Along the edge of the forest, as the trees thinned and disappeared in the
tall grass, Anne had set herself down for a rest, while her mule cropped
grass not far off. She had been riding for nearly a day, and the sun on
her back was comforting and called for her to embrace it. She lay
partially hidden by the road, her arms stretched out to either side, palms
to the sky. The sun felt wonderful today and she let the light engulf her
in its warm rays. The stalks of grass twitched and quivered in the slight
breeze, dark against the blueness of the cotton-tufted sky. She lazily
watched an ant walk determinedly over the mountain range of her hand and
thought again about her father.
"Energy," he once said. "The world is made of energy. The energy that
defies and binds both the planes...the planes of science and magic." The
sun truly was everything. She felt her father, her mother hidden in its
beams of light as they cascaded down, and for once she completely forgot
everything that had happened. Her eyelids drooped as the ant marched
steadily onward toward her shoulder.
Along the road
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Servis the Younger
- Outsider
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- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:32 pm
Servis paused in the woods again near a creek. He stood alongside a tree, not crouching, or attempting to hide, just standing against it watching, listening, feeling, the forest. He had been out in the woods since just before dawn; this was his fourth day in a row, each time he left by a different route. Throughout his journey he made sure he wasn't being observed or followed. He remembered back to his training on how to move without being observed, moving in a forest was totally different than moving around in a city and he was trying to remember the finer points; none of this sneaking around came easily to him. As he stood by a tree, waiting for some random guardsman to spring out at him he realized that he was probably being paranoid. Servis had only been in Marn a few days, surely no one even knew to look for him, yet.
That "yet" was why he was wandering around the woods finding different routes to and from his newly discovered hiding place. He needed a back up to the city, a place to retreat to if things got too hot. Standing there, he realized that he needed to be getting back to the city, the sun was low in the sky.
Servis strode off, satisfied that he was alone, and passed a familiar tree near the road, stepping out into a small clearing along the road Servis suddenly realized he was not alone, almost stumbling over a woman laying in the grass staring at an ant...
"Pardon me ma'am, I didn't mean to intrude upon your solitude."
That "yet" was why he was wandering around the woods finding different routes to and from his newly discovered hiding place. He needed a back up to the city, a place to retreat to if things got too hot. Standing there, he realized that he needed to be getting back to the city, the sun was low in the sky.
Servis strode off, satisfied that he was alone, and passed a familiar tree near the road, stepping out into a small clearing along the road Servis suddenly realized he was not alone, almost stumbling over a woman laying in the grass staring at an ant...
"Pardon me ma'am, I didn't mean to intrude upon your solitude."
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Anne deGroot
- Outsider
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:05 pm
At the sound of the voice her eyes opened slowly, and for a moment she stared blankly at the darkened form against the sunlight-- but only for a moment. She closed her eyes again and sat up, squinting. She was unafraid of this man...if he meant her harm he would of killed her already; that fate she would accept. Without moving from her spot on the ground she leisurely scanned her surroundings: trees all around, mule wandering off toward the south, no other soul in sight. A breeze rattled the leaves and grass stalks. Nope, no one.
She looked up at the figure again, he had not moved from his postion. Perhaps he was waiting for her to say something? But what? She looked down at the ground again; her ant had scurried off somewhere. The man shifted his weight and she returned her attention toward him, finally asking plainly, "May I help you?"
She looked up at the figure again, he had not moved from his postion. Perhaps he was waiting for her to say something? But what? She looked down at the ground again; her ant had scurried off somewhere. The man shifted his weight and she returned her attention toward him, finally asking plainly, "May I help you?"
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Servis the Younger
- Outsider
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:32 pm
Servis mentally kicked himself, how stupid could he be? The woman had been so engrossed that he probably could have walked right on past her and she wouldn't even had noticed. Now here he was standing and waiting for her to say something back to him, his proverbial hat in hand. This wasn't a very promising start to his mission.
"May I help you?" the woman asked, staying reclined, at ease on the grass the whole time.
Servis thought a second, "Well Ma'am, I thought I might be able to assist you. Are you okay?", without waiting for an answer he plunged on, "These are not the safest of woods to be wandering about on your own." Servis thought that asking an obvious question would open up a few possibilities for him to continue the conversation.
