|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 22, 2009 13:14:22 GMT -8
It was almost dawn.
The pale light that always preceded the sun’s rise permeated the chill morning air. Mist still lay heavily on the ground, curling sluggishly around the trunks of the trees. Moments later, birds all across the island burst into raucous song, filling the air with their music.
Eoin tramped through the forest, his cloak pulled tight against him. He loved being outside when the sun came up and warmed the cold island. Everything seemed fresh and new, and each morning was different from the last.
There was still a slight bite to the air, one of the first warning signs that summer was waning. Soon the people of the Shetland Islands would be out in droves to collect what firewood they could find, and to fill their meager storages with meat and fruit. Eoin would have his hands full then next couple of months, trying both to keep his family fed and ready for the winter, as well as hunting for whomever else wished him to.
Neither Eoin nor his father were farmers, and they depended on trading meat with their neighbors to get things like flour and vegetables. His mother and sister would probably be out in the forest and surrounding fields with the rest of the women looking for every berry and nut they could find not too long from now.
Eoin’s father would be concentrating these next few weeks on building up their small house, trying to make it as impervious as possible, as would every other family on the island. As for Eoin himself, he would be concentrating on hunting and staying as far away from the Irons as possible.
Years ago, before his world had been shattered, Eoin had been more than a little ambivalent to the cause of the Irons and Flames. Everything changed the night his twin was killed during a fight between the Irons and the Flames.
Eoin clenched his teeth, the memories from that night flashing before his eyes. He had been sick in bed when his twin told him of the fight that was scheduled for that night. His twin had always been good in a fight, so Eoin had no trouble telling his brother to go. It was not until the next morning he found out what happened. His twin had gotten to the fight just as it seemed to be winding down, when a fresh group of Irons joined in, completely turning the tide, and killing nearly all the participating Flames, Eoin’s twin included. Since that time, the only dealings Eoin wanted with any Iron or anyone who sympathized with the Irons was a fist in their face.
He would not hunt for them, nor would he talk to any of them. His mother often begged him to forgive them, saying that only a few Irons should be blamed for his brother’s death, and not all, but Eoin refused to lower himself to that. Their very existence offended him, and if were in his power, he would wipe out every one of them.
With a growl of frustration, Eoin shoved his morbid thoughts to the back of his head. He knelt by one of the many streams running through the forest, and splashed some water on his face. He did not want to be thinking about the Irons this early in the morning.
Eoin got to his feet, and turned on his heel sharply, striding back down the small deer track he had been following. The sun had risen, and the day had began.
[/center] [/color] [/blockquote]
|
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 23, 2009 3:37:13 GMT -8
Leaning back against the tree she sat in Lila swung her leg back and forth as the other sat on the tree branch she had taken to sitting on in the past couple of days she'd been here. Sighing she lifted her face up int the rising sun feeling its warmth as it rose above the trees and into the morning sky ready for a new day. A small curved her lips as she thought of how much she'd gotten attach to this peaceful place that's she'd only spent a bare two days in. The sunrises being her favourite time, as it had been this time in the morning she had sailed to this island and left her little boat with strangers.
With not a care in the world about what happened to the boat she looked down at her hands as they lay in her lap. Looking past her hands she saw her foot still swinging back and forth to some unknown music that haunted these woods, then looking further down about 8 foot below her lay the ground with the early leavers of the trees around her telling her of the waning summer air. Moving her gaze slightly to her left she saw the bubbling stream that flowed at a pace that made it easy enough to walk across without being swept away.
Retreiving her gaze to look back up at the sky a sharp sound resounded in her ears. Stilling her foot that still swung below her, she turned her head slightly to see a young man not much older than her she thought, walking on the deer track towards the stream. Looking at him from behind at his shortly cut dark hair and broad muscled shoulders Lila wondered what he would look like from the the front.
Hearing his growl of frustration as he bent and splashed his face with water did she come out of a dream state she could swear on her life had never happened to her before especially with a male. Shocked at her behaviour she shook her head slightly closing her eyes to be rid of the image, she opened them again to be once again staring at him as he walked back down the deer track. Seeing his thin handsome face even with the nose slightly to big for his face, Lila snapped her head away from the wonderful image she just saw, to only slap her face on a stick as she turned her head that she swore wasn't there before.
Smothering as best she could a moan of discomfort which ended up coming out as a tiny squeak, she covered what would now be a very red mark on her right cheek. Wincing inwardly as she rubbed soothingly across the sore spot, her mind now on relieving the pain in her cheek not on the sudden object of her obsession, didn't seem to care if he noticed.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 23, 2009 9:57:19 GMT -8
He really should be getting home.
