Merenwen was walking along the shores of the Eastern Coast. Though it was winter she barely felt the cold because she was too content to feel the sand between her toes. She was wearing her dark blue bodice, light blue chemise, and green breeches. She carried her boots in her hands so that she could truly experience the feelings the beach gave her. The wind was blowing gently and it lifted her soft golden hair into the sky. Her eyes shone with the sun and her smile could brighten a room. Every so often she would see a beautiful shell in the sand that she would pick up and add to the small pack that she carried.

The sun was about to set so she sat down to watch one of her favorite sights in the world. The sun moved down towards the water and the most amazing colors burst through the sky. She could see brilliant purples, blending into rich pinks. From pink the sky merged into orange and from there into a bright red. The ocean seemed to glow a reflection of the sky and the view was made even more amazing when a dolphin came leaping out of the water.

The water was crashing gently on the beach and the seagulls were diving in to catch their dinner. It was a sight that could only be seen on the beach and that is why she had traveled here. She let her mind wonder and didn't worry about any troubles that may advance upon her. It was the one bad thing about coming here, she tending to forget that being caught unaware could be very dangerous. Even though this thought passed through her mind she was unable to draw even a small part of herself away from the beauty that surrounded her.

Raven walked down the shore of the Eastern Coast, her footprints making light impressions in the sand. Beside her walked her familiar, Aegis, looking, at the moment, very much like a big dog. She smiled softly to herself, watching the wolf run at the edge of the water, getting his feet slightly wet. It was very seldom that she or her familiar got the chance to relax.

It was a beautiful day at the beach. The sun shone brightly, as it set, giving the waters an orange tint and framing the clouds in molten gold. Raven took a deep breath, her nose catching the scent of the ocean air, laced with the hint of salt. She let out a relieved sigh, watching as several seagulls flew over the ocean, skimming the water slightly. As she took a step, she could hear the sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore.

As the shapeshifter walked along the shoreline, she noted that she was not alone. An elf stood on the beach, mesmerized by the sight of the sunset. Raven smiled at this. She couldn’t blame the elf. The sunset was beautiful. A breeze blew through the air, blowing back both Raven’s black locks and the elf’s beautiful golden tresses. The shapeshifter continued to walk, standing next to the elf.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” commented Raven, her eyes drawn to the sunset as well. The shapeshifter watched as a dolphin jumped out of the water, the sun glistening off its skin as it soared through the air in a graceful arc before landing back into the ocean. As always, the beauty of nature on Arda astounded her.

Merenwen had lost herself in the beauty surrounding her and the sun was almost fully set. Suddenly she was yanked from her revelry when a girl said "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Merenwen jumped to her feet and placed her hand on her dagger. She was frightened because she had left herself vulnerable and she didn't know who this girl was. She could also see a dog, on second glance she realized it was a wolf, running along the beach. It was fairly obvious that the wolf was the woman's familiar and Merenwen didn't want things to go badly because she hated the thought of having any need of hurting such a magnificent creature.

After taking a few steps backwards she glanced back at the water and said, "It is beautiful, too beautiful for words to fully describe." This said she turned fully to the girl and said "I am Merenwen Coamenel. Who might you be?" All the while she kept her eyes on the woman and her hand rested on her dagger. She didn't think this woman would attack her, if that had been her plan then she could have easily done so while she was lost in the sunset, but Merenwen was not prepared to let her guard back down.


((sorry it's so short))

Raven couldn’t help but smile as the elf jumped slightly, her hand flying to the hilt of her dagger. It was almost a comical sight. She hadn’t intended to sneak up on the elf, not being very good at sneaking herself, but the elf had been so drawn in by the sight of the sunset that she hadn’t noticed the shapeshifter’s approach.

“Relax,” said Raven, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She watched as the elf took a few steps backward, regaining her composure. The elf’s golden brown eyes turned back to the water.

"It is beautiful, too beautiful for words to fully describe,” said the elf.

The elf turned, facing Raven fully.

"I am Merenwen Coamenel. Who might you be?" asked the elf.

Raven’s eyes wandered to Merenwen’s hand. It was still on the hilt of her dagger. The shapeshifter sighed. She took no offense at it. It was normal for one to be cautious around here. A lot of people seemed to like attacking others for no particular reason.

“My name is Raven Silverflame,” said Raven, “Sorry if I startled you, Merenwen.”

She frowned, glancing at the elf. Merenwen had been standing there the whole time. Raven had made no effort to hide her presence, meaning that the elf was really very distracted by the sights in front of her.

“It’s not wise to let your guard down out here,” said Raven. “You never know who might pass by. Not everyone you meet will have good intentions.”

