#lilah ashbrook

[wildsunscorpion]

Lilah Ashbrook from “The Sorcerer and The Gardener". Couldn’t stop drawing this lovely. I forgot to check the description from the author but this is how I've pictured her in my head. All the love to the brilliant author bellechat (sorry bout the qual :P)

[oncexinxmyxdreams]

The Sorcerer and the Gardener (Sneak Peek of Next Chapter)

Lilah and Cedric kept crawling through the tunnel. It grew stuffier and the tunnel grew lower. Soon they both felt like they were suffocating. Miserably, but still determined, the two adults were almost flat on their faces as they continued in the dark. At last, there was a faint light ahead. Desperate for fresh air, Lilah crawled faster until that light grew closer. She paused because she realized the light was more blueish than golden.

“I don’t think we’re out of the mountain,” she said. She went slower and realized out of the tunnel was a vast cave with a faint glow. Down below were four pools. It seemed the humans were high up, probably twenty feet from the ground and the tunnel ended as one large hole.

“What do you see?” Cedric called out from behind her.

“A cave,” Lilah answered. She glanced further down. “There seems to be a step path. It’s a little narrow.”  

“Maybe it’s used to get out,” Cedric wondered.

“Get out of the tunnel into the cave or for someone to get of the mountain the way we came in?” Lilah asked almost to herself.

“Can you move down the steps?” he inquired.

“I’m sure I can,” Lilah said as she twisted around so her legs stuck out. She carefully slipped down to the first step which was just three feet down. The ground was sturdy compared to climbing down Mistbowl Mountain. When she peered over she could see what looked like stairway going down in a zig-zag pattern. Cedric followed behind with his wand still alit.

“Where do we go after this?” he said.

“Best we just take the steps,” whispered Lilah. “Quietly though! I don’t have a good feeling about this place.”

[oncexinxmyxdreams]

Sneak Peek for Chapter 11 from The Sorcerer and the Gardener

Lilah was feeling good. She couldn’t explain it, but she was excited to see the charmacy. Maybe she was looking forward to a day trip with Cedric or maybe some curiosity to see more botany had taken hold. Either way, she was upbeat. She hummed to herself while creating a fishtail braid.

She’d gotten up early to water her gardens while it was still cool because by the time it was around 9 o’clock, it was hot. Even Lilah had to admit she needed to find her lightest dresses-while keeping her sleeves down-to avoid overheating. She took a blouse that was a thin material and a dark teal pinafore dress. She always joked to herself that it looked like someone tried to make a vest, but it became a dress as it grew longer.

When she arrived in the tower, she couldn’t find Cedric. The only thing different was a green carpet bag on his desk.

“Cedric?” she called. “I’m here!”

“Coming!” came his muffled voice. Above the stairs a set of brown double doors opened and no sooner had Cedric exited, he slammed them shut. His robe was half fastened, slipping off his shoulders and his cravat was loose. “Sorry Lilah,” he said as he hurried downstairs. “I slept in late.”

“You didn’t take the sleeping potion?” kidded Lilah.

“I got carried away with an experiment last night,” chuckled Cedric with embarrassment. “Working with some hocus crocus as a surprise.”

He tied his cravat and adjusted the robe. Lilah laughed, but inside, she wished her hands had reached up and helped with the yellow silk. Her face could be close to his. She could look deeper in to his brown eyes which seemed like a striking contrast to hers. They reminded her of some brown gem that she remembered seeing as a child, but she couldn’t recall its name.

“Not to worry,” Cedric said which broke her thoughts. “We’ll get to the charmacy on time and we don’t have to worry about any chores for today.”

“How far is it?” inquired Lilah.

“Not as far as you think,” Cedric said as he picked up the carpet bag. “We’ll be taking a flying coach.”        

“Oh,” Lilah said trying to sound excited. Yet deep down, she dreaded being hundreds of feet off the ground.  

To be continued...

[oncexinxmyxdreams]

The Sorcerer and the Gardener

(I know I used something like this years ago, but since I can’t find the original, I’ll just use this one.) https://www.deviantart.com/catastrotaffy/art/Blank-Character-Bio-Sheet-90733420

SPOILERS AHEAD! 

