The Forêt Woods

Somebody kicked Blakes foot and he jerked awake. Camilla was curled up next to him, and Bella was frowning down at him. The sun had dipped a bit since they started their nap. An hour, maybe two had passed. The captain lets out a little groan. Sky his back was sore, still feeling Camilla's warmth against him... Worth it he decided. Bella's scowl and the impending scolding though, that might not be worth it.

"Sky Devrin! What are you doing? You had us all worried sick! And look at you, taking a nap in the middle of the woods. This is just so typical you."

Blake grins at his sister. His gaze trails behind her to the men in military uniforms. The crew of the airship and their mage. Just as he had predicted. He waits for Camilla to rouse herself to her feet. Once she has he also gets up. Chuckling he responds.

"What? I knew somebody would come rescue us. So I decided to take a nap while we waited."

Bella scowls and punches him in the shoulder.

"We are here to rescue her. You can just rot for all I care."

Blake's grin just gets wider at her response.

"I love you too Bella. Well what are we waiting for let's get home."

Blake catches Camilla's look. He holds her eye, gives her a smile, then shakes his head slightly. Of course nothing inappropriate happened. They were still wearing pants after all. With that business tended they are lead out of the woods. The sun is just dipping below the horizon as they exit. The rest of Blakes family is waiting to greet them. Soon they are bundled in the waiting carriage and they take off for Nireal.

<Exit to Blakes Home.>

Kellam sat in a tree his expression one of extreme frustration. This land had been very confusing so far. When he had first come to it he had been stopped at a strange stone building. It was filled with men wearing armor made of metal! Such a dizzying display of power had left him speechless. Then they had shoved bits of a strange material covered in little squiggles at him. They told him to read and sign. He did not know these words and told them so. The human looked at him very annoyed and then hit him with a barrage of questions. He had answered as best he could and then they gave him more strange material. He was told they were "Travel Papers" and told that he should not lose them. Bewildered and confused he had then been shown out.

As Kellam was shown he had asked where he could find elves. They told him to the try the cities. What followed was a bierf and frustrating conversation for him and a guard. The result of this was he know knew himself to be in a kingdom. In the kingdom were three cities. He had then made his way to the city on the water. The size of it had staggered him, it had been overwhelming, and all the people. He saw more people cross the bridge to the city in a minute, than he had seen in his entire life. It had terrified him. The enormity of his task finally dawned on him. How was he supposed to find his destined queen? This was one city and there were more people in it than he could ever meet. There were supposed to be three others in just this kingdom! He had fled to the woods to contemplate his troubles.

Just as Kellam was giving up hope he heard the sound of hooves. Looking down he saw one of the unfamiliar beasts he had seen some people riding. He recognized it as a horse from the stories. That is not what catches his eye though. The being next the horse was a female elf, a female elf with blond hair! Spirits! He could not believe his fortune. Just when he was giving up hope his destined queen showed herself. Truly this was the spirits hand at work. He drops from the tree landing lightly before her. His legs are bent having been used to absorb the force of the impact. His spear in one hand ready to be used. He looks at her and grins and he says.

"I have found you my queen. Come it is time for us to fulfill our destiny."

Kallam cocks his head curiously. Did she not know who she was? Even if she was not born in the tribe surely she knew her hair made her special? Did the spirits not whisper to her of her destiny? When he found her he just assumed she would know who she was. To find her oblivious to her destiny was unexpected. How should he handle this? He straightens to his full height and eyes her seriously. He speaks with the absolute conviction of someone who has been told something for their entire lives and believes it without a doubt.

"I am Kellam Urireal of the Veldarin people. The Last King of Veldara reborn known by my spirit touched hair. You possess the same hair making you the reincarnation of The Last Queen. We are destined to be wed and to lead the Veldarin back to greatness. So have the spirits decreed."

There she should understand now. It was so simple the spirits had made their paths meet surly she could see that.

