Brave Soul

[Sky Jade]

OOC: I am looking for one or two females to be compaions in a little adventure I had in my mind. Please feel free to post or Pm me for the role.

IC:

Zach moaned lightly as he woke up from sleeping. He opened his eyes slowly and soon found himself staring up at the open sky.

"Wha..Where am I?"

He tried to get up, but foundt himself unable to move. He struggled a little more as he looked down to find himself wrapped in a blanket with several ropes around it. A soft bird-like chirp was heard a as small blue dragon flew towards him and he smiled.

"Shell! Can you come and untie these ropes for me?"

The little dragon hovered over him and shook her head for a moment.

"Then try and burn them off."

Shell nodded with a chirp before she blew a small jet of fire on the blanket. The rope and material caught quickly, going up in a few seconds. Zach yelped at the heat and rolled away quickly to keep from getting burnt. He rubbed his hands together for a moment and looked down at himself. Someone had put his blue scale body armor on him, along with his blue scale mail leggings and metal boots.

"Please try not to burn me. "

He gave a smile to the little dragon who chirped softly. He saw a pile of stuff nearby, a backpack, bag of gold, his sword, and a letter on top of it. He grabbed the letter and read it aloud.

Dear Son,
I decided to boot you out of the house. It is time for you to strike out on your own and become a man. Al you ever did when you were home was sleep, eat, and practice your sword-fighting. You will not be allowed back until you make a man of yourself.
Jospeh

He sighed and grumbled softly.

"Gee, thanks dad. Ah well, nothing to do now but continue onwards."

He picked up his things, pulling on the small backpack, strapping the sword around his waist, and threw away the letter. He looked around for a few moments before he foundt a path leading through the forest somewhere. Shell followed after him, keeping close as she hovered around him. After a few moments of walking he suddenly heard a woman's scream cry out from further up ahead. HE frowned and broke into a run, jumping over some bushes that were blocking the way to the screaming girl.

 

[Elayne]

Melissa shrieked again, flailing about her with her gnarled wooden walking stick, her back to one of the tall shining trees that gave the Silverpine Forest its name.

The three brutes laughed coarsely, a sound not unlike a barking dog. She was a tall girl, only three inchs shorter than six feet. But the monsters towered over her, the smallest by some six inches, the tallest by close to a foot.

Their skin was dark grey, though it was hard to see their skin through the thick, coarse black hair that covered their arms and necks and even obscured their faces. They had long jaws and deep set eyes and canines so developed they were nearly tusks. Each wore thick furs and carried a heavy club.

Lady Melisant, who had adopted and raised Melissa, had told her about orcs, but Melissa had never expected to actually MEET any. If she had, she might have wanted to learn less about herbs and medicines and more about using her staff to crack someone, the way some of the boys did.

No time for much thought. One of the orcs darted forward, reaching out with a big, dark hand to grab at the shoulder of her simple white dress and she spun, batting at his hand with her walking stick. He hopped back with a grunt, but Melissa doubted the whack had actually harmed something as big as he was.

They were toying with her and she was in real trouble. Blessed Spirits, protect me! she thought as she flailed away trying to keep the orcs off her.

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach stopped a few feet away from the scene, looking on in disbelief for a moment. This was definately not something he had planned on getting into right now. He knew he couldn't let the woman get hurt so he dropped his pack quickly, drawing his shortsword at the same time.

"Get away from her!"

He ran forward as one of the orcs turned at the sound of his voice. He barely managed to duck the heavy club as it was swung at him. He brought his sword up in a diagnoal motion, cutting through the thick hide and into one of the orc's arm.

Shell came up chirped excited before she blew some fire one of of the others. It's thick hair caught on fire as it screamed in pain inhumanly. It began running around, trying to get away from the fire.

Zach turned and stabbed at the first orc, slicing cleanly into his heart. He umphed as the third orc turned and bashed him backwards with it's heavy club.

 

[little_golden]

Tanya of Clan Wolf watched in the bushes as events unfolded around her. She was 18 years old, young, naive, but strikingly beautiful with long red hair, green eyes, and a wisp of a figure 30B-22-28, weighed 88 lbs and stood 5 feet tall. Her breasts were like small soft oranges and her nipples were small but pointy like diamonds.

She was freshly on her own after a dispute with her step father. He seemed to think that after the death of her good mother, that she Tanya should become his wife. The brute was over 50 and was absolutely horrid. Her step father had raped her only once before she decided it was better to be away and on her own. The night of her rape still haunted the young woman.

