Joining- Korendil

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 6:14 am

It was all Kory could do to keep his expression from showing how easily he could read the mistrust in the Raf’s eyes as the boy approached him. From the looks he was getting, one might have thought the older elf to hit the child every day. It made him sick thinking of the different things that could have made Raf react that badly to strangers. Kory longed to do something to help, but he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t just frighten the boy more. For a moment, he thought about relaxing his shoulders and back to try to appear less threatening, but he feared the even that slight movement might make the youngling think he was preparing himself to do something. Poor fledgling. The life you must have had, Korendil thought sadly. It was not fair that some got to live happy lives while others were tormented even as children. 
 
As Raf began picking at his locks, Kory decided the best way to keep the child from fleeing was to remain as still as he could. He watched in interest as the boy worked, having never seen someone pick a lock while actually knowing what they were doing. All attempts he had made to pick the locks had been useless and had looked clumsy even to him. It was easy to see that Raf wasn’t just poking around like he had, hoping that he would hit or move the right thing. The boy knew what he was doing and it was quite fascinating to watch, especially since the young elf was obviously going more by feel than sight. 
 
When the first manacle fell to the floor, Kory gasped as his heart rose, and even the thought that he might scare Raf with his movements didn’t stop him from feeling his wrists once the other fell off. A smile broke out on his face as he ran his fingers over his skin. The manacles hadn’t once been taken off during his captivity, well except when they had to be replaced but even then they had only been off for a matter of seconds before the next pair was snapped on. He saw a few thin scars as he looked down at him, remnants of the times he had tried to pull them off and the times the bandits had dragged him around by his wrists. 
 
“Raf I….I don’t know how to thank you. You didn’t have to help me, thank you…” Korendil said quietly as the boy moved behind him to work on his collar. Moving slowly, Kory reached up behind him and pulled his hair out of the way so it fell over his shoulders instead of down his back. Hope rose inside him as he heard the picks clicking and scraping against the metal of the lock, but he was afraid to let that hope rise too far. What if Raf couldn’t get it off? 
 
"Whooo, whatev'r mun as owned ye sure wanted to keep ya kept! This 'un'll take me a while, m'thinks. How long was you captured fer?" 
 
A brief flash of anger flew through Kory’s eyes, though not at Raf. “Yes, they definitely did want to keep me kept. They couldn’t risk that coming off. It’s not an ordinary collar. I don’t know how, but somehow it keeps me from using my magic. If I was released for even a moment, I could have done something to help myself. W-will you be able t-to get it off?” he asked, voice shaking slightly before he took a deep breath to calm himself. For a moment, the elf was silent as he tried to calculate how long he had been captured for. “Ten years I believe. You do not have to answer if you don’t want to, but how long were you?” The question was tentative but also with a definite note of concern in it.

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:58 am

Ooc: meant to ask this on my last post, what kind of jobs are there? He could probably help with anything as long as it didn’t involve fighting 
 
"Nae, don' thank me. Figger this way I git some more practice wi'out Lenanu lecturin' me, ye get yore invol'ntary jewl'ry off, fair trade." 
 
Kory chuckled. He could imagine the boy being lectured for practicing lock picking. It was not a highly thought of trade, even though it would come in very handy in many situations, like the one he was finding himself in at the moment. Understandably, people instantly thought ‘thief’ when they heard lock picking, so it was quite frowned upon. No doubt this Lenanu was trying to discourage him from continuing with it. However, even though it was frowned upon, Kory could definitely see benefit of having that skill. It was what people did with the skill that could make it bad. If used right, there could be many helpful uses for lock picking. 
 
“Well if she hears and gets mad at you, you can blame it on me,” Kory offered, not wanting Raf to get into trouble because he helped him. He would rather the village leader get angry with him than with the boy. The older elf watched as Toboi brought something to Raf and just managed not to shake his head in amazement, which probably would have messed up whatever Raf was doing behind him. Korendil hadn’t heard any command or seen a gesture, but somehow the canine knew to bring that. 
 
Ye're one o' the lucky ones. 'F mun as put it on ye was a pow'rful magician hisself, there wouldn' be no keyhole f'r me t'pick. I think I kin get it offa ya, but it migh' take a while." 
 
