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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 17, 2008 18:49:33 GMT -5
Mina looked around once more. She was not used to this; she was used to a little run down shack with a dirt floor and a mattress of pine needles. She did not have a night stand; she did not have a dresser. She didn't even have a pillow. Now all of a sudden she had these things. She had a chance at being someone, and better yet, she could be something her father would be proud of. She pulled off her boots and put them in the corner. Her delicate feet moved as quiet as a mouse. She pulled back the blankets and slipped under; the bed, it was soft, the blankets were heavy with warmth and the pillow was cool. For once, she felt at home. For once she felt like the kind of girl that she always saw walking by or riding by on a horse with those prim dresses, their hair all done up with the beautiful stallion. Who knew, she might be one someday. Before she knew it she was off dreaming about what was to come; what was to happen to her.
She saw her self sitting atop a great white steed, he had armor on. She was wearing black armor and in her hand was a sword. She had draped over the beasts back a few more weapons of choice. It was raining and men were running around yelling their war cries. The ground was heavy with mud and blood mixed. The gelding rose to his hind legs and landed heavily, his muscles twitched with ever thundering step he took forward. She raised the sword as high as she could and swung it down, cutting a mans back. Suddenly the horse got spooked and reared up un-expectantly. She fell off and landed on her back. The battle continued on, men were still yelling, corpses were lying about; the stench of old blood was strong on the ground. She stood up and brought her sword about; the sound of clashing metal rang through the air. She swung again and hit the man, his helmet knocked off. She dropped the sword and stood in shock. “G-Garis?”
She sat upright, sweat was on her forehead. She looked around the room. It was dark. She had not put the candle out and it burned to nothing. “G…” She was panting, it was awful. Did this dream hold meaning? Was she really going to fight against Garis? She shook her head and curled back up under the blankets. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, so she let it come again.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 18, 2008 8:33:23 GMT -5
Garis waited a while, until the sun was higher in the sky. When he came to the conclusion that Minna was sound asleep, he slipped out the back door, to his small stable. In it were three horses, Garis's battle horse, a large black stallion, his old pack horse, a barrel chested, thick shouldered white stallion. The third was Minna's stolen horse. Garis mounted his war horse, leading him to the gate, and then out to the road. He rode to the forest, in the day it wasn't so scary, just shadowy. He rode for a couple hours until he came to the small house that he had come to so many times before in the past. The small hut was surrounded by farm, and Garis stepped inside. The smell of death ached him, his heart almost faltered. He found Minna's mother easy enough. He found a hefty shovel and dug a hole six feet deep, about three foot wide. It took him about an hour, but when he was finished, he lifted the woman and gently lowered he into the hole. "I'm sorry." He said solemnly as he covered the poor soul with dirt. *** Garis trailed through the city, the stolen horse behind him. The horse was a good riding horse, but it wouldn't do her any good in a battle. He took it to the horsemaster, stripped of reigns. "Ah, Garis, good to see ya." The man said as Garis walked up behind him. He was brushing the already shinging coat of a large white stallion. "What can I do for ye?" He said, dropping the brush into a bucket. "I need a new horse, came to trade this one."Garis said politely. "Ah, this here's a good one, why trade him?" "I found him out by the woods, and he's no good for a battle horse, only a riding horse. I need a good battle horse, I'm thinking of taking on a new apprentice." "Ah, really? Another one? You sure don't waste time." "Serk, I haven't had an apprentice for years." "Really, that long, well, me memory must be goin."Garis chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me." Serk chuckled. "So which one you want?" Serk said. "I just want a good battle horse." "Then how 'bout this'n?" He indicated the horse he had been brushing. "Good horse, a bid timid at times, but all 'e needs's a good ridin' an' a good tamin'." Garis examined the horse, checking his muscles, his legs, his feet, his mouth. "He looks good, Serk. How 'bout it?" "Alright then, take 'im." "Thanks, Serk." *** It was sometime close to evening when Garis got the new horse all ready in the stables, a fresh bag of oats, open, hanging on a hook. He went inside and silently traversed the stairs, easing into his upstairs training room. Inside were a few sparring mats, and chasts with armor and racks with different sized swords, axes, lances, spears, and a few shields. He quietly opened a few chests, rummaging through the perfectly organized pieces or armor. He thought about Minna's size, and couldn't find any that would fir her. /I'll have to get her some tomorrow, or soon./ He thought. For the time being, it was getting late, so he made himself a cup of tea then went to bed.
