An Attack by the River ((Súl Iolar, Lori))

It seemed like nothing could go wrong on this day. Thick golden rays of flawless sunlight shone down onto the bright green grass, highlighting the trickling river that flowed down in the valley below. It was truly a beautiful sight. Blue flower heads nodded around the blonde-haired Lori as she travelled with her friend, who is known as the Marksman of Amos. A.K.A., Súl Iolar.

Well, truth be told, Lori had begun to see the man as more than a friend. . . But of course she would never tell him that. Imagine the many things that could go wrong!

Lori looked down at the valley, smiling. "Look. . . Isn't it beautiful?" She paused for a moment, drinking in the gorgeous sight. She even closed her eyes to feel the warm sunlight beat on her eyelids. Then she looked at Súl, smiling. "Do you want to go down there?"

It was beautiful day in Pyyrai. The sun was out, flowers were blooming, he didn’t have to wrap up in his cloak, and he wasn’t alone either. With him was his friend, Lori, who took in all the sights around her.

If Súl was honest with himself, he probably say she was more than just a friend. She knew the secret of what his real job was, and he had told her that when he barely knew her! In their travels together he had seen her kind hearted nature, and she was quite beautiful as well. He had also caught himself musing at any art she managed to make out there. But, the marksman always thought she could never actually love him.

As he looked at the valley before them, Lori’s voice rang in his ear. She said this was a beautiful sight, and she wasn’t wrong. He smiled, pulling the cloth from his face. ”Yes it is,” he responded, eying the lowland area. Then she asked if he wanted to walk down there. He looked closer. Didn’t seem like anyone else was there, so it seemed safe. He looked back at her and nodded. ”I don’t see why not.”

Smiling, Lori checked down the hill with her eyes. Although there seemed to be a type of a cliffside on the other side of the valley, this side looked to be completely smooth, layered with lush grasses. On the other side, however, there seemed to be a sort of hollow in the cliff, almost like a cave. That was certainly curious. How do caves get in such unusual places?

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Lori beamed excitedly and looked at her friend, making eye contact with him. He had such pretty eyes. Feeling the rush of pink dash to her cheeks, she quickly turned away. "Yay! Súl, watch this!'

Standing upright, she put one foot in front of the other, her arms in the air, then began to cartwheel down the hill. She was an adult, yes, but she could really act like a child sometimes. Halfway down the hill she fell out of her cartwheel and instead rolled down until she reached the river. Laughing, Lori stood up, shaking grass out of her hair. "That was fun!"

Súl could help but smile when Lori looked at him. He tried to hide it, but not very well. For whatever reason she could always get a smile out of him. Then she looked away before telling the marksman to watch something.

He then watched as Lori cartwheeled down the hill like a kid, or at least most of the way. After a bit of a fall, she rolled the remaining distance down. Súl was quick to follow the artist turned adventurer down, hoping that she hadn’t hurt herself. He then heard something that got him to slow down.

Laughter. Lori then got up, saying how fun that was. Súl could help but laugh with her. Thinking it was pretty funny now. ”It sure did look fun.”

Lori beamed. Her tumble was quite exhilarating. She wanted to do it again, but as she looked up the hill she saw how steep it was. Yikes. . . She definitely didn't want to climb up that thing unless she totally had to!! As she thought, she considered the fact that Súl Iolar was much more experienced than she was. Since he adventured longer than Lori has, she reckoned that he could climb up any mountain, no problem!!

Grinning, she stooped to continue brushing grass and dirt off her clothes. It was certainly beautiful. . . The sunshine, the valley, the stream. . . Only thing that slightly dampened her spirits was that scary looking cave. For some reason, it gave her a huge case of the heebie-jeebies. Lori gazed up at the sight for a few moments, a nervous look on her face. . . Then she blinked her blue eyes, coming out of her thoughts and looking at her friend.

"This place is really gorgeous, but you've been adventuring for a while. . . Surely you've seen something prettier than this!" Lori quickly reminisced, going back to when she first met the Marksman of Ammos. When she had asked him a question similar to this one, she recalled that he remembered a tree. Suddenly her heart leapt in her throat. Maybe one day she can see that same tree in all its glory!!

