2007-02-04 [M. P. Ness]: * He emerged into the commons hall, glancing either way as he paused in his doorway.
The place was dark as can be, aside from a beaming, wide shaft of moonlight come pouring into the hall immediately to his right. and all was silent.
He only prayed the kitchen was still open...that he might get something real to eat.
Thus, he slipped out of his chamber, closing the door silently and slowly at his back as he spotted a large oaken door beyond the moonbeams...
Glancing down the dark end of the hall once more to make sure this door was the right one, Shalon eventually passed through the moonlight as a white shadow, casting a black one on the floor, and through the oaken barrier he slipped in the same quiet manner to find stairs running down.
*~Odd,~* he thought....
*~I don't remember climbing any stairs~*
but, hunger gnawed at him, and so, he descended, luckily into the great hall.

2007-02-05 [M. P. Ness]: *After returning from his late night meal...the first he'd had since slumbering upon arrival several days ago... the now rejuvinated Shalon climbed the stairs and passed into the barracks hall, but rather than return to his room as planned, he turned left out onto the moon-drenched balcony with ivy-grown walls...bearing his glass of water along for the ride...
He could smell the vegetation of the gardens below, and the cool feel of the ivy-shade left him feeling quite relaxed and peaceful for the first time in how long, he couldn't even remember...
Thus, he passed, out into the balcony's wide room, and came to rest his cup upon the thick railing as he overlooked the gardens and the hero's glen beyond, to both of which he'd not been as of yet....in fact, this was his first look upon either of them, and he found it quiet and quaint despite the size of it all...
He sighed contentedly in the night's cool breeze and decided he'd stay here for a time upon the balcony. He verywell could have been decided then and there, to stay here in Vangaard forever. So far, at least, he knew nothing more than the embarrassment(dwindling to memory as he grew comfortable with his surroundings), and this newfound peace and relaxation.
Thus, he made a mental note to speak with the Lord Darian next time he saw him. He just didn't know what service the Lord might ask of him. Sure, Shalon could afford to offer his swords as service, and they would be plenty, he knew. But, he liked peace. He did not relish harming anyone, not even the foul creatures that surely walked the lands here as well as from his homeland.
He'd been a teacher, a master of his own school back in his home, back before the end of that part of his tale. maybe the Lord Hawke here in Vangaard might see fit to listen to a request, not to be put into battle unless it was absolutely necessary. Maybe he'd listen to a request, only to teach the arts of peace, and the skills of the sword to those whom came to answer the call of Vangaard.
*Shalon could only speculate on these things for a time. Afterall, he had nothing else to do with his time. but, eventually, he tired of standing there, so he left his glass there on the railing as he turned about and silently slipped back to his room to fetch his grande thinblade...

2007-02-05 [M. P. Ness]:
 *~He'd only slipped into his room for a moment, leaving his door ajar as he fetched his thinblade, fastening its interesting harness about his body, that it might hang comfortably and naturally in a semi-lateral fashion at the low of his back, long 2.5 feet of handle at his left, out beyond his shoulder by far, above and beyond the handle of his rapier at his hip...
Then, he slipped out again, closing the barrier quietly, so as not to wake anyone else in the hall...
Thus, he returned to the garden-view balcony's comfortable silence and cool night-lighted breeze, and he reached the thick railing with an effortless, nimble hop, alighting upon it fluidly to there seat himself crosslegged upon one of the broad posts beside his glass of water...
And there he would be, watching the peaceful scene below until well after dawn when the gardener and his assistants emerged to begin their early work...

2007-02-06 [Synsae]: Being done with his archery for the day, Kael returned to the Barrack Commons and walked onto the balcony to view the garden below

2007-02-06 [Chrysilla]: Sofia raised her eyes from the page, thinking she would need a break. Reading ancient books of magic was usually tiring, as the magic was giving a kind of life to the words, that were moving and dancing on the page. The ancient alphabet wasn't easing the reading.
She closed the book and went on the balcony to breathe some fresh air.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she had a little startle at the sound of the door opening, but she didn't look behind her.

2007-02-06 [Synsae]: "Good evening Lady Sofia, unable to sleep? sorry if I startled you, was not trying to do that" Kael bowed to Lady Sofia, "Its a lovely view of the Garden is it not?"

2007-02-06 [Chrysilla]: She turned her head and smiled.
"Good evening, Kael." She looked at the garden again. "This is so beautiful. You don't see this in Askiliad, you know." She sighed. "There, summer is when half of the snow is gone. But not many flowers can live on our frozen lands."

2007-02-06 [Synsae]: Kael smiled back, "Yes, I know what that is like, in Elian on the northend of the city, we barely get to see flowers grow until the middle of Summer... but soon after, they die after a week... its a shame... such pretty things on the planet... dying after only a week on this world"

2007-02-06 [Synsae]: Kael lost his smile for a bit discussing death of flowers from his town, "Sorry, I did not mean to discuss the death of beauty, tell me, in what part of Askiliad do you come from? and which part of the border did you cross?

2007-02-06 [Chrysilla]: A quick movement of her fingers made the balcony door open and the book she left in the hall fly to her hand. She laughed softly at Kael's expression, then a white, delicate flower with a strong, yet delicious perfume appeared between her fingers.
"We call it 'the tear of the maiden'. It's one of the few flowers we had in our garden." She was keeping her eyes on the fragile petals. "The castle of Havard lays in the very middle of Askliad." When she spoke, her voice was soft and low, almost like a whisper. "I just took the way to south." She inhaled the perfume again and didn't say anything, lost in her thoughts for a moment, then asked:
"Tell me more about you, Kael; what kind of fighter are you?"

