"So this....is it?" The mercenary eyed the space that the blonde elf had brought him to, doubt coloring his words. "Yes!" She'd chirped, obviously oblivious to the worry her hired muscle was conveying. "It has space for a garden and there is a house, a small one, I know!...but the budget." She nodded sagely, or as sagely as the air headed elf might manage. Hal looked her up and down, grunting to himself, and flexing his wings in a moment of 'searching for the way to break it to her'. He had a lot of those moments, ones of sitting the elf down and reminding her of things like the laws of gravity, and of bills, and taxes, and that sort of stuff. Seems today was no different. "Rin..ah.." It was a pet name, one that those in her guild, and he, could use. She whirled about, facing him now, her back to the rather weedy and decrepit looking garden space. She looked so darn chuffed with herself! A part of him hated to burst such bubbles. "Yes Hal?" "Well it's just that the stoves.." Not that that was his problem, per se. She really have ought realized before purchasing this lump of an isle that it was sorely in need of help, far more than Miss Elfie Budget could swing. "Are coming in two weeks. I remembered." A mega bright smile lit her face, and inwardly the merc sighed. "Right. Good girl. You're on top of these things. Silly me." He mustered a smile, and began plotting. ****** "Ahem. Ma'am. You, no, no, you, the...the short one. Yes. Half elf. Covered in wood shavings, you, ma'am, might I have a word of your time?" Melyshia had been measuring a length of lumber. It was not an unusual task for her, or any carpenter in fact to measure the very thing that was the heart of her trade, but that she measured it to a degree that was less than a hair’s breadth might just make her a little obsessive with accuracy in her trade. And perhaps it was that small matter that contributed to no project ever being completely completed. She looked up with a disgruntled sigh. “What? Can’t you see….” There was a pause, for she recognized him. This was Halderyn, Eirinin’s companion, protector, and common sense in many cases. One could even refer to him at times as her babysitter, but no matter the exact title - or the fact he took coin to do these things - Melyshia recognized him and did not immediately try to rip his head off, or give a verbal tongue lashing. “Of course, you might,” she dusted some of the shavings from her hands, the length of lumber forgotten for the moment. She did not give the further response she might have, like ‘if I gave a damn what you wanted’ or even ‘if I liked you one iota’. No, not this time. Mely, instead, was cordial, and even pushed a smile to the surface. “What can I do for you?” It is good, Hal reminded himself once again, to be born of dragons! For people respect me and my bare chested and wide winged splendor. Had he not had his mask on, he’d have winked at the little red headed half elf, but as it was, he merely preened inwardly, the littlest tweak of smugness added into his already pretty over-smug voice. “My thanks, small pointy eared person. I come on behalf of someone that does not know I come on her behalf, to allow you the honor of fulfilling her wishes, of which she has yet to be aware she yet has.” He nodded, and let a tall paladin step by him, the fellow had been carrying a rather large tray of mushrooms. Odd. But really so very average for the goings on in this guildhouse. “She is of course, the wizard Eirinin. And you may build her a place for stoves.” The small half breed would surely like that chance. To work for a wizard would be very fine, indeed, who wouldn’t scramble for such a thing? “She has purchased an isle of some questionable merit.” He paused, not wishing to sound as if he had doubts, which he did, and many. “And you could be the one to improve it. If you were brave and skilled enough.” Did he really think she would just jump up at the chance to build things for a wizard? Did he not know that wizard’s often torched things? Even things she had built? Harumph. Did he think one look at the wizard’s hat and robe would just sway her to his bidding? He was clearly insane if he thought any of that. Clearly. Insane. All it would take was the name. One tiny little name and she would be swayed to do the bidding of the wizard, wizard or pauper, wizard or warlock, provisioner or street rat. It took only the name. Eirinin. She had seen Eirinin on many an occasion and many an occasion she had wanted to get closer to her, but Mely was not exactly schooled in the arts of persuasion, or even common manners. She was brusque and many thought her downright grumpy - she wasn’t. She was simply misunderstood. Truly. So this chance to bring a smile to Eirinin, she who had not quite understood the little gifts left to her on occasion in the past, might just be the thing, the chance, the opportunity to get close to the blonde and make her.. smile. For Mely, because of Mely, due to Mely! Yes, yes this was it! She might just… hug.. no no she could