Súl looked around the valley, soaking up the sights. It wasn’t too often that he just stopped and took in where he was, but had been doing it more often. He guessed Lori had rubbed off on him. Got him to pay more attention to what was around him, and he had to admit, the valley was more beautiful from within it. He noticed something else too.

Lori was giving a wary look towards a cave that was in one of the hillsides. It was a bit creepy compared to the rest of the land around them, but the Dragon Tongue had always liked caves. Many had some interesting sights, but he knew they were also great hiding places. Even so, he didn’t see anything that said “people here,” so he just pushed it to the back of his mind. He then heard his friend’s voice.

Lori asked if him if he had ever seen something so beautiful. Súl took a moment to think. He admittedly wanted to say Lori’s name, but stopped himself. That would just make things weird. ”Well.... I have seen a grassland area with towers of clay scattered around, but this may be the most beautiful place with plenty of green that I’ve seen.”

Eyes widened, Lori breathed out the word, "Wow." Though the two have been travelling for some time, it still amazed her how much Súl Iolar had seen. She couldn't wait until she got to see the things that he had spoken of, including the frostbitten tree and the spires of clay. The prettiest places she had ever seen were the cherry blossom tree that she mentioned before along with this very valley. "It never ceases to amaze me. . . You know, how much there is to discover out there."

She temporarily forgot about the cavern, despite feeling nervous about it. It just kind of gave her a bad feeling, like some kind of sickness laid upon it. However, never mind how nervous she was, she felt very safe around her friend. She knew that Súl had her back, and Lori had his.

A smile came to Súl’s face as he watched his friends reaction. He loved seeing Lori’s face light up when she saw or heard something that amazed her. He honestly wanted to see how she’d react to seeing some of these places with her own eyes, and the Marksman wanted to see the cherry blossoms that Lori had told him about. Súl then heard his friend’s comment, still smiling at her as he began to speak.

”It definitely is. And there always seems to be something new.” He couldn’t help but look at Lori, though he quickly acted like he wasn’t.

The small adventurer nodded vigorously in agreement. She was not aware of Súl Iolar gazing at her, but when she turned her head to look at him she saw the marksman quickly look away just in time. Lori did not think much of it-- perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her. Rather, she asked him a question.

"How long do you think the valley is?" asked the woman, gazing up at her friend. "We can't exactly pass straight through," she added, referring to the rocky cliff face.
"What do you think we should do?" Lori had a few ideas, one including staying at the valley for the night or searching for a way around the valley. Though the cavern spooked her, Lori had to admit that it would be a nice place to take shelter if it were unoccupied. . . And, of course, if she and her friend could climb the rocks to reach it. These were mere ideas, but knowing how experienced he was, Súl may have more.

Súl looked down the valley as Lori asked how long the feature was. He honestly couldn’t tell from where they were, but he figured it had to be miles. And his friend was right. The cliff walls were to steep to really climb. She then asked him what they should do.

The Marksman looked back at the cave. They had been traveling to some time now, and it was a ready made shelter. He then looked at her, speaking with his normal Irish draw. ”Well, this valley has to be miles long. So if you want to rest, staying in that cave may be our best bet.”

Lori couldn't say she was excited to go into the cave, but she could say that she was excited to get in some rest. She had been travelling long enough that her legs no longer ached from walking prolonged distances, but that didn't mean that she didn't get tired.

The lady nodded. "I can go get wood so we can start a fire. . . If I see berries out there, I promise to bring some to you!" Beaming, Lori had a sudden urge to hug her friend for no apparent reason. She was just overcome with a lot of emotion for a reason she did not know, most of it a strong love for the Marksman of Ammos and his company. Where would she be without him?

"You can come with if you like! Or I can stay here and make the cave livable, maybe. . ." She tilted her head in thought. "We don't want to sleep on hard rock, right?"

Súl couldn't help but smile at Lori's offer to bring him some berries. He really didn't know why he was smiling at the simple offer. It wasn't anything special after all, right? And it looked like this was an important thing for Lori too. He had noticed simple things like this seemed to be something they both enjoyed, but could really explain, well... admit, why. He had to admit, he really enjoyed being with Lori.

