Reprieve [Open]

[silence13]

Tel'Naer was a beautiful place to Ellemere and it was the perfect place to come and think. She'd seen a good few dragons in her time in all shapes sizes and colors, but she had always dreamed of being a Rider. How she admired Eragon Shadeslayer! All the dangers he had faced, and still faced. She sighed and closed her eyes thinking of Saphira and Glaedr; they made her smile. She looked around and laughed as the breeze ruffled her hair. "Adrenaline...What a wonderful thing!"

[phrostphyre]

Damn! How did we wind up here?! Convel and his band of raiders had been trying to round up a herd of cattle they had come across, when something had stampeded them north, towards what Convel termed Elf-land. The forest had slowly given way to crags and mountains, leaving Convel thinking that whoever had stampeded the cattle had been an idiot. His men seemed worried and restless, no small surprise when they were in elf territory. Shrugging, he turned back towards his men.

"Stay here. Dinnae get yourselves killed. John, hand me my mail. Rupert, you're in charge. If I come back and ye all are either gone or dead, I'll be angry." His precise words, though spoken softly and with a burr, held no room for argument.

"I'll be going on ahead, on foot. Dinnae follow." Taking off his plaid, he slid the chain mail shirt over his linen shirt and put his arms through the sleeves. Convel tossed the plaid back over his shoulder, and drew his small sword. Grabbing his targe, he left the claymore in the wagon and went forward.

The breeze was a lifesaver to Convel, in his mail and carrying three blades and a shield. He was moving along silently, when a voice and laughter hit him. Jerking his head up, he saw an elf-lass. She had ruby red hair, in contrast to his golden-red, and she had blue eyes like his. He spoke softly, but firmly, not wanting to startle her.

"Och, aye? Adrenaline probably loves ye to, lass."

[silence13]

She turned and faced the voice with curiosity. "Who might you be sir?" She still had the adrenaline rush running through her and she smiled unwillingly. She brushed her hair out of her face and tucked in back behind her ears. "My name is Ellemere Mistra. What's a cattle-thief doing way out here in the crags of Northern Du Weldenvarden? That accent...I recognize it somewhere." she murmured. She jumped down from her standpoint landing on her feet lightly and faced him. Her Star Sapphire tattoo shone in the sunlight like a star making her skin look alabaster white. "You look armed and ready for battle. What's the special occasion?" she asked.

[phrostphyre]

"I did nae get tae live tae the ripe ould age of seventeen by being stupid and foolish, Ellemere Mistra. I am Convel MacTire, Sixth Earl of Eilean Donan. I'd give ye my other titles, but that's nae necessary. As ye had it correct the second time, dinnae worrit yourself about calling me 'sir'. I'm just a murderer, rouge, outlaw, thief, and arson." He sheathed his sword and slung the targe over his shoulder, leaving it hanging. Though it was obviously meant to defend, the pike left no doubt as to the other purpose it had:To kill. The warrior culture of Convel's island home had made it clear:Either be killed, or kill. Such was their life, meaning their arms weren't made out of iron, but steel. Armor wasn't used that often except in ritual fights and duels, but it was effective.

"I'll nae harm ye, but tell me. Ye callt this place 'Du Weldenvarden'. Why have my men and I nae died yet? This is, I think, elf-territory. Am I correct?"

[silence13]

"Yes this is elf-territory. Du Weldendvarden is the entire forest. Where you are now is known as the Tel'Naer Crags. You're north of Ellesméra as of now and not many people come up here on their own, which might explain your luck of not being riddled with arrows and looking like a seamstress' pincushion. Vandals and thieves are usually dead by the time they get to Osilon's borders." She looked back over the forest and saw more people. "I take it those are your men down there? Now I'm very surprised you made it so far up!" She fired a benign arrow into their midst as a warning. "Get them out of here, I don't mind you being here Convel but your companions must leave effective immediately."

[phrostphyre]

Before Convel knew what he was doing, his dirk and sword were drawn, and he was standing in the classic Alban fighting stance, ready for the fight to become a duel or a brawl. Deciding to go with the moment, he warned the elf.