not do that. Hugging Hal? A shudder ripped through her body. She would gag before such a thing happened. It would be like hugging Dan, and she did not hug dragonborn horned male things. Ever. No hugs there. “I see.” Playing it cool here, or trying to, Mely flipped the long braid over her shoulder nonchalantly. “So you wish to hire me, on her behalf, but she does not know it, so you don’t know in truth if I will even get paid?” Melyshia would not need to be paid for this, but she was playing it cool, she had to. Cool yes always cools. “And how do you propose payment will be made if she does not sign an agreement of some sort?” Seal it with a kiss baby, c’mon Eirinin, seal it with a kiss. “Or even a handshake? How can she give her word if her word is not known to be needed?” “Oh no, not hire.” He shook his head at the thought, laughing at the very idea. HAHAHAHA! “It will be our gift to her, I shall help. Surely looking at my muscles gleaming in sunlight is payment enough.” He flexed an arm her way, admiring, as she surely was, the way the bicep rippled and bulged under his magnificently tanned born of dragons skin. “Eh? Eh?” He let her watch, nodding, all the while pretty darn sure she was going to swoon here. Any minute. Swooning. Hm. She wasn’t passing out, exactly, but her color had changed and her eyes had gotten a weirdly glassy gleam to them. Must be how half elves conveyed their lust. That was it. “So, shall we get started now or now, she half elf?” Because he was good, and he would darn well be commended for his victory this day!
He was making her sick. Truly sick and green and she did not think she was a green kinda’ gal. Blue was more her color, and she wore it in armor and clothing not in flesh tones! She would leave the blues to the overly emotional vampiric sorts. And as for green? That was for trolls and frogloks. “Dan? Dan! DAN?!” She had to do something, quickly, lest she splatter those three toed feet complete with claws with her tummy’s contents. “DAN!” Her own mercenary looked up from his game of cards with a little Ratonga and a dark skinned elf of the female persuasion. There was a huge human across the table as well, and Mely did not care a whit how much of his pay Dan was going to lose. He needed to get here and block for her, naow! “Huh?” She sighed. “Huh? I call and you say ‘huh?’ Really Dan? Where is the hutzpah and gusto you use when killing things? I am standing against a dragon here! Feex eet!” She was shaken to her core, and could taste that stuff at the back of her throat, that imminent feel of puke on the upward swing. She pointed to Hal. “Deal with him, get on the same page, and let him know I see you… so much like he…. all… day… long.” It was like she needed a translator of the same breed and sort as he who had approached her. There were grumbles from the card table that were silenced with a look. They might be hirelings of the leaders but none reallllly wanted to make the grump grumpier. Melyshia listened to the flurry of dragon speak. Someday she would need to learn it herself, but she had enough trouble with those languages she already knew. Sure, she could understand important words, and she knew things like ‘heal’ and ‘run’ and even ‘oh crap we are done for!’ in many languages, but speaking like a dragon just was NOT her thing. Leave that to Bree and Leah and possibly even Eirinin. Ahh Eirnin. So smart, and talented, and her fingers wiggled just so when she called fire from…. wherever she called it from. She was hot. Really, and in more than one way and truly Melyshia would work for her just to be in close proximity. One did that for guild mates right? They did not complain about costs and the hardships of the things that they did because a guild was born of.. those wishing to stand together. Right??? “She rows her boat from the other end, brother.” That had been the dragon speak, and done in words he was fair to certain Mely didn’t know. The woman might be small but one did not rile the best healer in the guild and live to need a new shirt. Not that Dan wore those.. “Ah. One sees.” Hal had replied, stowing his sex appeal for now. Not that something so grand could really ever be stowed… “Hm.” Dan nodded. “Hm.” Hal replied. “Whatcha gonna do?” “Never faced this before.” Hal sighed, thinking. “I know. Welcome to my world.” Danaerus gave a look to Mely, waving brightly as if they were praising the small half elf to the Sundered Frontier and back. “I actually have to like listen. And respond. And follow whole conversations… it’s brutal.” “But the pay?” Hal countered in draconic. “Very good. Worthy of dragons!” There was a round of nods, a few wheel kicking comments, and plans were hatched. Hal would distract his elf, while Dan shuffled his half elf off to the Isle of Misfit Dreams. This was the simplest solution. For once Eirinin was engaged in ‘A Good Cause’ and Mely engaged in ‘A Cause That Requires Measuring’, their lives would be peaceful again, and cards, wine, women, and song might recommence. It was settled.