Eoin ran a hand through his hair, and sighed explosively. His mother would have breakfast ready soon, and his stomach had already told him in a very loud and commanding way that he should get home in time to eat something. The sun was completely up now, and his mother would be looking for his return any time now. If Eoin was lucky, they would have some ham to go along with the eggs that usually graced the table. There would almost certainly be gruel as well, but Eoin refused to eat something that looked like grey sludge.
Eoin froze as the sound of wood hitting flesh, followed by a sharp squeak reached his ears, his eyes searching through the underbrush for the cause of the sound. Had someone been following him? He cursed himself for deciding to leave his bow at home. It was foolish of him to think that just because the forest was Flame territory that it meant there would be no Irons. The nearest trap lay several yards away, and was wholly useless when it came to someone following him. He bit back a word his mother would have washed his mouth out had she heard it, as a terrible thought occurred to him. What if an Iron had followed him? The Flames prided themselves on the fact no Iron knew how to get through this forest unharmed. If an Iron had followed him, they now knew a safe path into the very heart of the forest. Dread rose within him. Had he helped the very people he loathed?
It was not until he saw the foot that Eoin thought to look in the trees. His eyes travelled from the foot on up to the face of its owner, and Eoin blinked in surprise.
There was a girl sitting in a tree. A girl he had never seen before, and Eoin would have bet his life on the fact he knew every man, woman, and child currently residing on the island. She was rubbing a red mark on her cheek, Eoin assumed it was she who was hit by a branch, and looked completely unaware of her surroundings. She had astoundingly bright red hair, something Eoin knew he would have remembered, had he seen it before. Had she come to the island, perhaps?
He stood there awkwardly for a long moment, trying to figure out if he should just walk away, or find out who she was.
“Er… Miss? Is there anything I can help with?” [/center] [/blockquote] [/color]
|
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 24, 2009 7:04:12 GMT -8
“Er… Miss? Is there anything I can help with?”
Hearing the voice of her angel, Lila quickly tore that thought from her head as she turned to see still holding her cheek, to see him looking up at her. Looking down she muttered an incoherent string of curses. Finishing, she looked straight at him and said "Well.... ahhh.... i should be fine thankyou, but thankyou for asking."
Turning her head back around careful of the stick she'd hit before, making a face she looked up to see her bow and arrows hanging on a branch. Pulling them off the branch Lila carefully but swiftly climbed down the tree, slinging her arrows on her back and holding her crossbow at her side she looked at him again. With an impassive expression her eyes took their fill of broad shoulders and muscled arms hidden beneath a cloak, then mocving ehr gaze up to his face to look into brown eyes, she inwardly shook her head as she tried to send such ridiculous thoughts away, she said in a quiet voice tainted with a scottish burr " so..... morning, my name's Lila." Sticking out her hand she inwardly scolded herself for her sudden nervousness.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 26, 2009 1:25:21 GMT -8
 Eoin smiled slightly as Lila introduced herself, still looking rather baffled, and took her hand. “Eoin Annan.” He replied with a small bow in her direction. “I hope you will not think me rude for asking this, but how is it that you came to be up in a tree in this forest?” Eoin still had no idea how long the girl had been there, and how she had gotten here in the first place. He was relatively certain that she had not followed him out to this particular spot, but that begged the question of how she had gotten passed all the traps in the first place. He felt more than a little awkward, just standing there and talking to Lila. He had not had much social contact with members of the opposite gender who were not already married and raising a family for some time now, and he felt out of practice.
[/center][/blockquote][/color] |
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 26, 2009 2:13:29 GMT -8
Smiling as he shook her hand, feeling a tingly sensation shoot up her arm she felt warmth spread to her face, hoping she wasn't blushing, something she rarely did, she answered Eoin " Well... I found my way here from, oh crap." Lila muttered the last two words as she couldn't seem to remember which way she came, usually she would but at this moment it didn't seem to be the case.
Letting go of his hand she looked to her left towards the stream that still bubbled along happily, then suddenly remembering she exclaimed, " I came across from the stream there and somewhere beyond that!" as she pointed and bounced for a moment on her toes like a little child.
Sobering suddenly she turned back to Eoin and shaking her head a wry smile curving her lips as she looked up at him and said" I seriously can't believe I did that, and at eighteen you'd think i'd be a little more mature."
Wincing from smiling to much, Lila dropped her crossbow with a clatter as she raised her hand to her right cheek to feel the pain coming from close to her mouth. Cursing silently she rubbed the red mark soothingly and muttered "This hurts." As from looking down at the ground she looked back up at Eoin.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 26, 2009 21:04:10 GMT -8
Eoin chuckled slightly as Lila tried to remember which way she came from, and perfunctorily turned to look in the direction where she pointed excitedly. There was not much in that direction, save the coast. It seemed to confirm his suspicion that she was a new addition to the island, rather than a native.
