Navires
Le chef du village, un vieil homme, s'est précipité pour rencontrer l'aile à papier qui s'est abattue avec la grâce d'un oiseau vivant, ses yeux se fermant comme la magie de la Charte qui l'a propulsée et le cavalier est monté régulièrement hors du transport. Il était habillé pour la bataille avec les symboles traditionnels de sa lignée estimée, mais la lenteur de ses mouvements ne pouvait être confondue que pour ce que c'était : la vieillesse. Sa barbe était un gris d'orage tout comme ses cheveux serrés mais il y avait une force dans son corps et bien qu'il se déplaçât prudemment il y avait de la force et un but dans ses actions; ce vieux Abhorsen avait encore beaucoup de vie en lui.
"Où?" Il a demandé, bientôt. Le chef du village a hurlé, ne remettant pas en question le manque d'estime de son visiteur. Quand l'Abhorsen est venu dans une épingle à papier habillée pour la bataille, à l'air fatigué d'un long voyage, alors les plaisanteries n'étaient qu'une perte de temps. Le chef guida l'Abhorsen jusqu'à l'endroit où deux chevaux étaient détenus par ses compagnons villageois, également montés sur leurs propres animaux. Ils étaient des bêtes de travail, bas et lents, par opposition aux galopers maigres messagers et guerriers utilisés, mais ils serviraient leur but assez bien.
La pierre de charte étant regardée par deux autres villageois, un peu hors de la ville et plus près du village du chef, mais en raison des forêts épaisses tout autour, il avait été plus facile pour l'Abhorsen d'atterrir à Navis et de continuer à pied ou à cheval.
"Rien encore." L'aîné du couple les accueillit, voyant leurs visages sinistres mais déterminés. "Le corps semble avoir été là quelques bons jours maintenant."
L'Abhorsen est allé seul et à pied pour examiner la pierre et le cadavre encore crucifié sur elle. Il a encerclé la pierre avant de gesticuler pour que le chef du village se joigne à lui. Tous les villageois avaient l'air malades à cause de leur proximité de la pierre brisée de la Charte, mais le chef avait beaucoup manié à son époque et n'avait fait aucun signe de son malaise.
"Avez-vous vu des morts?" L'Abhorsen a demandé et l'homme a hurlé.
-- Oui, monsieur. Pas beaucoup et hors du village proprement dit, monsieur. Quand on rentre, il ne reste plus rien, aucune trace. Leurs traces s'arrêtent, comme s'ils avaient disparu. Un jeune garçon dit qu'il a vu une fille camper par ici. Il dit qu'elle avait des cloches sur elle, monsieur." Il a prononcé les derniers mots dans un murmure comme si mentionner les dispositifs pourrait faire tomber les morts sur eux. L'Abhorse regarda la pierre, se déplaçant les épaules alors qu'il se préparait à l'exhertion devant lui.
"Voyez si votre jeune garçon peut la retrouver. Je vais avoir besoin de lui parler."
Name: Elaeriel (Ell-air-ehl)
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Appearance/Physical Description:
Elaeriel is much paler than the other members of her branch family, although they all have the dark hair commonly associated with the Abhorsens; a trait passed down through the generations. Her eyes are a bright blue giving her a ghostly appearance when contrasted with her white skin. Her raven black hair is straight and nearly always tied back into a ponytail, so as not to get in the way during her day-to-day activities.
Of average height, standing at five foot seven inches tall, Elaeriel often finds herself towered over by other members of her family, especially the men who stand at well over six foot. She has a slight but athletic build, most of her life spent being trained for any of the potential jobs she might be given should her family take power at the end of the Queen's reign.
Her clothing she chooses fastidiously and dependent on the occasion. When in the Royal Palace she wears silk dresses, although eschews the makeup that most of her fellow women apply as she also spends a great deal of her day actively and as such finds the time spent applying it badly spent. When not in the Palace she tends to dress herself in tight leather riding trousers and a tunic top, usually of a cool colour such as green or blue, with appropriate jacket or shawl dependent on the weather.
Personality: Serious and focussed, Elaeriel has spent her entire life being taught that she must be prepared for just about any role. And not just be capable but be good at it. This leads her to be overly serious when it comes to seemingly minor tasks, applying her desire for perfection to anything she faces.
That being said, she is relaxed in conversation although a bit awkward when not talking in an official capacity. Having had very few real friends, as opposed to family friends or cousins who could be potential enemies, she lacks the ability to interact with strangers easily and without suspicion.
History/Background: Born into one of the seven branch families of the Royal Line, Elaeriel is the third and youngest child of her parents. Her eldest brother, in his mid-twenties, is her family's best hope to succeed the Queen and as such she is somewhat eclipsed in any of her achievements. That is not to say that she has been ignored, having been given the best education in almost all matters so she can do her part to secure her family's future.
Her life has been spent amongst cousins who could one day in the future seek to have her killed or could become her partner should her parents and theirs decide it was in their best interests to ally. As such she has had no close friendships and speaks almost exclusively in diplomatic tones; polite and amiable but with little to no sincerity.
Elaeriel hates this life, feeling trapped in machinations she has no interest in with her existence to be a pawn in a much greater game that she wants to escape. Visits from the Abhorsen have always been something she looks forward to, allowing her to escape the confines of the subtle game to hear of the necromancer's adventures and the wider world. She had often pleaded for permission to visit the Abhorsen's House but she was never let out of the sight of her parents or their servants, lest something happen to her and put them at a disadvantage.
She is currently spending most of her days with the Royal physician, learning various methods of healing outside of the Charter and how to spot non-spelled poisons; a vital skill for when she has a spouse her parents assure her.
Skills: She is a skilled charter mage, having been taught it by a succession of guards, Charter Mages of every discipline and even the Abhorsen himself for a short time. Her skill is entirely through the tutelage she has been given rather than an innate ability, although her bloodline gives her a closer connection to the Charter than many enjoy and as such she finds it easier to reach for.
She has walked through the first two gates, although always with someone more skilled in the art at her side, and knows the use of the bells, and other musical instruments well, but only in a theoretical sense.
Aside from this she has skill with bow and blade, specifically with a rapier or any other light weapon, and has spent years on horseback. She is, however, not used to longer journeys and has little experience of living in anything but the lap of luxury.