The Tale of Alexandria and Murtagh
Chapter 1: A Dream
I was in a forest again, walking slowly towards a clear bubbling stream. I walked out in to the open and saw him laying there as he always was. As I walked toward him I took in his muscular figure, and his luxurious brown hair which framed his handsome face. I sat down by his head and lightly brushed a stray hair off his perfect face. His stormy gray eyes flicked open at my touch. He stared at me for a moment, smiled, then said, “Alexandria,” lovingly, and stroked my cheek. Then he propped himself up on his elbow.
“How do you know my name?”
He leaned over and kissed me gently, but romantically. Then he stood up and disappeared in to the forest. As he disappeared I shouted,
“Wait! Who are you?” Just before he disappeared he turned and answered.
“Murtagh.” Then I was back in my room staring at the ceiling.
I laid there for a few more minuets thinking. Then I got up and went to make breakfast. To my surprise breakfast was already on the table as my unpredictable father had decided to make it. I sat down and started eating. After my first few bites I said, “I had that dream again.”
“The one with the boy in the forest?”
“Yes, only this time it was longer. I learned his name is Murtagh,”
“Murtagh, huh. What a unique name.”
“I know isn’t it wonderful,” I replied in a tone that suggested I was fantasizing. Dad looked at me for a second, then said,
“You know it’s not a good idea to fall in love with a guy you’ve only met in a dream. I mean you don’t really know anything about this Murtagh fellow.”
“I know father, but a girl can dream can’t she? Anyways I’m not even sure he’s a real person.”
“Oh I think you will find he is.” my father said absentmindedly. I could tell he was in a far off place, beyond my words now. He did this sometimes. I had always known my father was different. I mean firstly he chose to live in this little hut on the fringes of the spine. The nearest village, Delspire, is a three mile journey south to the northern end of Palencar valley and the southern the shores of King's Lake. My father hardly ever goes there and when he dose it’s just to speak to an old friend of his about something, I assume has to do with his powers or his past. I on the other hand go in to town frequently to get supplies, mail and receive letters for my father, and to learn the womanly things my father couldn’t teach me. This was the second weird thing about my father. He had taken a weird approach to my education. He taught me, a girl, to fight, and hunt. That by itself wouldn’t be two weird considering we live on the fringes of the spine, but he also taught me to read, write and to speak the ancient language of the elves. The oddest part of my education, though, is my lessons in magic, a subject my father knew a lot about as he is a magician himself. This explained most of my father’s peculiarities, but there was still one thing about my father I couldn’t explain. He never seemed to age much. This trait of his had always made me question my father’s humanity. Needless to say I wasn’t that surprised when he became all distant at the sound of Murtagh’s name. It was obvious to me now that he knew who Murtagh was.
“Alex.”
“Yes father.”
“What are you planning to do today?”
“Well, actually I was going to ask if I could go on a two-night hunting trip.”
“Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea,” he replied in a tone that suggested he was still far away. I finished my breakfast and got ready for my hunting trip. I packed all my provisions in my pack and tied my blond hair in a ponytail so it wouldn’t fall in front of my bright green eyes. Heaved my pack on to my tall, thin frame, then headed in to the spine bow in hand.
“How do you know my name?”
He leaned over and kissed me gently, but romantically. Then he stood up and disappeared in to the forest. As he disappeared I shouted,
“Wait! Who are you?” Just before he disappeared he turned and answered.
“Murtagh.” Then I was back in my room staring at the ceiling.
I laid there for a few more minuets thinking. Then I got up and went to make breakfast. To my surprise breakfast was already on the table as my unpredictable father had decided to make it. I sat down and started eating. After my first few bites I said, “I had that dream again.”
“The one with the boy in the forest?”
“Yes, only this time it was longer. I learned his name is Murtagh,”
“Murtagh, huh. What a unique name.”
“I know isn’t it wonderful,” I replied in a tone that suggested I was fantasizing. Dad looked at me for a second, then said,
“You know it’s not a good idea to fall in love with a guy you’ve only met in a dream. I mean you don’t really know anything about this Murtagh fellow.”
“I know father, but a girl can dream can’t she? Anyways I’m not even sure he’s a real person.”
“Oh I think you will find he is.” my father said absentmindedly. I could tell he was in a far off place, beyond my words now. He did this sometimes. I had always known my father was different. I mean firstly he chose to live in this little hut on the fringes of the spine. The nearest village, Delspire, is a three mile journey south to the northern end of Palencar valley and the southern the shores of King's Lake. My father hardly ever goes there and when he dose it’s just to speak to an old friend of his about something, I assume has to do with his powers or his past. I on the other hand go in to town frequently to get supplies, mail and receive letters for my father, and to learn the womanly things my father couldn’t teach me. This was the second weird thing about my father. He had taken a weird approach to my education. He taught me, a girl, to fight, and hunt. That by itself wouldn’t be two weird considering we live on the fringes of the spine, but he also taught me to read, write and to speak the ancient language of the elves. The oddest part of my education, though, is my lessons in magic, a subject my father knew a lot about as he is a magician himself. This explained most of my father’s peculiarities, but there was still one thing about my father I couldn’t explain. He never seemed to age much. This trait of his had always made me question my father’s humanity. Needless to say I wasn’t that surprised when he became all distant at the sound of Murtagh’s name. It was obvious to me now that he knew who Murtagh was.
“Alex.”
“Yes father.”
“What are you planning to do today?”
“Well, actually I was going to ask if I could go on a two-night hunting trip.”
“Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea,” he replied in a tone that suggested he was still far away. I finished my breakfast and got ready for my hunting trip. I packed all my provisions in my pack and tied my blond hair in a ponytail so it wouldn’t fall in front of my bright green eyes. Heaved my pack on to my tall, thin frame, then headed in to the spine bow in hand.