The Keeper
Father's Legacy
Senalyn
High above the ground, hidden from beneath by the rustling leaves, I could see almost the whole of my forest. The tops of the trees were deep red, glowing golden from the fading sun. It gave my forest a rustic, warm hue. I liked it.
No-one had disturbed my forest for almost ten years now - it was a peaceful life. My father had left me at a young age when he had gotten the call of the keeper. I barely remember him - only a bristly brown beard and a warm smile as he said goodbye. He left me in the kind and peaceful care of my forest. I was to wait here for his return. I didn't mind it. There was nothing wrong with spending more time in this forest. I knew my father was safe and would eventually return for me. Until then, it was my job to protect this forest - my home.
A bird landed on my shoulder, cocking its head to one side as it tweeted in my ear. I tensed as I heard what it said. People! It tweeted, People! People!
I clutched my knife automatically as my breath hitched in my throat. My father wasn't expected back this early. The bird flew off my shoulder as I dropped down, landing on the ground with my knife raised.
There was chattering to my left, signifying that the people were coming closer. They stopped talking as they saw me. I straightened up and lowered the knife as I realised that both of them were women, neither one armed with more than a knife and a walking staff. "Oh," I said under my breath, approaching them slowly.
The older one seemed familiar. I remembered her face from somewhere. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun, and she wore a guilty expression on her face. I recognised the god-like aura she had. I narrowed my eyes. "Sira?" I accused her with my eyes, demanding answers. Where was my father?
"You know her?" My attention was drawn to the other girl as she spoke. She was shorter, but nonetheless looked just as fierce as Sira did, despite her polite expression. She was quite pretty - with long black hair and delicate features. She reminded me of a bluebird.
"...the keeper," Sira was saying.
"What's your name?" the girl asked me. I noticed that she had her fingers on the handle of what looked like a knife sticking out of her pocket. Evidently she didn't trust me.
"I'm Senalyn. How is my father?"
Sira glanced at the girl and then back to me. "He's...he was killed in battle." The words were rushed, so I didn't fully process what she had said until a few moments later. I felt like falling onto my knees, but I forced myself to remain calm - at least on the outside. A storm was raging inside me. It felt almost petty, but all I could think was that all of this waiting had been for nothing. Suddenly I was sick of this forest. I was sick of being here, on my own. I decided I needed to get away from here.
Sira was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear her. I raised my hand to silence her, not caring that she was a Goddess and that I was a mere elf. "Stop," I said coldly. "There is nothing to be done. Can I help either of you while you travel through this forest?" I couldn't bear to look at either of them, so I kept my gaze on the grass beneath me.
"I'm sorry for your loss, you can stay if you'd like," the girl said.
"No thanks. I think I'd rather be anywhere else but in my forest right now. Where are you going?"
"Liotin, the ruler there worships Alucar and abuses his people."
"You mean The High Priest of Alucar?" I frowned as I remembered hearing of Liotin from one of the travellers who had entered my forest a while ago. Liotin was ruled by an evil tyrant. Most of the people who lived there were enslaved by him, and anyone who dared travel to that land were either killed or never returned. "What business is so important that you must die to perform it?"
"Protecting people," was the girl's response.
I couldn't help but think of how Sira had already failed in protecting the one person who mattered the most - my father. "I'm sorry," I said politely to the girl, forcing myself to understand that it was not her fault. "Who are you?"
"I am the Keeper of The Object of Power. And who," she looked me up and down. "Are you?"
An orphan, I thought miserably to myself. To the girl, I replied, "A friend. Let me come with you. Perhaps I can continue my father's legacy by assisting the new keeper."
The girl looked across at Sira before looking at me with a blank expression. "We would be honoured."
I nodded my thanks, before checking my belt for what I carried with me. My knife, journal and pipe were safely attached to my belt. All of my other possessions were hidden safely in my home. I turned back to the Keeper and Sira. "You'll want to follow me if you want to make it to Liotin in good time. If you're quick enough, we might make it there at noon tomorrow."
I noticed Sira looking at the girl curiously as she made her decision, as though the girl was being tested. She seemed sceptical but eventually nodded. "Lead the way."
