The Many Tales Of Celad Jr'eir

satyr607 · Post by **satyr607** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:11 am

((you will have to excuse my writing style,...its been a while)) 
 
 
|* Part 1 - Death Appears *| 
 
Celad awakes slowly under a small tree in the ranger camp just as the sun crests the treeline. After a moment to regain his thoughts he begins rolling up his bedroll and hiding it away in his pack, smirking at the handful of botched leather goods he had been working on the day before. The breeze carries the voices of his companions to him from the small firepit in the center of camp and he pauses a moment trying to remember the new elf's name. Scratching the stubble on his chin as he hoists his pack over his shoulder he decides to discreetly ask Neville when he gets a chance. Standing with a stretch that sends a few quiet pops from his back and neck out into the forest he slowly walks back to firepit admiring the beautiful morning. 
A few nod's to the patrolling locals later he comes upon the firepit and let's a slight smirk spread across his face. The elf sits where he had left him, franticly asking Neville a sting of questions about the area and trying his best to decipher the responses. He approaches slowly from behind the elf trying to gauge the elf's awareness to his surroundings. His quiet steps and slow breathing bring him close enough to touch the elf before Neville franticly jumps up and stating that since everyone is gathered they should be heading back to the Dale. The unaware elf spins his head, eyes darting around the camp for Celad. 
 
"Morning friends" Celad says quietly, smiling as the elf jumps to his feet startled. Celad notice's Neville sigh slightly with a grateful look across his face. 
 
"We should be off,...this day burns quickly." He says his voice a bit louder. 
 
He pats the elf on the shoulder speaking quietly again with a smile. 
"Enough questions for this day friend, all will be answered in time." 
 
The small group slowly gathers there belongings and readies themselves for the treck home. Celad bows slightly to the elf with an arm raised to the West as Neville quickly walks by taking the lead. 
 
"Shall we?" he says, nodding to the elf and the troop slowly sets of to the west,...to home. 
 
The ranger camp slowly disappears behind them as the trees grow thicker and the forest grows quiet. 
"Too quiet" Celad mumbles listening for the birds, or the stag, or anything... 
Celad's eyes follow the forest floor, eyes darting to and fro searching for the track's of any of the forest beasts. After a few moments of finding nothing he starts to grind his teeth, feeling the emptiness of the forest around him. His eyes dart between the trees, staring into the mist and back to his companion's, slowly searching for whatever beast has quieted the forest in such a manor. 
The troop slowly approaches a worn wall, the fading reminder of a time gone by. Celad walks but a few paces behind the elf, watching Neville to see which way he will take the group through the remaining trees. 
Out of the corner of his eye he sees the elf raise his bow, pointing to their left. Confused he follows the elf's eyeline across the forest. 
 
Tree's,...The wall,...more tree's,...a few raindrops falling slowly to the forest floor,...fur... 
 
The wolf was huge, larger than any Celad had ever laid eyes on. As his eye's widen on the beast, he hears the familiar sound of an arrow releasing itself from its resting place. 
The wolf, unaware of them, sniffs heavily at the forest floor. 
Celad pauses in his mind as time slows to a halt. He work's the situation out in every way he can. Figuring in everything he has come to learn. How far away is Neville? Where are we? How far away if the wolf? Is it still raining? Where is the arrow? It seems an eternity in his mind, trying to find the right set of pieces to make the puzzle fit, to get them all home alive. No matter how he figures it,...the elf dies. Angry now, he returns his mind to the present,...slowly letting time catch up to his thoughts. 
Celad's arm raises his crossbow it a quick, tested manor and he lets loose a bolt from its resting place,... 
 
The arrow and the bolt seem to dance in harmony for a moment in the space between the two men and the wolf. 
 
"Ru-un" Neville's words echoing through the forest as if trying to beat the flying object to their target. 
 
The arrow finds its resting place deep within the hindquarters of the large beast. The bolt buries itself deep into the thick fur around the creatures neck before the first blow even has time to register... 
 
On one knee, Celad notices the quiet as he throws a glance in Neville's direction in time to see him disappear into the mist. 
"Damn" Celad thinks, realizing that Neville has know idea what has just happened. Celad's eyes dart back to the elf and pause a moment trying to understand his expression. The shaking bow in the elf's hands scream 'fear' and he once again traces the elf's eyeline. 
 
Tree's,...The wall,...more tree's,...the last few drops of rain bouncing from the leaves to the forest floor,...teeth... 
 
The wolf is coming at them at full speed,...the giant weight seeming nimble as the two protruding objects bob in time with the giant creatures pace. Celad drops his crossbow and throws the pack from his shoulder un-slinging his shield and drawing his sword in one fluid motion. Pausing for only a moment to take a deep breath he glances at the petrified elf and curses to himself in his home tongue. His attention back on the wolf he waits,...timing his attack,...trying to use the beasts great weight to his advantage. 
As the wolf reaches his last step, Celad tightens the grip on his sword and, putting his weight behind it, throws himself toward the great beast. The beast twists in a way Celad had not prepared for and his attack, now useless, throws him to the forest floor as he feels the paw of the giant creature slip across his belly. The sound of his leathers tearing and the feel of warm liquid spilling across his legs surprises him for a moment before the pain hits. 
On his knees, Celad winces at the great pain before his mind returns him to his surroundings and he remembers the elf. Looking up as quickly as he can and throwing himself to his feet again, he watches as the great beast throws it's entire mass on the frail elf. He lunges forward with his blade as the sound of bones shattering echoes through the forest. Celad lets out a great cry as the blade buries itself next to his crossbow bolt and he feels the beasts warm blood mixing with his own. 
Celad lay atop the great beast, his sword buried hilt deep in the animals flesh and, for a moment, he thinks it all over. In one short move the beast jerks upright throwing him across the forest floor leaving a large smear of blood between him and the wounded Celad. 
Celad's eyes, wincing through the pain, fall to the eyes of the great beast and he realizes, for the first time, that the look in its eyes is not that of anger,...but instead it is the look of...fear. 
Celad moans slightly as the great beasts paw slides over his body again. The warmth of his blood seems somewhat comforting and he glances one last time to the fallen elf. The elf's body lad tattered and bloody, crushed, with an eternal look of fear dripping from its face. Then, the last thing he ever wanted to hear... 
 
"Ru-un" 
 
Neville had returned. 
 
As Celad's view begins to blacken he watches Neville disappear into the mist,...the great beast a few paces behind him...