Stronger than Iron

Cerfepto started to dream of her life and how she ended up here: Muuselmami Forest, so peaceful and remote that it rarely appeared on maps. It was east of of Gunawanabjay, near the coast. Despite it being her homeland, her fondness for it was tempered by simple boredom with the settlement's facilities. Most skills came to her easily, but she just lacked the spark to further them with a proper apprenticeship or any extended training. Without a clique or hobby, she ended up something of an outcast despite most villagers having a relatively favorable opinion of her. Lacking a permanent occupation, she mostly just did oddjobs around town, often manual labor or clerical work.

One such example was patrolling the village's perimeter, checking on all the different traps and other defenses they'd erected against bandits and intruders. Unlike their brethren to the south in the giant Bone Forest, the Muuselmami Forest had a natural beauty that was truly replendent, plants and creatures of all colors and sizes, all vibrant and lively. Yet, as with the rest of her life, she felt bored by the repetition, for it was hard to appreciate the forest's beauty when it was all she'd known.

Most days, because of it's aforementioned small size, the village's traps were empty. Yet, one day, she actually noticed a person inside one of the nets. A fellow elf, as a matter of fact, yet one definitely not from the village. They were dressed all in black, with pale skin and shimmering white hair, covered head-to-toe in ornate bits of metal. They were also quite short and slender, unlike Cerfepto.

"Oi, what do you think you're playin' at?" Cerfepto questioned the dangling stranger with a hostile voice and raised brow.

"Easy, my name is A-Atelo and I'm here on p-pilgramage." He nervously answered the dominant female.

"Wot? Pilgrimage? It's a forest, mate." She cracks her crackles. "Best start makin' sense soon. I don't get much action 'ere."

" I come from the Isles of Rimn though I suppose you would not have heard of us we tend to keep to ourselves except to send people like me out to keep info on the world via pilgrimage and to get artifacts and such, Hot Diggety" Atelo gulped feeling stressed out.

"Hmm, wot hopin to find in yer pilgrimage huh" Cerfepto barked.

"Mostly dwarven artifacts and gear but also advances made by other races including our fellow elves"Atelo is hoping to get out of this predicament quickly.

Cerfepto curious of the prospect let Atelo go before stating "you won' find anything like that here mate, the only interesting thing 'ere is watchin two splatcats tryin to figure out how to mate"

Atelo out of sure amazement of this elven beauty in front of him simply states " well Hot Diggety, if it's not to rude to ask why not come with" Atelo then offers his hand.

Just as She was about to take his hand she is awoken from her dream by a sudden sound.

*knock* *knock* *knock

"Snrk...?" Cerfepto's eyes flutter open with a groan. "Someone there...?"

"it me itsa"

"Oh, uh... yer dat elf lass, right?"Cerfepto yawned

Itsa shook her head "no me gobbo"

"Ah, right... sure, come in if you want."Cerfepto says

"itsa feel bad about maid" as she sits on bed

Cerfepto gives a weary sigh. "We did what we could. Can't bring 'er back now."

Itsa nods

"Yer takin' it awfully 'ard... dis a gobbo thing?" Cerfepto tilts her head

"kinda I don know the world yet I only have a week plus of learning and it seem bad" Itsa does her best to explain.

"Well... people die sometimes, the way the world is." *Cerfepto sighs again, more sympathetic this time.* "You get used to it."

"but i couln not even avonge her" (dealing with itsa would be like dealing with a grown up with the wonderment of a kid so for now till she gets more experience some situations are gonna affect her worse and combat sees her go back to feral state)

"Vengeance is overrated. You think you'd be feelin' better just 'cause you got the finishin' blow?" Cerfepto says adopting a judgemental tone.

"dont know im confused i feel worthless" Itsa looks down at floor

"Look, kid, I've only known ya for a day, but those other folk keep you around, so... yer probably worth somethin' to 'em." Cerfepto says

Itsa does not feel same being haphazardly flung into situation by Awakener.

"maybe but i wanna be strong so I can make Elanil proud" Itsa declared.

"Who?"Cerfepto Questioned

"my awakener who also named me" Itsa explained

"Ya think murderin' will make 'em proud?"Cerfepto judges

"no just avenging the innocent, why should they die so bad may live" Itsa says with a sense of justice

"That avengin' crap again..." Cerfepto shakes her head

"sorry but Elanil was a knight who brought justice so i went by her" Itsa proclaims

"Ya can do 'justice' without killin' things. Ya can also be 'bad' without killin' things. The world ain't so simple." Cerfepto explains.

"hmm may be right" scratches head furiously " world so confusing" she looks at her hand " she also was the one who was there when I got this" waves symbol on her hand to show cerrie

"Ain't got a clue what that symbols means, kid." Cerrie says dismissively

"i had vision one night of after being awoken of a glowing lady (goddess) blessing me with it" Itsa proclaims.

"listen kid you prob had to much shroom dust still in head and mis thought it. All I know is I want to see Atelo again.

As Cerfepto goes to talk about Atelo, Itsa passes out and Cerfepto follows suit cause they have a big day tomorrow.