First though, I think that this counts as ...As had Gamana, this elf wore a mask, but unlike her this elf wore much less. She, or it could be a he there were no real definitive features visible, wore a cropped sleeveless tunic, shorts and open sandals that had laces twisting around their calves up to just below the knees. The clothes themselves seemed to be made of deer-hide, but their skin was the strangest thing - it was the colour of eucalyptus leaves; Careena had never seen the like before.
Reach a Milestone: I will deliver Gamana's message, now 5/10
Careena had fortunately spent the time before she feel asleep focusing her well-trained mind on the difficult introduction that was to come, so she was able to take all these things in as she slowly rose to her feet and not gape like a fool - this time, anyway.
"I bear a message from Gamana," she said. The Elf continued to sit on its haunches, but cocked its head to one side, its mask hiding its expression completely.
With no sign otherwise, Careena continued, "My name is Careena Dwarf-daughter, and I have sworn to deliver that message to the leader of the tribe that she once belonged to; are you of that tribe?"
At this the figure deigned to nod once, a short sharp gesture, seeming to expend the minimum possible effort.
"Will you be kind enough to lead me to your tribe so that I can complete my vow?" asked Careena.
The figure stared at Careena for a long time and as it did so, Careena notice that, like Gamana's, its pupils had vertical slits like a cat's. Finally the figure nodded again and then spoke, "You are fair spoken Careena Dwarf-daughter and I believe your tale. We will not kill you now. We will take you to our chief and they will decide your fate. Gather your belongings and we will go." As she - Careena thought of it as a she because the tone of 'her' voice - spoke, other masked figures came out of the trees around them until there were six elves before her. Half of them carried spears with flint tips and the others held bows with flint-tipped arrows held to the strings but no tension on their strings.
As the group gathered, Careena noticed that there was some urgent, heated, whispering between them with not a few gestures in her direction ...
Things could be turning bad for Careena, but she feels unable to intrude, so she is going to ignore and endure the conversation ...While this conversation went on, the first Elf watched Careena, now standing in front of her fellows and seemed to reach a decision, "Good, you ignore them for the chattering jay-birds that they are. They do not like that you carry so much iron - nor that you are at least half a Dwarf. The iron that you carry and have in your soul makes us ... uncomfortable as we have no liking for the stuff."
Face Danger: 5 +2 [heart] vs 6,5; strong hit, +1 mom -> now 9
She held out her hand, "This is how you greet new friends is it not? The touching of hands and the silly up and down movings?"
Careena shook her hand. As she did the Elf continued, "I am Kendalanu and my friends call me Kenda - but you are not one of them ... yet," Careena heard the smile in Kendalanu's voice and returned it to the impassive wooden mask.
"Come, follow me, and I will lead you to where it is needful for us to be."
Reach a Milestone: I will deliver Gamana's message, now 6/10Kendalanu turned on her heel and began to walk westward so Careena followed her, and looking back saw that two of the elves followed her carrying spears, but there was no sign that the other Elves had ever been ...
They walked for the better part of the morning and as they did, the underbrush gradually cleared until finally they reached a part of the forest where there was none. Relieved of her ignorance by her foolishness at Gamana's home, Careena looked up and saw many houses in the upper branches of the trees, on many different levels with rope bridges and ladders linking the levels and houses together.
"Roads in the sky ..." Careena spoke with a kind of awe as she looked around drinking these wonders in.
Kendalanu stopped walking and turned to look at Careena, "You have not seen the like before?" she asked.
"Never," replied Careena.
"Truly, that is strange, for that is our name for them. I will tell our Chief of this, she will want to know that you seem to know our ways and words without knowing."
As she spoke to Careena, a rope ladder had descended next to Kendalanu, and when she had finished, she turned and scrambled as lithely as a squirrel up it. Fortunately, as far as Careena felt, the ladder was swiftly drawn up behind her. As she had expected, when Careena turned around her 'escort' had vanished as well.
Trying to project an un-disturbed, thoroughly calm air, Careena removed her backpack, took out a scroll from it and began to read its contents.
Careena is not going to lose whatever game it is that the Elves are playing by the expedient of not joining in. So in game terms it's another ...Something was tugging at the corner of Careena's awareness, so she took hold of it with her mind
Face Danger: 5 +2 [heart] vs 3,2; strong hit, +1 mom -> now 10
Although these seem to me to be coming too quickly, it feels right for the fiction, so I'm going with it.
Reach a Milestone: I will deliver Gamana's message, now 7/10
and, as she had been trained to do, examined it from all angles. It was a noise - people whispering again. She must have slipped into a half-trance to not realise it before. Breaking her concentration and looking up from her scroll, she could see that the bridges and balconies closest to her were full of masked elves watching her and whispering to each other. As they gradually became aware that she was now watching them, they began to move away, still whispering, but no longer staring at her.
 |
| Masks seen by Careena in the Village |
After all, what matter to her if the Elves stared? It was likely that most of them had never seen someone who was not an Elf, so if she gave them a spectacle of interest for half a day, then all well and good. She could endure - knew that she had iron in her soul.
Some time later, a ladder dropped and Kendalanu came down it as swiftly as she had previously climbed it.
"The Chief comes," she said by way of greeting and moved away from the ladder.
Careena stood quickly and tried to make herself presentable, although she feared this was beyond a simple brush-down.
As she looked up from her clothing, another Elf had joined Kendalanu. A twin of Gamana in size and hair, even down to the carving on the mask, although that did seem to be of a different wood ...
"Careena Dwarf-daughter," Kendalanu began, "Our laws must be explained to you. Our Chief may not speak to anyone not of the tribe. When their words must be spoken to outsiders, the tribe's bard must do it and as I am the bard of this tribe, I will speak the Chief's words." A perceptible note of pride could be heard by Careena as Kendalanu spoke of her role.
"The Chief asks for the message that you claim to bear - produce it now." Kendalanu instructed. Careena reached into her jerkin, pulled out the tube and handed it over, saying as she did, "I deliver this message from Gamana and thereby complete my iron vow."
Not quite as much progress as I'd like, but I don't want to string this out any further, so here goes
Fulfil Your Vow: I will deliver Gamana's message, prog 7 vs 5,1; strong hit, 3xp
With those xp, I'm going to buy the custom Dwarf-Blood asset that I've alluded to previously. Advance - 3xp for the Dwarf-Blood asset
We'll pause here; more soon!