"Coconuts and Hope" Log Date: 3/1/02 Log Cast: Coralfire, Vardeus Log Intro: His injuries have been healed... and now that his strength is returning, Vardeus of the Vraeyans is increasingly restless and increasingly anxious to find some sign of his missing crewmates. Days are passing on the Raft Elves' island, and still no sign has come of Kephissa or Valnek. The Captain of the lost _Windrider_ has tried to fill his time as best he can by keeping up the spirits of his young companion Maerro and teaching the words of his language as best he can to any who will learn them... but there are few such beings on the island. One of them, though, is the one human woman Vardeus has met in this strange place of the Little People: Coralfire, who was raised by one of the Little People, and for whose presence among them Vardeus is inordinately grateful even if he can talk to her with no more skill than he can to the elves.... ---------- Waterfall - Surface - Raft Holt The waterfall towers before you, the surroundings so magnificent, everything coming together in perfect harmony here. When the daystar is up, the mist created by the water flowing down into the big pool at the base, create a faint image of a rainbow. A cliff juts out just by the waterfall - vines dangles down from a tree on the very edge, the grass thick and green up there. The sounds of the water rushing into the pool dominate the area, a crescendo that carries out into the jungles. The pool is naturally formed, a big oval shaped edging, a big stream running into the trees, heading for the ocean. A ledge, wide enough for an elf or wolf to pass has been pulled from the cliff face. It runs along it heading behind the crashing waterfall. The grass is thick and lush surrounding the pool, a few rocks and boulders closer to the very base of the waterfall provides perfect seating. Wildlife tend to drift this way, across the pool one can catch a glimpse of some creature wanting a fresh drink. The whole place is open, lined only by the trees which leads deeper into the forests, a path can be seen there. spring The seven stars of Goodtree's Rest glitter brightly Awake: Coralfire Vardeus Asleep: Moonfall Other: Guest Cave Obvious exits: Tunnel Into the pool

Cliff Waterfall Path Vardeus(#108PXc2) Given his round ears and his five-fingered hands, this is clearly a human man... but a distinctly strange-looking one. He stands taller than many human warriors, with broad shoulders and well-muscled arms in proportion to his sturdy frame, and although his face and form are heavily bronzed by the Daystar, he is paler in shade than many of his kind. His eyes are clear and blue as the Vastdeep Water beneath a summer sky. His hair, a warm golden brown bleached yellow on top by the sun, is most often tied into a small tail at the base of his neck; his beard goes with his hair, a short scattering of whiskers that's just enough to soften the strong line of his jaw. He speaks with a rich husky baritone, and in a rolling accent that marks him as not of any known nearby land. He is clad in a motley array of garb that does not generally match what a human might usually be expected to wear. Along with an undyed vest of off-white and black pants which, upon close inspection, might be seen to have been recently altered to fit him, he sports a heavy belt of well-oiled, well-worn, metal-studded leather round his waist and leathern sandals on his feet, with broad straps that wind up his calves just short of his knees over the legs of his pants. On his belt, at either side, ride the matched sheaths of a pair of iron daggers. At his right ear gleams a small golden earring, and around his upper left arm, an armband of beaten gold. (+detail Vardeus for further details) It's a magnificent view here, and Coralfire has increased it, by climbing one of the trees. She's way up as high as she can go, which isn't quite so high as the elves - she weighs more. Still, she is relaxed, enjoying the sun and the view as she fiddles with one of the coconuts that is just the perfect ripeness. The human woman hums to herself as she works, dropping the coconut down and then glancing around before she picks another to throw to the sand below. Vardeus has paced the length and breadth of the island several dozen times in the days since his healing -- or so it's seemed to the Vraeyan captain who's been stranded on the island for eights of days now. Desperate for something to do, he's taken the time to work on teaching the boy Maerro more of his letters, as well as spending considerable amounts of time in other activites with the lad. Fishing, exploring, studying what the elves will permit of the rafts they use to traverse the distance between the island and the mainland, sparring practice. Now, though, Vardeus is alone. And because he is alone the need to support and encourage the boy is reduced... though the sparring he's done with the lad today has got his blood up and his memories of home high. He can let himself whip out his daggers as