RaccoonismOct 01, 2015Oct 01, 2015 at 05:59 AM
#1
The male dunmer walked leisurely through the small village of Vulk, his brown leather boots crushing into the mud from the day’s heavy rain. Slowly he approached the small house pod of his sister, Hloriella. Broken pots and discarded baskets lay along it’s rooted steps, overgrowth of the jungle slowly attempting to take over the house shaped tree. Giving a sigh, Fedris pushed back the heavy, mud coated, leather curtain and stepped inside. It was completely dark, nearly vacant, empty.
“Why am I not surprised…” Stepping inside, he made his way to a candle and light it with a flick of his wrist, the most basic destruction spell. “How can she live like this…” He looked around. The housepod was devoid of any furniture since he moved out, save for a small, round stone in the center. A hanging deer pelt curtain hung as a partition,behind it a simple bedroll. Several clay pots were tucked along the walls, two plushes, a guar and a bear, stood guard near the bedroll. Laying on the bed, a block of imported wood, carved into something unknown to him.
He sat down beside the stone table, folding his legs under him, and picked up the wood block. “Huh.”
Light from outside suddenly poured into the room, the door curtain sliding open. The female dunmer stormed in, dressed in basic linens, an elegant epaulet draped over her shoulders. Around her neck hung a peculiar, tiny drawstring sack, smaller then her hand. “Fedris! What do you think you are doing, storming into a ladies house unannounced!”
Fedris blinked, resting his arms behind his head. “Oh Hloriella. You invited me, remember?” He puffed out a heavy breath of air. “Besides, I’m your brother, surprise visits should be welcome, no?”
“Damn fool.” Scowling, Hloriella stepped inside the dimly lite room. Her hair flared up as she spotted her carving in his hands. “Put that down!” She swiped the carving in one fell swoop out of his hands, leaving him stunned. “Do you always touch things that do not belong to you? Thief.” She sank to his eye level across the stone table, still holding the block of carved wood.
“Sorry! Geeze, Look if you want me to leave, I’ll just go. I don’t have time to dea-” As Fedris spoke, Hloriella reached out her hand to stop him.
“No! No. Fedris don’t leave. I need to make amends.” Her scowl lifted for a moment.
He arched a brow, steepling his fingers under his scruffy beard. “What? You sound like a dying old woman for Y’ffre’s sake, Lighten up, lighten up.” He relaxed his expression, resting his hands behind him against the rotted floor.
“Dammit Fedris I’m trying to apologize!” She threw her fist into the stone table, hard. After a moment, she winced, clearly regretting the painful action.
“Oh, well why didn’t you just say so?” Leaning over the table now, still sitting, he smiled to his sister. “You know, you really should calm down before you hurt the only furniture you own.”
Hloriella blinked, her lips quivering as she held her now sore hand. “Shut up!” She rubbed her hand, glaring at him. “So...you forgive me then?”
“Ah, well now I didn’t say that.” He scratched his head. “You will have to do better than just a sorry. For starters, I don’t even know what you're sorry for, nor am I convinced you do either.”
She folded her arms, clutching the carving as her expression turned sour. “Fedris I’m sorry I turned your girlfriend into a werewolf. I’m sorry I tried to kill you several times, though granted, I wasn’t exactly myself. That good enough?”
Fedris tapped his lip, then sighed. “That was the worst apology I have ever heard. No,no-t buying that.” He rubbed his temple. “ I want to hear the truth Hloriella. I know it wasn’t you who turned my sweet love, and your future sister in law into a cursed monster.” He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Why did you lie to me? To her? Don’t you trust me?”
She clutched the carving, looking down at it. The gentle candle light illuminating the two and nothing more. “I lied because...uh.” She curled her knees up. “I was frightened. I found her like that, so I took charge of her. I thought if you knew it was me who did it, well, you would be less likely to storm off and find who did it.”
Fedris ran a hand down his face. “Hloriella you dumb fuck, you realize that the wolf who did it is still out here then, right?”
She gave a sad look to him, but remained silent.
“Ok...ok. Don’t look at me like that.” He too crossed his arms, leaning back a little. “And Eranor. He is cursed too, isn’t he?”
“I uh….what?”
Fedris groaned, rolling his eyes immensely. “I already know he is, just tell me...was it you? Did you do that?” He gave her a scolding, judging look.
She snorted, flicking her eyes away. “Nah.”
He blinked. “Nah what? Nah, I cursed another bosmer to wallow in the hunting grounds or...?”
“Uh….” She scratched her short hair, grumbling. “Nah I didn’t do that. That was not me.”
