The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky as soft footsteps padded through the forest. The footsteps weren't human, though, or anything like. Not Elven. Not Draconic. No, they were an animal's footsteps. Specifically, they were the footfalls of a gray wolf.

The wolf was Eratnu Folliernes, one of the last known Draconic Quendi in existence. Merged with his spirit was the spirit of the last of the Dragon Lords, a Light Dragon now long dead but far more powerful than any known Dragon in its time. Only another Dragon Lord could have compared. His blood was that of the Dragon Lord, allowing him to forcibly heal himself or heal others if he poured a few drops of his blood into their wounds. He was immune to any kind of poison. He could live forever without dying. But he was mortal, in a sense, though one would not know it by his Elven ears.

And he was welcome here.

More than welcome. He had been welcomed long ago and made friends with the Elves that dwelt here. As he padded through the forest, he seemed to smile at the thought of his old friends greeting him once more. Sunlight streamed in through the treetops of the forest, and soon he'd arrived at the city's edges. He shifted into his Elven form and quickly began to climb. Within minutes, he was in the city. He walked to a place he knew so well: a city square. Sure enough, Taralin was there. When he saw him, he jumped up and rushed forward with a grin on his face.

"Eratnu! Welcome!"

They embraced one another as old friends often do.

"How are you! Let me get a look at you! Ah, still the same old Elf you've always been! Welcome!"

They talked for a short time, but then Taralin had to go.

"I'm sorry, old friend, but I'm the head of my family now. I must go - but be sure to look for me later! I would love to catch up on things!"

They embraced once more, and then Taralin was off. Eratnu smiled after his old friend. They had shared many memories together, though Taralin was only a few hundred years old. Finally, he began a stroll through the city.

Merenwen had again decided that it was time to go home and visit with her family and friends. She had been gone for a long while and had many stories to share, though many of those she wasn’t likely to share with her parents as many of them included levels of danger that they might not be comfortable hearing about. Even so, she had other stories that she felt they would enjoy hearing about and she had missed them.

As she walked through the forest she tried to decide what she should do first. Of course she would begin by going to see her parents but she couldn’t decide which if her friends to go and see next. She also wasn’t sure how much she would do before eating as it was already late in the afternoon. The sun was still out but it was low in the sky and she knew that the hours of daylight were coming to a close.

The forest was an amazing place and she was very happy to be home. She was walking slowly in order to take it all in and a part of her wondered why she had ever left. Then again, there was the part of her that knew exactly why she had left, she had needed to see the world and find out what was missing. She had found much of what she was searching for but she still had more to learn and so she knew that the visit would be a short one. She would assure her parents that she was alright and see her friends again but she would only be able to stay for a short time.

When she reached the city she began to climb upwards toward where her parents lived. She had a huge smile on her face at being home and though she didn’t see any of her friends right off she saw some of their parents and knew that it would only take a very small amount of time for her to find them. She nodded at everyone she passed and her mind continued to run through everything that she wanted to do. She had many people to see and with only being there a short time she would need to make sure to find them all soon. Her mind began to run through the possibilities and she was thinking that the best thing to do would be to get everyone together and have one big get together.

She was so busy thinking about how she would manage to get together with her friends that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. She ended up running into someone and when she looked up she didn’t recognize him. She was blushing in embarrassment from having run into him and while she would have easily been able to laugh it off if she knew him she couldn’t do that when she didn’t know him. She shuffled her feet slightly and said, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

((Hope you don’t mind that I had myself run into you))

(( No problem. :rolleyes: ))

Eratnu was rather enjoying the light breeze now rushing through the city. The breeze was interrupted, though, as someone ran into him. He turned around, slightly surprised, and smiled when she apologized. She was quite an attractive Elf - but then, most Elves were - yet she she seemed a bit shy. Oh, well. He smiled politely at her.

"Not a problem. It happens."

Not often, but it did happen. Besides, he hadn't entirely been paying attention to his surroundings, either. Not at the other Elves, anyway. He'd been examining the trees, the buildings, and a bit of the people - but the people still hadn't been his primary focus. There were several avian familiars perched throughout the rooftops, and he'd been admiring them as well. At any rate, he had no problem with the girl and accepted her apology.

