Lonely Forest III - elf/spirit/human RP - semi-lit+

[Moondancer]

The sound of his own labored breathing was the only thing Mori could hear over the relentless pounding of his horse's hooves. Well, that and the angry shouts coming from the dozen or so men pursuing him. Mori thought he'd lost them a while ago, somewhere in the endless stretch of hills and moorland; obviously, he'd been wrong.

To be honest, the elf did think they were taking things a little too personally. It wasn't as if he'd killed anyone, just stolen a few priceless artifacts, that was all. He'd done far worse in the past and gotten away scot-free. But these men had tracked him from their home village and had now been on his tail for almost a week. They'd finally caught up with him and were almost within striking distance now. His horse, Castra, was beginning to tire and slow, shortening even more the distance between him and the group behind him.

Glancing anxiously behind him, Mori leaned forward and muttered a few encouraging words to Castra, dark eyes desperately seeking a place to loose his enemies. There was only one hiding place in view, directly in front of him; a huge forest, stretching out across the otherwise empty landscape. However Mori hesitated, pulling on the reins and stopping barely an inch from the first few branches reaching out from the mass of trees. Lonely Forest: he remembered this place, and had no desire whatsoever to return. Neither, evidently, did Castra, who was shifting anxiously and pawing the ground.

Despite his reluctance, there was no other choice. Castra was used to forests and would be able to navigate the labyrinth of twisted branches that covered the ground far better than his pursuers' horses, and it was the only way to lose them. Muttering cursesunder his breath, the dark elf kicked Castra's sides, pushing her into a gallop again and within a few moments, they vanished into the gloom of the forest.

The forest was dark, at least the section of the forest that Caele had mentally labeled 'his'. It was deep in the heart of the woodland, where ancient trees had created a canopy so thick that it blocked out almost all sunlight. Only a few rays broke through, painting the forest floor with a strange dappled pattern and glinting off the few drops of dew that still clung to the leaves. The only area devoid of trees was filled with a small pool of water. It must have, once upon a time, been clear and clear but the water had dimmed with age, becoming green and murky. It was at the edge of this pool that Caele sat, beneath the shadows of overhanging branches. He had no idea how long he'd been sitting there; being technically dead, he had no need to eat or sleep or even breath and the lack of such biological imperatives, combined with the constantly dim light, made it very hard to keep track of time. He had no reason to move, so he didn't. What he hadn't noticed, as he'd been sitting, was he was becoming more and more incorporeal as the hour passed.

A falling dewdrop broke the stillness when Caele realized that it had gone right through him. Standing up, Caele concentrated hard for a moment, becoming more substantial as he did so. Caele frowned when a headache began to develop, as it always did when he did that. He leaned on the nearest tree for support, please to find that he could actually touch it.

It had started happening more often. Caele was fairly old for a spirit, though he wasn't sure of the exact number. Most spirits went insane far earlier than this and Caele ha just assumed it would never happen to him. But it was starting; really, it had been going on for a few years now. His body would become intangible and invisible unless he was actually concentrating, he was beginning to lose control of his thoughts. Of course, his solitude didn't help. He hadn't seen any of his friends for over five years. In fact, he assumed they were dead. His mental state being what it was, he couldn't remember what they looked like or even their names, half the time. He'd spent those five years alone in his little part of the forest. He missed his friends.

(Well, Caele's came out a lot more angsty than I intended it to be Oh well)

[crypticamo]

