((Heres my application. How it will progress is not known yet.))
It was a fine Autumn day. Blue skies with fluffy clouds that kept changing shape thanks to the refreshing breeze.
“What creature do you see in the clouds now Lythandra?, asked Toff as he worked on repairing his fishing nets next to the wide river.
Lythandra gazed upward shading her eyes as she thought. “It’s a … hard head catfish, no wait its changing … now it’s a ummmm a dragon. Well that’s not a good omen, the catfish would have guaranteed dinner tonight.”
“Have you no faith in my fishing skills?” Toff replied while tossing some sand her way causing her to jump quickly away. She was so quick.
“Your fishing skills no but you do have other useful skills.”, she said as she tackled him bowling him over and scattering all the fishing gear. They wrestled a bit but it didn’t take long for Lyth to pin Toff. She sat on his chest while pinning his arms down. “Now I have you!” she said as she gave him a hard kiss ….
*Some time later as they laid in each others arms under the big oak.*
“Is that, is that smoke?”, Lyth said motioning with her head towards their village. “That’s not normal, something is happening. Lets hope its not Ragos trying to cook again.”
“Ha! Don’t let him hear you say that. Let head back, something IS happening and they might need our help.”
Lyth jumped up and got her clothes on quickly. “I’m heading there now, catch up after you pick up all the fishing gear you carelessly spread everywhere!”, she smirked.
“Whatever!, I’ll be right behind you.”
Toff smiled as he watched her sprint down the trail back to the village. They would be bonded soon and he was looking forward to a long life together in their forest.
It took longer than he expected to get everything picked up and stored. How did so much sand get in his clothes? He finally started the trek back home. As he made his way, he noticed more smoke than earlier. “What is going on?”, he thought as he hurried his pace. As he got closer he heard shouting. At this point he finally got alarmed. His village was one of the safer ones being in the middle of the forest. No one besides his Bosmer got this deep in the woodlands. He ran hard now sprinting into the village to find destruction! A few dead but where was everyone and flames on what would catch. What happened and where was Lyth?!? He ran towards her house … straight into a small group of raiders lagging behind to pillage.
“Fucking slavers!”, he thought as he pulled his daggers and jumped to the kill .. only to be caught in a net by a hidden slaver. It was a trap and they were waiting for him!
“I told you we would catch a few more by waiting around.” one of them said as they all raised their clubs to beat Toff down. “These elves are not as smart as they think.” *SMACK* The same slaver that was talking suddenly arched his back and screamed with an arrow appearing in his back then another one next to the first arrow and he went down. It was Lyth! She was next to the ritual oak sending an arrow to another slaver. *Snick* as it hit him. The last two slavers were not green however and had dropped their slavers clubs for a shield and sword. They fast approached her from opposite sides. Lyth had obviously been battling already as she was cut and bloody but she still had fire in her eyes. Toff couldn’t see everything that was happening as he worked on getting out of the net. They had beat him pretty good and one leg and arm didn’t want to work so well. The sounds of battle continued and he finally got out. He looked Lyths way and another slaver was down with a dagger in his throat but the last slaver and Lyth were hand to hand at this point each trying to put a dagger in the other. Toff hobbled as fast as he could to help. He didn’t yell anything as he didn’t want to distract Lyth. The slaver was using his shield well to cover himself and Lyth went left but quickly pivoted and went right instead! The slaver fell for it and got a dagger in his side and they both fell together as he grabbed her on the way down.
“LYTH! LYTH!”, he yelled as he got to her. Toff threw the near dead slaver off of her! Why wasn’t she moving? Toff knelt next to her and supported her as he held her. Her eyes fluttered and she was still breathing thankfully. It was then that Toff noticed the slavers dagger in her side. His last dying act had been that. He caressed her face and whispered her name. “Can you hear me Lyth? I’m right here, I won’t leave you.” Her eyes opened and her hand raised to his cheek. “I don’t feel so good beloved.” She said in a weak voice. She coughed and blood came up. “Its my lungs, I can … I can feel them filling up with blood. She coughed again weakly. “I’ll get help! I’ll find a healer … somewhere.” “No beloved. My time is done. I can feel the darkness approaching …” She paused as she tried to breathe. “Sa .. save our people. She weakly pulled his head down and gave him a last kiss. “I will. I will.”, said Toff as he closed her eyes.
It was done. Toff was numb. He held her for a very long time. Luckily those were the last slavers in the village and he was not bothered. Hours later, a few elves that had escaped came back to the village. They did not approach Toff and Lyth and gave him his space for mourning. He heard a weak moan. “Ahhh, the slaver …”, Toff thought as he pulled out his dagger. Time for information and then he dies as painfully as possible.
*many years later*
“This is a good campsite.” Toff said to no one. “And when did I get into the habit of talking to myself?” It was a near perfect spot. Tall trees all around with some large boulders in a circular pattern seemly purposely made for a fire in the middle. He thought about the past many years. He had taken up Lythandras last task with a passion that made him wonder if he was actually good or evil. The blood he had spilled was not all innocent. He had done whatever he felt was needed to further his goals. In the months following that ill-fated attack he had hunted down all the slavers involved and freed all of his people that he could find. His daggers had tortured many of them much more than was needed. He was sure that the gods had forsaken him by now. Well, at least the gods he would have wanted to associate with. He was older now. He had not stopped with that group of slavers. He had dedicated his life to killing them. “How much longer can I last?”, Toff said out loud again. “I’m slowing down and not as strong as before. One of these younger slavers will get in a lucky thrust eventually. Fuck it, at least I will get a few more before the end.” Toff took a long sip out of his wineskin while staring into the fire.
“Perhaps I can help with that.”, said a voice right behind him.
What the … how did someone sneak up so close Toff thought as he spun around.
*The rest of Toffs story has yet to be written.*