Full name: Lilah Ashbrook Pronunciation: Reads as it looks.  Nickname(s) or Alias: She used to be called “Darling Girl” all the time by her mother, but she detests it. Other than that, if she let anyone grow close enough to her, she wouldn’t mind being called Li for short. Just don’t call her Redhead!  Gender: Female.  Species: Human.  Age: 32 (currently.)  Birthday: December 14th.   Sexuality: Straight.  Nationality: Immigrated to Enchancia, but won’t reveal where she’s originally from. (It’ll be revealed over time.)  Religion: Not sure. (Would there be a religion in Sofia the First? Not touching that.)  City or town of birth: Can’t tell yet. ;)  Currently lives: Outskirts of Dunwiddie in a cottage.  Languages spoken:  English (Simple Tongue I’d call it.)  Native language: Relationship Status: Single (and still recovering from a bad relationship.)   PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Height: 5′8′’ (At least two inches shorter than Cedric.)  Weight: 150 pounds.  Figure/build: Spoon shaped; defined waist, thick upper thighs, “shelf” hips; average chest; strong arms. She used to be lean and athletic in her late teens and early twenties. Has a snub nose, diamond shape face, and slender fingernails.       Hair color: Dark red.  Hairstyle: Waist-length and layered. Its usually pulled in a low ponytail, but she’ll do a low bun or braid too. She will use a dark green ribbon for design.   Facial Hairstyle: Eye color: Steel-blue.  Skin/fur/etc color: Tattoos: She has ones covering her arm; they’re in a foreign writing (Old English Runes) and detailed script. She has a dragon on her back; it nearly covers all of it. She dislikes these, but particularly hates the ones on her hands; they’re brand tattoos as punishment (used with a hot iron.)     Piercings: Scars/distinguishing marks: Preferred style of clothing:  Frequently worn jewelry/accessories: Three necklaces: an old fashioned key; a compass that was her brother’s and a locket that belonged to her tutor/father figure (Atticus.) She always wears these under her blouses.  HEALTH Smoker? Used to be in her late teens.  Drinker? Heavy drinker. Is trying to change that.   Recreational Drug User? Which? Addictions: Alcohol.  Allergies: Any physical ailments/illnesses/disabilities:  PTSD from after her brother’s violent death.  Any medication regularly taken: PERSONALITY Personality: Resourceful, hardworking, witty, modest and warm-hearted. Sometimes can be judgmental, but always willing to admit her mistakes. Struggling from insecurity thanks to bad decisions she made before and too nervous to admit them to anyone.   Likes: Nature, rain, books about flowers, sweets, and having a good night’s sleep.  Dislikes: Fancy gowns, being called “redhead,” animals ruining her gardens and sorcerers. (She’s improving on the latter thanks to Cedric.)       Fears/phobias: Nightmares, rejection and blood.   Favorite color: Its a tie between blue and green. 

Hobbies: Gardening and card games.   Taste in music: Fiddle music.  SKILLS Talents/skills: Wisdom about botany. Used to play the fiddle as a child. Skilled with living in the wilderness.    Ability to drive a car? Operate any other vehicles? EATING HABITS Omnivore/Carnivore/Herbivore (Vegetarian): Omnivore, but can only make stew, porridge, eggs, sandwiches and cookies.  Favorite food(s): Potato Soup.   Favorite drink(s): Early Grey Tea.  Disliked food(s): Broccoli.  Disliked drink(s): Prune juice.    HOUSE AND HOME Describe the character's house/home: Current home is a cottage outside of Dunwiddie. It’s white with a grey slanted roof and a dark blue door.  It has a loft bedroom which should’ve been made into a whole second floor by the original owners. the whole cottage inside is simple, but comfortable as Lilah appreciates that lifestyle. She has different flowers, three of her favorite being roses, daisies and lilacs planted in her huge yard. She also has pansies in little pots and croci along with a herb garden. The whole property is surrounded by a beige fence.      Do they share their home with anyone? Who? Just with her gerbil named Kipling. He’s not that bright, but he’s got a big heart and an even bigger appetite to go with it. .. Significant/special belongings: Has her brother’s old bows and arrows along with an old coat of his that she now wears. She also has an old book that belonged to Atticus’ wife. Her three necklaces are significant as well.

CAREER

Level of education:

Basic mathematics, spelling, reading and writing. After a certain age, children in her hometown were given their jobs. However, Atticus taught her extra lessons because he knew she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life with a low education. 

Qualifications:

Work ethic, self-taught and determination.  

Current job title and description:

The Royal Gardener. 

Name of employer:

King Roland the II. 

COMBAT

Peaceful or aggressive attitude?

She will be aggressive if necessary but she hasn’t been in self-defense in years which was common in her hometown. She hasn’t had any problems since she left home.  

Fighting skills/techniques:

Was taught basic fighting with swords and arrows, but wasn’t good at these.  

Special skills/magical powers/etc:

Weapon of choice (if any):

She does carry a small knife in her boot if there’s danger or if she needs anything cut. 

Weaknesses in combat: Will become uneasy if there’s blood spilled. 

Strengths in combat:

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES

Parents’ names:

Irene and Dunstan. Both ended up having a bad relationship with Lilah, particularly Dunstan always being so cold to her.   

Are parents alive or dead?

Dead. 

Is the character still in contact with their parents?

Even if they were alive she wouldn’t want to be in contact with them. 

Siblings? Relationship with siblings?

One older brother; Ephraim. He didn’t like being an only child and was excited to have a sister even if there was a ten-year age gap! They were close since their parents were always working so Ephraim pretty much took care of her. When Ephraim died, Lilah was shattered. She was told that he was mauled by wolves, but a decade later realized he was murdered. As an adult, her conscience comes as Ephraim’s voice and she’s especially weepy on his birthday and death date Sometimes she feels hurt and jealous to see siblings hugging each other since she still missed him. 

