Her protector... His salvation (Closed)

[Asa]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/NightPoet/SLRP/a23e3c59.jpg​

Julana
Newly crowned Ruler and "witch" of the Femara Tribe.
Dark eyes and long dark hair


Troubles come with every season and the worst had passed for now. Harvest season brought the strange ones and their leader who seemed always angry and raging for combat.

Her father had always tried to keep some kind of peaceful arrangement that normally meant giving them nearly all the harvest. He had died shortly after they left this last cold season.

She now was the leader of her people as she sat there for now watching the children play and the elders talk and dance. Several of her people were down near the river trying to scrounge up whatever fish or water creatures they could to dry or cure to get them through the cold times. What would happen next to her people she wondered. Would there be any protection or way to stop the cruel ones that plagued her people every harvest season.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'ghard

One young man was using a weighed down net to try and catch fish that swims against the stream. There was a sudden drag on the net, much bigger than any amount of fish could be. Cursing the rocks and the occasional waterlogged log that entangled his net, pulling on the net and it came, luckily the net will not break today. It was when the bundle caught up in the net became apparent that he realized what felt so wrong about this catch of his. He dragged the body out of the water and realized that the man was still breathing, shallowly, but there was movement and from the look of him, he had lost a lot of blood and some were still seeping out of the various wounds that he could see. He got up and ran for the village, alerting everybody as he went that he had found a man drifting in the river.

 

[Asa]

She nodded to the boy and sent help with him to bring the wounded stranger back to the village. Sending soldiers with him just in case as well.

She stood in the middle of the village as they brought him to her. He was dressed almost like those that plague them every harvest season. She wondered if it was one of them left for dead or maybe those jackals had turned on each other and destroyed each other. She nodded to the healers to take him to their temple and nodding for a couple of guards to go as well.

Inform me when he is well enough to talk.

With that she turned and went on about her day.

They quickly rushed him to the temple and began treating his wounds.

 

[DeathsKnight]

What felt like a fog filled with voices, strange smells...there was no more water, but the pain...the pain was there...something was in his throat...something that bothered him. He coughed weakly, finding that his eyes could open and that he could see around him. He struggled to roll over onto his side, coughing more, his breathing labored and finally what bothered him seemed to come loose and he weakly spat out blood, before he lapsed back into unconsciousness.

 

[Asa]

The healers continued to work with him bandaging him and cleaning wounds and trying save this stranger as their young queen ordered. Why they did not understand as he looked like the evil ones, but they would do as she asked no matter what.

The two guards laid hands to their swords taken from fallen evil ones till he seemed to pass out again and then they calmed once more.

She sat in her chambers of the ancient stone building awaiting what the healers had to say about their guest. What had happened to him she wondered. Her mind however quickly moved to the harvest time and how she would handle the evil ones that would come.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

He slowly opened his eyes and looked about him, first thing he noticed was the guards, their hands hovering on the hilts of swords. They did not look very soldier like to him, but at that moment he was in no position to comment. He raised a hand and looked at it, swathed in bandages, it did not look like it belonged to him, but he can remember that a crossbow bolt had pierced it, he turned his attention to the priestess close to him,

"Please...water..."

He was not sure if they could understand him, but he had to get a drink.

 

[Asa]

Once he seemed to stay awake the kept bringing food and water to him. The guards seemed to snort disapprovingly but they were quickly silence by the priests.

One of the priests rambled something about telling the queen he was awake and hurried out the door. A few moments later he returned with the animal hides clad queen. The guards and priests bowing as she moved past them.

I am Julana

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

He noticed the respect shown to the newcomer and when she spoke, it was in a captivating voice and also in the language he could understand,

"I am..."

He frowned, trying to recollect his name, but it fled from him like a school of fish from a shark.

"I...I do not know who I am."

He slowly shook his head and leaned back into the furs under him,

"But you and your people saved my life, I owe you my life."

 

[Asa]

You wear the clothing of those that attack us every harvest time... Where are they Harvest has passed!

She was on edge seeing his clothing but remained as calm as possible. The priests showed no fear of him so she would not either.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

"Those who attack you...I...I am sorry, I have no answers for you. I do not even know who I am, I do not know where I am or how I got here. I can remember water and ..."

He held up his hand,

"A crossbow bolt that pierced my hand, that is all I can remember."

 

[Asa]

The priests grumbled to her as she shook her head.

One of our fishermen pulled you from the river. The priests have tended to you. I hope they do not come looking for a fallen friend and find you here they have taken enough from us.


She turned... let me know if he remembers anything.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

He watched her leave and laid back on the furs, was he one of those that took from these people? No...somehow it just seemed wrong, it felt wrong to take from others...he turned his head and stared out of the window to the outside. The trees moved and swayed, he felt that they wanted to tell him something, calling to him, it was with these images that he drifted off to sleep.

 

[Asa]

Her father recently passed leaving her the throne... She distrusts that they will remain gone till the next harvest... forgive her.

The old man spoke as he checked on him before turning in as well to sleep.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

"Use the shadows, blend in with the bush, become one with it, feel the life, feel it breathe...once you are one with nature, only then will you be ready."

The child was young, barely seven years old,

"Ready for what?"

The older man smiled, he was strong, confident in his abilities and person, silent and only spoke in instruction to the youth.

"Ready to wake up young one, in time you will remember."