It was a simple matter, Tanya had stolen his longbow, and tailored herself a riding dress of green hemp. It was coarse and a little itchy but it would keep her warm on the cool night. She had run away, with a his bow, quiver of arrows, a small hunting knife, a canteen and a pouch with food and a second change of wool clothes (white peasant blouse, a coarse short black peasant skirt.

Despite her stepfather's faults, he has taught her to master the longbow. She could make one, and was skilled at making arrows. Growing up she had thought herself an artisan until she herself had gained enough strength to draw the longbow.

Today, she was tired from walking. It was under a bush that she watched a woman being attacked by orcs while a man arrived on the scene. It wasn't her business so she simply cocked her longbow, targeted a particularly nasty looking orc and watched the scene unfold before her.

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach stumbled backwards as he held his side where he had gotten bashed by the orc. He looked past the orc towards his sword sticking out of the first dead orc. He was brought back to attention as he narrowly ducked a second swing by the orc bearing down on him.

Shell was chirping wildly as she kept hitting the flaming orc with her fire breath, catching it leather tunic on fire. Soon the orc was badly burned and left without any hair, but very angry. It roared as it when after the little dragon even as it kept getting burnt.

"Hold on now. Whoa!"

He ducked another swing again, this time tripping as he hit a tree root as he backed away. He definately didn't have the experince for fighting three orcs at once.

 

[Elayne]

Melissa flailed about her with her staff, keeping her back to the tree. Her long, midnight dark hair had fallen loose from her usual drawn up twist and was tumbling down her alabaster neck and across the shoulders of her equally pale dress.

The orcs weren't even bothering to use their clubs. If they were, Melissa suspected she'd be done in seconds. Instead, they were circling her, like a pack of wolves, darting in at her from all sides. One reached in and grabbed at the shoulder of her dress before Melissa could whirl with her stick. She knocked him back with the sound of tearing cloth.

Suddenly, a voice called out of to the side and immediately after, a new figure burst into the clearing.

Melissa felt a moment of panic as she was surrounded on all sides. But suddenly there was a flash of flame and an animalistic cry of pain and the orcs were turning from her.

One orc tumbled to the ground, struck through by something. The second was bulling towards the metallic, armoured figure that had burst into the scene. Melissa decided to take the opportunity, and reached out with her gnarled walking staff to poke it in front of the orc's ankles and trip him.

 

[little_golden]

Tanya stayed hidden in the bushes with her longbow drawn and a notched arrow ready for flight. She guessed the distance to be sixty yards and had good confidence that she could make an easy shot. The only problem she foresaw was that if the three angry orcs turned on her after she had fired her bow, they would likely overpower her and kill her.The only thing that could be worse, would be to be enslaved by an orc and forced to serve the hog like creatures. Mating with one was a horrendous thought that made her ill.

The young, red haired, green eyed, petite woman, watched the unfolding situation. For the briefest of moments she pondered helping the orcs since they clearly had the upper hand in her esteem. The pretty woman originally being assaulted seemed to be welding her staff in the air without much success though her striking black hair glittered as it tumbled over her alabaster neck. One particularly nasty orc seemed to pull at the black haired woman's dress in a menacing fashion that forced Tanya to reconsider her own fate. These orcs were no doubt both nasty and horny. If they had a tribe nearby, they could easily augment their numbers if they felt threatened. She was but one small woman, she couldn't risk herself.

The orcs seemed to be taunting her as they moved around her in a circle. They darted in and out of the circle at the young woman. The sound of ripping material told Tanya that they were trying to disrobe the other woman.

"Better she be killed - than mated to a tribe of orcs" Tanya whispered to herself. It was the ultimate degradation to be owned by orcs or mated to one. The offspring produced were hideous in appearance and typically of low intelligence. These half-breeds were often scorned by both humans and orcs alike. If a slave displeased her orc master, that slave could easily become the tribe's next meal.

Tanya blinked after there was a battle cry, and then a sudden flash of flame and a hero emerged from the smoke. The smell of burnt hair/fur and flesh was a nauseating smell. The shrill cry of the orc was disturbing at the shrill pitch penetrated her eardrums. The woman was fighting back.


Tanya let loose her arrow which erupted at great speed from her bow as it took flight towards the battling parties. Though it didn't hit anyone, it made a twanging sound as it was firmly embedded in the side of a tree....

 

[Elayne]

Melissa tried to hook the ankles of the biggest of the orcs with her gnarled walking staff as he turned to face whomever had burst into the clearing. The sturdy oak would slid between his shaggy hide boots and he stumbled slightly.

