Title: An Odd Visitor
Oppel - January 30, 2008 04:29 AM (GMT)
The wind raged and so did the sand blow, resulting in nothing less than a typical desert storm. Saddled upon his unicorn, Gwaith, Oppel grasped the reigns and leaned forward as the unicorn pierced through the dense sand. The wind blew back both Gwaith's hair and Oppel's robes, but the agility of the unicorn was evident in the fact that it was running against the forceful winds. Oppel's ear's whistled as he and Gwaith rode on, seeking none other than the Desert Oasis.
After riding for what seemed like hours, the outline of various scenery could be seen up ahead. What looked like trees surrounding a body of water seemed to entice Gwaith to move even faster. Sensing the unicorn's desperation for water, Oppel gave Gwaith a kick, and he began pick up his pace.
Within moments Gwaith and Oppel arrived at the desert oasis. It was as beautiful as it was mysterious. It almost seemed as though the desert storm acted as a wall, discouraging people from wanted to seek the oasis. This seemed even more true as the winds seemed to have completely calmed. Oppel slowed Gwaith to a slow trot, and headed him in the direction of the water source. Gwaith reached the water, and immediately put down his head to relieve his thirst. Upon catching both his and his unicorn's reflection in the water, he truly realized how weird a sight it was to see a wood elf riding a unicorn in Imythess' desert.
Oppel dismounted Gwaith and stood on the sandy ground, brushing off the sand that had collected on his clothes. Oppel wore typical desert garb. He wore white robes with white pants, and a wrap around his head, concealing the entirety of his head aside from his eyes for vision. It was in this concealment that Oppel hoped not to attract to much attention, but still he wondered what he might come across.
Ornell - January 30, 2008 03:37 PM (GMT)
((OOC: *snags topic with Oppel!*))
Once again Ornell had wandered off from the Temple of Fire. She didn't really have any reason to stay there after all, so she had decided to learn more about this wonderfully warm desert. She was on foot, by herself, but she was supposed to meet Valen at the Desert Oasis... Weather or not he was there yet was something she had yet to discover, as a little more then a bit of wind came up and the sand rose into the sky with it. It stung as it struck her skin and hurt her eyes. She wrapped the blanket she had with her to keep the night cold at bay around her head and shoulders. Her fingers clung to it, as it was the only protection she had against the harsh sand. No wonder the Burning Fists had insisted she bring it with her!
She kept moving in what she only hoped was the right way, as she really couldn't see too well. Then, she stumbled, tripping over some unseen hard object mostly hidden in the sand. Then the wind had abruptly stopped and she rose to her full height and unwrapped the blanket she shook the sand loose from it and attempted to get some of the sand out of her eyes. Blinking, she realized she had made it to the oasis. Her blood red wings twitched and she shook them almost convulsively, then the fetters all fluffed up and she relaxed, sand mostly shaken loose from the feathers of the wings that couldn't even carry her. Looking around once more she knew that water had to be near by. That would wash the rest of the sand from her. She paused first though to remove her leather bardic armor, sand let loose from where it had made it's way between the armor and the soft gray shirt and pants she wore underneath. She piled the armor onto the blanket, tied the bundle, and went to look for the water she couldn't yet see for all the foliage. Her bundles armor held in her left hand, she appeared on the far side of the oasis from where another had. The water looked so clean and clear that she gratefully let her bundle drop among the sand and ferns, added her belt and blades on top, and stepped out into the water.
She didn't notice that there was others there. She just knelt in the water that felt very cold against her skin, scooped some up in both her hands, and splashed it over her face. It felt good against the soreness caused by the sand. Ornell then took another handful and drank deeply. Standing, she then reached up ad undid her hair, loosing the pale gray waves to fall down to about halfway down her back. Sand was loosed too and she ran her fingers through her hair as she turned to go back to where her things were. She should have a comb somewhere.
Oppel - January 30, 2008 06:54 PM (GMT)
((OOC: Glad you did!))
The calmess of the Desert Oasis didn't cease to amaze Oppel. Still, the roaring sands around the oasis' perimeter deterred Oppel from wanted to mount Gwaith once more and ride off. Gwaith continued to drink from the water source, and Oppel felt inclined to do the same. Surely, another trip through the desert would be bad for his health if he did not quench his thirst. With that thought, Oppel pulled the wrap covering his face down below his chin, revealing the entirety of his face. He knelt down next to Gwaith, reached into the water with his hand and drank.
