Lorsalian Silvermist -- Part I

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Lorsalian
Sojourner
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2003 6:01 am

Lorsalian Silvermist -- Part I

Postby Lorsalian » Sun Oct 10, 2004 2:03 am

Found out someone has taken the name 'Elner' The character in this and other stories are NOT they


A few rays of sunlight shown through the heavy clouds, their paths clearly visible as they descended to play on the waves in harbor. The deck heaved slightly as one of those waves buffeted the hull. The lightning and rain had passed hours ago, but a solid wind remained that gusted brine against the ranger's face. A hooded cloak would have obscured his face as well as the padded armor he wore covered the rest of his body, but the hood was pushed back, revealing a head of brown hair and pointed, but lobed, elvish ears. It's got to the point where I almost feel undressed without armor, he thought, but anything heavier would not serve me well right now. For while it was still but early spring, the days recently had been quite warm. Besides, he thought, smiling ruefully, metal is about the last thing I wanted to wear during that storm.

Years had passed since his mentor had retired, and while Lorsalian did appear to be a little older, it seemed that he cheated the years - a legacy of his half-elven heritage. He looked down at the strange bag he had obtained from that traveling merchant. Outwardly small, it was sturdy to withstand the roughest treatment, and reminded the half-elf of the barrel he had lost on his journey through the gate - it held more than it seemed it should.

"Made by elves, sir!" the merchant had said when Lorsalian's interest in the item had become obvious.
"Where!?!"
"Elves sir, on an island in the Endless sea!"
Lorsalian's heart sank. It must have made its way here in a previous trip through the gate. "A very large island, I'd say ... "
"Not much bigger than this city, fine sir!" He really wanted to sell Lorsalian something.

Evermeet is many times the size of this city, Lorsalian knew � ever though he had never explored much back then, it was obvious that this merchant spoke of a different city. After all, I know of another enclave in the east, why not yet another? He had gone there just months before, but they had been unable to help him in his search for the other gate. They just mentioned a valley of their ... COUSINS!

The merchant had bargained hard for the bag and directions to that valley - enough that Lorsalian would have been hard pressed to carry such a sum and remain unmolested in the bazaar - the large bulges in his clothing and the crawling on the ground would give him away. The merchant agreed to a letter from a local counting-house, and Lorsalian was able to bargain a discount from that, as the discussion of the sums involved had attracted attention to the now enriched man - provided Lorsalian delivered the note to the merchant's counting house himself.

So after stopping by the harbor office, the ranger now stood on the deck of a sailing ship as the sailors readied her for departure. The first mate walked up to Lorsalian - the tapping of the officer's boots breaking Lor from his reverie - then greeted the passenger with a smile and a curt nod.

"I understand your wanting to be on deck for departure, sir, but I must ask you to go below to your cabin once we are underway " the open sea will still be rough after that storm we had earlier."
"Of course. Which one was it again?"
The first mate handed Lorsalian a piece of tooled leather with a rune stamped upon its surface. "Just look for the matching symbol, sir."


Lorsalian thanked Kanrol, who did not recognize the half-elf. Lorsalian had done his best to avoid the youth since Elner - the ranger's mentor - had obtained this sailor's berth. Lor didn't want to mess up the youth's life any further - and he wanted to be recognized even less. Lorsalian wasn't completely sure why Kanrol didn't recognize him. It could have been the years - but then again, Lor did look very different now than the beggars Kanrol had met.

The ship lurched as the sails unfurled - the harbor pilot had finally stepped off the rail onto a boat waiting to take him back to the docks. The past storm's windy legacy caught the sails almost immediately, and within a short time, the city was no longer visible behind them.

With a nod to the first mate, Lor took the token and proceeded below by a stair in the aft to where his weapons and other provisions had been stored. The small cabin also contained a chair and narrow bench to rest out the trip, and a tightness that would inspire a dwarf to claustrophobia. A collection of dowels and a plank lashed together underneath the bench could be fashioned to a crude table.

Must be for those who don't want to share the crew's meals, Lorsalian surmised. The few gold it cost me to have them stock extra food will be worth it - I'll not be able to spend much if I come into a barren wilderness, but the food'll be a lot more useful. Lorsalian chuckled once, smirking. Besides, if I really need coin, I'll find a way to get it - even if I have to scrounge bottles for it. His first year in Waterdeep had been bought by several dozen of those bottles.

He unlocked and opened the boxy chest at the foot of the bench: His mentor's old sword, another equally well-balanced but shorter blade, both in their scabbards, as well as a light shield rested on top, strapped to the lid of the chest. The shield would hang from a pack he'd made from buckskin that rested right below, at the top of his other belongings. His other armor, including a set of greaves and vambraces made of finely blued steel, lay right below the pack. Water-skins and several packages of deer jerky - it was left over after he made the pack, after all - along with crackers wrapped in leather to keep them dry rounded out the collection, and were stored at the bottom of the chest. Lorsalian wrinkled his nose. He hoped that his clothing and foodstuffs wouldn't take on the smell of the pitch they sealed these chests with. Lorsalian closed the chest, laid down on the bunk, and attempted to catch what sleep he could.