Blinking slightly at the sudden change in attitude, Eoin just smiled in reply to her statement. He was more than a little surprised at her ability to go from rather childish to “Mature Adult” in less time it took for him to formulate a thought.
He jumped slightly as her crossbow hit the ground, and he quickly returned this focus to the girl before him. She was holding her cheek, the mark left from the branch still a bright red.
“Are you alright?” Eoin asked, frowning slightly. She obviously was not alright, but what else was he supposed to ask? His mother had some rudimentary healing skills, and could make a poultice that reduced swelling, but with her hand in the way, Eoin could not tell if Lila needed it or not.
For lack of a better thing to do, Eoin bent down, and picked up her crossbow, wordlessly holding it out for her. He had no idea why a girl would have a crossbow on her person, much less one that showed signs of use. Perhaps customs were different where she came from.
Eoin stomach grumbled slightly, reminding him that he still had not gotten breakfast. It was still relatively early, and he had been gone from home longer then he currently was, but every second he spent in the forest was a decrease in the likelihood of having anything besides gruel. He could not just leave the girl, however. As far as he could tell, she had no place to stay, and if his mother found out that he had left a girl with no place to stay in the middle of a trap infested forest, he’d be forced to eat gruel for the rest of his life, if he was lucky. [/center][/blockquote][/color] |
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 28, 2009 3:09:57 GMT -8
“Are you alright?”
Seeing Eoin's slight frown as he said this, Lila gingerly lifted her hand that covered the sore spot that resided near her mouth. "I'm alright, I think" she said quietly as looking down she saw him hold her crossbow wordlessly in front of her for her to take back. Chuckling softly smiled and said "Thanks," as she took the crossbow from his grasp.
Then suddenly hearing a small grumble that certainly didn't come from her stomach, her lips curved into a small all-knowing smile she looked up at Eoin so he could see it. "It's seems to me that your quite hungry, am i right?" Lila asked that small smile still on her lips. Her hand still hovering but not covering the, for all she knew, swollen spot on her cheek, grazed it as a urge to wince from the pain that shot through bounded up her throat. Smothering the wince, it ended with the same fate as the first one she did, it had come out as a short and sharp, but this time quiet squeak.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 28, 2009 10:23:20 GMT -8
 Eoin flushed slightly when Lila heard his growling stomach. While it certainly was not one of the most embarrassing things a body could do, it was up there. Eoin decided right then and there that he would always bring something to munch one while he went to go watch the sunrise. Not only would that avoid giving his stomach a reason to complain loudly, but it would also spare him the discomfort of going hungry. Ignoring Lila comment, he instead focused on the red, and definitely swollen, mark on her check. His mother would certainly be able to take care of it, but would Lila except help? She had not asked for help with the red mark, and it was possible she did not want any help. Eoin made up his mind when he heard the small squeak. It would not hurt to offer his mother’s services, and it might if he did not. “My mother has some skill in dealing with wounds of that type. If you like, I am sure she would be more than willing to make you something to reduce the swelling.” While there would be some eyebrows raised if he brought a young woman home, Eoin was relatively confidant he could dispel any question of propriety. He was merely escorting a young woman who had been hurt to a healer. There was nothing improper about that.
[/center][/blockquote][/color] |
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 29, 2009 4:18:38 GMT -8
Listening to the suggestion Lila wondered what she should do. As she stood there considering it her hand had wondered behind her back to hold her other arm, a stance which she did many a time throughout her childhood when considering something. Weighing her options whether she should should go with Eoin see his mother, who seemed to be some sort of a healer that would make her cheek heal faster, or should she refuse his help and leave her swollen cheek to very slowly become better but most likely have more pain.
Choosing to agree to the help Eoin offered, Lila looked up from the spot she had taken to on the ground right before his boots and said, " that... that would be ummm..... nice is she could, if she doesn't mind healing some umm... well complete stanger." Her lips had curved into a small nervous smile as looking at him, she wondered whether in his village there would be speculation about him bringing an unknown women to his home.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 29, 2009 11:07:22 GMT -8
“I’m sure she would not mind a bit.” Eoin replied, smiling slightly. Truth be told, his mother loved to mother things, even those outside her own family. To be given the chance to mother a wounded, homeless girl who was knew to the island would make her day, and possibly even her week.
He shifted slightly, noticing Lila seemed to have an uncommon interest in his boots. While he liked them very much, they were just an ordinary pair of boots, and did not warrant close inspection.
“Ah… Shall we go?” Eoin asked, motioning half-heartedly to the trail before him, suddenly at a loss as to what he was supposed to do. Pulling his cloak tighter, Eoin started forward down the path, hoping Lila would follow. He had a feeling he was doing something wrong, but he could not put his finger on it, so he just shrugged it off. It did not take long for Eoin to fall into the long-legged stride that let him cover a fair amount of ground with minimal effort.
