The Forest of Tarz (Exxor x Eldarwen)

The morning was calm and peaceful. Exxor had only moved into the town of Tarz a few weeks before. He had gone ahead to train under the blacksmith of the town, being that he would have to make money for himself eventually, to live in a fairly stable condition. As it would be his weekend off, he decided to start his morning by walking through the woods just outside the town. The smell of fresh dew seemed to lighten his senses, and help him wake faster than he normally would. His ears perked and twisted in every which way, listening to the birds chirping, frogs croaking, and the occasional woodpecker that would peck at some of the trees. Where he was walking though, eventually he would hear the sound of moving water. Deeming that it wouldn't hurt to see, decided to investigate. Soon enough, however, he came across the River of Tarz. He took a gander at the river, and since he had been walking a fair distance, decided to sit at the bank, and take in all of the scenery that the forests had to offer. 'This place is much better than where I used to live...' he thought to himself. He stopped before he could think anymore. He had too many losses where he used to live, and didn't want to stop, and go back there, ever again.

Exxor heard the angry yell, and the smashing of the rock into the river. His ear perked to those things, sensing a whole messload of anger from it. He didn't want to bring himself to investigate, not wanting to get tangled in any drama of the sort, but he couldn't help himself but go to look and see. He stopped far enough to where he wouldn't really be noticed by this woman. Though he could see her clearly, and she was very angry. He had the nerve to go ask her, but thought about how to approach a highly pissed off female. He had accidental bouts with women who were angry, and most of the time, was caught in the middle, and few times, smacked and pushed around as well. Though he swallowed his pride, and decided to walk over, just wanting to ask what was the matter.

Exxor was quite unphased by her angry stature, and her voice. It would have taken plenty more to frighten him, and he had already dealt with angry women before. So Selene would be no exception. He continued a bit more, then stopped, when she snapped at him. "I was just coming over to greet you." he said. "There really doesn't need to be any anger, or violence with it." His voice was sincere, but firm. He had a friendly vibe, one where he was, of course, trustworthy. He then seen that she was crying as well, seeing the glitter of the tear from her eye when she looked over. "I mean you no harm, what so ever."

He nodded to this, giving a friendly smile. "My name is Exxor." he told her. "I had just arrived here to Tarz only a week or so ago. I came out here to explore the forest a bit." He looked over to the river, then swept his eyes across the landscape. He walked a bit closer to the river, and sat down on the bank. "The weather here seems so fitting, this time of year." he said. It was a warm, late spring day. Life had just bloomed in full with the leaves, flowers, and bees of the forest. He liked it better here. "Much different from where I used to live. It was always dank and dirty. I couldn't wait to find greener pastures like these." He had meant the river and forest, as well as Tarz. He eventually looked back to her. "What is your name, though?" he asked her. ((Just letting you know that he wouldn't have ANY intention of getting into her panties. xD))

He saw that she didn't trust him too much. He understood that very clearly. He was a male, and she was a female. He wouldn't do a thing to harm her, or even remotely try to lure her in a way that would get him to score with her. If he did that, his own soul would be condemned to burn. Though with how she said that the forest was green, he laughed a little bit in his mind. Though he had seen that she sat down near him, but not too close. He nodded to her when she told him his name. And the question she asked, he didn't mind telling her either. "I had moved from a place off this continent here." he said. "The country I lived in before was led by some corrupt king. It was real dirty, dark, overall mood was always sad or angry. A friend of mine from back there was able to get me a ticket for a teleportation away from there, to a random place. I just so happened to be plopped here, in Tarz." He was thankful, though he wouldn't ever know what became of his friend after that. "I'm learning under the master blacksmith in town here, so I can eventually make my own weapons and armor, and sell that as well."

What Exxor had seen, would drive Selene off the edge of insanity, and wanting to get out. The king of the country loved seeing anger and chaos, and held his country that way. He looked over to her when she talked of blacksmithing, and smiled. "You can always ask the blacksmith." he said. "He trains just about anyone, from what I've seen. There was a few women there, whom he had trained years before." He minded none about a working woman. He was raised to remember that no matter man or woman, anyone could do anything. So Exxor was the first one that Selene had met, who would accept her openly, and not anything otherwise. "When you want to, I can show you to where the blacksmith is. He supplies room and board to those he's training, until they're able to get a home for themselves. I'm in that pradicament now, but I'll have my own place soon."

Exxor nodded. "People here are far more accepting to men and women than where I used to be." he said. He looked to her, and shrugged. "Its fine." he said. "I do remember that there is leatherworking as well. A woman, I believe, is the leatherworking master." She didn't sound lame to him at all, understanding that she just wanted to learn something that would put her to the test, rather than break her. He nodded to what she said, not asking her anymore on that. When she asked him the next question, he looked over to her. His answer was a simple shake of his head. "I couldn't." he said. "Trainees and masters from where I used to live were, *ahem* 'handpicked'." he said, doing a quotation gesture with his fingers. He wasn't miffed at her for asking, just he figured to add it in because that was how he felt when he found out. "They always looked for the best of the best, and I wasn't THE best of the best. I'm fairly decent, and I can make a claymore for myself, but I'm not the best in the world." One thing that was known about Exxor, was that he was a very humble person. And he was peaceful. Though when he was angry, or going to someone's rescue, or bringing down a criminal, he was vigilent, but never relentless.

