Befriending Willow - Terhune

[22:03] Terhune's sprinting lead him far away from the city of Myllenoris. Far from the roads of civilization and deeper into the darkening woodlands. It wasn't until he'd arrived at a circle of stones did he stop dead in his tracks. It wasn't the great stones that caught his attention but the elfen figure that stood within the circle. Near a great tree.

All the stories of Terraphim and their horrors, the knife-ears of his grandmothers horror stories came back. How they'd slain more than half the city when the White Witch had been slain. In his current state all these stories did little to sooth his mind.

As the boy spotted them he'd blink, amber hues clouded with swirling crackles of green energy. The same energy which coursed along his body and resonated outwards in an aura of [I]wrongness[/I] for a few moments he didn't say anything, great tears continuing the roll down his cheeks.

Then in a scramble his hand darted upwards to grip the hilt of the great sword Thunder! Pulling it free with the sound of storm clouds echoing in the distance. The diminutive child pointed the blade at what he assumed to be a Terraphim that'd followed him out of Myllenoris. Either to mock him or perhaps worse!

"Y-you! What're you doing here!? Did you f-follow me?" As he spoke he seemed to get closer to one of the stones. Shifting to stand near it so that the great stone cast shade on over him and more than that. Offered him protection on one side.

Even if the youth didn't seem to be experienced or even particularly skilled with the sword. Something was helping him make the right moves.
(Terhune)
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[22:23] Green eyes watched Terhune as he sprinted towards them, then made to pass her by only to stop cold. From beneath the shade of the glade's tree, she watched him a curious look about her as the woman did so.

The first thing that she seemed to notice, was that he was crying. A soft frown forming on her features. "Why are your eyes raining?" She would ask the young child with the sword, and though her frown deepened as that very sword was turned towards her.

"Follow you? I've not done so. I've just been here, next to my tree." She would say with a concerned look towards them now. "Don't cut my tree please, I've only just made friends." She states in an odd tone as she moves towards him, stepping out of the shade that her 'friend' cast down upon her.

As soon as she stepped into the light, Terhune could perhaps notice something different about this particular pointedeared woman.

She was, slightly transparent.

She was a spirit.
(???)
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[22:35] Terhune's gaze narrowed as he continued to look upon the elven looking woman more closely. He took a hand from his hilt, which caused the to large sword to dip and hit the ground, bringing the back of his shirt up to wipe away his tears.

When he looked at her again at-least his face was dry, still the reddened eyes strained to look at her. It was almost as if she was shifting slightly as she stepped forwards. Listening intently as she explained herself as she asked him not to harm the tree. He'd almost overlooked her question about him crying. With a startle he'd shoot back defensively.

"Because their still watching! That's SCARY any normal person would cry after that. Why aren't you? You just look at shifty!" As he shouted his hand darted back to his sword. Lifting it up between them. "I don't care about your trees, I hate chopping trees!" Which, based on the big basket of ores. Was true, he certainly seemed like he mined more than lumbered.

He didn't know what to do after he'd spoken. Confrontation wasn't his strong suit but neither was anything that'd happened recently. Breathing heavily he'd take look around, checking the shadows under the nearby trees and lifting his focus from her.

"I... I know their still there." It was clear what ever the youth was talking about he believed it fully.
(Terhune)
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[22:51] The young woman that stepped out into the light watched the crying child with more and more curiosity towards his demeanor as he carried on. As the swordtip fell to the grass with a thump, she would only take another step towards him before stopping where she was.

A sunny smile alights towards him before she looks around. "There's people watching?" She asks as she peers around to find these people he was talking about, but as the seconds passed on by, she wasn't able to see anyone present except for the two of them.

Deep green eyes turned to look back towards him in clear confusion. "I don't see anyone. Who are you talking about? There's nobody here but us." The transparent woman says towards the straining gaze of the boy.

"You're an odd one- but then again, I really haven't met all that many people since I woke up. So maybe you're actually normal!" She exclaims towards him with thatsame sunny smile. "Still, you hate chopping trees, so you're okay in my book." A few nods follow afterwards as she abruptly turns and moves back towards the center of the glade where she gently pat the tree.

"He appreciates it too."
(???)
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[23:03] The young boy seemed stumped for a few moments. People watching? No it wasn't people it was. His face scrunched up in thought as he tried to work his way through how to explain. "No, its the... Spectators they watch us for entertainment. Even now their laughing at all this." His frown deepened even more as he considered how frustrating the idea of being laughed at by someone he couldn't see was.

When she turned around and walked back to the tree the boy jumped slightly. Not expecting her to move again at all and having been to deep in his thoughts to fully pay attention. "I'm normal! The most normal person you'll ever meet! I even pay taxes." He said the last one with a confident smirk, as if the act of taxes was the most normal thing someone could do.

