As they move through the house, Nill keeps her expression perfectly neutral, even when Valerian suddenly grabs her hand. Her eyes flick to the elves around her with quiet curiosity, but she follows Storm without hesitation.

Once inside the room, she examines the scattered rocks, gems, and furs with attention. Her gaze drifts to the bed, but she simply tilts her head.
“Storm, I am thinking you have the confusion. This room is not having the place for the sleeping.” She shakes her head slightly. “But that is being fine. I can do the climbing on the roof.”

Without waiting for a response, she turns around and begins walking back out into the house.  

Read More...

Storm chuckles. "Screeching is kind of part of our life here. It's just the rest of the family being... Themselves. But don't worry. I'll ask them to quiet down while you rest. That should work. Maybe."

Ruvean mimics Nill's gestures and throws in a few of his own before taking her hand and shaking it. "Apologies for all the noise. I will ask them to quiet down for you while you're here but... I can't guarantee it will stay that way for very long. Especially with the twins around."

Storm snorts a chuckle and then turns to Nill. "Let's get you inside and settled. I'll introduce you to whoever screeched and then show you where you'll be staying."

She smiles at Nill and then heads for the door. 

When they step into the house, there is a big mess in the middle of the living area. In the floor are various pieces of wood, clearly prepared for the house building project, as well as some not so prepared sticks and dried leaves as well as dirt. Kneeling on the floor is a young Elven male who is scrubbing viciously at the dirt on the floor. Standing around the pile are two red haired female elves. One is crying and the other is giggling. And on top of the pile in the middle of the room is another young elven male.

The man atop the pile spots Storm and Nill walk in and his eyes widen. He quickly scrambles down off the pile, making a bigger mess as he goes. The young man scrubbing the floor throws his hands in the air and screeches.

"MY FLOOOOOOOR!!!!!"

But the one scrambling down the pile ignores him and walks right up to Nill. He reaches down to take her hand and kisses her knuckles then wiggles his eyebrows at her. "Well hello. Do you-?"

Storm reaches out and throws her hand over his mouth. "No. Hands off Valerian."

Valerian drops Nill's hand and steps back but winks at Nill. Storm sighs heavily.

She looks around the room. One by one, she points them out. "Okay. So you know Valerian now. The one crying is Lavender. The one giggling is Clove. The one screeching and cleaning is Fennel."

She looks around and then a sung melody drifts through the house and she nods. "The one singing is Rosemary. Must be in one of the rooms." She looks out at the Elves in the room. "This is my friend, Nill. She needs a place to stay so I'm letting her stay here. She's had a really hard journey and needs some rest. Can we try to keep the noise to a minimum so she can sleep?"

The other Elves nod in agreement. Storm looks over at Nill and jerks her chin towards the hall. 

"With me."

She leads Nill down the hall and to a bedroom. Inside the room is a single bed, a small makeshift dresser, and a glaive leaning against the wall. There are tons of rocks everywhere, some plain stone while others Nill would recognize as precious gems. There are animal hides and parts on the walls and around the small space. 

"This may end up being a terrible idea but..." Storm sighs and gestures to the bed. "There aren't enough beds for everyone since the house is so small. This is my bed. Well. Mine and Saige's. You can sleep here. I'll be around. I won't go far. So if you need me, just... Whistle. I'll come running. Okay?"

Storm smiles at Nill. 

Read More...

At the sound of the screeching, Nill startles, springing into a defensive stance, wings twitching slightly as if ready to bolt. Seeing no alarm from Storm or Ruvean, she hesitantly relaxes back into a normal posture. When Ruvean greets her, she performs her series of odd hand movements, then holds her fingers out expectantly. “It is nice to have the meeting of you.” She tilts her head slightly. “Please be excusing me, but may I be asking of why there is the screeching? Is there not being the danger? I have the confusion."

Read More...

"Undead are doing the construction instead of living people because they don't need to rest or eat or anything. They can just keep going all day and all night." Storm replies. "That's the way it should be honestly. Let the undead do the hard labor while the living folks focus on... Living."

She sucks in a deep breath as they approach the house and the Elf turns to look at them at the same time. He smiles and waves. 

"Sup, Ruvean." Storm says in greeting and then gestures to Nill. "This is my friend, Nill. She's new in town and has nowhere to stay so I'm going to give her a bed for a while."

The Elf looks down at Nill and gives her an easy smile. "Well, hello there. My name is Ruvean. Nice to meet you."

Storm reaches in her pocket and pulls out the rock Nill gave her. She holds it up, twisting it around in her fingers to show Ruvean. "She gave me a rock so we're friends now."

Ruvean laughs. "Well look at that. My daughter is going to love meeting you."

There is a screech from inside the house. Both Ruvean and Storm jerk their attention to the door. 

Storm shakes her head. "So, it begins."