Kellam stares blankly at the woman for a moment. He takes a step back her words literally rocking him to his core. What she said enter his ears and floats around his brain. They are oddly disconnected though. What she said is not possible. Only spirit touched elves had blonde hair. Only him and his destined queen. To say there were hundreds... That made no sense. That was impossible. If that was true than... His mind shoves away the possibility. She was confused or her thoughts were being clouded by dark spirits. Either way failure was not an option. His people needed him to succeed he was their hope and to succeed he needed her.

"I do not know why you would speak such lies. Perhaps you have been mislead. I cannot fail though my people depend on me. My apologies I will be as gentle as I can."

As the last word leave his lips he shoots forward coming at her with great speed. When he is almost upon he takes a lunging step. He lands his left knee on the ground between her legs and his right leg next to hers. He tries to snake and arm around her waist as he drives his shoulder into her hips. If he is successful she will be propped up onto his shoulder. Then as a single continuous action he will drag his left leg across the ground until he can plant his left foot again. Coming to his feet he will take off in a run deeper into the forest.

The woman's struggling is largely ignored. She is stronger than she first appeared. Her fists actually sting and her struggling is fierce. Fortunately Kellam is exactly as strong as he looks. His arms are like steel and his grip does not lessen. He keeps up a surprising pace even as he breaks from the trail and heads into the woods. He moves over the uneven terrain with grace and agility. The kind only possessed by this who've spent their whole lives in the forest.

An hour passes and finally Kellam's pace begins to slow. The realization of what he is doing dawns on him. What was he doing? He had taken her against her will. Regardless of what the spirits and destiny demanded this was not how things should be done. It wasn't right or practical. What would he do carry her all the way home? Even if he could a mange such a feat, he could not force her to we'd him. The thought was repugnant. Yet he had to do something his people depended on him. He slows from a run, to a jog, to a walk, until finally he stops.

"I... what do I do?"

Kellam is speaking aloud his voice sounds numb. The impossibility of his situation weighing fully upon him. He sets her down as gently as she will allow. The hear and panic of the moment has passed. His firm resolve held in place by duty crumbles, unable to stand before his concious and harsh reality. He looks confused, lost, and nauseous. His golden skin pale and slick with sweat from his exertions. He does not look at her, he just stares into the woods.

"I cannot fail. I cannot succeed."

Kellam flinched when the female touched him. He had not expected her to remain. He had been sure she would flee back the way they had come. Instead of doing so she was wiping his brow with a cloth. The material it was made of was strange, soft a light not like the rough spun fabric he was used to. For a second he allow a glimmer of hope to spark in his chest. Perhaps the spirits were speaking to her? No. He crushed that thought and her words made it clear that he was right to do so. She was clearly still angry at him, she just had a gentle soul. He mutely allowed himself to be lead to the rock and sat down next to her. He was docile a far cry from the fierceness he had felt before. His guilt and doubt weighed heavily on him. Her words were rattling around his head. There were many spirit touched elves in the city. Could this be true? He once again shoved the thought aside and focused on her question. She wished to know of his people. He speaks slowly not daring to look at her, instead focusing on his boots.

"As I said before my tribe is known as the Veladrin. The legend of the Last King is the greatest hope of my people. It speaks of a time before we lived in the forest. When our people lived in a place with high arching walls and buildings made of stone. This place was filled with ten times as many people as our tribe have now. I believe that the words are ci-ty, we had a ci-ty and a king-dom."

The words city and king are said clumsily and slowly. They were new to him and the concepts still slightly foreign.

"It is said that in those times our people were happy and prosperous. That we wanted for nothing and we all enjoyed safety. That every elf had a metal spear they could call their own. That our magics were strong enough to protect us. At least until the darkness came. What exactly it was we do not know, that information was lost. All we know is that the Last King and his Queen gave their lives so our ancestors could escape. They fled from what was called Veldara until they came to new lands. Those lands were harsh and cruel and our people lost much of what they knew. Our only hope were the word of the Last King and his Queen. That they would return to us and bring us back to our home. It was said we would known them by their hair. All of my people have hair the color of earth. We possess a tapestry showing us the King and his Queen. Their hair is spirit touched."

