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The Exiles; Fortis and Oracle
Topic Started: Feb 17 2009, 02:43 PM (952 Views)
Fortis
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“I won’t, Ursssa. I could never leave you,” Noss said, gently holding onto her, resting his head beside hers on her shoulder. He felt at peace, even when he was surrounded by uncertainty and confronted with an unknown future. Such a moment never occurred while he was exiled, but only with this gentle yet brave siren. Ursa was safe and in his arms, he had no other needs. But did she? Noss suspected, but he didn’t know, and the fear that might be wrong kept him from making certain. Yet, today, she had come close to death. This galvanized him, he could not wait, nor continue in blindness. He would-

His thoughts were interrupted as hundreds of cheers erupted around them. Even as he embraced Ursa, many tiny men came running from the trees and joyously set about butchering the dead monster. Noss initially paid them no heed, but soon a flash of alarm crossed his features. He smelled it faintly, but it was unmistakable, the bitter scent of the same poison that had subdued him and Ursa earlier followed the little men. He lifted up his head and gazed at the small men rushing about.

He hissed in alarm, the tribe of tiny men seemed to suddenly take heed of them. Some fell quiet, and gave the two of them a wide berth. However, others only cheered all the louder, and stepped forward to offer them gifts. One stepped forward, and offered the heart and other pieces of choice meat that had been cut from the slain beast, placing it at Noss and Ursa’s feet. Another left a basket of fruit and plants, one left carved figures of stone and obsidian, and another left a necklace of beaten gold. One of the little men even brought back their possessions and weapons that had been taken from them. Noss glanced at the pile of gifts, but only briefly. “Do any of you ssspeak thisss tongue?” Noss asked. Only a few heeded his statement, and only looked among themselves. One ran off back among the trees, while the others simply continued their celebration.

Moments later, the one that ran off returned, with another, older man in tow. The other little humans gave the elderly one a respectful distance. The elder came before Noss and Ursa, and spoke in a heavily accented, basic English. “Many thanks! Big Maw dead! We free!” Noss glared at the elder, the pointed a claw at him. The fear at seeing Ursa pierced by the poisoned dart, the terror at seeing the huge beast searching for her, his dread at seeing it snatch the rope bound to her leg came rushing back to him. His blood began to boil at the little men who nearly took his Silver Voice from him.

“You and your tribe endangered Ursssa. Your actionssss nearly caused her death, ssssomething no amount of giftsss can buy forgivenesss for,” Noss said accusingly. The elder stepped back, suddenly worried. Around them, the cheering faded to a worried silence. They watched, fearful of Noss’s intent.

“Many, many apologies. We desperate. Big Maw killed many of us, for long time. Big Maw demand man blood every new moon. We resist, but Big Maw take many more from our home. Our poisons cannot stop Big Maw. We glad Big Maw die and scaled one and winged one live. Forgive us.” The elder said. He bowed his head before Noss. “I wronged you. I only, not others. Kill elder, not others. They not wrong you.” For a silent moment, Noss said nothing, then looked back at Ursa. He closed his eyes a moment as he forced down his anger.

“A noble offer, elder,” Noss said at length, facing the elder again. “But I will forgive you thisss time. Ursssa isss unhurt. But know thisss, threaten her again, and I will become a hunter of men.” Noss paused again, then looked down at the meat from the ‘Big Maw’. “It isss forbidden to eat the flesh of one gifted with intellegenccce, even a barbaric, cruel, and primitive one. I mussst have different meat.” Noss said, but said no more fearing that he may betray his anger. He needed some time to cool his anger. He stooped and retrieved his harpoons and bolas, as well as his pouches of herbs and the prayer totem. But he had something else he wanted to do, something that would help to calm himself.

“Bring me a pieccce of obsssidian, and some silver,” Noss said. He had barely finished his sentence before the items were brought. "Ursssa, I need to talk to you, without the men to dissstract usss. Would you come with me? Where would it be comfortable for you?"
Edited by Fortis, Apr 17 2009, 09:19 AM.
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Oracle
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Hearing Noss state his inability to leave her, caused her fears to flee. For now it was enough to know that he wanted to be with her as well, though it seemed cowardly not telling him how she truly felt. She was about to speak up and just say it, when she was interrupted by the mob of cheering going on around them. She felt Noss' muscles tense as if he were prepared for battle.

The tiny men were offering them gifts. Ursa seemed bemused that such a thing could offend Noss to the point of anger. Not until the Elder approached and spoke with Noss had she understood he was angry because they had endangered her. She had to agree that their methods were deceptive and cruel, but they were probably without much choice. They had no way of knowing she would have gladly helped them had they but asked. She was fairly certain Noss would have as well. The fact was everything 'had' turned out well. She too would have been beyond distressed if Noss had been hurt. Had he been killed, she could not imagine the loss. It would have been worse than her years of solitude. Then she at least had the hope of rescue, there could be no rescue of a life without Noss.