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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 19, 2008 20:58:21 GMT -5
Minna slept through the day and through half of the night. She woke to an odd sound. She grabbed her dagger and crept over to the door. She slowly opened it and saw Garis. He was heading to bed. She lowered the dagger and sighed. She walked over to the bed and sat down, putting the dagger back on the stand. How long had she been asleep? She could not recall. She put her boots on, grabbed her dagger and her cloak and slipped out of the bed room. She quietly went down the stairs and out the door. She needed fresh air. The nights were starting to grow cold, the grass was crisp with frost and the moon was full. It had a magnificent golden glow to it. The harvest moon. She sighed, thinking back to her mother, and the workers. They were more than likely still in the fields, working to bring in the crops and what not before the frosts got too rapid. She found a tree and sat beside it, listening to the night sounds, taking in the cold air and reminiscing.
A stray dog lingered in the woods. Her black and white coat was tangled with brush and thorns. She yelped as she tried to take a step forward. Minna jumped, hearing the plea for help. She grasped her dagger and ran to the woods. She listened, and heard the yelp again. She sprang to the left and saw the dog; her leg was stuck in a trap, a rope on. The leg was swollen and around where the rope was raw. Minna put her hand forward, the dog snapped at it. Minna then spoke soft words to the dog, “It’s alright, and I’m here to help you. Hush now baby, it’s alright.” The dog lay down, still growling. Minna slowly reached for the rope and cut it with her dagger. She then untied it, keeping an eye on the dog’s nose. She dared not look it in the eyes, for she might attack. The dog limped away, and then froze. She just looked at Minna; Minna looked back. She stood up, and walked around the dog, heading back to Garis’ place. The dog followed. Minna stopped by the tree. “Come on girl, I can’t take you with me. I don’t know if Garis would appreciate it or not.” The dog waged her tail and gave a playful yap. She did need to be groomed, and trained, and loved, and fed. She would have to be checked out, because of her hind leg. She was still limping. Minna led the dog to the stalls and grabbed some hay; made a bed, and put down some water. “Here you go girl, stay here the night. I will talk to Garis and see what he says.” The dog just stood there, looking at the horses, then at Minna again. She let out a slow and long whine. “I tell you what, you stay here, and I’ll talk to Garis.” With that, she turned around to leave. She heard another cry, then a nudge on her knee. Minna sighed, and went over to the bed of hay she put down. She laid down on it, as did the dog. “Goodnight….Batu.”
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 19, 2008 21:33:16 GMT -5
Garis had just layed down in bed. He drifted off to dreams of who knows what, he never remembered them. He woke to the sound of yelping, though, he remembered that much. Garis ignored it at first, but it turned into whining, so, thinking that it was a dog that had gotten itself stuck in the back and couldn't get out, Garis got up out of bed and trundled across the hallway and looked out the window. He was surprised to see Minna speaking to a rather disheveled dog. Garis rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised that Minna would be the one to start bringing things home... Already. "You have enough sleep?" Garis called down, loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough to be a nuisance.
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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 20, 2008 22:50:36 GMT -5
Minna lept to her feet in surprise. "Sorry, Garis...I didn't mean to wake you, if I did. And yes, I feel fully rested." She looked at the dog, then back up at him. "She was in the woods, in a trap. her leg is swollen and raw. I..." She didn't want to press on anymore. She didn't want to try her luck at asking the question. She looked back at the dog, then slowly began to walk to the house. The dog stayed put and curled up in a ball. Soon, she was asleep again.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 23, 2008 12:37:35 GMT -5
Garis "humph"ed and turned back into the house. "I'll look at it in the morning." He called behind him. "Until then, amuse yourself, but please be careful. You can wander the training rooms if you want, try finding a weapon you're comfortable with." he finished. He made his way back to his bedroom and made his way back to sleepland.
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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 24, 2008 16:10:31 GMT -5
Minna nodded as he walked away. Inside she felt guilty at waking him up, and for what? A dog. A dog which she would have to get rid of in a day or less. She bit her bottom lip as she quietly went upstairs and looked at the rooms.
She fell into a state of aw as she saw dozens of weapons displayed before her. She walked around the room, not touching any. She stood before a blade that was immaculately made. The blade was slender and showed hardly any use. The hilt was bound in black leather and tied off, leaving tassels with beads. It looked to be iron, or something of it. She picked it up, it felt slightly heavy, but it was well balanced, and it fit in her hand perfectly. She held it upright in both of her hands. It felt perfect. It was where it was meant to be, she knew it. She did a few practice swings that she saw other men do; it was poorly copied, but she got a good feel for it. This was the one. She put it down on the display, and walked back to her room. She sat on her bed and slowly fell back asleep.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 28, 2008 7:19:17 GMT -5
When Garis woke, the sun streamed into his room past the semi-closed curtains. He stretched, then swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood. He rummaged about his wardrobe, eventually putting on his black tunic and pants. His feet quiet, he stole into the hallway and downstairs. He went into the kitchen and started the fire in the stove. He took a pan and layed it over the fire and grabbed a few eggs from a basket. He cracked them over the pan and made scrambled eggs. ((Dunno if they had those back then, but it sounds really good at the moment.)) When they were finished, he seperated the eggs onto two plates, setting them down on the table. He then used the pan, still with oil from the eggs, to fry a few strips of bacon. He seperated those onto the two plates of eggs. He walked out and called up the stairs, "Minna, breakfast!"