2007-02-06 [Synsae]: Kael laughed, "So I see you know magic, well I am both a sword and bow fighter, and I am a master at ambushing my enemies... its honestly the best way to defend Elian from our enemies with our terrain and small number of city guards" Kael unsheathed one of his Scimitars, "This is one of my swords, it has been made of the strongest metal known on the planet and its sharp enough to cut down a tree 10inches thick with one swing... my father gave me this sword the day he found out I enlisted in the city guard... though I suppose thats not what you meant when you asked me to tell you more about me, so... what else would you like to know of me?"

2007-02-06 [Chrysilla]: She put the flower in her hair.
"Well I am a mage and a swords fighter. My father used to tease me by calling me a 'words fighter' when I was making people do what I wanted them to do without using magic or anything else. Looks like I confused you a little, too", she laughed. "There isn't something particular I wanted to know about you. I just wanted you to tell me whatever crossed your mind. Listen to you talking. That can say much about someone", she added, looking into Kael's light blue eyes and making him blink. She smiled again and took his scimitar, watching it closely with the eye of an expert, then gave it back to him. "A fine sword indeed. Not difficult to win a battle when you have one."

2007-02-06 [Synsae]: Kael laughed some more, "Well I hope the way I talk is good." Kael sheathed his sword beck behind his back, "My father honestly used to call me trouble, because I was always getting into it, even when I was not trying to... I guess it was because I was the youngest and my father paid more attention to my eldest brother and sister... and it gave me opportunity to cause issues." Kael smiled as he raised his hand and pushed some hair out of Lady Sofia's face, "but then I enlisted and straightened up... and the sword maybe light... but they are quicker to swing in battle when against double edged swords... they win me my battles and keep me alive throughout"

2007-02-07 [Chrysilla]: "I am tired, Kael. I would better go to my room. It was good talking to you. Good night!" she said, then took her book and left.

2007-02-07 [Synsae]: Kael nodded, "Good night Lady Sofia, I guess I too shall go back to bed." Kael then left the Balcony and went to his quarters.

2007-02-10 [Synsae]: Kael woke up and came out of his room. He walked directly to the fireplace where he threw two pieces of wood into it as he was getting a bit cold. Then he felt something land on his shoulder and he looked over to see Vera perching on him, he petted the bird hello.

2007-02-10 [Chrysilla]: Sofia left her room.
"Good morning, Kael", she said as she was disappearing out of the common hall.

2007-02-10 [Synsae]: Kael turned his head, "Good morning Lady Sofia" and he nodded as she disappeared

2007-02-10 [Synsae]: Kael felt warmer and he heard someone in the training field, so he got up, went to his room to grab his weapons and headed out to The tourney field to see who was there.

2007-02-10 [Chrysilla]: Sofia opened her door and quickly crossed the commons in her way out.

2007-02-12 [M. P. Ness]: *~It would seem Shalon was rarely awake when evveryone else was... but such was fine with him. He did tend to be a loner, as he'd grown quite accustomed to solitude with his old age and longer lifespan.
Sure, the typical Elvish aloofness might be used to describe his 'seeming' lack of team-playerism, but the truth was that he could be quite a good team player when need arose for it.
*Being shy as he was, and so used to solitude, not to mention quite nervous often in the presence of others, Shalon just hadn't grown acquainted with much of anyone in this late point of his life. His elders (yes, even the elderly have elders) often told him it was a phase, a stage he would grow out of, just as they had, but at the time, he didn't likely see it happening.
It would of course, but such thought was beyond him at this stage.
Thus, he traipsed out of his room again, silent as always, though he wasn't making any effort to be so. He was only being courteous to whomever his neighbors might be within this hall of doors.
And he meandered out onto the common balcony to perch himself upon the railing as he'd done before, rediculous long blade laterally at his back, and rapier done the same, albeit within a scabbard, below the great thinblade, and attached to the same unique harness. Based upon the leftbound long handles it would be quite safe to say he was primarily right handed.
*but there upon the balcony he would perch in the late evening, having just awakened yet again, (ever the night owl), and he would simply study things, (ever the philosopher), just as he always did, though mostly, he studied himself and his thought patterns, ever deciphering what he was and who he would become.
this was a practice, often meditative, that one learned to endure daily, after so many years of life. One could say, it was necessary, to keep the possibility of insanity at great distance.
He was rather longing for others to talk to. But, at the same time, he grew nervous at the prospects. He didn't relish the way it felt to be flushed and tingly, or jittery when confronted with others in larger numbers than a few.
He thusly mourned his past, for a short moment, thinking of the two people in the world he'd never felt out of sorts with...and of how far and how long they'd been gone from him.
He rightly didn't think anyone could ever come along and replace the absences, as comfortably, but he'd be willing for the slow introduction that always comes with such things.
He decided....He'd just have to pace himself and grow, like the mammoth sequoia, whom likely lived longer than he ever would. slowly, bit by bit, they would grow, and survive forestfires and bitter frost forever. They would simply go on and on until the end.

2007-02-12 [M. P. Ness]: With that in mind, he turned his eyes to the gardens below his perch, and to the glen of heroes beyond.
Mayhaps, it would be time to explore a bit further and see what it was that he didn't know about Vangaard's grounds.
but in either way, he wasn't in any hurry, and remained perched as he was, thinking and surveying.

2007-02-15 [Chrysilla]: Sofia threw her stuff on the floor and hurried to the tourney field hoping to find someone there.

2007-02-15 [Chrysilla]: Back from the tourney field, Sofia took her luggage off the floor and entered her room to range it, then left for the courtyard.

2007-02-19 [Chrysilla]: Sofia enters the hall, takes a book of magic from her room, sits down in an armchair and starts studying.