He points at his blond head and hers.

"When I was born my people rejoiced. So many years had passed many had lost hope, yet there I was a child with spirit touched hair. The Last King reborn as promised. They waited eagerly for the queen to come to us as well. Years passed I was prepared for my role. I was given the armor of the Last King, his spear, and his sword. The only relics besides the tapestry we have left of our home. I was trained by our finest hunters and keenest minds until I was their peer or their better. I was taught to lead, to show compassion, to put the well being of my people above all else. I was ready but there was no Queen. The prophecy cannot be fulfilled without her. It was concluded that she may have been reborn elsewhere, perhaps as a test, perhaps to introduce me to the outside world I would need to lead my people to. So I was sent from my village to find her. When I saw you I assumed you must be her. Who else would have spirit touched hair?"

He hesitates for a moment then finally speaks the question he is dreading the answer to.

"Yet you say that spirit touched hair is not uncommon. Is this true?"

Finally he looks at her. The fear and confusion in his eyes is plain. He is terrified of the answer yet he knows he must hear it. He must face the truth that perhaps everything he believed had been a lie.

Crestfallen is too mild a word for the expression on his face. His entire body seems to sag and his expression is one of utter defeat. He was faced with two possibilities. Either is entire life was a lie or he had a task so monumentally impossible that he was doomed to fail. He felt like he was drowning. The weight of his duty, the possibility that it was all pointless, and the impossibility of his task all crushing down on him. Then suddenly he felt like he could breath. Her hand laid lightly on top of his own and he stares at it. Something in that simple act of kindness and compassion touched him. That this woman who he had so wronged would try and comfort him, made it all seem a bit more bearable. He takes a long slow breath and straightens his back. He gathers his resolve and attempts a tentative smile.

"Thank you for your words. That you would be so kind to me after what I did warms my heart. I will keep searching until I find her. Though I have no idea how I will do so. I have nothing to go on but her hair and apparently that is not enough. I suppose I will just have to pray to the spirits that she recognizes me. Spirits! I suppose this means I will have to enter the ci-ty. That is a scary thought. It looks so big and busy how does one find anything within it?"

Kallam shakes his head smiling ruefully. His strength and confidence is returning. No task was truly impossible. He would search for as long as he needed to to find his Queen. His people depended upon it. He gets to his feet and offers Len a hand should she want it. He supposed he should get started... His stomach growls audibly. It had been many hours since he had eaten. He supposed he would have to hunt before he started his search. Still he had to repay his debt to Len first.

"It is getting dark and the way back to the path may be dangerous. May I escort? It is my fault you were lead so far astray and I would like to ensure you return safely."

Kellam was finding today to be a day of surprises. The latest being Elenial's two offers. One to show him around the intimidating city and another to provide a meal. It seemed wrong that she would extend such offers. Even worse that he should accept them. He is about to voice his objection when he stops. He thinks about his situation long and hard. As it stood right now he needed all the help he could get. He was in strange lands he did not understand, facing a task that would take him years to finish... His train of thought is interrupted as she pulls her hand from his. He had also not realized she had not let go. Odd that, he supposed he had just been too wrapped up in his thoughts.

"I would normally turn down such hospitality. After what I did to you... I feel as though I should not trouble you further. Still I am forced to admit I am in over my head. My task is too important to allow petty pride and embarrassment dictate my actions. I can use all the help and all the friends I can get. So I thank you for your offers and accept humbly. Once again I am warmed and put in awe by your generosity."

With that said Kellam follows Eleniel dutifully as she leads them back to the trail. He finds nothing odd about her woodcraft. In his tribe all know how to move through the woods it is a necessity. He would have found it stranger if she couldn't find the trail. Once they are safely on the road her horse is recovered. They then continue on their way to her abode. The entire trip took roughly three hours and the sun is finally set as they make her to her cottage.