Legends of Belariath

Mozenwrathe

Indirectly - As Long As You Breathe

*the elf known as Ehlanna was not the one to discover this particular scroll. instead, this was found by the seductress known as Alissia. following the scholar Prydain down the forest pathways one day, she noticed that out of his infamous scroll bag dropped two separete parchments. the first parchment was an unsealed list of various ingredients - presumeably for a recipe for some marinade. the second scroll, however, bore an elven crest on the seal she had never seen previously. knowing almost instinctively that it was from the sylvan elves, she brought it to her friend and occasional bedmate Ehlanna as swiftly as possible. the night had crept up upon her unbidden, and she knew far too well what dangers lurked within the woods - and is without counting the ones that walked on four legs or Prydain himself. knowing fully how dangerous he had the potential to be, Alissia had no intention of mistakenly spooking him - and ending up no better than a ghost herself for her trouble.

finding Ehlanna was easy - the legendary sylvan elf was having a used weapons sale at the armory store, and she would be there for the rest of the evening. apparently she had been doing some shadowing of the human Prydain as well, and had watched as he and a wolven completely unknown to him, along with Vekannar the bounty hunter had reaved through a well armed group of bandits without mercy or concern for the landscape. the twenty men may have been well-armed, but well-trained were they not. the trio reminded Ehlanna of a time when she actually witnessed the sorcerer known as Tophet fighting alongside Elthorion Kinslayer and some dark elf who insisted he was the brother of Tophet, Ichilandar (if she remembered the name correctly). in any case, Ehlanna was the grand recipient of the slaying of a armed group of ragtag rapists and thugs: a surprise cache of weapons of relatively good quality which none could lay claim to. simply put: she walked into a pile of empty profits. the sale was to recoup losses suffered when a shipment of hers came in all coated in rust and slime. sure, the weapons were salvageable and usable, but the time spent cleaning them put a huge dent in her net profits.

closing up the shop for the night, she saw Alissia duck inside the doors past Kitty and Sarai, whispering something to them as she passed them in the doorway. Kitty's eyes widened when she heard about the fact Prydain was in fact back inside the limits of the region and dashed off to find the powerful looking human. Ehlanna's eyes rolled as she saw the alacrity of the catgirl when Prydain was mentioned. what surprised her was when she witnessed Sarai hurrying after Kitty, yelling out to Ehlanna that she had to keep an eye on the hyperactive catgirl. even more shocking was when she saw a THIRD catgirl rushing in the same direction of the previous two - the three of them heading into the forest at a speed Ehlanna refused to believe was caused by the mention of one dour-faced librarian.

now it was only Ehlanna and Alissia - who it seemed was as stunned as Ehlanna to see how the mention of one angry human affected three others at the same time. turning back to Ehlanna, she brought her the scroll with the recipe on it first, showing her who for certain had possessed the scroll first. when Ehlanna nodded and asked what was so remarkable about the scroll itself, Alissia showed her the second scroll - the reason for her surprise visit to the weapons store. (not that Alissia would not have come just to visit Ehlanna, mind.) Ehlanna's face blanched as she saw the seal on the second scroll in Alissia's hand, causing Alissia to pause at the visage of her good friend. asking her what was wrong, Alissia began to move the scroll away from Ehlanna's gaze when Ehlanna grabbed Alissia's wrist with unexpected firmness. the tenseness in her muscles gave the sheer strain of what Alissia's accidental discovery was doing to Ehlanna away.

a rarity for her, Ehlanna did not ask Alissia to leave as she broke the seal of the scroll, but actually asked her to stay with her. for the first time since the scrolls began to show up, she did not wish to be alone as she faced her past with wounds best left closed opening up like a badly sewn seam in a overflowing satchel. Alissia found herself in the odd position of holding Ehlanna in a hug as she read the scroll, and for the first time in ages watching as three gemlike teardrops fell from her eyes and onto her hand which was holding the parchment, quivering. at that moment, Alissia knew she had to find out if Prydain still had more of these scrolls, even if she knew not the true importance of them to Ehlanna. whatever they were, they could not be of any true value to Prydain if he had not even bothered to crack the seal of it to view through it...*

within this night do I tread alone like the solitary moon ever rotating and soaring above never able to touch what it observes always longing for what I cannot have pining for what I have yet to possess

the grass presses itself to the ground not wishing to alert others to my presence even though my dreams of you are feverish do I feel the chill of denial rush across me slowing the blood within my body making every movement like honey poured in winter

can you sense how I watch your form from practice training to swimming in the river tendrils of aching need strangle my will to leave my will to live my will to be anything other than yours but shall I stand apart and alone

hands mine are bound with fear and trepidation knowing not who to trust with my fantasy as does my heart know you would discard it calling me a silly boy who cannot know love for still would be I far too young to understand yet in years of humans am I far by now the adult

kiss the water of the lake before you bless it with the attention I crave yet shall you never know it as there are still many secrets you know not despite your vaunted efforts to know all of me in vain attempt to save me from myself

lonely when surrounded by my peers alone in a room filled with hopes and fears my only comfort is not the wise words of an elder but the dream of having you by my side to this end must I strive to remain my own man and not allow my whimpering cravings to rule me

wander now do I underneath the moon solitary vigil by the light of one's saving grace keeping watch on something one cannot see and listening for the music one's ears will not hear waiting for a cue that you will know me not as a boy but as an equal

within this night shall I walk with silence roaming the edges of my village with head bowed not in prayer but in torment unable to cure the illness that burns me to my heart knowing that part of me shall ever be your slave as long as you breathe

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