Strange Magic(Amber and Night)

(Okay, sounds good. As for my ideas, I have a few.

One is the brothers arrive during the night. A fight happens, but Danir steps in and things calm down some.

Another is Danir leaves and Edlyn doesn't notice. His brothers come and question her about it. Perhaps they bring her along to find him.

Lastly, perhaps Edlyn and/or Danir notice someone's watching them, not realizing who it is. They run, but the brothers manage to catch them and come to an understanding.

Alternatively, there could be a combination from these ideas of some kind

Also, should Edlyn be taken by the elves? Like maybe they want to question her or something for example.)

(I think that's a good idea. Edlyn would be on the losing end of the fight because, well, she can't see. Anyway, I think them bringing her along because she knows too much would be interesting.)

(Yeah I think that's a good start. Also, you want me to go ahead and get a reply up?)

(Alright~ I'll go ahead and get one up tonight to get the ball rolling. Also, good night!)

The day had gone by like all the others. No one had visited, leaving the two companions alone to their devices. Each day, Danir had felt improvement in his health. Slow improvement, but it was improvement. He might still be down one arm, but he was sure that he would be able to travel back home without any worries. His strength, at least, was up to the point where he felt confident in using magic if he needed to. However, as good of news as that should have been, the thought also brought with it a pang of sadness. In such a short time, he had come to see Edlyn as a friend, one that he never would have ever expected to find. He had grown fond of the stories they shared, the information they learned from each other, and just the ease in which they interacted. He was definitely going to miss her when he left. The hard part was trying to find the right time to tell her it was time to make his leave.

The elf chuckled as the woman retold her story of one of the many fights she had been a part of in her younger years. They did amuse him greatly, mainly because he admired her fiery personality. Sure, there were plenty of female elves with the same attitudes, but it was kind of enduring to see it in a human. He wasn't sure why. "I'm sure he didn't," he commented, putting the dirty dishes into the sink to be washed. "Sounds to me, though, that he kind of deserved what he got as well, so I don't feel too sorry for the poor boy. "

"You are the prime example of learning from your mistakes," Danir teased. Although, there were certainly more than a few stories that ended the same way for him, so he really couldn't say anything about it. While Edlyn worked on the dishes, the elf picked up a towel and began to wipe down the counter. His injured arm was still sore to move, but he could manage the majority of the chores on his own. However when it came to the dishes, he let her handle it, just in case he accidentally broke something.

"Ah, now there's a topic of learning from mistakes," he claimed with a small chuckle. "There are many elves of whom I would proudly call my friends, and some I would say are politely tolerated. Keep in mind, though, that the age differences between us didn't allow for quiet a smooth start. Gullible and impulsive I was, and it seemed to be the source of amusement for many others."

"It usually isn't a huge factor in the forming of friendships, but keep in mind that a lot of my town's populace has several centuries on them. Imagine a ten year old trying to hang out at a tavern with a group of thirty year olds who have already lived half their lives. While I was figuring things out, everyone else already had a good idea of everything. Now, that doesn't mean I had a hard time finding friends. I actually made quiet a few friends. It was difficult, but eventually I learned who I truly got along with and who were using me as a source of amusement.

"I would say that there are a fair number of my friends who are rangers," he continued. Those are the people that I spend a lot of my time with. However, I would say my closest friend has to be one of the farmers that live on the outskirts of the city. Now, while the 'us' I used was more figuratively, but I guess she would be the one that I considered a fit for the other part of the term. She's a little on the eccentric side, but I think you would like her."

(Not sure what things are like for your area, but how are you holding up with all this chaos? Also I know different people feel differently about it, so sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything.)

Edlyn cocked her eyebrow at his comment. It was certainly shaping up to be an interesting tale indeed. She nodded along as she finished up the last few dishes, curious to see where the story would go. Edlyn chuckled lightly at a few parts, but also found herself feeling bad for the elf making such mistakes. As he continued his tale, the blacksmith finished her chores. The night's work was coming to and end and they would be able to go to sleep soon. Pulling up a chair nearby as the man, she kept her full attention as he finished the story.

"You got quite lucky indeed. How did your mentor react to such brazen behavior?" There was a slight teasing in the woman's voice, but also a genuine curiosity.

(Okay, cool. Anyway the pneumonia sucks, but I'm glad to hear you're doing okay despite that. The fact that it's gone is good too.

Doing pretty good actually all things considered. Only down side is being cooped up and having the occasional disagreement with one of my siblings, but that's to be expected. Also finally getting around to finishing a book I've been slowly rereading for the past two months or so. It's not that it's bad, quite the opposite actually. I'm just not ready to reread the emotional gut-punch of an ending.)

"Well, it stopped you from repeating such a mistake again, which isn't bad. And hey, you turned out fine in the end and made a good friend in the process. Anyway, it sounds like you're really close to Saehel, but she did save your life so it's not surprising. With you spending so much time with her, it makes me wonder just what kind of mischief you've gotten yourself into. Of course that's assuming she isn't the responsible type." She was curious if the elf woman helped knock sense into Danir or encouraged his mischief. Silence settled between the pair for a moment. Edlyn gave a small smile to Danir and leaned forward slightly.

"Hey, thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. It's nice to see stuff done in around the house while I'm working." She paused for a moment, then allowed herself to stretch and yawn. For the first time, the blacksmith realized just how tired she was.

