Elven Chronicles Book 1: Into the Shadows
Legends
I held my ground and wondered to myself if this was a dream. They both had the same tall lithe look, and the man had dark brown hair and dark eyes. He was no more muscular than the woman but had a powerful presence about him. Then the woman said,
"We are real and this is not a dream. I am Alia and this is Elwen. We live deep in the forest, and we have noticed that you were walking around lately. Do you have a name, silent one?"
I finally got my tongue to work and replied, "Yeah, my name's Kida. I live in the tribe in the forest. Where do you guys come from, and what do you want? I'll kill you if you come any closer." I gripped my stave harder and prepared to pull out my knife.
"Easy, Easy. We do not mean you any harm. We got curious and wanted to talk to you, but we cannot tell you where we come from at this time," Elwen continued, "we could get in some trouble for that. Why don't you walk and talk with us ? Or if you prefer, we could sit her and have a chat." Elwen looked rough and tough to me. As he stepped closer, I noticed he had an earthy smell, like he spent most of his time rolled about in the grass.
"I am not sure if that is a good idea becuaseI have to return home for my family. I will be back tomorrow."
I ran as fast as I could from the mysterious people.
At home, I thought about them and kept wondering what the hell was going on. That night it just got weirder. I had a dream and there was a beautiful women speaking to me. She was speaking another language, but I understood what she was saying. She kept saying "Return, Return."
So like an idiot, I listened and went into the forest after school on the next day.
~
"She is cautious, and smart," Elwen told Leto. "She sensed us before we got there, and I was disguising us with my power. She is special, and her name is Kida."
"What?" Leto almost choked on this word.
"Kida is her name. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am fine. Thank you. Go back tomorrow and find out more about her if she is there. Watch over her."
"Yes sir."
As Elwen walked out, Leto turned to his bedroom window and wondered about this special human girl. Secrets from his past leaped out at him, and he worried with dread if any of them would come out with this new find of the human girl.
~
So there I was like an idiot out in the forest again. Soon enough I felt Alia and Elwen's approach. Not sure how I could "feel" them, but I just did. It is like a sixth sense always around me.
"Hello, Kida," Alia said this with a smile, " It is nice that you have come again."
"Yeah, I decided to trust you guys a little."
We talked and talked for a while, and then I had to return home. Suprisingly, I trusted them. I think it is in their eyes, they have a look of loyality. They are really nice. Elwen is about six foot three, with those dark eyes, browish hair, and a skinny but muscular look. Alia is different. She has those great green eyes, about five foot seven, and a skinny but toned look. I mentioned before that Elwen smelled like dirt, but Alia smelled like salt and something that I had never smelled before. They both looked like they could really fight.
At home, my father took me to the Battlemaster to receive permission to practice the different levels.
"Yes you may, and I will be by to observe your progress," the Battlemaster said this with a flash of excitement in his eyes. For such an old man, he seemed like he had a lot of energy
I really wanted to hate this guy for acting like I should beg to be able to defend myself, but he would lay down his life for the tribe just so some of us could live. He told us to receive consent from the Chief, and then we could continue with my training. When he and my father left, I snuck into his library to look at something. I stole a book with pictures from the past in it. My plan was to look in it and return it ASAP. Hopefully, he did not look at his books much.
Once I was alone, (does not happen often), I started to look through the book, and I found some interesting information. The writing said that hundreds of years ago there were these powerful creatures called elves, and that they lived by the thousands in the forest. It was rare to see many of them but if one was lucky they would trade goods with you.
The rest of the reading was about what they did and how they stayed hidden, blah, blah, blah. Then, I noticed a picture and it really bothered me. The elf drawn looked just like Alia and Elwen. It had the same build and the desciption of it matched my own observations of my strangers. I decided then to find out more about them.
About six months passed, and I spent more and more time with the "elves". Also, I was improving in my training, and now I fought with the boys when they had training sessions on Saturdays. I beat them, and the Battlemaster spent more and more time with me. Soon he dropped a ball on my Father. We were sitting at dinner, and he told my father that I was to be the new Battlemaster.
"What?!" my father exclaimed. "She is a young woman, almost 17 years old. How can you know?'
"She has learned two and a half levels in the past three months. That is a record. Even I did not learn that fast, besides it is time to change some things around here."
Wow. The Battlemaster must really think highly of me, but who is going to teach me. He is much to old. (Sorry sir)
The Battlemaster continued, "She will be taught everyday by my son, and when she learns enough she will be taught by me." He turned to me, "As long it is okay with you, Kida."
I looked at my mother and father and they just nodded encouragement.
"Yes, I would love to learn," I replied. "I will come by tomorrow."
"Excellent. My son will start to teach you. You will become a legend of the tribe."
Yeah, I thought, you have no idea of how many of those legends still exist. It is time to confront the legends I know and suspect. I needed to learn the truth about them.
~
"There is something about her that frightens me," Alia said to Leto.
"What do you mean? She is just a human."
"It is like the elements surround her. She has an aura that says that she is in command and nothing can touch her. It bothers me."
"Alia, you are the best woman fighter in the two elven kingdoms. I am surprised you are worried. Just spend time with her and do not worry about it."
"Yes, my Lord. I will see her tomorrow. You should meet her sometime."
