Sweey: Don't you hate it when you have something ALL typed out on Document Manager then you push the backspace button and EVERYTHING disappears after it takes you to the previous page you were on? Man, just happened to me... lol well, anyways! AGAIN I'll by writing in Allison's point of view! This gorgeous character belongs to Crispy Pink while the sexy Stranger is one of my own. While I was writing and what not I was listening to this AWESOME music. If you'd like to join me click on the link below. I usually put it on shuffle.
http_:_/www. /playlist/22o92561675/standalone
(take out the two _ marks. You know how FF.N is about sharing links!)
Anyways, I've got some polls up on my profile for the first time ever, so yeah, do whatever you're supposed to do on them! :D Anyways, here comes this next, entirely improvised chapter! :3
...
Chapter 3: Birds and Boots
I woke up early that morning and the sun's beams of light sliced through the night sky, scaring off the remaining stars and sending the moon into hiding.
I surveyed the woods around me slowly recalling all that had occurred the night before. Stranger's effects were still beside the fire, which it appeared he had started, though he was no where to be found.
Feeling guilty still, I decided I should make it up to him by making him breakfast. So, I set off to scavenger for food.
As I walked, my gaze was turned downward, watching the brief glimpses of plants and creatures that happened to be in my path. It just so happened that I saw three blue stones in the grass beneath a tree. When I approached them to study them, I discovered they were eggs.
A squawk resounded and I looked up into the tree, discovering two blue jays occupying the nest. In confusion, I wondered why the birds did not come to protect their eggs.
"Blue jays tend to bully the other birds, pushing out the eggs of a nest that another couple, usually robins, and then they take the nest for themselves," a familiar voice said from behind me.
I turned and frowned, "That doesn't seem very fair to the robins. They lost everything to the blue jays."
Stranger nodded, "But how would the blue jays survive?"
"They could make their own nest," I replied huffily.
A slight chuckle passed his lips, "I suppose that would be the likely answer. Perhaps it is all in a days work for the blue jays, to depend on other birds to provide for their needs."
I blushed, understanding what he was getting at. "I'm sorry for last night."
He achieved a minor lift of his shoulders. "Perhaps it is time for you to stray from dependence and grow to become independent. I can help you with that. I imagine that Sir Meta Knight had yet to even mention me, correct?"
"Yeah," I replied, "It would've been nice if he had though."
"If he had, you would have been less frightened," Stranger added.
My cheeks flushed and I nodded in frustration, "I don't understand it at all! I could have died! Who knows what would have happened! For crying out loud I cut you with a knife!"
"Truly we must confront him about this," Stranger suggested softly.
"He can be such a fool sometimes," I muttered, "If I had known you were here, I would have felt safer."
"That is not the point."
His sudden change of heart had come so abruptly I was caught off guard, staring at him and gawking.
"Had you been aware of my presence
here, would you have prepared your abode? No, I think not. You would have searched for me until you found me, not vise versa." He paused to make sure I was getting the picture, "So, is he really a fool, or is it you that is in the wrong?"
My frown deepened, "I suppose…. I am."
He nodded, "But, all that can change. My friend Sir Meta Knight has ordered me to perform some training with you in the ways of a Wanderer."
"W-Wanderer, what is that?" I interrupted him.
An exasperated sigh passed his lips, "Take a wild guess."
"Are you a Wanderer?" I asked.
"No," he replied flatly, "Now, come with me."
I cocked my head in confusion as I followed him, "You're not a Wanderer? Then what are you? And how are you going to teach me the ways of a Wanderer if you're not one!"
He grunted, making no effort to reply.
"You were being sarcastic weren't you?" I assumed of him.
Again, a grunt followed in answer.
I gave up on pushing him to give me a straight answer focusing only on the figure before me.
He was tall, broad in shoulder, and light footed. He moved like he had memorized every tree root, rock, and fissure in this forest. It was uncanny, he moved soundlessly, appearing almost like he was floating over the ground as he led me through the forest. I attempted to walk like he did, only to fail drastically. I managed to slip off a rotten log that appeared dry but was slimy with fungi. Suddenly, I found myself wrapped in Stranger's arms and I looked up to find him staring down at me with an unreadable expression.
