Himo Blomroos: A Collection of Short Stories
Hello! As an active roleplayer on the Argent EU shard, I have found myself spending more and more time indulging in creative writing to supplement my character's story and the roleplay she is involved in. The stores do assume some prior knowledge of the character therefore her profile is available on the Argent Chronicles website found here. You may look at that first if you wish or dive write in to the stories! I am looking for constructive feedback on my writing though plot and dialogue is heavily influenced by actual roleplay that took place so please take that into consideration.
This first piece is the first part of a series I have planned looking into Himo's past and back story. I hope you enjoy!
Slopes of Koti
The small settlement of Koti lay nestled in between the gentle slopes of a valley in Northern Silverwood, close to the border with Moonshade. There were only a handful of buildings cluttered around the stream that meandered lazily down from the slopes above. They were simple but quaint dwellings made of whitewashed stone, wooden beams protruding through the walls near the roof. The hills either side of the village were covered by row upon row of grapevines which bound themselves to the hillside in long, linear rows. A small section of the valley had been cut into prominent terraces where the villagers grew a variety of crops. Where the mouth of the valley opened, the forest retook the land and the wilds of Silverwood began.
It was in this isolated pocket of tranquillity that the Blomroos family had settled and cultivated the land for the first time. The once smooth slopes of the valley had been transformed with cornrows of vines which were ever expanding. The small vineyard that had been founded by Heikki and Alli had grown far beyond what they could have expected and soon others were drawn to this idyllic location. It was uncommon for Elves to settle in this way but content with their situation, their nomadic tendencies deserted them. Numerous other families too began to call Koti home for a variety of reasons. Some had a strange sort of envy for the sedentary Humans and came to love their way of life. Others were close to their time's end and had so settled there for their remaining years.
Not all of the inhabitants were of such a mind however. There were two youngsters to be found by the name of Himo and Riikka. Scarcely a month apart, they were the closest of friends and virtually inseparable. A shared love of the wilderness brought the pair together though circumstance played its part too. Himo was the daughter of Heikki and Alli, whilst Riikka's family farmed some of the surrounding land for subsistence.
The pair often helped with a variety of tasks around the settlement be it checking the crops for disease, examining the vines and when the time came harvesting. This was by far their favourite time of the year. Such opportunity for sampling the grapes though they were prone to getting a slap on the hand and a mischievous smile from their parents if their stomachs started to fill more than their baskets. When the harvest was complete, production of the wine could begin. The girls were especially keen to lend a hand – or a foot as it turned out – in helping extract the juice by filling large wooden basins with grapes and squelching them beneath their feet. They found the sensation truly delightful and needed no other incentive to help out. When the work was done the settlement would come together and sit watching the setting sun bathe the hillside, enjoying some of last season's wine whilst the girls cuddled together and drank warm milk.
When they had the time free, the pair would often explore their surroundings from the top of the valley and down the slopes to their favourite part of them all – the woodland. Like all Elves they had an affinity for the forest and would scamper through it as nimbly as any beast; their bare feet skimming soil and root alike. Time would disappear as they explored this vast playground, holding climbing competitions and stalking animals amongst other things.
The pair were in their late teens and both knew that they would soon need to find their calling in life. With both approaching their 18th birthday, they were sure to enjoy every last moment in their surroundings. Soon it would be time to move on and enter the next phase in their lives, leaving behind their childhood and much of what comforted them, to venture forth into the new and uncertain. They had led an isolated existence thus far but soon restrictions would be lifted and they could venture as they pleased. In the past only Riikka's father had left Koti regularly as he went to the Argent Glade to sell wine and other excess produce.
It was a time for moving forward, into adulthood and in many ways they already had. A relationship which had started as a friendship had deepened as the girls matured and a lot of their desire to explore, was also to be hidden. In the seclusion of the forest the girls tuned in to their own and each others desires. They learned to read and respond to the needs of the other and delved into a different type of maturity. It was during one such outing however that their innocence was truly torn from them.
The day had been mild though a cool breeze rustled through the trees above Himo and Riikka. They lay entwined resting against the base of a large tree as they delayed the inevitable return home but soon a chill took to the air and the pair resigned themselves to the fact that they had better get under way. They strolled unhurriedly through the forest, meandering through fallen branches and other obstacles until they reached the tree line. There they gazed out up the slopes to Koti, admiring the amber hue on the whitewashed buildings a little further up the slope. With one last look to each other, a soft kiss and a sigh they continued their journey. It was not until they got closer and the view became clearer that they noticed the orange glow on the hillside was not just caused by the setting sun but by great rows of searing fire along the rows of vines. In shock they ran with all the energy they could muster and charged up the slope, fearing for their families.
When they arrived just outside the village, the true extent of the carnage became clear. The hillsides had been scorched and reflections from the flames mixed with that of the setting sun, casting an ironically beautiful light over the buildings. Clutching each other's hands and with tears in their eyes, they approached Riikka's home. Trembling ferociously they looked inside together though what they saw induced even more panic within the girls. Riikka's scream was harsh and guttural.
The inside of the building was a scene of violence and bloodshed. Streaks of blood covered the walls contrasting with the pure white. Furnishings lay broken across the floor but what had struck the most fear into them was the sight in the corner. A scaled beast sat on its haunches over the bodies of Riikka's parents. The noise of it devouring their bodies could be clearly heard as Riikka's screams faded.
It turned sharply at the scream and what could be described as a smirk crossed it's sharply angled face. It's eyes glowed a bright amber and strips of flesh dangled from it's cruelly sharp mouth. Large curved horns rose from it's skull and it had talons like nothing else on Telara.
It was not just this one creature that had heard Riikka however and the stomp of more approaching beasts could be heard. The girls clung to each other desperately, rooted by fear but the beast before them snatched Riikka from Himo's grasp. Himo stood - rooted by fear - as Riikku was devoured in front of her. The sickening sound of tearing flesh, the beasts slurping and Riikka's screams all mingled into one horrendous mix. Himo watched as the remains of her one and only friend – her lover – were scattered throughout the house.
This was the last sight she saw before the beasts treated her to the same fate. The Wanton had come.
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