Ruvean chuckles and then his face turns deadly serious. "Storm." She looks at him. "Is... Is this safe? I mean... She's... And last time we helped-"

Storm holds up her hand. "It's fine. I'm here. And I'll be here whenever she is. You guys aren't alone this time if something happens. There's a whole village willing to help."

Ruvean nods hesitantly and then smiles again. "Then. Be welcome, Nill."

Read More...

“I have the understanding. I will do the whistling if I am having the need.”  Nill slips off her hood, carefully threading her horns back through the worn holes before giving a small shake of her head to settle her dark hair. With the fabric gone, her pointed ears are fully visible, each adorned with nearly a dozen piercings. She tilts her chin upwards, studying the structure before them. “Why are undead doing the building of the structure?” She asks, head cocked in quiet curiosity. “I have not had the seeing of one before.”

Read More...

Storm and Nill walk through the orc village. Some orcs look their way while others just continue about their business. The Draconian soldiers look at them both, their noses twitching, but they either greet them before returning to what they were doing or they simply look away. Orc children run through the streets playing some sort of game with pinecones. The general energy of the village is very upbeat and it seems as though everyone they see is just going about their daily tasks.

Storm leads her to the outer edge of the village where there is a small house and beyond it, the frame of a large building is being pieced together. There are undead putting together some sort of building, though it is clearly in the very early stages of development as the frame is not complete. At the small home, the door stands wide open and there are voices drifting outside. There is a man with short, brown hair and pointed ears poking out standing near the edge of the house, looking over at the work being done with a scrunched up face, clearly disapproving of something. 

Storm leans over to Nill as they approach. The Elf hasn't noticed them yet.

"So, I want to prepare you. My partner is kinda... Strange. And her family lives here too. They are all pretty weird and take some getting used to but they are good people who truly mean no harm." Storm says and then points to the frame of the building. "And that. That is going to be our new home when it's finished. Don't mind the undead. They are just workers and won't pay any attention to us."

She winces. "If they get to be too much, just whistle really loudly. It'll confuse them and let me know you've had enough. But I'll try to keep introductions short so you can get some rest."

Read More...

Storm gives her a nod. "Kog'Thrak it is then."

She exits the tavern and makes for the road to Kog'Thrak. As they walk towards the road, she talks.

"So, my plan for the collar is to have someone look at it first. Make sure it's not cursed or something before we remove it. I'd rather not have you die." Storm chuckles awkwardly. "But let's get you to a bed first. We can deal with that later. Not like the mage's are going to go anywhere."

[OOP: Thread continues in Kog'Thrak forum]

Read More...

Nill doesn’t return the smile, but she quickly scampers after Storm. “You did the saying that I will die if I am removing of the collar…” She tugs at her scarves, fingers lingering around the fabric. “I have the wanting to remove it, but not if it is causing me to die…”
She nods decisively.

“We can be going to the place of Kog’Thrak. Not having the tired will be nice. I would be liking that greatly.”

Read More...

Storm chuckles. "Yeah. It's a safe bet that all those stories about the Material that you grew up on? Probably not too much truth to them. Pfft. Even our- Draconian I mean- stories about the Sidhe are probably way off the mark."

She turns and stands up from the stool and smiles at Nill. "You remind me of my partner. Plus you gave me a rock. That means we're friends and friends don't hurt each other."

Storm begins walking towards the door. "I'll have a place for you to sleep. I imagine you probably are tired after your trip here. Do you want to rest and then deal with the collar? Or want to try and get that off before we make the trek to the orc village? It's called Kog'Thrak, by the way. The place I'm taking you. And it's a bit of a walk so we won't come back tonight after we go back to Kog'Thrak. So, what do you say? Collar or sleep?"

Read More...

“Orcs are being friends? I am starting of the thinking that stories of Orcs and Draconians by the faeries are not of the truth.” She taps her chin with her finger. “Will the place be having a nice corner of alley for me to do the sleeping?”

Nill hops off the stool with a small flutter of her wings, her head barely reaching the height of the counter. She tilts her chin upwards to look at Storm and nods.

“I will do the coming with you. You have been doing the explaining to me, so I am not thinking you are of the tricking me.”

Read More...

Storm listens to her story, sipping her whiskey. When she finishes her tale, Storm tilts her head in the opposite direction.

"So... You've had a rough go of it too. I'm glad you made it safely at least." Storm quirks an eyebrow. "So you escaped. Is anyone chasing you?" She shakes her head. "Nah. You're far too calm for someone being chased. So okay. You're here. Alone. New. Still enslaved."

Storm sips her whiskey again. "That means... You need..." She pauses and looks up, thinking. 

She thinks for several moments in silence and then finishes off her whiskey before looking at Nill once more. "I've got somewhere you can stay, if you don't mind orcs that is. They are friendly. But first... Let's see about that collar."

Storm jerks her head towards the door. "I know we just met but I think I can get you some help. Want to come with me?"

Read More...

