Encounters }{ OPEN

[Summerchika]

The sun filtering through the leaves is so pretty! Ainutsa thought lazily, looking up at the tree branches above her. She raised her hand in front of her and stared at the sun light through her finger tips. Her other hand cradled her head, making a softer pillow than the branch she laid balanced on, high above the forest ground.

Clenching her hand in a fist, she let her arm fall over her forehead, shielding her eyes from the direct sunlight, and allowed her eyes to rest. Or she thought that was what she was allowing, because within minutes, Ainutsa's breathing became deeper and her thoughts swirled to make confusing patterns in her mind.

"Oh, that red bird in the other tree can sing really well... I wonder if he's looking for a girl bird? Would she be white? They would have pretty babies." Ainutsa mumbled through her nap. She shifted to make herself a little more comfortable. It was hard to be comfortable sleeping on a branch that was smaller than you were.

[*Kymmi*]

Anykae walked calmly through the forest. Her breath was restored again and she had escaped any sign of danger so far. She sighed and continued hoping to somehow, run into Rendylwin again. She needed to come up with a plan. Some way they could find each other in this wide, wide land.

Anykae stopped for a moment to think, and rested her head agianst a tree's trunk. She listened to the birds' chirping. She thought of its beauty and how it made the atmosphere so much more relaxing. It made her happy.

Anykae looked upward towards the chirping. She stared wide-eyed as she came across another being other than herself, who was enjoying their time in the tree. Anykae put a hand on the tree's trunk. She was never good at tree climbing.

"H-hey..." Anykae said to the girl up above. The girl showed no sign of hearing her.

"Hey!" Anykae called out loudly. The girl slightly moved. Anykae wondered if it was okay to bother her, but Anykae did have a few questions to ask, not only out of curiousity.

[Summerchika]

Groaning, Ainutsa shifted again in the tree. "It's not comfy!" she complained in a muffled voice. In a distant place in her mind, she heard something. "Hay??" she asked, confused. She tried to open her eyes, but she was so tired! She moved again and - too far. Ainutsa was shocked awake by her own sound of surprise as she rolled over the branch. This had happened at least five times a week for years now, and she had acquired a quick reflex in this area. Her hand shot out and she found herself hanging from the tree branch she had been sleeping on just moments ago.

Yawning, Ainutsa rubbed her eyes with her free arm and blinked. The sun was still bright in the clearing, but something else caught Ainutsa's eye. A girl. Beneath her. Ainutsa'a first instinct was to jump back up into the tree and hide. She liked meeting people, but this being only her third encounter and a rather sudden one at that, she was scared. But the person beneath her was a lone girl. The animals around her weren't worked up, and Ainutsa could probably travel through the trees faster than the girl could run on ground, so....

Ainutsa grabbed the branch with both hands and swung. She propelled herself a few feet away from the girl and landed crouched on the forest floor, facing the girl. Slowly straightening herself, she smiled tentatively at the girl. "Um.. hi...?" she ended in a question, unsure of why a girl would be here. There had been more humans in the forest lately - or at least she had encountered more in the last few days than she had ever before. She tilted her head to the side curiously, taking note of the urgency that seemed to possess the girl's body, like she had a purpose in being here.

[*Kymmi*]

Anykae held her right hand with her own left hand and tightened her grip as she watched the elf. She tried her best not to show an obvious amazed expression. This elf seemed to be particularly beautiful and pure. Then Anykae thought about the meaning of purity - pure in race, or pure in heart? Anykae almost forgot about the one standing before her.

Anykae took in Ainutsa's image and wondered if she should try to appear more human or elf. If she asks...maybe I'll say I'm an elf...but she might question my human clutziness... Ohh I'll just answer when the time comes if it ever does. Ack she's staring at me. Better not waste time. Anykae's mind was overloaded with all sorts of thoughts. She did not plan on encountering an elf outside of one of there homes. Or maybe this was her home?

"Er...Hello...I'm, uh, Anykae." She awkwardly began, but with a kind, silly smile. "Sorry to bother you. I'm a bit lost...If you could...or you could go back...I did not mean to..." The rest seem to fade into the natural sounds surrounding them. Anykae looked to the floor then back up and tried to give this person another kind smile. Oh please. You can do better than that. Ah well. No one's perfect anyhow...

