The day was turning out splendid. It was warm without being stifling, and the sun was blocked by some clouds so that it was not too bright. The people in Estolad began their normal routine, and this continued for several hours. It was a little past noon that Alberich walked down the main road that traveled through the center of town. For the most part, he was ignored. The town saw travelers all of the time, what was one more? His plain clothes were worn from traveling for several weeks, and his dark hair clearly hadn't been washed in several days. Raising his hand, Alberich tiredly rubbed his head. The headache had been building for a couple of hours now, but there was nothing that he could do about it, so he simply suffered in silence. Reaching behind him with his other hand, he felt for the wand that was tucked into the back of his belt. His long fingers ran over it, feeling the patterns carved into the wood. It was comforting and frightening to know that it was still there. With a small sigh, Alberich continued walking.

Stopping next to a house, Alberich leaned against the wall to take a short break. He noticed a gaze or two turning his way, but he ignored them. After all, it wasn't likely that he was going to steal anything. Still, he couldn't trust people for being cautious, he just hoped that they weren't feeling belligerant, then he didn't know what would happen. Raising his hand to his head once again, Alberich continued to rub it in hopes that it would do something. Instead, it simply got worse, almost as if the headache were purposefully defying him, darking him to do something. A small thread of fear rose up within him, he knew what was going to happen. He needed to get out of the town as soon as possible. Bringing a small canteen to his lips, Alberich greedily drank it, hoping that it would do something for his thirst. Lowering the canteen, Alberich levered himself off of the wall. He needed to go, before anything happened. His speed increased slightly, as he tried to hold back the nausea rising within him.

Estolad was a peaceful village, small and quaint, there was a certain distinct humbleness that flowed through the blood of everyone here, as if they knew that if they did not look after themselves and their fellow man, then not many else would do.
Of course there was the usual vagabonds who excused themselves from such an unwritten rule, most travellers through this village could find a place to sleep in any such building as long as their intentions were honest and their coin free enough.

Arlen was one of those characters, the beaten and time worn door to the shanty house that Arlen stayed at the night prior, pushed open with a creek as he stepped out into Estolad proper, already in this small village the hustle and bustle of life was buzzing all around him.
Bakers fired up their oven's and began to make their bread for the day, merchants unlocked their doors and Estolad was sprung to life.

The streets of Estolad, although small and usually unclean seemed pleasent to Arlen this day, the sun had broken through the clouds of the morn and there was an easy breeze flowing like silk through the air.

Noon had arrived, Arlen had taken this day to reflect upon his travel's in Arda, most were soley for the purpose of exploration, to discover where certain avenues lead his feet too, others however, were for the adventure, the thrill of throwing spells with the intent to seriously injure or fatally wound them beyond what their mortal shell could stand.
Of course, the latter adventures were not simply for the kill, but for some other reason, once it was to destroy an anti magic gem and once it was to recieve a tome of power.

Arlen noted he had clearly advanced in his craft during his time in Arda, spells he would never of known existed now jogged through his mind as if they were a part of it from birth.
Though all he wished for now whislt he was here was conversation with a mage and not some warrior or that accursed cone, which sat on his lap between his hands, he had every mind to dunk it in the small fountain by which he sat but thought better of it.
His eye's surveyed the streets, beggers in the gutter, merchants though barely looking any better off than the begger in the street walked by as if having some greater air than those below him financially.

Though Arlens eyes fell upon a strange sight, a man clad in different garb to the usual tatty rags that most the peasents in Estolad wore, he was clearly an adventurer and had the look of a mage about his person, overjoyed at the thought of decent conversation, Arlen waved at the stranger, hoping to catch his eye and to bekon him over.

Stopping for a few seconds, Alberich swallowed a few times, hoping that he would be able to get out of the town before anything happened. Either way, he was going to end up running. He would either run to get out of the town, or he would run because he was being chased by a mob of angry townspeople. It had happened before, and he had no desire to repeat the experience. These fools all blamed him whenever something happened, as though he had control over any of it. It was true, he needed a teacher of some kind, but that cost money. The little that he was able to earn doing odd jobs wasn't nearly enough to pay for food and instructions. He was doing as best he could, but it was never enough. And these people would never understand what he went through every time it happened. They probably thought that he was deliberately out to cause harm and destruction when nothing could be further from the truth. He just couldn't help it.