“Eirininnnnnnnnnnnn!” Hal burst into the small house on the isle, and collided with six gnomes before reaching his about to be deceived employer.”Gnomes! Gah! Off of my person, for I am born of.. nevermind.” He booted the last gnome off his magnificently clawed foot, and grabbed the wizard. “Eirinin. It is important. Destiny calls!” She had been swept up, off her feet, and with his hands circling her waist, and her feet a foot off the ground, she stared at him blankly, with the sweet expression that was her norm. “Hi, Hal. Happy to see you. Who is Destiny? Does she need baking for a party, done?” Sigh. She wasn’t the brightest elf to hug a tree, was she? Hal began again, his triumphant baritone echoing in the wee underground cottage. “Destiny! Glory! That is what needs serving, upon the silver platter of righteous causes!” “Is that the one those nice people in the Skyshrine area gave me? I could have sworn it was the Platter of the Vanquished, but maybe I misheard..” Oh, by Brell himself! “Rin! There is a bad thing happening in the er...Stonebrunt. Yes. We must away and deal with it. No delays! Now! We depart for battle.” So maybe he had come in with too many big words and esoteric ideas. He’d break it down for her. “Bad things? Like what?” “Fire.” He was making it up as he went, and to be honest, this maybe was stuff he ought have decided on before launching into the conversation. “There is fire there.” “And it’s bad?” She, still held above the floor, blinked slowly at him, the gesture creating a very owl like expression on her oval face. “Yes because...it’s a people. Person. On fire. Now.” He tried to add some gravitas here. “It hurts them. Probably.” “Well, I don’t think I can help much, they ought jump in water.” She gave a perky nod. He gritted his teeth. “They can’t.” “They can’t hop in the water?” “No Rin, a wizard did it and they need you. Now. It’s vital.” And the carpenter will be here soon, so we gotta go, elf! Three of his six toes clicked in agitation on the floor. “You’re the wizard they called for.” “Oh.” She mulled on that, then smiled. “I’ll get my things, then, can’t keep folks and their fires waiting..” “And the measuring stick.” “And the measuring tape.” “Don’t forget the protractor.” Dan paused, leveled a look at she who could not be swayed by manliness and muscles and frowned, “Mel, I know. I have them all. Even borrowed a pack horse from Artemia to use to haul it all there, and the ship will be bringing wood, and other things you will need. A table with the tools you need is already waiting. Don’t worry. Just go… look pretty.” Any other time she might punch him in his oh so glorious abs but this time she colored, a true and red blush, and darted off. He stood there blinking after her. Geez, what would she do? Re-braid her hair and mend her leather? That was exactly what had been done, and it wasn’t even ruffled as they portaled in to the island. Wood would come by boat, but they did it in style, only style left him more than a little seasick and ruffled. He smoothed his wings into place and ran smack into the back of Melyshia. “It’s…” she gulped as she looked around slowly, the packhorse stood nearby. “Rather… barren.” She made furniture, a few wall repairs here and there, but this? It was… in dire need. It needed trees and flowers and.. structures. “For f…” she mumbled curses behind the hand that clamped over her mouth. “I don’t know, Dan. This one.. this is… so… much… too many even.. measurements galore. What do I do?”