"Do not bother trying to move like me, I will teach you in time." Stranger muttered. Then, he released me stiffly and walked away like a deer, graceful and peaceful. Quickly, I blundered on after him.
We came to an area thick with trees and several times, Stranger ducked under branches and other obstacles that came our way. Once he ducked and I couldn't see why he had. Then I found out.
A monstrous spider web had been weaved between two huge trees and I managed to walk right into it, finding myself looking into the eight eyes of a gigantic, yellow garter spider. In meeting this spider, despite my restraints, I screamed bloody murder, twisting
around, jumping, and then I heard the hiss of one of Stranger's knives leaving its sheath, then the click that followed with him sheathing it back again.
"Hold still," he demanded heatedly. I abided to his words and watched fearfully as his hand reached for the massive spider that sat contently over my face. He plucked it off, cupping it in his hands and releasing it onto the nearby tree that had previously held his web.
"That is Ginko, a dear friend of mine. From now on, count on his massive web being here between these two oaks," he explained to me as he worked to peeling the web off of me where it still clung to my clothes and face.
Sighing, I followed him into the clearing and stopped when I registered what it was I saw before me. A lovely cabin built of logs, sat comfortably upon a small hill and behind it snaked a small stream dotted with willow trees that drooped over appearing to reach for a drink of the cool waters that flowed past them.
"Is this where you live?" I asked, my voice quieted by my awe.
He grunted, "No… that's the stable. That is my home," he gestured to a massive tree with flaming red leaves was positioned in the center of the clearing. Inside it was hollow and furnished and its walls were littered with paintings. Two easels rested in a
corner and several bookshelves lined the walls. There were several halls going up the branches and a spiral staircase led to the upper floor. It was a quaint living space and it suited Stranger well.
"First of all, we'll be getting rid of those dreadful shoes," he began, digging through an old trunk
colored with faded yellow paint.
My gaze dropped to the heeled boots that were strapped to my feet and hugged my calves. I had to admit, they
weren't at all the proper footwear for the woodland areas.
"Try these on for size," he plopped a pair of soft, leather boots. They weren't a fashion statement, but they looked sturdy enough to do their job. A bright, floral cloth lined the inside and I found that the pattern was familiar to me.
I slipped them on and found they fit perfectly on my feet. I looked up at him and for the first time since I'd met him, he flashed me a smile.
"I went a few days ahead of the occasion to meet with a former friend of mine, Tailor Dee," he explained. "Specifically on Friday of last week, you seemed to be quite fascinated with that bright, floral pattern. Of course I myself would have prefered something a little less than that enthusiastic arrangement... but, I suppose it could have something to do with me being here in these woods for so long."
I could sense my eyes widening, "Wait, you mean to tell me you were there when Tailor Dee was dressing me?-"
"-No! NO! I would never do such a thing!" He held his hands up in defense and I could see his cheeks burning with embarrassment, "That would be going against the Order; not to mention I would be abusing my ability."
I gave him a quizzical look then allowed my shoulders to lift, "I suppose you wouldn't do such a naughty thing."
"Anyway, are you familiar with any form of archery?" He asked me, quickly changing from the awkward subject.
I nodded, "I learned a bit at a camp back at home. I wasn't the best, but I wasn't the worst either." '
"What type of bow were you handling?" Stranger asked me as he moved over, standing before the empty fireplace.
"I don't remember honestly. It looked like a plain old bow to me," I answered to him.
"Did you hold it like this," he positioned his left arm horizontally, aiming the imaginary bow almost as if it were a gun, "Or did you hold it this way?" He shifted his arms to the more traditional stance of archery, where one arm is extended outward, the palm holding the bow vertically, while the other hand pulled the string back, brushing the cheek, and his feet were in line with his shoulders, slightly spread apart.
"That second stance," I told him.
"Let me ask you this, was the bow taller or shorter than you?" He asked me as he relaxed his arms from the position they had demonstrated.
"Shorter," I answered.
