Kitty - Blessed, cursed or simply gifted (backstory)

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(Author's note : this was my first tale within the faerun realm ever, and at the same time also the first storyline where I attemped to bring more color and more flavor to my text. Writing started around half way 2013 and it shows similarities with the Elvina Hellcat (Hell of a life) story. But it definitely isn't the same. Unfinished as well, and one day I hope to add a few more backstory snippets.)



1. Waiting


Green, deep, dark... the last rays of the sun filtered through the branches, their light barely reaching the forest soil as the tree trunks were immensely tall. Coils of mist slowly started to enwrap their tops, sensually widing around them like a magician’s smoke and creating a curtain that would later on prevent any visual contact with the stars. The organic smell rising up in waves like a miasma, was a mixture of composting leaves and branches snapped and crashed down centuries ago, rotting in silence under a carpet of moss.

Three figures slowly and silently sought their way through this cathedral of nature, around huge roots twisted like monstrous snakes, until finally reaching the next small glade... the peace only disturbed by crackling sounds when they stepped on the rare crispy grass spots.
The largest of the three suddenly raised his hand and they stopped.


“What is it?” a female voice whispered.

The large person, a male, shrugged,” A feeling, …” the head under the green hood turning and looking at the smallest of the three.
He kneeled down and laid his hand on the shoulder of the child. “Now we are going to be extra quiet, you did great so far, but now its very important.”

Two big eyes from under a small hood looked back and a little head nodded. “Yes, daddy...”

“That's my little girl,” he patted her cheek and offered a short but warm smile before rising and talking to the female,” You stay with her, I’m gonna look what is ahead.” He glanced at the little one,” I’ll be right back, I promise.”

The woman, her head also covered under a hood nodded and took place behind the child, one hand protective over the little chest, the other reaching out for the handle of her blade.

Both stood there quietly, listening to the sounds of the first nocturnal creatures and ignoring the enthusiastic but also bloodthirsty insects.

A shout, a scream sounded in the distance, echoing in every direction.

The woman froze a moment, her hand clenching and her fingers grabbing the child’s clothes before taking some steps backwards, and finally making them fall back in the relative protection of the forest behind them.

More shouts and screams filled the air and there was absolutely no doubt her husband was in great danger.

Torn between protecting her child and saving her husband, she made a decision. Quickly she kneeled down in front of the child and lowered her own hood, revealing a rather young face and long white hair. “Alright, we are going to play a little game now. I’m going to make you invisible and you have to stay here. Then I’ll call daddy and ask him to try and find you, okay?”

The little child nodded and said,” Is... is daddy okay?”

“I’m going to get him right now....” she said, just before mumbling a mystical word making the child disappear from her sight. “Stay put... don’t go with anyone and as always... never tell them your name.”

The child nodded, but that was not to be seen by the woman who after a short pensive look took off in the direction of the earlier shouts.

Not much later one big scream filled the air and after that everything was pretty much silent again.


The child peeked from behind the tree where her mother had left her, but didn’t move from her spot. “Only mommy knows where she can find me, but first daddy must try...” she nodded to herself before sitting down on a big root, opening her mother’s backpack and taking out an apple...

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2. Found

During mornings in forests like these, even after some fresh snowfall, it takes a bit time before the soil is lit enough to wake up the local wildlife. Still, there are always early birds, and not all of them have wings.


A large brown but rather slender creature with a bushy tail and large eyes moved rapidly, circling an enormous tree and traveling downwards. It were its large claws gripping the dark tree bark that made it capable of performing such an vertiginous descent.
On occasion the creature stopped, using its excellent sense of vision to scan its habitat, not only to look out for predators, but also...

Suddenly it continued its journey downwards, but this time almost in a straight line as if it had spotted something of utmost importance. And yes indeed, its eyes were locked on a green spherical object. The creature sniffed and stopped, its big eyes blinked a moment before shifting between the object and something else just below him.
Slowly it moved down a bit but froze when this ‘something else’ stirred.


The sleeping girl, with her head resting on a backpack and against the trunk, yawned just before her eyes cracked open, only... to meet the gaze of a creature just three feet above her.
Both blinked a moment.

Then she screamed loudly, only the way like little girls can do, her face in fear and clearly startled, … certainly after those bad dreams in which dreadful creatures had come to drag her parents away from her.
With unseen haste and more rapidly than its descent could ever have been, the large squirrel fled upwards over the bark disappearing in the tree tops only in a matter of seconds, wisely concluding that that nice looking apple on the girl’s lap was just not worth the risk.


A few moments later three slender and rather short figures stepped out of the bush, all wearing green-brown forest clothing and their faces partially covered by hoods.
The little girl saw them immediately and with big eyes she pressed herself against the trunk, her little hand looking for the knife in her mother’s backpack as the left one stepped closer and kneeled not far from her.

“Leave me alone !!!” she yelled.

Before the kneeling figure could say anything back, suddenly a huge white cat-like creature showed up from behind the other two and jumped on the one kneeling.

The little girl blinked and almost screamed again as she saw how that person was knocked down.
The one smacked down laughed though, just before saying something to the ‘cat’ with a crystal clear and almost musical sounding voice... the voice of a young woman.

She caressed the cat’s head and sat up again just before sliding her hood a bit backwards, revealing a pair of elongated pointed ears and a very beautiful face. Long white blond hair fell down over the young woman’s shoulders. To the little girl she looked fourteen, that was if the young woman would have been human.

Rubbing the ‘cat’ behind its ears, the young elf turned her attention to the little girl again and spoke in common, though not quite well.
” You is not fear, … who is you?” Her voice sounded very friendly.

The little girl, whose head was still covered under a hood, and clearly still a bit shaken up from both encounters, bit her lip. Don’t go with anyone... never tell your name, her mother’s voice in her head sounded.
It had been more than two nights now, and her daddy hadn’t found her yet. Neither had her mommy. She was starting to get thirsty and the apple, now laying in the dirt of the forest soil, was her last. The little girl lowered her hood too.

To the three elves the face of a human child was revealed, and she couldn’t have been much older than five. But even more striking were the little girl’s hairs... dirty yes, but indisputably white.

The little girl looked briefly from the young elf to the white ‘cat’ and back, and as if she had just concluded that she wasn’t going to be eaten, she answered,” I'm... Kitty...”

The young elf’s lips curved into a friendly smile as she extended her arm, offering her slender elegantly formed hand to the little girl,” Me is Neesha, ...you come?”

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3. Home

Spring. The luscious green canopy let the morning sunlight filter through in fingers of emerald greenish light. Chirping birds high up in the trees sang their most beautiful song like troubadours calling out for those whom they adored. The sweet scent of flowers and other young vegetation was easily to be perceived in the crisp air of this ancient forest.

A slender human girl with long white hair started to cross a rather broad and sturdy wooden hangbridge connecting two important parts of the elven village built high up against the massive trunks of thousand year old trees.
Right in the middle of the bridge she halted. It was almost five years now and still this was one of the most breathtaking sights, beckoning her each time to look. Every day she passed there, enjoying the view as if she saw it for the first time.

She was looking at a big open spot in the forest surrounded by immense trees. From this perspective the center of the village was visible. On several levels around the trunks she could see the comfy and airy elven buildings, mainly constructed out of wood, rope and growing vegetation. They were designed so that they looked as being a part of each tree. Some were provided with circular terraces and paths, while in several places elegant arched bridges connected these platforms with one another.

Kitty could see how elves found their way to other levels over small wooden paths, pendulum stairs and simple elevators, all on their way to their daily activities. Down, on the forest floor, the first were taking place. A group of young archers checking their gear and preparing for their training deep in the woods, elven children playing and running around till their teachers arrived, a few craftsmen starting to gather their materials for a long day of diligent work, merchants making their first business deals...

The girl continued her journey downwards now, briefly inclining her head to any passing elf, and stopping for a small conversation when required. It was sometimes so hard for her to adapt to the elves’ life rhythm.
And sometimes it was so difficult to comprehend! She was always so eager to learn and try things, and the ones raising her weren’t really lazy but why did it always seem like she needed to have so much patience? Like right now, she was on her way to her first archery lessons but it seemed to take ages to get there!

Sure, she wasn’t the only human in town, and those that had tried to explain to her said humans just evolve much faster than elves. Humans feel the passing of seasons in their blood, while elves rather feel the passing of decades. For instance, it takes more years for an elf to reach emotional maturity than for what any human could possibly ever live.
One time she even found herself being accused of inhaling too much air, and adding too much energy to a certain action.
Time seemed rather unimportant to elves.

And... there was another thing... it could take months, even years before most elves in this remote community considered one as a friend, but once they did, it was generally for life.
Thus far Kitty had had less real friends than one hand could count.
When she just arrived there was this elven child named Alya with whom she played for a year or two... but right now Kitty had already ‘outgrown’ her. Sure, they were still friends, but Kitty’s interests and therefore her activities had evolved.
Another one was Vanya, a tall elven girl whose mental age was comparable with Kitty’s current. They had been friends for two years now and showed common interest into this archery thingie. As a matter of fact, Kitty was looking forward to spending the day with her friend while learning stuff.
And her third and final current friend was Neesha, one of the girls who had found her five years before and often visited her to take Kitty for a walk, and talk about daily things. A few more years and she would ‘catch up’ with her...

The girl sighed, of course no one really proved to be unfriendly to her, and her foster parents had accepted her as their own daughter. Almost. With her foster mom things were really good, and as soon as she had a degree in archery, Enessa had promised to take her out hunting. And not only that, the elegant elven lady showed her a few secrets of the elven kitchen and even tried to innitiate her in the basics of magic... the last one without success though.
Her foster dad, that was a different story. Sure, he would stand up for her when she got herself into some trouble, he would defend her when someone ever bothered her, he might even give his life for her... but they weren’t close. It was Enessa who simply gave Kitty the love she needed.

She stopped on another bridge, the distant gaze on her face probably telling any passing elves the girl’s brain was drifting away.
It seemed it all began to fade, how her real parents looked like, how they were, the things she had experienced as a little child...all these memories seemed so fragile, a few seemed to stick, but others simply... vanished.

Kitty quickly dried an eye and moved on...

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4. Shadow Hunt

Late afternoon, somewhere near a path in the middle of a dense emerald forest, bathing in a hauntingly greenish light, two slender figures dressed in dark green coats crouched down while holding their breath.

In their hands, each of them carried a magnificent longbow crafted from different woods to increase its effectiveness in every possible way. Handsculpted white symbols decorated the full length of each bow while the ends were a bit curved and slightly flexibel, adding speed and a smooth pulling draw.
A breathtaking weapon like this in the hands of a person skilled enough to handle it, would after years of training and experience provide its user with a tool of accurate lethality.


One of two figures nocked an arrow, the bow pointing towards the ground and the shaft of the arrow resting on the wrist holding the weapon. The three black fletching feathers were orientated so that a single vane was pointing away from the bow. Two slender fingers and a thumb were lightly holding the arrow on the string.
A moment later the bow was slowly moving upwards, the string being stretched simultanously, and the head of the long slender arrow silently rising and brought into position.


The other person lowered her hood, and a beautiful young woman with long pointed ears was revealed. Raven black tresses rolled down over her shoulders, contributing to a sultry and intense look. The irises of the slightly slanted eyes had a deep blue color and seemed to supervise the other person’s doings. Her skin couldn’t have formed a bigger contrast with her hair, pale with a weak blue-green shine caused by the current light under the dense forest canopy.
Her lips curved into a smile, making her almost look like a pixie, with wonderful, warm dimpels in her cheeks.


“Wait…” she said with a soft voice to the archer.

The hooded figure in front of her turned her head slightly to indicate she was listening but her eyes remained locked on the target.

The elf whispered,“ I know that we don’t share the same physiology, but you have enough talent to acquire some of our abilities. Perhaps I can teach you something new today.”

The hooded figure relaxed her bow arm a little and fully turned on her heels until she faced the moon elf behind her.

“This may take a while to learn, so take your time but pay attention.”

The hooded figure put her bow down and lowered her hood, revealing a young human girl of about twelve years old. She had long white straight hair, tied up in a pony tail. Her face was rather slim and the skin lightly tanned.
Kitty only nodded, like always not saying much during the hunt just like how it was taught her.

Her eyes were locked on the elf who was backing up now… and suddenly… the girl blinked as the elf had disappeared.

“... I’m still here, Kitty ...” A whisper sounded somewhere on her left, yet very close.

Kitty’s lips parted and closed again. Ilnin was now the first Shadowhuntress she observed doing this so close.


As for herself she had learned how to move through the forest, lightning fast assessing each surface before setting foot on it, retaining her balance in motion and adapting to whatever obstacle she crossed.
If a situation proved to be too difficult, like for instance when it was not fully possible to absorb the step while moving, she had learned how to manipulate or even use ambient noise in order to remain undetected. Moving silently was easy when enough time was given, and it sure had been a challenge to perform it at a higher pace.
The young girl was also fully aware of the subtle, rhythmic qualities of breath and body, and how that could be used to focus even further in optimizing her movements but also to keep her mind alert.


But what Ilnin just did was of a wholly different nature. And before she knew it, she heard the gurgling sound of a trachea releasing it's air through the blood.
Kitty quickly turned around and saw the elf standing next to the body of the deer they had been tracking down.

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5. First butterflies

Late spring was really the best time of the year, the warmth of the sun was increasing by the day while the air still smelled fresh. Butterflies swarmed around everywhere, and if they landed on a shoulder it’d be seen as a token of luck.
Not far from them they could hear the laughter of elven children sliding down smooth branches on leaves the size of tiny sleds. Screaming and laughing they plunged into the water of a nearby creek.

Up in an ancient willow tree rustling in the breeze by the water whilst the wind gently swept across the meadows, a wonderous scene was about to take place.
The two elven girls giggled just before their lips met, soon diving into what looked like a more deeper kiss. With big eyes the white haired human girl witnessed how those thin lips merged with each other and how the girls slowly started to tilt their heads. She scratched the back of her neck nervously when she saw how their hands started to brush over each other’s arms.


Even though she more or less knew how elves in this community thought about love and mating… it was still weird to witness her two friends kissing with each other. The one on the left was Neesha, the girl who had found her now more than seven years ago. The other was Neesha’s current lovemate.
Until a certain age, it was rather common here to have a lovemate of either sex, and sometimes even to have more than one simultanously.
These ‘bonds’ seemed to take place mostly during the elves’s youth, which gave them plenty of time to explore and experiment with the concept of love since the time needed to reach maturity even outlasted the lifespan of a normal human being.