"Never threaten my men. Though we're cattle thieves, aye, we've never killed anyone we did nae have tae." The soft burr became more pronounced, which only happened when Convel was very moved. Not wanting to fight with both hands, if that's what it came down to, Convel sheathed his dirk and un-slung his targe. The wicked ten-inch spike was gleaming in the summer sun. The forbidding crags loomed over the warrior, as his mind ran like lightning. If she attacks, I'll be forced to hurt her, female or no. Even though she's an elf and I'll probably get my ass kicked, I'll still defend my men.

[silence13]

She sighed. "I'm not aiming to harm them put those away." She didn't bother with keeping her guard up as she walked over to him. She put a hand to the targe and lowered it gently, speaking ina soft, calm tone. "Convel, if they so much as cut down a tree I'm going to feel it die. I'm more of a nature person than anything else and I've made it my business to preserve Du Weldenvarden as best I can without harming anyone or anything. Please, if it's a matter of getting those animals out of the forest then I'll get them out myself if it means the forest will be safe. Just don't give me cause to attack you. I'll break this targe before anything else if you decide to attack me anyway though, fair warning." She jumped back and got ready in case he hadn't changed his mind. She glanced around and noticed how gloomy it had gotten since her temper had darkened. "Convel I'm not exactly above pleading for you to get your men out of here before they get killed."

[phrostphyre]

"Why would we cut down a bloody tree? We only use fallen deadwood for firewood. Besides, I ken about elves and your wee feelings for trees. We're just trying tae find the kine that are lost." Convel let the targe be lowered, but he kept the sword out. The sun was growing unbearably hot, to be wearing chain mail, long hair, and holding a sword, so Convel sheathed the sword and removed his mail. The breeze was helping, but his red hair was still long. His beard was itchy, too. Reaching up to scratch it, he lifted the hair off of the back of his neck with his other hand.

"Besides, it's tae hot tae fight anything or anyone. I prefer colder weather. Ye have my word of honor that we'll nae hurt the trees or the animals in the forest, unless in self-defense. I'll nae watch as a bear tears one of my men or horses tae pieces before my eyes. Ye can ken that right now."

[silence13]

She pulled out a strand of twine and handed it to him. "Need to tie back your hair? The heat can get quite unbearable some days." Of course she was saying this while wearing only a light shirt and pants with her hair flowing over her shoulders. "Am I permitted to go down and retrieve my arrow? I've no doubt I'll receive ill-welcome for letting it fly anyhow but I'm willing to risk it." She began her descent and looked back at Convel. "Well my friend, shall we press on?" She jumped down flat rock walls and looked to be falling down the Crags, but it was all things she'd done on purpose. She got to the bottom and looked back up to her companion. "Still having trouble up there?" She tucked her hair back again and sat looking up at the Crags.

[phrostphyre]

"Thank ye." Convel took the offered twine and tied his hair back in a ponytail. While a Highlander in plaid is breathtaking, no matter if he's old, crabbed, and not in his prime, a Highlander in his prime, by no means old, and definitely not crabbed, is stunning. With his newly acquired ponytail, bard, kilt, various weapons, chain mail, and targe, Convel was not only stunning, but he looked very dangerous, and rakishly handsome. He slid down the side of the crag he was on, to land directly beside Ellemere.

"Och, nae, I'm nae havin' any trouble at all. If I'm with ye, my men will nae fill ye full of spears, arrows, and swords. Indeed, will ye stop for a wee bit of the life-giving substance, whiskey, with us?" Though dangerous looking, Convel was rather tired, as a ride from the plains of the Empire, through Du Weldenvarden, and climbing up and down crags was exhausting work, even for a warrior beginning the prime of his life. Convel didn't let his fatigue show, as he was supposed to be able to kill and destroy entire villages by himself. The truth was that he could only kill four men at a time when fighting. His claymore didn't have quite that wide a swing.

[silence13]

She nodded. "Alright. Thank you for the offer considering all the work I just put you through getting down here." She turned and froze up before ducking behind him. "I-I-I forgot to mention my shy streak didn't I?" She looked at his men nervously and retrieved her arrow before hiding behind the closest tree. "N-Nice to meet you." She waved shyly and peeked out from behind her tree glancing at them. "E-E-Ellemere's m'name." she mumbled looking down at her feet. She looked at Convel nervously and fiddled with her hair, biting down on her lip. She tried to shrink and be less noticeable but failed miserably. Her face started to heat up and she knew she was blushing bright red. Truth be told she could have them all dead in a moment but fear and nervousness had taken a hold on her and she all but rooted herself to the spot silently.