RP Log 1-In the Grove

Ancient Grove(#8176RAJL) ]------------------------------[ Deep Arden ]---- 01/07/2015

far to the north-east of Amber City, deep within the forests of Arden is a grove of mostly redwood trees, some towering over the world, so ancient and strong and others mere saplings, still dreaming of the eons to come. Within the grove, one tree in particular seems somewhat out of place, a weeping willow whose branches hold their place only inches from the ground on all sides. This ancient tree conceals the world within its branches, offering shade and protection to whatever might think to call it home. Concealed within its embrace is the true oddity of this grove: resting against the base of this ancient tree is a small stone slab, not heavy enough to harm the wood but enough to carry the image of a vulpine pawprint carved into the stone.

Not far from the ancient willow tree is a wide brook, its waters running the gambit from shallow to dangerously deep, its surface concealing a world of its own within the currents. The sound of flowing water brings a serenity to the grove, like a beautiful melody with no end which changes with every passing moment.

There are no real paths in this part of Arden and no matter which way one might choose to go, it inevitably leads back into the forest.

The sun is filtering in as it begins to rise, lighting the grove just barely with a frail golden glow. Arden is a dangerous place, especially in the dark but just as the dawn brings hope to those lost in the hellish forest, this ancient grove brings hope to all who become lost in the forest, eventually. Within the grove are many massive wolves and though they are still asleep now, even if they were awake there is a strange sense of calm here, as if nothing here could bring harm to any wanderer. In the center of the grove is an ancient willow, it's branches cascading down to the ground like a curtain, concealing the small, fiery-furred frame of a rather strange being: a red fox with intricate designs of glowing light in his fur, the beautiful but sorrowful designs like shackles around all four paws, a collar around his neck and between each of these bands of midnight blue light? weaving designs like chains along almost all of it's body.

Whether it was the wolves that attacked her or some other being, Isobel woke up in the forest the centre of a circle of destruction. Trees blasted down and away from her in a radius of about ten metres. It was to this destruction she awoke to no memory of her life before or how she got there. With no memory of the gift that lies within her or that she was the source of that which knocked down the trees. She rose from the centre and cast out in a direction wearing but a nightdress of silk and her long red hair unbound and in disarray. Littered with leaves and twigs from the tempest she wrought. Her arms wrapped around herelf against the last bits of chill night air that is only starting to be cast off by the morning sun. Her footsteps pause as she sees the fox, uncertainty and fear mixing in her hazel gaze.

The fox stirs slightly, opening one summer eye as those glowing designs ripple with light, his gaze focusing on the woman in his grove and after a moment, his eye closes again and he stands, stretching with a yawn before he sits, watching the woman with a rather noble pose, his tail curled around his paws to give the illusion that he's sitting on a plush cushion. "Welcome, little one." he says very calmly, one of his ears laying to the side as a few birds passing above express their disdain for this woman.. She destroyed their homes!

The young woman still looks a little stunned and uncertain. Oh the usual feelings of waking up in a circle of a destruction with no memory types of feelings. There is a gasp as the fox speaks to her and she steps back from him. The cry of birds overhead cause her to tilt her head up to them briefly before looking back to the fox. She stands in stunned silence for a moment longer, "Where am I?" She finally ask when no attack happens from the creature before her. She raises trembling fingers to her forehead as if to press away a pain or pluck for a memory.

The fox steps past the curtain of willow branches and offers a warm smile, careful not to show his teeth as he explains, "In the den of a forest spirit." with a welcoming tone. "And you are safe here, little one."

Isobel steps back again as the fox comes through the curtain of willow limbs. A fox she at least recognizes as a beast of the forest, but a talking one? Will her faulty memory track on to that? The other hand goes to her forehead and she shakes her head at his assurance, "There was so much destruction around me when I awoke...how can I be safe when I know not how I came here?" Her voice comes out strained and there is the faintest stirring of air about her as her emotions heighten but she seems unawares of it.

The fox takes a few more steps, it's body dissolving into mist that swirls around into the form of a young man and solidifies again, "Because, you have the word of a god that no harm will come to you here." Then he stops, a good several yards away still, leaving the rest of the distance for her to either close or not. His words, as well, are fairly well emphasized by the fact that a massive white wolf has awoken now, stirring slightly to look at the woman who has entered the grove, then simply shrugs her shoulders, rolls over and goes back to sleep. "Now," the young man says with a smile. "Tell me, what all can you remember.. You name, perhaps?"

The transformation into a human oddly settles the woman. Something familiar and yet not. That alone though adds more to her confusion. A memory that is just out of reach that she can not quite grasp. The movement of the wolf though causes her to grow still again. Only when it settles again does she look back to the man before her. The question of her name causes her to close her eyes and grow still. Seaking out her memories for who she is. At first she looks to be growing in frustration at the inability to connect with any hint of her past. Then there is an intake of breath and she opens her eyes. "Bell..." She starts before shaking her head, once again uncertain in her memory.

"Bell, will do for now." Vael says with a smile, then he sweeps a hand to the side, welcoming the woman over as he asks. "You must be hungry after a night in this forest. Come, settle in and I'll gather some food for us. Once you've eaten we'll see about getting you back to the city. I'm sure someone there could help you remember."

The soft words and welcome combined with the mention of food seem to finally win the young woman over. She slowly extends her hand to the man and takes steps towards him. "Yes, I am hungry." She says and with more confidence as if finally there is a feeling she recognizes in this sea of confusion. The mention of the city draws her short for a moment as if it might trigger a memory but the moment passes and she settles down less than gracefully to sit beneath the willow, as if her legs have given way beneath her. There is a glance in the direction she walked from and back to the man, "How am I here with no memory of my life?" Against the faintest of stirring of the willow branches, but surely could just be the breeze through the forest.