Around the age of hundred, hundred and twenty, most of the elves in her community found a person who was close to him or her. They actually then choose a partner and usually then someone of the opposite sex.
That bond made them lifemates and they were loyal to each other, meaning they engaged themselves to that partner, especially emotionally. Although still free in their sexuality, lifemates not often go that path as even among elves jealousy wasn’t unfamiliar.

Kitty however was under no illusion who she was. She was human and for her things were just evolving more rapidly, and thus this explained her curiosity. She wondered if she could do it… could kiss someone, either boy or girl. For now her gut told her she was only into boys as that still seemed or rather felt the most natural. Or maybe it was because of growing up around here, and realising that a steady relation in the end consisted of two partners of the opposite gender.


Neesha and her girlfriend’s lips slowly parted and both girls looked at Kitty.

“You is try?” Neesha said with a smile in broken common,” Me or Lina?”


It certainly was tempting, here high up in the trees, hidden between the green and away from other curious eyes. The now thirteen year old Kitty had no idea how the elves looked at her and how much they would grant her when it came to things like this. She felt how her heart started to bounce against her chest, and how her stomach was going crazy for a second… while she wondered how it would be when her lips would connect with one of them. She flushed visibly by the thought of that, and then shook her head slowly.
No, ... this was something she would do with someone who felt special. Perhaps... with the son of the village leader. She felt a flutter in her stomach now when thinking of him. How would he…


Then she realised the two other girls were still looking at her.

“Maybe later…” was all she said before looking away, and still flushing...
Perhaps she should feel blessed just because they proposed it?

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6. A peculiar friend

Kitty licked the blood of her chapped lips, in an attempt to clean and moisten them. After examining the entrance to the cave nearby and listening intensly to the surrounding area, she put the ropes holding her to the test. It was hard to free herself, but when the drow tied the rope around her chest, she had been smart enough to take a deep breath in order to expand her lungs as much as possible and thus creating a loose spot for later.
Easy enough, were it not for the fact that the dark skins had also tied her wrists and her ankles together after she got tied up against the pine tree.


Suddenly she felt how the earth under her feet started to tremble, and immediately the white haired girl ceased her attempts to escape. ‘Rock’ was back.
Only the gods knew why they eventually left her here as soon as the first light of dawn appeared in the East. Just before they abandoned her and went for that cave, one of them had summoned some kind of warden, and left it here to guard her. ‘It’… indeed.
Rock wasn’t just a being but an incarnation of the earthly elements that composed existence… dirt, stones, and probably some metal. And he was huge!


Kitty caught sight of ‘it’ and remained very silent. At first she had been scared, convinced they were going to feed her to it or something, but soon it appeared Rock was only there to guard her. She had no idea why though. Until the dark skins came back?
Kitty shook her head. It didn’t make sense since they just could have taken her with them, back to their subterranean homes in the Underdark, a sunless realm of which she only had heard few stories. According to those it was a sinister, dark and immense world consisting of muddling dungeons and caves occupied by the mostly deadly creatures one could imagine, many of them even a lot worse than her creepy captors!


As Rock came near, something that could pass for a head turned with a grinding and stone crushing sound in her direction and two dead eyes, each nothing more than a deep hole in the gigantic heap of mud offered her an empty gaze.
Kitty shivered because its lack of real eyes, and it made her feel uncertain yet also wonder whether the creature really saw her or sensed her in another, perhaps unique way. She had no illusions though that this creature would let her escape and somehow she also assumed Harry would be a lot faster than she’d ascribe to him… no… it!
It would be a mistake taking Harry for an intelligent creature.


Rock started another round, and thus far Kitty had discovered a pattern in it. Now would be another chance to free herself.
With a single finger the fourteen year old girl tried to untie the ropes around her wrists. She wriggled in an attempt to free her hands a bit so that her left hand would have more room and her finger could go push the rope end a bit back. But it just felt like it wasn’t going fast enough. For a moment she wondered if the creature could notice small differences in her ropes, position of her hands and her pose.


“Psshhh… you need helps?” a tiny voice whispered.

Kitty looked around and tried to trace the source of the voice. It had sounded so near. Then she looked down left from her feet.

A tiny girl looked up at her and waved up with a mini hand. The fey couldn’t have been taller than her boots. She was incredible beautiful and had a flawless sunkissed skin with a hint of woodland green. The wings were a bit dragon-like and Kitty counted four of them. Her hair was raven black and tied up in two tiny ponytails. Her dress was dark green and the fabric was so cut it left a fair share of bare leg.

“Euhm… hi?” Kitty whispered,” Can you help me??”

The fey glanced a moment in the direction where Rock left and then looked back up with bright and intelligent eyes,” Sure! I’ll be right back.”

With the sound of a bee the little fey took off and to Kitty it seemed she went after the huge elemental. She pricked her ears up but could only perceive how the buzzing faded and made way for the natural sounds of the forest.


About ten minutes later the fey hadn’t returned yet. But then it struck her! Now was about the time Rock would do so as well. She focussed but didn’t feel the slightest of trembling. Perhaps…

“Hi!”

There she was again, down at her feet.
“Hey… that thing…?”

The tiny fey nodded rapidly,” It is uuuhhmmm…” she tapped her chin,” Sleepies! Yes! That’s it, sleepsie sleep!”

A sigh of relief escaped the white haired girl’s lips,” Thanks… now I can free myself up.”

“Okies! My hands are too little, but maybies I can helps!”

Kitty nodded and only minutes later she was free.
“Come, lets go away from here,” Kitty said pointing at the cave entrance,” Evil dark skins may lurk in there.”


The fey’s wings started to produce that buzzing sound again and soon she flew after the young human girl who ran through the forest.
For an hour or two Kitty barely said anything as she just kept running to get as far away as possible from that cave.
Finally she had to stop since she was simple exhausted, and thirsty.

As if the fey had read her thoughts, she said,” Nearby is a rivers… that way!”

Kitty sighed and got up again, nodding, but too tired to say anything back. Her mouth was too dry, her throat too sore for that.
After another small hour weaving through the trees in these to Kitty unknown parts of the forest, she broke free of a dense patch of needle leafs and suddenly rolled down an embankment only to end up with her legs in the water of the river below.
A nervous giggle escaped her lips and quickly she started to drink, using her hands as a cup.

“You was thirsties!” the little fey smiled at Kitty who wiped of her lips with the back of her hand.

“Hey… thank you, miss…”

The fey giggled,” No name no name!”
Kitty raised a brow, but the fey only said,” Friends?”

Kitty smiled,” Of course! And if there is ever anything I can help you with…”

The fey landed and took a seat on the human girl’s lap, her eyes looking down.

“Hey? What is it?”

“I was looking for my families when I founds you… looking for weeks now.”

“Weeks? Something happened?”

The fey nodded,” Is long stories, but… me must go now, find thems. There is village that way,” she pointed eastward.

“Hey, wait now… I can help you.”

The fey look up at the girl, eyes hopeful,” You can? Hows??”

Kitty smiled,” I’m trained as a tracker by the elves.”

A bright smile appeared on the fey’s little face,” Yes yes!! Need a trackeries!”

“Humm, but first I need to get back to my village and let my foster parents know I’m alright.”

“Ohhh… I understands…” the fey sighed.

Kitty frowned,” … or… well, no. I’ll help you first. Tell me everything you know, but mind you.”

“Yes??”

“I am not going back in the direction of those caves.”

The fey fiercely shook her head,” Thinks it was bad direction anyways! But now with a trackeries!”

Kitty nodded and smiled,” Yes, I will help you, little friend…”

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7. Between sun and shadows

The elf smiled a bit at her foster daughter,” Are you certain you ate enough, my dear?” Enessa glanced at the half empty plate on the other side of the table,” Even a child eats more.”


The fourteen year old human girl with pretty long white hair rolled her eyes and nodded,” Yea mom… don’t worry.” Swiftly and with well-coordinated leaps as if she were an elf too, Kitty disappeared through the door opening and found herself a few seconds later balancing on a long thick branch, sticking out like a long limb and forming a connection with the towering tree next to theirs. Despite being a lightweight, tiny twigs crunched under her feet while she crossed this natural bridge. Out here in the open, between the towers of the forest, Kitty felt insignificant but also absolutely free, the view of the enchanting place around her beckoning her heart and soul.

The exquisiteness of the dawn’s light poured in the shape of long, slender fingers, lancing through the lush green canopy, and all together forming a loom of light filtering down in seams of gold, left even the eldest of elves breathless. Bit by bit, the glory of the marvellous forest was slowly revealed as well as the serenity in which this community lived and had developed their habitat.
Kitty continued her journey without fear of heights and jumped off on the other side. She was just in time to catch her friend Neesha coming out of her home.

The young elf raised her arm and waved,” Hey! You is coming?”

“Aye aye, what are we going to do?”

Neesha pointed in the direction of the dense forest,” We is going see the waterfalls, see to catch fish.”

“Oh! Shall I get my bow?!”

Neesha nodded,” Me waits here.”

Kitty smiled at the prospect of another splendid day. She really loved to hunt, and all the more with Neesha who slowly was becoming a better friend than she had ever imagined.
She leaped back on the branch and commenced the crossing.


Neesha watched how the human girl, just as fast and agile as an elf made her way back, a longbow and a well-filled quiver over her shoulder. It was amazing how Kitty could be mistaken for one of her kind, especially when observing her from a distance.

“All set!” the white-haired girl beamed a smile, betraying total happiness.

And that was just one of the many things why Neesha liked her so much. Kitty’s smile was just contagious. Anyone who passed this girl when she was in a mood like this, would have a hard time in not returning a smile. Just like her...
Neesha smiled warm upon her friend and moved an arm around her,”Come, I show you how we catch fish with arrow.”

But the moment Neesha’s arm touched Kitty, the young girl sank to her knees and collapsed.

“KITTY !!!”

...

Three hours later the cleric left the room to meet up with the gathered and concerned elves.
Enessa got up from her couch,” And, how is she?”

Neesha inched a bit closer, still a bit shaken up.

The cleric shook his head a little,” For the moment she is stable. But…” his voice faded.

“But…?” Enessa whispered.

Neesha took another step, hoping to catch the news about her friend.

The cleric looked from Enessa to Neesha and back before laying his hand on her shoulder,” I am truly sorry but I cannot help her.”

Enessa swallowed but remained calm,” How do you mean?”

The other elves gathered now all pricked their ears and a few frowned, looking at their respected healer. What was that supposed to mean?

The elf took a deep, inaudible breath,” I'm afraid she is dying.”

Enessa slapped her hand before her lips and almost fainted, were it not for Neesha to hold her steady.

Tears pooled in her eyes,” What what… “ her lips shivering.

The village healer lifted his hands,” Not yet, but she slowly will.”

“But, but you have to help her!”

“I’m afraid it’s beyond my power. Her inner body seems to have a medical anomaly. And it’s natural. I tried to heal it, but it only restores to its original state… which is unfortunately the state with the anomaly.”

Enessa gasped,” What… what kind of anomaly? Can it be repl…”

The healer shook his head and said softly in a regretful tone,” … it’s her heart…”

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8. Sunday bloody sunday

What they didn’t knew was that Kitty in the days after, picked up the news about her condition yet hid it to everyone.
She recalled how she got out of bed and just before she opened the second door towards the patio of her foster parent’s house, she heard them talk.

Only dressed in a white flowing lightweight nightgown made off the finest elven silk, Kitty sank to her knees just behind the door with her hands folded over her chest. Her skin which was already pale, turned even more white. Her first thought was that they were wrong.Yet... she could feel it, the pain on her inside. Then she realised they hadn’t told her, at least not yet.
But why? Because they had no idea how to respond to her, or because they would no longer feel comfortable next to her? She who already belonged to a short-lived race, and was now about to die?

She recalled how a strange feeling like a wave went through her head. Was nobody about to tell her what was going to happen? And more importantly, was there nothing that could be done for her? Were they just going to abandon her to her fate? Why weren’t they looking for solutions? Why did they just sat there and talked about her end, like she was already gone?



The white-haired girl shook her head to herself. Strange how she could be in control like this. Strange how she was able to handle herself, knowing her time in this world was close to an end.
She adjusted the sheets a bit and glanced outside.

It was a nice summer’s day, a sunday…
She could see between those leaves the sky was probably as clear as a cloudless diamond, bright and shiny, and where the rays of the sun bounced on forever.
No horizon… no depth…

Kitty sighed. How she wished she was out there, dancing on those majestic branches, passing from the shades into the light, finding absolute silence whenever she wanted, and complete control over every single move she made. She would be free out there, and she would be as long as she could escape…
This body… why did it had to let her down? Tears pooled in her eyes but she fought them back. She tried to look away from the window but she simply couldn’t,... the airy opening beckoning. She knew she probably would die right away if she would go now. But perhaps it was better to die when she was still on her feet, rather than slowly to lanquish here in this stupid bed.


“Hi?” a soft voice whispered.

Kitty’s head snapped to her right, away from the window only to see the fey who once helped her was hovering next to her bed but seemingly without using her wings. And with who she had become friends after...

The fey smiled upon her and whispered,”Hey, where you beens? Didn’t sees my friend in the forest a while now.”

Kitty didn’t say anything but her expression was enough to make the fey land on her belly, the touch and weight comparable to a little cat. The tiny feets pressed gently on the blanket and the fey took a seat, her eyes curiously on her.

“Hey… you don’t looks so good. Sick?”

A tear found its escape and dropped on Kitty’s cheek.

The little fey blinked with her tiny eyes and walked over Kitty’s chest towards her face,” Whats is it?”

Kitty slowly shook her head though bluffing was not really her greatest skill. She closed her eyes and could feel a mini hand stroking her cheek.

“I’ms your friends, tell me?”

Kitty let out a muffled sigh and said,” I don’t think I’ll ever return to the forest…”

She heard the fey’s surprise,” Why nots? You don likes? Or, you going aways?”

Kitty nodded a bit,” Yes,... going away…,” not able to hide the sadness in her voice.

The fey tried to open one of the girl’s eyes,” Then me comes with you…”

She opened her eyes and looked at her little friend, a weak smile and a few tears as answer,” That is so very sweet of you but I am afraid that will be no option…”

The fey crossed her arms and tapped with her tiny foot on Kitty’s chest,” Me goes where I want.”

Kitty’s voice was barely audible,” So sweet… but no… I’m… I’m….” she simply couldn’t get the words over her lips.

Then it seemed to dawn on the fey and she looked genuinely worried at the human girl. She moved closer and embraced the girl’s face,” No… donts tell me…” The fey closed her eyes and mumbled a few words in an odd language sounding like softly droning water waves mingled with the buzzing of a swarm hornets. The words seemed smooth but Kitty didn’t understand a thing. When she opened her eyes she looked at Kitty in horror but then quickly shook her little head.