His smile flickered up though once the questioning shifted to a compliment. He was alright? That wasn't something he heard a lot so it sounded great to him! "O-oh, yeah I am. Heh, thanks for noticing." His gaze shifted towards the tree and then back to the ghost.

"Um..." He paused trying to piece together some thoughts. His sword was resting against the ground now though it seemed he was more confused than anything cause he ended up not speaking. Standing in the silence between the two.
(Terhune)
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[23:14] The green haired woman turned to look back towards him, her hand still resting upon the roughshod bark. Her brows furrow in consideration of his words as she listens to him attempt to explain and in response she just.. Looks around again.

Seeing nothing.

Green eyes turn to peer towards him with that same innocent look of curiosity. One that would only normally be seen within children of wild imagination.

"What are taxes? They must be pretty normal if you pay them!" She questions before following up afterwards with an exclamation, a brief tittering laugh following behind that.

A dim, golden light began to illuminate outwards from her person at her laughter, specifically, the light seemed to emanate from the left side of her chest.

She stared back at him blinking as the silence between them bloomed into being, like the arrival of spring. . .

"Do you have a name?" She asks, abruptly.
(???)
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[23:21] Yes, yes, they were super normal. He was normal right? Right, that made sense to him. His shoulders eased up as he took a step around the stone. Sitting down in a rough motion, his back dragging along the great monolith. Thunder resting in his lap as he nodded sagaciously.

"Taxes are when the government robs you but its okay because its the government." He said the words confidently, arms crossing over his chest. Suddenly his paranoia was offset by a feeling of pride. Here he was being so wise and helpful. A sight that wasn't very common. The soft laughter that echoed along with the conversation helped to ease his mood.

It was a good laugh, not the jeering kind his ears even now strained to hear coming from the trees. His gaze seemed to trail over the flittering woman, towards her chest, specifically towards the light which seemed to illuminate her even under the shadows of the tree. He then looked down at his own skin, the electrical like marks thatglowed softly green in the darkness.

Different colors but they weren't so different after all! "Huh, I don't remember glowing but... Maybe, I always have?" His mind filling in blanks as he tried to reason it out. Though when the silence deepened only to be broken with a question his gaze shot back up.

"O-oh! Sorry, I'm Terhune, t-the rat-catcher and miner..." His smile seemed to settle, clearly proud of his jobs. After-all not everyone had the chance to work, some even starved because of it.

"What's your name... Ma'am?"
(Terhune)
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[23:42] The very green woman would tiilt her head slightly at the response given regarding taxes, but well, she's clearly not too well versed in the intricacies of civilization. She merely lets the topic pass without further comment.

What she did focus on was the fact that he glowed too! It didn't seem to cause the soft light that she gave off to grow any brighter, but it was simply something that she found to be an interesting sight.

Like a child who suddenly saw a butterfly for the first time-- or a dog who saw a squirrel sprinting across the front lawn and it just HAD to make sure that everyone knew that it definitely saw it just then.

"Terhune.. Saewyn.." She would say after the moment of her intense inspection of the childs glow came to an abrupt end. Her voice once more becoming more curious than cheerful. The curious look to her eyes as she listened to his response- and then his question that came afterwards..

She seemed to become nervous. Fretful. "My name..?" She says quietly, eyes looking around at her surroundings as if she were looking to find something that had been lost.

"What is my name?" She asks again, her already transparent figure seeming to begin to fade into the shade cast by the tree above her. Her green complexion, her green hair. Both seemed to meld into the foliage around her, and her voice grew distant and troubled. "What is my name?" She repeats towards the area nearby.

As she continues to fade into the green of the tree's upper boughs, her form became almost entirely intangible before it vanished completely.

Yet even then, Terhune could see a flicker of green light flash through the swaying branches of the tree's uppermost branches.

"I can't.. I can't seem to remember my name."
(???)
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[23:57] Terhune's expression shifted towards one of confusion as his name was repeated back. Not just his but another's as well why did that sounds so familiar? His hand rose from it's perch, shaking slightly as he cupped his chin. Drifting into his memories, memories that where starting to jumble and twist. Dancing into new shapes and sounds as he thought about the past. The curse or perhaps it was a blessing? Echoing in his mana circuitry and as it did so he felt frustrated.

Why couldn't he remember what'd happened clearly?

His concentration was broken when she spoke again. Startling upwards his gaze returned to her own. Watching her more intensely in that moment then he'd ever watched another. For a brief moment his nerves where still as his gaze probed.

Though, when she answered the question and her confusion became more and more. His concentration frayed, like a cord that'd been pulled to taut and snapped, he blinked. It wasn't often or ever actually that he asked people what their name was and they didn't know.