Nill stares intently at the counter as Storm explains the pixies dying after having their collars removed, her fingers twitching slightly at the fabric before covering her metal band again.

“Hmm? Oh, yes.” She lifts her gaze, expressionless, and begins to tell her story with slow, deliberate hand movements, each motion tracing the events in the air.

“I was doing the escaping… running in the forest, but then I had the falling, and did the standing in a forest of new. Trees were being everywhere, but not that I had been seeing before.” Her fingers rise and fall with each phrase. “Then, I was being struck by a carriage, but the clothes of my wearing were caught, and I was having the dragging along a path for… time.” She pauses for a moment, recalling the details before continuing.

“Then the carriage did the hitting of rocks, and it was letting go of myself. I did the falling into a ravine of deep, then did the climbing out. I was having the thinking that a place to go would not be found by myself, but then I had the seeing of the city of here, and did the walking over. Fortunate.” She tilts her head slightly, then nods once, signaling the story is finished.

Read More...

Storm looks down at the rock on the counter. Her gaze locks onto it and an immediate sadness washes over her. Then she smirks and chuckles. Storm reaches out to touch the rock, giving it a light pet, then slides it off the counter and slips it into her pocket. She picks up her glass and takes a big sip then sets it back down. 

"Me? No. But I might know someone." She winces as she looks at the collar. "Doing that to your own people... You gotta be a special kinda fucked up for that one. Fucking f-"

She stops herself, presses her lips together, and then takes a breath. "Anyways. I might know some people who can help but the problem is... Last time I saw them remove collars from pixies... The pixies fell over dead. So... They may be cursed or something? We should figure that out first."

She looks behind them at the doors to the tavern and then back at Nill. "So, Nill, did you just arrive? Like just now?"
 

Read More...

Nill studies the glass for a moment, tilting her head as if weighing her options. She reaches for a pouch at her belt, only to realize there isn’t one there. Her fingers pat over her clothes, and they finally settle on her pants pockets. From one of them, she pulls out a small, rough rock and slides it across to Storm.

Her attention returns to the glass. She nudges it closer, then dips the tip of her tongue in the liquid in a catlike motion. When Storm mentions the collar, her eyes widen for a heartbeat, but she immediately resets her face to its usual neutral setting, as though the reaction had never occurred. She turns her gaze back to Storm.

“You are knowing of the collars?” She pulls the fabric aside to reveal a metal band resting there. The skin around the collar is red and irritated, almost as if it is burning into her flesh. Her voice takes on the faintest edge of urgency, quiet but sharp. “Do you have the knowing to take it off?”

Read More...

The barkeep comes over and fills her glass then looks at Nill. "Ya gonna order sum'n or just take up space?"

Storm looks at him and sets a coin on the counter. "My friend would like some Fae wine. If you have it."

"Aye." The barkeep slides the coin off the counter in his hand. Then he turns away and grabs a glass and bottle off the shelf. He pours a glass of wine and sets it in front of Nill with a grunt. Then he moves on down the bar to the next customer.

"You don't need to drink it. Just ordered it so he'd leave us alone for a bit." 

Storm sighs. "Pixies aren't being treated like that here so don't worry about that." Her eyes widen for a brief second and then she looks at the cloth around Nill's neck. "You keep fiddling with your scarf. And you say you escaped. You still got one of those metal collars on? Is that why you smell... Funny?"

Read More...

“I am not knowing.” She shrugs lightly. “I did the escaping of imprisonment, but I am ending here, not Gèmtìs-Et.”
Nill tugs at the fabric around her neck again, and her voice drops slightly.

“Perhaps here is the better… Are pixies being of the enslaved?”

Read More...

"Yeah. Fae don't tend to come around Volaire because of all the Draconian's." She lifts her glass and finishes off her drink. "Not that I think you're in danger really. The Draconian's around here are pretty well behaved."

Storm waves down the barkeep and orders another drink. "So, Nill, you're obviously in unfamiliar territory. What brings you to Volaire?"

Read More...

“Please be forgiving me, but I am not having anything of trade for the drink. I will be passing.” Nill tilts her head once more, her expression unchanged. “Why are my wings being of issue? Because there are not of other fae?” She pauses, considering. “I have not had the noticing of any besides you, and you are not being the fae exactly.”

Read More...

Storm takes Nill's hand and gives it a slow shake. "Yeah. Uh. I'm calling myself Storm."

She lifts her glass and swishes it. "Want a drink? You seem like you might need a friend. And... Wandering around Volaire with those wings is... A questionable decision honestly."

Read More...

“I am not knowing how I got to this Volaire.” Her eyes dart around, observing the other tavern patrons. “You are being of the Draconian… but you are offering the helping? Not the attacking?”
She turns back to Storm and performs a brief, peculiar series of hand movements, then holds her fingers out, watching the Draconian expectantly.
=12.0pt“I am calling myself Nill.”

Read More...