Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Elves of All Kinds (1x1)

Belle listened as she began to pull out her small amount of belongings. "I see..." She sighed softly. "I've certainly heard that humans, and even proper elves, believe natural elves barbarians... Truly, we aren't. Just because our ways are different doesn't make us barbaric." She took a breath and glanced at Mary with a weak smile.

Mary smiled gently at the girl. "Of course not, child. If Master Arthur considered you a barbarian, he wouldn't be treating you this way." She sighed slightly. "I have no idea what might happen though when he returns to the villages. You must promise to protect him, little Belle. Who knows what psychological damage could come to him when he returns? He was positively traumatized as a child."

"I hope for both our sakes that the villages are at peace now..." Belle took a breath. "I will make sure nothing happens to him, though. I promise."

Mary nodded slightly. "...I hope so as well. Thank you, Belle." She went about helping the girl pack up, then packed up Arthur's things. The day went as usual, then, with just a bit of cleaning, a meal, and Arthur shutting himself in his study until bed and giving Belle free reign to do as she wished until she decided she wanted to go to bed.

Belle went to bed early. She had dreams, imagining meeting her family again. But... Her parents' faces were blurred. She couldn't picture em clearly, which was strange. But her dreams turned to nightmares, imagining the night of the raid.

She awoke early the next morning, thankfully. She got out of bed and would linger at her window, gazing out towards the sunrise. Would they see her family again? Were her parents alive? What about her brother or aunt? She sighed. She doubted they were alive, but it would be nice to see her homeland again, anyways.

Mary soon knocked on the dorr. "Belle? Master Arthur wants you to get ready, you will be leaving right after breakfast." The woman lingered at the door in case she needed anything, then left.

"Thank you, Mary," Belle said, glancing over her shoulder. She took a breath and moved to brush and braid her hair, and put on one of her new casual dresses. She'd never gone on a journey with a master before... She wondered what it would be like. With a quick glance in the mirror, she headed downstairs to eat, unable to keep a small, excited smile from her lips.

Arthur was already sitting down and eating, half his plate gone in nearly two or three bites. He gave a slight nod to Belle in acknowledgement, then finished his food and stood up. "I'm going to go finish taking care of preparations. Go ahead and eat, and make sure you have everything you need." He smiled and left the room, a man on a mission! Mary chuckled softly. "It is so odd to see the Master so energized..."

Indeed, in her short stay in his home, Arthur had always been calm, collected, and almsot stern. But now... Belle sat down to eat. "Why do you think he is acting this way?" she asked curiously, looking up towards Mary as she ate her breakfast.

Mary considered the question carefully. "Well...he's never left the city. Not since that trip with his father, long ago. Perhaps that is what he's excited for. The chance to see new land. Otherwise, I haven't the faintest why he's so excited. I thought he might be scared, going back to this land that he remembers so terribly. Elves or not, watching your own father slaughter anyone is a horrifying sight for a child."

"I can only imagine the feeling..." Belle said softly. "But I'm glad he's getting out of the city. It's good for everyone, I believe. I've always felt so cramped in cities... But perhaps humans feel differently. I just hope this little adventure will go well." She quickly finished up her meal; Arthur seemed excited, and she didn't want to keep him waiting.

Arthur was soon ready to go, and he helped Belle into the carriage once she was ready. He sat up in front and guided the horses. It seemed like it was just the two of them going on this trip. He gave the reigns a flick and they started off! It was going to be interesting, going to the elven villages again. Indeed, one would hope that they had finally made peace with the humans. Otherwise, there might be trouble.

Well this certainly was strange. For once, Belle was alone in the carriage and her master was driving. She would remain quiet for most of the trip, just gazing out the carriage to watch as the cities slowly gave way to forests and meadows, though it would take a bit to get to the elven villages on the east coast. Belle couldn't wait to see her fellow elves again! But... What would they say when they realized the human she was with had ownership of her? Well, really she was more like a servant than a slave to him, what with his kindness to her. She got paid in food and board, plus the gifts he had bought her. She would have to explain that he kept her safe from other, more horrid masters... But... Once they got to the elven villages, why couldn't she just run? She could so easily slip away from Arthur and return to her people. She glanced hesitantly up at him. What a curious idea...

Arthur was in his own little world, conferring to the map on his lap and looking carefully at the villages that had red 'x's on them. It had been so long. He was going to the one closest to them, even though it had an x through it. That meant his father had hit the town for sure. But at least it might have rebuilt since then. As they got closer to the village, he put the map away and sat up straight and calm. "Careful," he called back to Belle, "We're coming into the village now. I can't guarantee what they're like anymore."

Belle perked up from her thoughts and moved to look ahead eagerly. Her first glimpse of an elf village since she had been taken away. Was it a natural elf village? Definitely. Proper elves didn't live this far into forests. Her eyes were wide and sparkling with excitement as she searched for elves, listened for singing, or children's laughter. Anything!

Arthur tensed. He didn't hear any noises from the village, but he felt that he was being watched. He carefully pulled up to the edge of the village, stopped the horses, and jumped down. He looked around. The place was deserted, but it didn't have the feeling of desertion for the many years that it had been. More like they were hiding...
Arthur narrowed his eyes, but just as he took his first step, five natural elves fell down from the trees and aimed arrows at him. Oh. Snap.

Belle's eyes went wide. No. She quickly got out of the carriage, quickly blurting out, "Don't hurt him! Please, don't shoot!" She quickly moved to stand in front of him, looking cautiously at the five scouts. Her heart was pounding. Was it bad that she felt so frightened of her own kind, all of the sudden?

Arthur stared as she came out of the carriage. "Belle, get behind me! It's not safe!" The male elves looked at the two of them, then slowly lowered their bows. "What do you want here?" one barked sharply. "Humans aren't welcome here." Arthur looked at them carefully. "I'm looking for a natural elf and a proper elf. They're a married couple. Do you know what village they're in?" The man looked over Arthur and Belle and scowled. "What is it to you?" Suddenly, one of the other's spoke up. "Hey...I recognize this human! He's a slaver!" Immediately all the bows were aimed at him again. "Fellow sister, it is okay. We will take care of this wretched scum for you! You do not need to fear his tyranny any longer!"

Belle paled. She stayed where she was. "Those elves are...important to me. Chieftain Saelhil and Chieftess Raeliel. They have a blind son named Valenthion. Please, he's helping me find them." She gestured to Arthur. "He has been very kind to me, and is traveling with me, so I'd appreciate if you please don't shoot him just yet." She offered a small smile to the elves and tucked some hair behind her ear, trying to put on a bit of sooting charm to coax the scouts to relax.

The elves looked at each other, then once more reluctantly lowered their weapons. "...we've heard of them. But they aren't in this village. They're farther north." The one elf pointed in a direction. Then he gestured to Belle. "Sister, come here please." If she obliged, the elf whispered softly to her. "We understand your desire to find these elves, but be wary of this human. We do not know why he is letting you find them, but we are concerned what he might do when you do find them." He pulled away and looked at her. "Sister, we are always here if you need our aid." Arthur just stood still, trying not to move so as not to get shot. "Belle, we should keep going if they aren't here."