Tales of June Woodshimmer 1

Chapter One

With the rise of the morning sun, June Woodshimmer emerges from the temple, and lies herself down in the middle of the Guild’s courtyard. She avoids glancing at anyone walking around and simply hugs two books close to her chest. Quietly, she watches the sky and the snowflakes that continue to float around her.

Ideal, sweeping the front step of the Tome, noticed June in the courtyard. She stopped sweeping for a moment, as her mind flicked back to that moment in front of the fey doorway, and to the sensation of the memory being taken. Ideal looked down at the already-swept step, and turned, to keep sweeping inside while she thought.

June laid upon the courtyard all day, barely moving. No matter when someone walked into the courtyard, she was still laying there, watching above. As twilight descended, her snowflakes eased, becoming only a few flurries here and there. Still she did not move.

Harold comes walking around from the Tome. He spots June lying down and he walks over. “Hello little elf! Are you stuck?” His words are kind and genuine. He refers to June as small purely because he is larger than most people. He’s dressed in furs and leathers, and is smiling.

“I guess that depends what you mean by stuck,” June replies. “I’m not stuck to the ground but I am stuck on this plane. I know many stories, I know the ways of the fae but I did not know how to help my sister, and as such I am stuck. Am I stuck with my name? Not at all. June or whatever it is people call me, it’s not my true name but my true name I am stuck with. So I am stuck but I am also not.”

With a plonk Harold sits down next to June. He thinks, “I don’t know how to do a lot of things. I trust my wife to help me with that stuff. It’s like….ummm….oh I know! It’s like flowers! They are stuck but not stuck. And they are beautiful. Maybe you just need help? Can I help?” Harold rocks back and forth a little, the giant sized warrior is carefully choosing his words.

June smiles ever so slightly. “People here are always so quick to help. Where I come from, helping someone can be as dangerous as a duel.” June pauses to think for a moment and asks. “How does one wake someone who doesn’t sleep?”

Harold furrows his brow. Deep in thought. “Your home sounds strange. How can helping be not helping? You either help or hurt. Some people are good at tricking people….” He tries to answer your question. “Hmm well. My wife says that to wake up doesn’t always mean that they were sleeping. Maybe they wake up to the truth or maybe to know themselves….I don’t really get that but she is much smarter than me.” Harold thinks some more and looks up “The clouds don’t sleep but a storm can awaken? Does that make sense?” He asks June.

“Your wife sounds wise,” June says. “Maybe she would fair well in what is to come. It is true that my kind love riddles and so the curse is but another puzzle to solve. But my kind love tricks-“ June stifles an uneasy laugh. “To help or to hurt you said. But sometimes to help is to hurt, and to hurt is to help.” June drops her gaze from the stars to look at Harold directly. Her eyes are ice cold as if they could be chipped away. “That is the curse of kindness. Something I’ll never forget and something that many people tried to beat out of me. But as more and more people are hurt, I wonder am I truly helping?”

Harold stands up. He confidently states. “Okay! Listen to me. Kindness is very important. You can never save everyone, I would know more than most. Most of the time when you learn someone needs help more people are already being hurt.” He points to a cloud in the night sky “you can never know who the storm may hurt. You can not always save them. But to try is everything! When we stop trying the bad people win. I have lost more than I have saved but what would of happened if I had not helped!” He takes a deep breath. “I’ll tell you a little secret. I am an orphan. A Mountainborn, as my people call me. With no clan nor family I was destined to die. But I was found, I learned to help. Eventually the treasure chose me. It only chooses the worthy and only the worthy can wield it.” He snaps his fingers hard and his blade flies across from where he was from and landed in his hand. He places the massive blade in front of June. “My dear, I am not good with words but if you can help then you should….” He looks expecting at June. He tilts his head a little, “umm try and lift it?”

The blade sits there, bleeding Ice and Cold. There is much to learn from the blade.

“You have much spirit,” June comments. “My lady would love to have your story.” She then looks at the blade. “Is this blade a riddle?”

He smiles greatly! “My wife is good writing! She can write my story for you lady.” He points to the blade “this blade is the most straightforward thing I know. It lifts at the touch of the worthy. It gives power to a hero. It hurts bad people. Sometimes it even gives visions!”