"My name is Eratnu Folliernes. And yours?"

He wondered if the girl had family here. That was a stupid thought. But then, not all Elves that resided or visited here had family. Some of them had friends, and some of them had family, but most that had family here were Elves that had grown up here. She seemed comfortable in her surroundings despite her obvious discomfort at having run into Eratnu. He hoped his smile would ease her discomfort.

A couple of birds flew past him, making him duck. They chirped playfully, obviously laughing. He grinned. He loved birds, especially eagles, but they were all fun - well most of them were, anyway.

"Obviously some of the more outgoing ones."

He looked back at her, his grin fading into a friendly smile again.

"Birds are among my favorite animals. I have always enjoyed them. What about you? Are you of the same mind that birds are truly the epitomy of beauty?"

She was glad that he wasn't upset at her having run into her. Her blush had yet to leave her face and added to that blush was the fact that she was very short for an elf and he stood a full foot taller then her. She had always felt a little odd at the fact that she was so short but when she left the city she was able to forget it and often become lost in the other people. Also, since getting her armor she had been able to change into any animal she wanted to as well as change her own looks. If she had wanted to she could have changed her height for a period of time but even with the small amount of discomfort that her height sometimes gave her she liked how she looked and would prefer to be herself most of the time. She would still change her looks if she had a need to do so and she loved being able to turn into an animal but she didn't change her height just to fit in.

She listened to him talk and when he introduced himself she wondered why she had never met him before. She had lived in the city her whole life until going on her travels yet she couldn’t remember ever having seen him before. She thought she would have remembered if she had seen him as he had a fairly memorable look so she wondered if he was just visiting people in the city. It was possible that he had been there many times in the past and though she didn’t think it to be true it was even possible that he had been born and raised there.

She chuckled a little at his response to the birds and thought about her own bird companion. She also thought about what she looked like when she chose to take Hawk form. She would have to admit that though she loved birds they were not her favorite animal but that was due for the most part to her connection to water. In truth she loved all animals and thought birds to be beautiful but she felt a truer connection with Dolphins and other sea creatures. Still, Arien was one of her greatest friends and companions so she did have a connection with the birds as well.

She realized suddenly that she had a number of things to respond to and so she said, “I am Merenwen Coamenel. It is nice to meet you Eratnu.” She paused and glanced at the birds before saying, “Arien, here.” With that her Golden Harrier, Arien, flew down and landed on her shoulder. She glanced at Eratnu and said, “I do love the birds, though in truth I love all animals. This is Arien, one of my greatest companions. I can also turn into any animal form I choose with the use of my armor and have often turned into a Hawk when I wished to get about quickly. Birds are wonderful creatures, but as I said, I love all animals.”

She was smiling now and though her cheeks still held a rosy hue they had gotten much closer to there normal color. Eratnu seemed nice enough and she was becoming comfortable with him faster then she did with most people. That may have been because of who he was but a lot of it probably owed to her being in her home and the fact that she felt anyone within the city was worthy of trust. Glancing into his eyes she noticed that they were very similar in color to her own. She had to pull herself away from those eyes and when she did she was again blushing slightly more.

Eratnu listened politely and patiently as Merenwen spoke. She had a light, musical voice that was typical of most Elves and she did indeed seem to be quite fond of the bird that now sat upon her shoulder. The bird was really quite beautiful. It was a Golden Harrier, one of the more attractive hunters amongst the hawks and falcons of the world. Only eagles were truly more beautiful, unless one counted the Phoenix - but Phoenixes were so incredibly rare that Eratnu himself had only seen two in his entire lifetime. Sad to say that one of them had been dead - killed by a Dragon, and not a very nice one at that - but the other one was certainly the most beautiful bird he'd ever seen by far. He mentioned this as he lifted his fingers to lightly stroke Arien, but cautiously. He wasn't a complete fool, after all. The Golden Harrier seemed not to mind, so he gave her a few more friendly strokes and smiled at it before returning his attention in full to the lovely young Elf maiden before him.