Kory shuddered. He did not like the thought of being the possession of a mage that powerful. The bandits had been bad enough; at least there had been hope of getting away from them and getting this off. He wasn’t stupid. It was one thing getting away from a bunch of thugs, it was quite another to get away with magic being used against him. “I’m…glad that didn’t happen. The men who had me weren’t mages. I think either there was one in the group before they got me, or they stole the collar.” 
 
As Kory waited to see if Raf would answer his question about the boy’s enslavement, the elf wondered if he had gone to far by asking. His captivity had affected him greatly, but it seemed as though Raf had been affected just as much if not more. When the young elf spoke, Kory jumped a little, surprised to hear the quiet voice right next to his ear. He listened to the boy’s story and the sadness and anger inside him grew. How could a culture be so cruel? Children weren’t property to be snatched away the second the first owner- the parents in this case- was gone. Raf should have been given a nice home with someone to take care of him. 
 
“Raf…I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked….You shouldn’t have had to go through something like that, I’m so sorry…” he breathed. Six years. How old was the boy? Raf didn’t look that old, six years had to have been a large portion of his life.

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 3:41 pm

Ooc: well he could do pretty much whatever as long as it didn’t involve fighting. Gathering, building, cleaning, whatever 
 
"Nae, nae. S'alright, ain't yore fault, life's rough on some mun. Just the way things be. Don' be sorry." 
 
Kory looked down. That was just another reminder of how unchildlike this child was. Any other kid would have been shouting that it wasn’t fair; hell any other person would be shouting that it wasn’t fair. Even he thought many times over the year that it all wasn’t fair, that he had done nothing to deserve this. Yet this child seemed to have accepted it, even though it had hurt him so deeply. It just wasn’t right. Both of them had had their lives stolen from them because the gods had decided it to be that way. Neither had done anything to deserve it; both had simply been born and had the unfortunate luck of being two chosen for that life. It was, simply put, not fair. 
 
The older elf heard a click behind him and wondered if it was a good or a bad click. Normally a click like that would mean the lock was undone, but the collar wasn’t off so apparently that wasn’t the case. Were there perhaps multiple catches back there? It was taking quite a while, but according to Raf, it was a very complicated lock. What if nobody could get it off? No, stop thinking that way. There has to be someone somewhere who can get it off, he thought as he continued to remain as still as possible, which was getting harder to do. It was easier to be still when one did not need to be. For some reason, knowing he needed to remain still made his limbs want to move around. 
 
"Kory? Where be ye from? Like I said, y'look awful like s-sum mun I knew." 
 
Kory sighed and closed his eyes as the subject brought his mind back to thoughts he was trying to avoid thinking about. Every time his mind had drifted toward his city, his people, and his family, it had made his heart break once more. It never got easier to deal with, only harder to recover from and more painful and this time wasn’t any different. He didn’t blame Raf for bringing up the subject- it was a step up that the kid was making conversation on his own- but it hurt. His chest tightened painfully as images of his family flashed before his eyes, and for a moment he was unable to answer because he had to concentrate fully on breathing. 
 
“I-I’m from a city called Alanian,” he replied slowly, his hands gripping his pant legs so tightly his knuckles turned white. “It was an elven city. I don’t know how far away from here it is or if I will ever see it again…” Kory’s voice shook toward the end and he could feel tears prickling his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said as he reached up and wiped the corners of his eyes with his finger. “Have you heard of it?” 
 
ooc: I can change the city name if you’ve got some kind of plot in mind

Edited by: <A HREF=http://p082.ezboard.com/bunicornsvision ... honmage</A> at: 10/2/05 6:43

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:18 am

Korendil shook his head just slightly, not enough to interfere with Raf’s job. “No Raf, it’s not your fault. You have no need to apologize. It was an innocent question and, as you said, you didn’t know it would affect me that way. It…is my fault for letting my emotions get away from me. I just…” he swallowed down the lump that rose in his throat. “miss my family…so very much,” he said, not wanting the boy to feel guilty. Somehow, Kory was managing to get the younger elf to relax at least a bit and he didn’t want the guilt to make Raf freeze up again. It was so nice to have kind company after so long. He and Racia hadn’t had much time to talk and he still was a bit wary of her. 
 
"Nae, I've not heard of it. Folk in Stotat dinna b'lieve in elves, rilly, 'till they saw me." 
 