Other Important Relatives:

Grandmother: Jocasta a.k.a. Gran. She was a tough older lady that Lilah wasn’t close to, but she knew her granddaughter wasn’t being raised properly and insisted on getting her help. On her deathbed, she regretted not being kinder and wondered about her grandson’s death. Atticus: a tutor that came along to help Lilah after Ephraim’s death though her parents treated him like a babysitter. Being a widower and having lost a child himself, he grew to see Lilah as the daughter he never had. After seeing how he was a better father than her own, Lilah called him Dad.

Partner/Spouse:

Not yet...

Children:

Best Friend:

Cedric’s slowly becoming one. Other than that, she was lonely except for her brother.  

Other Important Friends:

Lilah and Calista already get along well which predicts a bond between them. 

Acquaintances: 

Pets:

A black gerbil named Kipling. 

Enemies? Why are they enemies?

Old hometown was ruled by a council that convicted her of conspiracy and treason. They left iron brandings on her hands for punishment. There was also a wicked sorceress that helped with dark magic to hypnotize people into crime. Lilah was forced under the dark magic to harm the enemies of her hometown and she never knew what happened until much later on. 

BACKSTORY

Describe their childhood (newborn - age 10):

Lilah’s childhood was happy. She was rambunctious, but affectionate. She had Ephraim to play with and even when he was off practicing archery, she would wait patiently for him. When her parents were around, her mother would coddle her while her father gave her treats so he could be alone. 

It all changed on February 1st when Ephraim died, changing the family dynamic forever. Lilah was only 10 years old. Months later, she met Atticus who was enlisted to be a teacher for her. Seeing that her parents and distant grandmother weren’t providing the best care for the grieving child, Atticus found himself taking full charge which Lilah hated. Slowly, she grew to like him and she started to improve emotionally and academically under his tutelage.  

Describe their  teenage years (11 - 19):

At this time, Lilah knew Atticus for about a year and considered him her friend. Even when given the chance to find another job, Atticus stayed because he was concerned for her. Also due the fact, he had lost a child, he was starting to see Lilah as his own. Some years later, at 14, Lilah was put in with the army as tradition, but survived. Afterwards, she was forced into work as a blacksmith where she grew stronger physically. Atticus made sure to teach her academics on the side to sharpen her mind since he thought she deserved a good education. She officially saw Atticus as a better father figure since her own emotionally and mentally abused her. She started calling Atticus Dad and called her biological parents Mother and Father, but not with much kindness. When Lilah was 16, her grandmother, Jocasta, passed away, leaving a seed of doubt in Lilah’s mind about Ephraim’s death. (Jocasta muttered on her deathbed about why Ephraim died because it didn’t make sense to her.) 

There’s other things that happened, something particular when she was 18, but that’ll be revealed in the story. What she didn’t know at the time was that the council wanted full power over all kingdoms, big and small and were willing to do anything to achieve it.      

Describe their  adult years (20+):

Around the age of 20, Lilah began to speculate more about Ephraim’s death thanks to the final words of Gran. She spent any spare time she had trying to piece together any theories and clues. Also she was put under dark magic from a sorceress to follow orders to attack neighboring cities who knew nothing about her home. Lilah wouldn’t remember a thing and would describe it to Cedric as being overly drunk after many stiff drinks. At 22, she found out Ephraim’s murderer was family friend who was hired by the council to kill Ephraim. Vowing revenge, she killed him with Ephraim’s own dagger. Afterwards, she was ashamed to realize that her brother never would’ve wished ill will to his murderer. Shortly after, she was possessed again by dark magic to attack a small village, but this time she realized what happened and was horrified. She even discovered that Ephraim was killed for not following orders to attack neighboring villages like her, but it costed him his life. She renounced her hometown and planned to leave. However,  Lilah was quickly arrested and tried by the council in her city for treason and conspiracy for the murder. She was punished with hot branding irons in different letters on both her hands. After that, she covered them with gloves in fear that she’d be discovered. Right when she left her home, Atticus died, leaving her heartbroken again, but encouraged by him to find a new life.  

She spent years wandering alone, knowing that her home had destroyed itself in another war. She went from kingdom to town looking for a new place and new life. She took an interest in gardening since it wasn’t common back in her old home and she was enjoying nature. Through trial and error, she learned how to garden and eventually found an abandoned cottage outside of Dunwiddie where she was found her gerbil, Kipling and would avoid people the best she could. Anyone who passed by, she would immediately send away due to fear of her past catching up with her. Yet that changed when she was 32 and Sofia showed up having heard about her and knowing her family was looking for a new gardener. Lilah begrudgingly decided to do it, but found that she liked it. She met Cedric and was quickly attracted to him despite her prejudice about sorcerers. However, she found herself growing more fond of him over the next months as a person. As of currently in the story, she’s debating on if she’s really falling in love with him and is certain he wouldn’t feel the same, especially since she considers herself “damaged” from her past. .    

[wildsunscorpion]

Another Lilah Ashbrook ;) with Kipling! (if you can spot him)