…
…
…
…
Trees were always patient.
As some of the oldest living beings in the world, the trees of Vytal had seen their fair share. Some of the older trees, towering monoliths of wood, no doubt had witnessed the rise and fall of more kingdoms than existed today. Even many of the younger saplings, barely taller than a grown human, had outlived an entire generation. Green leaves, brown leaves, no leaves during the cold, and bright young leaves in the months that followed, there was beauty in the trees that could be found nowhere else.
Meriliel, sadly, could not stop and admire them today. Not when her life was in peril.
The bulk of the woods were still painfully far away, and in the meantime the young elf was forced to run along the ground like a common animal, the rocks poking and jabbing at her bare feet. She was still fast, far more swift than even the fittest human, but she had no chance of outrunning the horses of the city Guardsman. They would be on her in moments.
Every so often their shouted words would reach her ears, but there was no point in their yelling; Meril had never bothered to learn any of the tongues of Man. She didn't understand any of it. Although they didn't seem particularly angry at her today; just another troublemaking elf in their eyes.
Meril's bright red cloak trailed through the air behind her, and she knew for certain that it would be the part they grabbed first. The idea made her angry; no one but Mother had ever touched her cloak… unless you counted the one time Dulineth had stitched up a small hole… but certainly never a filthy human! She grunted, tugged her hood over her deep red hair, and took a few long, leaping strides to make ready.
The first Guardsman came close enough to reach the cloak. Meril quickly jammed a foot against a stone in the road ahead and pushed back and up, launching herself straight into the air. She sailed over the surprised men, finally allowing herself to grin at their shock, then lightly touched down in the dust behind the horses and took off sidelong. The Guardsman struggled to get their animals to stop, then turn and follow her again; it was the only way she could gain any distance, and the gamble paid off.
They didn't even get up to full speed before the young elf made a nimble leap into the branches of the first tree, into the safety of the forest canopy. And well out of their reach.
Meril went several feet into the foliage before stopping and listening, holding a hand to one of her long, fleshy ears. No hoof-beats entered the sacred wood after her, nor any growling and cursing of the men upon them. She ducked down to get a better view and saw them loitering at the edge of the woods, clearly distraught.
She resisted the urge to taunt them and instead went on further into the forest. She had made that sort of mistake before, and found out the hard way that humans could hide their bows and arrows in the darnedest of places.
But anyway, that was over. Now she was-
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you are TRYING to get yourself killed."
Meriliel cried out in a yelp and nearly lost her footing at the stern voice. Didn't expect to get found out this quickly. "Ah, D-Dulineth," said Meril, "…Wh-What brings you out here?"
Standing at the foot of a large white oak was Meriliel's oldest friend and fellow tree-singer Dulineth. She stood with her arms crossed, ebony hair left loose and hanging down to her waist, and sparkling amber eyes set in a scowl. She hadn't been out here long, as her earthen-colored robes were still clean. "I came to bring you home; Lady Oreth sent me."
"I would have expected one of her daughters-"
"They are preparing the city for the Sunlight Festival, leaf-brain. Have you taken leave of all your senses?"
Meril's eyebrows shot up, "Is it that time already? Surely the snow has only just melted!"
One of Dulineth's eyes began to twitch. "'Only just' was nearly 4 full moons ago. You have been out far too long. Come… we are going home." She turned and began walking, her ears pressed almost flat against her head. She was clearly upset.
Meriliel briefly considered turning and retreating into the sanctity of the forest, but this was Dulineth she was talking about – the trees were friends with Meril, but they respected Dulineth. Almost feared her. The delinquent Meril would be discovered before the sun had even touched the horizon once.
And so the young elf at last descended to the ground to join her friend, and they held a steady pace along the turf as they returned home. Both girls preferred the cool caress of the grass on their bare feet to the stones and gravel of the human roads. Such things were meant for horses bearing metal hooves, or for men in their leather foot-wrappings, which Meril often considered no better than hooves. She was fine in her own cream-colored robes and bright red hood and cloak, a gift from her late Mother.
A flower bush caught Meril's eye as they walked. She deftly ducked over and chose a bright yellow specimen, plucked it, and slipped it into Dulineth's hair with practiced ease. The taller girl blinked as she looked up at it, then sighed at her friend. She finally allowed herself to smile, too.
"It is a good color on you," said Meril. "Matches your eyes."
Dulineth smirked and said, "Too bad there are no silver-colored ones around here."
"I prefer the pink ones, personally. Either those or the red ones, like those in front of the Temple."
"Ah yes, those are nice. I'll be sure to pick all of them and cover you with flowers in your sleep."
Meril's mouth fell open with a horrified gasp. "You would not!"
