Everlong

Dreaming of Giants

The duo walked through the grasslands after they had successfully left the Trollclaws behind them, making good time for being on foot, but Olly was used to traveling fast. Being just a little above five feet, she had learned to keep up with the long strides of her father and brothers. Luckily they had not encountered anyone on their trek, Olly feeling the tightening lessen on her the farther she got away from the beast infested area. Ed made for good conversation, telling Olly of different adventures he had throughout his training as a Cleric. Olly liked that he had about as much to talk about as she did, his life pretty full itself with many deeds done around the countryside.

It wasn't long though until they reached some sort of civilization, a pop up village scattered in the grasslands came ahead of them by the time nightfall came. At first, Olly was scared to stay at the village, for fear it would be a solid lead for Peren to find her, but Ed assured her that it was a rare chance that someone would remember them if they only stayed for a night. Still, Olly hung back when Ed went into the local inn and asked for a room, the building fairly small and goods obviously sold out of it when the marketplace was closed.

Olly had watched from the shadows as the farmers passed by, going to their cottages and shacks while the days grind had ended. She envied them in a way, sometimes she just wanted to sit back and live a plain life, only experiencing a thrill when it came her way, instead of her chasing it. That dream though, was just one of many, Olly frustrated with herself sometimes how much she yearned for a life different than the one she had. She had been fortunate, so why yearn? Something just felt like it was missing...but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Ed had come back, getting them both separate rooms to stay in, if Olly could call it a room. It seemed more like a closet that had a small bed, but it worked for just a night. Olly had changed out of her armor, needing to stretch her sore limbs. She was sure she would slip right into sleep the moment she hit the hay filled bed, but as she lay there, she felt her muscles complain to the point where rest seemed hard to do. She could hear people out in the hallway, other travelers no doubt. Still, she lay and listened to the voices, making sure she couldn't make out anyone distinguishable like a certain Elf. She hated this fear, this fear of him, this fear of doing something wrong. She knew it was right, wasn't it? Her family had been her cornerstone, her foundation, so it was only right to jump at the call from her mother. Maybe Peren couldn't understand family, she had tried to incorporate him into hers, but the Elf had grown up around his kind, so human emotion seemed more tedious than anything.

"Fuck him" she breathed out "I love my family." And she did, she loved them so much and missed them more than she would like to think about. She had been catching herself thinking of better times, which probably meant the times she was in now weren't so good....

Olly tried to slow her brain, tossing and turning in the hay bed, feeling the crunch and crack of the straw beneath the thin sheet of cloth. She probably would have preferred finding a high enough tree and settling in on a branch than a tight closed room with a scratchy bed, but she didn't want to leave Ed high and dry to find her in the morning...

She liked the Cleric. It was hard not to like him, he made her feel comfortable, and didn't ask for anything. She was used to someone always wanting something, whether it be Peren, or whoever she was helping. Olly would get lucky every now and then and meet a really decent person, but most of the time, people didn't surprise her with good intentions.

"The world is full of beasts Olly, never forget that" she heard her father say, remembering the way he had looked when he said it. His gray hair had been flickering in the wind, those hard set eyes of his looking to the horizon, his battle scarred face known to Olly better than her own. She could remember being so small and tracing all the scars on her father's face, him telling her with excitement how he got each one. There were a few he didn't elaborate on, and Olly always figured it was a story she wasn't ready to hear just yet, like her father's leg.....