Lorsalian gazed at the horizon as the night breeze blew his shoulder-length hair behind him. Sleep hadn't come easily - he was able to rest, but the stuffy box the bunk was stored in just couldn't comfort the ranger enough for ship, despite the soothing pitch of the ship in the waves. So a few hours after he shared the crew's dinner of salted meat - he wasn't exactly sure what type - and preserved fruit, he came to the deck to relax in an attempt to store up air for when he eventually would need to return to the bunk. He chuckled. I doubt they'll take the reputation risk of letting me sleep on deck - I might fall off.

The ship's running lights, and a single oil lamp aft to provide light to the night crew burned softly, throwing dancing points of fire onto the ship's wake. The night helmsman and the lookout maintained their posts lazily, taking what rest they could from the relatively calm night.

Lorsalian tilted his head up to gaze at the stars, and revel in the - the same stars that shown over Leuthilspar, and his favorite grove. If you could see the sky through the branches, he chuckled. He wondered what awaited him when he was able to return - if he was able to return. For all I know, th e gate either isn't among the elves on this island, or their gate is broken in the same way - and I don't really want to find out how deep the harbor is anytime soon.

"Hello Kanrol," he spoke to the sea as the first mate - who had introduced himself earlier that night - walked up behind the ranger. I know Elner'd take me to task for using the awareness spell for such a childish reason, but I can't help it, Lorsalian grinned inwardly. He just enjoyed taking people off-guard, and calling someone by name without turning around certainly did it. Hope I guessed right.

"Couldn't sleep either"" Kanrol asked after a brief shocked pause.
The ranger's grin of triumph melted into a friendly smile as he turned around, "Just too stuffy down there ... "
"Like a cell."
Why is he telling me this"
Seeing the ranger's expression, Kanrol continued, "I had some problems. Scaring, taking, or breaking open anything that had something I wanted - till everything just fell apart."

"Somehow I was sent to this ship instead of the gallows," Kanrol shrugged, "and despite the cell-like quarters I really am better off now. I get the respect of the men, all the fun of leadership, and people tend not to have the urge to send for the watch when I enter a tavern onshore." He hesitated, then added sheepishly with a grin, "Well, not as often, anyway."
"Oh," he added as he turned to leave, "if you're willing to leave the door open then put a cloak hanging over the opening, the seas will wave it a bit - might help."

The next several days until the ship docked past without incident. Lor still ate his meals with the crew, learned a few tales he'd have to tell once he returned; and still went up onto the deck sat night to watch the seas and search for the coming coastline, but after that night, his trip became shorter - that trick Kanrol told him about truly worked, and made the cabin's bunk more bearable.

The day that the ship arrived in the small port dawned bright. Despite the port's small size or perhaps because of it, the amount of activity on the dock looked like a carnival. Merchants waited on the dock next to the cargo they meant to ship, guards in leather armor snarling at any who approached too closely. Others sold snacks or livestock to those arriving or departing, and above it all was the panicked shouts of the ticket-seller in his office, telling people to buy tickets for the trip to the city of Splendors. He was alone, and never dared leave his office to take the tickets, so he was ignored. Lorsalian stood to the side and watched the spectacle long after his chest had been lowered to him - after opening it briefly to ensure his master's sword and other possessions were still contained within. When the ship had nearly disappeared, the ranger bent to open the chest to claim the rest of his gear.

Inside his buckskin pack was a well-polished sword hilt, its blade severed about an inch from the crosspiece, its blade sheathed in a folded sheet of paper. On opening the paper, Lorsalian discovered a note:

The blade isn't much use without the rest of the sword, you know. This made a decent enough ship knife, and tended to impress people, but I thought that you should have it. I hope the sword serves you better than it did me - the first good swordsman I met, the thing broke on me. I meant every word when I said I'm better off now.
Farewell.


After looking up and observing the faint outline of a figure on deck with his hand raised in farewell, the ranger refolded the note, replaced the hilt in his pack until he could find a replacement scabbard, and repacked for his journey, pausing briefly to retrieve his deposit from the harbor master for the chest, before setting off to follow the directions he'd been given.
Last edited by Lorsalian on Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
Nilan
Sojourner
Posts: 689
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2001 6:01 am

Postby Nilan » Sun Oct 10, 2004 6:28 am

Nice story, my ranger friend :)

Looking forward to part 2

Enjoyed it alot,

Nilan
aka
Stabby
Sonon
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Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:33 pm
Location: San Antonio,Texas
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Postby Sonon » Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:35 am

yes great story Elf can't wait till the next installment

Sonon Safiso
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Alysia group-says 'Lilen immolates a terrified squirrel to a charred crisp with his devastating inferno!'
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Lilen has left the group.

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