Then she said he could come with her if he wanted to. The Dragon Tongue simply smiled and spoke calmly, trying to hide what was on his mind.

"I'll come with you. And yeah,
not sleeping on stone sounds good." The man gave a slight chuckle at this last part, but didn't really know why.

"Yay!" Lori's blue eyes brightened to a more vibrant shade as she heard Súl's words. Spinning around, she pointed in front of her. "Onward we go!" She then bounced ahead a few feet. Lori was a fully grown female, yet she still acted like a child at times due to the large amount of energy she can surprisingly hold in such a small body.

The adventurer darted ahead for a few seconds before looking back at the Dragon Tongue and smiling broadly. It was then she sped back to her best friend, grabbed his hand gently, and began to tug him along happily, skipping. She had a slight tint of pink on her face, but she didn't care if it was noticed or not. She really liked Súl and being around him. Lori felt so close to him, even as a friend, that she was not bothered at all by the friendly act by holding hands.

Súl couldn’t help but chuckle at the energetic, child-like attitude that Lori displayed as she went ahead. He enjoyed watching her at times. She really could brighten even the dullest of days with her personality. He watched as she shot ahead of him, but then doubled back.

The adventurer then took the Marksman by the hand, and began to lead him to wherever they were going. He also began to notice the hint of a blush she had, but figured she was just a little hot or something/denied what it was, not realizing he had a slight blush himself. Either way, they were already quite close friends, and even Súl couldn’t deny he liked being around her. And in all honesty he didn’t mind holding her hand.

After a few moments of galloping at a steady pace, Lori slowed down to a walk, still holding Súl's hand. She finally let go and glanced around. "What do you think we should be looking for? Besides food stuff and wood. . ." She strode to a small clump of bushes and kneeled down to examine the crawl of dewberries on the earth. They seemed fairly fresh and ripe. After taking off her small cloak, she began picking berries and storing them in her little makeshift pouch. A few bounced from the sides of the cloak onto the ground, making Lori quickly pick them up and store them again as if nothing had happened. She enjoyed eating dewberries, so she was happy to find them. She wondered if Súl ever had any before. Lori perked up at the thought that she may even get to find her favorite fruit here. . . a strawberry.

(sorry short post )

((It’s ok.))

Súl began to look around before responding to his friend’s question. ”I’d say get anything that’s soft.” The man began to grab some wood. This was basically normal for him at this point. Lori usually found food while he handled the heavy lifting. He also grabbed some moss that he found. At least it was before than a stone slab. Then something red caught Súl’s attention.

The Marksman of Ammos smiled, turning his head to Lori. ”Hey, Lori. I found something you’ll really love.” A hint of embarrassment hit his face when he said that. What was wrong with what he said? Actually, this was happening more. Súl just shook it off, hoping the adventurer didn’t catch the look too.

The sound of footsteps on grass told Lori that Súl Iolar was getting to work. She smiled. Súl was the best. Lori knew that she could rely on him, even if it was the simple act of making sure that the two will be as cozy as can be when night comes.

It was a little strange, wasn't it? Back when Lori first met the Marksman of Ammos, she thought that he was a pretty nice guy. The two of them became fast friends, almost as fast as one could say 'buckleberry ferry'. Despite this, Lori didn't think of what they would be doing a few months from then. Here they were, living out in the wilds, helping dragons and fending for themselves with dagger and arrow. Thinking of this made Lori wonder what they would be doing a year from now.

Súl's voice made Lori raise her head. She wanted to answer "whhhhhaaaaaaaaattttt, i already found something I really love!" but, alas. . . That would be awkward! Smiling, Lori picked up her bag and galloped over to Súl in excitement. "Oooooo! What is it, what is it?"

Súl smiled at Lori, and pointed down to a small patch of ripe strawberries. He smiled a bit as he spoke again. ”I remember you saying these were your favorites.” The man couldn’t wait for his friend’s reaction. Lori’s reactions were always fun to watch, and he really enjoyed watching these over the top reactions.

((And you thought your post was short.))

