3. Harm (Morwen's tale)

Harm (Morwen's tale)


  • It began with a crash, and ended with a whimper.

    Morwen was the youngest of her fathers four children and the only daughter he would ever have. Her mother had died before they could sing with their voices together, the only exchange had been before birth when she had told her mother her name. Three days after Harmony (What her name meant) entered the world her mother departed. Harmony's father had a farm and sadly it was far from anyone who could have helped her mother; Harmony would never know her mother's touch nor the caress of her kiss on her brow.

    As a child she was loved. Her brothers always kept a close watch on their "Harm" and never did her father let her doubt his love. In this she was secure, all seemed like paradise to the young elven girl.

    Interaction with the other elven of the forest was limited but not unheard of. Harm often tried unsuccessfully to flirt with the few young elven males she met, but growing up with four men did not prepare her for the social graces of elven society.

    Harm instead learned to use the bow, first from the youngest of her brothers and upward in succession until at last her father took to training her as she had surpassed her eldest brother's skill with the re-curve.

    Her brother's had not wandered as many elven do as they approach adulthood and so when the orc's came they all perished. Her father fell last as she watched in terror from the safety of a great pines bough. She saw them all die one by one, weaponless she climbed down after the attack and buried them.

    There was nothing left for her, she knew no other elven really; and the forest held only heartbreak for her now so she left. She joined a caravan traveling north to trade with the barbarians that populated the lands just south of the tundra. She went north to the lands of Narfell.


  • In the south beyond Norwick (after a long dull boat ride with more reclusive sailors), she met a new woman. Eilo was elven, like herself, and different then most people she met. She did not seem to put herself first and placed great importance on an organized adventure. Most importantly she spoke elven! and when Andrew showed up (he was a friend of her's it seemed) harm thought it was a chance to clear up the situation between them.

    Eilo translated, but true to form Harmony's words missed far of mark (or at least she thought, Eilo spoke such fast common Harm couldn't be sure of everything she told him). Andrew looked more uncomfortable around her then ever. Harm was besides herself but let it go for the moment out of fear of only making it worse.

    Into the crypts they went. Eilo apparently had lived there or rather near them in the old town. The whole thing was very upsetting to Harmony, dead things all over the place!, and her bow was useless most of the time (She quietly swore to find a solution to that, she was an archer and wasn't going to be useless if she had any say in it; she wasn't sure though if she did have any say in it yet); and, also, two of the other party members were of a shady disposition. While Eilo, Andrew, and Harm discussed it those two disappeared ending any speculation on the subject.

    South past the ruins (which obviously upset Eilo) and to the lake they went. Eilo wanted to take a look at the tower there and they were all surprised to find the door open. Apparently the tower belonged to a mage, by the name of Maria, and so Eilo wanted to make sure everything was okay inside (seeing as it would be odd to build a huge stone tower and then just leave the door wide open, though Harm couldn't help but think what a great way that would be to lure adventurer's in to their doom!).

    They didn't find anything inside, but they were found by Corwin (Harmony was torn, she was hunting with her friends, but she did desperately want to tell him the truth about everything; at least the truth as she was seeing it that is). Maria, apparently, was gone somewhere (where ever or when ever to Harm took it) for an unknown amount of time. In the mean time Corwin watched the tower and tutored students from the mage club (or league, or group or whatever they called themselves); so he showed them out, since they weren't mages after all.

    Harm made sure to let him know they needed to talk later and after some more hunting, and some yelling (at Nalio, one of the companions that disappeared during the crypt excursion), she did get to speak with him. He took it well she thought, and she hoped he really was still her friend; but she had decided after talking to Zahra that her reasoning was all wrong (turns out pity was not as good a reason to have sex with a man as she thought;It was confusing as she honestly didn't know what quite was?, luckily it hadn't gotten to that).

    She left him With Zahra and turned her mind to what she would do now…


  • Straight away she went to the commons (of course, that empty hole was not yet filled), where she ran, once more, into Zahra.