Along the cross guard of the blade it reads in Sylvan ‘Ohms daughter. Mighty Mountain. Power to a Hero. Bane to Evil. Guidance to Those Whom Are.’ On the Pommel one word. ‘Sealed’

"It's sort of a riddle," June says. "To be worthy or not to be worthy. Tell me, does the blade chose and why? What makes you worthy? Is it truly kindness? The blade speaks of heroes conquering evil but what is a hero and what is evil? As for me. I am no hero. Would that not make me unworthy?" Harold can see June is hesitant to go near the blade. There is much doubt in her eyes.

Harold sits back down. Across from June, The Blade in the middle. “Little elf. You are not evil, my gut says so and I have a big gut! HAHA!!!” Harold chuckled at his own joke. He outstretches a hand “we can do it together? I will keep you safe.” His confidence and skill as a warrior very much exudes an aura of safety. Very little could harm you with this man nearby wielding this particular blade. “There is no doubt. Only moments before an act.”

June sits up, her movement stiff from not moving all day. "You are kind," she says. "A kindness that would be snuffed out where I come from. Don't ever lose it." She reaches to take Harold's hand with her mechanical one. The gears inside clicking inside.

He slowly pushes Junes hand onto the blade. A split second of Icy cold pain subsides for a nice cooling touch. A vision briefly flickers before your eyes.

A flicker of the the most important moment you used your power. A smile. Your sister playing in a garden. A storm. And lastly a blazing symbol….It’s the symbol for Ohmic. It’s aflame..

June flinches away from the blade. A single tear in the corner of her eye. "That was cruel," she whispers.

Harold sits back. “Hmmm…..it’s odd that would happen. The Blade shows what you need to see. Why would it show you cruelty?” He stands up, “I am sorry little elf.” Snap of the fingers and the blade returns to him. He walks away, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Ideal sees Harold walk away from June. She sends her broom back into its corner and it flies off as ordered. Then the odd tiefling walks out into the courtyard in front of June. "Excuse me, June. I- I just wanted to thank you, June."

June watches Harold walk away and the ice in her heart seems to thicken. How does she keep hurting people? Maybe it would be better if she stayed away. June brings her knees to her chest, and just as her snow may fall a little harder, she hears Ideal and looks up. "Thank me?" she questions. "Why would you thank me? I hurt your father."

"Oh. I didn't know." Ideal glances back toward Harold's retreating back. "I can talk to him for you. I think you took something from me that I needed to be gone. I don't know exactly how bad it was hurting me, but it must have been really bad. I'm in a confusing place now, but I think in the end, I'll be better off - and it wouldn't have been possible without you, June." "Also," Ideal hesitated. "I still really want to help Farora. You know that right? I am indebted to you, but I would have helped her regardless."

"There are few people who thank me for taking their memories," June replies. "You were also so willing to give it up. I suppose, we all wish to forget what hurts us. I hope you find peace. Truly." June looks towards the temple where she has spent so much time, waiting, hoping, praying. "I thank you, for being so willing to help my kind. What is to come... it won't be easy. Each step forward taking us deeper into this cruel game of trickery and deceit, fairy tales and sorrow. I thank you and all those who walk this path with me, but know, it will only get harder from here on out. She's playing with us. Well, only me, but all who I drag through this will be a victim to her cruelty. Are you sure this is a game you want to play?"

"I truly do. Trapped as she is, she lives my worst nightmare - and I'm sure it is worse than the one you just freed me from." The odd tiefling turned and walked back into the Tome without another word. She walked upstairs to her room, still lost in thought.

Harold comes storming out of the shop. Big checkered apron adorned on his person. He walks over to the two and places a steaming hot apple pie on the floor with two plates and cutlery. He nods satisfied, looks to June. “You didn’t hurt me, little elf.” He then turns and goes back to Valarie awaiting him at the door. They embrace then enter the shop.

June stares at the apple pie. People around here seem to always bring her food and drinks out of kindness and not the trickery she was raised with. Her stomach rumbles at not having eaten all day, nor the day before. She picks up the fork, ignoring as her ice layers over the fork. She liked the cold after all. Delicately she takes one bite, but it does not bring her a smile. Not while tears still glimmer in her eyes.