Lilly’s Journal

[samantha]

Not long after Isen left her room Lilly’s hand rests on the handle of the superior crossbow he had purchased for her as a courting gift. He had now given her a dress and a bow and in the clumsiest way she could have imagined asked for her hand. “Two months, only two months.” She kicks the thought around in her brain. “Little better than a farm girl and less than a merchant’s daughter,” she had thought she was very clear to him during their last picnic, but it seem elves have their own view of things and Isen’s view of courting and time did not seem to match with hers or the traditions of her home. “Home, where is home from here anyways?” It was evident to her that she was nowhere near her home, she was pretty sure she was not even on the same planet, if that was even possible. “Well, I guess anything is possible with magic isn’t it Lilly,” the familiar voice of Tom echoing in her mind as her eyes flit to a shadow on the wall. “You, leave him be Tom, he is not going to hurt me. You hear me?!” She says, speaking more with her mind than voice as she turns over in the bed, her arm draping of the crossbow in a sleepy embrace. “Two months,” Lilly mumbles, “and not even with a ring, what have you gotten yourself into girl?” Closing her eyes she drifts off to sleep with visions of herself running her very own tavern by the lake……

[samantha]

In the darkness of the room intricate runes can been seen covering the walls even as Lilly's stands in the center with her eyes open turning slowly to study them* How...how Tom did you do this *speaking more to herself than anyone else but her speech seem to stir the shadows in the room and the runes begin to blur in patches as a shadowy figure of a cat passes over them with increasing speed....around and around the shadowy blur goes until the runes seem to dislodge from the wall and hover in the air all around the room...suddenly tiny white sparks form on Lilly's exposed skin they seem to cling to her quivering and shaking, while Lilly just stands looking at the walls...the in a rush of light with no sound at all bout a tiny pop the runes flash towards Lilly merging the sparkles on her flesh and disappear* *Lilly screams wrapping her arms around her body and passes out*

Isendil Xiloscia: *After she stands up from him he stays leaning back in the chair, steepling his fingers as he looks about the room before he jumps up to move across the room, catching her before she falls*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Brushes his fingers along the back of her cheek, holding them

Isendil Xiloscia: *Lifting her up into his arms he carries her over to the bed to set her on it, pulling the covers up over her before he turns to go toward the lap, striking one of his match to relight it*
Isendil Xiloscia: *Turning to look around the room a moment before he goes back to her to sit on the edge of the bed, puling the cover back some to look at her neck in the light*

*he can see the rune, tiny now and white laying on her skin..they are so pale they seem to fade against her skin to near invisible under the slightest of lights*
Isendil Xiloscia: *Rubs his thumb across one of them lightly, furrowing his brow*

*under his touch they vanish...he knows that are not gone but the warmth of his have made it fade to unseen*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Staying outside of the blanket he turn and lays down beside her, wrapping an arm about her to pull her close*

Laila: *once warmed her eyes snap open and she takes a sharp breath* Isen *reaching out* Are you alright? *A low purr echo's through the walls deep and distance* And you to Tom.? *her voice lowers some in doubt if she should said that knowing it sounds less than sane*
Isendil Xiloscia: *He catches her hand and gives it a light kiss* What just happened?
Laila: Tom is here Isen.....
Laila: He is trying to protect me again. *squints her eyes and looks at the walls*

Laila: But...now the runes are gone....this room is not longer safe to be in.

Laila: *tries to sit up but is too weak*

Isendil Xiloscia: *He furrows his brow and trails a finger along her neck again, though he doesn't allow her to get up from his arms* Stay, you're still weak, though I do not know why. I've no idea what the hell just happened.

Laila: I need to dress Isen and we need to leave. Tom does not like this room anymore. *there is a slight tremor of fear in her voice*

Isendil Xiloscia: When they disappeared..they went onto you..though they now have faded.

Laila: *looks at her arm* Where?

Isendil Xiloscia: *He stands up and goes back over to the torch, using his hand to oust the flame before turning to look back at her*

Isendil Xiloscia: I don't care if Tom thinks that this room is unsafe. I'm far stronger then both of you know and have no doubt in my mind that I can handle whatever comes my way. But I need to know what just happened, Lilly.

Laila: Help me up Isen...we need to leave..take me from here and I will tell you what I know. But I warn you it is not much.