The air around him was fresh and clear, and sun glinting off the dew in the clearing was one of his favorite things to see. It was up there with the dappled look that was painted on forest paths when the sun filtered through the leaves, and seeing the sunrise over the sea. Eoin breathed deeply, a lazy grin spreading across his face, forgetting for a moment he was supposed to be leading Lila to his home.
[/center][/blockquote][/color] |
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 30, 2009 17:38:12 GMT -8
Following Eoin down the trail just behind him as his strides became bigger, Lila noticed that just by teh surroundings of the forest he became more calm in his expression from what she could see of the side of his face. While keeping an eye on where she stepped, she looked up above her to see the morning sun shine through bringing with it a peace and harmony that seemed to and a warmth that had discreetly and slowly rid the day of some of its chill.
Looking back to Eoin's face, Lila noticed a lazy grin that had settled itself on his features. Then looking abck down at the ground she only just noticed how far behind she was getting. Lengthining her strides so she was nearly half running to catch up with him Lila wished she was taller and had longer legs. As feeling her legs tiring under the strain of her strides, she still was half a step behind him.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Jan 31, 2009 18:15:55 GMT -8
 Eoin glanced behind him briefly to see if Lila was keeping up, and saw how she was laboring to keep stride with him. With an inaudible sigh, Eoin slowed his pace enough for her to comfortably keep up. At this rate, it would take twice as long to get home as it normally would. Eoin was beginning to think he would not be getting home until lunch. Absently, he ran a hand through his hair, knowing what his mother’s reaction would be. Eoin normally got back just as breakfast was being set on the table, and it was already an hour past that time. The fact he was bringing back a girl would not help matters, at least at first. After seeing the wound, however, Eoin’s mother would probably forget all about him being late. The silence grew between the two, Eoin feeling all at once awkward as he walked beside the small girl. After a while, it grew too much, and Eoin decided to break the silence. “So… I take you aren’t from the Island.. Might I ask where you are from?”
[/center][/blockquote][/color] |
|
|
|
Post by Delilah Delaqua on Jan 31, 2009 18:45:29 GMT -8
Noticing Eoin had slowed down for her, Lila inwardly sighed with relief as her pace became somewhat normal and not so trying for her. Hearing his question she considered and wondered to herself how she should answer the question, when she literally came from nowhere, considering she was born aboard her fathers ship.
Looking up at him she considered the question a little more then said quietly as she looked down at the ground again, " That is a little hard but then again simple to explain, because I know where my ancestry lies but as to where i belong that bit of my life remains unknown."
Taking in a breath Lila went on, " Because i belong nowhere, i come from nowhere, because I've spent basicaly all of my life travelling, being born aboard my father's ship and all. Then being stolen to be some sort of cabin boy with benefits for the men on another ship, just didn't help matters at all."
Staring in front of her Lila didn't look at Eoin, but remembered the horrors that evaded her past before she ran away from them at fifteen years of age. Shaking her head, as she looked down again, blinking back tears that she would not let fall, as she missed her mother and father dearly. As she thought this she wondered why she'd even told the man beside of that horrible part in her past, she barely knew him and she just gave away a secret that she had never ever told anyone, and wondered why though she didn't regret as she looked down at the ground.
|
|
|
|
Post by eoinannan on Feb 1, 2009 0:11:17 GMT -8
“That is a little hard but then again simple to explain, because I know where my ancestry lies but as to where I belong that bit of my life remains unknown. Because I belong nowhere, I come from nowhere, because I have spent all of my life travelling, being born aboard my father's ship and all. Then being stolen to be some sort of cabin boy with benefits for the men on another ship just didn't help matters at all."
Eoin cleared his throat, unable to think of an appropriate response to the information Lila gave him. He was angry that any girl should be put in such a position, treated as a slave and worse, but what should he say? ‘I’m sorry’ hardly made up for what happened to her, and it was not his fault in the first place, so it did not make sense for him to apologize.
“That’s terrible..” Eoin said, frowning slightly.
A thought struck him as he was contemplating the horrible things Lila had been put through. If she had been put through that, it was entirely likely that other girls were put into the same, and possibly worse, position as she was. A sudden mental picture of his sisters rose unbidden to the surface of his mind, and Eoin had to fight down an irrational urge to go and try to save those girls, each one baring the face of one of his sisters, from their miserable lives.
Eoin shook his head firmly to clear his thoughts. There was no way, however well intentioned he was, he could embark on a vigilante to save all the oppression and mistreated women of the word. For goodness sake, he could not even get off the island, let alone sail the high seas, let alone save anybody.
“How did you come to be on this island?” Eoin asked, hoping to steer both of their minds away from Lila’s unpleasant memories.
|
|