“You musts comes with me, not too late… comes comes…”, the fey tried to remove the blanket, pulling like hell but barely getting movement in it.

Kitty blinked,” Help me, how??”

“Comes, not here, no times… will help you get betters…” the fey almost begged.

“But but…” Kitty looked at the window a moment, longing… and then made a decision. Why not? She pushed away the blankets and slipped out the bed, ignoring the pain in her chest and muscles. And even before she hit the closet to grab her clothes she was exhausted.
How the hell was she supposted to make it out there??

With the fey buzzing around her ears and urging her to speed up, Kitty managed to get into her forest outfit. Panting heavily after, she held up her hand as the other sought support. “Now … just give me … a minute…”

The fey, now obviously noticing Kitty really needed to catch her breath, nodded but kept nervously buzzing around… from the girl to the window and back.

Kitty closed her eyes a moment and then took a deep breath, likewise to those one takes just before diving into deep water. Freedom would come after this, help was promised. She only hoped she’d make it to wherever the fey would be leading her.

“All set… but slowly…”

The fey tilted her head and then mumbled a few more words in that same strange language and suddenly Kitty couldn’t see her arms anymore. It was strange cause she could still sense them and feel her hands when she brought them together. Luckily and with the minimum training she had in this, she realised the fey had just turned her invisible.
Before she could ask why, the fey flew out through the window, knowing that this was Kitty’s usual ‘escape route’.

“Now comes… this way…”


A few hours passed and it was already getting darker here in the deeper woods. Kitty had to move slowly but was still surprised how far they got, away from the village. Again, she was never able to catch enough breath for another why question.

At some point the fey made her climb down on what would have been a very easy part for Kitty if she’d been healthy. Now it was difficult, yet still doable.

“Alrights… Zjarrr,” the fey mumbled and with that word a small campfire erupted from the soil. She motioned Kitty to take a seat right before landing on the girl’s lap. Everything was quiet next to a few last evening birds finishing their hymns to their lovers. Soon the moon would hit the sky and nocturnal insects would take the place of their daytime kin.

“Me wants help you, cure…” she touched Kitty’s chest. “Is heart yes?”

The girl nodded slowly and looked a bit curious, but hope was in her eyes. She had no idea how her little friend could help her, but having hope felt good.

“Alrights… needs to know your name…”

“Kitty… you know my…” but then it struck her what the fey asked. She blinked and started to shake her head.

“Your reals name… True name… Kitty…”

The human girl was still shaking her head slowly,” I can’t… my parents forbid me to give it to anyone. Not even my foster parents know it. No one knows it!”

“I needs change somethings in your bodies… and makes it stays so. Can’t if not knowing your True name.”

Kitty had no idea why it had been so important as she never ever had talked to anyone about it before. She only knew her parents had told her over and over and over again to never ever give her True name away.
She swallowed,” I can’t… you ask too much of me… there must be another way…”

The fey shook her head,” Yours True name is connected with yours essence and thats connected with yours body. Magics can helps you change and be strongs… more strongs.” The fey sounded genuinely sad,” Its be that or dies…” Her little eyes looked in Kitty’s,” Dons wants you dies… you my friend…”


Kitty sighed… what was more worth to her this moment? Her parents who forbade her this, now so long ago, the memory not more than a few words sounding in a distance. She even forgot how they looked like. Well, almost…
Or… dying… and saying goodbye to this life, this freedom, this way of enjoying everything else that existed around to her. Would they forget her? Or would they remember who she was?
She looked back at the fey who was clearly hoping to get permission to save her friend’s life.


“Alright then… what happens next?”

The fey shook her head,” Tells me your True name, you gets mine. And thens small ritual.”

Kitty nodded and took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe she was about to say the name that had been given by her parents so long ago. She realised when they were in company they would just call her girl, or honey, or sweety, darling… Now her name was about to leave her lips, how strange would it sound to hear it once more after such long time.

“My True name is… Lumitia Icingdale…”

The fey smiled and whispered,”... Lumitia…” Right after saying Kitty’s true name she witnessed how the girl’s grey-white irises lit up in the twilight of the little campfire, emitting a soft light for only a second.

She walked up and touched ‘Kitty’s’ cheek with her hand as she tiptoed,” I am Fauna…”

“Fauna…” the girl whispered back just before she felt the fey's lips on hers. It was weird but not unpleasant. She closed her eyes as the kiss lingered, but she also felt the weight the fey produced on her lap was increasing… and the kiss was getting warmer. She opened her eyes when she suddenly felt arms around her and saw how the fey had grown. She still looked the same, but was now about her own size. Perhaps a bit taller…

Kitty blinked and broke the kiss,”... F… Fauna??”

The fey smiled a very beautiful smile,” Lumitia… now I can help you.”

“How did you…”

Fauna waved dismissively,” Later, dear girl… first let us fix you up.”

Kitty noticed Fauna also talked different, and her level of common had increased tremendously.

Fauna took out a small knife,” I only need a bit of blood, yours and mine… then you will be all good. Alright?”

Kitty’s eyes widenend,” You are going to stab me??!”

Fauna chuckled softly, a clear and sparkling sound,” I would never hurt you, my friend, cause I love you.” She gave another kiss on Kitty’s lips, this time more tender.

Kitty could feel her heart jump...

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9. Newborn

“Kitty? ………….. Kitty?”

A voice, a distant voice sounded at the outer rim of her being. Yet she rather remained in her shell, cocooning. It was comfortable in here and the voices attempting to reach her when her consciousness surfaced were simply ignored. It wouldn’t be different this time.

But that was reckoned without her best friend...

Two hands took a hold of the sheet she was lying on... and suddenly pulled.

She felt how her body was tossed around in the air and she became aware of her flight just in time before ungently smacking with her butt on the wooden floor. The pain was intense enough though to break the cocoon and to bring her a moment to the world of the wakeful. A short cry escaped her lips.
Her eyes flew open just before she had to squeeze them together really tight to prevent bright light from penetrating the pupils.

“Neesha! Have you lost your mind?!” an admonishing and familiar voice sounded.

“Hah, me got Kitty up, no?” another, now young voice said slightly irritated.

She felt two arms going under her armpits and a pull which seemed an attempt to get her up. It didn’t work since her body wasn’t willing to cooperate despite the fact her mind was in a state of wakeness.

“Me help too…” she heard, followed by a sigh.

This time some extra force was added to the pull and she sensed how she was placed on the bed by two people, each holding an arm.

“There there. Now… are you awake, Kitty? Do you know where you are?” A hand cupped her chin.

A command was send from her mind to her lips and tongue which… seemingly refused to respond.

She heard the young voice again, somewhere between concern and disapproval,” It same again, but not sure if act.” The words spoken were in broken common while the other had been fluid elven.

She sensed how she was moved further on the bed again before somebody gently laid her down and let her head sink slowly into a soft, warm pillow.
Yes,... this is what she needed. Why didn’t they just leave her alone?

It seemed they wouldn’t...


A wooden object bumped against her lips,” Sleep, rest all you want, if you only get better, my dear girl. But you will eat…”
She perceived the transition from a clear and encouraging female voice to a concerned murmur,” Please, you have to… it’s been three days…”

Now that sounded almost like begging. She decided to meet the person’s request by sending another command to her lips which ended up in a visible shiver to any outsiders.

“Yes, Kitty… be a good girl. You can do it… open up, nice and easy. It… it’s your favorit meal.”

Was that a sob sounding right through it? Were they crying? For her? Why? She was happy, no? It was warm, comfortable, peaceful… here in her own little sanctuary.

Perhaps... perhaps she should let them know? Perhaps she should let them know how it eased the pain she was currently feeling? How her blood felt as if it was on fire and coursed rapidly through her veins, making her flesh feel like it was ready to explode from the inside. Didn’t they know if she returned she wouldn’t be able to shut off the scorching heat?

Her lips, moist now because of the flavored vapor from the food on the spoon, stirred again. The other took it wrong and saw it as an effort to take the food while she only wanted to say something.

“Yes… that’s it… a little bit more…. aaannd….”

The spoon was shoved in her mouth with some slight force. The taste of the substance was as good as the scent had been when it lingered under her nosetrils a moment earlier. The food was creamy and crunchy at the same time, flavorsome and close to heavenly. But she couldn’t address it. Names of tastes and scents connected to ingredients fled from her mind.

Instead of attempting to utter a word, she now started to suck on the spoon… like a baby… exploring something new and pleasant.

“Is.. is Kitty eating?” the young voice sounded with some disbelief.

“Yes, it seems and I think she can hear us now. Or at least understand us maybe.”

“Hah, you see, should slapped her butt.”

“Neesha! Behave!”

A teenish giggle sounded right before she sensed how someone took place near her other side. A slender, soft hand brushed over her forehead and she heard the young female whispering near her ear,” Me is Nie, and me is your friend.”

And that triggered a series of memories... losing her real parents in those dark woods, the magnificent elves finding her pressed against that tree trunk, her life and growing up in the forest, dancing on the branches, the soft moss under her bare feet, the shadow games and the thrilling hunts with the bow… and … and… there were friends… one in particular… and it wasn’t Neesha.


Fauna. Almost she said it out loud but then thanked her foster mother and the spoon in her own mouth preventing her from sharing that name.
The fey meant something to her, a lot. But why? Oh yes, she saved her from a monster and from the dark skins. Right?

She heard how the young female resumed whispering.
“Me is found you in forest. You fell from tree I think but broke nothing. You is ok? Feel pain?” A hand was placed on her chest.

“Let it, Neesha… not now. We check it later.”

Pain… it… was still burning… but also fading a little. As if the food worked soothing and healing. Or? She reached out for her body again and innerly winced at a still present hotness. She crawled back inside her shell and decide to wait it out once more.

To the ones on the outside the sucking on the spoon suddenly ceased.

A distant voice sounded,” She sleep?”

Another,” Seems… well, at least she ate -something-. One spoon today, two tomorrow.” Hope clearly sounded in that voice.

The spoon was removed without the lips from where it emerged asking for more…



After curling up her sheltered selfness turned it’s gaze to see what was outside without the need for any optic images. Was it gone? She focused and peered with her mind’s eye into the distance.

No… it wasn’t…

From all around her a red glow started to loom up and eyed threatening. Her imaginary fingers started to tremble and her mind felt uneasy. But in here she was safe.

The glow ignited into flames which started to claw all around her, hungrily licking at the invisible walls of her cocoon. At first it was hard to tell what they consumed to fuel their wrath, but she had seen it.

It… wouldn’t take long anymore, but first…

The flames retreated for a moment and commenced a hypnotising dance, sensually like a belly dancer moving around Kitty’s shell and showing her her most seductive moves. They grew hot but couldn’t burn her.
Then,... the fire sparked and like ocean waves they rampaged their way towards the walls of her sanctuary once again. Greedy fingers crawled all the way up and for a moment it felt as if the fire roared for joy when it was able to engulf her, albeit not touch her. Just by the absence of ash she could tell this wasn’t a regular fire.

Once more the inferno retreated and now they were there,... black silhouettes standing in the middle of the flames and waving wildly with their arms. She couldn’t hear them cry but she knew they did because the see-through holes in their heads at the level were a mouth was supposed to be. She shivered and waited, knowing it was coming to an end after one last appearance.

In front of her orange and yellow flames started to merge and slowly another single silhouette materialized out of them.
She didn’t see the smile but somehow sensed it. “One day you will be mine, Lumitia…” a sexy attractive voice sounded.

The 'belly dancer' had finally shown herself...

[Admin]

10. Heart of the forest

Her eyes never left her target as she reached back for an arrow from her quiver. She sharpened the rest of her senses and attempted to take note of everything that could interfere with this shot. Was this boar just alone or…? As she knocked the long, slender arrow, it’s flight path had already been defined. Between these rustling branches in front of her, over that trapezoidal rock and near that stump into the boar’s head standing in the mud pool.
Inhaling on the draw she started to pull the string back all the way past her ear, and increased the tension building up in her arm that would give the arrow its desired speed and force. She raised her bow and with it the arrowhead to meet its path before letting out half of her breath. As she anchored and settled on her target, Kitty held her breath from there. It would be a distant shot.
And then suddenly she squeezed the shot off. The string snapped forward with at least twice the strength of a fist fighter’s punch. Kitty’s posture didn’t change a bit in order not to affect the arrow during its launch.

The arrow trusted forward, pierced a leaf and accelerated even further on its way down. As it struck and entered the boar’s head, Kitty perceived a crack sound and saw how the arrow had snapped on probably a thick part of the creature’s skull.
Quickly she reached for another arrow as the creature was down but not dead yet… and it would be very angry if it got up again. She aimed and quickly released a second arrow which with a thud sound penetrated the flesh of its belly. There, that would do it.
She hung the longbow over her shoulder and climbed down from the tree. Each time she inhaled, it seemed being emphasized by a soft sound of air being sucked between her lips. As she started to make her way over to her catch, the sun began to shine through the branches once more and the symphony of birds high up in the tree tops increased as if meant to welcome the golden light.


With the graceful, supple movements of a cat, Kitty made her way between trees and roots incredibly old and twisted, the sound of a little cascading stream in the distance. The soil under her feet was carpeted with the first autumn leaves. A few smaller creatures quickly hurried themselves away in a small flower field where worker bees gathered the last nectar to feed their communities. Winter was on the way but to Kitty this clean oxygen-filled environment and the magnitude of living things all around her sort of energized her somehow. The vibrancy of life she felt flowing around her and through her resonated. It was like new strength had been injected into her once broken body. She felt a new sense of joy by having been able to pick up her life again.


Kitty still had no idea what happened. All she remembered is that she had been close to death with a heart that was about to give up one day. Somehow it got restored and she just felt like before. Perhaps when they found her, they also had been able to cure her after all? She could ask them but in her opinion they should start and tell her things first. Up to now, no one has ever mentioned something to her about the earlier condition with her heart. She had only known by coincidence, eavesdropping on it actually. Why they kept that behind? Kitty rubbed her chin. She had no idea, but she was happy to be alive and out again. And besides, it was now months ago.


By the time she approached the boar, the fourteen year old girl noticed how hard she had missed the forest. This… this was her heart and this is why she was blessed.

[Admin]

11. The first… the last?

Until yesterday none of the elven boys had ever taken interest in her. Not in the way like a teenage girl would favor. It was not that the fifteen year old Kitty wasn't pretty since she actually was a beautiful girl, her long white hair offering her an exotic look for a human. But it probably was her limited lifespan which scared them off. She would age and die rapidly compared to them, and any elf who was her mate would find himself left behind ... heart broken. And thus Kitty was hardly… actually never asked for a walk... or a dance. The consequence of a mortal living among elves. But that wouldn't stop her from trying!