He exhaled, shutting his eyes in relief. “Thank Y’ffre.” Fedris opened his eyes, giving his sister a more favorable look. “Looks like I won’t have to collar you then. I just worry...you will lost control. You know what will happen if you do…”
Hloriella frowned, tilting her head up smugly. “I do and I won’t. I am not some mindless animal.”
Fedris stared blankly at her, then looked around the room. “You uh sure about that? I mean, look at this place…”
“Shut up.” She looked him dead in the eyes. “I don’t require much, nor do I spend much time here.”
Leaning his head in his hand, Fedris looked unamused. “Sooo you sleep...where? Where do you even go Hloriella? Even when I lived here with you, you just...what do you eat insects or something out there?” He chuckled, desperately trying to lighten the mood.
“I have a boat.”
“A what?” He nearly fell over. “Was not expecting...really? You...have no money. Or even work. Do you even know how to manage a boat?”
She just shrugged. “It was a friend’s, he gave it to me.”
For a few tense moments he just looked at her. “Alright…” The poor dunmer looked at a loss for words. “I just have many...hmm.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Licking his lips, Fedris tapped his index finger on the wooden carving. “You know, dad used to carve. And don’t show a bosmer that, they might-”
“It’s imported wood you moron!” She proceeded to throw the carving at his head.
“OW HEY!” The dunmer gripped his head, “Ow, ow...yeah that feels like solid oak…”
“Your brain is solid oak!” She leaned over to grab the carving back, but Fedris quickly scooped it up and held it over his head, well out of her reach. He admired her poor work as she tried to reach for it. “Give that back! Please dammit!”
“You threw it at me! Wow...you really...did some kind of job to this wood. Most of it looks well off, then it just kind of gets sloppy.” He raised his brow, finally tossing it back at her.
She clutched it, eyeing it to make sure nothing was damaged from his head. “It’s not finished.”
“I know that, but like…” He smirked, “I can help you, dad taught me how to carve things to actually look like other things.”
She looked at him more softly. “He did? Can you teach me?” She shoved the block of wood in his face. “I wish this to look like a bird.”
“Erm...Hloriella…” He tapped the wood carving. “Poof! Turn into a bird!”
She frowned, pulling it back as she sat on the rock table. "I hate you."
Giving a wide, cheeky grin, Fedris just shrugged. “I know you do.”
“I’m sorry Fedris.”
He raised his brow again. “Aye, we have been over this, no?”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t the sister you expected to find.” She sat with the carving in her lap, finally looking up at him. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him. “I’m happy you found me anyway. I’m happy you didn’t abandon me for dead.”
Fedris smiled, returning the hug whole heartedly. “The bump on my head disagrees, but, Hloriella, I’m happy to have found you too. Little monster or not, it’s nice to know I still have some family.”
“Why am I not surprised…” Stepping inside, he made his way to a candle and light it with a flick of his wrist, the most basic destruction spell. “How can she live like this…” He looked around. The housepod was devoid of any furniture since he moved out, save for a small, round stone in the center. A hanging deer pelt curtain hung as a partition,behind it a simple bedroll. Several clay pots were tucked along the walls, two plushes, a guar and a bear, stood guard near the bedroll. Laying on the bed, a block of imported wood, carved into something unknown to him.
He sat down beside the stone table, folding his legs under him, and picked up the wood block. “Huh.”
Light from outside suddenly poured into the room, the door curtain sliding open. The female dunmer stormed in, dressed in basic linens, an elegant epaulet draped over her shoulders. Around her neck hung a peculiar, tiny drawstring sack, smaller then her hand. “Fedris! What do you think you are doing, storming into a ladies house unannounced!”
Fedris blinked, resting his arms behind his head. “Oh Hloriella. You invited me, remember?” He puffed out a heavy breath of air. “Besides, I’m your brother, surprise visits should be welcome, no?”
“Damn fool.” Scowling, Hloriella stepped inside the dimly lite room. Her hair flared up as she spotted her carving in his hands. “Put that down!” She swiped the carving in one fell swoop out of his hands, leaving him stunned. “Do you always touch things that do not belong to you? Thief.” She sank to his eye level across the stone table, still holding the block of carved wood.
“Sorry! Geeze, Look if you want me to leave, I’ll just go. I don’t have time to dea-” As Fedris spoke, Hloriella reached out her hand to stop him.
“No! No. Fedris don’t leave. I need to make amends.” Her scowl lifted for a moment.
He arched a brow, steepling his fingers under his scruffy beard. “What? You sound like a dying old woman for Y’ffre’s sake, Lighten up, lighten up.” He relaxed his expression, resting his hands behind him against the rotted floor.
“Dammit Fedris I’m trying to apologize!” She threw her fist into the stone table, hard. After a moment, she winced, clearly regretting the painful action.
