Wind whistles though the leafs as I walk. The cold air chills my neck and I lift the collar of my jacket up. I turn on my heals and head west for a clearing that I know of. After the crazy day I've had, I need a break. Sure I haven't been out here this late in the evening and people speak of mythical beings that live here in this forest but it has to be fake stories to explain something they didn't understand. Besides... I have my fencing gear. If anyone or thing comes after me I can just use it in defense. It's not a sharp blade but it can do some damage if I hit the right place.
I let out a sigh as I sit down at the base of a tree. I've been coming here for years and nothing has ever happened to me before nor have I found anything that might lead me to believe that something was living here. As I let my surroundings sink in, I sift though my bag of gear and find a folder. It was filled with sheet music. Each page was covered in scribbles and notes. I frown at a few of them.
I had trusted a friend to see the music I had been writing and he tore it apart. What is the point of this cord here? One note said green ink. An arrow went from it to a set of notes. He went on and on about how the music would fall apart the moment it hit that part. I disagreed and we got into a fight over it. After the fight I blew off some steam by fencing a little.
"Jamie..." I mutter to myself as I look up into the tree, "You have made this such a long week for yourself..."
As I let my surroundings sink in...
-
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] (( hey, id like to join but i'm not sure what kind of mythical creature (i'm assuming this from your post) you want. if you don't have any preference then i'd like to use a phooka, unless you've got some other beings in mind owo;; ))
-
(I have no preference. You can use what ever mythical being you want.)
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] (( alright, thanks. and it's a bit long sorry ))
The days were starting to grow awfully long, Kalen noted. He was used to the short, hot days of summer when it was normal for him to take a small break in a nearby pond or sleep away underneath the shade of a tall tree. Now, he was hesitant to fall asleep and eventually wake up when winter's snow began to thaw. That might be a little bit of a stretch, he thought as he passed by another tree. Hibernation was made for the squirrels and bears, not him. He turned his gold eyes to the heavy sky above, watching the horizon of the bright blue sky start to tinge with reds and oranges. A prickling breeze streamed past him but he took no notice. He turned his head around and listed closely for any odd sounds.
Rhythmic footsteps hurrying in a quick pace, nothing like a deer or bear, reached his ears at that instant. He'd seen humans pass by multiple times and payed them no mind a majority of the time, but none came into this area this late in the day. Kalen furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to string together reasons for this random entry only to come up empty. He looked around for a brief moment before heading in the direction of the disturbance, making no noises despite the fallen foliage and dirt underneath his feet.Kalen reached the small clearing after a few ten minutes, peering behind a tree at the sight in front of him. Curiously enough, a girl was standing there with a foreign looking sword in her hand. Instead of slashing and jabbing like he was used to seeing, she made different quick gestures and was much lighter with her movements. It was weird. He was taught to slash and jab with swords and use strength to overcome an opponent. Moves that were light had no use in battle, or at least that's what he was told. Quietly, he moved closer and hid behind trees to avoid being seen.
Once he rested for a moment behind a sturdy oak, he looked at the female's face and recognized her face. She was that girl he'd seen multiple times rest underneath one of the oldest trees. On his occasional patrol, he'd purposely pass by to see if she was here. It wasn't uncommon for her to be quietly working on some paper or waving around the weird thin sword. He would only stay if she was creating music. Absentmindedly, Kalen took another step forward and felt a rustling in the bushes in front of his feet. A spotted rabbit emerged from the underbrush and twitched its nose before hoping across the clearing, followed by its partner. He quickly moved his sight from the animal to the girl before moving back behind the tree. Run off before she comes over here, he told himself. However, he stood still for a moment more just to see what would happen next. It was hard to push away that constant curiosity he felt, after all. -
I stop what I was doing as I hear some movement from beside me. With a slight movement, I glanced to my side to see the rabbits hop though the clearing. I sigh slightly as they walk though. I've let myself become tense. I shake my head as I place my sword back on the ground near the tree, exchanging it for paper and pen. The sound of scribbles drift though the air as I try to cross out the writing my 'friend' had left on the paper. The green ink is still visible from under the large blocks of black ink. I stair at the paper before glancing at my watch. It's getting late and I should be home. I'll leave after I rewrite this... I grab a new sheet of paper and start to copy over notes and rhythms. I slightly as I work. My progress came to a grinding halt as I reach the cord that my fried and questioned me about. Maybe I should change it... But that would mean giving in and admitting I was wrong. I stair at the spot of the paper as my thoughts fight.