She combed her long white hair and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Tonight she would go to a celebration of their community and there would be food and dance! Kitty took a hold of an entangled tress and with her head tilted gently started to work on it. There would be a boy present who got dumped by his love mate not so long ago. For a while now Kitty had had an eye on him but never showed it, let alone made her move. Yesterday however during archery lessons she had offered him a lovely smile after he praised one of her shots. And he had winked at her! Her heart fluttered by the memory...

Re'kan was the son of the community leader and though he had the appearance of an eighteen year old boy, he was more than a century and close to what was considered around here emotional adulthood. Kitty knew he also had a lot of influence and if she and him got together she suddenly would have a lot of friends extra. Not that it mattered as all she had eye for was that handsome face. Why she hoped they would have a shot? First of all, they wouldn't be the only human-elf couple and it was a concept that was generally accepted. Secondly, if they would become life mates and she got old, she would allow him to seek a love mate. By the time she died it would be much easier for him to move on. And finally, that exchange at the archery lesson told her his interest in her was genuine! He was one of the very few if not the only one. And... he would be her first. Her cheeks flushed by the thought of that.


She let out a wishful sigh and turned left and right before the mirror, absently flattening out the fabric of what she considered to be a lovely gown. Tonight more than ever, she would become one of them. Dance, act, talk, walk... you name it, she could do it. And she would make sure to stay close to Re'kan. With her mind set on the boy, Kitty started to make her way down and headed towards the lights from where also soft music sounded.
When Kitty reached the open spot she saw immediately she was late. But that was also accompanied with a nice side effect. People actually saw her! Heads turned in her direction and several smiled kindly at the human girl arriving in their midst. With a demeanor that appeared modest, Kitty blushed and held her hand up in order to greet them and looked around.

The banquet prepared at the left side eyed very inviting. Three long tables were positioned in one line and set with all sorts of food and cake in generous amounts. There was a parade of roasts and even fish of all kinds. Pottages were considered as special treats and next to them Kitty perceived all sorts of bread, cheese and colorful vegetables. Much of this had been imported just for this special occasion and it all looked very intoxicating,... but Kitty knew better. This elven community in the High Forest daily lived by simple standards and besides when a ceremony was arranged for two people who became life mates, this was the only time things got this decadent.

Just when she was about to make her way to the food and hoping to steal some wine, she saw him. And he saw her since he waved at her! She blushed a little and waved back. Then she witnessed him saying something to his friends before parting ways with them and walking to her. Several heads, especially female turned once more in her and his direction and seemed keenly interested in what was about to unfold in that encounter. Kitty didn’t notice since she only had eye for the boy approaching her. The need of getting something to eat was simply forgotten and as he moved closer she suddenly blushed harder as she realised her own smile was probably wide and all too obvious! Her forehead and cheeks felt like they were glowing. Sensing palpitations in her throat and neck it was as if her heart had just moved up.
His smile however was contagious and she just kept smiling until he stopped in front of her.

“Kitty… glad you could make it. Would you like to join me?” Re’kan said while offering his hand to her.

Gods, even his voice was attractive! Her own hand trembled lightly as she allowed him to take it. This would be hard to stay physically, emotionally and mentally sound. She replied shyly,” Hi, and… sure?”

The what appeared to be a gentleman led her to the table with food and together with her he started fill a plate with little bits of everything. Kitty peeked curiously at him. She bet he already ate but because she otherwise would be one of the last youngsters with food, he had chosen to join her. Was he trying to make her feel at ease? Cute…

She followed him to the other side where she joined some of his friends, most of them couples. Practically everyone knew everyone around here so introductions weren’t really needed. Though she eyed a bit shy in their presence as it were people with whom she had never talked a lot before. But they were kind to her and she could tell Re’kan was popular in their midst. And so was she now, apparantly.
The evening went smoothly and by the end of it Kitty had talked a lot and even danced. More important, it all happened in company of Re’kan who had offered her his undivided attention.


After the music started to fade, Kitty found herself walking next to the boy of her dreams who had convinced her of bringing her home following a detour. The moment they entered the shadows of the forest, she sensed how his hand sought for hers. Her heart started to bounce heavily against her chest as she took his and entwined her fingers with his. If he understood well, he would know she was busy claiming him and had no intention of letting him go after.

And then he made her stop.

“Kitty…” he smiled as his other hand reached for her hip.

“Yeah?” she replied while trying to look innocent.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying you are extremely beautiful and sweet.”

On her cheeks that rosy glow appeared again but she said,” And you are the most handsome boy I have ever seen…”

He chuckled softly and pulled her close, taking her in his arms,” Not a boy, sweet Kitty.. a man. And you are a woman… unless you haven’t noticed yet.”

She giggled nervously and looked up at his eyes… then his lips. And before she knew it she just kissed him frontally, determined to experience her dream.

His lips came back down on her, somewhat greedy on these young, inexperienced but enthusiastic lips. For the first time in her life Kitty felt what it meant to be kissed deeply. Her lips parted and she allowed his warmth to melt with hers.

A few moments later they reluctantly broke the kiss and looked in each others eyes. Her heart just fluttered as he smiled.

“Hmm… sweet. Let’s go a little bit deeper in the forest…”

Kitty peeked over his shoulder in the darkness and looked back at him,” Uhmm… okay…,” she said, putting her trust in him.


They walked for at least five minutes, his superb vision guiding them both. The immense stillness of nature surrounding them was relaxing. Many sounds were to be heard but they couldn’t be disturbed. A breeze sprung up and whistled through the stately trunks and the leaves of the huge trees rustled in unison. Even the shrill cries of the cicadas were a part of what felt like an intimate peace all around.
And no one would disturb the couple, not here. Unless they got very unlucky of being spotted by one of the rangers guarding the village.

Re’kan stopped and turned to her. Without further words he started to kiss her more passionately. Never ever before in her life had she experienced anything like this and her knees almost grew weak. Soon his kisses covered more terrain than just her lips as he started to plant them on her chin, her neck, her shoulder…

Suddenly she sensed how his fingers fiddled with the little straps of her dress on her back. With her hands on his upper arms Kitty pushed him gently away. She lowered her head shyly and whispered,” No… not… not yet.”

She wasn’t ready for this although she could sense her feminine instincts -and- needs awakening. On one hand she wasn’t able yet to surrender her body, yet on the other hand there was a terrible, fleshly curiosity active. Kitty looked at him. IF she would do it, it would be with him, but just not now.

Re’kan raised a brow but didn’t let her go,” You have to be kidding me… am I the first?”

Kitty’s face became decorated by what felt at least ten shades of red and pink. She bit her lip and offered a vague rapid nod.

Re’kan bared his teeth in one of the widest grins Kitty had ever seen of him. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear,” If you let me take you now, you and me will be mates until death do us part…”

Kitty shivered against his chest. Had he read her thoughts? Did he sensed she had been musing over having a partner? He would be hers? But only if she… if she lifted her skirts for him? She swallowed as that was not was not what she had in mind. She wanted it to be romantic, a young man courting her and finally asking her to…

Kitty shook her head to him,” No Re’kan… not like this.” She attempted to free herself from him but noticed he increased the force of his embrace.

“Kitty…,” he said with a mellifluous, well-educated voice,”... hey, I meant well. You are just so… irresistible.”

More red than this she simply couldn’t get, and more closer to him she also didn’t wanted to be. At least for now. She needed to think, to get her mind clear. His touch and his voice still made her head spinning, yet his proposal made her wary.

Once again she attempted to free herself from his embrace. But he didn’t let her go. On the contrary… his fingers had just untied a few of the straps holding her dress together.

Her eyes slitting she said with a low voice,” Let me go… or else…”

“Kitty, calm down… just let me show you…”

But he didn’t manage to get much further than that as Kitty lifted her knee and kicked him where every boy was sensitive. His pride being bruised made him bend over and he couldn’t do anything else but to let go off Kitty who confused hurried back to the village. It was dark but her senses had been trained and she knew the way.

Never ever would she let a man get close like this! Now she knew how they were. Charming, attentive until you were within their grasp and then they wanted to take you!

She felt as if she had been cursed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realised she couldn’t tell anyone about this. Yet she made a few decisions. Re’kan was the first and the last, at least for a long while. And she would leave this community within the year. Though she would visit her foster parents and her few friends from time to time, she wouldn’t stay. Perhaps one day... if she after all had a partner, human like her, she might consider to return and settle again on a more permanent basis.

[Admin]

12. A forest, a haven

Kitty only had to look up at the trees with their sprawling branches stretching over the entire perimeter of this glade, and understood all too well she would never be able to fully resist the beckoning, relative silence of the High Forest. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of one day maybe venturing deep into its tangled heart again...

The girl who was slowly turning into a lovely young lady now, closed her eyes and leaned her head a bit to the side, her long white hair brushing over her left shoulder. Yes, to her ears it was like a deep and yet calm, profound ballad with the fading luscious birdsongs, the soothing, barily audible buzz of blue dragonflies performing their rituals, the majestic swaying trees and the leaves rustling in the wind as gentle acoustic background notes.

The exquisiteness of the sunset’s light lanced through the lush, green foliage, a finger of supernal brightness kissing her face and seemingly chasing down even the shadows in her head. Though... without fully banishing the gloom that surrounded her. Something had changed within her and her confidence showed a crack. But right now it didn’t seem to matter that much as her decision was final.

No matter how serene this place was, no matter the influence a forest like this had on her… she had to turn her back to it for a while. Reason? Her parents for not believing her when she told them what Re’kan had almost done to her. Yeah sure, she understood all too well they had to be careful with accusations because of Re’kan’s status. But did that have to mean they almost didn’t seem to believe her? Just because she hadn’t been bruised and gotten out untouched? And they suggested she maybe have gotten it all wrong? Each time she considered to bring it up again she wondered what would be next. Perhaps them telling that it was her mistake. And thus each time she had remained silent about it.

She shook her head to herself. No, the only big mistake she had made thus far was to stay for another year. Waiting to see if something would happen with what she had told. Never had she received any apologies, not from Re’kan or his father, nor from her own foster parents. Yes, she still loved them much, and so did they. But eventually they had had to let her go. She was almost eighteen and fully capable of standing on her own two feet. Unlike elves... who needed a bit more time for that.

Kitty lifted herself out of the water and dried herself, not in the least feeling uncomfortable with her body at a display. After all, she was still far from away from any civilization and all alone. Over a few weeks she would arrive in Neverwinter and follow a first lead she had on the origins of her real parents. It only had just been a dream though, but if she was planning on exploring anyways, she might as well stop by there as well.

Drying her ears she looked around, her heart aching in her chest. One day she would back…


As Kitty mused about how a human city would be like, through a bush a pair of twinkling red eyes observed the girl dressing up.


By the time the pool looked like a polished mirror of silver, the glade was deserted again...

[Admin]

13. The Companion

Seven years before Baldur’s Gate…


Standing on a steep slope, Kitty peered over the vast land. In the distance she discerned a faint glow that had to be a city. Neverwinter..., she finally made it… well, almost. She glanced behind her at the treeline which formed the transition between forest and woodlands. Then she looked back below in front of her at the low-density forest which appeared to have many open habitats with plenty of sunshine and limited shadows. Trees were on that side of the slope the dominant plant form and several individual canopy trees nestled among the flowering grounds.

Kitty descended the natural vantage point, feeling a bit alien in these to her new regions, and uneasy to leave the shelter she always had known. Of course it wasn’t the first time she found herself outside a forest as she had crossed more than one plain or road in order to get here. But now it would be more permanent. And it would be her first time in a city of her own kind. She shook her head as she resumed her journey between the flowers, her fingers gently wavering over the petals and sending some bees off to seek more quiet resorts. She was no elf, she never had been one…
But the moment that thought hit her mind, she felt a sting in her heart. What she was thinking wasn’t entirely true…


“Kitsy !! Kitsy !!” a high pitched voice sounded behind her.

The moment Kitty turned over to see who produced that so familiar voice, something soft slammed into her face and she sensed how her head was being hugged.

“Fauna !! There you are !!” Kitty giggled as she carefully hugged her tiny friend with her slender fingers. “I missed you! Where have you been in the past months??”

“Families, been families! But… Kitsy Kitsy…!” The little fey pulled herself out of the hug and start to buzz nervously around Kitty’s head. “But where Kitsy goes? Forest that way, High Forest behinds thats even,” Fauna said sounding upset while pointing vigorously at the dark green behind them.

“Ah… it’s uhm… a bit complicated… but a few things I already told you, girl,” Kitty said soft.

Fauna stopped buzzing around and hovered in front of Kitty’s face, her own expression saddening,” They dids not listen?”

Kitty shrugged and turned around to look in the direction of Neverwinter. She sensed how Fauna landed on her shoulder, maintining her balance easily on the wide shoulder piece. She glanced at the fey and whispered,” What is it, my little friend?”

“Kitsy… Fauna wants to come, buts…” she paused a moment.

“Come? Come with me?” Kitty smiled some,” But what?”

“Fauna can’ts be in cities. Peoples takes takes takes her.”

Kitty nodded,” Yes, maybe, but you could hide, no? After all, you are small.” She giggled,” Perhaps within my inside pocket?”

Fauna giggled along and brushed with her tiny hand over Kitty’s ear. Then she shook her head,” No, but Kitsy likes forest yes?”

The young human woman nodded.

“Kitsy cans come theres see Fauna then?”

Kitty widened her eyes a bit and smiled,” Yes, we can do that! Perfect!”

The fey hugged Kitty’s head again,” And… Kitsy not maybe always sees Fauna, but Fauna may sees Kitsy.”

“Oh, you going to spy on me now are you?” She smiled warmly and didn’t even attempted to have her own name corrected. Fauna called her like this now since a few years.

The fey set off from Kitty’s shoulder and flew forth and back. “Kitsy wants Fauna stays and spies?”

Kitty laughed and nodded,” Sure hun, just come with me. But uhm… you won’t miss your family?”

Fauna's eyes twinkled and she tilted her little head,” Yes... but Kitsy also is families…”

And that warmed Kitty’s heart even more. She peered a moment in the distance and then looked back at Fauna. “Let us pitch camp here. Then we can discuss how we all do this before approaching the city and the land around it.”


That evening the two friends made it themselves comfortable. Soon a small fire was lit at their camp site near some rocks, and Kitty made them both some nice tea produced from herbs she had come across. They talked about how the past months had been, retrieved some old memories together and before Kitty even realised, they had fallen asleep.