Forcing his feet to walk once again, Alberich got a few more steps before disaster struck. Someone was waving at him. It wasn't anyone that Alberich knew, so why would they be waving. For a second, Alberich hesitated, longing to break into a run and get as far away from that village as possible. Then again, if he broke into a run, the person might think that he had stolen something and was trying to get away with it. With a sense of dread that was like an iron weight in his stomach, Alberich turned and made his way over to the man that was waving at him. While walking, Alberich made certain to keep his hands still, not wanting to accidently do anything. Only one of the spells he knew wasn't harmful, and he didn't want to accidently send one off when there was a person standing a few feet away from him. Stopping, he kept his head slightly down, not meeting the man's eyes. "Is there something that I can do for you? I don't know you, so if you think that I am an old friend of yours then you are mistaken" Alberich's voice was soft and uncertain. He never felt comfortable talking to people he didn't know.

His waving seemed fruitless, he had not caught the other wizards attention, the other wizard seemed to be walking off back down the street to wherever it was he was going.
But by some sheer force of luck, the wizard stopped dead within his tracks and Arlen had his attention caught.

The mage seemed to be walking over towards him, though Arlen made a note of his down cast eyes upon the floor, perhaps he thought Arlen to be his better, of course, he was after all alot wiser in the craft of the arcane than most gave him credit for, however, the young mans disposition seemed that more of nerves than anything else.
It was only his words that gave away his true feelings.
"Is there something that I can do for you? I don't know you, so if you think that I am an old friend of yours then you are mistaken"

With a smile and a laugh Arlen begged him to sit down beside him, patting the seat as he moved along making room for the youngster.
"My boy, i do not know you but i would wish to, you see my name is Arlen Elderson, perhaps you have heard of me?" he doubted that, of course the tales of Arlen Elderson were somewhat known throughout the land from whence he came, but that could hardly count for the fact that people here should know him.
"I doubt you do,However, i myself am a wizard and you dear boy have the looks of a wizard about you and im thinking that perhaps we could just talk, i fear my time here in Arda has been spent around Warriors and the likes and well ive had no encounter with another wizard.

He smiled at the land, hoping he had not frightened him too much, he knew it must be strange to have stranger innitiate conversation with you for no apparent reason and even stranger for the fact that you would be a wizard, however, he would have to get used to it, many a time Arlen would be walking down the street and he would be asked questions by small inquisitive children who wished to know what spells were like.
It came with the title of wizard, it meant respect in the eyes of some people.

Though fear also came in equal measure, for all the wizards out there doing good in the world, there are also an evil counter part doing harm.
Wizards were susseptable to evil far more easily than warriors were, but they were greater than a swordsman anyday, this Arlen knew.

Alberich disliked being called "boy". Something about that term just irritated him. Still, this man couldn't possibly know that, so there was no reason for Alberich to get mad at the man. It still irritated him though. Just as he started to shake his head and tell the man that he had never heard the name Arlen, the man continued speaking, saying the very thought that Alberich had been thinking. Alberich decided that Arlen was a very strange man. He randomly waved at people he didn't know just because he thought that they might be a wizard. Why in the world would anyone do that. Alberich avoided people whenever possible, getting to know them only when circumstances forced him to. It baffled him to find a person who was so outgoing. Still, he could empathize with the desire to speak with other wizards. All these warriors thought of were their muscles, it was nice to meet someone who believed in the power of the mind.

With a slight hesitation, Alberich took the seat that the man had opened up for him. "My name is Alberich." Since the man had given his name, Alberich was inclined to do the same. Hopefully the man's curiousity would be satisfied quickly. Then again, Alberich also suffered from curiousity, although his was for books not people, and he had never known it to end quickly. His head felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer, and Alberich vainly rubbed it again, hoping that somehow it would lessen the pain. For a second, the pain seemed to increase, and then it vanished. Alberich's hand froze, his eyes widening slightly. The pain was gone, and there was only one way that that could have happened so suddenly. Alberich knew a minor healing spell, and it had been cast. That was bad. His magic was already built up enough to where it was escaping his control. He needed to get out of here before he cast something other than a healing spell. Every other spell he knew could kill people! Stumbling in his haste, he stook up again. "I'm terribly sorry, but I have to go now. Alberich's fear made him stammer so badly that he could bearly get the words out.