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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeremy" data-source="post: 143806" data-attributes="member: 4036">"Yes, um, Khuuld I really think--"  But before Collin had even begun, Khuuld had already begun replacing the arrow in his quiver, muttering to himself.  After a moments thought he bent down and picked up the decorated shafts sticking out of the ground and looked a challenge at the seemingly endless trees.  Daring the hidden elves with his eyes, he placed the three arrows into his own quiver and mounted.Tylette turned with a soothing smile to offer assurances to the elf only to find him gone.  Collin only bubbled on excitedly about all the fascinating things they were seeing.Meanwhile, back at the ship, Frederick was checking the log against the provisioning records he and Collin had scratched out.  They had been at sea much longer than expected.  Heading down to check things out personally, he estimated there was about enough food for another week if it was just himself and the crew eating.  This was not long enough in his opinion.Muttering something more likely to be self-deprecating than anything else, he called the crew before him and announced they were heading into town as well for supplies.The rest of the group had set up camp with a guard posted in the usual fashion, sleeping in shifts, however pointless it seemed to Tylette and Collin (who snuck back into his tent soon after his shift started).The next morning would find them breaking through the tree cover to what could only be Galearon.  The forest had been cleared for about a mile in every direction around the elven capital giving at first, a magnificent setting for the town.  The unusual thing was that the resulting grassland was uniformly cropped down to barely two inches in height.  A shadow could not approach Galearon unseen.At this distance the town appeared to be a grouping of trees, with low houses interspersed around a tall walled structure.  From the eight towers rising equidistant from each other, it could be assumed the compound was most likely shaped like an octagon, though it was difficult to be sure from their vantage.  Another unusal detail was that only the three northernmost towers appeared to be complete.  All of the others were complete to a point at which they ended in a great deal of wooden skeletal structure and scaffolding.They rode the last mile each keeping their own counsel.  Some expected bigger, some figured it at about twice the size of Jigond and were awestruck, others worried over things they had observed, while the rest rode on with lighter thoughts.  All of them were surprised when they actually entered Galearon.The elven capitol appeared for the most part empty.  Here and there they could see it being maintained by unusual magic.  Two wooden buckets floated serenely beside a floating tunic that glided along.  By the number of identical tunics floating about, the colors were livery of some sort.  Here and there an elf went about their business with unhurried grace, but all things considered, there was very little commotion.Collin's eyes lit up at the blatant use of magic while the rest took in the quaint buildings amidst the trees and the more unusual dwellings that were trees.  There were no apparent pathways, cobblestone avenues, or even worn paths; just beautifully maintained grassy spaces between and around trees and homes.  Straight lines were few and far between, spaces and buildings alike were curved more often than not.  Addressing floating tunics produced no effect, but inquiring of an elf at least produced an inclination of the head towards a shaped ivy-covered wooden structure with at least two stories next to apparently a healthy spring that fed a brook that wandered around trees and between homes.The doors to the building glided silently open for them as they approached apparently unaided to judge by the empty common room that greeted them.  Wooden tables that appeared perhaps to still live looked so natural one might believe they grew that way stood lined by comfortable looking equally natural chairs.  No patrons or even an inkeep were apparent, though the place was obviously well maintained.Seating themselves and relaxing Khuuld called out for some service.  When an elf materialized next to him he nearly overbalanced his chair."I love this place!  I am most certainly going to come back here to live as soon as we fix you Khuuld.  Yes.  Most definately...  Elves!"A slight itch on the back of his neck later, Khuuld irritably asked what he had to do to get some food.  His temper came even closer to flaring when his response was the elf disappearing again.  But scant moments later honey-brushed grilled quail with red onion and pepper cress salad, capon and smoked oxtail consomme en croute served on leeks, foie grass, and black truffle, smoked sturgeon on mache lettuce with whole grain mustard dressing, with a main entree of crisped magret duck breast in a green garlic sauce with lavender, concord grapes, white asparagus, and a boulangere potato were all brought on fine silver and porcelain and set before people according to taste with remarkable accuracy.Collin just pointed then folded his arms with a huge grin as if to say, "You see?  Perfect."</blockquote>

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