Isendil Xiloscia: *He walks back over to the side of the bed and leans down, his arm sliding around her shoulders while he puts his other on her side to lift her from the bed to her feet*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Then still basically half carrying her, he walks with her into the bathroom where her clothes are, before he gathers them up for her*

Laila: *now dressed she points to her bag* Get my bag Isen, please *still leaning on him heavily*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Lifts up the bag and slings it over his shoulder* Where are we going, lovely?
Laila: Take me to the lake..someplace far away from town, hard to sneak up on where you can set us a camp. *even though her voice is resolute he can see she is very weak needing him to support her to walk*

Isendil Xiloscia: Talk to me while we walk. Anything. *Putting her arm over his shoulder and his arm around her waist, he walks*

Laila: *try's to speak a few times but can't seem to say anything coherent, all of her energy going to standing and walking*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Leading her out to the lake he curls around it and along the old stone bridges, to where the remains of his old camp used to be before he started to stay with her*

Isendil Xiloscia: Come on. *He stops walking a moment to slip his arms around her legs and lift her up into his arms, carrying her*

Laila: *coughs and a few flecks of blood spatter on her lips*

Isendil Xiloscia: Here My old camp. Has a good view of the entire area, and I can hear anything coming in the woods behind us long before it gets here. *He lifts a finger to gently wipe away the flecks of blood* Now tell me what is happening.

Laila: I need to lie down

Isendil Xiloscia: *Carrying her still, he simply sits, and lets her lay across her lap*

Laila: *slips from his arms to the ground and begins to shiver again*

Laila: I told you my adoptive mother was a powerful mage. *coughs*She needed my blood to control the Hell Riders.

Isendil Xiloscia: You did.

Laila: *nods blinking several times as if trying to shake a mental fog off* When she first put me in the tower it was not warded.

Isendil Xiloscia: *He brushes a bit of hair from her face* Focus, beautiful. I need to know so I know how to help. *He lays beside her, against her some to help with his body heat to ward off the shivers*

Laila: I escape several times in the first few weeks, much to her dismay, but much to mine she had guards there who caught me, mainly because of their dogs, the men I could have slipped by with ease. One day she dismissed all the guards and came into the tower... Then for the first time she stripped me bare and shackled me to the center of the room that was to become my cell. Then using her blood mixed with mine she painted runes on all the walls, ceiling and floor until nothing was left untouched. *coughs* the drain from me nearly killed me, and I passed out. When I woke up the runes she had painting in blood had turned black and by the next day faded into the walls till they could hardly been seen. I began to get my strength back and that is when Tom found me. The runes kept him from coming into the room so he prowled around outside wailing and clawing at the bricks from dusk to dawn. During the day the bitch would come back and draw tiny bits of blood from me and use it to craft new spells, which she tried out on me with some glee. She went on and on about how long she had waited for this time to come and how very angry she was when I had snuck out. She was tickled that I had not been so foolish as to give away my gift to any boy on my coming out night as by somehow retaining it made my blood more powerful for her. This went on for weeks and weeks. Her coming by day and Tom by night but by the 5th week I noticed something in the night time. When I snuffed out the one candle I had in the room the place where Tom was circling outside the tower, the runes would turn white and glow faintly. In this way I could track where he was and it gave me comfort. I began to press my hands to the wall and talk to Tom so he would stand in one spot for a long period of time. It was then I saw that where I touched on the inside and he on the outside the runes would remain white Soon we made a game of it, moving around the room trying to turn parts of the weave from black to white, but sometimes when I did this I became very ill *coughs*: The when the bitch would comes she would punish me for not resting and force me to drink foul things to burned my throat so I was strong enough for her to test magic on me. On the positive side the more runes we turned to white the less effect her magic seemed to have on me. She was getting madder and madder not understanding why her magic was not working as well and thinking she was going down the wrong path to unlock my blood secret. Then in a fit of frustration she blasted me with a terrible spell of darkness, I felt my body nearly ripping in two, like my soul and my body parted ways and I could see her as she really was vile, shielded in blackness with blue flames all around her and I could see the dark runes in the walls shooting out at me like tiny hooks binding me to the room where the white runes where like holes in the fabric of space. When I came to myself I was very sick, very cold and very naked on the floor of my cell. I could hear Tom wailing frantically outside, I think that is when he began to dig through the stone. Needless to say I do not know how I survived the next three days. No one came for me; there was no food, no water and constant pain. I was shackled to the floor and could not even reach the bench where a few potions had been left. I did not even know what they were but I would have drunk anything at that point. Then on the 4th morning Tom broke through the wall in one of out places of light. He began to bring me rabbits and other small animals to eat along with muddy water in a leather flask that I am sure he stole. Laila: It all tasted horrid but I ate whatever he brought me raw, as there was no way to cook it, and between being sick from hungry, food poisoning and gods know what else I suddenly got to feeling better as my body adapted to the diet. The bitch had not come back now in over two weeks. I think she must have thought me dead or, worse she was preparing some terrible spell to once and for all wrest the blood from me or perhaps my corpse. Now inside the tower Tom ran the walls and his direct contact with the runes turned them all white. One day about the middle of the second week when I was feeling pretty good Tom began to run the walls very fast, faster and faster and faster until he was just a blur streaking around the room...
Laila: The runes seem to lift right off the wall and slammed into me like a wall of water knocking me to the floor. When I woke up he was sitting on my chest licking his paws seeming very please with himself. I was confused to say the least and a bit mad but I did not know why.
Isendil Xiloscia: *he tilts his head* Just as I was standing the Bitch came into the room. From the look on her face I could tell she was shocked I was still alive, pissed at the small hole in the wall which Tom made a hasty exit through and judging from the staff in her hand ready to cast something terrible on me to get what she wanted. Without hesitation I jumped at her like a crazed cat trying to bite. clam and kick her for all I was worth. That lasted about 1 tenth of a second before I was flung against the wall and pinned there with a huge magical hand and then she began to cast and cast and cast, each spell taking a bit longer than the last and all feeding into a tiny black orb in front of her, I wet myself watching her *blushes* I knew I was going to die this time there would be no escape for Lilly.

