"Something in Common" Log Date: 5/31/02 Log Cast: Fallberry (emitted by Wayfound), Wayfound, Coralfire Log Intro: The arrival of the humans from the distant place called "Vrae" has caused upheaval in the lives of members of several tribes both human and elfin--but it's also caused, to any of their best knowledge, an unprecedented occurrence of humans and elves camping together in amity with one another as they try to learn one another's customs. There are other settings in which a human woman raised by elves and a she-elf with an intellect as keen as a brightmetal blade might come together to discover that they have something in common--but they are few indeed. And to the pleasure of both Coralfire and Wayfound, both of whom are contemplating thoughts of responsibility to convey news of the strangers from afar back to their home tribes, the opportunity to learn more about each other's kinds is most welcome.... ---------- Beach on the VastDeep Water The pale sand is full of river-born crystal and gleams with tiny rainbow lights in the early morning light. Wide and inviting, the sands stay warm long after sunset. There are drift logs here, and a large boulder pushes its shoulders above the surface of the sand. You can see footprints, small bare footprints, leading into the water and out. There is dense foliage to the north that follows the coastline closely where it bends to the northwest. The bright tangles of the Waterfall begin to come out as the dimming red light of sunset fills the hot summer skies. Contents: Blizzard Salmakis Raven's Tent(#6222Je) Yellow Campsite (#691AJLe) Coralfire The Windrider(#1655AJae) Seasong's Tent (#6051JUem) Obvious exits: Along the Beach Forest Up the Shore Water Great River Some ways up the beach from where the humans from Vrae have their semi-permanent camp, the solitary Wolfrider Wayfound, who has been lingering in the vicinity for many moons now, stealthily emerges from the forest with a wolf padding at her heels and a Preserver fluttering about her head. The Preserver, far more than either she-elf or wolf, is audible from some distance away; Fallberry has no sense of stealth, and despite being the tiniest by far of the trio, it is also the loudest. /We go find nice givewords bigthing? We go find nice givewords bigthing, findaway highthing?/ "Not now," Wayfound gruffly replies, heading towards the surf. They might be nice humans, they might well have opened their camp to her in exchange for her teaching them her words... but still they're humans, and twenty humans makes for a fairly large crowd in Wayfound's experience. She is, tonight, feeling the need for a bit of space. And so she does not make her way down to the camp; rather, she considers practicing some spear-fishing, and with critical eyes she studies the roll of the waves before her. Coralfire often leaves the camp of the humans - either one really - to spend time on her own. As far as humans go, this is one of the more solitary ones. She can be found bringing meat after a hunt, or helping out where required, but blink and she's gone again, losing herself in the solitude of the woods. The sound of the preserver catches her attention where she is silently sitting by a large rock, hidden from the camp by the rock itself. She glances up, wondering if she should make her presence known. Better that than to be spying unintentionally on the elf, so Coralfire raises a hand, waving it slightly. "Calm waves," she greets. About to take off her boots to wade into the surf, Wayfound instead flicks an ear -- and then, wolf-fashion, swivels her pale head about to regard the newcomer. The brindled wolf at her side moves much as she does, but by now, the scent of this woman of the Tall Ones is familiar... and so neither she-elf nor the male wolf go into postures of threat. Fallberry's greeting is most enthusiastic -- /Hellohellohello bigthing!/ -- while that of the Wolfrider a more reserved inclination of her head. But then... Wayfound seems that way with everyone camped in the area. Quietly, she calls back, "Good evening." Coralfire shakes her head a little ruefully. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. But - I didn't want you to accidentally miss my presence." It can happen, perhaps, but Coral doesn't want to be on the receiving end of a surprised wolfrider. "Hello, Fallberry." she gives the little preserver its own greeting, since she can. "Please, don't let me stop you. I was merely watching the waves." The wolf looks to Wayfound -- for it is she who has become the alpha of this tiny, mismatched pack, and subtle, unspoken communication is relayed between she-elf and wolf by stance and set of muscles. Assured that the human is not a problem, Surejumper yawns prodigiously... and pads off a short distance, intent on doing his own hunting, leaving the elf and the Preserver with the human woman. Fallberry preens as it is greeted, and wings up into the air to hover curiously in front of Coralfire, piping, /We look for flapwiggle swimthings!