A few hours later…

Fauna opened her eyes, and looked left and right before slowly detaching herself from the human female. She got up and stretched her arms and legs. A long-lasting yawn escaped her tiny lips soundlessly before she turned back to look at Kitty.

“Will be wits you, Kitsy… for sure…,” she whispered as she snapped her fingers.

Suddenly the little fey’s body started to glow a bit. Next it turned into a low reddish light without flames before becoming incandescent for a short moment. And then, the light was gone, just like that. An attractive humanoid woman had taken Fauna’s place.

She kneeled next to Kitty and leaned in… her voluptuous lips brushing over the seemingly lifeless girl’s cheek. Arriving near her ear she whispered,” Now is the time. Let me in… Lumitia... ”


Lumitia? Let me in. It’s me… you know me...

Something stirred in the back of her mind, as if someone was nudging the imaginary walls she had built so long ago. It’s been a long while since the last time it happened. The fact it did however defied any kind of logic and for a moment she wondered if she had been cursed somewhere along the line. It was nothing however she had wished to discuss with her foster parents or any other of her friends as they might have declared her insane. Then it struck her… her name.

Lumitia? Are you awake?

Her conscious sensed how the heart rate in her body rocketed and she was struck by so much fear that it felt as if her soul would literally jump out of its shell. She barely managed to maintain control over her reactions and prayed she wasn’t caught on the fact she was aware. However, she was on the brink of moving into a state of hyperventilation and had to impose her will to have her brain sending out messages to every corner of her body in order to calm down.

Lumitia Icingdale… !! It hit her like thunder.

A flash of light, an explosion running through her entire being, a shock beyond any imagination. Spots were sparkling around her conscious and it felt like she was being lifted up and forcefully smacked against the dome of her inner sanctuary. Slowly the hull of her being was torn apart, like a ship being ripped open by a submerged rock of some barrier reef.
Pierced her defences were, layer by layer intruded from the outside. Down came the carefully constructed walls, away was the cover of the shadows she had created.

The next moment she was dropped..., but the expected crash never came.

Instead she found herself being cuddled by a warm presence and discerned a shape in her mind’s eye.

My Lumitia…

M… Mommy?


A local, gentle wind arose and rustled the leaves of trees nearby. Autumn’s scent was spread unnoticed.
The woman’s body leaning over the sleeping Kitty started to glow once again. Dim light particles escaped from her body and started to dance around the pair.


By the time the light spectacle faded… the young lady who had been raised by elves in the High Forest, appeared to be alone again…

[Admin]

14. Neverwinter

Kitty marvelled.

The picturesque city had stolen her heart on the very first day of her stay. The thousands of flowers all over the magnificent gardens were enough in itself to make her feel joyful and happy. To her, flowers were often used as a gesture of showing one’s feelings for their loved ones, and maybe just because of that it made this place -very- attractive to her. Being in such a wonderful setting just triggered smiles, and she smiled at… like everybody. The sweet scent was even capable of cutting right through the wonderful briney smell coming off from the cool breeze blowing from the ocean to the land. The red and yellow tulips were like frozen flames, mint green jade vines with their claw shaped flowers bloomed along the walls of the charming little cottages, and the mixture of pink roses, small white chrysanthemums and dozens of other unfamiliar flowers -reminding her of a painter’s palette- had a transitory evocation of summer coming to her…

And there was more... yellow and white lilies floating on little enchanting ponds, charmingly little trees blossoming pink colors and reflecting in the water, and carefully placed rocks rich with thousands of tiny purple flowers.

The gardens here were truly beautiful, and a stroll through these streets made her feel very peaceful and at one with the splendours and spirit of nature. Below the Dolphin bridge on which she was standing a silent white stream cascaded nonchalantly over the rocky riverbed. Through the entire city the water tumbled down in series of little, gentle waterfalls, making the Neverwinter River tinkling in a laughing sort of way. It was music to her ears, and for a moment she was in complete harmony with her decision of leaving the High Forest. She mused a bit longer while leaning on the railing of the spectacular bridge before she made her way towards the city’s harbour.

Kitty noticed an increasing traffic as she neared the port. The earlier silence back at the side streets and alleyways was now replaced with horse hooves and rolling wagon wheels producing a lot of noise on a cobblestone surface. Although these smooth round stones harvested in riverbeds were probably considerably stronger and better for the people transporting stuff, Kitty wouldn’t want trade places with the wagon drivers whose poor bodies were shaken all over by driving over this bumpy road. Just looking at them had her stomach turned upside down.

Instead she strolled next to the road and just followed the people, seeing where this was all going. Then she raised her head and sniffed the air as a broad range of smells reached her nosetrils, most of them identifiable. Fresh herbs, farmer’s cheese, warm bread, roast chicken, smoked fish and lots of other things filled the air. She smiled softly and as she cornered the final building she saw there was a market going on indeed. In a way it appeared a bit like the markets held in her hometown back in the forest. Small market stalls were spread across the harbor wall and street, selling food, clothing, shoes, kitchen stuff, working tools and more.

There was this pleasant buzz produced by the hundreds of people visiting this place, there was the excitement of vendors praising their goods, and of course that overwhelming smell of good stuff. There seemed so many products, so lots of choice, so many faces.
In short, a supersaturation of the human senses and she simply got carried away by all of it. For a moment she wondered if all these people knew each other as well, just like the elves did in her hometown.


Kitty continued strolling along the stalls, and at some point the smell of fresh fruit and vegetables caught her attention. She stopped and her eyes roamed over the food on a display.

“Hey, pretty miss!” a voice behind the goods sounded.

“Huh??” Kitty looked up and saw a young merchant with a grin from ear to ear.

“Catch!” and with that he tossed a green spherical object at her.

There was nothing wrong with her reflexes and she plucked the object from the air easily before it could hit her chest. She opened her hand and examined it. It had a flawless green surface and was almost perfectly round. She arched a brow as she identified the object as an apple and looked up in surprise at the merchant.

He winked at her,” A merchant knows his customers!”

[Admin]

15. The Apple

Steep rocky clifs mixed with a few small sandy beaches. At least that is how the landscape appeared to be at a small distance away from the harbour. After spending all morning at the market, Kitty had wandered off towards the seashore, attracted by its endless panoramic views. It was the first time ever in her entire life she saw such a stretched surface, such an immense rippling blanket of jewel-blue. Squabbling seagulls flew overhead and made their way towards the port where they probably hoped to catch some of the waste left behind on the streets after the market had finished packing up. Beneath her bare feet the world seemed dipped in earthshine-gold and in the distance the horizon seemed hemmed in fish scale-silver. Small, whispering waves cascaded gently onto the shore and over her toes. The sound of it was alien to her, but kinda soothing nonetheless.

It was all so refreshing and so completely different from the green world where she had been able to hide like… everywhere. Here, the only place where one could hide seemed between those cliffs or… out there, under water. Kitty shivered a moment though by the thought of being out there all alone in the open, with no place to hide, with no land -let alone a tree- in sight. She concluded to herself she liked the sea... watching it from the landside.

She started to make her way back in the direction of the port again. Soon the ground below her feet turned into a rocky shore consisting of rocky ledges with pools of salty water, small boulders and pebbles. She assumed when perceiving the horizontal color variations on the rocks that the water from time to time got way higher, submerging for varying lengths of time a large part of the land that was now visible to her.

Water mixed with sand swept glently over her toes and suddenly, during a moment when she wasn’t paying any attention where she was placing her feet, a burning feeling shot up from her left foot through her leg. Kitty stopped and turned her foot over. It appeared she had cut her foot on something sharp, probably a rock or shell. She muttered softly under her breath and decided to get out of the water. After putting her boots on, the white haired girl made her way over the rocks effortlessly towards the road up ahead. Less than an hour later she entered Neverwinter again. She looked around. It was obvious people didn’t sleep out in the open here, so she figured she needed to search for a place to stay. Going back to the forest that was called the Neverwinter Woods would just take her too long.



“Uhm, Mister!? Excuse me!” Kitty ran over to a man carrying a large bag of grain, and who stopped to answer the girl.

“Arrr, what be happenin', lassie?”

Kitty blushed when she noticed the man turning to her was quite… colossal, with a bundle of muscles at a display on the arm supporting the bag. But, he appeared to be rather friendly and she assumed he was some sort of sailor.

“Hi… uhm… I won’t keep you up for long. But could you please tell me where I could find a place to stay for the night? I’m… I’m kinda new around.”

The man shifted the bag to adjust the weight and rolled his shoulder before he said,“ Aye lassie, then ye have t’ be at them Golden Apple. ‘tis jist below th’ road on th’ left … a fair maiden Diga serves th’ rum ‘n ale. Be tellin' her Rick sent ye. But he has some jobs t’ complete , so if ye don’ mind.” His face was still friendly but it was obvious that even to a man of his calibre the bag was getting kinda heavy.

Kitty nodded,” Apple..? Oh?” She giggled,” Uhm… sure sure, thanks alot! Good luck mister Rick with the deliveries!” And she dashed off.

The man shook his head and resumed his path mumbling under his breath,” Kookoo bananas…”



A few minutes later Kitty found herself standing before a building in a clean alley that formed a connection between the docks and one of the main roads leading deeper into the city. The facade featuring a bronze apple above the entrance seemed old yet behind it was the bustle of a well-kept, authentic sailor tavern offering a wide range of to Kitty unidentifiable drinks. Inside, the brick bar on the side and its towering shelves with hundreds of bottles was really an eye catcher. The furniture used was rather crude. The tables seemed to be a more permanent part of the structure, probably because they had been knocked over in the past one too many times. Much light came from the fire in the hearth located at the centre of the inn, but there were also some tallow candles and grease lamps all around the place and bright enough to relieve the darkness of the room.


Kitty looked around and could see this was a place where stories were told as well as teeth were lost. The front part of the inn appeared to be the place for drinking, chatting and perhaps an occasional brawling, while in the back food seemed to be served. The place happened to be fairly empty however except for a small group of sailors dicing over some coin in the left corner of the taproom.


When one of them caught sight of Kitty, he poked one of his fellow players and stroked over his greasy hair in order get it lie flat. He stomped on the wooden floor in order to get her attention and waved at her.

“Ey, pretty missy! Like ta join us t’day? Ye get ‘em free drink from Ol’ Dirk!”

Kitty looked over at the group and saw the man who had called for her. The man had a tanned, leathery skin that went for the years on deck of a ship. He wore a white, loose cotton shirt, barely hiding a strong and muscular torso. His hair was blond, his eyes were as blue as the ocean she had seen before, and in his left ear he had a set of golden earrings. When he widened his grin, she could see he was missing at least one tooth at the corner of his mouth. On his side was a fine long blade which Kitty identified as a rapier, and with its hilt gleaming in the low light of the candles on the ceiling, there was evidence enough that it was being used extensively. Around his neck he wore golden adornments and to Kitty he certainly looked successful and… kinda attractive. She estimated him to be early thirties.

Curiously she walked over and approached the table with men looking up at her. Dirk, or whatever his name was grinned widely and stretched his arm to her.

“That be right, lil lass, ye c’ming ta see Ol’ Dirk now then ey?” He scratched his three-day beard,” What Dirk be ta wondering is how much ye ask fer... a nice screw!”


Suddenly everything happened really fast. The man moved quickly and grabbed Kitty by the wrist in order to pull her close against him. But at the same time a rotating blinking blade splitting air passed her ear and thunked in the wooden beam next to the sailor’s left arm.

A female voice from behind her sounded,“ Ya cin choose, Dirk. Or ye cin leave th' lass alone, or ye cin start trainin’ yer other hand fer yer personal needs.”

That provoked loud guffaws from the other men at the table, their feet stomping on the floor and their fists banging on the table. It seemed as if they were hoping for a nice confrontation.

Dirk let go off Kitty’s wrist and turned his eyes to the bar where an exotic looking woman blindly juggled a second razor sharp knife.
“Ye should learn t’ mind yer own bloody bus’ness,... Diga…” he said with a low voice.

The man’s eyes widened in terror and threw his head to the left as the other blade was hurled in his direction, hitting the wood just above his right shoulder.

“'n ye should learn ta sit still before me make ye bleed. And fer ye information..., 'tis be mine feckin' business… at least tha last hour me checked!” the woman said in a reprimanding tone.

The men’s guffawing erupted into an ear-piercing laughing fit that they could not stop.

Never before Kitty had met such a fierce lady. The woman’s skin was kissed by the sun, she had long black curly hair and her eyes were dark as rum.

Dirk grumbled and took a seat again,” One day ye’ll be sailin’ t’ yer doom, Diga.”

“Yea sure, 'n ye gunna be th' one on th' rowin' benches wit' me whip on yer back.”

The men chuckled loudly, but Kitty overheard one saying,” Careful now Dirk, ye be knowin’ who she belongs to.”

Dirk shrugged and glanced a moment at the white haired girl who was called over to the bar.


“Lassie, ye really learn to be knowin' th’ four seas 'til ye draw ye dyin' breath. Ye were lookin’ for settin’ sails, no?”

“Uhm what? Yes, no? I’m… not going anywhere,... I just arriv…”

The woman shook her head and interrupted her,” Diga be knowin’ lass, cin gift ye somethin’ to do aroun’ here. Keeps ye out 'o trouble fer th' the hour bein'. I be needin' someone to make th' beds . What ye shout?”

“Shout? Uhmm... “

[Admin]

16. A first job, a first acquaintance

The very next morning Kitty found herself in one of the guest rooms, taking the dirty sheets and blankets off the bed and dropping them in a braided basket while the sound of a song she was humming gently bounced off of the walls and tiled ceiling. She made sure the clean blanket covered the entire mattress which was filled with straw, feathers and horsehair, and tucked it under tightly so it couldn’t come out when someone got into the bed. The setup wasn’t that different from beds in her own ‘world’, but Diga had insisted on an extensive instruction right before each went to work. Next came the top sheet on which she put the duvet cover, and made sure the covers were hanging over equally. She peeked at the instructions laying on the pedestal next to the bed. Now came the coverlet, and after that, she needed to place the three pillows shams and three normal pillows -she fluffled previously- on top of the bed. Kitty arched a brow and looked between the bed and the instructions. Why three pillows? The bed was rather large but…

Then, it dawned on her. She blushed heavily and quickly made sure the bed was okay before dashing out the room, the basket filled with laundry under her arm. She hurried down the stairs and moved to the back of the building where she delivered the goods to a rather bulky woman who gave Kitty a sour look. She had an unpleasant odor about her and for a moment Kitty wondered if she was really a woman.

“The previous maid was much faster,” she grumbled, lifting the heavy basket from Kitty’s hands without effort,” Ya better be learning quick or we soon won need ya anymore.”