Exxor listened to her rant, not really mind it at all. He nodded. "I do have to admit, I was very upset when I wasn't chosen." he said. "What happened to me after that, was I couldn't make money, and I lost everything I had where I lived. That's why I came here, because of their selfish ways." He looked to her when she asked, and gave a light smile. "I'm very humble." he said. "It isn't worth it to be angry constantly. Anger and rage blinds you, and what you can do in that kind of state, can be quite catastrophic. And I've seen it happen. Whether it be someone who is the target, that gets killed, or the person who goes into a blind rage, that gets killed." He didn't mind her straightforwardness, and gave an accepting nod to her glance. "I'm always peaceful, until someone wishes to see me get real angry. Even then, I'm not truly angry at all, unless they were to hurt those that I care for the most."

"The only family I had were my grandparents." he said. "I lost my parents to some god-forbidden demon that I don't EVER, wish to speak of." He emphasized ever, because this demon forced him to watch his parents die. Thinking about it for the moment seemed to change his aura from the usual, calm yellow, to a seething red. He did eventually calm himself, looking over to her. "Sorry for the outburst..." he said. "It was my grandparents' dying wishes that I strive to better myself. I usually train with my claymore to let out all the anger and frustration I've felt over the years. Its a wonder that I've not done harm to anyone, but I don't wish to, either. And I'm never a true saint." He shook his head at this. "Everyone in this universe has a dark side somewhere. Most times its right there. But with someone like me... you'd have to dig deep down to find it. And if I have a dark side, I don't wish for it to come out." And how she mused about him losing someone, changed his aura yet again. "Please... don't." he said sincerely. "I'm not about to lose my temper on a woman. I'd rather beat myself senseless than land a blow on you." He sighed again, shaking his head. "I'm sorry... I must seem like a sort of ticking time bomb at times, but I'm still a good person." ((No matter how much she pushes and prods him, he's not gonna land a blow on her. xD If he was going to let out his anger, it would be at the nearest tree.))

He knew even the saints made mistakes. Her saying so didn't anger him, this time, because he knew it was true. The reason of her being able to see into where his dark side, was that he's seen, and done the good, and bad. Exxor may have seemed perfect to most people, but he was much farther from that. "Its alright." he said to her, accepting her apology. "I won't ask about how your life's been so far. Its none of my business." He didn't poke or prod at it, he never poked his nose in other people's business, unless it was his job to. "You're the first person that I've truly been able to open up to." he admitted to her. "You know... if you like, I can show you to the leatherworking master. She might be able to help you out, with having a place to stay, if you don't have one." Though her staying in the guest house of her estate, she had to work for her as well. She gave pay, as well as house and board, but they had to work for her, if they were to live there.

Exxor chuckled at that as well. "If you ever wanted any boring stories, you would have to speak with either my grandfather, or my mentor." he said. "They have stories that would put even ME to sleep." What he had said about her, being one he was able to talk to, was as true as the fur on his body. He never lied, when it came to a compliment for a woman. He wasn't one to lie. But there were the little white lies that he would tell sometimes, to keep someone happy at least. He looked over to Selene again, and shook his head. "The leatherworking mistress doesn't work with leather that still smells of a dead animal." he said. "The skinner that supplies her leather always cleans his kills and gets the smell out of it, so that it smells fresh, and clean, void of dead animal odor. And yes, it would be a better idea to do so." He started to walk on into the woods, and motioned his paw for her to follow him, so that she could get to the village faster.

"Its naturally my calling to help someone." he said. "I have that feeling, that you're in a spot of trouble, so its why that I'm helping you." He gave a nod to that, and continued to lead her through the forest. Selene could tell that Exxor loved walking through the woods like that, as if it was something like his natural habitat. But he lived in town still, mingling with other citizens and the like. He was one who liked taking vacations out in complete wilderness, but still relied on being in town, to achieve his goals of living a good life. "Yes she will." Exxor told her reassuringly. "She's helped people who would have been considered downright ugly. It doesn't matter who she teaches. So long as she can understand them." The leatherworking mistress would accept her as if she were a most-favored student. She rarely had people to teach, and was always willing to teach the profession to others. Though soon enough, they arrived back into town. It was bustling enough to let one know that the village was alive, but it wasn't jam packed with people.

Exxor saw her shoot that glare, and his smile disappeared, turning into a bit of a frown. He knew that he hit a wrong nerve with her, and he stopped with reminding her. Though her grunting hit a wrong nerve with him, beginning to make him think that she was beginning to want nothing to do with him. The leatherworking mistress accepted anyone. Though she wouldn't accept anyone that would want to do harm to her. When he looked around at her again, he could see that she was getting a bit timid and scared. He nodded again. "Its fine." he said simply. "You'll be just fine. This woman won't mind you being whatever you are." They eventually walked inside, and to Selene's relief, there wasn't much of anything that would try to make her feel sick in the stomach.