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Post by Daos on May 18, 2010 20:12:11 GMT -8
One foot in front of the other...
This was her only thought, over and over again. She trod forward, relentless and oblivious to all that was around her. She had no idea how long she had been walking. She had no idea where she was going. A person that wasn't suffering from fatigue, hunger, exposure and dehydration may have taken the time to think and ponder on these things. But her brain shut down long ago. It only supplied her body with just enough energy to keep walking and to think one thought.
One foot in front of the other...
It was more of a mantra than a command. It kept her going, despite her legs crying out in pain, despite her feet bleeding and raw from walking so far and long. It was cold out, but her skin felt so very hot and dry. None of that mattered, though. Nothing mattered, save for one thing.
One foot in front of the other...
Somewhere in the very back of her mind, something stirred. The ground had changed in texture, although she could barely feel it. Instead of grass or snow, she was now walking on some kind of cobblestone. This didn't matter to her, though. It barely registered at all, but it was the first thought she'd had other than to keep walking forward since...
"Hey, what are you doing here?" a voice asked. A voice. A human voice. But he may as well had asked her what she thought of the political situation in the Deltalands in Raptorian, for it was all just gibberish to her exhausted mind. Vaguely, her mind stirred long enough to recognize the scent of fish.
Still, she smiled. She smiled in relief, because her brain finally told her she could stop now. She was here. Wherever here was. She heard the man shout something in surprise as darkness overtook her.
She awoke in a bed. It was a cheap, dirty, flat bed but it was like lying on a cloud after her exhausting journey. She felt numb and drained, but otherwise all right. Pulling off the sheets, she found both of her feet had been bandaged up. Her tattered dress was filthy but at least covered her up. She reached a hand to her neck and felt a pendant. Examining it, she saw it was shaped like a star and had a small black gemstone in it.
Where did it come from? She wasn't sure. It was hers, wasn't it?
But who was she?
For a moment, she fought back rising panic. She couldn't remember. Who was she? Where did she come from? Where is she now?
Struggling, only a single word came to mind. 'Sonoma.' Was that her name?
She looked around her meager surroundings. She was in a small bedroom in a worn wooden cabin. Above her was a closed window with the curtain pulled over it. To her right was a shoddy looking dresser. Otherwise, the room seemed bare of possessions. The door was closed, but she thought she could hear voices talking on the other side...
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Random Encounter Roll = 7 (Local Fisherman)
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 19, 2010 18:28:46 GMT -8
After taking a deep breath, Sonoma concentrated on simply getting out of bed. She could feel the pounding in her feet while she was just sitting there, and she dreaded standing upon them once again. Though, the drive to learn more about where she was, who she was, and what was going on was too strong. She knew, at some point, she would have to get up.
A look of determination crossed over the young girl's face as she slowly pushed herself up into a standing position. The determination washed away into a grimace. Biting her lip, she had to repeat her mantra to herself just to make herself move.
"One foot in front of the other," she said softly to herself.
It was a slow and painful walk, but after a few steps she was starting to grow accustomed to the pain. She soldiered on to the closed door in front of her. A feeling of pride swelled up inside her as touched the door knob, as if she had just achieved some impossible goal.
At this point, she considered voices to be a good sign. Without hesitation, she opened the door and peeked her head out to check out her surroundings. "...Hello?" she called out.
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Post by Daos on May 19, 2010 18:52:51 GMT -8
As Sonoma pushed open the door, she heard the voices arguing. Her weak voice interrupted them and both of the people speaking immediately shut up and turned to face her.
One was a man, maybe twice as old as her, with shaggy brown hair, hazel eyes, and a fair complexion. He was wearing faded overalls and frayed leather boots.
The second speaker was a hobbit woman, and an old one at that. Her hair, wound up in a severe bun, was more grey than brown and a number of wrinkles grew on her forehead and hear her stern, hazel eyes. She wore white and blue robes that were considerably cleaner than the man's outfit. Sonoma also thought she saw a pendant hanging around the woman's neck.
"You woke her up," the hobbit said accusingly to the man, who just stood there stewing. She approached the young woman. "You still need to rest. I've healed your injuries, but you are still fatigued."
As if to try and confirm those words, Sonoma felt a wave of weakness wash over her. However, she was determined and steeled herself, forcing her body to continue standing.
Seeing that the young girl was being stubborn, the old hobbit nodded reluctantly. "At least sit down then," she said, gesturing to a hard, worn wooden chair near the burning fireplace. "Chevis, get her some tea or something to eat," she told the man.
"Hey, I've barely got enough for myself. What with winter and all," the man argued.
Ignoring his insolence, the hobbit turned her attention back to the girl. "What's your name, girl? Where are your parents and your home? Why are you here?" she asks.
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CON check = 1 (Success)
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 19, 2010 19:03:49 GMT -8
"I..." It was all Sonoma was able to say. The questions seem to swirl around her head endlessly as she desperately searched for the answers the hobbit woman was looking for. There was nothing there though.
Instead of answering just yet, she walked over to the chair that was indicated by the fire. It was another one of those slow yet to determined walks. She was going to make it to that chair on her own, and as a prize she would get a little relief from the pain she felt in her legs.
"Sonoma," she finally said while she took a seat. "I think my name is Sonoma. I don't know where my parents are, I don't know why I am here, and I don't know where I am from."