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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 28, 2008 19:09:35 GMT -5
Minna woke with a jolt. She called out, "I'll be right down!" She grabbed a comb and pulled her hair back into a simple bun and washed her face. She walked down the stairs with much ease, and found him in the kitchen. She sat down and smiled. "Thank you for breakfast." She starts to eat it quickly. She pauses for a moment. "I looked at the weapons last night. I found a blade than I liked, it's well balanced, although slightly heavy." She proceeded to describe it, not leaving out on single detail. It was by far the most beautiful and carefully crafted instrument that she had ever seen. She also explained that she had removed it and had done a few practice swings to get the feel for it. "I'm not sure why, but when I held it, I trembled, I felt like it was meant to be, my destiny almost, to hold that sword. I saw before my eyes not just a weapon of mastery, but also a passion, a tool of a way of life...Were you ever like that?" She looked up at him, her eyes bright with curiosity.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 28, 2008 21:47:49 GMT -5
Garis nodded to her thanks. "Well, then the blade's yours." He smiled to her. "Later I'll practice with you." Garis listened to the girl's words carefully, he could tell there was an intense passion that filled her. "Yes, I was like that once." He stood and walked to his sword that hung on the wall. He drew it from it's special scabbard, the three points glinted in the sunlight. "This sword was my greatest sword. It was forged for me by a good friend. Every time I lft it it fills me with power and makes me strong enough to fight a thousand battles. Every time I hold my bow it makes my aim true and my pull longer. My weapons are with me because they empower me. I had this sword the day... The day that your father died. But I was not strong enough then. I was not quick enough. Minna, I want you to know that in this world we all fight battles that are great and epic. On the battlefield, we fight with weapons designed to kill, and sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but no matter how large the battle is on the other side of our sword, it is always the one inside of you that takes the greatest toll. It is the one you must fight until you die, and you must defeat it or else it will consume you. Know that, if not for now, for later, when you need it, remember that." Garis resheathed his sword.
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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 29, 2008 17:49:42 GMT -5
Minna listened and absorbed every word he said. A chill ran down her spine as the last words left his lips. She stood up and nodded to him. "Every word you say to me, every hint you give me, and every bit of wisdom you feed me, I will remember. I will train until I am too weak to stand, or hold the sword. I will push myself to the limits to become great. Thank you again Garis." She smiled, then cleared the table and put them in a sac with a rag. "I'll be down at the river, doing the dishes, if you need me, feel free to call." She grinned at him, and then left. She opened the door, and to her shock, the dog was sitting there...waiting, and waging her tail. Minna chuckled. "Uh...Garis?" She turned around, and then looked at the dog. "Maybe after I do the dishes I'll give you a bath too.”
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 29, 2008 19:13:38 GMT -5
Garis smiled. "I won't try to push you that hard." He said. "Thanks for doing dishes." He stared at the dog at the door. He had almost forgotten. "Yeah, take the dog, too. And bring him in tonight, no point leaving him out in the cold. He can sleep in your room." He smiled at her again.
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Post by Autumn's Nightmare on Dec 30, 2008 18:31:28 GMT -5
Minna nodded, and couldn't help but grin. She patted the dogs head, and took off running, the female close behind. "Come on Batu!" Aside from a gentle limp, her running was good, strong. It spoke boldly. In moment, they were at the river. Minna set the bag down and rolled up her sleeves. She took off her boots and tied her skirt up, just above the knees. Improper as it was, she didn't care. Not right now. It was time for chores, and from what she could see, no one was around. She opened up the sac and pulled everything out. She saw them by the sandy edge and grabbed the cloth. She bent over, cloth in hand, and put sand in it, then tied it off; dunked it in the water along with the pan and started to scrub. She cleaned every inch of them all, the grains of sand pushed on the material giving it a rough edge. She sat back and smiled as Batu was lying on her back, her pink stomach covered in white fur absorbed the warm rays. Minna sat back, examining the area. There was a hedge along the river, then a slight break, where she was now. The trees were heavy with lush green leaves, the birds were singing. It had changed. Over a few days the world had changed. The water was brewing up bubbles as some rocks were larger than others. Minna finished the dishes in about 20 minutes. The sun was just starting to lift. "Batu, come here girl!" The dog slowly rolled over and shook her coat. She just stared at Minna. She waged her tail then slowly walked forward as if knowing what was about to happen. Minna led her into the river and splashed water on her. The dog lowered her head, clearly despising the thought of a bath. Minna worked hard, scrubbing the dirt out of her fur, getting the knots cut out with her dagger, sorting the sticks and leafs out. It was a hard chore, but all the while Minna loved it. When the sun was half way above the sky, Minna was heading back. Batu was running around, her fur some-what dry. She looked a hundred times better, she was almost hard to recognize!
