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sue.
Where Are You From?
Juillas the Dryad kicked open the arrow-struck wooden doors with ferocity of battle. Her spear was raised and readied, but she stopped in mid motion as if what fell was a freezer's gate. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Her torso drew back, her silver eyes flicked, and her hooves clattered back and forth on the ground. "You're just a child!"
A girl of about twelve cowered in front of her, trying with all her might to merge with the shelf behind her. She stared wide-eyed and gaped with trembling lips, but couldn't make a sound. At her foot was a tin can of preserved beans. A spear-pierced footman slumped besides the fallen door to that storage. He has been dead since yesterday. Juillas shifted her weight. She lowered her spear, and turned to leave. The stone corridor was stained with deaths. That battle was already over the night before, when they launched a cloaked ambush. She was just there as a scout, or janitor, to 'clean up' the place. Roughly an hour ago she had just heard echoes of metallic encounters, meaning her fellow night elves were doing their jobs. They were there not just to capture hiding enemies, but also to raid the stronghold of what usable supplies it held for the humans. After her sisters and her had made sure the corridors were safe, the sturdy druid of bears would be coming in to empty all the storage rooms, like this one. Therefore it was also her duty to report where storages were.
Why is there a child in a fortress? Juillas wondered. There were no women here, only men. This was not a refugee camp. Should I take her to The Priestess? What will The Priestess do with her? She stopped in mid track along with her chain of thoughts. The night elves never took prisoners. They either killed all their enemies, or they simply struck and ran, leaving their crushed enemies in confusion. She turned back. The girl was no longer in the small storage. She was sure she didn't hear the child running down the stone corridor, but she saw none of her in that eight-by- six windowless cell either. She decided to check behind the barrels that stood on either sides of the center shelf. Nothing here. Her keen elf ear, however, picked up the whisper of fabrics. She jerked her head back up to catch the girl emerging from the other side. As soon as she was seen, the girl broke into a desperate dash for outside. Two quick hops from the dryad brought her to the girl, and one scoop of arm had her caught, wriggling and wailing like a piglet. What a handful!
"Calm down now," Juillas said, "I won't hurt you." Instead, the child bailed louder, making her sensitive elf ear hurt. She carried her out to her camp, and met two archers on the way, apparently lured by the echoing wailings.
"What's this?" both of them smiled when they saw the noise maker, "Are you siding with the humans now?"
Juillas knew them both. It was hard to not know any one of their own when they all stay around forever. Dulinn and Merilin, they were sisters. Merilin spoke first, then Dulinn, as she always did, followed up immediately, "Or maybe you want a bit of what they called 'motherhood'?"
"That," Juillas said, "will be decided by the Priestess." The child had miraculously stopped screaming her lungs out. Perhaps the increase in the number of the enemy of her people had frightened her too much. Merilin had leaned closer to inspect the child, who noticeably shrunk into herself in Juillas' arm. Dulinn whacked her older sister on the head with her bow and ushered her off to work.
Outside the human fortress was a temporary night elf camp looming in the moonlight. What humans did not die in battle had fled and abandoned this establishment with their leading Paladin. Juillas was still perplexed by the fact that these humans were aided by their light-skinned cousins. She didn't hate the humans, but she disliked them alright, for setting foot in her home and causing nothing but destruction. Who did they think they were?! And here she was, holding a human child, who was trying to free herself again.
Several other night elves weaved across Juillas' path, and some closer ones paused to greet her. At the far end of her vision, resting atop the Altar of Elders, was their silver-haired Priestess, Mira Whitemane, with her favored tiger resting besides her. The Priestess looked up when she noticed Juillas approaching her, and sat up completely when she realized what the dryad was carrying in her arm. She waited for Juillas to explain herself.