(Ah, well mostly gone is better than nothing! Or maybe better than it still being there in this case.

Yeah I'm the oldest child at 20 and the youngest of the four of us is 9, so there's no jobs for them to go to. Hopefully this'll all blow over by the next month.

Also, should we go ahead and skip to the middle of the night?)

"Not that surprising considering she had to save you from eating poisonous plants, which also happened to be your first meeting. It's good that you had someone who could keep you in line too," Edlyn added with a chuckle. "You know what? It seems you may have a knack for making friends by getting hurt first. You accidently poisoned yourself and stumbled onto Saehel's land and netting her. Then you get attacked by a wampus and I bring you here." It was an interesting thing to note

"I'm not that tired," Edlyn insisted as she yawned again. "Okay maybe I am. You're right, we should probably head to bed. Night, Danir." Edlyn got up from the chair and placed it back before heading to her bedroom for some sleep.

(Haha that's very true. They're pretty good about respecting personal space usually. The key word being usually.

Also, sounds good to me!)

Edlyn groggily awoke to the sound of creaking somewhere outside her door. A few more squeaks followed making it clear someone was moving around in the main room. Danir must've gotten water or something, she thought as she settled back into her blanket. As she relaxed, Edlyn could hear the soft sound of footsteps entering the hall. She paid no mind to it for a moment until a realization popped into her head. There were two distinct sets. A moment of panic jolted her awake as the realization hit her. Intruders! Edlyn carefully slid off her bed, a chill rolling down her spine as the cool air hit her skin. The simple, thin shift didn't offer much in the way of warmth. She ignored it as she looked towards her door.

Through the darkness, the blacksmith reached for her sword. She never slept without it nearby, which currently proved to be a very useful habit. Bringing it to her side, Edlyn slowly inched towards the door. She knew the room well enough to make little to no noise despite her lack of sight. That didn't stop her from stumbling slightly, though. Once she was close enough, she carefully pressed her ear aganist it. She could hear people on the other side followed by what sounded like voices, though it was impossible to tell what they were saying. Drawing in a steady breath, Edlyn pulled away. Worry, fear, and anger swirled in her chest. She had no clue how Danir was doing or what would happen if he was found. She didn't know why they were there or how many of them there really were. She really didn't know anything.

Edlyn grimaced. Whatever the reason for the break in, there would undoubtedly be a fight. Pressing her ear to the door once again, the blacksmith tried to figure out where the intruders were. She heard slight movement again as they moved deeper into the hall. Edlyn stepped back from the door and watched it for a minute. Taking in another breath, the woman had a choice to make. She could either stand around and wait for something to happen or go out and try to fight. The blacksmith quickly made up her mind. Lurching forward, Edlyn forced open the door and burst out. Through the darkness she blindly swung her sword, ready for whatever came next.

Although she had the advantage of surprise, the blacksmith wasn't lucky enough to get a good hit on the intruder. Her blade was easily deflected by the stranger, which meant they likely had some kind of formal training. She listened closely as the blades striked aganist each other, hoping to gain some insight on what weapon they had. It seemed likely to be a short sword or perhaps a dagger or two, but Edlyn couldn't be sure. In the brief seconds she thought it over, the stranger grabbed her wrist. Her sword awkwardly wobbled in the air as the move was made.

Edlyn tried to pull away, but the stranger's grip was too strong. That, coupled with the hand being large, made the young woman believe the assailant was a man. The blacksmith grimaced, but she wasn't about to give up. Without hesitation, Edlyn clenched her free hand and punched towards the stranger. It was too dark to aim properly, so she blindly striked ahead. She hit something, though it wasn't the intruder's face- unfortunately -or the wall. She could feel the stranger shift slightly, so it was likely his chest or arm. Taking advantage of her punch, the woman began to struggle free. Her sword continued to wobble in the air, making it diffcult. As she tried to pull her wrist away, Edlyn glared towards the intruder.

"Who are you? What do you want?" She angrily demanded. She truly did want to know the identity of the pair and why they were there. However, she also hoped it served as a distraction to work in her favor. The woman continued to struggle, but was quickly becoming fed up with her attempts. With a grunt, she glanced towards her sword. Edlyn awkwardly passed the blade to her free hand, hoping she would give her another oppertunity to strike.

As soon as her sword was secure, she swung it at the man again. Edlyn didn't know if it would even get close to hitting him as she couldn't get into a proper stance partically due to her nightgown and her wrist still within the stranger's grip. Whatever happened, the blacksmith hoped she could escape unharmed. Unfortunately the sword hit the wall behind the assailant. Edlyn sighed and pulled the weapon back towards her. Before she could get in another hit, the man whispered something l, which she couldn't understand. The blue light caught her attention first. It was quickly followed by an icy shock that shot through her body. Edlyn gasped and sank to the ground, dropping her sword. It clanged to the ground and echoed through the house. At the same time, a realization struck the blacksmith.

They're elves! It explained why her opponent seemed to move around with ease and how he could do magic. They were probably there for Danir. Nothing else made sense. The woman opened her mouth to say something, but found that was impossible. She hoped her elf friend would appear before things gor worse.

(No worries, it works! Also didn't know how you wanted to do the spell, so I improvised.)