Kory didn’t need to feel the shiver behind him to realize what that revelation must had done. He winced in sympathy, knowing all too well how people and creatures reacted to elves the first time they came in contact with them. It baffled him, but others seemed to find their kind fascinating, wanting nothing more than to touch them and find out everything about them. Unfortunately, that was rarely a good thing. Many creatures were not content with simply being around an elf, many would want the elf for themselves. Kory had been stared at quite often, spoken about as if he was some kind of treasure, and come into contact with many wandering hands during his time with the thieves. 
 
It made him shudder to remember all that. The bandits hadn’t always attacked a village right off. Many times they would use the taverns and the women first before destroying it and a few times they had taken him in to show him off. Slavery was quite legal in most places and several people were impressed that the bandits had an elven slave. He had never been raped, but the boss never said he was completely off limits either. Kory wondered if similar things had happened to Raf. The boy’s shudder suggested that his elven blood certainly hadn’t made life easier for him, but Kory prayed to whatever gods did exist that the boy hadn’t had to go through that. 
 
"Ye jus'... look a lot like me Da, what I kin remember of 'im, tha's all," 
 
Korendil mouthed a silent ‘ohhh.’ That explained quite a bit, especially why Raf had dropped the basket and looked at him with such shock when the boy first entered Racia’s home. It shouldn’t have, but it made him feel guilty for reminded Raf of a past loved one. It must have hurt to see him and think he saw his father. “I see. We do look a offal lot alike. Perhaps your ancestors were from my city,” he replied, trying to keep the conversation on that subject light to avoid bring more pain to the boy. It surprised him just how much he wanted to avoid making Raf sad. 
 
The older elf watched as Raf moved the chair from its position behind him and actually sat down this time. Kory noticed that the boy still looked nervous, but he was sitting and that was another small step up. However, Kory couldn’t help but worry that that meant the boy had given up on his collar. The thought made his stomach muscles tighten nervously. “How is it?” he asked hesitantly.

Edited by: <A HREF=http://p082.ezboard.com/bunicornsvision ... honmage</A> at: 10/3/05 21:19

Post by **W01fDem0n** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:34 am

Racis finally spoke up at the mention of theiving, "Well, as long as none of my stuff disapears, I won't have to kill you." she said, jokingly... yet not. She continued to watch the two talk as she waxed the string on her bow to keep it from fraying. She had totally ignored the two, occasionally listening in but very little, it was none of her business, what they were talking about it. 
 
OOC: I feel so bad because my posts are crappy and yours are really good and long... >.<... darn writers block.

Edited by: <A HREF=http://p082.ezboard.com/bunicornsvision ... 1fDem0n</A> at: 10/4/05 23:57

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 1:17 pm

Korendil sighed with relief when Raf assured him that he had only stopped to rest, not because he was giving up. While he didn’t like the fact that his collar was that complicated, at least it was still possible that it might be unlocked. He couldn’t bare being free but still being forced to wear it; it wouldn’t feel like freedom with it on. Every time he would feel it, the damn thing would probably remind him of what had happened. Kory knew he would fighting down those memories enough without a constant, painful reminder of what he went through. Over the years he had partially gotten used to having it on, but now that he was free and the thought that he might get it off was now in his head, it was bothering him a lot like it had when they first snapped it around his neck. 
 
The older elf listened to what Raf said in interest. He had, of course, already figured out what that the boy was a thief, so the information concerning that didn’t surprise him, just how much Raf knew about it. How long had he been a thief? Probably quite a long time, Kory thought. He wondered how much practice it took. Kory wasn’t planning on becoming a thief, no not at all, but he couldn’t help but find it interesting now that he was actually talking to one. As he had been growing up, he had always just thought it was easy. You just broke in and grabbed whatever you could get your hands on, but he knew that was wrong now both from what he had learned during his captivity and from the skill he had seen Raf using while picking the locks. 
 
"Reckon I can git it offa ye, but it might take a day'r two. I just be restin' me hand." 
 
Kory gave the young elf a small, but genuine smile. The boy was doing something for him that he didn’t have to do and that was taking a lot of his time. It had been so long since someone had done something nice for him, besides Racia’s help of course, and it felt nice. “Thank you Raf. I’m sorry if I am being a bother, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Not that it is not very, very much appreciated, just that well…I don’t want to be a bother,” he said, looking very much like a child for a moment as he fiddled with his hand uncomfortably. Kory really wanted to be polite, but he also really wanted this collar off his neck. 
 