((Its okie. Don't worry about it, friend. )

Lori suddenly gasped happily, her hands flying to her mouth as she gazed at the berries.

"Skeeeeeeeeeee!!" She bounced in a circle around Súl, a few dewberries dropping out of her bag as she did so in her excitement. I'll get those later. "Ooooo they look yummy and good and everything!!" Lori kneeled down by the bush to look at the berries. Not only were they ripe, but they seemed to be completely untouched by bugs and dirt. They were, needless to say, perfect.

Lori looked up at Súl, smiling. "Thank you." She began to pick the strawberries and place them in her pouch, beaming happily. As she did so she gleefully spoke, "I think we'll be eating well tonight! What do you think?"

The archer couldn’t help but laugh as he watched his friend’s reaction. He then smiled as she said the strawberries looked good. Why this made Súl smile, he didn’t really know why. He just enjoyed seeing her happy. Lori then looked at him and said ”Thank you.”

Súl smiled even more, a slight blush coming to his face as he did. Lori then asked if he thought that they would be eating good. The Marksman smiled and nodded, saying ”I believe so” with his usual draw. He then looked down at the pile of wood and moss he had collected. ”And I think we have almost enough wood.”

"Perfect!!" Lori resumed picking the berries and went around to pick up the ones she accidentally dropped before. When she did that, she began to skip towards the direction of the cave, singing, "I'm gonna take the berries to the caaaaaaaave~! I think we're gonna sleep good toniiiiiiiiiight~!" Afterwards she sped back to Súl Iolar and said, "Okay, I'll help you get the rest of the wood!!" Lori was rather weak and didn't do much heavy lifting, but it wasn't impossible for her to carry a few blocks of wood. If Lori were still a beginner (meaning, the beginner stage of the beginner stage), she would think that she isn't so useless after all.

Súl smiled as he heard the song Lori was singing. She really did have a nice voice. He had grabbed a couple more pieces of wood before noticing his friend had returned to help. Súl smiled, happy to have some help.

”Thanks,” responded before handing Lori a few pieces of wood. He then began to walk back to the cave.

Lori trailed a few feet behind Súl Iolar, holding the wood as they walked back to their shelter for the night. The sun was just starting to sink, casting a pretty orange light over the land and tinting the sky hues of pink and scarlet. Lori always enjoyed sunsets, although dawns were more her favorite for reasons she could not say.

When they reached the cave, Lori grunted a bit as she released the wood from her grasp. She looked down at her clothes and brushed the chips of wood and dust off her attire. The cave was rather dark, as it only had a little bit of amber light shining in from the dusk. However, it had smooth, rounded walls with only a few tiny stalagmites/stalagtites on the ceiling and floor which hung close to the walls of the cavern. It seemed to go a very long way as well, as after a few feet the cave descended into darkness. Lori wondered how long it went.

"Well, that's over with. . . Now we can settle down and rest." She kneeled down to pick up a strawberry from her back.

Súl looked up to the evening sky as he and Lori walked to the cave. It was one of his favorite sights on Pyyrai. A simple sunset. It actually sort of looked the same as Lori’s hands when they first met.

Once they finally reached the cave, the archer let out a sigh of relief as he dropped his wood, then began to set up a small fire. He then heard the adventurer say they could settle down now. ”I couldn’t agree more,” he said as began to light the fire. Once satisfied, he walked over to Lori and sat down getting some of the dewberries to eat.

Lori smiled when Súl Iolar sat beside her to eat berries. She really enjoyed his presence, and the best parts were when they were just sitting down like this, enjoying each other's company and resting, knowing that they were safe from danger as long they were together. It was nice, and despite all of the adventures they had, Lori had to admit that times like these were the best.

Lori leaned back on her elbows, picking up a dewberry before popping it into her mouth. It was very nice. Sour flavor burst on her tongue before it turned to a pleasant sweet. However, Lori knew that the strawberries were still her favorite. They were very pretty, too. She always thought they were rather cute, especially when they looked chubby. Smiling, she looked up at Súl. She wasn't sure if she could keep her affection for him off her expression. "You know, you should really try one of those strawberries. They are sublime." She picked up another strawberry and tossed it into the air, catching it in her mouth.