Easthaven

The warmed metal chain on Zenithral's forehead suddenly became cold. His eyes snapped open. Another hour already?

He had trained his body to wake up at the cold sensation. He could magically warm the chain with prestidigitation, fall asleep, then wake after each hour. It was a useful skill to have as a guard. If it was his shift during the night, he wouldn't be rudely awoken by a grumpy soldier; he'd already be awake. If it wasn't his shift, he'd warm the chain again and fall right back to sleep.

Zenithral swung his legs over the bedside, stood, and strode to the window. He checked it each hour since he retired for the night, looking over the lake for signs of this supposed singing lake elf. As usual, he saw nothing but the cold lake and—a glow. It was faint, but it was there. It moved ever so slowly to the east, just outside the village. Part of Zenithral was proud that he'd gotten so far in his spontaneous investigation. The other part of him wasn't looking forward to the cold.

Zenithral left the chain on his head and warmed it, then donned his winter cloak, and warmed the rest of his clothing. He braced himself, then left the Snowdrift Inn into the icy air and towards the east where the glowing figure was headed.

Maverick watches in awe as the figure emerges from the lake. the Svirfneblin is drawn to the women or his curiosity was getting the better of him, but he approaches the ghostly figure as he tries to distinguish what type of creature is before him. "You got any ideas of what this thing may be?"Maverick asks his familiar which he decided to call Rel.

"what amazing insight"Maverick says to Rel as he roll his eyes continuing to move towards the glowing women getting increasingly close. "I guess if we're lucky whatever she is will speak a language I know and not try to attack us when we get there" he states smiling wryly.

Zenithral quietly travels parallel to the lake, staying some distance away, observing and admiring the singing. Certainly beautiful, though hardly deadly from the looks of it. he thinks. Unless that song is riddled with some kind of enchantment...

Maverick notices Zenithral but desecides to ignore the half elf for the time being. Standing before the glowing figure the Svirfneblin looks up trying in common first he says "Hello there, I am Maverick" and proceeds to do so in each language he knows (undercommon, gnomish, orc, and giant) hoping that he could find some way to communicate with the being without relying on the half-elf out there with him.

Looking around at Zenithral the gnome gestures trying to convey that he cannot understand before finding his voice "Zenithral my good friend Maverick starts with an uncomfortable laugh but a glimmer of hope "you wouldnt happen to know what this women is say would you"

Zenithral jumps a bit when Maverick calls out to the elven woman. He feels embarrassed for being so distracted and mildly disappointed that someone else was already investigating the lake elf. He watches Maverick start to struggle and smirks but drops the expression when Maverick turns to address him.

"Of course, my dear man," he replies, proudly stepping out into the open. In smooth elvish, he calls out in reply to her sorrowful song. "My fair maiden! What troubles you so on this frigid night?"

Zenithral hesitates and narrows his eyes. He places a hand on his chest and addresses her once more, this time in Celestial. "I am Zenithral." He gestures towards her and tilts his head. "Who are you?"

She looks confused at this new language, but seems to understand the gesture. She replies in song:

::I am of the calling Elisia-of-the-Sky's-Mirror::
::Have you your eyes fallen upon Jho-nyn?::
::Do you know where it is he walks?::

Zenithral feels that maybe he has heard this name before, recently, but only in passing. He can't quite remember where he heard the name or who it might belong to.

Zenithral sighed in relief. She didn't speak the strange language he miraculously knew, which meant she was probably unrelated to why he was here in Easthaven. Regardless, he listens carefully and starts to pick out some phrases. She spoke elven---or rather, she sung elven, a very old form of it, perhaps.

Upon seeing Zenithral speaking with the women Mavericks eyes go wide and a smile crosses his face "Whats she saying!" he says looking between the two

Zenithral turns to Maverick. "Does the name Jho-nyn mean anything to you? She appears to be searching for him, whoever he is."

"No Way! Thats why im here, to help out Jhonen!" Maverick explains "he's been having dreams about the lady in the lake. We need to go get him! see what she wants!" overwhelming curiosity and excitement was building in the gnome "I'm going to bring Jhonen here! you see what she wants from him while im gone! the gnome hurries off to where the towns people had said Jhonen lived hoping that the half-elf would do his part in the mystery unfolding

"Perhaps we should---" Zenithral begins as Maverick excitedly runs off. "...Alright then." He sighs and turns back to conversing with Elisia in elvish.

He nods in response to her question and gestures in the direction Maverick went. "My...friend...will find Jho-nyn and bring him here. What do you need of him?"

Elisia's eyes trail after the departing gnome, but when she understands his intent her eyes widen and she stretches out a slim arm as if to stop him. The lake water churns, and thick strands of lakeweed stream out of the water and try to wrap around Maverick's little legs. She sings, and Zenithral somehow understands the meaning of the song.

::No, please::
::My heart is Jho-nyn's, but he cannot see me in the flesh, or else I will become as the currents upon the shore::
::A gift do I have for him, from one of his blood long ago, who also held my heart, but not as Jho-nyn holds it now::

'just my luck' Maverick thinks to himself as he feels the pull on his legs, looking down he sees lakeweed beggining to wrap around him and struggles against it looking back at Zenithral with a look of 'what did you do'