"Well, as long as none of my stuff disapears, I won't have to kill you." 
 
Kory jumped just slightly. He had forgotten Racia was there for a moment; she had been so quiet during this whole thing. Why had she not spoken? Did she simply not wish to interrupt? Well he could see why. The two of them, him and Raf, had a lot in common and they did seem to be connecting at least a bit through that common past. Kory suddenly realized with a start that not only was Raf relaxing a bit, but so was he. He had been looking for traps around every corner and for things to be read between the lines that might tell of his actual fate since Racia had saved him, but not so much at the moment.

Post by **W01fDem0n** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 8:43 pm

Racia raised a brow as he started to get nervous. Her wolf senses could sense the fear and nervousness in him as if he was a rabbit prey. She put aside the bow, standing up, "I'm sorry if I said something wrong. I was only joking." she said softly, her tough, wolf demeaner gone. Now she seemed more human, and... well... womanish.

Edited by: <A HREF=http://p082.ezboard.com/bunicornsvision ... 1fDem0n</A> at: 10/6/05 23:32

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:51 am

Kory looked up at Raf in surprise as the elf got up. The boy’s expression had changed once again and he was not happy to see that that change was more nervous than relaxed. The look Raf’s eyes were back to what it had been when the boy had first entered; suspicious and en garde. Kory followed the boy’s gaze when it moved away from him and saw it land on Racia. Had the woman’s comment set him off or had she done something Kory hadn’t seen since she was behind him? It had to have been something she did or said…he didn’t think he had done anything wrong. But had he? He had been living with barbarians for so long, had he said something that would have been normal around them but that was rude here? 
 
When Toboi suddenly started growling, Kory jumped again before freezing. He wasn’t sure who the dog was growling at, but he didn’t want to risk moving and startling the canine incase it was him. He glanced over at the young thief questioningly. This meeting had changed so much in so short a time, he was too confused to know what was happening, and what Raf said next didn’t help to ease that, though at least it showed that the boy wasn’t mad at him. 
 
Raf obviously wanted to get out of there, but the boy was inviting him to go along. “Um…” Kory said as he looked between the other two elves. He wasn’t sure what he should do. The thought of getting clean sounded very good, as did Raf’s promise to continue his work on the collar. However, he felt guilty about leaving Racia after all the things she had done for him and he wasn’t sure he was allowed to leave. This might be a good chance to see if I am really free here, Kory thought as he chewed gently on his bottom lip. 
 
Slowly, very slowly to avoid startling Toboi, Kory stood up. “That…that sounds fine. I certainly don’t object, if that is alright…” he replied, his gaze moving from Raf to Racia as he waited for her reaction.

Post by **W01fDem0n** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:51 am

Racia looked at him questioningly, "Why are you asking me for permission? Your free now. Do whatever you wish, but take these with you." she said, tossing him the clothes she had offered before, "I need to go hunting anyways, its getting dark and its a full moon." she said with a heavy sigh, looking up through a hole in the ceiling.

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 1:05 pm

You're free now. The words echoed in Kory's head and his smile widened considerably. HE couldnt help it. Hearing Racia say that seemed to bring it home more and it showed that he might actually be free now. Free....he was free. After ten years, his life was his own again. He could go where he wanted and do what he wanted, within reason of course. Kory only hoped that it wasnt all a dream. The elf had had dreams similar to this many times and it had always crushed him to wake up and find himself a prisoner still. 
 
"Thank you," Korendil said as he caught the clothes that were tossed to him. He ran his fingers over the soft material and as he thought about bathing in the river, his skin began to itch again and the dirt seemed to become much heavier. With a nod of thanks to the female elf, Kory turned back to Raf. "Lead the way," he said, not moving from his place since the dog was still growling at them. He hoped the boy would calm his dog before they headed on.

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Post by **W01fDem0n** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:04 am

Racia smiled as the sudden revelation came upon him of his freedom. He seemed to be suddenly loosen up and become less scared. As the dog continued to growl in her direction. Racia turned to it and growled back. It was an unusally rough growl for her usually melodious voice. But then, she was a Wolf. She nodded to the two, "Well, I think I'm going to go get some dinner, make sure you close up when you two leave." she said with a smile. She transformed into the large, sleek black wolf with golden eyes and streaked past them and across the multiple bridges, hitting the elevator switch with her muzzle and heading down to earth.