[Summerchika]

Tilting her head in thought, Ainutsa tried to make sense of the stammering. "You're... lost?" she asked for confirmation. Is she asking for help? she wondered. She watched Anykae with interest through her sleepy eyes. Anykae didn't look exactly human, but she didn't look like an elf. Granted, she didn't really know much about the differences, having only met three elves that she remembered, not including herself. And the humans she had encountered before weren't really normal humans, if they were human.

Yawning, she blinked the sleep from her eyes. "Anykae, that's a pretty name." she said, smiling at Anykae. "I'm Ainutsa." she introduced herself. Anykae seemed rather shy, so Aintusa gave her another, reassuring smile. She wondered if she looked funny or seemed scary in some way to make Anykae shy around her.

Just now remembering that Anykae had possibly asked for her help, she asked, "So... you need help? A guide, maybe?" I guess if that's what she wants, I'm a good person to randomly run into... This reminded her of the weird circumstances in which she ran into her. "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get here in the first place?" At this she tilted her head in more thought.

[*Kymmi*]

Anykae observed Ainutsa's movements. Well, she doesn't seem judgmental at all...Maybe it's just the ones in my village then. Anykae found herself able to concentrate better feeling reassured. Anykae smiled back.

"You can be honest. It's a strange name. Now yours is pretty." Anykae replied. Her name flows so pretty. It suits her perfectly. Anykae managed to calm herself, but wasn't perfectly at ease yet. She had just escaped from the presence of who knows what and just tried to help a mysterious girl who disappeared as soon as she rested.

Anykae listened until she was sure Ainutsa was done talking. The last thing she wanted was to offend a pure blood elf - if that was what Ainutsa was. I probably seem strange...haha...well she seems trustworthy... for now at least

"I ran off from my village to find someone. I lost my map so I can't get back anyway and then I got caught up in a strange situation between an unseen enemy and other people running yet prepared to fight... and then I was allowed some resting time but I woke up and seemed to be forgotten. So I picked a direction and walked...I'd just like to know where I am if you could tell me. I don't want to trouble you." Anykae debated if she should show more grace some how, but gave up trying to think of ideas. Anykae roughly smiled. She honestly hated feeling lost and deserted.

[Summerchika]

Laughing lightly, Ainutsa thanked Anykae for her compliment. Then, she added, "Well, if your name was strange, I wouldn't know. I haven't heard many other names." She smiled at Anykae, taking a liking for this strange girl. Glad to see that Anykae seemed to not be as shy, since Anykae seemed to be older than she, Ainutsa listened to Anykae's tale.

"Hm... That is quite an adventure you've been through!" Ainutsa commented, impressed. "Concerning your question, I'd say we are...." she looked around, for a moment forgetting where she had decided to take a nap. Yesterday had been more of a traveling day for her, having felt like exploring more of the forest. Likewise, today she had continued her traveling until she had lost interest and had decided to nap instead. "Excuse me for a moment." she said to Anykae as she made a sudden decision to better find out where she was.

Finding the tallest tree to look out from, Ainutsa jumped from branch to branch, then climbed with careful steps to the farthest point in the tree that would hold her weight. Having the elves' light build, Ainutsa was able to go very close to the top of the tallest tree in the clearing, so she could see rather far off. Southeast of her position, she saw in the distance a lack of trees that she recognized as Lonea Lake. There were mountains to the North of her, there was forest in between.

Coming down quicker than she had gone up, which was pretty quick considering she was used to climbing trees, she returned to Anykae and shared her discoveries, explaining the position of the mountains and the lake. "Um, if that doesn't help, I know of a map that I could get to you. If I recall correctly, my grandmother kept one in the cottage...." she offered.

[*Kymmi*]

"Oh I don't need a map. Thank you though." Anykae didn't want to cause more trouble. She smiled. "Thank you for being so kind. I am curious though..." Anykae stopped before she asked. She tapped her first finger on her lip to consider how to put this. Though she wanted to find Rendylwin as soon as possible, it wouldn't hurt to possibly gain a friend or simply chat.