The archer spoke out of personal experience, remembering the times when she had been drawn into fights mainly because she hadn’t been paying attention.

Merenwen sighed and said, "I normally try to be more careful but it has been a long time since I have been able to watch the sunset on the beach. It seems to be a dangerous thing for me to do because I get lost in it and forget that there is a whole world around me."

She slowly moved her hand away from her dagger and relaxed slightly. This woman didn't seem to have any bad intentions and she didn't want to be worried about getting into a fight right now. She was glad that she had not been interrupted by someone who would try to harm her, though now she was more able to concentrate and would be ready if she were attacked.

She watched as the last streaks of sunlight streaked across the water and sighed when the show was done. Stars began to shine and the moon took up residence in the western skies. She looked to the woman again and said, "That sight is one that I will always love. It is nice to meet you and I am glad that it was one who is good who came upon me. I can be bad about being distracted and one of these days that may cause me more problems then the slight ones it has caused in the past."

((again, sorry it's so short, I don't know where to go with this story))

Luke had been resting by the beach- his favorite beach- enjoying the sunset and fresh, salty wind that blew over the shore. He was leaning up against a rock now, with his back to the beach. The wind was actually kind of chilly, which was why he decided to sit behind the rock, with his dark green cape wrapped around his tall form. There was a leather bound book in his hands, opened about a third of the way through, and a pencil in the man's large hand. He rubbed the eraser against the bottom of his chin as he thought, looking up at the orange sky, thinking of the best words to describe the scene. He obviously found them, as he brought his pen to his book, tilting over it. And with an almost surreal beauty, the sun sets on this lonely coast, kept company only by the violent waves forever bounding against its sandy banks, and the seagulls leaving white, gooey gifts on its rock face. He wrote, bringing his pencil up to its former position afterwards, pondering. “That won't do at all...” he grumbled, erasing what he had just written. Just then, he heard a woman's voice from behind the rock. She was commenting on the beauty of this place. Luke turned around and peered over the rock.

There were two woman, an elf and a.. human? He shrugged, and watched contently as they spoke. “Ah, this would make an excellent story. Two lonely travelers meet on this cold beach, looking for adventure... Hah, yes- that would be great!” He whispered to himself, now somewhat excited. He watched them as they talk, not the least bit aware that he was eavesdropping, and finally the elf said one last sentence, and stared off into the distance. They both fell silent. The knight took this halt in conversation to expose himself.

He stood up from behind the rock, now fully exposed and stretching his long, sore legs. He walked as inconspicuously as he could towards the two, and stopped next to them, staring off into the last remnants of the sun's descent. There was a large sword strapped to his back, over his green cloak, and his figure was quite large in all, though he didn't look to be terribly bulky.

Luke sighed. “Yes, beautiful indeed.” He said to himself as much as them, still staring into the sunset. His book was in his right hand, shut. “I'm writing a novel about it, you know. This land and all its glory.” He said dreamily, not thinking to introduce himself.

Merenwen looked back to the sky but now her senses had been raised. She saw someone rise from behind a rock out of the corner of her eye. She decided to let him make his way towards her and her new friend but this time her hand slip to the handle of her sword. She did not plan to draw it for she didn't think this man was evil but it was better to be safe then sorry. Her new friend Raven had just reminded her of that fact.

The man was a lot taller the Merenwen, though there were few who she didn't have too look up to. When he came up beside her she could see him looking to the sky and heard him say, "Yes, beautiful indeed. I'm writing a novel about it, you know. This land and all its glory.” Her eyes traveled across the water and through the sky, resting for a second on the moon that had come out full and bright. She was waiting for the man to say more. When he didn't she thought back to his words.

He didn't introduce himself and she was sure that he had heard her name from his post behind the rock as he had made reference to her and Raven's conversation. While her hand did not leave her sword his comments did cause her to relax a little. "I think that writing a novel about this land is a fine idea," she said. Then she turned to him and said, "I am sure that from you spot on the beach you were able to here our names, but incase you didn't I am Merenwen Coamenel. And who might you be?"

Raven listened to Merenwen's words, sighing softly. To be lost in the beauty of nature, not thinking about the danger surrounding you and not having to be on-guard every second of every day. She wished that she could do that.

Raven let out a soft sigh, going back to days where she lived with her mother in a small, isolated village. She had grown up around the forests, had grown up comfortable in them. She had spent most of her time in the forests as a child, never really feeling comfortable around other children of her age. She was always different from them, being a shapeshifter. But she had never worried, never thought that she might be attacked within the next second. She had wandered freely, thinking of nothing but the wind on her face and sun filtering through the branches of the trees. Perhaps it was time to go back--to revisit her old home and pay her respects to her mother's grave.