He woke up, it was night and the guards was still there, but seemed to be sleepy, he listened to the wind, hearing it whisper to him a name...a name that he just couldn't catch, leaves rustled and he could smell the forest, the water, the grass. Wolf...something about a wolf...he lapsed into sleep again and this time the young boy was not a boy, but a wolf cub, one who had to learn and understand things far above his understanding.

 

[Asa]

Her sleep was troubled. Tossing and turning... her dreams always returning to the giant of a man and his soldiers. Laying claim to whatever they wanted every harvest before traveling on.

She awoke with her hands glowing. Her dreams had her so terrified her powers had tried to protect her.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

The next morning found him strong enough to sit up on his bed, of course against the protests of the priest. The guards was tense, one even half drawn his sword, but he just sat there, looking down at himself, the bandages, the sun-kissed skin down to his waist, pulling away the covers he found more bandages and that only a small part of him was not tanned. Was he a fisherman perhaps? Spending his days in the hot sun pulling food from the deep? No the forest was his home, where he belonged. The coughing fits still gripped him, but its hand was not iron anymore and that meant that he was healing...how he knew that he couldn't tell, but knew it to be true. He laid down again, the exertion of sitting up and laying down bathing his forehead in a light sheen of sweat, but he was satisfied, he might live...even though he could not remember.

 

[Asa]

She made daily visits to the priests. A stranger here was not going to change that though her hands still glowed faintly. They tried to hide that from the outsider as they hurried her into another room.

They were always cautious of anyone finding out that the Kings daughter could wield magics. The ones who attacked during harvest time had nearly learned that but their leader was interested in her for reasons other than any magics.

One of the priests returned to check on him and make sure the guards were being polite especially with her here as well.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

He had seen Julana enter and pass, he turned onto his side and looked outside at the trees. He could remember a bow, one carved by hand, but if it was part of a dream or a reality he did not know. Without knowing it he drifted off to sleep again, with sleep came the dreams, dreams that left him with more questions than answers. Dreams of hunting, learning to use swords, daggers, throwing knives, axes, dreams of peaceful times spent in the forest, being one with the animals...a dream so clear that he could swear he was there, a dream where a cloak is fastened to his shoulders and a medallion hung around his neck...

 

[Asa]

Once she was calmed enough to be around the guest without her hands glowing they allowed her to move back to the other room.

She studied him for a long moment before speaking.

Has the mind improved as well as the body has?

 

[DeathsKnight]

The old priest slowly shook his head,

"Sometimes he speak in his sleep, most of them sound like a student under tutelage, he speaks a lot of the forest, our Earthly mother and respect for his fellow man. There is times that he says what sounds like a prayer, it sounds like the prayer our hunters use after slaying an animal. I am starting to think that this stranger is not part of the people that come to take our crops."

Fen'r shifted slowly in his sleep, his bandaged hand twitching,

"...solemnly swear...uphold...protect...nature...destroy...all evil...innocent...animal or human...follow and uphold..."

There was more, but it was spoken so softly that it did not make sense at all. The priest looked at Julana,

"Like that, ever since he woke up, he has been speaking like that."

 

[Asa]

Perhaps you should document what he says then when he wakes perhaps it will help him remember more.

She watched him for a moment longer.

If there are any more changes let me know. And you will continue to take good care of him.

Looking to the guards and then back to the priests...

Send them away whenever you feel them not needed.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

When he woke up again he found that there was just one guard and a priest, bent over a scroll, writing. He saw the wooden cup next to the bed, reached out and picked it up, but he was too weak to hold on to the cup and it clattered on the ground, bringing the guard to his feet, sword drawn and the priest turned around. First he scolded the guard in a language that he felt he should understand, the guard sheepishly sheathed the sword, then the priest picked up a water skin and came over to him,

"You are too weak now stranger, but soon you will get to pick up the cup. Did we not warn you not to exert yourself by sitting up?"

He nodded, not knowing what to say, the priest picked up the cup, filled it and helped him drink. He laid back and looked up at the priest,

"Julana is a ruler?"

The priest nodded,

"That she is, a heavy burden for one so young. Now rest some more stranger, regain your strength."

He wanted to protest, but soon found that he was drowsy and nodded off to sleep, not noticing the priest's touch on his arm.

"You are wasting healing magic on a stranger?"

The priest turned to face the guard,

"Yes, he is not an animal as you think him to be. A hard man, a warrior, but not like the others."

 

[Asa]

Julana was walking back in in time to hear the priests words.

You are certain he is not one of them? Good then by next harvest hopefully he will be well enough to help us fight against them...

She looked to the guard present. Join the others on the training yard... We will fight next harvest... not stand like sheep while they take whatever they want... go and train I will take guard for now.

If he was going to protest her words it was quickly silenced by the look in her eyes. SHe would end this plague to her people or die trying.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Fen'r A'gard

When he awoke again, he felt better, not stronger, but better and so it came that with each passing day the priests wrote down what he said as Julana or a guard was always in the room to watch over him.

One morning he woke and he knew that today was the day he could get out of bed and see if his legs could hold him. It's been long weeks, but he had a sneaky suspicion that it should have taken longer. From the priests he had gathered that he was something called a Ranger, a man that protected the forest. He took their word for it, the dreams still fresh in his memory.

 

[Asa]

She had listened to the priests talking to him and wondered what a Ranger was and why was he dressed like the evil ones. The winter had passed and now all were busy with planting and preparing things for the hot season.