"I have always found birds far more a comfort than people, even Elves. They can be fierce and proud, but they can also be loyal to the very end and better friends than almost anyone or anything else. Cats are wonderful creatures as well, but they are completely independent and rather finnicky," he said with a laughing smile and a twinkle in his eyes. "I've always found the company of eagles particularly welcome. Eagles are nobe creatures that would rather give their own lives to save others than preen their feathers and hunt or fish. I have known some eagles even to go weeks without food simply because they gave it up to others that were in more desperate need of it than they, and I have seen countless eagles give thier lives to save and aid human and Elven companions alike. They are quite majestic and amazing. Golden Harries are also rather courageous, though. This one seems rather handsome indeed."

Arien seemed to draw herself up proudly as Eratnu said this, and Eratnu smiled as a result, glancing at the bird. She was indeed quite beautiful. Her feathers were well-preened and she was obviously well-fed and well taken-care-of. Clearly, the two were more than merely peas in a pot; they were very nearly siblings, albeit of different forms.

"That's an impressive set of armour you have," he finally replied to her mention of it. "I, of course, use arcane transformation to take on the forms of animals and to make the appearance of my retractable golden Draconic wings easier, but magic armour of that kind would certainly be useful to those that could not otherwise change. Is it sturdy enough to withstand most blows, as well, or merely magical in nature?"

As Eratnu spoke Merenwen wondered what it was that made him feel so attached to birds. She had often found that the beings most attached to birds were those who had air as an element but something told her that this was not the reason that he had first found his connection. Maybe it was as simple as what he had said; that he saw them as courageous and loyal, but she had found many other creatures that had such traits. In truth, she had found that such traits were more a response to the connection a creature had with its owner then what kind of creature it was.

She had seen birds that did not care at all for their masters because their masters had mistreated them and she had seen dragons that would protect their masters above all because there was love in the relationship. Even so, it was true that birds could be very loyal and courageous so she would not put down his reasoning. She would always be connected with all creatures great and small, though those in the water and those of her companions would always hold a special place in her heart. The water creatures because they were the most connected with her element and her companions because she would always nurture a loving relationship with them.

She was glad that Arien seemed to be reacting well to his attention. She could sometimes be a little feisty, especially if she felt even the slightest threat, but also just when she wasn’t ready to meet someone new. It seemed that the elven city had a calming effect on Arien’s soul and allowed the bird to relax her guard to a much greater degree then out in the wide world. It wasn’t that Arien was ever overly feisty, she was a very loving bird to those who she knew and had built a relationship, but she was protective and she had seen some of what people could do to each other.

When her armor was brought to the forefront of the conversation Merenwen debated with herself on how much she should tell him. He seemed trustworthy but even in her home she was no longer able to fully trust people so soon after meeting them. The city may not have had many of the problems that pervaded the rest of Arda but those problems still seeped in from time to time and she would never again be as carefree as she had been before the first time she had left. Even so, she decided that in this case she would give him the benefit of the doubt and explain the armor to him.

Still smiling she said, “My armor will withstand the blows of most weapons, though certain metals are able to cut through. It is not the strongest but it is not weak either. It was originally made for Cantrúm, the Changeling King. It was made to protect him in any form he chose to take and though it could not protect him against all metals it would protect him against those that the ordinary soldier would carry.” She did not know everything about the armor but she knew that much and figured that it would be enough to answer his question. Beyond that she did not know much about the armor but that was enough to make her very proud to own it.

When she had finished her explanation she said, “Do you own any armor?” She wasn’t sure how he would respond and if he did own armor she wondered what he did when he changed for. She had never heard of another set of armor with the abilities that hers had but then she did not know all of the tales of Arda and it was always possible that another such set existed.

Eratnu listened to her explanation. It was quite interesting. An armour made specifically to change as another did...quite intriguing, indeed. Of course, Eratnu had no use for such an object. He knew how to change naturally into others and carry that which he wore with him. It was sometimes called melding, since things seem to flow together into one solid form, but he'd also heard the term 'Polymorph Self' applied to it. Apparently, it was some kind of spell. For Eratnu, though, it had always seemed merely a natural part of who and what he was. It was even more natural now, of course, with the Dragon Lord's spirit merged with his own.

But he did not mention his past. It was a very long history and he didn't particularly feel like going into the details. It had been painful to watch his friend die, though in truth Eratnu carried a part of that friend with him via the Dragon Spirit that was now a part of his own. Still, it wasn't something he talked about on a regular basis.

