Erendil Felassion - Taur'ohtar
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Character: Erendil Felassion
Account: HeskyThe morning sun had barely risen and its rays seared through the golden coloured autumn leaves onto the frosty forest floor. The shield shaped leaves glistened and shone as the elven figure strode through the glade without making a sound.
Crouching to the ground his fingers gently caressed the loam searching for signs of recent disturbance and his green eyes shone in the sun as they scanned the horizon. As he pulled back his hood he unclasped his cloak placing it on the ground.
Erendil stripped off his shirt and leggings, he stepped into the icy stream and lay flat upon his back, allowing the water to flow over him. The stream was only a few inches deep but it flowed strong and he felt himself slowly slide down the stream-bed. Rolling over he splashed his face and ran his fingers through his long dark hair before clambering from the water, where he sat on the grass to let the early morning breeze dry his skin.
Looking to the sky he smiled as he picked up his clothes and dressed in the sunlight. He looped his shoulder guard into place over his leather jerkin and sat on a nearby moss covered rock. Pulling on his boots, he removed the two spare knives and sharpened them both with a whetstone before placing each of them carefully back into the sheaths stitched inside each one. As he reached for his bow the sound of a broken branch behind him carried in the cold air. His eyes darted towards his sword. How could he have been so foolish… It lay too far for him to reach in time. He rolled forwards and in one swift movement snatched an arrow from the the quiver that lay on the earth and notched it to his bow.
Flicking back his wet hair he brought his aim to bear on the tree line and smiled as a young white tailed deer stepped up to the stream. Smiling he eased the tension on the string and lowered the bow...."Quel amrun nassimaer...." he whispered and stepped backwards with a gesturing bow. The young deer ackknowledged his presence and its bright wide eyes blinked briefly before lowering its head to the cold waters of the stream. Slowly he gathered his things and walked north without a sound.
Soon he would arrive in new lands with new dangers and he promised himself to be more watchful…
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Reviewed - XP Pending.
Good effort, I see you are writing a succession of stories. This thread will be locked for XP award, but I suggest copying your stories to Tales By The Fire forum and continue them there.
Keep up the good work!
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The long summer evening had almost come to an end; the sun had closed behind the mountains to the north, and the clouds had turned from pink to a darkened grey. The flowing river, could be heard to the south just beyond the birch trees that lined its banks. The evening air sang with mosquitos and a light breeze stirred the leaves and caused the blades of grass to quiver and dance in harmony.
_Ary'ende placed his left hand on Erendíl's shoulder and gently pulled him into a crouching position. Studying the ground in front of him he offered a warm smile before he spoke..
"Can you see them?" he asked. Erendíl's eyes narrowed and surveyed the area in front of him…
"I see it father." He caressed the loose soil with his fingertips and outlined the faint impression of a large paw.
"These tracks are the earths reaction to the creatures that pass over it....." The young elf nodded meeting his fathers eyes. Using his fingers he drew two parallel lines through the dirt in a straight line "They fall outside to the rear and the left and right feet are not in line. Can you remember what this tells us Erendíl?"_
_"These were made by a female, its pace was steady and careful and the paw is shaped like that of a cat…"
"Excellent my son.." He smiled and squeezed his shoulder propitiously, "It was likely a mountain lioness returning from the hunt...." he said slowly getting to his feet. "Come now, we should be getting back..."_
A sudden thunderclap interrupted his thoughts and he was once again in the bough of the great tree staring out into the darkness.
Shifting his position slightly he recalled how under his fathers guidance he would sit for hours and observe the forest animals noticing how each type of them had a different stride and pattern of movement. How they would leave different signs and markings as they passed. Was it moving uphill or downhill? Would this shorten its stride? Soft ground would also have an effect on the length of its stride. And debris… how would the animal negotiate it? Would it understep or overstep it in its run? Over time the signs became more and more overt and he was able to ascertain breed, size, speed, direction and even sex from a survey of the ground....."…..tracks are the earths reaction to the creatures that pass over it......"
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Erendíl found sleep elusive… He peered out from the hood of his sodden cloak as the rain fell heavily to the ground below him. He was well hidden by the thick evergreen branches and despite the din of the rain beating on the forest canopy he could still hear the badger, staunchly undeterred by the downpour as it foraged in the thickets below him.
His position in the large tree bough was a vantage over anyone that approached his position. Folding his arms beneath his cloak he closed his eyes and leaned forward slightly into his knees staring out at the mantle of darkness that had settled on the land...
He remembered his mothers words....
Throughout life…. time and memory will always pass. Those that capture our spirits and take their place within our hearts return to us like our dearest friends to embrace us when we are alone.....