Race:Dragon spirit.
Type: (if you're an elf)
Gender:Male.
Name:Lukas Cenehelm
Age:Looks about 22. He's actually close to 350 years old.
Looks:
Lukas is a large man. His body is extremely well-built; sheer, powerful muscle ripples across his delicate arms and legs like water, his angular collarbone and shoulders jutting out from the rawness of what lays beneath his tanned skin. He has bright-white hair that's grown a bit shaggy at the front and spiked at the back.
His ears are pierced with multiple rusted metal earrings on each ear. He also has a tiny, neat slit in his left ear from some long-resolved battle. He walks in long, heavy strides like a wolf, and slouches when he sits; he has horrible posture. His teeth are a bit unkempt and oddly placed, all pointed like a dog's. So when he grins, you can't help but flinch a little. Probably his most noticeable feature is his tattoos; they are a bright, almost neon red and are traced in intricate Celtic patterns. They go from his hairline to his jaw, and are in two separate strips, crossing over his eyes like long, blood-red vines. They even go on his eyelids. To match the strange, wild patterns his eyes are the same shade of glittering red. Strangely enough, the whites of Lukas's eyes have vanished under the coat of red irises, like a snake's eye. His pupils are slitted as well.

Lukas prefers to dress in rough, coarse fabrics that range from red, blue, brown or dark green. He wears a reddish-brown duster with black hunter's gloves. He wears on long, leather boots and keeps a bow and arrow at his side constantly, as well as two daggers strapped to the interior of his boots. In warmer weather he wears lightweight cotton shirts with vests.

{{I might add in a picture if I get around to drawing one xD}}
Personality:wip~
Bio: Also a wip~
Crush: None.
Other:

[Rayen]

{ I'll post a reply ASAP; I sure hope I'm not getting writer's block so soon in the RP > n <
And ru-chan, could you please PM me a sample of your writing? c: You know, standard procedure with new members. }

[softballsava]

((finished all my charrie intros on the previous page))

[cazio]

The sun-drenched meadow was pleasant, and if it were up to Leonardo, he'd talk right then and there. But, Alonso was not used to the ways of the forest and he would probably benefit from the familiar darkness of his home. It was always a treat for him to have to clean out the guest quarters, since he always found things left behind by the previous tenants. He'd sheltered Ezio, Altair and a even a few Templars passing through, but mostly he gave the lost a place to regather their thoughts and go on their way. Alonso would be staying for quite a lot longer than the rest of them, so he'd installed a wood stove for heating and a fireplace for cooking. He assumed Alonso wasn't going to want to spend every waking minute with him, and the stove and fireplace had given him a few days to keep his mind from other things.

He gave his pony a nudge, and felt an uncomfortable doom come over him. He'd have to buy a horse of his own now that Alonso was here. The pony was on loan and it wasn't very good at rough weather or challenging terrain. He gave a furtive glance to his apprentice's powdery white stallion and almost curled his lip in disgust. It was a beautiful creature, perfect even, but he was not one for an agile, slender horse. He wanted something stocky, but bigger than this pony; he didn't like being a foot shorter than his student on horseback.

"Before we talk, I'll take you back to my home. Its nothing special, but I think it will be Roman enough for your liking. Spero di sì comunque." He chuckled. Alonso gave a halfhearted grunt that sounded so much like Ezio he almost laughed aloud.

"So, tell me, where did you come from? In Roma I mean." He knew part of Alonso's history, but that was from Ezio's point of view, and Ezio often left things out that ended up being important. He'd learned that the hard way.






He supposed that it wasn't surprising that Ezio was friends with Leonardo da Vinci, but it just was. Especially since he left Rome six years ago and never returned, leaving everyone to assume he'd finally been jailed or the Templars had caught up with him. Ezio never seemed overly concerned, and now Alonso knew why. Here was the world's most sought after man, sitting on a pony that had the worst looking posture he'd ever seen on an equine. He was also being followed around by a fallow deer, and Alonso assumed that Leonardo's gentle nature had allowed him the rare privilege of befriending one. He saw a few herds of them on his way out of Italy, but none since, making him believe he'd gotten it back in their homeland. He gave a curt nod in response to the introduction, leaving an awkward silence on his end.

