"Offers of Aid" Log Date: 3/4/02 Log Cast: Vardeus, Shay'la, Stormchaser Log Intro: He cannot wait much longer. As the days roll by and still Kephissa and Valnek have not found their way to the island of the Raft Elves, Vardeus grows restless beyond his ability to bear. His dreams grow more haunted at night, and in his waking hours he does not cease to puzzle over the problem of how to get himself and young Maerro across the water. The elves have claimed that their rafts will not bear humans, if he understands them correctly. But could he make a raft himself, without the proper tools? Could he and Maerro somehow manage to swim the distance, if they had a smaller raft to which to cling? Almost desperate enough to jump into the waves and swim to the mainland without a raft's support if he has to, Vardeus somehow manages to forget that if he would only unbend enough to pay attention, there might be more sources of help around than he realizes.... ---------- 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. The beginning of spring has arrived to this tropical land. Those northern birds that have taken refuge here for the winter have begun to leave, only here and there can a dull feather still be found amongst the brighter plumage. It is the dark of night, with little more than the two moons and a sparkling of star to light the way for one and all. Awake: Shay'la Stormchaser Vardeus Asleep: Moonfall Other: Guest Cave Obvious exits: Tunnel Into the pool

Cliff Waterfall Path Dark of the night... and dreams have chased Vardeus Alirreus out of Raven's tent again. Maerro sleeps the sleep of the innocent, as only an active, vigorous young boy who's had an entire island to explore at his disposal and a whole new strange people to try to get to know; his captain, on the other hand, feels himself just shy of bursting. In his agitation, he's gone to the shoreline and found it, as it's been the last hundred times he's checked in, free of any sign of any approaching raft that might carry his errant crewmates. And so he's fled into the forest again, uncaring of the dark of the hour, needing only to burn off his restless energy in the hope of having a prayer of sleep, later. Thus does the human sailor come upon the waterfall, and under the wash of moonlight that plays over the spilling cascade he blows out a sigh and goes to kneel at the water's side, splashing water on his face. This is Shay'la's time... the dead of night, when only the moons illuminate the world around her. This is when she can move freely, slipping out from the caves below and being able to gaze up at the sky and remember when even moonlight brought her harm. It's strange that seeing the sky should bring her such comfort, considering the length of time she spent under the ground with little concept of what the sky looked like. At the moment she is to be found in shadow, simply watching all who might come to the waterfall. Stormchaser watches the human from the safety of a nearby tree, hidden by the branches. He had heard of the humans, but had yet to meet one face to face. Curiously, he climbs a little closer, watching the strange creature with childlike eyes. There's one thing that can be said of this strange human from another place, at any rate: like his more familiar brethern on the mainland, he can't match an elf in stealth and silence. Nor are his ears as sharp as the elfinkind, and he seems not to notice that not one but two pairs of eyes are upon him. His face splashed, he scowls now down at his own reflection, his own eyes stormy of gaze, and he growls roughly at the image in the water, "((So how much longer are ye after sittin' on yer own rump, man? Think! Gotta be a way to make a raft big enough to carry ye an' the lad -- Maerro's countin' on ye, Kephissa's countin' on ye, Valnek--))" And he cuts himself off, swiping a frustrated hand at the water to make his face therein fragment into countless ripples. Shay'la slips out of the shadows to move up behind the tall human, "Vardeus angry?" Yes she hates this limited form of communication but she uses it anyway. She has taken pains to teach and learn as much as she can... one never knows when such things could come in handy. As is typical of her at night, her hood is down... her large, dark eyes visible and expressing concern. Seeing another elf approching the human, Stormchaser assumes it is safe enough to approach. Silently climbs down from the treee and approaches, sending a Greeting to the elf, unheard by the human. Vardeus jerks his head up, and his gaze swivels up and around to find the source of the voice that's called out to him. As he finally espies the she-elf he pulls himself up from his kneel... and as he sees Stormchaser emerge into the moonlight as well, he pauses with a hint of uncertainty in his bearing, only partly offsetting his self-directed frustration. "Taydes," he says then to both, his rolling accent drawing out the Rafters' traditional greeting, ocean-colored eyes flicking their gaze back and forth between both elves. To Shay'la, he adds gruffly, "I not know 'angry'...?" Shay'la is a master of emotion, controlling it within herself. She nods and reaches down to pick up a rock which she forms into a hasty rendition of an elf. Calling upon turns of emotions denied her face takes on a dark caste... definitely angry. And with a fit of rage she hurls the effigy at a tree, watching it shatter to pieces. When she turns back to Vardeus she is much calmer, like what he saw did not happen, "Angry." You really have to love those visual demonstrations. Stormchaser is slightly amused by these goings on, this being his first actual experiance with a human. **So this is a human?