When the elder had offered his life in exchange for his people, Ursa was ready to interfere, but was pleased when Noss relented. She could tell from his stance that his anger had not gone. She loved him all the more for his restraint and self control in the face of that anger. Most men would have struck out and later regretted their actions, but Noss was full of much honor. She would have to tell him of her feelings soon. She doubted she could turn her heart from its course if she tried, but she had to know if he could love her. No, more than that. It was obvious that she loved him, and he cared for her deeply. She needed to know if he could love her as his mate. Were they a single soul living in two bodies? He completed her, but did he feel the same? Or did he only care for her as one might a beloved sister?

"Ursssa, I need to talk to you, without the men to dissstract usss. Would you come with me? Where would it be comfortable for you?"

"I need to talk with you as well Noss." She looked around, hearing some water in the distance, where they might bathe the dirt from the battle away. "Let us head toward the water. My thirst is still great, and I need to wash. Your back still needs to be tended. You have suffered much on my account." When the men had returned with the items Noss had requested Ursa took his hand and headed for the water. It was the same pool they were at earlier. Before she entered the water, she asked Noss to break the strap she had been unable to remove from her ankle. Once it was gone she wasted no time in wading into the water's depths, and rinsing the filth from her body. Swimming to the falls themselves she drank freely of the clean water, beckoning Noss to join her. Refreshed, she was ready to hear his words and joined him on the shore. She prayed to the Wild Gods that he was not about to spurn the love growing in her heart.

As she looked at him his first words to her echoed across time, “I heard your plea for help, sssilver voiccce. Come, and you shall not sssee another lonely sssunrissse from thisss desssolate island again.” Her Champion had entered her heart with his first words to her. There could be no other...


I Role Play because the people in my head tell me to.


TUESDAY AFTERNOON

It is God who can transform the lowest into the highest, who humbles the proud,
and causes that which is in darkness to become light.~Horace

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Fortis
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Noss nodded, quietly following Ursa while holding the raw obsidian and silver in one hand. A few of the little men made to follow, but the elder spoke to them in a strange language. The men stopped, and left Noss and Ursa alone. When Noss and Ursa came to the pools edge, he knelt, and used one claw to cut the rope from Ursa’s leg. He took great care not to even scratch Ursa’s delicate skin.

As Ursa swam in the water, cleansing herself, Noss sat upon the river bank. He took up the piece of obsidian, and began using his claws to chip away at it. Gradually, the hunk of dark began to take a rough shape. Noss used his claws and his rough scales to smooth out the course edges of the obsidian, blunting and rounding the edges of the obsidian into a more graceful appearance. There was something calming about the work of carving the obsidian. But it was the thought of for whom he worked the stone that caused him to forget his anger. When Ursa finished, he went to join her on the shore of the river. He carved silently for a while longer, debating on what he should say to her. Or whether he should say anything at all, choosing ignorance over the possibility of hearing what he feared most.

“Ursssa, do not think I sssuffer becaussse of you,” Noss said at length, still finishing and polishing the obsidian on his claws and rough scales. He also began shaping a little of the raw, pliable silver. “You and I, we have only known each other for only a few daysss. Yet ssso much hasss changed in those few daysss. For ten yearsss, I wandered the landsss of men asss an exile, and I considered myssself cursssed. But in a few daysss, you have made my curssse into a blesssing, and for the firssst time, I thanked the Wild Godsss for sssending me out of my jungle. I felt at peaccce for the firssst time in yearsss becaussse of you. That is a preciousss gift, well worth any hardship I might undertake for you.”

“I have been thinking the lassst day or two. I know you feel for me, and I for you. But I have thought on how deep my feelingsss run. It isss more than jussst the beauty of your sssong, it wasss your plea, and not the magic in the wordsss that called me to you. It isss more than jussst gratefulnesss at finding one who doesss not fear me for what I am. The dwarvesss were jussst asss accepting, yet I do not feel thisss way for them. Thisss isss more than that. Deeper and ssstronger.”

“Ursssa, I…” Noss paused a moment, the monumentality of what he was confessing causing him to hesitate. He looked into Ursa’s gentle eyes, and he resolved to continue. “Ursssa, even though our time together hasss been brief, even though we are of different kindsss…I have been drawn to your gentlenesss, your kindnesss, your graccce, and your courage. I feel I know you better than anyone I’ve ever known. You have become more than a friend to me, more than a companion, more than even a sssissster…”

Noss paused again, and held out the obsidian he had been shaping. It had been carved, smoothed, and polished into a single bracelet. Any and all rough or sharp edges had been smoothed out, and it was a perfect circle in shape, just big enough for Ursa’s arm. It was intricately carved with patterns of leaves, vines, and flowers circling and spiraling around its circumference. On the top, in the center, set into a carved niche, was a small bird, with its wings outstretched in flight, crafted out of cold worked silver, carved with minute detail by Noss’s claws.