After she'd explained her own armour, Merenwen asked if he, himself, owned any armour. Unfortunately, he could not say that he did. Not at the moment, anyway. He had little gold, and most armour was very expensive. He said as much and wondered what it would be like to wear armour all the time. In times past, he had worn armour only when necessary, since it tended to slow one down despite making one more resistant to physical (and sometimes magical, depending upon the armour) assault, but he had never worn it as a common piece of clothing to be carried everywhere as an extra shirt. It was unnecessary weight. He mentioned this to Merenwen as well.

"Well, it was certainly good to speak with you Merenwen. I came only to visit old friends and perhaps see the sights for a while. I might be staying here for a few days; I'm not entirely certain yet. I probably will, but who can say what the future holds? At any rate, I'm sure we'll meet again. Good day and good life to you, friend she-elf Merenwen."

He offered her a small bow before he left coming up with a smile. Then he turned and began to walk off, looking to see what he could. The place had not changed much in the two hundred years since he'd been here, but such was the way of an Elven city. Few things changed, and when they did, they usually weren't large changes. A new home here, and old one restored there, perhaps a couple new bridges or paths - nothing major. And so it was here. He did see another level added to the city, but from what he saw on the present level, it was mostly just newer homes no doubt constructed within the last century.

[OUT]

(Is an Elf :yes: ; joins topic)

Another typical day in the elven tree city for the guards, they sat and talked of whatever their minds created, they all were armed, even if some of their weapons were not out in the open, or really all that ready at the moment. Even though the elven race is held as a mystery and in awe in the minds and eyes of many, life in Yomenïampa seemed to be the simplist thing in all the world in the eyes of Ancalë of the family of Varnoi. Growing up he knew nothing else, and now that he was of the age of seven hundred and seventy six, it was simply his life. He bore the sword of his choosing, broad and heavy, unlike the majority of the rest of the elves who prefered light, long knives or light curved sabres. And he carried also the spear of his father's design. His amber colored eyes reflected from the golden sun as she cast her rays upon him in her hours of the time of day that signaled that her work was going to start making a gradual decline into the horizon to make way for the moon to begin the night shift. Ancalë, or Ancal as he was called in the common-tongue and by those who spoke not the high tongue. As he said his farewells to his men (figuratively speaking, of course), he returned their salutes and dismissed them from their training. Ancalë ascended the winding stairway once more and made sure his sword was securely in its scabbard, and that his spear hung properly in the baldric that he kept oat his shoulder. The General moved on silently swift feet to his quarters to drop the ostentatious spear off where it belonged.

There was the calm sort of meetings that were usually seen about the generally quiet city. The sunlight glinted off the red gemstones in his featherband. Striding up to a landing, he caught sight of two elves, a fair female and a male, who seemed to be departing, leaving the lady to herself. As one of the guards, Ancalë generally looked out for the people in secret, where they hardly knew it, but this time, he was in a different sort of adventurous mood. Gallantly, he strode right up to her, bowing slightly.
"And might I be of any assistance to one such as yourself, madam?" he asked formally, in the high tongue. He was an Elvish Paladin after all; his code of chivalry sort of hurled him in the direction of a female he could aid.

(pardon the shortness if anybody still wants to carry this topic on, but the library is closing soon)

Merenwen listened to Eratnu’s response to her talk of her armor and though she could understand what he meant she had actually worked hard and found that she could move efficiently in her armor. It was of a light weight so it wasn’t great against strong blows but it would still help to shield her and she felt that in her case it was less of a hindrance then a help. Even so, she was also often found without her armor on and in fact was only wearing it at the time because she had wanted to be able to move through the forest faster.

When he suddenly decided to part ways with her she was a little surprised as she enjoyed talking to new people but she didn’t worry about it. She had many people to see and a lot to do during her visit and expected that it was the same way for him. She watched him walk away and was about to head off herself when another elf came up behind her. She could tell right off that he was a member of the guard yet she didn’t think she had met him before. She had met many of the members of the guard but there were many more that she had not met so she wasn’t surprised not to recognize him right off.