/ Wayfound had been, indeed, about to fish; however, she quirks her head for a moment as she stares with ambergreen eyes up at Coralfire. And then she ventures gruffly, "Why?" Coralfire stops to think about that, her smile at Fallberry's words fading. Flapwiggle, what? Oh. It takes more than a moment, though Coral does figure it out eventually. "I am not sure. Partly because Xhosa and Shelbor are talking about leaving. And yet, I have enjoyed my time here." Not that she can pin a finger on why. "maybe because there are both humans and elves together in harmony?" She isn't positive, but there is something to that idea. "Or maybe it's just that these ((Vraeyans)) are such interesting people to learn about." Fallberry is used to having words go over its head -- after all, it does hang out with Wayfound -- but Fallberry is also easily distractable; accordingly, all it takes is one glimpse of something shiny moving about in one of the tide pools to distract the bug. It flits off abruptly, squealing something to itself about flapwiggle swimthings, and for a fraction of an instant Wayfound flashes it a small crooked smile before looking up at the human once more. "You look for reasons of contemplation, then," she murmurs, as if half to herself, before abruptly shaking herself a bit and nodding. She does not smile, but her expression relaxes, just a trifle. "I too have lingered longer than I intended... but this is the first opportunity I have had to learn about humans firsthand. The experience has been most edifying." Coralfire shrugs a bit at that. "I'm glad you're finding it educational, then. For myself - I spent a good part of my life with elves. So actually, it's a learning experience for me too, spending time with other humans. I always feel that I don't quite fit in. And now that we are to return to the Olbar village, I'm not so sure I want to go." She settles down atop her rock now, one hand balancing her, as she wriggles her toes absently in the sand. "Contemplation. Yes, that's a good word for it. Where will you go, if you leave here? Do you have a destination in mind?" Wayfound's pale brows rise up significantly, at Coralfire's initial revelation. Before she actually answers that last question, that fascinating tidbit of information must first be explored; accordingly, she inquires, eyes actually widening a little in her surprise, "You were raised by our kind...? Fascinating...!" This, too, is half-breathed to herself, and then in sudden comprehension, she adds, "This is why you are comfortable with our words." Coralfire blinks and then her laughter comes out. She has an accent when speaking Olbar, not the other way around. "Yes, that's why. I think - I was told by my sister that as a babe I was kidnapped by one of the humans who dislike the elves. He wanted to sacrifice me or something, because my ears are slightly pointed." Nothing at all like the elves, but noticeable. "I don't know what happened to him. Maybe he really did only intend to leave me in the woods. But that's where mother - Sunfish, from Raft, but she calls herself Moonfall now - found me." "I had indeed observed the shape of your ears... most curious..." And then, abruptly, Wayfound pinkens just a little. The blush might not be too glimpsable in the moonlight, but her sheepish expression betrays her skin's heat. "Forgive me. I am prone to ask questions in depth regarding information that startles me. I had not known that any of our kind had raised any of yours." Coralfire shrugs a little at that. Not like her eyes are wolfrider sharp, but the sheepish expression is noticeable. "I have no reason to keep it a secret among friends." she says after a moment. "And I think it is curious myself. Though it is perhaps something which disturbs many of the humans." Hey, it's a good excuse for none of the men to appear to be interested in her, right? Well, at least, that's what she thinks. Mind you, it's possible she just doesn't know how to tell. Wayfound seems to give this matter much thought; truth be told, she seems to give _everything_ much thought, and the thoughts seem to crackle almost palpably behind her eyes before she abruptly, steadily nods again. "That does seem a logical conclusion to draw... but you asked me a question as well." The Wolfrider hauls in a breath, her gaze flashing out to sea in such a way as to suggest that she, too, might well look upon the waves for purposes of contemplation. "Reason and tribal ties strongly urge that I return to my home tribe with news of the humans of ((Vrae))." Coralfire nods her head. "Yes, it probably would be good to tell your family. And that's probably partly why Xhosa and Shelbor want to go home. I suppose it would be nice to See Jacynthe again. Though I could do without seeing Talorin. He's my brother, and one of those who doesn't like elves." Wayfound smiles, just barely, or at least what seems to pass as a smile for her: an ever so slightly upward curve of one corner of her mouth. "My family has not seen me for ten turns of the seasons; however, I should doubtless return to them soon." A beat. Then two. And then she gruffly appends, "I am... not entirely at ease among my own kind, either." She does not elaborate; it's a 'for what it's worth', perhaps, tentatively offered in a sort of unspoken signal of something else humans and elves might perhaps have in common. The ability to sometimes make those of their own feel ill-suited among them. Coralfire blinks and then a gentle half smile crosses her face. "I see." she says after a moment, absorbing that. "You know, it is amazing how much elves and humans have in common." Coral then wriggles her toes again, before she gets up and walks over towards the water. "Thank you for stopping to talk to me. I think maybe it helped some. I have hunting to do though, before the daystar rises again, so I shall find my way to my bed. May the wind be gentle and the tides aid you." "Indeed," murmurs Wayfound, and once again, she inclines her head a single time. Nodding seems an eloquent thing, for her, though. This nod is one of something that might almost be a hint of companiability... and a hint of pleasure, too, at the interaction. By contrast to Coralfire's, her farewell is much less formally phrased, but for what her words lack in formality her delivery and bearing provide. "Rest well." [End log.]