he comes half-dancing, half-dodging along the path, eyes burning with restless frustration as he feints and parries with invisible opponents. Coralfire glances along the beach, blinking as she spies Vardeus. She stays still, just watching as he shadow-spars, not above enjoying the view, if the truth is told. After a few heartbeats though, she catches herself and shakes her head. Right, back to work, Coral. Another Coconut is dropped. "Beware, below," she half-shouts a warning, just in case it rolls or bounces, as the coconuts sometimes do. For her part, Coral has been revelling in being home. She's been visiting with Moonfall, swimmign with Waterlark, and otherwise enjoying herself. Though her joy is diluted sometimes, with the knowledge that there are others here who are not so happy. At the call from above Vardeus freezes in the middle of a spin on his sandaled heel, his daggers crossed before his chest and his gaze snapping upward to locate the source of the voice. Fortunately, though, the plummeting coconut is well out of his range, and he fires a small crooked smile upward. "Taydes, Koorelfaer!" his baritone rolls up from below, carrying strong and clear with the full force of a human male's lungs behind it and all the energy of a sailor used to shouting to making himself heard on deck. Coralfire shakes her head, having no trouble hearing that voice. She laughs a bit, and decides she's got enough of the coconuts for now, so she shimmies down the tree, and then brushes off her legs efficiently. "Tides, Vardes," she says, and then she smiles, trying her luck at one of the very few words she thinks she's learned. "((Haillo.))" There aren't many on the island as of yet who are actively trying to speak his own tongue to him, and that the one human he's seen here to date seems interested in doing so causes at least a bit of Vardeus' tension to drain from him. With a flash of their iron edges, he sheathes both of his knives and straightens up to his full height, inclining his head in greeting, a strangely courtly sort of gesture for him. He grins a bit more as well, though the grin only partly offsets his restless eyes. "((Aye, hello,))" he affirms, before nodding upwards at the tree, his beard-shadowed chin lifting up. "You get nuts? Need hilp?" He, too, has been arduously practicing his language skills. Coralfire glances up at the tree, and then down at the nuts she's already collected. She takes a moment to estimate how many there are there. Enough for her purposes. "No help. Thanks. Got lots." She starts collecting them, checking to see if any of them have been opened by the drop. It's the sort of thing she hasn't had too much practice at of late, though she used to love the coconuts. "Like nuts?" she asks, offering one to the Captain. "Want some?" "((Aye,))" the big sailor answers, taking the offering and nodding his thanks. "Raven show, break nuts, eat inside." Vardeu looks left, looks right, then spies a rock that looks large enough and substantial enough for his purposes. To that boulder by the waterfall he strides, and once he reaches it he hefts the nut between his big hands. Experimentally he moves his hands' position till he has them exactly where he wants them -- and then, *WHAM*! He whacks the coconut against the boulder, once, twice, till he's dealt it enough damage to finish the job with no tool but his hands. As he engages in this exercise, he calls out, "See nuts like, other islands. Learn fast." Coralfire nods her head slowly, as she mouths the word, "((Aye))". She's heard that one before too. "Nuts good," she agrees, watching as Vardeus smashes the darn thing open. See, sometimes being big has its moments, she has to admit. Oh well, there's only so much watching she can do, and so she busies herself with the other nuts for now. "You learn fast, ((aye)). Coralfire learn slow." she says, but she does learn, at least a little. She piles the nuts together, separating out one or two that have already cracked from the drop to the ground. Well, when it comes to smashing things, Vardeus Alirreus is your man, that's for sure. Need a lyre played? He can do that, too. And normally he'd even add 'command a sailing vessel' to his list of talents, though as of late he's harbored serious doubts on that score. Nor is he particularly amused with his own slow grasp of the elfin language, and as he wanders back over with coconut halves in each palm he notes in self-directed annoyance, "I no learn elf words fast. Woolf-elf, Raven talk Vardeus, Kyethaerm, Shayla talk Vardeus, no more elfs. Elfs see Vardeus, make face." He twists his own features up by way of demonstration, putting on an expression one might wear if one had just stepped into a pile of wolf-dung. "Elfs look like Vardeus hurt ears." Coralfire giggles at the face, unable to help it. She is sure there are others who might talk to Vardeus too, but they do have things to do, after all. "Some elves scared of humans," she says, with a soft shrug. And besides, that accent