She chuckled a little when he asked her if he could help her in anyway. Glancing up into the sky and allowing the sun that slipped through the branches to coat her in its light and warmth she said, “Hello, my name is Merenwen. I am actually here to visit my parents as well as some friends but I wouldn’t mind having a little company on my walk.” She spoke in the high tongue as that had been how he had spoken, though over the past months she had used he common tongue on a much greater basis as most people outside the city didn’t speak the high tongue.

Merenwen may have been fairly cautious when outside of the elven city but being back home allowed her to drop her guard immensely. She felt safe and trusted the people within the city much faster then anyone she met on the outside. They city may not have been impenetrable but it was one of the safest places she knew and she felt much more free when at home. She hoped he would walk with her as she was in a very good mood and when her heart was filled with joy she always loved to have someone to talk to.

((Sorry it took so long for me to respond and the post is crappy.))

A silvery peal of laughter came forth from her lips, she watched the sun bath the forest and sky in her warm, comforting light. “Hello, my name is Merenwen. I am actually here to visit my parents as well as some friends but I wouldn’t mind having a little company on my walk.” she told him in a clear, ringing voice that definately matched the laughter replied to the Guard's proposal.
Ancalë smiled at her, not a foolish, tooth filled grin, but a simple, tight lipped smile as he responded.
"Very pleased to meet you Lady Merenwen. Allow me to introduce myself then as well." A hand extended to her, Ancalë's eyes locked onto hers.
"Ancalë Varnoi, General Guard of Yomenïampa, at yours and the peoples' service." he told her. "And I would be happy to walk with you to your destination."
Ancalë hardly ever trusted outsiders, but Merenwen was one of his own, and Ancalë generally had no qualms with fellow elves.
"Please," he said to her with a wave of his hand, "lead on. But might I inquire as to which part of the city your ultimate destination would be?"
He shifted the large spear around in its baldric to draw her attention to it before slinging it back under his arm.
"I'm on the way up, so to speak, to drop this thing off at my quarters. The sword at my hip is heavy enough without having to add any more weapons to the mix. So if your destination is on the way I migh tlike to do that while we walk if you wouldn't mind. But if you're going out of the way, I can definately wait."
He moved closer to her. She was a good amount shorter than he, her blonde hair long and lustrous. She appeared to be very young for her kind. All the more reason for an escort, Ancalë supposed.

(No big deal, mine is sleep contaminated anyway so it probably sucks grandly and you have no idea how many times I hit backspace when typing this alone.)

Merenwen smiled at the Ancale and wondered how it was that she had never met someone as important as he was before. Her father was also a part of the guard but she knew that with as many people as were in the guard she wouldn’t have met them all. She had often dropped by to see her father and talked to the other guards but again, there were many guards who she had never met. She had to look up a fair distance to see into his eyes but that was true for her with most of her kind. While her parents were of average height for elves she had never reached the average height but she had never let that bother her. All that meant was that she sometimes had to work a little harder to get things done but then there had been times when being her height had been helpful as well.

As he was talking she saw him shift the spear he was holding and realized that it was probably fairly heavy. She had a decent amount of gear herself with her sword, two bows, and other equipment but she expected that the weapons he carried were likely much heavier. When he asked where she lived and mentioned dropping off his spear if it was on the way she smiled, happy that she could in fact say that it would be. Even if it had been slightly out of the way she likely would have been fine walking the small extra distance. She didn’t mind walking and she knew people who lived all throughout the city so even if it had been out of the way from her parents there was little chance that it would have been out of the way in terms of other friends she was planning on visiting.

Giving him another broad smile she said, “It is nice to meet you Ancale. I am in fact heading up as my parents live in a little place just off from the palace. I am sure we can manage dropping by your quarters on the way up.”

Having never met him before she had questions that were just a part of her innate curiosity but she didn’t want to overwhelm him. She also didn’t want to seem too forward and hoped that he wouldn’t mind any questions she chose to ask. She decided to start with a question that had been important to her for many years and especially since she had begun to travel by saying, “I have actually been out traveling about Arda recently and was just wondering if you had ever taken the time to travel. I hope you don’t find the question too forward but I am always interested in knowing such things.”

((Sorry it’s crappy and doesn’t give you much of anywhere to go but I was having a hard time coming up with anything more.))