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:29 pm

Korendil fought down a small shiver as Racia raced past him in her wolf form. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn’t help but think of the dogs that had been chasing him when he saw her. She reminded him so much of them, the dogs whose howls had haunted him during his escape, whose footfalls had grown louder as he ran, telling him they were getting closer. Kory had been sure that they would pounce and tear into him before he got to safety. When he had tripped and had turned to see them charging toward him, teeth bared…The elf visibly shuddered as goose bumps rose on his arms. Thank god she appeared to be on his side; Kory didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she attacked him in that form. 
 
"I know mos' folk think I ov'r react t' stuff. She mighta bin kiddin', but..." 
 
Raf’s comments brought Kory out of his thoughts with a slight start. He turned toward the younger elf and, though it was dim inside Racia’s dwelling, he could just make out the blush in the boy’s cheeks. His eyes softened as he followed the two out. “You do not need to explain yourself to me Raf. I know how you feel…more than probably anyone here. Only a slave can understand the feelings of another slave. It is hard to trust when you have only been around those who wish to hurt you. I understand how you feel,” he said softly, hoping that Raf would hear the honesty in his voice. Raf had every right to feel suspicious, though Kory wished that they could both learn to trust, live would be easier and far less depressing. 
 
"We kin climb down, or there be a good few rope ladders an' a ramp 'r two. Ye could take th' elevater if't pleases ye, but it allus makes me nervous." 
 
“Uh…” Kory faltered as he tried to pick the lesser of the two evils. The elevator made him nervous too, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength to climb all the way down and he might have to look down while taking the ladder. The last time he had looked down, he had become slightly dizzy, but he wasn’t sure how to use the elevator anyway, what if he messed it up and it fell? “I’ll-I’ll follow you,” he said as he closed the door behind them. “I would prefer…to look down as little as possible though,” he added, his cheeks coloring. 
 
ooc: lookie, I got a pic for Kory now ^_^

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Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:27 am

ooc: what is Delian again? 
 
Kory wasnt sure if he expected an answer from Raf or not. He did hope to make a connection with Raf to make the boy relax, but when he thought about it, was there really a way to respond to what he said without giving away information that he was pretty sure the boy didnt wish to give away? Most likely not, and Kory didnt want to push it. While he was still very wary of this place and the creatures in it, he at least didnt feel he had anything to fear while being with Raf. However, it seemed to him that the boy feared and distrusted everyone. Kory wished he could make the young elf relax, perhaps so he could enjoy at least one moment without feeling he had to look around for traps like Kory was. 
 
"Best be the ramps f'r ye, then." 
 
"Thank you. Heights like this...are very new to me," Kory said with a gulp as he kept his eyes either in front of him or on the tree beside them as they headed down the ramp. It was probably the longer of the ways down, but he was very thankful for it. His mind wandered yet again to what this place might really be like as they continued. Kory prayed it was how Racia described; he didnt think he could handle fleeing for his life like that again. 
 
Once they reached the ground, Korendil noticed that the two creatures at the bottom were not only watching Raf, but seemed to be watching him very closely as well. He knew the dog, but the other was new to him. Was the thing another guardian of Raf's? If so, the boy was lucky he had so many looking out for him. Kory had no one. He gave the two a small smile, trying to appear relaxed and non threatening; he had seen how Toboi had reacted to Racia when she upset Raf. "Another friend of yours?" he asked Raf.

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Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 11:48 pm

Ooc: oh, ok thanks. Where does your quote in your sig come from, I cant remember 
 
"Y' picked a helluva place t'live f'r not likin' heights!" 
 
Kory flushed. “Hey. It wasn’t exactly my choice. Racia did not mention the heights when she explained a bit about this village, and I have nowhere else to go,” the older elf protested. It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t used to heights. Even when he had lived in his city, there hadn’t been any buildings that high to get him used to them. The tallest buildings were around five stories, which was nothing compared to these trees, and it wasn’t like they were standing out on the ledges, which was what he felt like he was doing when he had crossed the bridges up there. And, as he said, he had nowhere else to go. It was here or try to survive out there. Of course if it turned out that he was expected to be a slave here as well, he would take the forest, but if not he would prefer to stay here. Korendil was a city boy, he knew nothing about living out there; he probably wouldn’t survive the first night. 
 