“Uhm… hi. Oh, I’m sorry, I had to make sure I followed all the instructions,” Kitty replied softly,” I’m… I’m Kitty.”

“Yeye, I know yer name, lil kitten. Name’s Martha, and I expect ya to finish yer round half an hour earlier than t’day.”

Kitty blinked, her lips parting to say something in her own defense, but when she saw Martha arched a brow at her, she changed her mind about that. Instead she nodded,” Very well, I’ll bring all the laundry down first before I go back making the beds.”

“That’s a good kitten, and really I don give a feck how ye do yer job. Just make sure I can do mine. Now out!”

“Yes ma’am!” Kitty suppressed a salute and was just glad to get out of that place to inhale normally again. Phewww, what was that smell? It was a miracle clean laundry came back so fresh!


Kitty crossed the taproom while removing the white lacy apron and which she hung on the wall. She looked around. It wasn’t bad at all. Each forenoon she would take care off the beds. In return she received food, a roof over her head and a few coins. This meant during the afternoons and evenings she was free to explore the city and perhaps find a lead to her family. That last thing wasn’t really obvious as all she had was the memory of a few dreams. A… small street, with a certain building. Well there were plenty of those around here and it was far from certain the dream had anything to do with her past or even with the city of Neverwinter. But… for now she would stay for a while, and this was really good enough. All she had to do was making sure she didn’t defy Martha and she simply would have to endure their short moments of contact.

The white haired girl stepped out of the inn and downed the alley leading towards a main street. She began slowly ambling through the southern part of the city. Inside this walled city, any space seemed used to best advantage, resulting in often rather narrow alleys and streets where only little light and air reached the cobblestones. Though some were really charming and could even please this forest girl. Kitty passed a leather worker’s shop where a few men were producing girdles and belts, and setting standards of workmanship and quality. The bakery right next to it was obviously a family business. She saw the man behind the counter kissing the woman on the cheek before rubbing a young boy’s hair who was fetching more bread.

Kitty strolled along narrow and winding streets, and only had to move a few times to the side for horse drawn carts piled high with goods to trade or deliver. Along each street -narrow or not- were a few little shops. A nicely smelling candle and flower shop, a merchant selling trinkets and fake yet beautifully handmade jewelry, and there was even a place to get your hair cut. At the corner of a small square she found a blacksmith and clothing shop which both got subject of her comprehensive attention.


Two hours later and fiddling with her new scarf, Kitty was standing not far from a large, unusual building on top of a cliff that overlooked the Sea of Swords and the Neverwinter River. The building -with walls constructed from stone and wood- had a giant dome as main roof made of an material which reminded her of metal. Two round windows in it ensured there would be a lot of light inside. After ascending a broad slighty bended stairs, an avenue bordered with columns, pillars and a few statues led towards the entrance. A structure that looked like some sort of pavilion and which was attached to the main building, clearly served as some sort of reception.


One of the two city guards standing guard and who were almost dying of boredom noticed the white haired girl sauntering along the avenue. He poked his comrade and motioned with his chin to take a look at the young woman.

“That… girl...” he rumbled.

The other man turned his gaze to the girl and furrowed a brow,” Mmhh” And with that he started to make his way towards Kitty.

“Ho, miss!”

Kitty looked over and saw the guard approaching. He was rather short and despite the shiny armour, she could see he was rather muscular with square shoulders. He had black, close cropped hair and his face would have looked handsome if it weren’t for his nose which looked as if it had been broken several times in the past.

“Hello... “

“State your name, occupation and business in this city, miss.” he inquired with a stern voice.

“Huh?? Ummh, oh. Hi. I’m Kitty and uhm… oh occupation? I only arrived here yesterday and work at the Golden Apple. Right now I’m just exploring the city a bit.”

The man furrowed another brow and sideglanced at his companion who had also approached them. Then he looked back at Kitty, his eyes intense and examining the girl’s face thoroughly.
“The Golden Apple heh? So, your boss is...” his voice faded, his head tilting.

To Kitty it felt as if she was being interrogated, yet she filled him in politely,” That would be miss Diga, sir.”

The guard scratched his beard and glanced at his companion again,” Hmff. Very well, I will verify this later.”

Kitty frowned and wondered if all new faces in the city were treated like this. As if every newcomer could be some sort of potential troublemaker or criminal. But instead she nodded and asked while pointing at the building behind him,” May I ask what this place is?”

The man glanced over his shoulder. ”That is the Hall of Justice, miss. Hmmff, a temple dedicated to Lord Tyr,” he said, frowning at her.

“Oh, I see. Can I enter it?”

“Hmm, today it’s exceptionally off limits. Lord N…”

But before he could continue he was poked by the other guard who slightly shook his head at him.

The one who was speaking to Kitty, cleared his throat,” Hmmff, very well, carry on miss and come back another day.” He saluted and turned his back on her only to walk back to the entrance.

Kitty blinked…

[Admin]

17. Diga

Three weeks later Kitty was able to find her way in and around the Apple rather well. Each morning she made up the beds as close to perfection as possible, and she endured the intense body odor near Martha. The kitchen on the other hand was a place where it was nice to linger for a while. Jeff, a bearded, middle-aged, good-humored man and the cook of the House, spent a great deal of his time in the large kitchen. On their mornings he was responsible for the warm breakfast. And thus scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh cake were the recurring smells in his workplace.
Already in her first week around he taught Kitty how to use sandstone grain mill, and how to mix it with various ingredients to make all sorts of pastries. Kitty couldn’t resist licking her fingers and thumbs as it turned out her own little experiments resulted in pies and cakes that were a delight. The other day Jeff had been teasing her and said he might have a word with Diga to hire her on a more permanent basis. She wasn’t really deterred by such thought. In fact, she liked being around here.
After work and sometimes a few kitchen experiments, Kitty explored the city further and further, searching for a match with that one image in her mind. Until one day, when she was untying her apron and getting ready to head out... she was approached by Diga.


“Ye be wantin’ some company lass?” her employer asked.

Kitty turned over and smiled,” Uhm, sure? Why not?”

Her boss nodded and motioned her out.

The sun was bright and early, filling the sky with its brilliance and a warm pleasant glow which emphasized the bright and fresh colors at this place on this very day. The sparkling sea overhead showed no signs of rain. Just a few wispy clouds forming neat lines above the rippling jewel-blue carpet were slowly dragged by a wind she barely could feel.

“Ye look as if ye never saw th’ sea,” Diga said, frowning a bit.

“Hmm? Oh… uhm! Nope, never saw it before I came to this city Ma’am.”

“No ma’aming lass, I be no Cap’n or married yet,” Diga reacted with a slight grumble.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Kitty said, clearly being under the assumption her boss’s humor got triggered by the ma’am thing.

Diga offered the white haired girl an odd look and raised a brow,” Ye be a strange lass. Mind ye, innocence be thought charmin' cause ‘t offers delightful possibilities fer exploitation. Whar be ye from an’ways?”

“Humm, wh… oh! I grew up in the forest.”

Diga walking next to her stopped and stretched her arm sideways in front of Kitty, making her stop as well. “Shout again…?” she asked, blinking a few times.

Kitty started to blush a bit and repeated more soft now,” I… grew up in a forest…”

Diga blinked once and slow, then slapped Kitty’s belly with the back of her hand right before laughter exploded out of her like a sneeze,” 'o course ye be! Why didn’ I reckon that!”

“Uhmm… “ Kitty wasn’t getting at all why that was so funny, but offered her boss a silly smile.

“Ye be a good lass, don’ worry.”



The two strolled down the street until they crossed the bridge which offered them a clear view on Castle Never.

Diga stopped in the middle of the bridge. It was rather quiet around, a single passerby walking on the other side of the structure.
“So what be happenin’ lass?” she asked softly, her smokey eyes locking on the girl’s face.

“Hm, what?” Kitty looked up from her thoughts.

“What be ye searchin’ fer? What be a jolly lass raised in a forest doin' in a city like 'tis?”

“Me? Ohh….” Kitty fell silent a moment, shuffled with her feet and then started to tell Diga about her upbringing and her probable origin. However, she kept Fauna and a few other details out of her story.

During the tale, Diga several times widened her eyes a bit and clearly was surprised by the way how Kitty was raised and how little she only had seen.

When Kitty concluded her tale with her search for family and the slight ‘disagreement’ with her foster parents, Diga shook her head disapprovingly.

“Jumped up grass combin' chunk o' bat spits. Thinkin' themselves god-bein’, a damn ta hell race that thinks seen ‘n done it all… craft, artistry, sex, intellec’tal pursuits…” Diga shrugged,” Livin' in seclusion, bein' distant makes ‘em think it cin raise their wisdom t’ new heights. And their longevity makes ‘em confounded ‘n aloof. Them could at least have shown ye a piece 'o th' Four Seas.” Diga slapped Kitty on the shoulder,” Don ’tcha worry puppy, ye be among ye own crew now. Jist show ‘em how tall ye are stretched out on th’ deck, ya?”

Kitty didn’t know how to react on that. It’s not that she hated the people who raised her or anything. Instead she turned curiously on Diga. “What about you? And, you said you aren’t married yet, but… uhm…”

Diga, wrapping a dark curl around her finger, smirked as she pulled her finger down and out of her hair,” But what? What be bein' whispered on th’ below decks?”

Kitty blushed yet she noticed she considered Diga being a most sympathetic lady. ” They say you are waiting for his return...?” It didn’t sound like a real question, but Kitty was rather careful and a bit uncertain, unknowing if the topic were sensitive.

Diga gazed at Kitty with a sharp, penetrating look that made the forest girl wonder if the exotic woman tried to read her mind for real. After all, she once heard some could…

Instead Diga shook her head a bit and turned away from Kitty. She leaned her elbows on the bridge railing and watched how a lean, oared ship left the harbor until it reached a zone where the wind rose and the vessel’s billowing sails were unfurled.

“Him’s name be Maurice.” Diga said after a while, her eyes moving slowly up a little as if she saw him, hovering right there in front of her. “He had a slight misunderstandin’ wit’ th’ authorities, and he nay wanna volunteer fer shark food.”

Diga turned to Kitty who had joined her leaning on the railing, her eyes glinting with mischief,” He gunna be back one day 'n claimin' me as his captin. Fer now I’ll be jist runnin' th' show here fer him.”

Kitty frowned a bit, showing some compassion and asked,” How long is he…”

“Fer two bloody years, 'n if 'tis gunna take him a wee bit longer… Diga gunna find him ‘n slice som’ skin ‘o his front sayin -Happy now!? Ye have me FULL attention! Ye spud faced pants soilin' spider-kissin ' washoon!!-”

Kitty made a startled movement.

Diga, who noticed, exploded with laughter and pulled Kitty by her arm,” Come lass, lets find us some shots. We cin search fer ye place later.”

“Uhm… okay. Shots?”

Diga chuckled momentarily and then she began to laugh out loud uncontrollably… which however didn’t seem really encouragingly to the somewhat uncertain looking forest girl...

[Admin]

18. Dreamer

Months passed and in that time Kitty had grown rather used to the idea of living in a city, as well as to the nice dinners and the evenings with the rest of the staff of the place where she worked. The people in the metropolis were mostly friendly, aside from a few drunken sailors, and there were always new unique and interesting aspects to discover in the City of Skilled Hands. People also seemed to socialize a bit more than back at her elven village where -granted- it wasn’t very evident with their homes built up in the trees. There, most of the time, elves got together during activities that were planned while here it didn’t seem to matter what your interests were, there would always be something you could do.

At the Apple things were going rather well. She got promoted from making up the beds and was moved to the kitchen where she helped the cook with making desserts. During the afternoon she was free and in the evenings she assisted Diga in the taproom serving drinks. Most of the time the inn was buzzing with energy and there weren’t many problems. Well, not really. One day Diga had taken her aside after a nudge and from behind the bar her boss had motioned her to look in the direction of a certain table.

When Kitty perceived Rick among the guys around that table she had looked back at Diga with a ‘so what’ look. It was just a familiar sight as the man who once had directed her to this establishment stopped by about every other day. Kitty just saw him as someone who was being a regular customer but Diga had grinned at that and shaken her head. According to Diga she was so innocent that she didn’t saw it. When Diga explained her Rick hadn’t been -this- regular before, it slowly had started to dawn on her.

Rick was all gentleman however and if someone bothered Kitty or any other of the staff, just the sight of his muscular features was enough to maintain order. It was almost amazing to see how a man with an appearance like Rick’s could be this polite and so amazingly sophisticated. Back in the kitchen Diga had explained he was usually playing carrier and though he always had been a good lad, she rarely had seen him -this- mindful of his manners. Every time when Kitty had stopped by at his table he didn’t speak with food still in his mouth, and he always said thank you. He never strived to be in the center of her attention either. But if those blue eyes looked up at her, they always felt warm. Yep, it made Rick all the more mysterious to her and gradually a mutual interest grew.

Diga saw it happen of course and she didn’t turn her hand for it to have a little bit fun over the topic. Always out of Rick’s earshot of course, except for right... now.


“So? What will you do if he asks you?” Diga teased.

“Hm, what? Wh… oh! Him.” The white haired girl tapped her chin. “I dunno, I guess I would come along? Well... maybe...”

The topic of their conversation was the art festival in the next tenday that usually culminated in a dance party. Kitty was a little reserved about the entire thing as she didn’t knew how to dance. At least not in the way how it was done here. Neither did she had a dress for it (or the coin!!) and if she would be asked… she wasn’t panicking yet but the possibility had her extremely nervous.

Diga however saw it, and recalling Kitty’s earlier ‘buts’ wondered out loud. “I think I could help you with an evening wear and show you a few moves. Unless there are other reasons on your mind for not going If he asks that is...”

“Well… no… not really…”


And that is when Rick popped his head in the kitchen...

Even before he spoke, Kitty could read on his face he had overheard the conversation, or some of it, and she felt ready to sink through the kitchen floor with embarrassment.

And as he insisted upon buying a dress for her… even -before- he officially asked her out… Kitty fiddled with the strings of her apron and didn’t know where to look, or what to say. Well, expect for a ‘yes’ that is... later on followed by a lot of daydreaming…

[Admin]

19. Blessed

The evening gown would give her evening style a classy and regal flair in a color that was known for its elegance. It also kinda showed off her neckline and a part of her back. With blue being the color of spring and with her long white hair tied up in a pony tail she kinda felt like a flower in full bloom. It was perhaps indeed also the time of new beginnings. Diga showing up behind her smiled and looked at Kitty’s radiant icy blue eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

“He be waiting for ya downstairs.”

