Darkness clouded the mind of an elf, as it approached Lake Aelin. The moonlight shimmered on the surface, creating an almost unreal glow about the liquid. The edges of the lake were mossy and damp as booted feet slid into the lush shore line. Thin fingers gently caress the cool water, making ripples which seemed to slip into nothingness.

You could say that the elf was troubled, perhaps deep in thought. A perplexed expression was written upon the face of a fair lady elf. Her skin echoed the pale silver tone of the moon's reflection. The attire of the female looked somewhat close to a traveler, but more so of a warrior who had no place to go or be. She had no place in this world anymore and from what she thought, nobody or anything could change that.

Roana was a complicated woman. Before she had lost everything she loved, she was happy. She was to be wedded, to be a wife, to raise a family, but it all changed. Right before those turquoise eyes, her life changed with a simple flick of a man's wrist. The mere thought of the wizard's face disgusted her. How could anybody have been that cruel?

The bitter taste and lust for revenge played on the innocent elf's mind, but she was not foolish. She knew she didn't stand a chance against his magic’s. No, that is why she was here. She had come to find a mage who would train her in the element, which had consumed her life and love. Fire.

Within Roana ideas, thoughts, memories, and dreams turned and boiled inside of her. There were just too many matters to comprehend. She could hardly carry herself without feeling the weight of these great burdens, but she must push on. For if she didn't find this mage she sought, her life, would have gone up in flames, in vain.

Wolfang stopped near the shore of Lake Aelin, wanting to make camp for the night. He did not stop to make camp in that spot though, he stopped because he was captivated by a strange sight. There was a woman near the lake's edge, and he watched as she stared at something, perhaps deep in thought. She appeared to be an elf, the moon's light only reflects off of their fair skin in such a beautiful manner. He looked over her attire, it seemed thoroughly plain, very similar to his own. His travelling clothes however, were ripped in places, stained, dusty and looking thoroughly threadbare from long conflicts and just general adventuring. Perhaps he could set up camp with her. Company always eased the burden of travel. He didn't call out, as he usually would have done. Instead he came closer to lake's edge, to make his prescence known, and then, he spoke.

"Excuse me, milady," he said softly wanting to get her attention, but not to startle her. "Would you mind if I set up camp here, with you, for the night?" he asked as politely as he could, which was quite rare for the uncouth barbarian. He didn't even know his voice was capable of such a gentle tone, but at the sight of the elf, something inside moved him to be gentle, and it felt odd, as it wasn't in his nature.

Having been deep within her own thoughts, the elf hadn't noticed that she wasn't alone anymore. When a male voice reached her pointed ears, she picked up her head and reached for the scimitar on her waist. She was quick to react, only because she had never experienced anybody approaching her in the forest, just to say hello. Occasionally, you had your thieves which would strip anything from you without a second thought. If Roana hated one thing it was cowards who stole for a living.

The voice seemed gentle, but still the blade was drawn and pointed in his direction. A dark brow was cocked and the female tilted her head to the side. Had he just requested to set up camp with her? Now this was curious. Why would a man, who clearly looked like a skilled warrior, want to make camp with her? Was he a pervert? Did he want her money or any valuables of her's? Or, did he honestly, just want to make camp with her and to have a little company?

Roana lowered her scimitar and gazed at the barbarian with those piercing silver eyes. "Ahh, camp." She announced simply as the sword was sheathed in it's scabbard. Roana would defiantly need to keep a close eye on this one, if she let him stay, she didn't trust him. Though, she never really trusted anybody that easily.

"Of course, Sir. The more the merrier." The moon elf mused as she returned to her squatting position. She wanted to play along for now, make him think that she trusted him. Perhaps, if he wasn't going to keep to his word, she would catch him in the act. Yes, that is what the female was going to do.

A voice prodded questions on the back of her mind as she observed the man, but only one thing stuck out. Introduce yourself, Roana! The pointed ear woman struggled with her words for a moment, but she managed. "I am Roana." The woman explained as she offered a hand to the man.

"Greetings. I'm called Hlormar, of the Wolfang clan, and there'll be no need for any of that "sir" talk," he said merrily, grasping her smaller and more gentle hand with his large and calloused one in introduction. While most people would have been slightly suspicious of her drawing the scmitar upon him at first, he shrugged it off as normal travelling behavior. Besides, he would have done the same in her place anyway. However with introductions complete he trustingly took of the scabbard holding his large claymore from his back, then unclasped his worn out travelling cloak and wrapped the scabbard in that. He sat down with a grunt, leaning upon a nearby tree, and placed the wrapped up scabbard next to him on the ground.

"I was using the term camp loosely by the way, seeing as I don't have a tent, but I'm not one to complain. The weather is nice and cool, and the ground has nice soft grass. I suppose I'll be comfortable enough," he said rather pointlessly. Now that he was sitting comfortably near the tree he surveyed the elf covertly. She wasn't cocky and domineering like elves usually were, not yet anyway. She also appeared to be very thoughtful and perhaps even more mournful, but Wolfang wasn't exactly an expert on emotions. Her beauty was another matter all together, but all elven women he had seen always did have an essence of divine beauty around them. It was better not to get involved with elves for too long anyway, he finally decided. No body knew what went on in the minds of those strange creatures.

"So, where are you headed to?" he asked the usual question of strangers meeting upon the road. Meanwhile he decided to examine his sword. "Don't be alarmed now, I'm just going to examine and sharpen it if need be," he told her beforehand. Then he unwrapped the scabbard and pulled the large claymore out of it, laying it out in his lap. It was a large sword, and heavy too needing both hands to wield it. It was also rather plain, made only of steel and devoid of any jewels or decorations, but it got the job done and Wolfang was satisfied with that. He picked it up with both hands and examined the blade with an expert eye in the moonlight. It was in good condition although it had a blood stain at the point and at two other places along the blade. Running a finger gently along the edge he determined that it had dulled a little bit from his conflicts and could use some sharpening, but not now, maybe a little later.