Oppel continued to drink, gradually drinking faster and faster with each scoop of water. He was almost tempted to get onto his knees and use both hands for his gain, but decided that in such a foreign place in would be best to maintain his image of poise and grace. This thought did not seem to match that of Gwaith, who despite being one of the most graceful creatures known, had his head mostly submerged in the water and flailed it around, enjoying the cool comfort. Oppel smirked at the sight of his unicorn's relief, and regretted that he could not do the same.
After drinking for quite some time Oppel caught the sounds of someone approaching. He looked around and spotted someone approach. This, like Oppel, was not someone who was native to the desert. Rather, she looked more like someone who was surely an unfrequent visitor here. Oppel pulled the wrap up over his mouth once more, and stood up straight. He gave Gwaith a quick stroke, and turned back towards the other visitor. Walking away from Gwaith, who could not get enough of the water, Oppel slowly walked towards the visitor, making sure to conceal his identity. It was hard to trust anyone anymore, and surely his identity was all that Oppel had left to protect.
Ornell - January 30, 2008 08:44 PM (GMT)
As she turned, she caught a movement off to the side and paused where she was to see what it was. A unicorn! It seemed thrilled to be here, splashing about in the water. With her fingers still in her hair when she has paused, she let her hands move down the length. It hadn't gotten too tangled. Then she more felt the presence of someone then saw them, but her eyes shifted over to where someone was casually approaching from along the same place the unicorn was. Weather the figure was a male or female was hard to tell. It could be a human female... or an elf male. Humans were harder to figure out, but elves. She hoped it was an elf, even though she didn't consider herself an elf in spite of what she looked like.
She didn't greet the stranger yet, but made her way back to her bundle and knelt down to pull out her comb. She then tucked her blades inside the bundle with her armor, standing once more as he came closer. She could still sense his body heat as he approached. She looked back at the unicorn, the smile brought to her face by that creature was genuine.
Then she decided to sit down, resting cross legged on the sand with her back to her bag and the water slightly to one side and the approaching figure in easy sight. Pulling her hair over one shoulder, she went ahead and ran her comb through it, setting the tiebacks for her hair on her knee. When he was close enough to greet with out having to shout she pulled her slightly damp but now sand free hair up and did it back and out of her way once more, treading the comb for the tiebacks. Picking up the comb from her knee she nodded to the stranger. "Hello. A lovely place to stop and take a break, isn't it?" Her voice was calm and even, but not forced that way. She always gave someone a chance to be who they were first. It did no good to judge someone on looks alone. She pulled up the leg farthest from this stranger so her foot was flat on the ground, but her knee was high. She rested her elbow on her knee.
Oppel - February 1, 2008 07:26 PM (GMT)
((OOC: sorry for the lateness!))
Oppel continued to walk towards the stranger, slowly and caustiously until she sat on the ground, seemingly in the act of bettering her appearance. Oppel smirked at the sight of her sitting cross-legged combing her hair, but one could not see his expression as it was masked by the wrap around his head. As she sat, Oppel stopped a short distance away as to not be so much of an awkward or odd intrusion. She spoke, and Oppel could identify immediately that this visitor had no intentions that juxtaposed the innocence of his own.
Oppel again pulled the wrap down off of his face to reveal his mouth, while then noticing how remarkably strange and unfriendly he must of looked when fully covered. "Yes, this is quite actually one of the most beautiful places I have ever come across throught my travels within Imythess" said Oppel with true sincerity, but still regarded that his tone must not have been very welcoming, "It is hard to imagine that I've never visited this place before... and my companion seems to love it." With that, he turned in place to look at Gwaith, still enjoying the fresh waters of the desert Oasis.
Oppel turned back to face the company he now had. He reached up behind his head with both hands, and removed a knot in the wrap on his head that held it in place. With a quick pull, he unravelled the wrap from his head entirely, and his long hair fell into place, covering his long elven ears. Grasping the material of the wrap in one hand, Oppel used his other had to brush some of his hair out of face, pull back one side of his hair behind his ear. He had no shame in his elven identity. Oppel then placed this hand on his waist and looked down to the visitor on the ground. "Sorry for not introducing myself, but my name is Oppel. My friend over there is Gwaith. Pardon my intrusion but I did not expect any company at the Desert Oasis." He said this kind of sarcastically, but with the intention to learn his company's name.