Leonardo however, seemed to think that was perfectly acceptable and turned his pony onto the trail. Alonso clucked Neve into step beside him, the horse instinctively keeping his gait the same as the pony's, though it was painfully slow for the feisty stallion. Alonso gave him a reassuring pat on the neck, vowing to give him a good run later on in the evening. Neve's ears twisted to the right, and was followed by the other. Alonso peered into the trees, but saw nothing. Poor thing doesn't even know what a forest sounds like. then again, neither do I. He looked to Leonardo to see if he'd noticed anything, but he was just smiling at nothing with his eyes shut. Great, he's half folle.

"So, tell me, where did you come from? In Roma I mean."

The question was inevitable. Altair asked him the same thing, but his way of a sing was slightly more...threatening. H thought about lying, but he didn't know how far Leonardo's genius went. Better to start things off on a good note.

"Well, I don't remember my parents. I was either abandoned or they died, because I grew up in the Theive's District with a group of other orphaned kids. We stole from the rich, we robbed markets, and we even set up a rebellion in the rich district. I was the the oldest, so naturally I was the leader." he paused, remembering the never-ending night watches and finding hiding places. "When I grew up, I turned to another kind of thievery, sometimes called politics." Leonardo laughed lightly. "I started off leading rebels against the tyranny of the Roman government and soon I found myself surrounded by the people I hated the most, getting money faster than I could throw it away. I started getting sick of it all until I found about the Assassins. Sure, I'd heard of them, but Ezio was regarded as a menace. I did a little research and found out that Ezio was looking to meet me, so I came. He somehow recruited me, I was 18 then, and ever since I have lived by the Creed, and jumped the ranks in leaps and bounds. According to Altair, Ezio's being an idiot, but I know he likes me too." Alonso gave a sly grin.

"I see. I can't help but notice that your horse is having an incredibly difficult time going this slowly. Now that I have you around, I need to get a horse of my own, and you seem to know a lot about them. Would you mind hoping me find one? It'd be right on the way anyhow."

He must be as rich I was. Alonso thought. "It would be my pleasure, though I'm sure you know a lot more than you're letting on. I've seen your sculpture in Milan."

"Oh yes, that. Terrible work, I had a lot I needed to do to that. " Leonardo replied spitefully. He sighed and gave his horse a forcefully kick. Both equines started into a canter, and Alonso felt more at ease when he was moving faster.

[MeadowBrooke]

Rinayla lifted her head as the girl in the tree dropped to the ground. She was small and agile with wildly colored hair that reminded Rinayla of some strange kind of tropical bird. The dragon spirit's eyes darkened with concern as she noticed the girl's injured ankle but she said nothing. Her mind was jumbled with many words unspoken, for it had been a long time since she had spoke to any one and her human language was incomplete and rough. Noticing the girl's reaction to her Rinayla tipped her head and the form of a smile tugged at her lips. She is afraid. The ancient dragon that lingered inside Rinayla's form sensed the power of this human before her.

Pushing her hair over her shoulder Rinayla bent her head in a curt bow. ''You are welcome. I am...'' she thought for a moment, searching for the right word. ''pleased that I could help.'' Sighing she hoped that the words she spoke were appropriet for this situation. At the invitation to the stranger's home Rinayla was suprised. Her emotions carefully masked she responded carefully. ''I would like that. Thank you.'' Her dark eyes swept over the girl and the forest around them. ''You are a shura, no?'' If so it would explain the natural power that Rinayla could sense coming from the girl.

Gentle footsteps reached Rinayla's ears long before the figure stepped into view. She was prepared for this stranger, her reverie long broken by the aid she had given the girl before her. She stayed silent, watchful as the stranger approached and spoke to the girl. She wasn't suprised as the hurt ankle was healed. Keeping her dark eyes on the Shura, for the power of this one was strong enough to detect, she stepped back a little allowing her to work.

[Rayen]

|| sienna

''You are a shura, no?''

Sienna nodded. "Yes, I am. I found that out rather recently... Oh. Right." Realizing she hadn't even introduced herself, she smacked her forehead lightly. "My name's Sienna, what's..."