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] Kalen peered at her once again from behind the tree, seeing her turn back to the oak. He knew it probably wasn't a good idea to get involved with a human, especially in a place like this, but he felt bored. How long had it been since he had a decent conversation with one? He imagined that others would say it's been too soon, but he wasn't so negative of humans. Though he almost never had a chance to speak with them, he observed from a safe distance and took a liking to them. He reserved a certain like for this girl, though, because of how frequent she visited. He rarely saw the same person walk here more than once a week, but she came by often. After glancing once more at the dimming sky, he decided it was about time for him to take a little break. It was in his nature to play around and cause a bit of mischief after all.
Kalen wondered how he should go about this, since simply walking out and trying to talk wouldn't exactly get him a positive reply. He brushed back some of his dark hair, remaining deep in thought for a few moments more. A fluttering of cold wind blew past him and gave him an idea. He spoke in a low whisper with a foreign tongue and asked the breeze to grow a little stronger. At least, enough to ruffle or pick up some papers. If an encounter with a human happened by accident, then it wasn't like it was really his fault. -
My mind stays blank as I look at the paper. I place the paper on the ground for a second while a adjusted my jacket. In that short second, the paper lifted from the ground and started to float away. I sighed slightly as I got to my feet. No need to run after it yet. No need for me to rush since it's just going to get caught in some leaves. It did just that. I grin slightly as I took up a slightly faster pace though I can't help but feel that I would have been better off if the paper was gone. I pause. If I lose the paper, I won't have to worry about the music... But he would think of it as a sign of weakness. No... Just take the paper and leave. It's going to start to get dark soon.
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] Well, I wasn't expecting the wind to be that forceful but I'm not about to complain. I don't want to remove another thing from my list of helpful beings. With a couple purposely loud steps, I hurried forward and snatched the paper from its leafy trap before she could get to it. I turned it around to see a lot of lines and writing on it that I didn't understand. It wasn't really of any worth to me but I took care not to crumple it or anything. I moved my golden gaze from the paper to the girl, who was probably surprised to see someone else out here. It was hard not to feel a little hesitant to say anything since I hadn't directly met a human for a while. I reminded myself it went both ways too. I doubted this girl had ever met anything otherworldly in her short life. Actually, I doubted I looked anything out of the ordinary. Aside from my eyes, I probably looked like any other young adult. My clothes were most likely just as average looking too, which was a relief considering my usual plain attire. Having glamour on had it's perks, I guess.
'Looks like this flew away from you. It's a little too late to sing songs out here, you know?' I said with a small smile. -
"Well I was planning on leaving soon..." I say as I stop myself from taking a step back. I don't need to be too paranoid. Yet something about this person standing in front of me tells me to leave as fast as I can. What are you thinking Jamie? Now is not the time to start believing those fake stories! I clear my thoughts after a second. "Can I have that paper back?" I say pointing to the sheet in his hand. I need to remember if things start to go south, I can run for my fencing gear.
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;]I glanced down at the sheet of paper again as if I was examining it before looking back up at her. It would be nice just to offer the paper to her and let her be on her way, since it was getting dark, but I wasn’t interested in a simple greet-and-leave meeting. ’Depends. Is it important to you? It’s just a bunch of scribbles, so I don’t see how it is,’ I answered, shrugging. I know how to read in human tongues, but I wasn’t fluent in words used for music. I didn’t have much of a taste for those arts, hence why I’m always out in the forest, but the little folk are always gifted with its talents whether we liked it or not. Another question occurred to me then. It was probably the first thing I wondered when I saw her here. ’Why are you out here so late?’
-
"Those scribbles," I said sounding slightly offended, "is music. Along with a few other things but that is beside the point." I cross my arms. Maybe I should just leave that sheet. I still have the original. "And the reason why I'm out here is none of your businesses. I'm sure you're not going to tell me why you're out here." I say as wave a hand out, pointing to the woods. Why is he out here? Most people don't come in here and I haven't seen him around before. Relax Jamie... This person is not a murderer! Well odds are he's not a murderer... Calm yourself!
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] I shrugged when she responded, noting the annoyed tone in her voice. So, that confirmed it was her music notes. I guessed as much, even if I couldn't understand the words. I heard her next reply and looked with mock surprise, as if he was surprised she'd ask. 'Actually, I don't mind. I'm just passing by here on my way back home. So, what are you doing here?' I replied with a smile, choosing my words with ease. It wasn't a lie, so I had no qualms about saying it. I stepped out into the clearing still holding her paper hostage, moving my gold eyes towards the base of the nearby large oak. Her belongings were still sat there, which included that weird sword. I moved my gaze back to her while feeling less mischevious. I realized that, as much as I wanted her to stay, it probably wouldn't be safe to keep her around here. It was fine that she stayed here during the day, but it would be less nice as the day grew darker. I decided to wait for her to talk before handing her back the paper and ushering her home.