    They had a lot to talk about it seemed; which proved to be of benefit to Harmony. Zahra wanted to learn elven (which of course Harm new), and in exchange she'd help her with her common (which harm regularly butchered).

    Sitting in the commons the conversation moved to Corwin (apparently Zahra was one of the other women that had broken him; or was she, Harm wasn't so sure but she did seem like she could break a lot of hearts without really even trying). She'd kissed him, she had done a a lot more with him and saw things in him Harm had no ideal about (her divine powers apparently manifested in strange ways). This made Harm think more then twice about how things sat with her and Corwin, some sort of resolution was needed she thought.

    Zahra was interesting to Harmony. She was many things harm was not and this appealed to Harmony. Sitting on the rails in the commons they talked for hours commiserating (Harm was again astonished as Zahra hung from the rail upside down, her red hair spaying below her in the grass as they spoke; honestly Harm thought the weight the other woman carried in her chest would have made it nearly impossible to talk but it did not seem to impede Zahra in the least, impressive!). Minute by minute, upon hour after hour, their friendship was formed; and Harm found herself hoping it would last a very long time.

    Jason and Andrew entered and apparently, Andrew, had lost a friend and was very sad. It bothered Harmony, she did like this man and he was a good person, which made her wish she could do something to ease his pain. She tried, and thanks to her dirt poor common, it came across as a pathetic and awkward attempt to seduce him (as if she'd do something like that right in the commons with so many people watching, besides she had already decided he was like a brother to her); she looked the fool and excused herself with a poor excuse before heading her self southward.

    Southward. . .


  • It was a whirlwind to say the very least.

    First Jason, seeing Harmony's current distress, Gently touched her forehead and muttered some word (Celestial she later came to suspect) and everything was gone. The hallucinations, the coughing, the strange sounds, and the bad feeling she got after the flying rat bit her. He rescued her just like that, no questions asked and took her for tea at the inn as well!

    Harmony thought it was only polite to ask who the man worshiped, after all he had asked her for nothing and gave her a chicken dinner to boot! (happiness through her stomach a sure fire way for the wayward girl). So they talked, he was a priest of Ilmater, (sure she'd heard the name before but how many elven follow the sad god in Cormanthyr) and apparently a very perceptive one to boot.

    Jason saw her sadness, and strangest of all wanted to help her. She hadn't really been convinced to this point that anyone wanted to help anyone so she was of course naturally suspicious. It got worse before it got better.

    First the horses, Harm had been afraid of them since she'd come to Narfell. After all these were creatures many time larger then her and so far she had not been able to bring herself to be near them. But Jason was patient (she wasn't used to that), and the horse was a good one (Harm named her Rose), and soon they were traveling.

    She wasn't really sure how she got there, but he took her to a hidden grove (not the druids grove he informed her but a hidden one!). They talked for many hours, he brought her to tears more then twice (or she brought herself, he just catalyzed it). Pain brought to the front and then confronted; guilt and innocence challenged at once, then accepted for what it was. She wasn't healed, he hadn't used some astounding magic on her but she was "facing" it finally; she could let herself grief at last.

    Leaving they galloped their horses north to the walled city (Peltarch, she get that soon enough she hoped), and there met Andrew. She wasn't sure what Andrew was, but he was faithful of Landrew (another human god, very brightly portrayed yet no less confusing to her), and dreadfully afraid of her (later she'd discover it wasn't just her but all women!, which made her feel a little better to actually be considered a woman; after all the abundance of buxom had made her question it, if not just slightly). He was bold in battle but soft spoken, not proud like so many of the other men she had met since coming here; she liked that, it reminded her of her oldest brother (which made her sad inside a bit, but she resolved to not let it spoil the moment).

    Jason and Andrew had apparently something important to discuss so Harm excused herself and went into the city after checking Rose into the local stable (the cost of which did not escape her mind!).