Vael snaps his fingers and roots begin to snake up just beyond the willow, outside the branches and rocks roll into place for a fire pit, some of the wood snapping away and drying instantly as it lands in a pile and then suddenly bursts into flames! Vael meanwhile, walks into the river and gives a shrug. "It's a sickness, I'm afraid.. Many people arrive in this forest with no memory." Aaaand, this is when poor Bell would feel a soft 'wumph' against her side as a massive wolf flops down to lay right next to her, this one though - despite it's massive size - looking remarkably like a puppy!

Isobel looks around her as roots move about and rearrange themselves. She leans back away from the fire as it sparks to life, but her weariness keeping her from getting up and running away from all that is happening around her. She listens quietly as he answers her question, watching his movements with a certain exhausted wariness. Then a creature flops at her side and she nearly jumps. She again freezes in place until she realizes it is not an attack and reaches slowly to stroke the shoulder pressed to her hip. "Do they eventually recover it or will I live with this curse forever?" She finally asks and perhaps there is a part of her that fears both answers.

Vael chuckles a little and smiles as he reaches down, pulling a rather large fish from the river with ease. "Most recover with time alone, others must be reminded. I haven't met many with this affliction who were not able to return to the lives they once knew." Then he walks over and another root comes up to spear the fish, even leads it over the fire to cook! It's obvious there is some kind of magic here.

The magic gets uncertain glances but less fear than the animals wrought in her. Perhaps a part of her still recognizes magic. Like calling to like. Though she leans back as the speared fish is brought over to the fire. She looks into the flames for a time, perhaps seeking answers there before looking back to the man. "What do I need to do to find my past? I feel like I am in the centre of the void and that which I knew is just outside of the blackness. Calling out to me but unreachable."

Vael walks over, once again becoming a fox as he slips through the curtains of the willow branches to curl up near Bell, offering what warmth he can as he explains, "Like I said, for some it takes time, for others they must be reminded of who they are but for most, it takes great care. They can offer far more in the city than I can here in the forest unless it was here that you hail from and really? That's seldom the case."

Isobel glances down to the silk nightdress she is wearing at his last comments, "I do not think me dressed for the forest." She says and looks down to her hands unblemished. Trying to find clues to the life she once had. She looks up to see the man has returned to fox form and seems now more at ease with the presence. "Where would I stay? Who will help me?" She asks with an edge of concern to her voice, almost afraid to leave the forest it seems. A sea of strangers a harder thing to fathom then one transfiguring god.

Vael gently nuzzles at Bell's arm, being very careful not to touch more than he should as he explains, "House Mandrake will likely take you in while your memories recover, they have a habit of trying to help others that I find rather impressive."

Bell looks down to the nuzzling fox and tentatively returns to the favor with a stroke of his shoulders. Perhaps the gesture done as much to settle her own nerves as anyway. To touch and feel something 'real'. "Mandrake.." She repeats from his words, hoping again she will find some connection to the words and just shakes her head. "Then I will go to them and perhaps find myself." She says finally, trying to put some conviction in her voice.

Then the root, having cooked the fish perfectly, even having gutted the thing into the fire, actually reaches through the branches to set the fish on a leaf in front of Bell, then returns beneath the earth, the grass and dirt showing no signs that the thing had ever come up through them.

When the root deposits the fish in front of Bell, she reaches for the food hesitantly at first but as the scent wafts to her nose her hunger is enough to cause an unladylike grumble from her stomach. She daintily breaks open the skin and picks at the flesh. It is not long though before she is picking up the fish up and eating it directly such is her hunger.

Vael watches her eat and offers a warm smile. "There. Once you've finished, we'll set out for the city. As for the wolf at your side." he motions to the large gray pup, easily large enough already to be used as a mount. "He'll be your legs while we travel. We have quite a distance to cover."

And given she arrived in nightdress and slippers, she is hardly dressed for a treck in the wilderness. She looks to the wolf briefly and back to the fox, "He will carry my weight?" She asks in uncertainty as she glances to the beast at her side. A she reaches hesitantly to the shoulder of the beast to feel his solid countanance and nods. "I will walk as far as I can." She finally says before setting to finish her fish. When done she cleans her hands on the leaf and nods once more to the fox, "We best head off before I lose my nerve to do so."

Vael nods and as he stands, so too does the wolf, as well as three others, one more gray pup as well as a black male and a white female, all of them between five and six feet in height on all fours. The wolves are huge and yet, when they deal with Bell they are as gentle as could be. As for the trek, it would not be long before the slippers would mean nothing and the pathless travel would take it's tole.. This is, after all, the deeper part of Arden and from the grove it will be for miles on end. When the trees finally break however, it is to the image of Amber, the great city in the distance and Vael, still in his vulpine form, looks to Bell with a smile. "Sadly, this is as far as the wolves may go. I will take you the rest of the way to a rather famous inn in town. Ask for someone to fetch Celeste or any member of House Mandrake once you walk through the doors there."

Once her feet give way she relents to riding the wolf and settles to riding 'sidesaddle' given the limitations of the nightdress. This she actually settles into quite quickly as if she one familiar with riding, her fingers gripping into the fur to hang on. As they reach the edge of town and she dismounts from the wolf she looks to the fox and nods slowly. "Celeste or House Mandrake." She repeats and looks back to the forest as if at least was something familiar in her haze. She takes a steadying breath and looks back to Vael with a nod as if she is now ready.