As Raf launched himself at the horse like creature in front of them, burying his face in its mane, Kory couldn’t help but smile. It was a very cute sight and it was nice to see a grin on the boy’s face instead of the nervous looks he had been giving so far. Not wanting to interrupt, Kory leaned back against the tree and simply watched the two for a moment. The horse was beyond beautiful. But no…it wasn’t a horse, at least not exactly. There was intelligence behind those green eyes; he could see that. He imagined someone could drown themselves in those eyes, they were just so amazingly brilliant. 
 
"Aye, Kory, this be Delian. Delian, mun's name b'Korendil," 
 
Kory returned the boy’s smile as he bowed politely, if rather stiffly. While the pain in his back from the lashing he had received before Racia saved him was hurting less, he didn’t want to tear open the cut again by bending too far. “Pleased to meet you,” he responded, not feeling at all odd to be talking to what appeared at first glance to be a horse. His own ice blue eyes met Delian’s emerald ones and for a moment, Kory had the feeling he was being looked over and measured in some way. He tried not to fidget as he waited to see if he passed the inspection. 
 
Raf, Perhaps you should tell Lenanu where you've been. She might assume you are up to your usual tricks, and after last week...: 
 
The older elf just managed not to jump in surprise at the voice in his head. It had been a very long time since someone had spoken to him through mindspeech. It had been quite common back home when they traded with other creatures, but since being captured, no one had spoken to him like that. Hoping his bit of surprise didn’t show, Kory listened to Delian and Raf speak. “No, I don’t mind at all,” Kory assured the boy. “I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. I’ll be fine; don’t worry. If you get in trouble for being gone as long as you have, you can blame it on me. It is my fault you have been gone so long after all.”

<div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/ ... JeanII.jpg" style="border:0;"/><img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/ ... dilIII.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p082.ezboard.com/bunicornsvision ... honmage</A> at: 10/20/05 14:49

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:37 am

Kory watched Raf bound up the tree with more than a little awe. He wished he could do that. It was possible that he could do something like that, but he wasnt sure. The elf had climbed trees since he was a youngling. Once he reached a certain age, it wasnt considered dignified for him to be running around outside and getting dirty. Unfortunately, that was one of the down sides to being an aristocrat; you couldnt act like yourself, you had to act how society wanted you to act. It did make him wonder if he would have that skill if he had been able to continue climbing trees. 
 
 Walk with me. I have things I would have you hear. You like the boy, don't you?: 
 
The elf had had the feeling that Delian would be talking to him about something. The instant the creature had offered to take him, Kory had that suspicion and he wasnt at all surprised when he was instantly asked about his feelings toward Raf. This was the boy's protector after all, it made sense that Delian would want to question him. Kory wondered what would happen if the creature didnt like his answers. 
 
"Yes," Kory answered. "In a purely friendly way of course, but yes. We have so much in common. I know what it is like. A child like him should never have had to go through all that. I...well I would like to make it so that the two of us have at least one friend in this place..." The elf looked down sadly. He wanted to become friends with Raf, for both their sakes, though more for the boy's; he just wasnt sure how to phrase his answer. "He's a good kid." 
 
"Is that alright?" Korendil asked, looking over at Delian. Would the being be alright with him wishing to get closer to the boy. He could understand if Delian said no, but that wouldnt change anything; Kory would try anyway. Raf couldnt continue through life with only his guardians as friends. He had to learn that there were other kind people out there, he had to learn to trust at least a little bit again. I should take my own advice... he thought guiltily. Here he was saying Raf needed to learn trust, while he was feeling the same as the boy, just with everyone else except him. Kory didnt even trust Racia completely even after everything she had done for him.

<div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/ ... JeanII.jpg" style="border:0;"/><img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/ ... dilIII.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p082.ezboard.com/bunicornsvision ... honmage</A> at: 10/20/05 23:38

Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:16 am

Ooc: man I hate it when that happens, that is why I write my posts on Word now and keep it up until I know the thing has posted 
 
Kory visibly relaxed when Delian said it was more than all right that he try to become Raf’s friend. Even though he wouldn’t have given up, he knew it would be far easier to get to know the boy if one of the child’s guardians didn’t hate him and wasn’t trying to stop him. The elf knew that Delian could easily influence Raf into thinking Kory was a horrible person. In fact, a simple word of warning from the creature would probably stop the youngling from coming near him again; thank goodness his fears had just been paranoia and the creature was on his side instead. 
 