She let the sentence hang unfinished, though, for another female joined them, gliding over towards them in an all too supernatural way. From afar she seemed pretty much like a regular human; however, as she drew closer, there was a noticeable shimmer in the air around her and across her body, as though she was just barely physical. She was probably an ice spirit, a deceased elf or human, seeing as her aura wasn't as exotic as it was powerful. Sienna held her breath, jumping a little when the spirit's cold fingers touched her sore ankle, but then the ache was gone and she sighed in relief, making an attempt to smile at the strange young woman. "Yeah..." She rotated her ankle, glad to find it perfectly fine. "Thank you."

Geez. I always thought spirits weren't real, and now I meet two of them on the very same day. She shook her head slightly in disbelief. Apparently, the newcomer spirit was a shura too. The lion besides her fitted into the Forest as much as a tropical bird in a flock of pigeons, so she supposed that he was her totem animal. She averted her eyes from the golden-maned feline, avoiding eye contact. Large animals, especially large predators usually made her a bit jumpy. Sienna liked to think of it as her survival instincts. Then, she reminded herself of what her uncle used to tell her. Chin up. Straighten your back. Look people in the eye. You have no reason to be afraid.

And so she did, and for the first time that day a confident smile lit her lavender eyes. "I'm Sienna Ashwood, my totem's a pine marten." She paused, looking from the dragon to the ice spirit and then to her totem. "If you need somewhere to stay over at, I could show you my place, it's not far."

|| elanor

"Now, I don't think you really want to shoot, do you?"

Elanor drew in a hissing breath, her eyes widening at the sight of the dark elf. Her heart missed a beat, and slowly she lowered her bow, although she left the arrow notched, her fingers wrought tightly around its feathered end. Her lips parted in a small scowl, revealing a pair of canines that was just slightly too sharp, almost resembling the wolf fang that hung from her neck. Below her, Shyr fell silent, and even though the fur along his back was still bristled his sharp teeth were no longer bared at the intruder.

Yes, she wanted Ragne. She had missed him more than anything all through the five years she had spent on her own, at the heart of Lonely forest; seeing him, she confirmed that this feeling hadn't lessened in the slightest with time.

But no, she did not trust him.

"Guess you're right." Again, her voice sounded oddly misplaced to her. She hesitated for a moment, torn between inviting him up or going down herself. After a second, though, she let herself slip down the long rope ladder, barely using it for support on her way down, and landed on her feet between the gnarled roots of the old tree. She'd rather be where Shyr could stay near her. "Well, who'd have thought, after all these years. What brings you here, Ragne?"

She flinched slightly at her own words' roughness. She hadn't intended to sound that harsh, even though she was indeed somewhat angry at Ragne. Being in love made you do such stupid things, Elanor thought as she tucked her fair hair behind one pointed ear. She was beginning to remember that very clearly.

{ Forcing my muse back to life... I had to study History, sorry for taking so long to reply > n < }

[snowshoe.]

₪ sain

Whispering... Sain absolutely loved the whispering. As his eyes skimmed the page with faded black ink, he swore he could hear them. Their voices were hidden within the crackling of energy that filled his being, merely lurking in his mind. Many a spirit would have been driven insane by their words, but Sain only felt a growing sense of elation. They spoke of the text on the page, molding the words into untainted magic that flowed through him, making his hair move as if caught in a breeze and his eyes glow like a burning coals.

Sain had been sitting in the tree all morning. He was perched, quite precariously, on a low branch of a gnarly oak tree, which hung over a small rocky creek. The babbling of the water tumbling over the stones provided no distraction, in fact, the steady noise was what had caused Sain to choose this spot for reading. What eventually jolted him out of his trance was something far less subtle.

The forest, which had only been filled with the quiet trilling of birds earlier, was now buzzing with alarm. Hoofbeats cut the silence, becoming louder and louder as the horse neared the creek. To Sain, they were as disruptive as claps of thunder. He shut the book sharply, cutting off the voices immediately. His hair fell back to his shoulders, and his eyes dulled. But however more sedentary he looked without the magic whirring through him, he was seething.