Isendil Xiloscia: *his frown deepens*

Laila: Then after what felt like hours she cast her final spell and hurled the black orb at me. It sunk deep into my chest like it was merging with my very flesh and the pain and burning it caused made me scream so loud that I lost my voice to it and all I could see what darkness. Then, suddenly my body erupted with light, sparkles of light shooting out from every part of me all at once, filling the room like a snow storm, Then it was the bitches turn to scream and scream as the light lanced into her like a million tiny daggers of light. When the room was quiet again, she was gone, the small hole behind me that Tom had made had been blown open wide enough for me to crawl out and I had just enough present of mind to slip out of the tower, naked as I was and crawl into the woods. At the edge of the forest I saw Tom sitting on my chest of things...I do not know where they came from but I knew somehow they belonged to my real family and thus to me. I made my way to it opened it and pulled out a simple dress which lay on top and a small knife. I had no sooner done that then the world fell away and I came to once again not far from this town by the lake here, with noting but my clothes I had on and my wits. You know the rest. *shutters*

Isendil Xiloscia: *He leans down to kiss her forehead, letting his lips linger *

Isendil Xiloscia: *he pulls back some, speaking quietly* What always made you feel better in the when you were sick?

Laila: Magic makes me sick Isen. Something that bitch did to me. It makes my skin crawls like ants. Tom bound the runes to me to protect me from magic and it works but if they stay on me they make me sick as well. I need to get them back off of me again, in a safe room, someplace I can sleep and be protected. I do not know why by the room at the inn will no longer works. If it was safe the runes would not have come to me. But as far as getting better....I do not know. I was sick allot Isen, then I felt really good when I came here and the runes left me for the walls. I could feel Tom's paws on me the first few night but thought it was a dream and when Smokey came I thought at first he was like Tom and maybe he was helping me get better. *smiles faintly* Cats make me feel better. Touching them.

Isendil Xiloscia: Well, then. Tom needs to remove them from you now and have them about here, and will just have to trust my ability to protect you. You're going to be my wife, afterall. What would i be if I did not protect you?

Laila: Like we are connected somehow. I do not know if Tom is even here and if he was, I never could call him, he just comes when he comes and does what he does. He is a cat, not a dog.

Isendil Xiloscia: *He kisses her forehead again before he stands up stripping his chain down to his waist* You've already said my magic does not hurt you, but felt good, no?

