Solo Mystery Meets Misery

[Viridae Kabre]

Timestamp: Day 12, Summer, 513 AV
Location: Kalea Wilds, Just outside Kalinor

The moon was full and casting a silver glow upon a vast open clearing, fields of grass broken only by a small bubbling creek and the surrounding tree line. Viridae lay on his back, starring into the starry sky, pondering the same thing he pondered every full moon. Who was she?

It had been three years since the Kelvic woman had appeared to Viri, just beyond this same clearing, and led him to safety from a roaring blizzard. He had thought she was just a common wolf, until she saved him from drowning and changed his life with a kiss. Ever since that night, he had been haunted by dreams of her, most abstract, the meaning and root cause never clearly defined. One thing was certain. He missed her.

Although she hadn't said much, and forbade him to speak, her simple touch and striking yellow eyes had been forever emblazoned upon his very being, almost as though it was a defining factor in who he was. This was something he had never experienced before, and although he did not want to, he cherished it. Viridae did not like the idea that another person could have such an impact on him, or the emotions he worked so hard to dull and suppress. And yet he still had an odd, nagging feeling that she had never left him. That she was with him always, watching and learning. At times he would question if she was real, if the whole experience was created within the confines of his own mind as a sort of cure for his loneliness, but some time ago, he decided he did not care if she was substance or fiction. She was real to him, and that's all that mattered.

As he stare up into the sky, his eyes fluttered closed, almost without him noticing. He had spent all day setting snares, and the exposure to the sun had beaten on his vigor like the tide beats drift wood. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment, he thought as he closed them, silky moonlight seeping through his eyelids. Before long, the moon's glow began to fade darker and darker as he slipped further and further into a soft slumber.

[Viridae Kabre]

Before long the moonlight began to glow through Viridae's eyelids yet again, except this time far brighter and more intense, almost enough to burn him in the way the sun burns fair skin, demanding he open them. They fluttered open softly as the howling cries of a wolf sounded in the distance, long and soft. The skyline looked the same, indicating he had not been asleep long, with the exception of the moon hovering directly above his head, and the sky being empty of stars, most likely due to the moon's now intensified milky glow. The world was empty of sound with the exception of the crying wolf, who continued to howl relentlessly until Viridae decided to sit up and listen closer.

It seemed that the longer he listened, the more he heard. The wolf's cry became a soft song, in a language he did not understand. Soft and familiar...in fact, the same song he had hear long ago, just after he had almost lost his life. At that realization, he leapt to his feet and began sprinting, full speed towards the tree line, compelled by an aching in his heart he had never felt before.

[Viridae Kabre]

He continued to run until he crossed through the tree line and broke through on the other side, then stopped in place. Although the air was warm and sweet with the musk of pine needles, The lake before him was frozen over, steam rising from it as the cold radiated into the warm summer air. And there she stood.

She was standing at the lake's center, naked except for Viridae's red silk scarf, which was wrapped tightly around her body, emphasizing her graceful curves. Long ink black hair fluttered softly against the wind, matching her elegant song, as if she was dictating the wind's speed and direction. Her back was towards him, but it was clear that she was craning her neck, looking directly at the gigantic moon overhead.

He looked to her, then back to the lake, before lightly setting a bare foot upon the ice. To his surprise, it was warm to the touch and solid as stone, but slick. He inched towards her determined until he was about twenty feet away. Then she stopped and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. He stopped and his pale cheeks reddened. She smiled and turned to face him extending her arms. He began to slide across the ice towards her, fumbling and struggling not to loose his footing as he approached with his own arms outstretched. Then, just before he could grasp her, hold her in his arms, the ice suddenly crackled and she fell through, leaving nothing behind but a perfectly circular hole where she had once stood.

Viridae rushed to the entrance to the hole, and to his horror, realized that what lie beneath was not water, but a massive, thick, hot pool of blood. Without a second thought he dove in after her.

Try as he might, he could not see through the red goop, and continued to kick straight downwards until he grasped a wad of hair. He swam back towards the surface and pulled himself out, before heaving the mass out behind him. Upon pulling the girl out, he realized she was no longer a woman, but a wolf, coughing up spouts of blood. He pulled her into his lap and ran his hand across her side in a desperate attempt to help her regain her breath. Then he felt something jutting from her abdomen.

An arrow, long and thin, seemingly made from bone, stuck out from between two of her ribs. He then looked at his hand to see that he was holding his father's bow. He dropped the bow and squeezed his eyes shut, willing away sleep, trying desperately to wake himself from the bitter sweet nightmare.

[Viridae Kabre]

Viridae's eyes flicked open, but he made no haste to sit up. Instead he rose slowly to his feet and stared at the moon, eyes full of longing and sadness. If he could see her again just once.....no. By now, she was long gone, and there was no hope for her to return. He packed his possessions slowly, and slung his pack over his shoulder. The last thing he wanted right now was to return to his home in Kalinor, but his job was demanding, and required proper rest and preemptive preparation. He walked to the edge of the clearing and paused, craning his neck to look at the moon. He would see her again. It way not be anytime soon, but eventually, he would see her.

[Poison]

Skills: -

Lores: A Dream of a Woman long gone

Notes: This thread was simply beautiful and very well written!

As most of it was a dream, I couldn’t give you any experience points.

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