The shapeshifter looked up as a man entered the scene. Raven listened to his words, eyes widening slightly. He was writing a novel? About Arda? It wasn't like there wasn't much to write about, but she had never met anyone who was actually attempting to write one. She hardly ever ventured into libraries, instead preferring to learn what she knew from experience.

"A novel, huh?" asked Raven, with a small smile. "Maybe you can let me read it when it's done. I'm Raven, by the way. Raven Silverflame. I don't believe you've introduced yourself yet."

The knight was glad that the two hadn't received him in an unfriendly fashion, and turned to the elf as she spoke to him. "I think that writing a novel about this land is a fine idea," she said. Luke grinned at this, and she continued to speak. "I am sure that from your spot on the beach you were able to here our names, but in case you didn't, I am Merenwen Coamenel. And who might you be?" The knight replaced the book back into his green cape, placing his hands on his hips and staring dramatically into the now darkening sky. “Ah, it's a pleasure to meet, you Meren-san! My name is Luke Duke. Perhaps you've heard of me? I've written several novels.” He said, peering down at her from the corner of his eye, still facing the sky. Truth be told, his novels hadn't done too well, and he was actually in debt for having them published, but still, they were well-written and received with applause from the writing community of Arda.

Before the elf could answer, the other woman spoke up politely. "A novel, huh?" she asked. "Maybe you can let me read it when it's done. I'm Raven, by the way. Raven Silverflame. I don't believe you've introduced yourself yet." He smiled at her, removing himself from his pose, and holding out his right hand. “It's my pleasure, Raven-san, nice to meet you. And I'd love for you to read my novel when it's finished. It catalogs my adventures through this land, and contains several stories from people I meet in my travels.”

He lifted an eyebrow at the two, still holding a bright expression on his face. “You two seem like interesting people. Would you share any stories you have with me? Don't worry- all names are anonymous in my book.” He said, smiling. They would need to go somewhere brighter, however, as it was getting dark and Luke couldn't write in twilight.

Raven thought back to many of her past experiences when Luke asked for stories. If it was stories he wanted, then she had a lot of them, but she wondered which ones she could tell him and which ones she would rather keep secret.

"I might have a few stories for you," said Raven, "What kind of stories do you need?"

She wanted to know exactly what kind of stories he needed for his novel. The shapeshifter wasn't exactly willing to share a story, only to find out that she had revealed the information for nothing, since it wouldn't be of help to the novel. The archer quickly searched her mind, deciding that she was going to keep secret the things about Kithara's dark side, since she knew that that was very personal to her Rauko friend.

In that case, she would be better off telling stories about things she had experienced herself, and that didn't involve her friends. She thought back to that time in the Temple of Balance, before shaking her head slightly. She wasn't going to let that be put in a book. After all, the shapeshifter considered herself over it already.

That left a lot of stories, but very few of them were that interesting, unless one counted the fights in Lomedor, which weren't really stories. She waited to hear what he would say before deciding on what to share. Raven wasn't the type of person to share her experiences with just anybody, so if he mentioned something that was too personal for her, then she would say that she didn't have a story for him after all.

Merenwen listened as the other two spoke and when Luke introduced himself she was about to speak but he was already talking about his books. She had not read any of his books but a lot of her time was spent in one forest or another, where you were not going to find anyone selling books. She liked to read sometimes but found that she preferred to be on her own adventure rather then reading about that of another.

When he mentioned that he often put in stories from people he met along his travels she thought back to some of her most interesting stories. She wasn't sure how much she would want to tell him, if anything, but it might be interesting to see what kind of stories he was looking for. Before she had a chance to speak Raven had made a comment very similar to the one she would have made. Merenwen was looking up at the stars until this time but at this point she turned back to her two current companions.

She looked at look, having to crane her neck quite a bit in order to see his face, and said, "It is nice to meet you Luke. I would also be interested in knowing what kind of stories you tend to write as I have had some interesting times myself." At this point she stepped on a rock that was behind her so that she wouldn't have to crane her neck as much. He was still much taller then her but at least the strain was lessened somewhat.

As she waited for him to respond she again thought back through her adventures. She wasn't sure how much she would be willing to tell him because it wasn't often that she gave so much information away, but some of the stories seemed like they might be fine to tell without causing her any trouble. There were definitely a few that she wouldn't tell because if the word got around then she could be in a great deal of danger. She had gotten on the bad side of evil in her time and wasn't sure if the wraith might still be looking for her.