You, I think, need him too. 
 
Even though he had just been thinking the same thing, Korendil couldn’t help but blush. He did need a friend. After so many years of having not one single friendly creature around, Kory was in desperate need of someone to get close to. Back home he hadn’t even spent a day alone without one of the elves close to him, whether they were family or friends. There had been people all around him every waking moment over the last decade, but the hostility and malice radiating from them and the fear inside him had made him feel far more alone than if he had been by himself for that long. Not sure how to respond to that, the elf just nodded and listened to what else Delian had to say. 
 
“I…understand,” Kory said when the creature finished. The poor child. To have someone as close to you as a sibling die was probably far more horrible than he could imagine. While he didn’t know what had happened to his own family, at least he didn’t know they were dead. The thought of Larken, or his parents for that matter, dieing while he was away made his heart tighten painfully.  :Thank you for the warning. I do not wish to upset him:  he mindspoke, his face scrunching up a bit in concentration. The message wasn’t as clear and smooth as his mindspeech used to be, but truth be told, Kory was surprised he was able to get even that out after so many years of being out of practice.

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Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:14 pm

Korendil turned to Delian and gave a short bow. “Thank you, for your advice and for your help,” he said politely as he gave the creature a small smile. He then turned toward the river and studied it for a moment. It did not look warm, but he hadn’t had a warm bath since his last evening at home. He just thanked the stars it was warm outside. Had this been during fall or winter, he might not have gone it. No eventually the grime would have been too much for him to stand and he would have gone in, but it would have been torture and would have ended very quickly. 
 
As he started to pull off his tunic, Kory glanced shyly at Delian over his shoulder before blushing and quickly turning back to the river. There was no reason he should be embarrassed about changing in front of him, but he just couldn’t help it. Back home only your spouse- and your parents when you were little- ever saw you disrobing, even if it was simply your shirt and though one would think that after spending time with the bandits, he would no longer be modest, they would be wrong. If anything, they had made it worse. Kory had changed and bathed with them before, and every time it had been horrible. Not only had it been a chance for them to bully him, but he always felt like someone’s eyes were on him. It had made his skin crawl and had caused him to always end his bath as soon as possible even if he was not fully clean. 
 
But Delian was…well not a horse, but a horse like creature. No doubt the creature would laugh if he knew what had briefly gone through Kory’s head. With a sigh, Kory pulled his shirt over his head, wincing as the cloth pulled at the scab around the whip mark on his back, and pants before walking into the river. The elf gasped as he stepped into the cold water, but plunged in nonetheless. After a few moments, he grew used to it and resurfaced. For a few minutes, Kory just swam around to get the main layer of dirt off of him before heading toward the area Delian said the soaproot was located. After pulling out the roots and (doing whatever one needs to do with it first, I cant remember ^^), Kory began scrubbing himself very vigorously, making sure he got every single area. It stung badly to clean his wound, but he did it and after a good quarter of a candlemark, Kory finally felt clean again. 
“Um…did Raf ever appear with a towel? I’d hate to soak the clothes Ms. Racia is letting me borrow,” Korendil asked Delian.

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Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:14 pm

But Toboi dropped one off while you tried to scrub half of your hide off. 
 
Kory's cheeks turned a pale shade of pink, but he just shrugged. "I haven’t felt clean for a good ten years,” he pointed out, unable to help the smile that followed. Just getting clean made him feel a thousand times better than before. He felt refreshed both physically and mentally, as though he had managed to rid himself of a bit of his fear along with the dirt he had so thoroughly scrubbed off. His heart seemed to beat easier in his chest and while the cold water did make his sore muscles stiffen a bit, his bath had helped to ease the tension in them that his stress had caused. “Yes I feel much better,” he added quietly as he watched Delian walk off. 
 
For a moment, the elf was a bit worried that he had been left alone, but he then realized that he could still hear the creature and relaxed. With a shy look around to make sure that nobody had unexpectedly popped up, Korendil climbed out of the water and grabbed the towel. After quickly drying himself off as best he could, the elf pulled on the clothes Racia had given him. As he pulled them on, Kory briefly became worried that they might not fit, but they did. Even though they belonged to a female, he was so thin that they were almost too loose on him. He sighed as he felt his ribs through the shirt, then smiled as he fingered the cloth itself. It was clean and so soft compared to his clothes that it almost made him shiver in delight as he rubbed his arms. 
 