And at that moment, sharp hiss, like a striking snake, and a whistle of cut air brushed by so close to Melissa's face that she jerked back. An arrow was protuding from the bark of the tree she had been using to guard her back. It had almost gone through her head.

Melissa's dark blue eyes widened in shock and a touch of panic as she turned instinctively to the side, scanning the forest. More orcs?!

"Oof!" she grunted in pain, spots swelling before her eyes. The big orc had taken advantage of the break in her concentration to swat her, the back of his massive hand lashing at her just over her breasts, hard enough to slam her back into the tree.

With a groan, Melissa slumped down against the tree, the wind knocked out of her. She could barely breath and spots swam before her eyes. She realized her staff had rolled out of her hands, but she couldn't yet summon the steadiness to make a dive for it.

Spirits, that hurt!

 

[Sky Jade]

Shell had managed to get the orc she was fighting against to chase after her a little ways. One eye was completely burnt up beyond the orc ability to regenerate that part. It roared with frustration at it chased after the dragon, missing her with each swing.

Zach blinked for a moment as he suddenly saw an arrow imbed itself into the tree right behind the girl the orcs had been after. He also realized that the orc which had been going after him had suddenly turned it's attention to the girl. He used the advantage to scramble to his feet and run to the first downed orc. He pulled his sword out with some effort before turning to the bigger orc.

"Keep away from her."

He growled and charged at the big orc once more, this time piercing it's side. The orc roared as it looked back at Zach and then swung back at him. He was thrown back again, but this time he had managed to keep ahold of his sword. The action alone caused his sword to slice outward, cutting the big orc almost in two as it's spine was severed. Blood flew everywhere as the orc fell to his knees and slumped to the side, dead.

 

[Elayne]

Melissa shook her head woozily, trying to clear out the spots. Her staff was lying a few feet from her hands, so she rolled and scrambled over to it, grabbing it and clambering to her feet.

Her soft, white linen dress was stained with mud, grass and tree bark, the shoulder torn to reveal pale skin along her collar bone and the top of her arm. She looked around with panic, just in time to see the biggest of the orcs slumping down to his knees.

He's dead, she realized shakily. The smallest orc was lying near by, chest soaked red. The third, Melissa could hear crashing through the underbrush nearby.

Melissa shook her head again, holding her staff level at her navel defensively as she turned to face her rescuer.

He was wearing strange metal armour, scaled like a snake's belly, and had a sword in his hand. Melissa immediately assumed he was a noble, or at least a knight. The aristocracy of Silvervale banned peasants from owning weapons or armour, beyond the axes and bows needed for lumberjacking or hunting. Even the guards were forbidden to touch swords, restricted instead to simple spears.

Still, he had saved her life. Melissa bowed her head slightly, dark hair swaying across her shoulders and down her spine.

"Thank you for rescuing me... Are you already? Did you shoot that arrow?"

 

[little_golden]

Tanya knew that her hiding spot had been exposed after the arrow had so beautifully sailed through the air. The man, woman, and dragon had been successful in battling the trio of orcs.

The little wisp of a woman, the young Tanya with a slim almost boyish figure emerged from the bushes. She was still holding the long bow in hand though no arrow was cocked.

"The third orc is running away... He'll be going for help!" Tanya called out nervously.

"They don't take male prisoners.... and it will be worse for us" Tanya called out to woman with the staff.

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach looked towards the girl who was bowing her head and thanking him. He shook his head softly.

"No, I don't have any ranged weapons on me."

He spun on his heels to face the third young lady as she emerged holding a longbow. He took a glance towards the direction that Shell had led the last orc. He chuckled softly for a moment.

"No, I don't think he's running more help. It sounds more like he's still trying to get Shell."

He gave a quick whistle for a moment and the sounds of battle started to come back towards them. He lifted his sword and readied himself as Shell burst through into view and then the half-blind orc. It roared with anger as it tried to take another grab at the little dragon, who flew up out of the orc's grasp. Zach took advantage of the opening and rushed at the orc, slicing into the orc from it's stomach through it's heart. The orc gave one last gurgle before it slumped down to the ground and fell over. Shell chirped her apprication before landing on Zach's shoulder as he turned to face the girls.

"Are you two hurt?"

 

[Elayne]

Melissa blinked and whirled, staff raised as a new voice called out. But that voice belonged to a young woman who didn't seem overly threatening, so Melissa relaxed and lowered her staff. It seemed the Spirits had outdone themselves and sent her a couple of rescuers.

She tensed as he whistled and a few minutes the winged lizard came bursting back into the clearing, followed swiftly by the orc.

