Depths of Kilwood

The Kilwood forest shrouds the young man in deep shade as he lays back upon the thick limb of a Scardian Ironwood, high above the forest floor. A sizzle of flame from a match lights the cigarette perched between his lips, lighting up his face.



He slowly breathes out smoke, as he lays up there, his hawk eyes combined with his vantage point allowed him to see a great distance around and below him, and combined with his green clothes... he was practically a ghost.

He pulled the hood over his head, and closed his eyes. He could sense that Meryl was near by, and debated seeing her; but she was probably with Pris and Gwendolyn. The Dryads were awfully quite today it seemed too... however, he had heard other whispers... that an old man was approaching the forest. He paid it no mind, humans came through these woods all the time, young and old, pretty and ugly, good and bad. He ignored the gossip and relaxed, letting the setting sun's rays fall upon his lazing form.

Connor Greyarrow wrote:The Kilwood forest shrouds the young man in deep shade as he lays back upon the thick limb of a Scardian Ironwood, high above the forest floor. A sizzle of flame from a match lights the cigarette perched between his lips, lighting up his face.



He slowly breathes out smoke, as he lays up there, his hawk eyes combined with his vantage point allowed him to see a great distance around and below him, and combined with his green clothes... he was practically a ghost.

He pulled the hood over his head, and closed his eyes. He could sense that Meryl was near by, and debated seeing her; but she was probably with Pris and Gwendolyn. The Dryads were awfully quite today it seemed too... however, he had heard other whispers... that an old man was approaching the forest. He paid it no mind, humans came through these woods all the time, young and old, pretty and ugly, good and bad. He ignored the gossip and relaxed, letting the setting sun's rays fall upon his lazing form.

"Heh, should have known you would be laying about, boy. Or perhaps man is now more appropreate..." came the sound of a familiar voice from below.

Seated in the saddle of a White Mane Courser...



... was none other than Hrothor.

"It is good to see you again Ty."

Hrothor the Honored wrote:

"Heh, should have known you would be laying about, boy. Or perhaps man is now more appropreate..." came the sound of a familiar voice from below.

Seated in the saddle of a White Mane Courser...



... was none other than Hrothor.

"It is good to see you again Ty."

Connor's eyes flashed open, and he sat up, pulling back his hood. He glanced down, the cigarette hanging from his lips almost falling out for his jaw hung open at the sight of his former master. He removed the cigarette from his lips and smirked.



"Now... thats a name I've not heard for a very long time." He replied. He inspected the white maned horse nearby, then back to Hrothor. "You haven't changed much... I'd figured you'd have less hair by this point." He added with snark. He inhaled more of the cig between his right hand's fingers, and then blew a cloud of smoke. "I see you're in good health, Hrothor." He smirks.

Hrothor smiled slightly "Yes, well, things change. I brought you some things, but this will be the last time we meet Ty, let us make the best of it eh?"

Hrothor patted a satchel bag on the flank of the courser. and above it sat a long object wrapped in cloth. "I see you have taken up smoking leaf, and you always fond of the Verdant Stone short mead." Hrothor started. "So, if you have a place to stay, I can gift unto you a few things before my time is over."

Hrothor the Honored wrote:Hrothor smiled slightly "Yes, well, things change. I brought you some things, but this will be the last time we meet Ty, let us make the best of it eh?"

Hrothor patted a satchel bag on the flank of the courser. and above it sat a long object wrapped in cloth. "I see you have taken up smoking leaf, and you always fond of the Verdant Stone short mead." Hrothor started. "So, if you have a place to stay, I can gift unto you a few things before my time is over."

He frowned at the sound of his... name. "I... go by Connor these days." He says in a low tone. I'm... not worthy of the Greyarrow name... He thought briefly, before turning his attention to the West. "Last time, eh? Was I wrong about your health?" He asked, not looking at the elderly man before he brought up the rolled tobacco leaf. He blinked, yanking it from his lips and inspected it, almost as if it was something from a different planet. "Oh, yeah. Its all the rage in the bigger cities so I hear. I got a pack of them from some Galideno Soldier who got lost in the woods. As for mead.. I haven't been in Kilwood for a few weeks... Dad was fond of it too." he says with a sigh, before closing his eyes, bowing his head. "Look, Hrothor... what exactly are you doing here? We haven't seen each other in what now, sixteen or so years?" He asked, sighing again.

"I see you have not yet lost your suspicion of me." Hrothor said, although his smile betrayed no ill will. "Come, stand before me as a man. I do not bite you know."

When Connor asked him about his health, then demanded to know why he was here. Hrothor sighed, and sat down beside his horse. He waited for Connor to join him before speaking again.

Hrothor the Honored wrote:"I see you have not yet lost your suspicion of me." Hrothor said, although his smile betrayed no ill will. "Come, stand before me as a man. I do not bite you know."

When Connor asked him about his health, then demanded to know why he was here. Hrothor sighed, and sat down beside his horse. He waited for Connor to join him before speaking again.