Juillas bowed (or as much as a half-faun could without tipping over) respectfully, and set the child down, but keeping a hand on her shoulder. "Priestess Whitemane, I discovered her in one of the basement storages. What should be done?" she said. The Priestess looked at the tense but shaking human child for a long time, her hand went absentmindedly to the back of the tiger's ears. At that the child cried out and broke from Juillas' grip. She must had thought the Priestess was about to send the tiger to eat her. Juillas quickly hopped, dropping her spear in the process, and caught the child again in both of her arms. Her Priestess was amused by this. "I apologize, Priestess. I was carele-ow!" she cried when the child grabbed her right ear and yanked it. She set down the child and planted two firm hands on her shoulder.
"Dryad Juillas," the Priestess said, "What would you do with this human?"
"I-I don't know," Juillas lied, "I brought her here for your instructions."
The Priestess was no fool. "You know we don't take prisoners or hostages of any sort. There are no exceptions, and will not have. She has to be released into the forest, or killed..." she paused, examining the changes in Juillas' expression, "Unless you have another proposal."
"Y-yes, Priestess, if I may, "Have I gone insane? Juilllas thought, "I would like to keep...'adopt'...her." It wasn't unusual for a night elf to care for other species in their forests. Priestess Whitemane had already guessed what the dryad wanted to do with the human child. Of course a human was very much different than a furlog, but still. As ferocious as they were in battle, night elves cared a lot for living creatures, especially dryads, and they hate taking unnecessary lives.
Priestess Whitemane smiled. "As in the humans' custom, Dryad Juillas?" she asked. She was interested in how her subordinate had picked up their enemies', "Where have you learned that word?"
"Books, Priestess. Some of the human bases we raided had books. Most of them are on magic, but there are other ones. Weird ones too," Juillas replied hesitantly.
"I see. Very well. You may...'adopt' this child," the Priestess said, "but remember that you will be fully responsible for all of her action from now on. Go report the locations of storages to Keeper Anubris"
Juillas bowed again and thanked her Priestess. She picked up her spear and led the child away, who surprisingly followed her obediently away from the tiger.
Where Are You From?
Juillas the Dryad kicked open the arrow-struck wooden doors with ferocity of battle. Her spear was raised and readied, but she stopped in mid motion as if what fell was a freezer's gate. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Her torso drew back, her silver eyes flicked, and her hooves clattered back and forth on the ground. "You're just a child!"
A girl of about twelve cowered in front of her, trying with all her might to merge with the shelf behind her. She stared wide-eyed and gaped with trembling lips, but couldn't make a sound. At her foot was a tin can of preserved beans. A spear-pierced footman slumped besides the fallen door to that storage. He has been dead since yesterday. Juillas shifted her weight. She lowered her spear, and turned to leave. The stone corridor was stained with deaths. That battle was already over the night before, when they launched a cloaked ambush. She was just there as a scout, or janitor, to 'clean up' the place. Roughly an hour ago she had just heard echoes of metallic encounters, meaning her fellow night elves were doing their jobs. They were there not just to capture hiding enemies, but also to raid the stronghold of what usable supplies it held for the humans. After her sisters and her had made sure the corridors were safe, the sturdy druid of bears would be coming in to empty all the storage rooms, like this one. Therefore it was also her duty to report where storages were.
Why is there a child in a fortress? Juillas wondered. There were no women here, only men. This was not a refugee camp. Should I take her to The Priestess? What will The Priestess do with her? She stopped in mid track along with her chain of thoughts. The night elves never took prisoners. They either killed all their enemies, or they simply struck and ran, leaving their crushed enemies in confusion. She turned back. The girl was no longer in the small storage. She was sure she didn't hear the child running down the stone corridor, but she saw none of her in that eight-by- six windowless cell either. She decided to check behind the barrels that stood on either sides of the center shelf. Nothing here. Her keen elf ear, however, picked up the whisper of fabrics. She jerked her head back up to catch the girl emerging from the other side. As soon as she was seen, the girl broke into a desperate dash for outside. Two quick hops from the dryad brought her to the girl, and one scoop of arm had her caught, wriggling and wailing like a piglet. What a handful!