-
As he takes a step closer I notice his golden eyes. I decide to ignore it and get on with what ever is going on now. "Well I was on my way home. I decided to stop here since I had gotten into a fight with a friend of mine..." I pause for a second. "Well if you can still call him that..." I glance over my shoulder. "can I have the paper back now? I need to be getting home."
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] 'Ah, that's never fun.' I was used to arguments and small fights with other fey, but I never really was bothered by them. Most of the time it was my fault for starting things up. As she asked for her music sheet back, I tilted my head to the side a little as I thought before shrugmging. 'Hm, I guess so. Here,' I decided and offered her the paper. 'I'm here pretty often, so I hope I'll see you around. Also, be careful on your way back. Who knows what's lurking around at this time,' he advised, adding a smile at the end. He decided he'd at least follow her for some distance before heading back. It felt like this night would be a little more active than usual.
-
"Thank you." I said as I took the paper back. I folded it in half and slipped it into the inside pocket of my coat. When he said he was here often I couldn't help but feel kind of apprehensive. I'm here a lot as well and I've never seen him before. "Well I know you're lurking here." I say as I turn to get my thinks. In a few short steps I'm back with my things. I grab my bag and hang it over my shoulder before grabbing my sword.
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] 'Yeah, at least it's just me,' I replied, though kept my tone quiet. I felt like I might have been jinxing things a little by mentioning that out loud, but I shoved away any doubts. I watched as she picked up her things as well as the thin sword. It piqued my interest and I wanted to ask about it, but I didn't want to keep her here any further. Another time, I decided, if I run into her again. 'I guess I should get going too. Good luck with your friend,' I said before turning back to the forest. I didn't wait for her to turn around before turning back to the forest, my footsteps naturally silent as always. I glanced one more time behind me before heading towards the direction of the nearby town. It would probably be better to just head that way until I was out of sight, then return and keep an eye on her until she left this forest.
-
I watch as he walks away before turning to walk in the opposite direction. After a few minuets of walking I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text from my former friend. Jamie I'm sorry. Can you please meet me? To me his apology is just to get back on my good side. I guess he remember how much I had a say in the musical that's being put on at our school. I wrote part of the thing and most of the music was mine or edited by myself. Sure get back on my good side. I type, But after you insulated my music I don't thing you deserve to preform it. I send the text and put it back in my pocket. It wasn't long before it vibrated again. I know you don't have a say in auditions Jamie It started But I know Brain is too grateful for you finishing his work for him so you'll tell him not to cast me. You do know he wrote that pert for me right? Brain had not informed me of this. I put my phone back in my pocket without sending anything back. Now I'm mad at Brain.
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] After I assumed a minute ticked by, I glanced around me and saw that I couldn't see her anymore. That was good, but I needed to catch up with her. I stretch out my arms and relaxed my limbs a little before thinking of a fox. They were excellent trackers and the night vision was always a plus. Within moments, I started feeling a little compressed as my body readjusted itself to the animal's body. I took a few steps forward to get myself used to the fox's form before hurrying through the underbrush. As usual, my pelt was black in color but I'd already gotten over my issues with it. What other color could blend in so well with the dark?
I saw the bright light from her cell phone first before I even noticed her. I stayed a couple meters to her side, sliding through the low branches and bushes underneath. Nothing seemed unsettling or odd nearby, so at least this would be a simple escorting. I'd still have to hurry to a nearby area and check there, though, before doing my usual walks. Another lovely night of staying up late, I thought drearily. I just hoped that I wouldn't have to get into another drawn out fight with some troll or tell off some lost annoying nymph. -
I feel my phone vibrate again but I don't want to see what it's about. Home is only a few minuets away. I'll look at it then. I watch the ground as I walk. It's starting to get really dark. I glance at my watch and see it's not that late. I guess the days are starting to get shorter and the nights are getting longer. I grin slightly as I think about the extra sleep I'll be able to get over the weekends. I'll have to live through this week though to enjoy it.
-
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; bordercolor=transparent; borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; font-family: arial; color: silver;] I stopped by the edge of the forest and watched as she continued to walk away, thankfully safe. After watching her a moment longer, I turned away and hurried back into the forest. Things seemed peaceful in this area, so I had to head to another section quickly. I didn't want to get scolded if some annoying creature decided to cause some havoc. I slowed my run to morph into a more aggressive wolf before continuing, sincerely hoping I didn't waste any time by escorting the girl.