"May I help you?" the woman asked, staying reclined, at ease on the grass the whole time.
Servis thought a second, "Well Ma'am, I thought I might be able to assist you. Are you okay?", without waiting for an answer he plunged on, "These are not the safest of woods to be wandering about on your own." Servis thought that asking an obvious question would open up a few possibilities for him to continue the conversation.
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Anne deGroot
- Outsider
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:05 pm
Anne smiled briefly at how she had caught him off guard. She stood up, brushed the dirt off of the front of her dress (What was the use, it was filthy anyway, she thought), and turned to him. She was now at almost eye level to him, and could see in his face that he really was quite harmless.
"No sir, I am perfectly all right, and have been for the past two days I have been travelling through these woods," she said, and then glanced upward at the cottony sky. "It was just that the light today is quite fascinating, wouldn't you believe?" For a moment she stood there, unblinking, observing the clouds crawl lazily through the clear air; it was as if she were frozen forever. She then blinked it off very quickly and returned to meet the stranger's gaze
She held her hand out for a handshake. "My name is Anne deGroot, sir. And it is a pleasure to make your aquaintance."
How stupid he must think I am, she thought at that moment, Having no fear whatsoever, thrusting my hand out in not-quite arrogance.... But she had no care of what could happen...what did it matter if he pulled out a knife to kill her? Dying was just another sojourn into the unknown, and since she was failing her current 'sojourn into the unknown' what did it matter if she just passed into another?
"No sir, I am perfectly all right, and have been for the past two days I have been travelling through these woods," she said, and then glanced upward at the cottony sky. "It was just that the light today is quite fascinating, wouldn't you believe?" For a moment she stood there, unblinking, observing the clouds crawl lazily through the clear air; it was as if she were frozen forever. She then blinked it off very quickly and returned to meet the stranger's gaze
She held her hand out for a handshake. "My name is Anne deGroot, sir. And it is a pleasure to make your aquaintance."
How stupid he must think I am, she thought at that moment, Having no fear whatsoever, thrusting my hand out in not-quite arrogance.... But she had no care of what could happen...what did it matter if he pulled out a knife to kill her? Dying was just another sojourn into the unknown, and since she was failing her current 'sojourn into the unknown' what did it matter if she just passed into another?
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Servis the Younger
- Outsider
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:32 pm
Servis' gaze followed the woman's skyward. Whatever light she was looking at he couldn't see. Her voice introducing herself as Anne deGroot brought his gaze back to hers. As he reached out his hand to grasp hers in greetings he filed her name and accent away in his mind along with the fact that she seemed to be very intensely focused.
Firmly griping her hand and watching her face he introduced himself in return, "It is a pleasure to meet you this fine afternoon, Ms. deGroot. I am Servis the Younger, named for my father."
Droping her hand Servis spoke again, "If you are planning on making your way to the city this evening I can accompany you, if you would like?"
Firmly griping her hand and watching her face he introduced himself in return, "It is a pleasure to meet you this fine afternoon, Ms. deGroot. I am Servis the Younger, named for my father."
Droping her hand Servis spoke again, "If you are planning on making your way to the city this evening I can accompany you, if you would like?"
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Servis the Younger
- Outsider
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:32 pm
(OOC: It appears that this post is D-U-N, done, so I'll go ahead and close it out so Servis the Younger can move on. Matt)
Servis was taken aback when Ms. de Groot rejected his offer of company towards the city. She went straight back to staring at the sky. Shaking his head at this, Servis said, "Very well, I did not mean to offend you. Please do be careful."
With that, Servis walked towards the road. How was he ever going to succeed, so far he was not making an effective, nay, even competent spy. Well, tomorrow is another day he thought, and picked up his step in order to make it back to Marn before dark.
Servis was taken aback when Ms. de Groot rejected his offer of company towards the city. She went straight back to staring at the sky. Shaking his head at this, Servis said, "Very well, I did not mean to offend you. Please do be careful."
With that, Servis walked towards the road. How was he ever going to succeed, so far he was not making an effective, nay, even competent spy. Well, tomorrow is another day he thought, and picked up his step in order to make it back to Marn before dark.