Laila: It felt cool on my skin and not like ants and fire if that is what you mean.

Isendil Xiloscia: *Pulling his gloves off and tosses them behind himself, then his belt with his rapier, though before he tosses it back he pulls the blade up and cuts a gash along both his palms*

Laila: *watches closely*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Tossing his rapier back he gives her a small smile before kneeling down notably beside the tree, his hands bleeding actually quite a bit as he holds them out, creating a circle around himself with it* Lilly.

Laila: What? What are you doing Isen?

Isendil Xiloscia: I'm not sure. Something I've never done before.

Isendil Xiloscia: My mother was an Oracle. While I process no sight like hers, I can be rather intuitive. So I don't know, but something I feel I must.

Laila: If you plan on using magic on me, do not. I wish no harm on you, and I do not know what might happen to you, me or both of us.

Isendil Xiloscia: *He smirks faintly as roots from the nearby tree shoot up from the ground around him, the offering of blood on the grass around him bubbling slightly. The roots wrap themselves around his body, some looking rather painful. But the roots wrap around his naked arms and torso* No on you. Isendil Xiloscia: The ground around us.
Isendil Xiloscia: *Finally, he looks anchored to the ground by the roots, when she can see from behind him a root poking from the ground slowly, moving up his back slowly* But if this is what I must do to protect you from whatever is in your past. I will. I'm not one to sit by and let the woman in love be in pain. If I have to give myself to the land to do so, then I gladly will.

Laila: *just looks confused*

Isendil Xiloscia: *The root that has been snaking it's way up his back wraps around his throat, his head jerking back to look straight up, two more breaking free of the ground to wrap around his wrists, causing the blood from his still bleeding hands to drip down them*

Laila: *stands there not moving, not knowing what to do*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Isen's eyes go wide as the irises of his eyes change from violet to a swirling of green and brown, his mouth moving quickly, but no words come*

Laila: *her mind racing, reaching out to Tom somewhere deep in the recess of her mind*

Isendil Xiloscia: *As the blood drips down the roots to the ground, it is soaked up quickly, Isen's grey skin growing paler. His mouth continues to move *
Isendil Xiloscia: *Soon enough all about the two of them, marking the edges of their camp, the red of his blood begins to emerge from the ground, in the shape of his own runes. A few moments more the trees about them also begin to bear such marks*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Isen's mouth stops moving, and his body goes a little limp as the roots begin to retract, the runes of red all about them along the edges of what will be their camp, on the ground, the trees, even the rocks. As they finally pull themselves back into the ground, the red fades, leaving little trace that to they were even there, save a feeling akin to one would get standing in the middle of a wood on a bright and window day during fall, mirrored by the trees around them shedding a few of their leaves*

Laila: What did you just do? *she whispers softly*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Kneeling with his body limp he lifts his hands slowly rubbing them together as he mumbles a prayer quietly, this time using his magic in a more conventional means, the green gash healing his hands, the blow of blood stopping*

Isendil Xiloscia: *He looks back, his eyes from the edge being reclaimed by his normal violet, a light smile on his face* Come here, kneel in front of me. *He whispers, his voice very, very soft*
Laila: *still looking around a bit pale from the illness wracking her body and fear*
Laila: *kneels in front of him*

Isendil Xiloscia: Kahlut has made it safe for us here, taking what was needed from me to do so. *He lifts a hand to touch her cheek, forgetting about the blood on them, though his touch seems weak himself* You are the first that I have ever cared about.

Laila: safe, what do you mean safe? How?

Isendil Xiloscia: beyond my own power, to imagine you in pain is fury to me. I won't ever let anything hurt you ever again. And if they do..it will be their final mistake.

Laila: *looks around at where she saw the circle around them and stands up*

Isendil Xiloscia: They very land itself will protect us while we are here, or it should.

Laila: *moves to the edge of the circle and slowly extends her hands* *white sparks begin to fly from her hands and a crackling sound like static fills the air* *she jumps back* A trap!
Isendil Xiloscia: ...a what? *He looks back*

Laila: *slides her blades out and narrows her eyes at him*

Laila: You trapped me here, with you. Why? *her eyes quickly measuring the full circle burning it into her mind so she does not cross it by accident*

Isendil Xiloscia: I did not..

Laila: YOU DID TOO!

