<br/><br/><hr/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Aranduriel Ithilwen – Moon Elf Cleric</strong></span><br/><hr/><br/>The branches of the trees brushed past, their leaves jostled and tumbling in a variant of color. The sun was setting low on the horizon and the hurried sound of hooves along the forest floor was heard in loud succession. The various birds and wildlife scattered out of the way in fear as most skitterish creatures do. The white stallion broke through the brush and into the clearing along the coast. As the colors leaked across the cloudless sky, a lovely woman, an elven woman to be exact, sat atop the stallion. She rode bareback, with her legs settled in a side fashion, wearing long flowing robes in shades of white, silver and blue. She looked like a goddess, an angel, sitting atop the ebony beast. Her own features contrasted, like the moon against the night sky. The salty air uplifted from the waters down below and blew her long silvery white hair behind her like a curtain of silk. The strong burst sent a light mist with the breeze from crashing waves over her. The cool water causing a soft sigh of relief over her, as the setting sun cooled the day and the fine spray of saltwater cooled her heated skin.  Sparkling silver Eladrin eyes stared out over the waters and she dreamt of adventures, of racing across the waters on a ship bound for no where.<em> “One day, Aranduriel, one day...”</em><br/><br/>Every evening was just like that.<br/><br/><strong> “Aranduriel, please pay attention!” </strong>she heard her mother say again as she was off in another of her infamous daydreams.<br/><br/>She looked ahead at the books and nodded to her in an unspoken reply that she was listening. She had been learning more each day and her skills in healing the sick was something of a prodigy for her family.  The Ithilwen family had high honors in the village. Well, most of them, her brother was a bit of an exception. Kariel left home just after his maturation. He wanted to become a fighter, a swordsman, an adventurer who stood in the face of evil and defeated with great skill and honor. Aranduriel envied him.  She had begged and pleaded with him to take her along.<br/><br/><strong>“Ara, Sasserine is no place for a beautiful young elven maiden such as you. It’s dangerous, and you are just past a hundred nights. I will come back in a couple years and we will go off on our own adventure. I promise. ”</strong>Those were his last words to her before his, “Goodbye,” and that was almost 5 years ago. She remembered arguing that she was only a few years younger then he but he would hear none of it. She even tried using her extraordinary charisma to charm him, but he was too willful it seemed.<br/><br/>The moon elves were the most common in the entire kingdom and it was not unheard of for travelers to pass through. That is where her adventures began. A man from Sasserine stayed in the village, he was a Paladin of the sun God and spoke of the terrible troubles in the city. All Aranduriel could think of, was Kariel. She had to leave and go find him; she had to be sure he was okay. That night when all was quiet and everyone settled she slipped out, she had a small purse of coins and a backpack of essentials. She left a simple note for her parents, not to worry that she would be okay and she’d send word soon.<br/><br/>..............................................................<br/><br/>That was a month ago. Aranduriel had since found a room that she paid for by the week and had not had any luck in finding her brother. She found some minor work  doing some healing through the city, it was enough to keep food in her mouth and a roof over her pretty head, but nothing to write home about. She had just finished with a job and was walking back to the inn when the Halfling woman approached. She tilted her head downward to the woman, though not nearly as far down as the average human might, and gave her a beautiful charismatic smile. She accepted the letter and beckoned her to follow with promise of compensation for doing so. She was sure the carrier would have no problems with doing so as it was not far to where they were headed.<br/><br/>She tucked the letter in her bag and continued on to the Inn. When she was within the safe confines of the Inn, she offered to buy the woman a drink as they found a place to sit. After receiving her own drink, a simple red wine, and one for the woman if she so wished, she was able to devote her attentions to the letter without distractions from possible thieves and the like. She took out her letter opener and notated the crest with a curious tilt of her head before she sliced through the papered envelope. She looked down at the scripted writing and read it quietly and thoroughly.<br/><br/>Upon finishing it, she read it over twice more before she looked back to the woman and nodded.<br/><br/><strong>“I would be honored to attend. Send my best wishes to your mistress and I will see her soon.”</strong><br/><br/>She held out her hand to the Halfling woman, her innocent charm enough to bring a smile to even the most downtrodden, even if only for a moment.<br/><br/><strong>“Thank you for your expedient delivery. I do hope you don’t have too much more to do this day. Be well and may Pelor smile upon you.”</strong><br/><br/>She placed a couple silver pieces into her hand discreetly, and offered a final smile. Upon the Halflings departure, Aranduriel sat back and sipped at the wine. It was not nearly as good as the elven wine, but it would have to make due as the Elven variety was far too expensive for her at the moment.<br/>