“This isn’t very near any civilization, is it?” The wizard, more suited for the classroom or the kitchen, wrinkled her nose at the whine of the bugs, and the scent of not so recently dead things rotting in yon ditch over there. “Are you sure there is bad fire at a settlement here?” The map in her saddlebag was reached for again, and opened. Green eyes squinted. “There isn’t even the barest hint of a town being here, Hal..” “It’s a secret town. Because of the Void. And dark magics.” He sounded confident, and it worked, for she had stowed the map and they’d pressed on. With any luck, he could keep her off that island for a week. Elves could build things like sheds for stoves in that time, right? The fact it had taken six gnomes several hours just to hang the round front door was not applied to his mental math. Everyone knew gnomes were picky and all about minutia. He had given the task to a half elf. She’d have it done in days. Right? Right. “I think we shall need to kill those, too, to cross this pathway.” Hal announced this more quietly, and glanced from what lay before, some sort of cat with tentacles, and back to the Elf Herself. “Hmm? What? Where? I wasn’t harvesting!” Blushing and hiding something gleaned from the ground behind her silk clad back, the elf smiled in a vain attempt to seem convincing. Woman could not lie her way out of a paper satchel. “Right. Not harvesting. And the horse’s packs bulge just because.” He should have just told her he’d found a new harvest hot spot and she’d have been more easily shunted off her isle and to anywhere out of range of it, for months. The elf lived to collect things and drag them home again. As it was, they were going to be marching all over Stonebrunt in search of a mysterious did-not-exist burning man. Week 2 “Mely, it doesn’t need to be perfect.” A sharp indrawn breath seemed to echo in the small space. “Not.. perfect?? This is for her, for Eirinin, she who controls fire and stuff. It must be perfect.” Dan had gotten to the point that he would spend nights building the general outline and let Mely ‘straighten’ the walls, and roof, and windows, as it were. If he did not she would never get it done. For a druid, she was less concerned about the natural growth on the island, a task she had completed early on, and cared more about ninety degree angles and lifting it ‘just a smidge’ or lowering it by ‘0.0000012365 of a smidge’. There were, even now, written in coal along the length of his arms numbers in various states of scrubbed off, and some quite fresh. He had somehow become her medium for writing a number, measurement, and often times the percentage left of his sanity. He was on the edge, truly, of throttling her himself. “Are we done yet?” That was often said by a messenger the incoming ships that carried more lumber and the constant need for Hal to know if he and Eirinin could return. Danaerus would shake his head, sadly, and send word back. “Not yet. Send rum. Lots of.” Finally he could take no more. It was not complete, nowhere close to, but much of the furniture, walls, blocks, and foliage was done in some manner of not creatively joined together, but accurate, oh how it was accurate. “Come back before I kill her.” That was the message sent. “I really wuv dis fwuit.” Eirinin, seated demurely on the ship, was munching contentedly on the ‘goodies’ that Stonebrunt had allowed her to take from its roots and brush. “Ets a real shame..” She swallowed the mouthful, and continued on.. ”that we never found the guy with the fire. I do hope he managed to extinguish himself.” Another bite was taken, and juice dripped off her chin. “Vant sum?” The fruit was offered, and turned so he might bite from unmunched on fruit flesh. “Er. How...charming...do all your kind gnaw upon the same offering?” Hal leaned in and took the smallest taste, mouth puckering at the sourness. Urgh. No accounting for taste with elves! There wasn’t even the faintest tinge of blood or salt to make it palatable at all! Gag! Hard. To. Swallow! “Now when we get home, why are you pulling a face, Hal? Here, use my handkerchief… as I was saying, when we get home I simply must get that garden started. I shall grow all manner of things, and you can try them all!” He felt his born of dragons belly clench. Fruit and veg, no doubt, for he did not think gardens grew steaks, rare or otherwise. “Fantastic.” He lied, and eyed the horizon. On it’s faint edge, the isle was just coming into view.