Melissa raised her staff to defend herself, but the young warrior had things well in hand, finishing the wounded orc off with a spray of blood that made her cringe. She didn't like bloodshed.

"Well, I've been better, but then I'm much better than I might have been," she replied to the warrior with an earnest shrug, looking down at the torn shoulder of her dress. It hung a part of the way down her arm and when she tugged it up, it simply flopped open again. Nothing to do but sew it, it seemed.

"I'm Melissa, by the way. I owe you my life," Melissa smiled at the warrior with genuine gratitude and then nodded at the archer as well. "But it might be a good idea to move on, in case there's more of them."

 

[little_golden]

Tanya hadn't fully seen or appreciated the presence of the small dragon. But it served as a distraction for the warrior, for while the orc fought the dragon, the warrior had struck a killing blow. It was horrid to see a spray of blood fly through the air.

Secretly Tanya wondered if it was good form to kill an orc with a sneaky blow like that. She hid the secret in her mind so as not to anger the strangers.

Speaking to the woman Tanya asked:

What did you do to enrage the three orcs?"

"and you warrior.... What are you doing with a dragon? ... Those beasts can be deadly...... "

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach jumped a liitle the new girl spoke a little harshly. He grinned a little as he spoke.

"I heard it didnt take much to get orcs angry. As far as Shell here.."

He reached up and petted Shell on her head softly, making her coo.

"I foundt her badly injured about ten years ago near where I lived. I nursed her back to health and she's been staying by my side ever since. Her name is Shell."

 

[Elayne]

Melissa eyed the archer woman a bit coldly. That arrow had definitely gone too close to her face for comfort and she didn't like the other woman's snippy tone either.

"I was out collecting herbs to make salves with when those three brutes came into the clearing and tried to grab me."

Then Melissa turned to the winged lizard. "Is that a dragon? ... I always thought dragons were huge."

Melissa shrugged, which made the torn shoulder of her dress bounce, then she casually brushed off the bark and mud off her long white skirt and off her curved behind.

She hefted her walking stick and went over to grab her fallen basket. The herbs were mostly undisturbed.

"We really should head out."

 

[little_golden]

OCC.... I'm away for a week so please just post away in my absence. I'll have her wander away and then try to catch up later if it fits the story line.

IC:

The beautiful woman (Melissa) whom the warrior had rescued from the orcs spoke up, and she seemed almost defensive in Tanya's mind as she explained:

"I was out collecting herbs to make salves with when those three brutes came into the clearing and tried to grab me."

"You can't blame the orcs if you dangle a fresh piece of meat in the air and the hungry beasts come running" Tanya added. For some unknown reason she felt in competition.


The other woman (Melissa) broke the moment by asking aloud:

"Is that a dragon? ... I always thought dragons were huge." Tanya watched as she shrugged her shoulders, which made a sort of sexy motion with her body. On top of that the woman, in plain view of both of them started to brush off the bark and mud off her long white skirt and off her curved behind.

She's a shameless flirt! Tanya thought secretly.

The rescuing warrior seemed to grin as he explained to Tanya:

"I heard it didn't take much to get orcs angry. As far as Shell here.. I found her badly injured about ten years ago near where I lived. I nursed her back to health and she's been staying by my side ever since. Her name is Shell."

Tanya was uneasy with the whole dragon thing. She watched the warrior petting the little beast but knew that the animal would eventually grow and grow. Everyone knew that dragons were a menace to villages, crops and livestock.

"But won't the little beast grow" Tanya spoke uneasily. She didn't want to offend either the warrior or Shell.

"I guess Shell is a nice name for a dragon....." Tanya added uneasily.

The other woman had spoken up as she lifted up her basket of herbs:

"We really should head out."

"I'm Tanya... I head south... Good journey.. Be careful of orcs to the North"

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach watched Melissa for a moment as she brushed herself off before looking towards Tanya as she spoke, nodding.

"Alright, then perhaps we will meet again later."

He watched her head out of sight before he suddenly realized he had forgotten to getm the girl's name. He blushed a little as he turned back to Melissa.

"I forgot to tell you my name is Zach. And yes we should get moving, it looks like it is going to be dark soon."

He looked up at the dying light in the sky for a moment before focusing on Melissa once more. She was a beautiful woman and he felt he was lucky to run into her.

"I hope you don't mind leading the way back. I am not sure exactly where I am."

Shel flew up into the air above them as he picked up his backpack and pulled it on, waiting.