The tall grass was gentle against Minna’s legs; her hair was down so it flowed behind her as she ran. That was one plus on her side; her endurance and stamina were beyond good. She could outrun any boy in the town. She was sure of it. She carried her boots over her shoulder, as well as the dishes. She tripped, and rolled on the ground, laughing. Batu leapt over and attacked Minna in a playful way. Minna wrestled with her for a few, then got up and continued on her way. Before she knew it, she was back at Garis’ house.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Dec 31, 2008 15:41:11 GMT -5
Garis couldn't help but be happy for the girl, she deserved a better life. She deserved her father.
Garis went upstairs and into the first training room. He quickly spotted the sword she had described. It was a sword he had never used before. He took it off of the rack and sat down on a bench against one wall. He grabbed his trusty whetstone and started to work on the edge. He grinded the dull edge until it was sharp enough to cut wood. He examined the rest of the blade, he would do some repair to the hilt later. He stood and put the blade back in its place.
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Post by Shu'al Raethir on Dec 31, 2008 21:42:13 GMT -5
((Hey guys. ^^ I really wanna bring someone in, and I'm gonna right now. He's a very loose character, meant to be a side that doesn't dork with your plot at all. And I don't want to screw with your story or anything anyway, so if I zap out for a while, just assume he's following you unless I write him otherwise. And, of course, if you don't want me in and would rather have this more as a one on one, that's perfectly fine. Just say so. But I had this intro bash into me after reading Autumn's post and I wanted to get this out of my system, not to mention I haven't role played my silly bard in ages. ^^ FYI- I'm typing in Firefox, so I post my reply often and modify it to continue typing. My internet form of saving. But neither of you are on, so I don't think it will matter to you.))
"When I lost faith You believed in me When I stumbled You were right there For every act of love you've done I owe you one..." A strong, definitely masculine voice carried on the wind. It was obvious from the song that the man was no amateur at singing and had done it quite often. "There were hard times I know we survived Just because you stayed by my side With all I have with all I am I promise you all my life Whenever the road is too long Whenever the wind is too strong Wherever this journey may lead to I will be there for you I will be there for you..." He trailed off again, grey eyes vibrant and full of life as he approached the small city. His sandy blond hair was long and rough, making him look like quite the rogue. A prominent nose was his most distinguishing feature, but his angled face and gangly build were also easily recognized by friends. 28 years old but appearing to be only 20, the man didn't look like he had been a commander and 'secret weapon' in a past war. "Through sorrow On the darkest night When there's heartache Deep down inside Just like a prayer you will be there And I promise you all my life I'll always be there..." The man finished as he passed the gate guards and first few houses. He hadn't bothered to sing lightly, preferring the way his voice carried on the wind rather than honoring the quiet of the town. He was a bard, after all. He held the reins of a gorgeous but rather short roan stallion, which in turn carried the man's life- guitar, clothes, food, water, tent and his scant weaponry. A large gyre falcon- golden red in color rather than the typical white- glided easily above his head. The man himself wore a simple dark green cloak that covered a cream tunic and black pants. A short sword was strapped to his hip and his bow and quiver of arrows obvious on Horse's back. Underneath his cloak and atop his tunic was a thick piece of leather strapped onto his shoulder. "Come on down, Ithorec." The man called in his light voice. He wasn't gruff like a typical man, especially one that had been in a war. He was almost like an elf from the fables with his more feminine voice and thin features. But, he was unmistakeably a man. The falcon landed on Marrok's (as the man was called) shoulder with a soft screech. "That's a good fellow." Marrok stroked the falcon's head gently, then offered his hand to a cute dog following a girl, the first not-so-busy person he'd seen since entering the city. "Good day miss!" He said brightly, eyes still aglow. "You know of a place I could get a bite to eat at a good price? Coffer is running a bit low, I'm afraid. Hi there, doggie." He said to the dog, left hand offered to it and his right offered to Minna.
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