    There she ran into Zahra again… .


  • Harm was in the commons for hours, of course no one came; or at least no one stop. First she hunted, then she sold, then she waited longer and longer. Finally she settled on a boat trip south; even the crew didn't talk to her on the way.

    Norwick (she was fairly sure now that was the actual name) had people; weird people but that was okay with her. She met Zohra first and then Chiba (gorgeous woman both if you liked all that strange large busted-ness that humans seemed cursed with; Harm found it even stranger that the more humans seemed to fight and adventure the likelier it was that they were busty, which really shouldn't be an advantage in combat. There was a lot Harm didn't get about humans), both sorceresses or something like that.

    Chiba kind of rambled a bit, Harm just assumed she had been drinking but she was still a very sweet woman; at least when Harm could understand her. Zohra said her name funny, lots of zzzzzz's and apparently could see the future but not really (Harm smiled and nodded pretending to understand, she really didn't want to offent Z since she made her laugh). Harm thought Zohra must know a lot about men, she seemed quite worldly to Harm and had quip-y responses to everything and apparently she was one of the women that Corwin had talked about!

    That's when it got weird, Zohra took out a funny ciggerette looking thing and after a strange exchange with Chiba it was lit. The smoke smelt good but funny and it all seemed to hang around Harmony on the windless night. Finally she wandered closer and sniffed good at it until she coughed (Harm hat been hit ealier by one of the flying rats near the walled city; it had made her feel drained and odd, which made her laugh, then made her cough, which made her feel worse), and presently flopped down on the ground again.

    Every thing started moving funny then, the fire was in three places and they seemed to juxtapose themselves every few seconds. Chiba and Zohra's voices echoed and when they laughed it seemed to drown out all the other sounds in the world. It only seemed natural for Harm to take the cigarette from Zohra's hand when she passed it again, so the coughing got worse, the laughing grew louder, and the three fire's merged into one strangely dancing one occupying almost all of her vision.

    That's when it got weird, that's when Jason walked out of the darkness.


  • Harm sat again passing her day in the commons; this time though there were a number of people there. Almost none she knew. Also that was to be the first time she ever saw the strange hin mage Ca-lix-something; it was much to silly and convoluted for her to follow much less remember.

    Apparently he wanted a group of people to chase down something he had hid, such a strange land! and then he wanted her to back up some nonsense about glass and armor; she never heard of such a thing but went along anyway. Besides maybe it was true all the rapid human words were hurting her head and confusing her as it was.

    Then they were off, a very unsavory group to say the least! Pirates she thought; she'd heard of them on the sea of star's, tale's only of course and these made no sense. An old man, a lecherous woman, a pretty half-elven boy (he looked like a boy, and smiled charmingly enough but it was so hard to tell; nothing was like back home here), a bard (possibly not a pirate but comfortable with them), and herself.

    Two of them spoke elven, the pretty boy and the decrepit old man (though he was wont only to bark orders at her!), and basically they just ran around from spot to spot (under the lands no less!) with no clue as to what was going on or where; of course Harm was no better she hardly knew what the others were saying most of the time even.

    The Hin came back and mocked them, then left. Then they left, up through some dwarfen town and into the southern town again. Corwin showed up and they argued, they made up, and then they snuggled. They agreed to be friends at least (Harm was really unsure but thought it best; it was better then explaining to him she had only wanted to have sex with him to start with out of pity), kissed again, and parted.

    Harm was alone again; she once more trudged the long road back north to the walled city to wait for company again in the commons.


  • As she was wont to do Harm went to the commons early in the morning. There she found the elder Raryldor (she wasn't really sure if he was all that elder or not but it amused her so to call him that), a priest of the Crescent Moon. He also led the Shasae or something, which apparently was a council locally of different elven. That made her curious. So when she saw him there she made sure to engage him in talk.