The knight noticed that the elf, Merenwen, was having to strain her neck to look at Luke, even going as far as sitting on a rock to get a better vantage point of his face. He blushed slightly, embarrassed by his extreme height, and sat down on a low rock as to make everyone more comfortable. Raven spoke up, saying, "I might have a few stories for you," said Raven, "What kind of stories do you need?" Before Luke could answer, Merenwen spoke up. "It is nice to meet you Luke. I would also be interested in knowing what kind of stories you tend to write as I have had some interesting times myself.” He nodded his head at her, smiling warmly, glad that the two were so willing to work with him. They both seemed interested in what he was writing, too, so he opened his book, flipped halfway through it, and began reading. “While acting as an ally for the time being, Xoco was often at odds with the Chaos Phoenix, a powerful being known as Alba Meria, legendary inhabitant of Arda. On one occasion the two even did battle, tearing through the landscape and creating a barren wasteland with their magic and combat skills. Alba and Xoco are currently working together in the Brotherhood of Chaos guild, with Alba acting as the guild master.” Luke stopped reading, hoping they got a little feel of his writing, though it was only a very small excerpt.

“Basically, you tell me interesting adventures that you've experienced, and I write them down, tying them in with other stories I've already taken. I can usually root out fact from fiction, creating a clear view of Arda and its inhabitants.” He said, shutting his book and replacing it at his side. “If either of you have any stories to share, I would love to write them down.” He said wrapping his cloak around himself, as it was getting cold. “But I'm afraid that I'm not too fond of this chill ocean breeze. If there's somewhere else nearby that we can talk, I'd be glad to accompany you two there.” He said, holding his green cloak around his form. He really couldn't stand the cold.

Merenwen felt bad for embarrassing the man and at the same time her cheeks heated with embarrassment as well. He may be much taller then most but there were few who were as short as her. At the same time she was happy that he sat down because it gave her a chance to relax. She stepped back onto the sand where her footing was more stable and listened to him as he told them a small part of the tale he was creating.

As he told the story she became confused because he said that names were anonymous and yet he was reading of the names of two men. If he actually used names then that would further limit what she was able to say because she would not want trouble if it was ever read by the wraith she had once shot an arrow at. If that story was put into the book and the wraith read it then she may end up spending the rest of her life in hiding.

She was still interested in talking to Luke and thought she had some stories that weren't likely to get her in too much trouble. She listened to Luke explain how he would take their stories and root fact from fiction. Maybe that was why there was very little detail in his story; he must find more fact to be fiction then fiction to be fact. If she told him any of her stories she hoped he wouldn't think she was lying because she didn't want the stories to turn out as almost nothing.

She watched as he wrapped his cloak closer around him and realized that the wind coming off the ocean must have chilled him. It didn't really bother her, though it was cold, because she had spent a decent number of evenings on the beach in her life. At this time he said, "But I'm afraid that I'm not too fond of this chill ocean breeze. If there's somewhere else nearby that we can talk, I'd be glad to accompany you two there."

In response Merenwen said, "it is a bit of a walk to reach the nearest port but if we head out it shouldn't take too long to get there. It is a small town with only one pub but it should work for our purposes.' She looked to Raven and said, "would that be okay with both of you?"

Luke waited for their response, tightly wrapped in his green cloak, his teeth clattering as the cold breeze hit him. The knight had always been abnormally susceptible to the cold, ever since he was a child. His father's castle stood by the mouth of a river that drained into the ocean, and it was always frigid there, even in the middle of summer. Consequently, Luke spent most of his life indoors, training, or in the warm castle stables, spending time with the animals his parent's owned. When he was forced to go outside, he would bundle up with several sweaters and his cloak, often wearing a full face mask and sunglasses to keep the cold air out. It was somewhat warmer in the region he was in now, but still, he couldn't stand the cold.

Merenwen spoke up. "It is a bit of a walk to reach the nearest port but if we head out it shouldn't take too long to get there. It is a small town with only one pub but it should work for our purposes.” Luke nodded. He usually traveled here on foot from a larger town. It was farther away than this pub, though, and it often took a few hours to walk from there to here. Until he bought a horse, Luke would be forced to walk, though he didn't really mind. It gave him plenty of time to think about recent events, and the progression of his novel.

The elf asked if going there would be okay for both of them, and the knight shook his head up and down. “Yes, that would be great. I'm all for it.” He said, starting to shiver. And perhaps we can get a bite to eat there, too. I'm famished! He thought, standing up. He began hopping up and down in an attempt to stay warm.

Raven listened as Luke and Merenwen began to speak. The shapeshifter kicked at the sand absently, watching as the grains of sand scattered as she brushed her foot against them. A chill breeze blew through the air and the archer drew her cloak closer towards her, shielding out the cold night air.