He ripped off a piece of the sleeve of his plain green shirt, so it was even now with both sides having short sleeves, and began running the cloth along the edge of the blade, cleaning it of dust and the blood stains.

As his hand grasped her own, she discovered that it was quite rough and calloused, possibly from hard word or wielding a sword for many years. Roana had carried a sword for a couple of years, but gloves always adorned her hands. So, you could say that the snobbish elf was still within her, not wanting to damage her beautiful hands, to carry a blade.

When he released her hand, he announced his own name. Lady Arual played it back in her mind trying to invoke it onto her mind, so she would remember it. She was not one to befriend strangers, but was it possible that she wanted, no needed, the company? Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Alright Hlormar, the formalities shall be dropped. Please forgive me for reaching for my blade. I am not hostile and you could call my friendly. I have just heard that thieves love to take advantage of woman who seem to know nothing of self defense and I know they cannot tell the difference between a female who could or couldn't, so I am just playing on the safe side. Cannot blame a lady for trying, right?" The moon elf questioned as she took a seat by the water which was bathed is silver moonlight.

Hlormar announced that he was just going to sharpen his sword, and only that, Roana gave him a confused mullet of the eyebrow. Obviously, he didn't mean her any harm if he was taking extra precautions to make her comfortable. A smile could have been seen upon the woman's lips, but only for a mere moment, before it returned to its solemn expression. Roana hadn't been as observant as she usually would have been so she didn't notice the blood stains upon the steel, so she continued on. "I am a traveler. I go where the road carries me. Perhaps it will lead me to some civilization soon." Lady Arual jested as she fiddled with a blade of grass.

He ran the cloth down the blade a couple more times as he listened to what the elf had to say, his eyes were on her as a sign of respect as he was perfectly capable of cleaning his sword without looking. He glanced down however, and discovered that the steel had recovered its dull shine. It never got any cleaner than that, so that was the end of that. He placed it back within its scabbard and then wrapped it with the cloak again. Just as he had put it down next to him she had finished uttering the last couple words.

"Ay, completely understandable," he commented about her precautions. She told him that she was traveller and seeking civilizition as well. Wolfang chuckled slightly and told her, "Well if that's so you're out of luck then. This lake is landlocked in the middle of Arda, so you got two options, go east to the Eastern Coast, and there's a holy city there, the Sanctuary of Angels, but if religion isn't your thing, you might as well go the other way. You'll reach the Village of Estolad, but that hardly counts as civilazation, so you might need to go through the Salquedor Grasslands, past The Land of the Dead, and when you see the beginnings of the coast, go along that and you'll hit Lomedor. Largest city on Arda, and a port too. Can't miss it. Either way, they're both about the same distance away from each other so its your choice, traveller," he said, adding the last word as a jest.

Suddenly he wished he was going towards civilazation too, but alas, his road was to be far more perilous, as he first needed to visit two more places, both of which were practically located in the middle of no where. It would surely be quite some time since he would see civilization again.

Lady Arual listened to the male carefully, making a imaginary map within her thoughts. She had no idea how far away from people and civilization she had actually gone. All these lands that he spoke of were all confusing to her, but she tried her best. As a young elf she had never really left her small village and it was amazing how big the world could be. She was innocent in some ways. She knew of what the world held, but not when it could do. She had heard of its terrible tales of murder and thievery, but wasn't revenge another thing she had heard of?

Revenge was not only her right, but it was justified by how her family was killed. They suffered. They were burned alive all for the mere pleasure of a sick and demented wizard who would soon be consumed by the very flames had had created. Within Roana a new emotion was beginning to form. She began to feel proud and confident that she would soon destroy her family's killer. Yet, she had no clue at how long it would take her to grow such power to defeat him.

She knew very little of the wizards whereabouts’. So, how was she to find him? She would track him down like the dog he was. She would find people that had suffered the same as she and she would not stop till she knew for sure, he was gone and burning in Hell. Flames would lick at his ankles for eternity and maybe she would end up burning right next to him, but at least she would have tasted the bittersweet taste of revenge.

Some would see her as cruel to think like this, but if you ever had the chance to witness your father, mother, brother, and lover burning alive and screaming your name to help them, then maybe you would feel the call of revenge.

The elf awoke from her day dream and stared at the man oddly. "It seems that I have a long ways to go then, Hlormar. So, where do you hail from, my friend?"

He smiled, amused at her words. This elf was definetly different from the rest of her race. Already she was hailing him as a friend, none were that friendly, except for his own people. He'd tell her a little of them he thought.

"I hail from the frozen North where there is truly no civilization, none except for the barbarian clans anyway, and they are as free as the wind is. No man is our lord, we are our own masters. Only in war do we choose our greatest warrior to lead us. The war chief has almost ultimate power in war. He is the judge, the jury, and the executioner, but woe to him if he ever tried to utter a command in peace, for when there is peace the elder council oversees the affairs of the clan." Wolfang spoke with thoughtful satisfaction, thinking about his far away home. It was so much different, so much more simpler in every way imaginable. Perhaps he would return there one day, but not until he was strong and experienced enough to become the war chief, for that was his goal in life, to be deemed the most powerful warrior in the Wolfang clan and to lead his men to honorable victory over any that would dare to oppose his people. Although his thoughts were heavy, being of war and conflict, he uttered his next words with surprising calmness.

"Where do you hail from, fair lady? Perhaps if you tell me of your home and people, I might tell you some more of mine own," he offered to her. In truth, he had a burning curiosity to understand more about the mysterious elves. Anything really, would be satisfactory to hear about them.