“Ursssa…I love you. I would live all my yearsss with you, through the blesssed timesss and through the cursssed timesss. And when we have run our time, we would go together and join the Wild Godsss and help them rebuild their creation together. It is my greatessst hope that you would share thisss life with me…and my greatessst fear that you would not.” Noss held the obsidian bracelet out to Ursa. His hand trembled a little as he did so. The fear of a thousand hunts and years of exile seemed pale in comparison to this moment now. Would she return his love, or would she be frightened or repulsed of the thought of a reptilian loving her? He suspected, but he could not be certain until she answered. Each second seemed an eternity as he waited, either to be blessed more than he had ever been in his life, or to be returned to a lonely and forlorn exile.
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When Ursa left the pool and joined Noss on the shore, she knelt quietly in front of him. Watching his same artistic carving that had so thrilled her on the ship. That he was capable of such intricate craftsmanship had her spellbound. But it was when he began speaking her eyes glazed with tears. That he considered her a blessing wrapped the chords of her heartstrings so tightly she thought they would snap from the ache. His words bound her to his soul. Her emotions raced and almost fled wildly, but was he telling her this to ease his refusal? Perhaps they were not enough alike for him to overcome. He continued, telling her of his admiration for all her qualities, his deep feelings.

His next words, "Ursssa...I love you," rang repeatedly in her ears. Over and over they pealed like wild bells. He wanted to spend his life with her.Then his rough clawed hand that had never touched her with anything but extreme gentle kindness held forth the beautiful band of obsidian and silver. Tentatively she stretched forth her finger to trace the beautiful leaves and vines, stopping to rest for a moment on the silver bird. She had to tell him how she felt, and slowly her hand returned to her lap.

The tears that had welled up at his soft speech, brimmed and trickled down her cheeks, but they were accompanied by her tenderest of smiles. For a long moment she stared into his eyes, lost in the wonder of what he was asking of her. "Noss, from the moment you heard my call you have not hesitated to stand between me and harm. You have acted honorably in every action and word since you became my champion. Not only with me, but with everyone we have met you behave with honor. A man is not judged by his outward appearance but by the beauty of his heart. I have been growing in love with you since you stood upon my rock of exile. You rescued me from isolation, but you did more than that. You stayed with me and filled the void in my heart till it has overflowed."

She reached up to touch his face,"I love you Noss. Not because you rescued me, but because your heart answers the call of my own. I love you not as a champion, or protector, though you are indeed those things. I love you as a woman does a man. There could be no finer mate than you if I searched for a lifetime." She slipped her dainty hand through the ring as he held it out. It slid perfectly until it came to rest midway on her upper arm. She looked longingly into his eyes. Then rising to her feet she settled herself in his lap, her arms circled around him in tender affection. She was home...unable to restrain herself, she began to sing her unparalleled joy.



I Role Play because the people in my head tell me to.


TUESDAY AFTERNOON

It is God who can transform the lowest into the highest, who humbles the proud,
and causes that which is in darkness to become light.~Horace

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As Ursa’s gentle fingers brushed the obsidian bracelet he held out, he waited anxiously. He watched unblinking, lest he miss seeing her take the bracelet. He hardly dared to breathe, fearing to drown out the words he so longed to hear. He remained motionionless in anticipation as she ran her fingers along the vines an plants etched with care and feeling. But she withdrew her hand from the bracelet without putting it on. A barely audible hissing gasp was heard from Noss. Was his worst fears to come true before him?

But no, she spoke again. The beautiful song of her words came to his ears, and Noss did not hear a song of rejection. There was only words of praise, of thankfulness, of longing, and of love. He listened eagerly, each of her words bringing with them waves of emotion with them. His reptilian eyes began to run with tears, as her speech built up to the conclusion.

“I love you Noss.”

Noss heard no more after that, dwelling upon the perfect beauty of those four words he longed to hear. She loved him! With her four words, she changed him. With four words, she pronounced an end to his exile, for where Ursa was, there too was home. With four words, she filled the gap left in him since his banishment long ago, and more besides. With four words, she filled him with joy and thankfulness. Overcome with emotion, Noss watched as her hand reached for the bracelet again. With graceful movement, she slipped it onto her delicate arm.

He embraced her as she came to him, wrapping his arms around her. Her song of rapturous joy filled his heart, touching his very core. It was like a dam bursting to him, he could be silent no longer. His own voice rang out, thought coarse it seemed to him when compared to Ursa’s beautiful voice. Yet the two voices entertained and merged into one beautiful song, strong, majestic, graceful and beautiful. Noss cared not who heard him, he lived in this wonderous moment. For now, the world was perfect to him.

In the village of the little people, the men and women paused in their tasks, and lifted up their heads as a song of joy was carried in the winds to them. They had been subdued since Noss’s warning to them, but the beauty of this song lifted their spirits. Again they celebrated their liberation, and began dancing and playing strange instruments and drums. For a long time the glorious song was heard from afar, even as the sun gradually reached its zenith and began to descend again.
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