Kitty’s eyes dilated and her lips parted. “Rick…?” She seemed to roll that word in her mouth as if trying to sense its shape with her tongue.

Diga chuckled. “No, silly lass. Som’ drunken sailor!”

The white haired girl blushed and nodded, following Diga out of her room and started descending the stairs after taking in a long breath.


It took a moment for Rick’s eyes to adjust to the dimmer light up at the staircase but not nearly that long for him to see the woman coming down the steps with an almost bridal elegance.
Kitty...
She looked so completely different now, her appearance dazzling him with the rich glowing tones and few but detailed crystal adornments for a touch of sparkle. Her silhouette was floor-sweeping, her appearance almost sacred.

Diga leaned over the railing and looked down at the meeting with soft eyes. Then she grinned and couldn’t resist but to shout. “She be an eye-catcher, Rick! Ya better guard her well! And don’ bring her home late or I will come and find ya!”

Kitty blushed heavily and Rick’s next line didn’t help her shyness either. He reached for her hand. “Are you being beautiful on purpose? Not even a graceful swan could now be the center of attention.”

She be shy, Rick. Shy! And you are not being helpful if you keep that up. At least that is what Diga wanted to shout... but instead she turned away from the scene and went to prepare for the evening herself.


Hours later Kitty found herself on a dance floor, a crimson flush was glowing on her cheek. He had just told her she was very beautiful and that she was without that air of otherwordly perfection and confidence several other ladies displayed. She could tell he was not faking, his smile wasn’t controlled and there was nothing fake in his expressions or words. At least as far she could see as her lashes fluttered down to hide her eyes.
She didn’t understand it though. Earlier he had called her charming, her company pleasant. But she barely had said anything and when she kinda tried to wave the compliment away he had reassured her it was all true. That he liked a woman who was not too neat and too polished. And then he took a step closer to her…

Kitty was looking a moment at her feet, but marvelled at the feeling of meeting his gaze so close to her own. The warmth within her became a heat -almost like a fever- when her body melded with his after his arm had slid around her waist and pulled her in. He captured her face in the palm of his hand, his rough thumb smoothing over her cheekbone before she finally looked up, slowly.
Her eyes widened slightly when his head dropped lower to explore her lips…

She thought she would be ready for this but every square inch of skin his thumb and his lips touched, brought a warm tingle of anticipation to her body. Did it mean she was in love? She had no idea but it sure as hell was not feeling unpleasant. Kitty closed her eyes, eyes that had been marvelling earlier at those strong muscular arms that were now holding her, and at the strong column of his throat each time when he had leaned his head slightly back and laughed.

She was feeling blessed… especially since she was unable to comprehend why he found her so attractive...

[Admin]

20. Big heart, bigger shadows

“Kitty!... Kit-ty!!!”

“Huh, what?” Kitty snapped out of a(nother) daydream that was somewhere to be found on the ceiling and grinned at the smirking Diga.

“If ye be off in la-la-la-land, ye have to be thinkin’ of one thing and one thing only, lass,” Diga said with a toothily smile.

Kitty giggled and blushed as she rose from her bed.

“And ‘t was a nice nite I suppose?” Diga asked, resting against the doorpost at shouder level.

“Oohhh, Diga… it was woon-der-fuulll…” the white haired girl giggled, suppressing the urge to twirl around.

The owner of the establishment grinned,” Yeye, and so be his looks.”

“His arms to be more specific,” Kitty said, returning the grin.

Diga sighed in the doorway,” Som’times wish me man was back too, seeing ya like this almost makes me long.”

She gazed at Kitty and then, after a moment her face hardened again. Kitty knew it was with Diga’s heart all the same, the years of waiting for his return seeing to that. Kitty assumed Diga was protecting herself, perhaps preparing herself for one day to receive bad news on her fiancee.

“Diga…” Kitty started as she got up.

“No Kitty, ‘t be alrite. Oh, and what I came to tell ya…”

The white haired girl stretched her arms as she yawned, her fine hand ruffling through her slightly messed up hair.

“Ric be here for ya. Downstairs.”

Kitty blinked,” What?? And you are only telling me now! Oh gods… my hair, my clothes…”

Diga grinned,” Could always send ‘im up…”

“What?? Noo!! No no no no… he can’t see me like this. I’m a…” She winced as she cast a glance on herself in the mirror and then sighed. “Tell him I’ll be down in five minutes. No wait,... make that ten. Gods, I look…”

“...Ye look amazing, Kitty. If there be one girl around here who always be looking good, it be ya.”


Kitty blushed and quickly got to work as Diga left the room, closing the door behind her. She could feel her heart pounding vigorously in her own rib cage. After a few minutes of combing her hair she overheard angry raising voices and the sounds of tables being overturned from downstairs. Then, someone shouted for silence and it was a sharp, commanding tone right after that stirred Kitty to rush out her room and move downstairs.

Halfway the stairs she froze in her tracks however. Chairs and tables were splintered and laying on their sides at odd angles, shards of glass were strewn all over the floor. The large mirror behind Diga’s bar threw back her disjointed reflection, huge cracks running in all directions from the center towards its frame. The large painting of a ship at sea on the adjacent wall had been gashed so that the canvas hung in pathetic strips down the surface. She took in the wreckage across the place and by the door saw Ric along with a two others cuffed at hands and legs, their limbs connected with chains and rope, a ring of soldiers surrounding the group.

A fully armored man wearing a sable cloak stood with his back to her, his hands in his sides. When he overheard the stairs squeaking, he turned around and his chin tipped upwards as his cold, calculating eyes found Kitty’s. Within a heartbeat she saw masculine satisfaction beginning to etch his face.

“And... what do we have here?” his voice carried a steely threat.

Kitty’s lips parted but closed again when she overheard a muffled curse from behind the man. She perceived Diga who was being held by no less than three soldiers Kitty now recognised as city guard, a rag over her mouth and nose. A few of the guards were bleeding from several cuts, Diga’s blood stained blades at their feet.

The quiet moment that followed was intense and as if her silence and hesitation was more than proof enough for the officer to connect her with whatever was going on here, his large hand rose up and he pointed at Kitty. “I see. Guards, take her as well.”

“Huh... ? What… no… I’m…” Kitty’s voice faltered and she took a step back up the stairs.

“Cease her! She’s getting away!”

His voice, sounding like a witch hunter who had just discovered another prey, was more than enough to cause anyone to make run for it, innocent or not. Kitty, suddenly longing for the heaviness of the dark shadows in the forest, turned around and rushed up the stairs, a pair of guards on her heels. Arriving at the top hands shot forward to catch her by her ankles, but the white haired girl grabbed the railing to help her spin. The guard’s grip failed and he lost his balance. The sickening, violent sounds as the man tumbled down the stairs made her flinch. That was not what she had intended! The other guard recovered quickly and sneered,“ Come back you! You are under bloody arrest!”

She managed to get in her room and found herself able locking the door. Seconds later the man was bashing his boot on the wood. She looked over her shoulder at the window but it was too late. Before she managed to unlock the shutters, adrenaline surging through her body, the door was kicked down, hinges and all and she screamed when the guard grabbed her by her waist and slung her over his shoulder. Her screams and kicks were to no avail, but when she managed to grab the doorpost, preventing them from dragging her out of her room… well, that is when they really got rough on her.

“Another smartass heh,” another guard scowled. A fist connected with her cheek and the world around her went black...

…

“Pssstt.. Kitsies… pssstt…”

The white haired girl stirred and when her eyes cracked open she winced. It was like she was unable to open her jaw without it clicking. She brought her hand to her cheek, sensing it was warm and swollen.

“Good, good… you’re awake. We don’t have much time…” the familiar female voice said.

Kitty rubbed her eyes, carefully and looked in the direction of the voice. Why the hell was it so dark. “F… Fauna…?”

The little fairy sat in front of her face, her little head nodding. “Welcome back, Kitsies.”

She got up, real slowly, rubbing her cheek as she focused a moment on her surroundings. “Where am….”

They were alone in the cold darkness of what appeared a damp dungeon cell. The walls surrounding them were made of stones they used in streets. Steel chains hung down from them, with cuffs which were rusty and covered in dried blood on their ends. A dank, unpleasant smell filled her nosetrils and the eerie light of a single torch flickered in the distance behind black solid bars. A high pitched cry drained the blood out of her cheeks, her face paling as she paused abruptly, the vivid picture of one of her friends being tortured invading her mind.

“Calm down… Kitsies, focus on me, you have to listen to me, please…”

“Al… alright…”

Fauna sighed,” I can help you escape this prison, but... “ she shook her little head. “For your friends it’s too late.”

“What… what do you mean too late…?”

Fauna averted her eyes.

“Tell me Fauna! What do you know about them?!”

“Shhh shhh… Kitsies has to be silent or they come for her too…” Fauna said in a hushed voice. She paused briefly. “They… they is sentenced to death, today…”

“Wh…!” she reminded herself of Fauna’s warning and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper. “What??? But why..? What have they done??”

“I overheard they were smuggling stuffsies, for quite a while now. But somehow a guards was killed during their last run. What they didn’t knew was that they was being watched.”

Kitty stared at Fauna in shocked silence.

“I’m sorry… sweet Kitsies… can’t helps them but I can helps you.”

The white haired girl was shaking her head in disbelief. “They are no murderers… maybe smuggling yes, but killing someone… no.. nooo…”

“Kitsies need listens to me now… please…. please…”

Kitty turned her head to the fairy. “Help me out, and then I will go find them…”

Now it was the fairy who looked shocked. “Gonna lose Kitsies, Kitsies gonna be executed as well.”

Regaining her confidence Kitty rose up. “I promise I will be careful, tell me what I have to do.”

The fairy spread her wings and buzzed excitedly as she flew up. “Kitsies needs repeat a few words.”

“Al… alright? Just a few words… I can do that.”

...

An hour later the jailer making his round passed the row of cells across Kitty’s. He spun a stick in one hand as he hummed a rhytmic sailor’s hauling chant, a ring with keys rattling from one side of his hip. He stopped in front of one of the cells and stared a moment pensively in the darkness, pausing his humming for a moment. Then he ran his stick across the vertical iron bars, a nasty metallic and earsplitting sound echoing wildly across the corridor. Some pale face peeked up from under a pile of rags and satisfied the jailer moved on, making brief stops at every cell.

When he came back and stopped at Kitty’s, he raised his torch and peered from behind the bars at the heap of rags in the corner. He looked to his left and right, shrugged and inserted a thick key from his ring into the lock. After another furtive glance down the corridor the jailer opened the cell door and entered quietly.

He stepped towards the heap of rags and with a hushed voice said,“ Rise and shine, white beauty… time for a little walk in the darkness with ol’ Bert. And don’t worry… Bert knows the way, he’ll keep you warm and safe.” An ear-to-ear grin spread across his face, but he narrowed his gaze when the girl didn’t immediately react. “Oh c’mon, don be so shy… I’ll even give you a mattress if you be good.”
There was no sound but the gently snapping flames of his torch and some water dripping down the walls. “You sure you wanna play it like this?”

He kneeled in front of the heap and jerked away the top layer of fabric.

NOTHING!

Startled the jailer looked about the empty cell but found no woman. He checked the pile of rags again, frantically tossing the dirty worn fabric in all directions before jumping to his feet and running out of the colorless cell.

“A prisoner has escaped!! Sound the alarm!!”

[Admin]

21. Cursed...

“Kitsies, is okay now, coast is clear,” the little fairy said with a hushed tone, moving Kitty to action.

Kitty, standing in the corner of her own cell, still couldn’t believe her eyes.

After she had spoken the words Fauna told her, it was as if silky water got woven around her arms and clothes, and for a moment she was glowing like a silvery moon. When she had raised her like water rippling hand she didn’t feel a thing. Within seconds she became like a spirit and the next thing she knew... her arms had vanished from sight. But she was still there, she could still feel her limbs, she could still brush the cold stone surrounding her even while her hand was like air.

“Kitsies, we have to leave now…” Fauna urged.

Kitty looked over at the metal bars, and masked in the complete concealment of what appeared to be her own magic, she slipped through the half open cell door.

“Keep as quiet as possible… though they cannot see us, they could still hear us.”

Kitty nodded, but then realising Fauna might not see that she said,” Yes… ok, where are the others?”

Fauna sighed,” Kitsies not going to make it, Kitsies going to get caught again…”

“Fauna, please, I have to help them,” Kitty nearly begged.

“Not coming with Kitsies, I’ll wait outside. Is first stairs up, to the right and then last two cells.”

“Okay, I’ll see you there…. oh. Fauna?”

“Yes?”

“How long does… well, -this- last?”

“Kitsies maybe has less than an hour, and she may have to steal keyring to open doors.”

“Alright then…”


Kitty made her way down the long corridor that connected the cells where she had been put. A set of keys hadn’t be too hard too find as on the upper floor there was a small guard’s office and no guard was around. They were probably all looking for her. She would have to be cautious, invisible or not. And with that another concern arose. For her it would be easy to get past any guard, but what about the others?

She found the cells easily but when she unlocked the first door, giving it a small push, an awful sweet, sickly smell erupted from the room beyond, and when it reached her nosetrils she nearly gagged. Kitty could make out no details of the space that was masked in full darkness and she hesitated in the doorway. Seconds passed as her eyes adapted, and for a moment she thought she saw the hint of something on the floor at the far wall.

Adrenaline coursed through her system, the ever present sound of her drumming heart seemingly the only noise in here. Her senses were on high alert as the guards could return any moment. As she approached the shape on the floor, her eyes widened when she saw it was a body. The smell was so intense now that she had to vomit, and lost even more precious time in order to recover. When she finally managed to reach out and turn the body over, she stood in a state of mortified terror. The girl’s icy blue eyes filled with tears when she examined it closer only to recognise that familiar jaw and nose.

Ric!!! Her lips moved, forming his name but there was no sound. Black, empty eyes stared up at the ceiling and Kitty buried herself onto his ravaged bare chest. She tugged gently at this shoulders as if trying to wake him up, but her face and lips only met cold flesh. Ric was dead and there was no way she could drag him out to have his life restored. She wept in silence, bitter tears running down her cheeks, her body shaking, wracked with pain for her loss.

She lifted her head up from his dead body and remembered the last time she had seen him this close, when she was in his arms during the last dance… right before he… he…

Kitty suddenly jumped up and rushed out of the cell. Trapped in her emotions and the pain she was feeling, she ran randomly through the corridors. What she now was sensing was a hell for her soul, like someone had stabbed her right in the heart, and suddenly a rage pushed itself forwards into her mind, demanding her attention. Anger welled up in her, pretty much like lava in a crater of a boiling volcano. Never ever before in her life had she felt like this, but her anger was incited by an unseen injustice as well.