probably does hurt some of their ears. They don't use speech all that often around here, except when they have to. Even Coralfire speaks relatively quietly, only loudly enough to be heard. "Coralfire talk Vardeuz. Coralfire talk elf words." And she will even if she doesn't get to learn your language for teaching you hers. Vardeus' expression falls a bit, at Coralfire's observations. Leaning against a tree, setting down one of the nut halves he holds, he applies himself to digging out the flesh of the other... though his eyes are moody of gaze now, and his attention on the coconut only peripheral. "Shayla tell, huimins hurt elfs," he begins, then levels a sheepish blue look at the young woman. "((Aye,)) Koorelfaer talk, say elf words. Is good." And he scowls at himself. Grammar, man. Grammar. "I not good, teach words. I ((captain)), I ((sailor)). _Arnos_ teach words..." And then he just stops entirely, staring broodingly down at the coconut fragment he holds, without really seeing it. Arnos would teach words, at any rate, if Arnos is in fact still alive. Coralfire shrugs a bit, as she smashes one of her already cracked coconuts, opening it the rest of the way. It doesn't need quite so much strength once it's already started, and she knows that. So, she takes a piece of the milky white nut, and sniffs at it, a smile crossing her face. Then, she frowns. " (( siylor? cappin? ))" she repeats, trying to figure out what those words mean. "((Arnez?))" Yes, she's a little confused, but what did you expect? She pauses, and then she takes a deep breath. "Coralfire help? Come with Vardos to find Vardez tribe?" It seems to take Vardeus a moment before he snaps out of whatever deep blue funk is threatening to seize hold of him; then, though, he shakes himself a bit and focuses on the woman again, though his eyes remain plaintive and distracted. "Arnos," he repeats, trying to say it clearly. "Is... ((ach!)) Uh... uh... elf-word, 'tribemate'? Arnos in ((crew)), in tribe. Many--" Gods, how can he talk about the good half-dozen dialects in use in Vrae? Still holding the by-now-forgotten nut, he gestures frustratedly with his other hand, as if trying to catch words right out of the sunshine. "I say, ((Vrae)) words. More words in ((Vrae)), Arnos know, Arnos say. ((Crew)) go new place, see new huimins, Arnos talk first, get words." Please, his pleading expression adds as he finishes, tell him that makes sense and he didn't sound like too much of a babbling idiot? Coralfire has to ponder that, it's not easy for her to make sense of it. "Arnos in Vardeuz tribe," she repeats, and then she thinks a bit. And then a bit more. In fact, she eats her piece of coconut while she lets her mind work its way around what youv'e said. Nah, you don't sound like a babbling idiot, just someone who is having fun trying to figure it all out. Not to mention explain it. You need someone who's good with words, someone like ... oh. "Arnos know words. Like Coralfire know? Coralfire speak elf-words, and human-words. Not good ((Vraeyan)) words." "Arnos no know elf words," Vardeus says, shaking his head. "No elfs in ((Vrae))." He pauses again, though, the brooding roil still going on behind his eyes before he goes gruffly on, "Arnos not dead, Arnos see elfs _now_, Arnos get words. I not know, not see Arnos." And just to prove he hadn't missed Coralfire's earlier question, either, the Captain concludes, "Koo... Coorelfair want hilp find ((crew)), is good. I not know new land. Need hilp." Those last few words are the gruffest of all; Vardeus, as he's demonstrated more than once during his recovery among the elves, is not a man to admits to needing help easily. Coralfire reaches a hand out, intending to pat Vardeus' arm and then she nods. "Coralfire help. Arnos learn elf words. Vardeuz learn elf words. Coralfire learn ((Vrae)) words. Talk better." Okay, sending would be better still, but you know, you can't have everything. "((krue)). Tribe." Right, there's another one for her. She works to consign it to memory. "Coralfire take nuts to firepit. For sharing." she says, after a moment. "Vardeus help?" She offers a somewhat hesitent smile, not exactly used to needing help herself. Once she finishes what she wants of her coconut, she picks up another, filling her arms, as much as she can. And it's time to carry them back along to the firepit, where the tribe will know to get them, if they're hungry. "Vardeus... I hilp," the Vraeyan agrees, stooping to retrieve the other half of the nut he'd broken, as well as several more into the bargain. He can carry a considerable number, and moreover, seems to possess enough balance and grace to do it without any apparent loss of dexterity. "And ((aye)... Coorelfair, Vardeus talk better, soon. Find Arnos, find ((crew)). Is good." At least, they'd _better_ find the crew... Hopefully, that will at last drive the shadow of frustration and grief from the eyes of this stranded sailor. For now, though, he'll just have to carry coconuts... and hope. [End log.]