He slid his book into a worn leather bag, and slung the strap over his shoulder. He then slid down from the tree; hanging by his hands before he dropped down in the creek. He made a small splash, and the smooth stones shifted slightly, but he stayed on his feet. His face was completely expressionless. The horse, and most likely it's rider, where headed this way. And Sain intended to meet them.

{{Very sorry about the post... it was kind of forced..]]

[softballsava]

Hurt. That was the first word that stung the vampires head but he had changed. She may have lost herself but he had gained a part of himself he had never seen before. He was in love, and he just needed to remind her that she was too. He looked up as she slid down the rope and listened to the last thing she said to him thinking of the best way to respond.

"Well, who'd have thought, after all these years. What brings you here, Ragne?"

He looked her up and down and walked slowly towards her happy inside to see that Shyr had quieted at least. That was a plus. It meant at least she didn't feel threatened by him. As the hair stood up on his back Ragne could tell she didn;t trust him. he let out a small smile as he finally reached her.

"I am very sorry my love." he said with a sad exasperated smile, and it was obvious he really meant it. He slowly moved a piece of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I came back because I made a vow, and gave up mortality for the women I vowed to spend forever with." he said to her more soft now lifting her chin softly to look into his eyes. "I missed you Elanor, more than anything, and I've been searching for you, I have." he said to her his smile soft. "I have changed Elanor, you have changed me. I may need the blood of this forest but I no longer take the joy from the deaths that I must take." he said to her slowly.

"Elanor..." he said trailing off thinking what the possible actions could be in a result to his next move. He decided it didn't matter he needed this. "-I love you" he said in a whisper and kissed her lips softly. And sweet it was, he felt the forest mold around him. Five years without her and it was all hitting him now, how much he had changed. He needed her now. He pulled away softly and waited for her reaction not knowing what to expect.

((no worries he will be normal again soon, I can't take this sappy stuff for much longer.. But I wanted to rp a softer side of him))

"I'm Sienna Ashwood, my totem's a pine marten."

"I'm Brie, Ice spirit, head shura, totem is a lion, his name's Rasha." she said simply and Rasha not feeling the need to speak only nodded his large soft head towards her. "I have a large estate here in the forest also but if you have already made an offer I would love to learn more about you and your shura, and perhaps now that you know I am indeed the head shura you have some questions about how to connect with the small one inside you." she said with a small smile.

"So rude of me!" she said turning toward the Dragon spirit, "And you are?" she asked the other glowing figure to her right. She had only seen a few dragon spirits before and they all had different stories, she couldn't wait to hear more about this one.

((ughh.. wb sorry!!))

The two men walked softly and she continued a few steps in front of them. Trying to just keep out of their earshot she soon found she had hit another body. And with a large tumble she regained balance crouched on the ground and released a small hiss. Only to realize that the thing she had just hit was one of her own. Straightening up she looked him up and down. She had never seen another dragon spirit before.

"You, you are a dragon spirit, no?" she asked in soft disbelief and she heard the sudden stop of hoof beats and knew that her spying was over but she didn't care about the measly human anymore this meant much more to her.

"What is your name?" she asked him softly as she looked into his also lost looking eyes. She didn't even avert her gaze to the human and his strange companion with the deer.

[Rayen]

|| sienna

Sienna blinked twice as the ice spirit Brie declared herself the head shura. Not sure of the proper etiquette in this situation, her practical side won out and she simply nodded respectfully. "Pleased to meet you. Yes, I do have questions." She thought of her slow progress over the last four years. Practically nothing had changed from the day she left her family's farm, regardless of the survival skills she'd acquired ever since. As a shura, she was still as inexperienced as she had been when she was thirteen years old. All she knew of her totem was that it was a pine marten. She didn't even know if it would be a male or a female, let alone its name. But now she found a growing feeling in her chest, an itching curiosity to find out more about herself. And to make something useful of that information.

