties the ground contents into the mug then pours the hot water over the herbs. From ...
Hi’el ... the mug raises the sharp fragrance of tea as he stirs it with his spoon. He looks over at Tessa then back to his breakfast/lunch, and back to her again, asking "Would you care for some?"
Tessa nods in agreement with when to go see Lady Arienne and watches him make his tea. She narrows her eyes and looks at him curiously again as he mentions that he has some things to give her. "You don't have to give me anything, Hi'el. I'm learning
Tessa that there is more to life than having 'things'." She sighs wistfully, looking at her glass of water, thinking back to when she lived like a princess, and she marvels again at the jewelry she wears, smiling as it twinkles in the sunlight.
Tessa glances at his oatmeal and then his tea and shakes her pretty head. "No, thanks, the water will do me fine for now. But I would like to stop by the temple anyway, actually," she says thoughtfully. "I've been thinking that it might be a good idea
Tessa to get some holy water, in case we run into any more undead." Her delicate face scrunches at that thought, and she looks non-plussed. "Is High Priestess Siannodell a very nice person?" she asks him, thinking that surely the woman would be, but
Tessa never having met her yet.
Hi’el arches an eyebrow at Tessa's contradictory statement about 'having things', finding it ironic and amusing at the same time. He smiles, and says before taking a spoonful of oatmeal "Oh, trust me, I think you'll like these gifts, and since we'll be ...
Hi’el ... going past the Temple on our way to Arienne's Tower, I'll get them for you then." He takes his first bite of oatmeal, and a look of complete bliss comes over his features as his taste receptors go crazy with pleasure.
Hi’el immediately becomes engrossed in eating his oatmeal, and sipping from his tea. He pauses in between bites, and answers Tessa's other question, saying "Siannodell is very nice from my experiences with her. She is very strong of will. I respect her."
Hi’el nods at Tessa's comment of getting more Holy Water. It was definitely on his list of things to do.
Tessa watches Hi'el eat and takes a few sips of her water, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest in a relaxed state. "I can't wait to actually meet Lady Arienne," she confided to him with a shy smile. "I hear she's very
Tessa beautiful. Of course, all elves are, I suppose, but...well, anyway, it will be quite the interesting day, meeting both she AND Mother Siannodell." Her deep green eyes flicked around the area, then settled back on him again. "How did you meet High
Tessa Priestess Siannodell, Hi'el? I mean, did she just automatically accept you into the 'fold', so to speak, because of your true form?" Tessa's interest seems genuine, and she studies Hi'el, almost as if trying to see past the illusion created by his
Tessa magical belt buckle. "Oh...and I meant to ask you what breed of horse runs through your veins? You are quite fast, and I was wondering if it were maybe...thoroughbred or the like," she asks with a faint blush and small smile.
Hi’el smiles at Tessa's confession and excitement about the opportunity to meet Arienne and Siannodell. He practically inhales the first bowl of oatmeal when the mage first asks about his meeting Siannodell, and after taking a sip of tea, answers "Arienne ...
Hi’el ... unable to heal my wounds suffered on the day we met, brought me to High Priestess Siannodell, who nursed me back to health after my encounter with the hobgoblins. They didn't realise I was a Silenni until I dropped the illusion. They were quite ...
Hi’el ... surprised by my true appearance, having never seen one of my race before." He looks back to the Temple, and the Trinity Towers in the distance, saying "When I explained that I was a servant of Mielikki and one of Her Shadoweirs, it became ...
Hi’el ... axiomatic that I would be accepted." He turns back to Tessa, and slightly widens his green eyes when he finds the mage deeply studying him, his color deepens in response to her scrutiny. He clears his throat, and lowers his gaze down to his meal, ...
Hi’el ... preparing to finish off his second bowl of oatmeal. He looks up shocked yet again by Tessa's question about there being a direct linkage between his Silenni heritage and horses. He asks not to insult or offend, but to teach "What breed of monkey ...
Hi’el ... blood do you have in your veins?"