"Calm down now," Juillas said, "I won't hurt you." Instead, the child bailed louder, making her sensitive elf ear hurt. She carried her out to her camp, and met two archers on the way, apparently lured by the echoing wailings.
"What's this?" both of them smiled when they saw the noise maker, "Are you siding with the humans now?"
Juillas knew them both. It was hard to not know any one of their own when they all stay around forever. Dulinn and Merilin, they were sisters. Merilin spoke first, then Dulinn, as she always did, followed up immediately, "Or maybe you want a bit of what they called 'motherhood'?"
"That," Juillas said, "will be decided by the Priestess." The child had miraculously stopped screaming her lungs out. Perhaps the increase in the number of the enemy of her people had frightened her too much. Merilin had leaned closer to inspect the child, who noticeably shrunk into herself in Juillas' arm. Dulinn whacked her older sister on the head with her bow and ushered her off to work.
Outside the human fortress was a temporary night elf camp looming in the moonlight. What humans did not die in battle had fled and abandoned this establishment with their leading Paladin. Juillas was still perplexed by the fact that these humans were aided by their light-skinned cousins. She didn't hate the humans, but she disliked them alright, for setting foot in her home and causing nothing but destruction. Who did they think they were?! And here she was, holding a human child, who was trying to free herself again.
Several other night elves weaved across Juillas' path, and some closer ones paused to greet her. At the far end of her vision, resting atop the Altar of Elders, was their silver-haired Priestess, Mira Whitemane, with her favored tiger resting besides her. The Priestess looked up when she noticed Juillas approaching her, and sat up completely when she realized what the dryad was carrying in her arm. She waited for Juillas to explain herself.
Juillas bowed (or as much as a half-faun could without tipping over) respectfully, and set the child down, but keeping a hand on her shoulder. "Priestess Whitemane, I discovered her in one of the basement storages. What should be done?" she said. The Priestess looked at the tense but shaking human child for a long time, her hand went absentmindedly to the back of the tiger's ears. At that the child cried out and broke from Juillas' grip. She must had thought the Priestess was about to send the tiger to eat her. Juillas quickly hopped, dropping her spear in the process, and caught the child again in both of her arms. Her Priestess was amused by this. "I apologize, Priestess. I was carele-ow!" she cried when the child grabbed her right ear and yanked it. She set down the child and planted two firm hands on her shoulder.
"Dryad Juillas," the Priestess said, "What would you do with this human?"
"I-I don't know," Juillas lied, "I brought her here for your instructions."
The Priestess was no fool. "You know we don't take prisoners or hostages of any sort. There are no exceptions, and will not have. She has to be released into the forest, or killed..." she paused, examining the changes in Juillas' expression, "Unless you have another proposal."
"Y-yes, Priestess, if I may, "Have I gone insane? Juilllas thought, "I would like to keep...'adopt'...her." It wasn't unusual for a night elf to care for other species in their forests. Priestess Whitemane had already guessed what the dryad wanted to do with the human child. Of course a human was very much different than a furlog, but still. As ferocious as they were in battle, night elves cared a lot for living creatures, especially dryads, and they hate taking unnecessary lives.
Priestess Whitemane smiled. "As in the humans' custom, Dryad Juillas?" she asked. She was interested in how her subordinate had picked up their enemies', "Where have you learned that word?"
"Books, Priestess. Some of the human bases we raided had books. Most of them are on magic, but there are other ones. Weird ones too," Juillas replied hesitantly.
"I see. Very well. You may...'adopt' this child," the Priestess said, "but remember that you will be fully responsible for all of her action from now on. Go report the locations of storages to Keeper Anubris"
Juillas bowed again and thanked her Priestess. She picked up her spear and led the child away, who surprisingly followed her obediently away from the tiger.