He did not answer him, only scratched his neck, grumbling with lidded eyes. Then closing them, sighed, before swinging both legs off the side of the tree limb, and dropped down. His green cape flapped around him as he lands on one knee, lifting himself up before the taller man, who only appeared shorter due to him sitting. He stood there, sighing again before placing a hand on his hip. "So, why is it you've come? I came down and we're in each other's space now. Answer me this, and maybe I'll show you where I call home these days."

Hrothor smiled as he looked Connor up and down. "You've grown... Good" Hrothor said. "I've come because I intend to give you your father's last will. It is the least I can do for you both, before I go."

In Hrothor's lap rested the long object wrapped in cloth as he spoke to Connor. "But first, I should explain a few things... Many things I suppose..."

Hrothor then tapped some smoking leaf from his own tobacco pouch into a long pipe, before lighting it. "Tysnolf, you misunderstood what I was truly trying to teach you back then... Chivalry and a code of honor are merely words. It is the people behind them that give the words meaning. To do good or ill reflects ones character, and through that we find honor. You have found your own sense of chivalry, and through it honor. Your friends, the spirits of nature within Kilwood have accepted this spirit of yours, and that is why they showed you a new path. You never dishonored your family..." Hrothor's eyes looked down at the sword. "You never dishonored Kraer's memory." he looked back up into Connor's eyes.

"He wanted you to have this. His words to you etched into my memory as such - 'I sincerely wish for the day when this sword not be needed. But if the time comes, and you find yourself needing additional power my son, then take it. It is yours. Use it to forge a path through the darkness, and into the light. May it shine brightly in your hands, and light the worlds darkest hour.'"

And with those words, he presented the cloth wrapped object to Connor. "You were never expelled from the Order of the White Sword, Ty. I have not dismissed you, but only you can make the choice."

Hrothor the Honored wrote:Hrothor smiled as he looked Connor up and down. "You've grown... Good" Hrothor said. "I've come because I intend to give you your father's last will. It is the least I can do for you both, before I go."

In Hrothor's lap rested the long object wrapped in cloth as he spoke to Connor. "But first, I should explain a few things... Many things I suppose..."

Hrothor then tapped some smoking leaf from his own tobacco pouch into a long pipe, before lighting it. "Tysnolf, you misunderstood what I was truly trying to teach you back then... Chivalry and a code of honor are merely words. It is the people behind them  that give the words meaning. To do good or ill reflects ones character, and through that we find honor. You have found your own sense of chivalry, and through it honor. Your friends, the spirits of nature within Kilwood have accepted this spirit of yours, and that is why they showed you a new path. You never dishonored your family..." Hrothor's eyes looked down at the sword. "You never dishonored Kraer's memory." he looked back up into Connor's eyes.

"He wanted you to have this. His words to you etched into my memory as such - 'I sincerely wish for the day when this sword not be needed. But if the time comes, and you find yourself needing additional power my son, then take it. It is yours. Use it to forge a path through the darkness, and into the light. May it shine brightly in your hands, and light the worlds darkest hour.'"

And with those words, he presented the cloth wrapped object to Connor. "You were never expelled from the Order of the White Sword, Ty. I have not dismissed you, but only you can make the choice."

The man whose birthname was Tysnolf Greyarrow bowed his head, almost shamefully. "I am not built for the knighthood. I do not confront enemies up close, but from the safety of shadows and out of range. I am a coward, as the knight instructors had stated way back when." he says arms folded. He raised his eyes to the old man's and frowned. "I am surprised you knew where to find me, but then again... you are the last Paladin of the Order." Connor added.

He saw the shape in his lap, and had an inkling of what it could be considering he knew its shape well, even when covered. He ogled its shape when he was a child, had polished it's mirror surface and asked his father, Kraer, several questions about it, from where it had been forged and who it had killed. Odd questions for a child that deserved no answer, but Kraer handled them well. Connor imagined many had been cut down by it, but not one was unworthy of death. The blade of the order rarely kills those who do not deserve it, and the same could be said about Kraer Greyarrow's blade. Yet...

He frowned. He half reached for the covered blade, before his hand recoiled slightly, and he turned around quickly, his green shroud around his shoulders whipping around with him. "...lets talk elsewhere. Those very 'spirits' of the forest came together when I was a child to build a house of sorts for me. We'll talk there. Your journey was long, and the evening chill is approaching. Come, you can have a bite of the terrible shlop I eat." He says, looking over his left shoulder at Hrothor with a humorous smirk, though it only masked his doubt upon taking up the treasured blade.

Hrothor's eyes remained dimmed in shadow at they so often did, but his smile never left. He took the covered blade and placed it back onto the horse, then took its reigns and patted it's nose, handing the famished beat an apple. "Lead the way. Come Matsukaze, we shall find shelter..."

The immense horse whiny'd a little after chewing it's food, and nuzzled into Hrothor's chest a little.

Connor nodded, slipping his hood back on, before leading both the elderly man and his horse. "Its this way.." he says, leading them westward.