As she left, Leto pondered that thought and continued to think about his past. He wondered about Alia's worries and wondered if those worries should become some of his own as well.
"We are real and this is not a dream. I am Alia and this is Elwen. We live deep in the forest, and we have noticed that you were walking around lately. Do you have a name, silent one?"
I finally got my tongue to work and replied, "Yeah, my name's Kida. I live in the tribe in the forest. Where do you guys come from, and what do you want? I'll kill you if you come any closer." I gripped my stave harder and prepared to pull out my knife.
"Easy, Easy. We do not mean you any harm. We got curious and wanted to talk to you, but we cannot tell you where we come from at this time," Elwen continued, "we could get in some trouble for that. Why don't you walk and talk with us ? Or if you prefer, we could sit her and have a chat." Elwen looked rough and tough to me. As he stepped closer, I noticed he had an earthy smell, like he spent most of his time rolled about in the grass.
"I am not sure if that is a good idea becuaseI have to return home for my family. I will be back tomorrow."
I ran as fast as I could from the mysterious people.
At home, I thought about them and kept wondering what the hell was going on. That night it just got weirder. I had a dream and there was a beautiful women speaking to me. She was speaking another language, but I understood what she was saying. She kept saying "Return, Return."
So like an idiot, I listened and went into the forest after school on the next day.
~
"She is cautious, and smart," Elwen told Leto. "She sensed us before we got there, and I was disguising us with my power. She is special, and her name is Kida."
"What?" Leto almost choked on this word.
"Kida is her name. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am fine. Thank you. Go back tomorrow and find out more about her if she is there. Watch over her."
"Yes sir."
As Elwen walked out, Leto turned to his bedroom window and wondered about this special human girl. Secrets from his past leaped out at him, and he worried with dread if any of them would come out with this new find of the human girl.
~
So there I was like an idiot out in the forest again. Soon enough I felt Alia and Elwen's approach. Not sure how I could "feel" them, but I just did. It is like a sixth sense always around me.
"Hello, Kida," Alia said this with a smile, " It is nice that you have come again."
"Yeah, I decided to trust you guys a little."
We talked and talked for a while, and then I had to return home. Suprisingly, I trusted them. I think it is in their eyes, they have a look of loyality. They are really nice. Elwen is about six foot three, with those dark eyes, browish hair, and a skinny but muscular look. Alia is different. She has those great green eyes, about five foot seven, and a skinny but toned look. I mentioned before that Elwen smelled like dirt, but Alia smelled like salt and something that I had never smelled before. They both looked like they could really fight.
At home, my father took me to the Battlemaster to receive permission to practice the different levels.
"Yes you may, and I will be by to observe your progress," the Battlemaster said this with a flash of excitement in his eyes. For such an old man, he seemed like he had a lot of energy
I really wanted to hate this guy for acting like I should beg to be able to defend myself, but he would lay down his life for the tribe just so some of us could live. He told us to receive consent from the Chief, and then we could continue with my training. When he and my father left, I snuck into his library to look at something. I stole a book with pictures from the past in it. My plan was to look in it and return it ASAP. Hopefully, he did not look at his books much.
Once I was alone, (does not happen often), I started to look through the book, and I found some interesting information. The writing said that hundreds of years ago there were these powerful creatures called elves, and that they lived by the thousands in the forest. It was rare to see many of them but if one was lucky they would trade goods with you.
The rest of the reading was about what they did and how they stayed hidden, blah, blah, blah. Then, I noticed a picture and it really bothered me. The elf drawn looked just like Alia and Elwen. It had the same build and the desciption of it matched my own observations of my strangers. I decided then to find out more about them.
About six months passed, and I spent more and more time with the "elves". Also, I was improving in my training, and now I fought with the boys when they had training sessions on Saturdays. I beat them, and the Battlemaster spent more and more time with me. Soon he dropped a ball on my Father. We were sitting at dinner, and he told my father that I was to be the new Battlemaster.
"What?!" my father exclaimed. "She is a young woman, almost 17 years old. How can you know?'
"She has learned two and a half levels in the past three months. That is a record. Even I did not learn that fast, besides it is time to change some things around here."
Wow. The Battlemaster must really think highly of me, but who is going to teach me. He is much to old. (Sorry sir)
The Battlemaster continued, "She will be taught everyday by my son, and when she learns enough she will be taught by me." He turned to me, "As long it is okay with you, Kida."
I looked at my mother and father and they just nodded encouragement.
"Yes, I would love to learn," I replied. "I will come by tomorrow."
"Excellent. My son will start to teach you. You will become a legend of the tribe."
Yeah, I thought, you have no idea of how many of those legends still exist. It is time to confront the legends I know and suspect. I needed to learn the truth about them.
~
"There is something about her that frightens me," Alia said to Leto.
"What do you mean? She is just a human."
"It is like the elements surround her. She has an aura that says that she is in command and nothing can touch her. It bothers me."
"Alia, you are the best woman fighter in the two elven kingdoms. I am surprised you are worried. Just spend time with her and do not worry about it."
"Yes, my Lord. I will see her tomorrow. You should meet her sometime."
As she left, Leto pondered that thought and continued to think about his past. He wondered about Alia's worries and wondered if those worries should become some of his own as well.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hope everyone enjoys!