Stranger nodded, placing a hand to stroke the stubbly beard that flecked his jaw, "Now, was it made of two strips of wood, or multiple, with levers and pulleys?"
I shook my head, "It was made of only one strip of wood."
"I see. I have one last question. Did the bow curve," he moved one hand in a motion that appeared as two S's linked together from top to bottom, "or was it an arch?" His hand then moved in the motion he'd mentioned.
"It was arched," I replied.
"It sounds to me like you were using a short bow," he decided finally as he moved over to where a massive chest sat. "Come over here," he told me.
I complied, inching my way over to where he stood over the chest, digging through what appeared to be several different kinds of bows.
"A Wanderer must be able to shoot any bow handed to him," Stranger brought reason to him having so many different kinds of bows, "Each shot should be perfect, no matter what the circumstance."
He held up a large, dark bow adorned with a trigger and of odd handywork.
"This is a crossbow," he told me, "It is what we Wanderers like to believe be the first gun."
He dipped his hand back into the chest and pulled out a very odd and curvy bow.
"This is the cousin to the longbow," he said, "It is usually one of the first bows that a Wanderer trains with as it is built to make the draw weight a little less strenuous than that of the longbow. Basically it is a child's version of the longbow."
Next he lifted up an extremely long bow, it was nearly six inches taller than he was.
"The longbow, the bow that made armor useless," he sighed happily, "This was one of the first bows I learned how to handle. It was the first bow that could pierce armor and has one of the longest ranges of all the bows."
He placed the longbow back in the chest and pulled out a smaller bow with two wheels on either end as well as two shafts and about four different bowstrings.
"This bow is one of my least favorite," Stranger admitted to me, "It is known as the compound bow. The reason I despise it so much is well, for one thing, it is designed to make pulling back the draw weight easier. To put it simply, it is designed for wimpy hunters and poachers to be able to kill animals with less strain on themselves while taking the life of an innocent animal."
"But didn't you kill that bird the night before?" I asked him carefully.
He looked up at me, his face reddening, "There is a distinct difference between killing for sport and killing for survival. Today's hunters kill mostly for sport, while I needed some kind of meat to prepare a decent meal for the two of us. I only took what I needed, nothing more than that. See the difference?"
"Yes, I do," I answered to him softly.
"Now, where is it?" He muttered to himself, turning his attention back onto the chest of bows.
I dipped my head as I stared at all the bows, my gaze following his motion as he pulled out a long shaft. He then leaned on it to bring about the arch and looped the bowstring on the opposite end to recreate what I assumed was a short bow. He handed it to me then went over and retrieved his own bow where it leaned on the corner of the wall beside the fireplace. It was nothing like any of the bows he'd shown me previously. It curved like a longbow and stood the same length, but there was an additional strip of wood so that the string went through to both the tips of the longer shaft and down to the tips of the smaller strip that rested on top of the longer.
"What kind of bow is that?" I asked him as we stepped into the fresh air outside.
He looked at me over his shoulder, "It is a double bow, a rare kind that only a few Wanderers know how to craft. It was designed to be used for battle, as its duel configuration practically doubles the power behind the bowstring, enabling the arrows to pierce through just about any form of armor. One of my three mentors, Vagrant, taught me how to make one."
"It's a beautiful bow," I mused with a smile.
"You're dominant left right?" He asked me, quite a bit off subject.
"I'm right-handed," I told him.
Stranger shrugged, "Ah, well, that's all good and well. I typically shoot left-handed, but I'm ambidextrous about most things so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle."
I cocked my head, "So do Wanderers have to be able to shoot with both hands?"
He nodded, "Actually no. I do it because it can confuse the enemy and well, it is good not to be dependant on either hand just as you should not come to depend on seeing through only one eye."
"You have a very interesting way of explaining things," I told him smiling as I thought over the riddle he'd just spoken to me.
He smiled back at me then continued trekking toward the nearest willow tree. There I found an array of targets, a large one mounted half way up the trunk of the centermost tree. The two trees that stood on either side had two targets each, one set high on the trunk, the other closer to the ground. It reminded me of the face of a die placed on number five out of six, missing its partner that would make it a pair of dyce equivalent to ten instead of just five.