His doubts resurfaced roughly into his mind. Maybe, she was just lying to him so he wouldn't know. Was this some sort of joke? A plot to trick him? With each thought his expression darkened into something unpleasant. Adopting the look of raw hatred that only children lack the ability to conceal.

Then like a flush the crackling green scars about his body flickered. "Oh, wait never-mind that's how my dog was as well." That memory seemed to surface, the story of a boy and a dog. Of a dog that'd been trampled by the chariots of the blackhats. Hatred fought with peaceful remembrance upon his face before it flittered away and his gaze shot upwards.

Watching the woman vanish into the green light within the tree. His eyes widened as the look of hatred evaporated into raw shock. He shot upwards form his place on the ground and rushed towards the tree. Swift as the wind he came to it's base and looked up into the branches.

"W-what... Wait, don't go I-I" As he spoke his gaze returned to the floor and darted into the shadows of the nearby trees. Then his gaze looked up into the branches. A sorrowful frown searing into his expression. His gaze shifted downwards, the beginning of tears threatening to pour forth once more. "I'm scared."

With the words spoken his hand pressed against the tree. Taking a few deep breaths he looked up towards the boughs of the trees. From the deep thicket the air split as green eyes gazed down upon him.
(Terhune)
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he couldn't argue with her argument. There where in fact no monsters present. Sure, he could see the eyes even now peering at him but they where just eyes. Just gazes, and gazes couldn't hurt you.

Letting out a sigh the boy's smiled eased onto his face. His hands shifted from the hilt of his sword and settled instead into the sash about his hips. "Yea... I guess that's fair." His answer was swept up in the conversation between Willow and the tree. For a few moments he felt like explaining that trees couldn't talk.

Though, instead he just chuckled, it was kind of funny so maybe he should just keep quiet over the whole thing. His attention wandered and he looked out into the trees. Amid the eyes peering back he could see scenes of beauty, animals foraging, playing, just living.

When his focus shifted back to Willow his head bobbed in an affirmative. "I like the way you think. After-all most things are bad at climbing trees. Uh, Willow I've a question... What are you going to do now? Just like stay with Mr. Tree here?"
(Terhune)
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[02:23] Willow nods a few times with that same sunny smile, and then she looks up towards said Mr Tree at his question.

"Well, no. There are a lot of trees out there for me to meet still. I've only really gotten to know a few of them. Like, there's one tree over by the lake that has a great sense of humor. I don't know where it learned all of it's jokes, but they are really good."

"And then there's another tree over near the mountains that can sing like you wouldn't believe, but she's really shy, so she only sings when she doesn't know you're there."

"And then there's one over by the shore that's very stiff and serious all the time. He's fun to be around because there's another tree right next to him that always pokes fun at him and he just stands there gruffly and all serious like."

She would carry on with her explanation of the various trees that she had met so far, but as always, her attention span soon veers off course.

"Oh, I heard a story about one tree in particular being the wisest around. I might go visit him and see if he knows how to fix my name being too small." She says after a few brief nods.

It seems her next course of action was apparently decided.

"Maybe I'll see you in the trees sometime Terhune? And good bye to you too Nettle!" She would say before the transparent woman promptly began to fade away as she turned around to leave.
(Willow)
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[02:32] Terhune's hand came to cup his chin, well he couldn't argue with that there where more trees than people. At-least he thought so anyways. It was as she told him of the other trees that he got a little curious. Maybe, they really could talk? No, surely she was just playing a joke on him. Right that made sense.

At the mention of being found in the trees he frowned. If he was in the trees he was probably hiding from something. Though he doubted that she meant it that way. Looking up to the tree beside him he chuckled, Nettles. What a funny name for a tree.

Shifting his gaze back he looked towards willow and offered a bright smile. "See you around Willow, try not to get lost- Oh! And if you see anyone wearing a blackhat, like this one." As he spoke he pulled out a crips black hat, with a golden band around the brim. "Then you shouldn't show yourself to them. They might try and capture you or something."

Kirill's declaration that all things, even the spirits, would be chained to the chariot of the empire echoed in his mind. He didn't want his friend chained to anything, let alone a chariot.
(Terhune)
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[02:48] Willow's head tilts as she fades to near invisibility, though she doesn't seem to stop fading as she looks over towards Terhune. What remains is just a single blip of gold-speckled green light that hover floats in front of Terhune.

"Black hat?" Came her whimsical voice, as she listened to the young boy's warning. "I'll look out for them!" She says cheerfully in response before the golden green light began to zip and zag it's way through the trees.

The real question was though.. Would she remember the warning to heed it?
(Willow)
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