Ric had been a good man and he didn’t deserve to end like this. How dared they to cut in her heart like that! They couldn’t have possibly hurt her more if they had tormented her with a branding iron. Her searing emotions increased in waves as she ran through the corridors.

“Halt!! Who goes there!!” a male voice sounded from around the corner.

They had heard her footfall but Kitty didn’t stop. She rounded the corner and found herself eye in eye with a guard… who obviously didn’t see her. Kitty didn’t stop and using the built up momentum she jumped onto the guard, running him down. His blade flung from his hand and landed with a resonating clang a few feet behind him. With the man being knocked down and looking defenseless and confused at what could possibly have struck him… Kitty materialized right in front of him.

His eyes widened, his lips forming the word ‘witch’ but he didn’t get much further than that.

Magic burst up around her form, magic that was infused by her own power, by her own rage... and she welcomed it with open arms. The guard was swallowed up in a rush of purple energy that shot from Kitty’s fingers. Caught in the grip of a rising tide of intense feelings, the energy shooting from her hands dragged him violently over the floor. And she didn’t stop. Not even after his screams had died on his melting lips. There was a final flash of purple light, pretty much like a lightning bolt from the heavens that forked silently to the unfortunate guard. And then everything fell dark and silent again...


Kitty watched for a moment at the corpse mutilated beyond recognition before she snapped out of it.

… What have I done … ?

She sniffed the air and didn’t only smell the burned flesh of the man, but also the vile magic on herself. She stared at her own hands in disbelief.

… What … am I …?

Not that she had a lot of time to think as she overheard footsteps down the corridor. They were coming for her. And what would they do with her if they…

… Cursed! … I am cursed!!

But instead she mumbled the words Fauna had taught her and the white haired girl vanished from sight once again...

[Admin]

22. Dark inside, where demons hide

...A few hours later in a nearby forest...

To her, today her entire world had collapsed around her. She had other things to worry about right now though. Distance was all that mattered, but with each step she grew more and more tired. The more she pushed herself to move on, the heavier became her feet, like she was wearing leaden boots. It was as if she had spent all her physical energy during her earlier outburst in which she killed that prison guard. Only the silence behind her now reassured her to stop and catch her breath. She grasped a tree for support, her cheek pressing against its rough bark, fruitlessly seeking for warmth and comfort like as if it were someone’s strong shoulder…

Overcome by waves of her emotions Kitty broke down entirely and sank to her knees, crying. A few times she smashed her hand against the tree trunk, her ferocious screams cutting through the stoic forest. Crystal-like beads trailed down her cheeks to her neck unstoppably as the girl with the icy blue eyes had never ever felt so horrible in her life before.

She cried because she didn’t understand herself. She cried cause couldn’t find her way out of the depths she was experiencing. But most of all, she cried at the brutal world that was out there, a world which had decided that he had to die. And when finally -after a few more hours filled with noisy sobs echoing throughout the glade and slow desolate tears running from eyes that stared into nothingness- Fauna showed up... the situation looked bleak.


“Ohhh… Kitsies… so sorries…” The little fairy flew immediately towards the white haired girl in an attempt to hug her face.

But Kitty slapped her away, pretty much like how one would slap at a fat, ravenous mosquito. “Go away! Leave me alone!”

Fauna stayed nearby but was visibly hurt at that and seemed on the verge of tears as well. “Kitsies… please…”

“No! You knew, Fauna… you knew!! You could have told… you -should- have told me instead of letting me discover myself!!” Kitty shouted, clearly nearly losing her mind.

“Shhh… Kitsies, they be looking soon…”

Kitty’s beauty and her now raw voice scratching against her throat, was as contrasting as day and night.Her voice changed to a pleading whine. “Please… you have to help him…” Involuntarily tears start to pour from her eyes again.

“I can’t, Kitsies… he’s gone…”

“You knew… you knew… you…” Kitty’s voice sounded weaker, if only for a moment.

“Fauny only suspected it, Kitsies…”

“Then, you should have gotten to him first, made him disappear and helped him out, like you did with me!” There was a raging fury in her voice as she lashed out again. Her legs trembled, both from fatique as well as her emotions and she surely would have collapsed if not holding on to the tree.

Fauna shook her little head,” It’s not that simple, Kitsies…”

“Why not... ?? All you needed to do was tell him those words and he would have been out by now as well.” She wiped her mouth and cheeks with the back of her hand.

The fairy sighed and flew down to sit on a rock protuding from the moss forest floor. “It was Kitsies own… ma-gick…”

Kitty blinked and then her face contorted with pain and horror, like she had gotten sick of herself. “My… my magic… Is that what also happened with… with the guard I killed…? Is that… what is in me…?” She felt all the blood draining from her face.

“Kitsies…”

“Tell me, Fauna! I have a right to know by now, don’t you think?!?”

“Shhh!! Shhhh!! Yes.. yes is Kitsies ma-gick… but you has to learns control.”

Kitty laughed, but it was the laugh of the hopeless. And there were simply no more tears as she was empty now. She couldn’t have cried even if she wanted to. “I’m an abomination!!”

“Kitsies… please… is not true… can help…”

The young woman looked at Fauna in disbelief. “And just exactly how do you think you can help me, Fauna? I am cursed… I killed someone, and it was horrible! And the pain… I could never have imagined anything like what I felt back there! Like my blood had turned into acid, stinging and burning without any hope for an escape from that pain! Like… like as if my soul was on fire! By the gods! I don’t want to be tormented in the Nine Hells for eternity! You have to help me, Fauna!!”

Thoughts and consequences clearly accelerated in Kitty’s mind, her breaths were coming in short fast gasps, her sentences more and more fragmented. “Help... please... don’t let me… I can’t…”

“Shhh… shhh!” The fairy flew to Kitty’s shoulder and hugged her head. “Will help… will help Kitsies… shh… listen to my voice… listen…”

Kitty placed her hands flat over her ears and shook her head. She didn’t catch what Fauna said to her, but there were also other words… words that didn’t need to strike her eardrums to be overheard… a voice that invaded her mind directly. It was another language, but she understood every word.

Wyic eyaedy va zmulqw ducy zmiz.yafr oruylv pih las ky flwyyl, flmyirv, kfz mot sudd ky idsihw lyir.syy hafr myirz iw xe pfwtdy vorv dyz uz qras wzralqyr kh ypkritulq zmy eiul haf vory ygeyruyltulq.iz sudd ky ofyd oar zmy ofzfry, ph tmudv...l

*Weak people do things like that. Your friend may now be unseen, unheard, but he will be always near. See your heart as a muscle and let it grow stronger by embracing the pain you are experiencing. It will be fuel for your future, my child*

http://lingojam.com/D&DInfernalTranslator


An enormous, engulfing terror shot through her body. Her muscles felt like they just got frozen in place and even if she had been able to run, she knew there wouldn’t be a place to hide. In a flash of shock and dread, as things started to dawn on her, she fell backwards and her lips parted in a scream.

Only, no sound came...

Somewhere in the background she did overhear Fauna’s voice now.

“No… no... mistress, please…Kitsies... going … make …..… better……...”

But Kitty started to pass out, her consciousness collapsing in depths where light faded so badly that even shadows could not exist. In the distance were voices, their words sounding strangely melodic. Some were sweet, others were sprinkled with venom. Soon they turned into a unintelligible buzzing murmur before fading to a chorus of whispers.


The ancient beings that were the trees surrounding her, watched in silence how the white haired girl sunk in a timeless state of unconsciousness. Twilight faded to blackness and when the rains came later that night, not even the cool water mingling with the tears on her face woke her up.

[Admin]

23. Cats & dogs

At the slightest noise she was immediately up on her feet again. She had the look of a skittish cat about her as she focussed her gaze in one specific direction. And when a pebble rolled down the cliff protuding below her, she made a run for it. But then her foot slipped outwards on the slippery stone and she nearly broke her ancle when her boot got locked in a narrow crevice in the rocky surface. Pain shot up from her ancle to her knee and she screamed a soundless cry. Bitterly cursing herself she got up again and tested her foot after pulling it out of her boot. She would still be able to run but the pain would limit her freedom of movements.

Great. And just when those ‘pigs in uniform’ had also sent dogs after her so that she had to come up with something else than just running around invisible. Thank the gods she knew the terrain here rather well, and she hoped to lose the canine tracking dogs in some time. Their handlers however would be more difficult as they searched for visual clues. And that’s why she picked a route that went up the southwest ridge of Mount Hotenow. She could also have gone for the river but she had learned that they would simply pick up her scent again where she would exit the water. And then it would also be easier for them as her scent would literally be dripping off her and along the ground. She would have to cover herself completely in mudd and use her clothes as decoy. That was something she still might do later on, once she had an advantage of at least half a day.

Dogs were perhaps fast sprinters, in the long run she knew she had a big chance of tiring them out. And, they were also poor rock climbers. After catching some sleep after everything that had happened, she had woken up feeling surprisingly fit again. It was also good she had a lot of experience with surviving in nature, and climbing trees or rocks never had proved a problem. In that regard she seemingly had an edge over her pursuers but they hadn’t given up on catching her yet. Still, even with her foot injured now, this wasn’t over yet.

Ever since she went up the slope and climbed the cliff, she had overheard some enthusiastic barking, in the distance rather than nearby, but still. They were out there. From up here she could see where the Gibdraw river was, the water like a blue, liquid soul swerving through the forest, blessing the vegetation with its life. When she heard a dog bark, this time much closer, she forgot about the sight seeing and ran further along the ridge she was on. Her leg and foot were hurting, but the adrenaline of fear kicked in much harder than the pain.

Good thing she was paying attention to the path up ahead as she suddenly found herself at the end of it. When the deep abyss showed up at her feet she managed to stop just in time, She watched in horror how the cliff fell away into a dizzying depth, a chill running down her spine as she backed away from the edge. Like a cat driven in the corner Kitty turned around and prepared for a fight as there didn’t seem any other way out of this now. She looked over her shoulders and her instincts kicked in again when she perceived a ledge around the cliff across the abyss. It was way lower than where she was, but still, a chance. She made the split second decision that if she could get there she would be out of their reach for a long time. And if she didn’t, that her fate couldn’t be much worse than when they caught her and let the dogs have at it. She hated dogs so much…

She went back some to have a nice run-up. Speed and pushing off moment would be important now. The accuracy of landing she would worry about if she got there. Kitty began the sprint for her dear life, made a lot of speed within swift pace and pushed off, leaping over the abyss. The scenery around her started to blurr. With her arms stretching forward she felt weightless as a bird, but only for a moment. When they energy of the jump and its effect dissipated, she sensed how gravity took her fiercely down towards the unforgiving rock, a downward acceleration setting in.

Kitty closed her eyes as she hurtled towards the invisible floor and awaited the inevitable. The moment she smacked into a hard surface she knew it was too soon and her heart made a little jump. To prevent she’d break anything significant, like other than a finger, the white haired girl instinctively rolled over as she landed hard on the ledge on the other side. It still hurt savagely when she managed to struggle to her knees. She cried out and whimpered, and became aware of a coppery taste in her mouth. Yet, she thanked the Seldarine for watching over her as she had survived.

Perhaps indeed every inch of her body felt battered and bruised when she finally got up, emotionally she was feeling strong now. She placed her hands on her hips and arched her back in pain when she turned over and squinted up at the edge from where she jumped. They would finally give up. They would have no idea that she was on this side and even if they did, no one would make an attempt to copy that jump as it was only for the insane. With a bit of luck they’d think she was lying dead on the bottom of this ravine. In spite of the pain she started to walk though, before her left leg would become too swollen and too difficult to stretch. She just would have to lick her wounds later.

However, when she overheard them behind her in the distance, yelping dogs and yelling hunters, with a speed that was admirable for her physical condition, Kitty ran down the slope on the other side. Half an hour later dead leaves rustled under her long forceful strides as she descended into the forest on the east side of the mountain, and disappeared from sight…

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24. Returning home

Months later…

The forest was quiet and there was just the rustling of leaves in the gentle morning breeze. The ancient trees only allowed tiny patches of clear blue sky peering through, and all the speckled light filtering through their leaves was pale green.

She found herself immediately relaxing in this tranquil atmosphere and she understood it was because she was getting near the heart of a place she could never forget. Any material wealth she had had or experienced, all her troubles and all the pain that had been stacking in the ‘outer world’ had evaporated like mist in the sun. Under these boughs in this old-growth forest she could almost sense the breath of the Seldarine watching extra carefully over this part in the wilderness. And over its inhabitants as well as its visitors. Kitty smiled as she peered up at the strong trees rising up like silent sentinels watching over the glade leading to a place of more love and warmth than she had received in the countless days she’s been away. Her haven.

Home…

She has been away for a year, or longer. She should never have been scared to return, and it should never have been something to run away from like all the time. There, beyond those immense bulky trees lay not only an ancient, timeless part of the forest, but also things she would have to deal with, preferably within her own lifespan. Of course there would be tears and hurting but she couldn’t change what she was… nor what they were. She could never be a part of the natural flow of their lives. Still, no place could possibly feel any better than here.

Her ears strained as she listened to the forest sounds, a yellow-green glow falling upon her face as she turned around when she caught a whiff of a scent that wasn’t supposed to be there. Flowers! A short, slender figure stepped gracefully into sight not far from her. It appeared to be a short woman. Above long white hair that was almost glowing with gorgeousness, sat a crown of colorful flowers. There was something magical about the way how she moved when she started to approach Kitty, her movements lithe and quiet, like she was very in tune with the natural essence of things. She was dressed in an elaborately decorated flowing of green and silver and tears just jumped into Kitty’s eyes as she watched the elf stop before her in the glorious light of the forest.

“K… Kitty…?” The elf cried out in amazement. “Kitty…?!”

Kitty’s heart wept when she noticed how much she actually had missed this and stretched her arms out to the petite elf who abandoned this rustic demeanour that was so typical for her kind by grabbing the human tight in the hug.

“Oohh Nieee…!” Kitty cried out.

Neesha wept copiously and Kitty could sense her heart in her throat when her childhood friend’s melodious voice uttered worriedly. “Is you okay? Thought you was dead… dead…”

Kitty shook her head as she held her friend close, trying to regulate the sound of her voice in a manner that should reassure the elf. “Kitty is okay… she is okay… she is home now…”

Home. It wasn’t a place at all. It was a feeling. And that was something one couldn’t abandon just like that. For a moment it was as if life smiled upon her, and all the shadows had fled from it. Except for the one cast brokenly over the forest surface below her...

(Author's note : there's much more to tell about her 'past', so one day to be continued here in this thread)

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