Tessa's jade eyes widen at his question, and it does indeed seem as if she's offended. She straightens in her seat and shakes her head, her nostrils flaring just a bit. "I beg your pardon?" she asks in a clipped tone. "I have no monkey blood in my veins
Tessa for your information, Hi'el. That theory is preposterous, in my opinion, and has never been proven." She rolls her eyes and her posture tenses again. "The very idea that humans come from... from APES, is too silly to even be considered. However, we
Tessa can most CERtainly tell that you have equine blood in YOUR veins," she replies snottily. She takes a deep breath and then another drink of her water, her body language indicating that she is more closed now. "I didn't mean to insult you or imply
Tessa that you were just a horse... or anything. I was only curious, Hi'el. But I shall keep my curiosity to myself from now on, nevermind." Tessa lapses into a stony silence and studies her nails with almost unbelievable attention, turning her hands
Tessa this way and that, examining the long, artistic fingers as if searching for flaws. There is a slight twitch in her jaw, one of the only signs of her displeasure at the thought of being related to monkeys, and she doesn't meet Hi'el's eyes again
Tessa yet.
Hi’el arches an eyebrow at Tessa's retort, and intently stares at the young woman defensive posture, waiting to see if she'd see the error of her assumptions about his race. He can only shake his head at her superior human-centric views when she claims 'we ....
Hi’el ... can most CERtainly tell YOU have equine blood'. He returns to his meal, and leaves her to stew in her self-imposed silence. He'd eloquently made his point, and she'd affirmed that pointed when she'd denied any association between her human ...
Hi’el ... ancestry and apes. The young woman's conceit and behavior had greatly lowered the Silenni's esteem for her, and gave him pause to reconsider whether she truly was a friend.
Tessa stays quiet for a long moment, and still refuses to meet his eyes. He also stays quiet, and she can't resist a smug look at him, thinking that surely her words had made him re-think the rudeness of his question. When she saw that he was simply
Tessa eating his meal in an unconcerned manner, her temper began to flare a little beneath her cool exterior. She had been waiting for him to apologize for offending her, as many, many men had done over the course of her young lifespan. When that
Tessa apology was not only not forthcoming, but appeared that it wouldn't be, Tessa's annoyance turned to ire, and her first instinct was to throw a temper tantrum. Despite recent events, the young woman still had quite a bit to learn about the fair
Tessa treatment of friends. She did consider Hi'el a friend, surely, but Tessa had few friends, and she simply did not understand why her vain and selfish attitude was not accepted by many. She shrugged her slim shoulders as if affecting nonchalance,
Tessa and gave a small "Hmmpf" sound. But, to her credit, instead of ranting at him or trying to verbally insult him enough to garner an apology from him at her anger, she simply sat in offended silence, pouting.
Hi’el finishes off his lunch leaving both bowls of oatmeal and the pitcher of hot water empty after several mugs of tea. Through the remainder of the silent meal, he'd watch the young woman, and could only feel sorry for how her upbringing had left her ...
Hi’el ... pompous and egocentric. He stands up from the chair, and without a word or backward glance, walks out into the street headed back toward the temple. Perhaps, this was Mielikki's way of driving the woman from his life, so he could complete his ...
Hi’el ... quest without the added complication of the desire he'd felt for her. He nods at this thought, thinking to himself, that must be exactly was Mielikki was doing.
Tessa looked up in disbelief at Hi'el's seemingly uncaring attitude and the way he just left. Her gaze followed him with arrogant indignation and she scooted her chair back suddenly enough that it fell as she rose from it. Keeping her arms crossed over
Tessa her chest, she stood there defiantly, watching his back. "Well FINE!" she yelled after him, determined to get in a parting shot to assauge her wrongfully wounded pride. "I wouldn't EXPECT you to even BOTHER to try and understand or offer any kind
Tessa of apology! HMMPF!" Her cheeks had flushed red in her anger and she left the chair to lay where it fell, turning and stomping loudly back into the Inn and up the stairs to her room. The tears had yet to start, but surely there would be tears later
Tessa for her. "UNbeLIEVEable!" she muttered loudly as she stomped up the stairs in her fit. "MEN!"
Hi’el continues down the road toward the Temple, and sighs in relief, offering a whispered "Thank you Mielikki. Aeryie was right. I'll never understand the females of the 'civilized' race. Looks like I'll have to give the boots and spellbook to someone else." | | Hi'el Troiye | |
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