Dulineth glanced back at her, a glimmer of mischief in her eye. "If we take too much longer, Lady Oreth would allow it… for your funeral rites."
Meril had no words for that, so she resorted to angry grunts and quick, vicious slapping upon her companion's back, her long ears flapping with barely contained fury. Dulineth could hardly dodge for laughing so hard, and the two friends all but chased each other back towards the hidden city of Dolen Mir.
…
…
Less than an hour later, the chase resumed.
Both of the elves heard the bolt coming long before it found them, but the speed of it nearly caught them off guard – it flew twice the speed of a normal human arrow, and Meril barely dodged in time. She clearly heard the thing whiz past her face and thunk into a distant tree a moment after.
Dulineth spotted their pursuers first and bid her friend to run. They kept to the branches, moving with a speed and agility no human could hope to match. However, this particular human seemed determined to try.
"Meriliel…" Dulineth's ears twitched every so often as they moved, "…that human is cursing you, in particular."
Meril chanced a look back and nearly fell out of the tree. "Unbelievable. The last time I saw her was in the city of Mantle… how in blazes did that woman find me all the way out here?!"
"You know her?"
The friends continued dodging constant arrow fire from the men with her, but the human in question was leading the charge anyway. Her white hair and ice-blue eyes set her apart from both her men and every other human Meril had ever seen, bar one.
"I… may have been in the city recently… and…" Meril gave a meep as an arrow embedded itself into the trunk right in front of her face, ducked around it and kept going. This part of the forest was nowhere near dense enough for them to properly hide. "And… I may have done something a bit naughty-"
Dulineth's ears continued twitching as she listened to the screams of the advancing human. "She is swearing vengeance for her sister's honor. And… dear gods, Meril, what did you do?"
"Her sister. Right." Meril paused for a moment to think. "I… um…"
…
…
_/_/_/
The humans below all stood around the mighty oak tree, all dressed in ridiculous white and pink fabrics that resembled flowers in the same way fresh mud resembled an autumn feast. Meril sat hidden at the top of a stone tower overlooking the entire scene, watching in wonder at the sheer spectacle of human traditions. She'd seen this sort of thing one other time, though from a greater distance, and recognized it as a rudimentary wedding. No one present seemed happy about the proceedings, nor did anyone appear to want to be there. And while the majority were humans, she could clearly pick out a few Dwarves around the edges. No elves, of course.
Meril was in the ideal spot to bring some life to this drivel. Next to her sat a bucket of water, though it appeared stale. It would do. The oak had whispered to her that the woman at the center of it all, the "bride," was desperately wishing for something to interrupt the ceremony. Meril was more than happy to oblige. Just as the older human began speaking in a tone she normally heard during worship at the Temple, the young elf took the bucket and tipped it over the edge.
The reaction was priceless – a combination of horrified screams, startled cries and deep laughter was exactly what Meril wanted to hear. Joining in their revelry, Meril stood up to make her exit while herself laughing in an almost maniacal way. Humans were always so stuck-up, so it was nice to throw some grit into the pot once in awhile.
_/_/_/
…
…
"You leaf-brain… you interrupted a wedding?" Dulineth could barely keep her voice from betraying her shock.
Meril somehow found a way to boop her fingers together while maintaining a steady speed through the upper branches, still dodging the occasional arrows. "…I meant no harm."
"I know that, and you know that," the dark-haired elf tried not to snap, but it was difficult. "The hard part will be convincing that human of the fact. She clearly means to kill you for it."
Meril chanced one more look back and saw the girl, for she could not be a full adult yet, aiming her modified bow weapon and pulling a trigger of some sort. Another bolt came hurling right at Meril's face with unholy speed and accuracy, but the enhanced reactions of the Fae folk were more than a match for such things – once again the shot missed, sailing far into the woods.
Dulineth whistled, "Oh my. They will not yield, will they?"
"Then we must hide until they turn back." Meriliel approached an old maple and Sang to it, asking for a hollow in which to hide. The rough bark shivered and creaked, opening a cavity big enough for both to squeeze into.
Dulineth shook her head, "No. They will simply start chopping down every tree until they find you. She said so herself."
Meril's face became one of deep horror. "She is a demon!"
"Let me try something."
Dulineth took note of the fact that their pursuers had entered the wood and were following the elves by way of the road. She Sang to several trees all at once, asking them to hinder the humans. Nearly two dozen of the largest trees along both sides of the road agreed, lifting their roots in such numbers that all of the humans desperately pulled their horses to a stop before they tripped. Several swords were quickly unsheathed, and Meril's stomach lurched.
"If they focus only on destroying the roots, our friends will survive more easily – roots grow back quickly. Come, the trees know what to do. Let us make haste!"