“Oh, well why didn’t you just say so?” Leaning over the table now, still sitting, he smiled to his sister. “You know, you really should calm down before you hurt the only furniture you own.”
Hloriella blinked, her lips quivering as she held her now sore hand. “Shut up!” She rubbed her hand, glaring at him. “So...you forgive me then?”
“Ah, well now I didn’t say that.” He scratched his head. “You will have to do better than just a sorry. For starters, I don’t even know what you're sorry for, nor am I convinced you do either.”
She folded her arms, clutching the carving as her expression turned sour. “Fedris I’m sorry I turned your girlfriend into a werewolf. I’m sorry I tried to kill you several times, though granted, I wasn’t exactly myself. That good enough?”
Fedris tapped his lip, then sighed. “That was the worst apology I have ever heard. No,no-t buying that.” He rubbed his temple. “ I want to hear the truth Hloriella. I know it wasn’t you who turned my sweet love, and your future sister in law into a cursed monster.” He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Why did you lie to me? To her? Don’t you trust me?”
She clutched the carving, looking down at it. The gentle candle light illuminating the two and nothing more. “I lied because...uh.” She curled her knees up. “I was frightened. I found her like that, so I took charge of her. I thought if you knew it was me who did it, well, you would be less likely to storm off and find who did it.”
Fedris ran a hand down his face. “Hloriella you dumb fuck, you realize that the wolf who did it is still out here then, right?”
She gave a sad look to him, but remained silent.
“Ok...ok. Don’t look at me like that.” He too crossed his arms, leaning back a little. “And Eranor. He is cursed too, isn’t he?”
“I uh….what?”
Fedris groaned, rolling his eyes immensely. “I already know he is, just tell me...was it you? Did you do that?” He gave her a scolding, judging look.
She snorted, flicking her eyes away. “Nah.”
He blinked. “Nah what? Nah, I cursed another bosmer to wallow in the hunting grounds or...?”
“Uh….” She scratched her short hair, grumbling. “Nah I didn’t do that. That was not me.”
He exhaled, shutting his eyes in relief. “Thank Y’ffre.” Fedris opened his eyes, giving his sister a more favorable look. “Looks like I won’t have to collar you then. I just worry...you will lost control. You know what will happen if you do…”
Hloriella frowned, tilting her head up smugly. “I do and I won’t. I am not some mindless animal.”
Fedris stared blankly at her, then looked around the room. “You uh sure about that? I mean, look at this place…”
“Shut up.” She looked him dead in the eyes. “I don’t require much, nor do I spend much time here.”
Leaning his head in his hand, Fedris looked unamused. “Sooo you sleep...where? Where do you even go Hloriella? Even when I lived here with you, you just...what do you eat insects or something out there?” He chuckled, desperately trying to lighten the mood.
“I have a boat.”
“A what?” He nearly fell over. “Was not expecting...really? You...have no money. Or even work. Do you even know how to manage a boat?”
She just shrugged. “It was a friend’s, he gave it to me.”
For a few tense moments he just looked at her. “Alright…” The poor dunmer looked at a loss for words. “I just have many...hmm.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Licking his lips, Fedris tapped his index finger on the wooden carving. “You know, dad used to carve. And don’t show a bosmer that, they might-”
“It’s imported wood you moron!” She proceeded to throw the carving at his head.
“OW HEY!” The dunmer gripped his head, “Ow, ow...yeah that feels like solid oak…”
“Your brain is solid oak!” She leaned over to grab the carving back, but Fedris quickly scooped it up and held it over his head, well out of her reach. He admired her poor work as she tried to reach for it. “Give that back! Please dammit!”
“You threw it at me! Wow...you really...did some kind of job to this wood. Most of it looks well off, then it just kind of gets sloppy.” He raised his brow, finally tossing it back at her.
She clutched it, eyeing it to make sure nothing was damaged from his head. “It’s not finished.”
“I know that, but like…” He smirked, “I can help you, dad taught me how to carve things to actually look like other things.”
She looked at him more softly. “He did? Can you teach me?” She shoved the block of wood in his face. “I wish this to look like a bird.”
“Erm...Hloriella…” He tapped the wood carving. “Poof! Turn into a bird!”
She frowned, pulling it back as she sat on the rock table. "I hate you."
Giving a wide, cheeky grin, Fedris just shrugged. “I know you do.”
“I’m sorry Fedris.”
He raised his brow again. “Aye, we have been over this, no?”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t the sister you expected to find.” She sat with the carving in her lap, finally looking up at him. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him. “I’m happy you found me anyway. I’m happy you didn’t abandon me for dead.”
Fedris smiled, returning the hug whole heartedly. “The bump on my head disagrees, but, Hloriella, I’m happy to have found you too. Little monster or not, it’s nice to know I still have some family.”