Stranger motioned me over to where he stood diagonally from the targets.
"First put this on," he said as he handed me a long leather sleeve and gesturing to my right arm. I did as I was told then stood awaiting his next orders.
"Alright, position your arrow to where the two colored, flat feathers lay against the bow while the odd one faces outwardly. Now knock the arrow in the bowstring and grip it with these three fingers." He held up his own hand and pointed his first three fingers to the heavens. He then demonstrated as he spoke, "Your pointer finger should go above the arrow while the other two reside beneath it. hold the bow with your left hand and pull back with your right," he performed it with his own, monstrous double bow. "You should feel as though your shoulder blades are leaning in to kiss one another until finally, at the moment their lips touch, you release the arrow and they break away from one another as though someone caught them in the act." I blushed as I watched the muscles in his arms shift as he pulled his bow up to aim and flinched when I heard the arrow's smack as it collided with the first target. I glanced over and sure enough, the arrow had made a perfect bull's eye.
"Today," he began as he took a few long strides up to the target to retrieve his arrow, "I don't want you to even look at the bull's eye. You're not ready for that just yet." He then set to flipping each of the five targets around, climbing swiftly up the two outermost trees to turn the two higher targets around before landing silently back in the grass to rejoin with me. "Just focus on hitting the targets. That alone can be an impossible feat when you first pick up a bow."
I nodded, lifting up the bow and doing all that he'd said. I then released, felt a stinging slap to my arm, and heard nothing but a wiizzzzzzshiffffffft in the end as my arrow flew astray from the target and down, slithering through the grass and finally a ploop as it shot through the water of the small pond that acted as the stomach of the stream.
"Do not worry about the arrow. We can retrieve it later," he said to me. "Is your arm alright?"
"I think so," I sighed, my purple eyes meeting Stranger's hidden gaze. "What went wrong?"
"You moved when you released the arrow," he pointed out. "You let your bow control your motions, while you should be the one in charge. You should imagine yourself as a flexible statue."
I scrunched my nose up in confusion, "Contridictory much!"
He shrugged, "No, hear me out. You should be level and stable like a statue, but moving and swaying like the wind. What would you do if you stood rigid in front of forty armed men with nothing but your bow? You'd have to dodge their attacks while shooting your bow all at the same time. You understand the concept now?"
"Yeah," I muttered.
"Good, now try again," he demanded. "After a few hours of practice, perhaps we could start the swimming lessons. Too much of anything is not beneficial to anyone. Besides it is quite hot outside today."
I shot a few more arrows, not a single one even so much as grazed the target.
He asked suddenly from behind me, "May I?"
"Sure," I managed to say.
My cheeks burned as his arms laid over mine to hold the bow in position. Together, we pulled back the bowstring and I could feel his strength working alongside my own. He didn't take all the weight of the bowstring, but somehow he made it easier for me. We released and the arrow met the target's edge.
"Look at that, your aiming is already improving! Draw out another arrow and knock it," he said softly.
I did so and again he held out his arms over mine to pull back the bow. We did this three more times before he shifted his position. This next time he gently laid his hands over mine as my arms pulled back the bowstring alone. The motion that he had brought my arms to memorize played into action as I released two more arrows, this time the both of them landed closer to the center of the target.
"Alright, finish that quiver of arrows then let's go swimming," he decided, gesturing to the small quiver and it's last three or so arrows. I shot them and retrieved them. We made eye contant and I waited for him to say something.
"Well, let us go swimming," he laughed, untieing the scarf that was tied to his belt. I watched curiously as he held it up to his face and tied it. He pulled off his hood, followed by his cloak. "Your swimming suit in the yellow trunk where I got out the boots earlier. You can get dressed in the guest bedroom upstairs. It has blue curtains, my bedroom has no curtains. I'll meet you over there at that waterfall." He pointed over to the small waterfall that fell gently from a cliff above the pool of water. A slab of flat rock rested behind it, I assumed that that was where he meant for us to meet.