From the tone of her voice, she just seemed confused. Sonoma didn't seem to be searching for pity, but for answers herself. Try as she might though, the answers weren't there. She was beginning to think that perhaps she never knew the answers to begin with.
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Post by Daos on May 19, 2010 19:08:35 GMT -8
"Sounds like a tribal name," Chevis said.
"Hush, you. And where is that tea?" the hobbit retorted.
The man looked ready for an outburst, but one stony look for the woman silenced the comment before it was spoken. Defeated, the man sighed heavily and started digging around his dirty abode trying to find tea bags. "I expect the church to compensate me for this..," he muttered under his breath.
Turning back to the girl, the old woman looked her over. "You don't remember anything then? What is the last thing you can remember?"
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 19, 2010 19:31:17 GMT -8
A sudden feeling of uncomfortableness washed over Sonoma. She started to fidget in her chair, as if she was trying to make herself more comfortable. Sadly, it didn't seem to be working. It was painfully obvious that the man named Chevis didn't want her here.
"Tribal?" she asked instinctively, but she quickly shook off the question. She knew she probably wasn't going to understand the answer anyway.
"I remember walking. I don't know what from or where to, I just know that I had to keep moving. I then heard a man's voice, and then I was here," she explained to the hobbit woman.
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Post by Daos on May 19, 2010 20:00:04 GMT -8
"I was afraid of that," the old woman said. "I don't know how long you were out there, but when you collapsed here, you were suffering from prolonged exposure, exhaustion, and fatigue. You're lucky to be alive, actually. I have heard of cases where the mind suffers damage because of such things. Your memory may return in time, though."
Using the tea kettle that was hanging over the fire, Chevis made some tea and handed her a chipped clay mug. Then he helped himself to a cup, but made no attempt to offer any to the old woman.
"So what now?" Chevis asked.
"If she has family or friends, presumably they will come looking for her eventually," the old woman said.
"And if she doesn't? And even if she does, what about until then?" he asked.
"I suppose that's up to you, now, isn't it?"
"Me? No, no, no...we all ready had this discussion. I can't afford to feed another mouth, especially in the winter. I can barely feed myself as it is. I'll be lucky to see spring at this rate!"
The old woman shook her head and stood up. "I'm sure she can decide for herself then, what to do. At least, once she has had some good rest, anyway." Turning to the girl, she said, "I am Mother Hilda Montajay, by the way. If you should need me for any reason, come visit the temple."
"I trust you'll at least wait until she can stand steadily before throwing her out?" she said with a glare to Chevis.
"Yeah, yeah," the man answered, defeated. "Why not? I enjoy sleeping on the floor. Really."
Hilda let herself out, leaving the two of them alone.
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WIS check = 15 (Fail)
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 20, 2010 22:56:35 GMT -8
"But I don't know..." Sonoma finally chimed just as Hilda left. "...where the temple is," she added with a sigh.
Sonoma looked down at the cup in her hands, almost looking unsure on what to do with it. Though, her instincts kicked in and she took a few drinks from the tea. She didn't really how hungry and thirsty she truly was, and to make things worse she was stuck in some room with a strange man that didn't want her around.
"I...," she started, clearly on sure on what to say here. "I'll leave as soon as I can," she promised. "I don't want to be a burden."
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Post by Daos on May 20, 2010 23:17:42 GMT -8
The man, Chevis, sighed morosely. "I hope you like fish, because it's all I got for dinner tonight." He went to start work preparing the meal over a dirty counter in what likely passed for this house's kitchen.
After a few minutes of silence, save for the sound of Chevis' knife on the cutting board, he finally asked, "You got any skills? Something useful to make money?"
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 21, 2010 17:06:51 GMT -8
Sonoma simply stared at the fire. She didn't know if she liked fish or not, but she was hungry enough at this point not to care.
"I...I don't know," Sonoma said timidly as she looked towards Chevis. "But even if I don't, I can learn," she added quickly. After all, she did say she didn't want to be a burden, and that meant that she didn't want to be a burden to anyone.
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Post by Daos on May 21, 2010 22:39:31 GMT -8
Chevis appeared skeptical at this. After a few more moments of silence, he served her a plate of fish. The portions were measly, but it was at least enough to keep her from starving. Without waiting, Chevis immediately began digging into his own food.
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 22, 2010 18:11:01 GMT -8
Sonoma looked down at the food in front of her. Chevis was right, he didn't have much to offer. Though, she couldn't really complain either. For the time being, she had a place to stay, she was warm, and she was being taken care of.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
She began to eat, but a lot more slowly than Chevis. Despite the fact that she as hungry, she didn't want to make herself sick either. Taking it one bite at a time seemed like the smart idea to her.
"Where could I start looking for a job?" she finally asked.
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Post by Daos on May 22, 2010 22:10:26 GMT -8
Chevis shrugged. "All I know is fishing. And since it's winter, the lake is frozen over," he said between bites. "Guess you'll have to ask around town or something."
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Post by HorizonsDream on May 27, 2010 16:04:57 GMT -8
"I don't really know anything about this town though," Sonoma mentioned after taking a few bites.
She didn't really think the fisherman was being all that helpful, but then again she couldn't really complain. After all, he was letting her stay here for a short time.
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Post by Daos on May 27, 2010 17:19:06 GMT -8
Finishing with his meal, he got up. "You'll just have to explore tomorrow then. You got any money at all, girl?" he asked, putting the dish away.
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