(More than enough to go by Mere, don't worry about it. ^_^ )


Merenwen smiled one of those smiles Ancalë was already beginning to associate with her.
He had noticed in fact that when he spoke, her eyes went all about him, as if taking everything about him into consideration.
Another smile lit her face. “It is nice to meet you Ancalë. I am in fact heading up as my parents live in a little place just off from the palace. I am sure we can manage dropping by your quarters on the way up.”
It was the guard's turn to smile. He really did not want to take her out of her way. His place was on the way up as well. The top of the tree city was still a bit black from the Ita encounter from a good while ago, and a few of the branches were broken, but the city still flourished, especially when the sun bathed it in her golden rays. Ancalë loved the sun and always thought the tree city looked beautiful at sunrise.
She seemed a little bit shy in forming her next sentance, or so Ancalë had assumed by the tone of her voice when she finally spoke.
“I have actually been out traveling about Arda recently and was just wondering if you had ever taken the time to travel. I hope you don’t find the question too forward but I am always interested in knowing such things.” she asked him in a pleasent voice.
Ancalë nodded as he thought about a way to phrase the response to her question.
"Not at all too forward, Lady Merenwen, feel free to ask me anything you feel the desire to. Anyway, well, I don't generally have too much occasion to leave, what with the position I am in and having to train recruits all the time, but I've had my own fair share of adventures. I've even been the target of an assassination before on a fake letter for help; a failed assassination, I might add Well, let us depart then traveler." But when Merenwen had told him of her traveling, she had also inadvertantly confirmed a suspicion that Ancalë had had from the beginning.
"Being a traveler-" he began in the common tongue, "you have more than likely learned how to speak other languages, have you not?" the general asked her in his clear voice. The breeze was coming only haltingly now, and so Ancalë opened his cloak, the golden sword hilt sticking out amongst his clothes, the silver blade concealed in the gold and black scabbard. It was plain, not overly intricate in it's design, but it looked more along the lines of a broadsword that was intended for heavy use, not to look pretty at some one's hip. Threnody's Spite was still hidden at his back, unbeknownst to most, including his own guards. The magic knife was blessed by the Divine Lady of Balance and would never dull, chip, or break in any form, which was why Ancalë kept it hidden. He was debating showing it to Merenwen, judging by the weapons she carried, she looked to be rather skilled in weapons use. He would ask her once she responded to his question; if she understood it, but Ancalë believed she did.

She was glad that he didn’t think her question too forward and that he seemed very open to sharing stories with her. She loved to hear stories and would have been happy to hear more details of his adventures but she didn’t plan to push him on it too much. He seemed very nice and she knew that he was very important by his job as well as someone she held a great deal of respect for. It was the respect that was the biggest part in her not wanting to push things but the fact that he seemed so nice and might talk more then he really wanted because he didn’t want to seem rude also played into her mind. She had no idea if that was true or not but she had met people before who it was true for and so she didn’t want to push it too far.

She thought it was interesting that he had been targeted for assassination and thought that they would likely have many stories that they could share and some to compare. There had been a number of people who would have liked to kill her for one reason or another and it wasn’t as if the only attempts on her life had been in the war, many of them had been outside of the war. She was glad that the attempt on him had been a failure as she found him to be fun to talk to and hated the death of any who stood for good.

She smiled when he switched into the common tongue as she had used little else while on her travels. Very few of the people she had met had known any language other then the common tongue and some of those who knew other languages knew languages of which she would prefer to never learn. In response to him she replied in the common tongue by saying, “I have learned the common tongue, though it is the only other language I have learned. I have been around some who spoke the dark speech and fought against many of them but that is a language I would prefer to never know.”

She paused and noticed the sword that her walking companion carried. After looking it over for a moment she spoke in the common tongue again and said, “That’s a very nice sword you have. Bigger then I’m used to seeing carried by our kind and likely much too big for me to handle but nice none the less. With my small size I find that I am limited somewhat in the weapons I am able to use but I do have my share that I carry.” That said she shifted her cloak slightly and her own sword became visible. She was also carrying both of her bows and regular as well as ice arrows. She also had her dagger hidden in her boot and was wearing her armor.

As they continued to walk she said, “I would be interested in hearing more about your own adventures and would be open to telling you some of mine if you would like.” She waited to hear his answer and hoped that he would be willing to tell her some of his stories.