I stepped into the tree that was Stranger's home and stolled over to the old, beat up trunk. Its once bright yellow paint had faded and chipped. I flipped the lid up and my brows rose at the neatly folded cothes that waited for me. In fact, a lot of my clothes were there for me. It looked like I'd be staying here for more than just a week, maybe two, or maybe Stranger was kind enough to give me a sort of selection. Most of the clothes though were earthy colors or camoflague of some sort. I beamed when I singled out my swimming suit.
I dashed up the cast-iron, spiralling staircase and trotted to the guest bedroom, but not before taking a quick peek in Stranger's room.
One wall was lined with shelves full of books, old and new. There was a large table with several maps of land and the stars. There was a desk on the wall opposite to the bookshelves that was littered with sketches of various things, a microscope, writing utensils, and old diaries of what looked to have belonged to someone called Amasi. His bed was no where to be found and there was a canvas on an easel. I tiptoed over to it and grinned. It was Ginko, the garter spider I'd met not so long ago. But there were other things in the painting as well in the background. A doe and her fawn, two blue jays, and various other wildlife. The snapshots I'd seen taken of the forests around here didn't compare to the life that flowed throughout his painting. It was as if every brushstroke brought breath to each creature as they had come to life in the painting.
Sighing blissfully I ran to the guest bedroom and slipped into my swimming suit. It was a lovely swimming suit, colored a light, robin's-egg blue with purple straps that dipped down into a fitting 'V' down my back. I gazed a moment in the mirror to assure that I was modest then gathered my Meta-suit and folded it neatly to be placed back in the trunk. I then dashed back out the door to join back up with Stranger.
I found him standing beneath the waterfall with his back to me as he stood. The green bird from before was resting on his bare shoulder. He had stripped his torso of clothing and removed his footwear. All that was left was his belt and his tan trousers that gathered at his knees. He turned, sensing my approach and I nearly tripped. I had seen him like this before but it was in the firelight. In the sunlight, he was much more attractive... to say the least. Being a Wanderer Stranger had shot a bow since he was a young boy and had always been on the move, whether battling or merely wandering. As a result, he was carved, muscled, yet he was still lean. It was at this moment that I truly grasped how old he was. He couldn't be more than seventeen or maybe eighteen years of age. I blinked a few times and he smiled, looking from me to where the waterfall entered the pool.
"Alright. Here's the deal. We've got three weeks to get you fit in the ways of a Wanderer. Now, I suppose we should start with something simple like the side stroke. Come, let's get in the water. Diving is the best way to go in, do as you like." He then ran from where we had stood talking and lept off the rock and down into the water. The motion was perfect, fluid like the water itself.
I decided to go in more traditionally.
"CANNONBALL!" I yelled as I burst up, then hit the water with a great explosion of water.
Thankfully Stranger hadn't surfaced yet. I turned around after comming up and there he was, with the strip of cream-colored cloth over his eyes. I had to ask.
"Stranger, can I ask you something?" I asked.
One of his eyebrows rose, the first time I'd actually seen it happen. "Oh? Seems like you've already done so but go ahead."
"Why do you cover your eyes?"
Something in the air changed that very moment and I regretted even asking.
"It does not matter," he muttered. On a lighter note, he again changed the subject. "Do you know how to do the side stroke?"
I grinned. Swimming was one thing I was pretty good at. Though diving... well, I still had a lot of work.
Easily I moved into the swaying stroke and moved across the small pond and back to the otherside.
"Excellent. Now, swim beneath the water's surface," he demanded. The water was around maybe nine or ten feet deep where we stood. The water was crystal clear and below us, interestingly, sand blanketed the bottom. It was quite a beautiful place. The area was closed off with only a few entrances as it was enclosed with two walls of rock.
Easily, I dipped my body into the water and darted like a torpedo to and from, resurfacing only when I had returned. When I pushed off of the rock wall I found it to be almost silky smooth like marble, but it had enough friction to keep my feet from slipping.
Stranger named off a few more strokes and I took them all with perfection. I'd had a swimming class or two and had actually won a few rewards and trophies for my ability, but had to stop a few years due to a broken leg. So I was rusty.