"...Why are you alone? Or might there be an elf village close by?" Anykae questioned hopefully. If there was a village, she could buy some magic assist to help her locate Rendylwin. That would be a great change in luck, but possible.

[Summerchika]

((OOC: Oh my, so I strained a random finger muscle, and typing is a little difficult... haha ;p))

"Mm...?" Ainutsa waited for Anykae's curiosity to become a question. Seeing as Anykae didn't want a map, and she was thanking Ainutsa for help, Ainutsa was surprised at Anykae's curiosity, having assumed that Anykae was going to be on her way. Of course, Ainutsa wouldn't complain; talking to someone was always fun, especially if they weren't an animal.

In response to Anykae's question, Ainutsa became a little sober, but she smiled, having gone over this topic before with someone else just recently. "No, there is no village nearby." she replied. She went on to explain, "I have been raised to be alone, so I don't join a village and normally stay away from the elf villages in this forest." Thinking of a way to tell Anykae exactly why she was alone without extracting pity from her, Ainutsa paused for a moment. "...When my adoptive parents died, a near by grandmother, who had lived alone for a long time, took me in and raised me. She died a few years ago, so I have been alone since then." she explained, with a sad little smile, not for her solitude, but for the death of her grandmother.

"Now, I have a question for you." Ainutsa admitted. "What, er, race are you? I'm not really knowledgeable in such things, but you don't seem to be human, yet you are not elf, seeing as your ears are round. Honestly, I'm very curious." Ainutsa truly was curious. Beings different from herself intrigued her, seeing as she had not known many other people at all.

[*Kymmi*]

((no worries. Not easy with an iPod touch either. Sorry about your finger D=))
Seeing as Ainutsa trusted Anykae with that information, Anykae could only do the same in return. Anykae listened and felt a small pang of sad understanding with her loved ones dying. Anykae grew up around many others but she was alone in her world when she was not around her parents or Rendylwin. Her grandma took her in for about a year but she obviously didn't have the close relationship that Ainutsa had. Anykae wished Rendylwin was by her side. This year had been the loniest so far.
"I am one of the very few half elfs that exist. I am sorry about your losses, I don't understan completely but I've had my share of losses. Although I might appear human, I have small magic talents and I can be almost as quick, agile, etc. as an elf. Don't worry. Most do not expect to encounter one as me." Anykae told her. She did not want to be looked down upon, but a part of her doubted Ainutsa was much like the others.

Anykae looked up at the trees and smiled. "Doesnt look too uncomfortable" She said gently. Suddenly she bounced her way from branch to branch until she wasn't too far from Ainutsa's resting place. Anyka smiled as she stood up there. From where she stood, she couldn't see everything but it was enough to satisfy her. Anykae reached out and felt and shared the happeness and security the little critters felt . Anykae looked down.
"I can see why you like it here." she called down.

[Summerchika]

When the mystery of Anykae's appearance was revealed, Ainutsa 's curiosity abated for a while. Intriguing though it was, Ainutsa felt how uncomfortable and maybe even painful this topic was to Anykae. Ainutsa knew that she could probably never understand such things, as she had never lived in an elven village before, but she knew from the books she had read when her grandmother was still alive, that a half-elf was not very welcome in elven society. However, such a difference did not matter to Ainutsa - goodness she herself only talked to animals, that had to be weird!

Smiling up at Anykae as she climbed the tree to almost where Ainutsa's unsuccessful nap had taken place, she nodded her head in agreement. "It is comfortable... when you find a branch that is not smaller than you." she said, laughing. When Anykae called down to her, Aintusa smiled, remembering the sensations she felt being up in the trees. On a split-second decision, Ainutsa lept up the tree to join Anykae on her branch. "Yes, this is home." she replied with a grin.

A breeze through the trees played with the leaves and Aintusa took a deep breath, enjoying the feel of the breeze through her hair and the sounds it made rushing through the trees. How many times had she fallen asleep to this? She made her way toward the trunk of the tree that joined the branch she and Anykae were on. Leaning up against it, she closed her eyes and relaxed. "Have you traveled, then? Out of this forest?" she asked Anykae, her curiosity not abating for long. This was the question that had been in her mind for a long while now: whether she should go out of this forest - the only place that she knew. Anticipating the answer, she opened one eye to look at Anykae.