Meril nodded as Dulineth took the lead, but her ears were met with the shrill cries of the girl they left behind, no doubt vowing on some human god or goddess to hunt Meril down. The young elf shook her head at the noise. How badly could she have ruined that day to earn such a fierce hatred?
It mattered not. If her luck held, Meril would not meet that white-haired girl again.
…
…
Evening found the two friends bathing in a quiet lake. The chase had led them quite far off course, and they had both accumulated a thick layer of sweat and muck along the way. Reaching the city of Dolen Mir would have to wait until the morrow.
Their robes had been cleaned first and set upon a rock to dry. As they scrubbed their naked skin with large leaves, a choir of crickets began their nightly serenade. The setting sun gave way to a glorious sight; a clear night sky, speckled with hundreds of thousands of stars. They enjoyed the view while it lasted, as the rising moon quickly washed out most of them. Fortunately it also gave the pair enough light to see by; despite rumors to the contrary, the night vision of an elf was no better than that of a human.
They washed themselves, as well as each other, quite thoroughly, as Lady Oreth had high standards when it came to how her kin presented themselves. They cleaned their own ears, however; that was one line neither girl was willing to cross.
Shortly thereafter, Meriliel and Dulineth lay huddled together in a hollow tree trunk that opened for them, sharing their warmth in the chill of the night. Meril was the smaller of the two, and Dulineth enjoyed sleeping with the young elf nestled in her arms. Meril liked it as well, for it always reminded her of her Mother. Nights like this were when she missed her the most.
…
…
"Mmer-hymm a rhee-a ka-n
Mmer-hymm a vl-a lu-ua
E-a hymm llay hey-"
"…I thought you were asleep, Meriliel."
"Ah, s-sorry Dulineth. I did not mean to stir you."
"That song… was that one of the hymns?"
"It is indeed, though do not ask what the words mean. Neither I nor anyone in the Temple knows."
"How unfortunate. It is a nice melody, though… somewhat sad."
"That is how I hear it as well. It is the hymn we sing when we wish to bless the land with new life, hence why it is traditionally preformed at the end of the winter snows, yet…"
"…Yet it feels as though there is more to it?"
"Mother would have known. She was one of the last who understood the ancient language of Loxian."
"That is the form of our tongue from the time before the Fae divided, yes? Before the Drow split off into their own people?"
"I believe it is even older than that, though none of our records know the truth. And even Lady Oreth was not alive during those days."
"It must be incredibly ancient, then."
*giggle* "Not too loudly, now… the High Seer has very good hearing."
"You as well, you little Troll."
"As the humans would say, 'It Takes One To Know One.'"
"Say… could you sing that song a bit more? It was actually somewhat relaxing."
"I think I can manage that…
h'airr rin a kan a-he-ra,
h'airr rin a kan o-rhay-na?
E-a nno llow rro;
A rhee a mmay?… … …"
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Designation: Remnant-17003 (Elf World)
Type 2 Primitive World
Class 4 Population – Human/Faunus Ratio Indeterminate [Unknown Racial Variants Found]
Grimm Threat NOT DETECTED
Environment: GREEN
Integrity: GREEN
Culture: YELLOW
Dust/Aura: YELLOW
Deviation from Standard: 75.31 %
Special Note: Just for the record, I didn't even want to enter this frequency into the system – Rain convinced me to use the necessary resources to get it in here. Going this far out from the core, even just for the initial scan, takes a lot of power. Thing is… it's not often I find a world with more than 2 distinct races, but this one has quite a few. Honestly I'd love to set up a full-time research center over there, but that world's technology level is too low to manage; they'd likely consider me some kind of malevolent god. It's also really, really far out. On the other hand, they have what Rain calls 'magic,' so there's no way to tell what would happen if I showed up.
…
…
…
…
Author's Note: In case my descriptions weren't clear enough, Meriliel is an elf version of Ruby, Dulineth is an elf version of Blake, and the angry white-haired human was intended to be Weiss. Yang is somewhere in the world as well, just not relevant to this story.
Meril is easily one of my personal favorite alternate-universe Rubys, both because she's fairly close to canon in terms of her personality and because I have a soft spot for elves (fight me). And as a side note, this particular selection of elves might not look like any other version of the fair folk you've ever seen. They have… some unique traits that I'll delve into when the narrative brings us back into their neck of the woods.
Next chapter: We meet a timid little Ruby created by The Layman, my awesome editor-slash-beta-reader. It's also an entry that contains minor spoilers for Distorted Mirror Images – if you haven't read it yet, go give it a look. And tell him I sent you. :3
(Credits: "The River Sings" Lyrics by Roma Ryan, EMI Music Publishing Ltd, 2005)
=^..^=