And here came the rum shipment! Dan was at wit’s end, had been for days, but now there would be rum, and he could choose whether to douse Mely in it and light her on fire, or drown himself in it. The third option was consume it, down to the last drop. All three sounded appealing about now. But wait! Hark! Are those? Can they be? Wings? And not fruity colored or drab and morose mini-wings?? That was, he was more than sure, Halderyn AND the rum! Praise J.. well whoever he might decide to praise, because there was a whole slew of overworld beings that claimed to be godlike. A little bit of an agnostic he was, but he would gladly worship the rum and the arrival of Hal and Rin. “Mely! Melllllyyyyyyshhhhhiiiiiaaaa! Shiiippppp it’s a ship! Come quick! SHIP!” Born of dragons or not, he was more than a little excited to see the arrival of this particular vessel. The island looked better, there was no doubt about that, but it needed personal touches and Eirinin would be the one who needed to do those. Melyshia had ordered a cute little cart for Rin to sell her wares from and left it right off the dock, but it seemed so very empty, and bare without the wares that would hopefully one day fill it. She felt a frisson of nerves assault her as the ship grew larger upon approach. They were almost here. Grumpy face. Don’t look so bleeding happy. Stop looking like some besotted fool. You are a fan of Lucan and must act like it! But this was Rin. She grinned at the blonde elf. “Welcome home!” Not the demeanor she had been going for. Oh well! “I think this is the wrong island…” For hers had not had so many trees, and not just trees, but TREES. Large ones, fully bloomed out and in a rainbow of colors! Eirinin stood on the narrow plank leading from ship to dock, turned a fully three hundred and sixty degrees around, and blinked again. No, her isle had not had so many trees.. In a bit of a daze, and with a gentle shove from Hal’s strong hand, she ventured onto the dock and towards her guildmate and one very wrung out looking mercenary. Her hand flew to the mercenary’s face, palpating for fever, for he looked very ill. “Thank you, Melyshia. Is Dan with some sort of pox? He is so pale!” None of it made an ounce of sense, and that alone might have saved Mely some of her pride, for her giddy mood was not noted amid the trees, Dan the Sickly, or the hundred ‘n one other alterations that lay before the wizard’s eyes. There was a cart set out for wares, and a fence around the cottage front yard as well as the garden. It did not end there, for there was a barn where before there was none, and a large second structure, that upon investigation, boasted all manner of crafting tools and two, not one!, but two stoves! The tears began about the point she’d discovered the cooling box, and had started in earnest by the point of finding the altar set up, and the statue from The Sisterhood placed just so.
Hal stood back, watching the reaction unfold with no small amount of pride. He had done well! Slim elf hands dabbed at weepy eyes, and each turn of a corner brought to light some new thing or improvement. Still the elf said nothing, simply wandered, as if dumbstruck and overcome with her feelings. Hal did not worry, this was just an elf being an elf. So very emotional… “Melyshia?” It was finally squeaked out, and the wizard at last looked from her tour, and to the small red haired guild member. “You did this for me?” Mely, being bashful for once, gave a small shrug and a nod. “Mhm, but Dan did it too, and it was from all those paintings and pictures you had earmarked for things you liked. But really it was nothing, just a little rearranging.” Behind her Dan’s eyes bulged before he muttered something rapidly in Draconic and hurried off to the ship. He was going to douse her and enjoy the bonfire, after he drank a bottle, or three, maybe more. She was going to burn, or his insides would at least. Why oh why had he, of all of the mercenaries in all of Norrath been saddled with her? Not only did his ripple of muscles make her physically ill when used to impress, but her sudden bashfulness and wave of ‘it was nothing’ had him seeing red! “I hope you can make use of it, and add your own touches. I can help you wherever you like.” She had made the frame but she really wanted and needed to work side by side with Rin to complete the personalizations and the little welcoming touches only she who lived here could create. Plus, she was tired of hard tack and Rin was the best damn cook she knew. “Make use of it?” She grinned, still in awe and wonderstruck, and swept the half elf into an embrace to end all embraces, hugging her until the smaller woman likely saw stars, or hurt for breath. “You wonderful wonderful you! I love it all, thank you, thank you, you are so so kind to me.. I shall never be able to repay this, but I shall surely try.” Elf held half elf tightly, blonde head against red, and rocked her gently. “I love it so much, every little part and parcel.” She pulled back just a little, smiling in the way only elves can, a smile that can melt the world of all ice. “I love it.” Well, that was really close to saying ‘I love you, Melyshia’, wasn’t it? Close enough for her! Mely could handle that as payment, and Hal would be let off the hook, except for that whole flexing thing. He owed her for making her sick! In coming days there would be a small shop set up with all the delicious and divine foodstuffs Rin made, and there were flowers in bloom. Even one of those who lived in the deeps would journey close to shore to see. As for Mely? She settled with hearing Rin’s voice as she read her books beneath the small structure on the tiny island. This was as close to paradise as she would know.
You can visit the island on the Antonia Bayle server through the Qeynos prestige portal under Vale of Halfpint Delight (Eirinin) or on the newly published medium homes under A Crafter’s Homestead. For more screenshots, both before and after, view them at this slideshow. Written by: Avahlynn and Cynara (Eirinin and Melyshia)
