Chapter One: The Village

She woke up to birds singing in her ear.  What a lovely song so early in the morn!  Sauda got out of her bed and went to the window.  Outside were a meadow, a creek, and a few deer.  She loved this type of mornings.  Everything was calm, until she heard the faint whistle.  It was a ranger out in the wood.  Someone was coming and this wasn’t a normal person.  She quickly threw on her green robes and ran out to find her mother.

                “Mother! What’s going on?”

                “It’s another one of those mercenaries the king has sent out. It’s just that this one doesn’t look like the others.”

                “What do you mean?”

                “I mean, your father and brother have told me it looks like an elf and not a human,” she said.

                “What loyal elf would turn on its own kin?! That is preposterous!”

                “I don’t know Sauda, I don’t know.”

 

                “Let’s get a move on elves. We can’t get off schedule or the warlock will kill us.”  As they were moving, the leader heard the faint whistle.  He knew it was signaling his arrival, yet he wasn’t thrilled like he should have been.  Seriously, he’d done this many times but, he still felt a pang of guilt.  This was his own kin, his own family he was going to have to destroy.  Yet if he didn’t do it, he would be stripped of every honor he’d earned and then banished to the depths of the world, Stormcrown.  And he couldn’t do that.  So here he was, on the edge of his family’s village with his guilt and his hunters and warriors.

 

While he was marching into the village, every male above the age of 10000 was gathering around their weapons and the females were scattering into the houses with the children.  Now, these aren’t houses like yours or mine. These are made into the trees. Tree houses if you prefer.  So while the village-folk were doing this, the mercenary was prepping himself in his head as to what he would say.  Should he say that he is one of them or should he say he is from a different part of the country?  Will they know that his mother lives in this village? Will they recognize him? He had no clue.  “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered.

 

Sauda’s mother was worried.  She knew that her son had run away at the young age of 40.  See, every elf ages 10 years to every 1 human year; they are immortal, the elves.  “I hope this isn’t Durion,” she thought.  “He shouldn’t be like this…”

 

Sauda knew what was happening.  She knew that all over Lorgeon every village, town, and city was getting pummeled. Even single one, even her own.  She knows that she will have to do something since Durion wasn’t here anymore.  He had left before Sauda was born.  Sauda lops off to find Legyndir, her mate.

 

Legyndir didn’t like this. Not at all.  Like all of the elves in the village, he had heard the whistle.  He was packing his bags with things that would be needed on a journey when Sauda found him.

                “Legyndir, what are you doing?”

                “I’m leaving, Sauda,” he said in a hushed voice. “Before they make me leave.  I'm going to see who is making this happen.”

                “But everyone knows who is doing this. The King, Legyndir.  He has turned cruel.”

                “Sauda, do you not get it? The King would never turn cruel.  He has been a loving and kind King for many millennia. Why would he be mean to his loyal subjects?”

                “Well, I'm coming with you.  I can't stay here and be forced to move without you.  Let me help you pack.”

 

Sauda grabs some Earthroot, Mageroyal, Grave Moss, Liferoot, Dragon’s Teeth, Firebloom, and Twilight Jasmine; all things for a long journey.  You see, Legyndir is an alchemist.  He makes potions and scrolls for everything someone would need.

 

As they finish packing, Sauda writes to her mother telling her when she is going.  And they are off on their Adventure to Find the Truth!