"I see you are quite the fish," Stranger said smiling a challenge to me. I knew what was comming.
"But how are you on diving?"
I nearly cringed.
He motioned me to get out of the water with him and he led me up a staircase he himself had probably carved that led up to the top of the waterfall.
"Now, just jump off."
I stared at him, "Just jump off?"
He nodded, "Keep your body straight like an arrow."
I turned and rolled my eyes so he couldn't see, "Of course, like an arrow..."
"Go on."
So I did. I felt my body meet the air followed by a moment of falling through the nothingness then the plunge that came when I met the water's surface.
"Well done!" I heard him yell as I came up to the air. His back was facing me as he stood at the spot where I'd jumped from. I watched as he lept from the cliffside, flipping and landing a few yards behind me. I turned and found him right behind me. I startled and he went underwater. I swam backward, bumped into something that wasn't the rocks, and turned around to find Stranger there again.
"After some practice with diving, you'll be good to go. Now, let us see about silent swimming."
"Silent swimming?" I echoed.
He cleared his throat, "Well yes of course. What do you think would happen if a Wanderer was caught with a pool of water surrounding the entire area that he had to infiltrate? He'd have to swim, right?"
"Right," I agreed.
"Well whatever, for today, just swim. I have got to make my rounds. So, enjoy yourself and do not drown. I do not want you diving from the cliff while I am not here either. So, do as you like." As he said the words, he swam smoothly and nearly noiselessly over to the slab of rock that rested behind the waterfall.
"You're rounds?" I repeated and he nodded, drying himself off with a towel.
"Who do you think has kept all those bandits and wild animals away from the village?" he asked me.
"Oh," I muttered, grinning.
He smiled at me and left the area. A few minutes later I heard a reverbrating vwoom vwoom and ultimately a thwunk! I looked alarmingly at a nearby shrub and relaxed when I found that it was one of my knives. It wasn't long that the other followed it. The angle that the knives landed suggested that the thrower was standing somewhere above the watefall. I looked up on the cliff and found Stranger there leaning on his double bow. I waved and smiled and he did the same before he vanished from sight.
I heard a squawk and looked back over at the shrub to discover the green hawk there. It had a small paper in its beak and it beckoned me to take it. I did so and found that Stranger had left a note for me.
...
This is my hawk-kyte, Dlareme. I'll tell you what a hawk-kyte is
later. If you later need something of me, you can send me a note
using Dlareme. If you're in danger, Dlareme will tell you. You'll know
when he's trying to warn you of something. Just pay attention. He'll
leave should you ask him to come get me. Simply tell him 'Red dawn'.
I should be back before dinner. Keep a weapon close at all times. You
never know what may be stalking you.
~Stranger
...
I smiled and stroked the bird gently.
"What could possibly go wrong?" I asked the bird.
Dlareme squawked simply in reply.
"True, I should always be on my guard. I'll swim for a little while longer then be done," I decided.
Again the bird chirped.
"I can see why Stranger tends to talk to you so much," I grinned.
The great bird heaved another great squawk, almost angrily.
"What's wrong, Dlareme?" I asked the bird. Then I heard their whispers.
"Looks like that dastardly Wanderer and his little friend took off," I heard a familiar voice say.
"What should we do now?" another voice asked.
"Go in to his house," the first voice replied. "I know it holds the secret to the Wanderer's knowledge of the forest. We're gonna steale it and use it against him."
My eyes widened and I turned to Dlareme. I then whispered, "Red dawn."
I watched as the bird burst into the air and flew toward the path that Stranger had taken.
"Now what?" I muttered under my breath. My eyes shifted to where Stranger had left one of his cloaks hanging on the shrub behind the waterfall. "Hmm..." I narrowed my eyes as I began to think of a plan and then it came to me.
Sweey: What's with me and long chapters these days! Anyways, a fun fact, Dlareme (pronounced DL-lair-may {but you rush over the DL like the U in Sasuke}) Dlareme is actually emeralD spelled backward. Another thing... well... idk. JUST REVIEW! I'm tired, my hands hurt, so I think I'm gonna go read some stuff! XD REEEVIEW! ;D DANKU!