Post by Ralin O'Faerlun on Sept 4, 2010 22:46:55 GMT -5
The world was gilded in silver by the brush of the moon, cold lichlight that leached the color from everything, leaving it an echo of daytime. But it was beautiful. Still and calm, and once the eye adjusted, one could see without need of wand or lamp. The sky was clear, the clouds drawn aside like curtains to reveal the face of the queen of night.
Ralin turned his freckled face to her pale gaze. For a moment he basked in the light. This was now his time, the hours when the sun went to sleep. He loved the quiet of the night, when people were asleep and the forest came alive. True, he loved people. But the peace found in the night hours sank deep into his heart.
Besides, he could twirl around on the lawn without anyone else seeing him. Pretending to dance with the lovely lady in the sky, arms outstretched, Ralin entertained himself with a moonlight waltz, swirling across the silver lawn. His dancing partner matched each of his steps with a fluid, graceful movement, never missing a beat, never off.
After a few moments he continued on his walk of the grounds, feeling a cool breeze ruffle his hair with familiar fingers. It was just past full moon, several days ago he'd chased fireflies across this same field, but with four paws and a bushy tail. For a moment he felt a twinge in his shoulder, and he paused as the memory of flashing teeth, chaos swirling around him in red pain and black evil. The smile drew back from his face as a frown crept in. Sometimes, he felt quite old.
But he continued on his walk, a solitary shadow, and he thought about his choice to return here. This castle, more a home to him than any other place. The idea of living here again, teaching, made him smile again. But he wasn't sure if he could teach well enough. Maybe there was another position here that he could make himself useful as.
Reaching the edges of the grounds, where the forest reached spindly fingers towards him, Ralin paused, his attention drawn forward. His heightened senses detected...something. Human or beast? He wasn't sure, but memory and experience warned him that, even in this time of supposed peace, evil still lurked. Carefully he drew his wand, and crept forward to investigate...
Ralin turned his freckled face to her pale gaze. For a moment he basked in the light. This was now his time, the hours when the sun went to sleep. He loved the quiet of the night, when people were asleep and the forest came alive. True, he loved people. But the peace found in the night hours sank deep into his heart.
Besides, he could twirl around on the lawn without anyone else seeing him. Pretending to dance with the lovely lady in the sky, arms outstretched, Ralin entertained himself with a moonlight waltz, swirling across the silver lawn. His dancing partner matched each of his steps with a fluid, graceful movement, never missing a beat, never off.
After a few moments he continued on his walk of the grounds, feeling a cool breeze ruffle his hair with familiar fingers. It was just past full moon, several days ago he'd chased fireflies across this same field, but with four paws and a bushy tail. For a moment he felt a twinge in his shoulder, and he paused as the memory of flashing teeth, chaos swirling around him in red pain and black evil. The smile drew back from his face as a frown crept in. Sometimes, he felt quite old.
But he continued on his walk, a solitary shadow, and he thought about his choice to return here. This castle, more a home to him than any other place. The idea of living here again, teaching, made him smile again. But he wasn't sure if he could teach well enough. Maybe there was another position here that he could make himself useful as.
Reaching the edges of the grounds, where the forest reached spindly fingers towards him, Ralin paused, his attention drawn forward. His heightened senses detected...something. Human or beast? He wasn't sure, but memory and experience warned him that, even in this time of supposed peace, evil still lurked. Carefully he drew his wand, and crept forward to investigate...