Laila: *even though she shouted her words lack real effort of anger, more shock and pain* What kind of man are you anyways? You change into all sorts of things and now this. *tears forming at the edge of her eyes*

Isendil Xiloscia: It should have done nothing of the sort, I didn't even ask for anything like that. *He stays kneeling with his body limp, seeming too weak to even move much*

Laila: How the hell am I supposed to know what you asked for. I see you using blood magic and now I am stick inside this ring.

Isendil Xiloscia: Just enough to protect you enough and make you feel safe..not tarp you. Why would I want to trap the woman I love and was about to ask to marry me?

Laila: *even though she has her blades out they are not lifted to hurt him but her knuckles ar white on the hilts*
Laila: I am not seer....my mother swore she loved me for 14 years before trying for months to kill me.....or have you not been listening.
Laila: I was an idiot to trust anyone with my past.. Just admit it you want my blood....don't you *her voice nearly a whisper now*

Isendil Xiloscia: Why would I want that? What would I do with it? And if you're so damn worried, just take the blade you've drawn and pop me on the back of the neck with it. I'm to weak to do anything about it otherwise, and if all I've done means this little to you, just kill me. If I die the 'trap' will fade, I think, in any case

Laila: *a deep low growl slips from her lips as she steps toward him her blades coming up* *slowly she raises them so they are even with his neck, the slightly force would send the razor sharp blade through his neck beheading him* *her breath comes quickly now her hands trembling as every muscle in her body tightens and with a scream that sounds like a howl of pain straight from her heart she leaps over him into the barrier towards the lake her blades clattering to the ground behind him as she does so*

Isendil Xiloscia: *he doesn't move, save reaching down to take a cigar and light it weakly* Eh. 'least I got to know a lil bit of love 'fore I died. Still wished I coulda been a big dragon, though.
Isendil Xiloscia: ..*he looks up, blinking*

Laila: *when she hit the barrier there is a clap like thunder and lightening, power sweeps over Isen reviving him and he can see Lilly’s body being tossed around in the maelstrom suspended in the air caught up in his ward*....

Isendil Xiloscia: *Rushes up to his feet to reach out and grab her*

Laila: *light and darkness begin ripped from her body so it looks like she is three people...and Lilly of light, a Lilly of Darkness and Just Lilly’s body* *The body of light and dark which had been fused together by the runes are now being torn apart as the natural wards rips good from bad to restore natures balance to it*... *Then with a clap of thunder light and dark vanish and Lilly body falls from the sky towards the lake as gravity takes over*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Would be running over to grab her*

Laila: *leaning out Isen manages to Catch Lilly in his arms*

Isendil Xiloscia: *Falls backward onto his back, with her onto of him*

Laila: *bring her to him where her eyes flutter open and she offers him a weak smile* Isen....the pain is gone....I feel.......normal again *turns into his chest and begins to weep*



Next Entry -- The proposal

[samantha]

Lilly’s sits up in her bed and moves over to the window to open it. It has been a few days now since she exchanged private vows with Isen and she is a little anxious about getting to an official wedding date. She does not wish to push it much longer as the ability to keep such a thing as a man sneaking to your room every night is difficult in such a small town. Breathing in the fresh air she thinks of all the things that have transpired over just the last week and begins to tick them off in her mind. She met an assassin from the local order and performed a paid task for her, she would have done it for free, but being paid to kill pirates was a bonus. Of course when the assassin tired to stiff her and then would not tell her of the next target, the one she cared about knowing, the whole reason for her performance she found it necessary to remove her. Then take her guild token and go about sending more messages out about how the pirates had slain the careless wench and how Lilly was still open to take the contract. Just when she was sure she had sent enough messages out to gain the needed attention the sheriff had called Isen up for a job, which she volunteered to go on. It was the most excitement she had seen so far, exciting because she finally got to test her skills in a way that was not a running shooting match with some dragon or other crazy powerful creature. This time she felt she had a chance to survive if she just kept her wits about her. Then that all feel apart as one minute she was fine and the next it appears she had become some sort of tiny statue. When she finally came around Isen was in the throes of depression and she had to get him to tell her the whole story before his mood seemed to break. After a nice dinner and seeing Isen in a real suit for the first time Lilly headed back to her room opening the window for Isen to come in.