"Alright then, I'll lead the way." She crossed the clearing in large, confident strides, making the silk tunic wave behind her in flashes of turquoise and magenta that matched those of her hair's highlights. On the corner of her eye she thought she saw a furry brown shape leaping nimbly from one tree branch to the other, but she didn't dare to look, in case it was just a trick of the light.

After a minute or so of walking in silence, they came upon another clearing. The ground there sloped up sharply, and the trees grew closer to each other, their thin trunks covered with moss and dewdrops. The air was much more humid there and, under the canopies' continuous shade, a trickle of water flowed steadily from the midst of a clump of bright green ferns and into a dark, deep pool. Sienna found her goatskins lying next to the pool's banks, and bent down to grab them. It seemed that they had escaped unscathed from the furious boar's trampling hooves. She put one knee to the ground and filled them, careful not to spill the water over the grass as she stood on her feet again. She nodded towards a round log cabin built around the largest tree's trunk. Sienna had found that place after living for almost one year under temporary shacks. She figured the place must have been built by a hunter or a shura, but it seemed to be long abandoned and as far as she was concerned it was a great place to stay at.

"There, that's my house." She slung one goatskin over her shoulder, spilling a few water drops over her tunic this time. She didn't mind that, though. Under the bright, hot sun, rather unusual for an Autumn day, the water would surely evaporate within minutes. "Let's go inside, it's cooler there."

|| elanor

Something inside Elanor cracked while Ragne made his little speech, her determination faltering for a moment. Her eyes showed a brief glimpse of the elf girl she had been five years ago, a girl whose life depended on her protector. And for a moment she wanted to tell Ragne that she hadn't changed at all, and that everything would be as it used to. Perhaps she'd even believe it once she'd put it into words, the naive Elanor surfacing again and pushing the wolf shura back to the depths of her mind. Then her expression closed again and she clenched her jaw, trying to figure out an appropriate reply.

Ragne's lips caught her off guard. She had never really understood how much she missed him until the distance between the two was sealed. Still, the wolf inside her was paralyzed from fear. He had so much power over her. Power to hurt her. Her instincts told her to pull away, but she couldn't. The connection between her mind and her body had been somehow broken by the dark elf's touch. When he pulled away from her, she drew in a shaky breath and folded and unfolded her fingers several times before a word occurred to her.

"You might've changed. But I've changed as well, Ragne. I'm not the same Elanor I used to be," a sliver of fearfulness, mingled with melancholy, flashed into her emerald eyes, "and frankly, I don't think I could ever be her again. You don't know me as you used to. I wonder..." her voice broke roughly, and she cleared her throat, discarding the rest of the sentence. I wonder if you'll still love me. She raised her head to meet his eyes.

"It's been so long..." She trailed off again. Besides her, Shyr yawned. The large white wolf had laid down over the red and brown matting of crisp leaves. He seemed to have decided that Ragne was no threat to them, despite the deep smell of blood all over him. Over their mental connection, Elanor heard his deep, growl-like voice. 'Five year's not that long,' he murmured lazily, looking up to look at her in the eye, so as to make sure he'd get his point across.

And then it hit her.

Shyr was right, as usual - Ragne had promised an eternity besides her. What were five years compared to all what they still had left to live?
She attempted a smile. It felt more like a half-hearted grin to her, but at least she was trying.
"Want to see my place?" she gestured vaguely towards the treehouse with her bow. "I have to prepare a rabbit for cooking. It's not much, but I think it could be enough for the two of us, if you're not too hungry."

{ Haha, I understand what you mean Sava c; But as for Elanor, I'm finding it really interesting to RP an older, different Elanor C;
Sorry for the suckish posts. I'm exhausted from PE and I had to study for History... again. We're going to have a not-so-surprising surprise test on Thursday, and I hatehatehate the part we're studying, the First World War xp }