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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Calypso" data-source="post: 1473152" data-attributes="member: 16875">Kaelin ran on down the forest path a few moments before coming to a stop as he neared his home.  He looked around to make sure he wasn’t being watched before approaching the hut.  He didn’t expect that anyone would be home, but he didn’t want to risk it.  An afternoon at the temple wasn’t his idea of a fun day, and he would often find himself there in punishment for something he had done that his mother didn’t approve of.  His mother was a firm believer that all good things came from the Elvish goddess of the forest, Gaelwyn, and that Kaelin should spend time at the temple more often.  Kaelin, however, wasn’t much for religion and praying and did what he could to avoid such “obligations”.  He believed that nobody controlled his destiny and everything he got in life he worked for.  He wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of a greater power controlling his destiny, which was somewhat apparent in his unusual rebelliousness.  He tried to be respectful of his people and their beliefs, but he also wasn’t about to waste a day at the temple when he could be exploring the caves.He approached the hut after again looking around again and was sure that had not been seen.  The last thing he needed was his mother to find out about his adventure.  While the elves of Silver Pine did not tend to snoop or gossip, they also would not hide the truth when asked for it.  As they were very perceptive, it would not be difficult to determine what Kaelin was up to if he was spotted coming and going at odd times.Once he reached the hut, he listened carefully for any noises from inside.  He had very good hearing, even among elves.  After a few moments of silence, he determined that there indeed was nobody home, or at least not making noise.  He slowly opened the door a crack, and after peering in, decided that he was correct in assuming nobody was there.  His home was typical of most elf families.  It was built from the sturdy silver pinewood that surrounded the city.  The outside of the hut was decorated with elven symbols and runes, some of which were blessings and some which simply indicate the residents of the home.  Some of the elvish dwellings were directly on the ground, while others in the trees, with long wooden bridges stretching along from one house to another.  The majority of the elvish nobles lived within large complexes of buildings in the heart of the city, the king residing in the largest at the very center.  Kaelin’s family chose to live on the outskirts of the city.Kaelin entered the common room and seeing nothing unusual headed directly to his room.  His was one of three private quarters in his home, one of the other two belonging to his mother and father, and the third unoccupied, used for training and storage.  He had no brothers or sisters at present, but it was not unheard of for the elves to go many years between children.  Kaelin was somewhat grateful to be the only child, as he would not need to share his room or compete for his parents’ attention.  He had a certain amount of privacy that way.  Though being the only child had its disadvantages, as his parents expected a lot of him, and there were no other siblings to take the focus off himself.Kaelin removed his dirty and torn clothes, leaving them in a heap and donning clothes more appropriate for his trip to the caves.  He pulled on his boots and tucked a long dagger inside one, just in case.  He left his and crossed the common room, quickly checking that nobody was outside so that he may leave unseen.  Finally confident that he was safe, he stepped out the door and headed down the path.  Within a short distance he came to an exceptionally large pine and stepped off the path, slipping into the thicker woods.  The main paths traveled around Silver Pine were clear of most vegetation, though merely a foot or two from the path the forest leapt up to swallow anyone who entered.  The forest surrounding Silver Pine was relatively safe, though wandering beasts were known to live not far from the city and the elves were always on their guard.  The land was quite uneven in this area of the forest with large hills and valleys running throughout Silver Pine.  The uneven terrain and the dense foliage slowed Kaelin down a bit.  He had long since decided, however, that it was worth the trouble.  While not skilled in tracking, he had marked his route well enough that he could again find his way.  Most of his trips through the forest had been relatively uneventful, as this one had been so far.  During the day in particular the wandering inhabitants of the forest were hidden in trees and caves, virtually undetectable to the native elves.After about 20 minutes and probably as many scrapes and scratches, he came to an outcrop of rock.  He cautiously crossed over to it, stopping frequently to listen for other elves (or gnolls).  It didn’t take him long to locate the entrance to the cave.  It was somewhat overgrown with moss and brambles, but was easy enough to find.  Charred wood and small broken bones were littered about the entrance to the cave, reminiscent of the previous inhabitants, but nothing to suggest any recent occupants.  Kaelin’s low-light vision kicked in as he entered the darkened cave.  As long as he didn’t go in too far, he wouldn’t need a torch or lamp.  The sudden snap of a small bone under his foot startled Kaelin, and he quickly crouched down.  After waiting and listening for what seemed like an eternity, he heard only the dripping of water and decided to continue his trek further into the cave.  As he proceeded further down the tunnel, his visibility was lessening and he could no longer make out details, but he felt he could still see well enough to proceed.  The air in the cave was becoming cooler, and he almost wished he had brought something more to wear.  Water continued to drip on him, soaking his clothes and making the chill more apparent.  He continued along anyway, but found nothing but more occasional bones and typical cave mosses.  The cave didn’t seem to be as interesting as he thought it would and he also now wished he had brought a torch. The cave seemed to go on forever, but going further in just made him more wet and miserable.  A stench had been building the further in he went.  With a disappointed sigh, he finally decided he had had enough and turned to head back out of the cave.  It was then that he heard a noise.  He was instantly still.  He couldn’t tell what the origin of the noise was, but he guessed it sounded something like an animal grunting.  His first thought was that the gnolls had returned, but he quickly discounted that as unlikely.  It could be an orc, but that was also improbable.  It must have been some sort of forest animal that had wandered in and gotten lost, possibly a badger or a bear.  He again stopped to listen, and after a few moments again heard a grunt.  The sound seemed to be coming from further along the cave toward the entrance.  He must have either passed a side tunnel or the creature followed him in.  He moved along the passage quietly.  He again heard the noise from further up.  The tunnel twisted and turned, and the noise of the animal bounced along the walls, making if difficult to determine how far away the creature really was.  After a short while, he noticed his vision seemed to be improving, but at the same time the stench was becoming stronger.  He made to pinch his nose, but at that moment again heard a grunt, this time much closer.  Either he had found the creature or it had turned around and was moving back down the passage.  He looked around for a place to hide, but the tunnel was narrow and there seemed to be no alcoves or niches into which he could fit.  Considering the possibility that it could be a hostile bear or some such animal, he prepared to draw his dagger.  He moved back a few feet to where the tunnel curved and tried his best to hide in the turn.  He could hear the sound of claws scraping against the stone only feet away, but it did not sound like an animal that he was familiar with.  He cursed quietly and wished he had paid more attention to his lessons.  He decided his best option would be to rush at the creature and push past it out of the cave.  His heart pounded as the animal drew near.  He counted down, three, two, one, and he leapt forward around the bend.  As he rounded the corner, he found something that he did not expect.  It wasn’t a bear or a badger, or even gnoll.  His breath left him in a rush as he found himself looking up at the gaping mouth and the sharp claws of a very nasty, smelly, and angry troll.</blockquote>

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