 

[Elayne]

Melissa hesitated a moment, a bit wary of travelling with the young warrior. But then she sighed. She couldn't stay out here and he had saved her, after all.

Melissa hefted her gnarled walking stick and set her basket in the crook of her free arm.

"We should head west, towards Torel."

Melissa was a bit surprised that the other woman had chosen to head south, into the deep woods where wild beasts were common, instead of heading for the more settled lands to the west or east. Still, she was hardly upset to see the snappish woman leave.

Without further ado, Melissa began to pick her way through the woods, long raven hair swaying down the line of her back as she stepped over roots and brambles, heading west.

After about an hour, the forest began to thin and trails began to appear, the marks of lumberjacks and huntsmen, telling that they were closing in on Torel.

"May I ask where you're from, Zach? I've never seen or heard of a dragon in the Silverpines, nor have I seen any one else wearing armour like that."

 

[Sky Jade]

"Towards Torel? Sounds good."

He gave a smile and a nod to Melissa before follwing after her. He admired her figure as he walked along a little bit behind her. However his thoughts soon turned to how his father had managed to get him alll the way out, along with Shell. It was at least a four day ride by horse from Soleil, hie hometown. He was sure that it's was probably one of his father's friend who did this, perhaps by some sort of teleport spell or something.

"Where am I from? Soleil, it's a town a few days to the west of Torel. It's a small town built near the base of the mountain range Gedibesh. I'm sure you've probably heard of it. As far as Shell goes, she's the only one I've seen like her as well. And this armor was given to me by my father. He taught me to be a fighter."

 

[Elayne]

Melissa shrugged. She didn't know much about armour, but most of the hunters around Torel preferred to wear soft leather, appropriate for the woods.

"Soleil? Yes, I've heard of it, I believe. That's a small mining town well west of here isn't it?"

Melissa adjusted the torn shoulder of her dress as she spoke, pinning it in place over her slender shoulder.

"How did you end up in the Silverpines?"

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach blinked softly and blushed a little.

"That I'm not exactly sure about. You might not believe me, but it's a little complicated. Last thing I remember was going to bed for the night. Next thing I know, I'm tied up inside a blanket, in my armor and out in the middle of nowhere. It's more than likely my father's doing, but I don't know how he did it."

He chuckled lightly for a moment as Shell chirped at him.

"Shell was able to free me though and then I came across you and the other girl."

His foot hit a tree root and caused him to stumbled forward. His hands reached out automatically to catch himsel. His right hand caugt onto a tree branch, but his other hand had caught a hold of Melissa's soft rear for a moment. He grinned sheepishly for a moemnt as he quickly pulled his hand away and streaighten himself up.

"Sorry about that."

 

[Elayne]

Melissa listened to the young warrior talk about his unusual circumstances intently. She didn't know much about teleportation magic, but she supposed anything was possible.

Suddenly, Zach tripped and Melissa felt his hand across her behind with a soft smack. Melissa started with a small shriek as his hand cupped her bottom and squeezed, her dark blue eyes going wide as she whirled, practically dropping her staff.

He quickly took his hand off her backside, straightening up and giving her an apologetic grin. Melissa gave him a suspicous glare from under her thick lashes, but he appeared innocent.

"Yes, well, let's keep going, we're almost at Torel."

Melissa spun and began to stalk off, using the gnarled walking staff as she made her way to the edge of the forest and could see the first buildings of Torel ahead.

Torel was a small village of lumberjacks and hunters and foresters. It had a few small huts, a semi large hut, all with thatched roofs, and one medium sized stone and slate building in the center of the town.

"That's the place," Melissa said, motioning to the stone building. "It's where my foster mother, Melisant lives."

 

[Sky Jade]

Zach blinked a couple of times at how small the village was. He hadn't visited anyplace that was smaller than a town. He looked towards the stone building that Melissa pointed at and looked back at her.

"This isn't exactly what I expected. I was expecting something..A little bigger. It seems to be nice, for what it is."

He looked back at the village once more and nodded.

"Well, where to? I'm needing a map so I know the surrounding area and get myself oriented."

 

[Elayne]

Melissa shrugged a bit irritably. She had been born and raised in Torel, small though it was.

"The large wooden building there is where the trappers meet. That'll be a good place to start, they know the land well and probably have maps."

Melissa paused and began over to the stone building.

"The stone building is where I live. I'm going home to tell my foster mother about the orcs and get cleaned up."

With that Melissa started up to the stone and slate building, opening the heavy wooden doors and stepping into the tiled hall, the warm braziers comforting as dusk began to fall outside.