The simplest things make me happy now, Kory thought as he pulled his long hair out from under his tunic and began ringing it out, not sure if he should be amused by that thought or disturbed by it. He finished just as Delian returned and shook his hair out as he turned toward the creature. “Thank you for your help. Did Raf get into trouble with…the village leader?” he asked.

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Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:45 pm

I imagine she is at wits end, trying to watch over Raf and the village all at once. 
 
Korendil chuckled. Young boys were quite troublesome no matter what species they were from or their rank; a thief had to be twice as much trouble. But Kory had seen behind the boy’s scared and slightly mischievous front and seen the good kid beneath it, so Lenanu actually was rather lucky. If the child hadn’t been a good person, all hell would break loose whenever he was bored. Kory had personal experience with that back home. His neighbor’s boy had been very…rambunctious and Kory had been one of the elves he liked to play his pranks on. 
 
Kory turned as he heard Raf land and smiled as he saw that the young elf had brought quite a few things with him. He walked over and sat down on one of the two cushions as he reached for the comb, intending to do that first. However, as his gaze landed on the food the thief was spreading out, his stomach very loudly voiced its opinion of what Kory should start with. The elf blushed, but for once threw manners aside and grabbed some of the bread and fruit and began quickly eating it. He knew that he shouldn’t be eating so quickly, that it would probably make him feel very ill later, but he couldn’t help it. When there wasn’t food in front of him, he could ignore the hunger that plagued him; he had been doing so for years. However, whenever there was food around, it became impossible. 
 
After quite a few bites, Kory finally stopped long enough to breathe. He looked over at Raf and Delian gratefully. “Thank you Raf,” he said as he sat back to take a break. Kory had made sure that there was plenty left for Raf to eat, but even with that amount set aside for the boy, there had been more than enough to stuff himself with; his stomach was already starting to protest. I cant even control myself, he thought, slightly ashamed. In hopes that he would stop if he had something else to do, Kory reached for the comb and began attacking the knots in his hair. “I believe I might have made myself sick,” he added with a smile, hoping to get a smile or something in return. “But I haven’t been happier in a very long time.”

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Post by **darkgryphonmage** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:23 pm

Kory looked up in surprise at Raf’s suddenly serious tone, comb midway down the hair he had pulled over his shoulder. Even though the boy did give him a smile, the older elf was confused as to why there seemed to be guilt in the boy’s eyes for him feeling sick. It certainly wasn’t Raf’s fault that Kory had stupidly stuffed himself to the breaking point. The boy had just brought the food; he should have been the adult and been in enough control to stop from gorging himself. What was bad was that he knew better, though his mind had completely forgotten when he saw the food in front of him. Not only had he been taught that that would happen, he knew from experience. There had been a few times during his years of captivity that Kory was able to get his hands on more food than he was used to and once he had made himself quite sick. Whenever he thought about it afterwards, it was easy to think that he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, but unfortunately, his stomach had overruled his brain this time. 
 
“Yes. I should have known better,” he responded. He didn’t want to argue, and make Raf irritated with him, but Kory also didn’t want the boy blaming himself; Kory had needed the food badly after all and while he might feel a bit ill now, later he would feel better. When the boy mentioned that the village had warriors to fight off anyone who came after him, Kory wasn’t sure whether he should feel worried or relieved. While it was nice to know that there were creatures here to help him if he needed it- if he could trust him- Kory did not like the thought of his former masters coming after him. Actually, the thought sent shivers up and down his spine. Even though the leader had been killed, that didn’t mean much. The members of the group were just as ruthless if not more; they only reason they weren’t leaders was because they weren’t smart enough. What if they did come after him? What if they found him…? 
 
No, stop, don’t think about it, Kory thought as he took a deep breath to calm himself and looked above him to concentrate on the tree branches instead of his fears. After a few moments, he looked back down and couldn’t help but stare in curiosity, and a bit of surprise, as Raf took out many different sheaths and began strapping them on. The older elf watched silently, wondering why the child was doing that. He understood that many preferred to have weapons at hand, he probably would too if he knew how to use any, but why was Raf putting them on now? Was something wrong? 
 
“Raf, if you don’t mind me asking, is everything alright?” Korendil asked as he realized that Raf also seemed to be avoiding looking at him, but that might have been his imagination- it had been a while since he had been around someone who did something like that.

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