    Harm tried to listen carefully to what he was saying but he started in about human politics! She was aghast and tried to politely tell him so, why would an elder (even one who wasn't elder) want to involve himself in human politics. She couldn't make any sense of it, and just found it frustrating to think about it; she "diplomatically" told him so and to her astonishment he agreed and changed the subject himself.

    She felt a little sorry for him, it obviously took quite a bit out of him (and his purse to hear him tell!) so she suggested a hunting trip to lighten the mood. Raryldor enchanted her. She had no ideal! what power this man held in his hands, if only she could make him see what he could do for his people and forget the human pursuit of power. But she knew he'd figure it for himself or not, besides she didn't want to upset the elder so instead they killed Kolbolds.

    A slaughter, well he did most of it (mostly so), and she learned how far protections (even the best) could go. Thank the Seldraine a servant of Corellean was with her or she'd have died; many times over. She marked carefully in her mind the traps the little stinky lizards set and swore one day she'd pay them in kind, then it was over.

    Back in the commons of the walled city (she really wished it smelled better), she tried to make herself tell the elder what had happened with Corwin but Raryldor was almost immediately in meditation. In the end she thought maybe it was better, she didn't want to sound like some foolish child who had to run to the priest with every little problem she had.

    Instead she waited, and struggled with the voices of her past; and waited some more for someone to come.


  • Harm had arrived and met several people. She had come to the decision that almost everyone in the great walled city must be mage's but then she met Raryldor and the half-man; which was some relief to her as she did not want to learn magic.

    Elessender took her hunting and was protective of her; he was elven and in fact looked a little like her brothers (whom she looked nothing like). He gave her a bow he had made (or rather another archer gave her his bow and then later he agreed to it; much as her brothers would have had they not been dead).

    She continued to go to the commons in the city in hopes of meeting new people and maybe finding a path for herself; and then one day she did.

    Corwin was a mage, of course, of some place call smellbeaver or some sort of nonsense. In fact he was a professor there or not there since they all said it was missing, at which point she kind of stopped listening and just started nodding and smiling; "Mages do tend to run on she thought." Not that she really minded, anything was better then being alone with her memories.

    Corwin was different; quieter then the others when amongst them, not as much when apart from them. He magic-ed her. That is he enchanted her with protections and enhancements so that the Kolbolds were over-matched by her. It intrigued her. So much so when he went south "for a drink", she went with him.

    Norwich or Norvich or some other human word; they all seemed so thick on her tounge and few of the locals spoke elven. But Corwin was there, and she wanted to make him talk to her; and she did surprisingly. He was quite willing to talk with her and he made her feel calm for the first time in longer then she could remember; safe even for the moment.

    Harm listened carefully to what he said, and tried to ask pertinent questions but sometimes the "human" meaning of things was hard for her to grasp. He was alone, lonely, but waiting; two had hurt him, taken pieces of him yet left him with something else. It truly didn't make sense to Harm but she didn't like this man hurting.

    So when he finally got up to leave after hours of talking she offered to go with him and make him feel better; it was a simple offer not unheard of amongst elven (or so she had been told), but he was very embarrassed by it and seemed to think she meant something else.

    Corwin thought she meant to mate with him and have children (she didn't think she could ever do that; not to just have the world make them suffer). Harm was very amused, he was handsome but he had misunderstood her intentions; still she did not correct him , just laughed softly and smiled up into the deep blue of his eyes.

    He countered with a kiss, a start he said, and leaned gently down to press his lips against her own. She could have devoured him there with his coyness, but instead wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body close to hers as she submerged herself into him.. forgetting herself for the moment. He didn't really resist, not really, and then he pushed back against her for several long moments until they pulled slowly apart; he departed.

    Harm was left with her thoughts, she didn't like her thoughts very much when she was alone; but he did make it hard for her to be miserable. Still she was a master of internal torment and finally tore herself away from Norville and headed north again to the walled city in search of company.