Where EQ meets the Old West

AU from the world of ElfQuest  •  Posted at EQ Forums  •  EQ Mainsite

Day Six - Prelude 2

By StarShine

Here's just a little tale.


Starshine settled down in the chair and looked around the room. It was the office of the town's newspaper that caught her attention, the entire room seemed... whole or perhaps serene was a better word. The office was bustling abit with the sound of papers to pen and words forming sentences and sentences forming stories, but she found herself slightly distanced from it all.

"Everything alright, Mrs. Starshine?" Aurek's voice was warm, and perhaps a little concered about the young woman who had traveled so far from home.

"Yes." she responded gently, she stood and crossed to her bag, kneeling down, and checking behind her to make sure that no one was going to sneak up on her. She pulled from her bag, a few pencils and some paper, and then walked back to the place she'd claimed as hers.

"What do you have there Missie?" Aurek's questioning made Starshine smile.

"I intended to draw. I wanted to show the town what I can do. I use pictures and words to tell stories, but sometimes, I find that starting off with a picture brings people into the place the writer wishes."

Starshine began to touch pencil to paper, using the graphite with some skill-it wasn't perfect, but the rough sketch began to take shape. A skyline, with what were the makings of white clouds, like plump, ripe, sheep hung in the sky. The scene on the ground itself was simple, forest, though nothing spectacular. The trees were in the distance, and a small clump of hedges and bushes in the foreground, suggested the idea that the looking was in a glade.

Aurek walked around the table to look at the sketch. "Wonder of wonders, didn't think you knew how to draw..." he said slowly looking at the young woman with a careful glance.

"I learned because I liked words, actually." Starshine was truthful about that, her eyes, unusually colored pair looking back at Aurek's own. "I wasn't always so wordy, as a kid I was really shy so through my doodles did people learn about me, and what I thought." she explains.

Aurek noded. "Well if you could give me a sample of some of your writing, I'd like to see it. What you wrote impressed me." He nods his head, as if to encourage her.

Starshine smiled. "Alright alright, I'll write something new-recycling old works, is only good if they're improved upon." She states.

Setting aside the sketch of the clearing she began to write.

"On ward, onward, ever rolling

Ever Rolling

The cold nothern wind's a blowing

From the northern climes

A snowing

Turning panes of glass to Frost

To Frost, a winter's frosting

Like the ice upon a lake

For skating fun

And Winter Sun

Time to awake."

She puzzled over her writing and handed it to Aurek. "It's not very good, just a bit of silliness, and nonsensical whimsy." Starshine explained. "It's not supposed to make sense. Its the rambling thoughts of a person- the rambling thoughts in comparison to the heat of the West..."

Aurek skimmed the peice, unsure of it, perhaps. "Maybe missy you'd better stick to writing about things other than poetry. I am not saying its not good, but its a bit..." Aurek stopped and read it again. "No, perhaps this is what this town needs, light heartedness, and a fresh perspective. Things from the the cities, and a different set of eyes to evaluate our little patch."