** he sends. He walks around Vardeus, looking at him curiously. Sometimes... _usually_... Vardeus can almost convince himself that the elves are not unlike the people he knows, simply smaller and slenderer, with oddly shaped ears and a strange number of fingers. But then there are the times when Shay'la shapes the rock... or when Splash places her hands upon his very person and his bones shift beneath her will. Vardeus's gaze follows the hurling of the shaped rock, and a muscle jumps in his tanned cheek; it doesn't help, either, that the male elf is giving him the same curious silent inspection that he's learned has signaled that there is probably 'head-talk' going on. "I... angry," he admits then to Shay'la, while keeping half an eye on Stormdchaser. Shay'la looks over at Stormchaser and nods, responding to the sent question with speech, "Yes, this is a human. His name is Vardeus." She then turns back to Vardeus and nods, "It is okay to be angry." She knows he is frustrated with being seperated from his crew. Stormchaser sits and watches the two not fully understanding what is going on. For now he just sits and listens, paying ful attention to any movements made by the human. _Definitely_ head-talk going on. Vardeus bites back a sigh before it escapes him, not quite willing to try to complain if the elves choose to send in his presence; truth be told, he doesn't have the energy to protest what the Others might do. After weeks of being stranded on the island, he's grown accustomed as well to the wary stares of the males in the tribe, and has decided that at least until he's better able to speak in the elfin words, there's not going to be much he can do to win over any wary elves short of his continued failure to actually harm anyone on the island. And so Vardeus blows out a breath and looks back to Shay'la, tiredly. "I better, find ((crew)). You say, hilp find ((crew)). Coorelfair say. Raven say. Kyethaerm say. Kephissa, Valnek no come. _I_ go." Shay'la nods her head slowly, and then turns to look at the waterfall for several long heartbeats. When she turns back, determined eyes focus on Vardeus, "I go with Vardeus. Help Vardeus find ((croo))." Actually this is pretty bold for her, considering Shay's longstanding fear of water.. but Vardeus doesn't know that. Stormchaser listens intently, not not sure what a ((croo)) is, but always willing to help out, especially when it means he can learn more about something he doesn't know about . **I'll help too if I can** trying to indicate that to the human, knowing that humans cannot send. "You hilp make raft?" Vardeus asks, his agitation lending force to his words, though it is not directed specifically at Shay'la. In unthinking restlessness he begins to try to pace, only to think better of it as he remembers the silent male still watching him. That'd be all he'd need, to alarm the fellow now that he's apparently decided to get a look at him up close at last. And then as Stormchaser gestures, Vardeus blinks down at him. "Elfs... elves say, I big, raft small, raft nae carry Vardeus, Maerro." Shay'la furrows her brows, "I not know how to make raft." Shay barely knew how to swim when she came here... she also doesn't know how to steer them either. She motions to the sky, "Daystar hurt Shay'la... must cover." She motions to her hood and pulling it over her head. She has to stay shielded on the raft. "I help look on land." Though he hasn't spoken in the few turns he has been in the Raft holt, having no reason to, Stormchaser finally raises his voice, "I can make a raft, I'll help" He is not sure that the human understands him fully, but waits patiently for a responce. Wait. _This_ is new; the sun hurts Shay'la? Vardeus blinks several times, finding this almost even more bizarre a concept than the strange powers he has seen the elves exhibit. He starts to blink at the she-elf this time... only to be distracted by Stormchaser's interjection. For just a moment he just stares at the elf, not quite certain what he might have done to earn this sign of favor, but too tired to try to puzzle it out. Still, a bit of tension eases out of his face and frame, and one corner of his mouth quirks up. "Kyethaerm tell I," he says then, "say 'thank you'. Thank you. Need hilp. Big raft for I, Maerro." Oh yes but the sun hurts Shay'la... why else do you think she is covered from head to toe? Yep... you learn new things everyday. For the moment Shay'la remains silent, letting Stormchaser and Vardeus now talk. She knows nothing of rafts... wood is not her medium. [The scene cut off here, as Stormchaser and Shay'la both wound up disconnecting, so, end log.]