Legends of Belariath
Lei`Saran
Hearing returned first, the soft sound of birdsong and the rustle of leaves in the trees. She felt warmth then from the sun shining down on her, which made her aware of the light coming through her, closed eyes. She blinked her eyes open then only to be seized with panic as her sight was not as it should have been.
Color...she had never seen its like before in so many shades and variations. Body head, any heat is what she is used to seeing by. Her eyes snap closed again as she lies there on her back....back? Panic hit her anew as never before has she been able to lie like this for her body structure and tail would not allow it. Her mind races thinking her tail lost in the fight. There is no pain though, there is no pain at all now that she notices it and she knows she had been injured in the fighting.
That is why she is in these bushes having pulled herself here away from the others to die. Death did not take her though it seems and she is not sure why. She has to move to get back to her clan, things feel wrong though. She grunts as she rolls and the panic starts to get to her again, as what should move her does not. She tries to use her short upper legs to get her to her side and blinks as something flops next to her. She turns her head and stares it taking a few moments to realize that it is part of her. She closes her eyes again and takes a deep breath trying to calm herself before the panic swamps her again.
Again she tires to move having more luck this time as she gets to her side and onto her belly. A sudden burst of knowledge released from somewhere in her mind has her pulling herself to what in her thinking are oddly shaped legs up and under herself and pushes her body up with her arms.
She remains on all fours her head hanging down as she tries to figure out what to do next. That strange burst of knowledge comes again and she pushes herself to her knees wobbling there a few moments until she sits back on her heels which helps her to balance better. She looks around as she holds her arms out slightly to steady herself to make sure she is in the same place she passed out at. She sighs slightly and looks down at herself taking in her new form, the panic does not come, as she seems to know she is stuck like this and so must deal with it.
Dealing with it is the only thing she can do as far as she is concerned. To give up is not something that is a part of her makeup. She knows she has to get to these new feet though, that she can not stay where she is. Many moments are spent struggling as she also learns to grasp with her hands before she is able to get herself pulled to her feet. She stands there swaying slightly and hanging onto the branch of the small tree. She looks around with a bit of wonder at the world around.
Small is all she can think at first; things look a lot smaller now. Her head turns to and fro as she tries to take it all in. Again times passes without her realizing it before the thought to walking comes to her. She frowns as she looks down and recalling how the keepers moved, hesitantly she lifts one foot and moves it forward and watching as it thuds back down. Now the other she thinks and watches as it moves also. She blinks in surprise and lets her grip on the branch loosen then fall away as she takes one small step after the other. How she suddenly knows what to do to walk she isn't sure but it is a relief.
Out of the brush she emerges to find herself in the middle of the battle she had left. She stands silently looking out over the death field before finally she starts to pick her way through. Scavengers snarl and hold their ground or flee at her coming only to return to their feast after she passes by. She does not stop until she finds herself looking down at one who she is sure resembles her...at least she thinks so with the dark skin and body shape. Her head tilts, as she looks this one over and comparing it to herself, what she can see of herself anyway. She vaguely knows that this one is wearing something over her skin called clothing and something prompts her to kneel down and start to remove the clothing from the dead female dark elf. Once off she puzzles over it for long moments trying to figure out of to put it onto herself.
A small burst of knowledge flares in her mind again and she blinks before starting to slowly get herself into the clothing. She doesn't question these flashes of knowledge any more, just accepts them and the help they give as she still tries to become used to this form she now bares. To her feet she gets again once she has the boots on her feet and she looks herself over the best she can and nods to herself thinking she looks better but part of her wishing she didn?t have to wear this stuff. She looks down at the dead one again and studies her for a long time trying to burn into her memory what one like her looks like in case she sees anymore of them. As she looks she spots the fallen ones whip laying nearby and without thinking she bends over to collect it and attach it to her belt. Only after it is sucured does she blink at the action, only a head shakes does this get though and the whip stays where it is.
She turns and looks out over the death field seeing here and there the bodies of what she knows are some of her clan. She starts to walk again moveing and weaving through the dead and stoping by those of her kind. She kneels down by each for a few moments to see who they used to be before death claimed them. A light touch to bid them goodbye is all the mourning she knows to give them before she stands and turns away from it all and heads away.
She has no idea her direction nor does she care she only travels and studies the people she comes upon never letting herself are seen by them for she does not know how she would be taken by them. Long she wanders slowly learning the sounds they make and what they mean and how to say them herself until one dark moonless night she finds herself near a lighted building in the woods and decides to take the chance and enters The Lonely Inn.