She listened as Luke commented on not being fond of the cold air. The shapeshifter frowned, hearing Merenwen describe a port nearby. She wasn’t really fond of big cities, but a small port town seemed okay. She pictured it out in her mind, recalling the small village she had grown up in as a child.

“It’s all right with me,” said Raven, turning to Merenwen. She glanced at Luke, who was currently jumping up and down in an attempt to warm up.

“We should hurry, before Luke here freezes,” commented Raven, watching as the man tried to warm himself up. Perhaps he wasn’t used to the cold. The shapeshifter found that it was particularly cold tonight, and was also looking forward to a warm night in a small town.

As Merenwen waited for her two comrades to respond she looked up into the beautiful night sky. It was clear of clouds for as her eyes could see and the stars and moon gave a warm glow to the land. The color was a deep, rich blue and against it the stars and moon glowed a yellowish white color. She had spent a lot of nights looking up at the stars and thinking about what the future might bring. Tonight she looked at the constellations and hoped that the clear sky was symbolic of a night free from the encroachment of evil. She wasn't going to believe that to be specifically true but if it was then she would be content.

She heard Luke say, "Yes, that would be great. I'm all for it," and waited for Raven to respond. It only took about a minute before she heard Raven say, "It’s all right with me," and with that she turned back towards them. She noticed that they both seemed to be chilled and thought that they should probably get moving. Just as she thought this Raven said, "We should hurry, before Luke here freezes." To this Merenwen said, "It will not take us very long to reach the port and once we are moving the cold should not be as bothersome. You body will regain more of its own warmth from the slight exertion and though it will still be chilly it should not be as bad. The port is about a forty minute walk to the north from here, at least at the pace I came here with." With this said she turned north and began to walk back to the little port town.

Raven turned towards Merenwen as the elf began to walk away, presumably in the direction of this port town. The shapeshifter nodded, following the elf. As she walked, she took in the sights around her. The sunset had been beautiful, but the night was equally beautiful. The sky was clear, and stars dotted the heavens. To her left, the ocean stretched out endlessly.

As the shapeshifter walked, she felt warmth return to slightly chilled limbs. She was thankful for her cloak, since it warded off most of the cold night air. Merenwen was right, however, and the walk had warmed her up considerably. She found herself actually looking forward to reaching this port city, although she still wondered what stories of hers would be fitting to tell Luke. It wasn’t that she didn’t have enough stories to tell; it was that a few of them were rather personal and she didn’t want them to come out in a book.

The shapeshifter looked up at the stars, picking out the few constellations that she knew and could recognize. She had learned to recognize those constellations simply because they told her which way was north and so on, but tonight they seemed to be especially clear. It was like nature had decided to give its best, if only for one night. Everything around her seemed so much more alive than usual. She took in a deep breath, smelling the ocean air.

Raven Silverflame turned to Merenwen, who was slightly ahead of them.

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you come across this port town?” she asked.

Raven wasn’t exactly familiar with the Eastern Coast, but she had been here once or twice, and didn’t remember seeing any town along the coastline. However, she had not exactly traveled the Eastern Coast extensively, and it was safe to say that she might have missed it.

As Merenwen walked she was slightly ahead of her companions but this did not bother her. She was thinking about her stories again and trying to decide which one she should share when she heard Raven speaking to her. She slowed her pace to listen as Raven said, "If you don’t mind my asking, how did you come across this port town?" Merenwen had no problem with the question. She slowed her pace further so that she could see Raven as she spoke and would be easier to hear.

"I have spent a great deal of my life traveling and this beach is a place that I have always enjoyed coming to. The first time I was here I had exited the woods about an hour north of here and needed something to eat. I walked further inland then we are walking now and came across a small hut. No one was there at the time but I noticed there seemed to be a trail leading further to the south so I followed the trail. When I reached the end I was in a very small town that was not much more then a pub with an inn and a tiny dock that had small fishing boats. I got something to eat and decided to explore further. I set out from the dock and after going around a curve in the beach I saw this wide open space where there seemed to be nothing but beautiful beach for miles. I still go back to the town sometimes on my way to this beach but more often then not I just head straight to where you came across me today," she explained. She went on to say, "From the beach it is hard to see the town as it is hidden behind foliage and with as small as the dock is you don't tend to notice it until you have basically come upon it."

After telling Raven this she looked out at the ocean and thought more about that first trip here. She had given more detail then she normally would have but with a storyteller traveling with them she didn't want to make him think she would have nothing to say. She still had not told much of the story, especially that of before she had found the town, and was not sure whether she wanted to tell that tale yet.