High above the ground, hidden from beneath by the rustling leaves, I could see almost the whole of my forest. The tops of the trees were deep red, glowing golden from the fading sun. It gave my forest a rustic, warm hue. I liked it.
No-one had disturbed my forest for almost ten years now - it was a peaceful life. My father had left me at a young age when he had gotten the call of the keeper. I barely remember him - only a bristly brown beard and a warm smile as he said goodbye. He left me in the kind and peaceful care of my forest. I was to wait here for his return. I didn't mind it. There was nothing wrong with spending more time in this forest. I knew my father was safe and would eventually return for me. Until then, it was my job to protect this forest - my home.
A bird landed on my shoulder, cocking its head to one side as it tweeted in my ear. I tensed as I heard what it said. People! It tweeted, People! People!
I clutched my knife automatically as my breath hitched in my throat. My father wasn't expected back this early. The bird flew off my shoulder as I dropped down, landing on the ground with my knife raised.
There was chattering to my left, signifying that the people were coming closer. They stopped talking as they saw me. I straightened up and lowered the knife as I realised that both of them were women, neither one armed with more than a knife and a walking staff. "Oh," I said under my breath, approaching them slowly.
The older one seemed familiar. I remembered her face from somewhere. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun, and she wore a guilty expression on her face. I recognised the god-like aura she had. I narrowed my eyes. "Sira?" I accused her with my eyes, demanding answers. Where was my father?
"You know her?" My attention was drawn to the other girl as she spoke. She was shorter, but nonetheless looked just as fierce as Sira did, despite her polite expression. She was quite pretty - with long black hair and delicate features. She reminded me of a bluebird.
"...the keeper," Sira was saying.
"What's your name?" the girl asked me. I noticed that she had her fingers on the handle of what looked like a knife sticking out of her pocket. Evidently she didn't trust me.
"I'm Senalyn. How is my father?"
Sira glanced at the girl and then back to me. "He's...he was killed in battle." The words were rushed, so I didn't fully process what she had said until a few moments later. I felt like falling onto my knees, but I forced myself to remain calm - at least on the outside. A storm was raging inside me. It felt almost petty, but all I could think was that all of this waiting had been for nothing. Suddenly I was sick of this forest. I was sick of being here, on my own. I decided I needed to get away from here.
Sira was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear her. I raised my hand to silence her, not caring that she was a Goddess and that I was a mere elf. "Stop," I said coldly. "There is nothing to be done. Can I help either of you while you travel through this forest?" I couldn't bear to look at either of them, so I kept my gaze on the grass beneath me.
"I'm sorry for your loss, you can stay if you'd like," the girl said.
"No thanks. I think I'd rather be anywhere else but in my forest right now. Where are you going?"
"Liotin, the ruler there worships Alucar and abuses his people."
"You mean The High Priest of Alucar?" I frowned as I remembered hearing of Liotin from one of the travellers who had entered my forest a while ago. Liotin was ruled by an evil tyrant. Most of the people who lived there were enslaved by him, and anyone who dared travel to that land were either killed or never returned. "What business is so important that you must die to perform it?"
"Protecting people," was the girl's response.
I couldn't help but think of how Sira had already failed in protecting the one person who mattered the most - my father. "I'm sorry," I said politely to the girl, forcing myself to understand that it was not her fault. "Who are you?"
"I am the Keeper of The Object of Power. And who," she looked me up and down. "Are you?"
An orphan, I thought miserably to myself. To the girl, I replied, "A friend. Let me come with you. Perhaps I can continue my father's legacy by assisting the new keeper."
The girl looked across at Sira before looking at me with a blank expression. "We would be honoured."
I nodded my thanks, before checking my belt for what I carried with me. My knife, journal and pipe were safely attached to my belt. All of my other possessions were hidden safely in my home. I turned back to the Keeper and Sira. "You'll want to follow me if you want to make it to Liotin in good time. If you're quick enough, we might make it there at noon tomorrow."
I noticed Sira looking at the girl curiously as she made her decision, as though the girl was being tested. She seemed sceptical but eventually nodded. "Lead the way."