A Song of Arrows

   The elven legion had been marching for days, out of the Elvenhome, Alhalla. There were no great issues of warhorns, nor the beating of drums; instead they passed noiselessly through tracts of forests, like tree wraiths. They disturbed neither leaf nor branch in their passing.
   At the legion's head rode its leader, Athedil, the last of the elven lords, atop a white horse. He was clad in porcelain-white armor. A sword was at his side and he clutched a long gnarled staff. Surrounding him were his Oathbrothers, the elite warriors of the elves, high and proud in golden armor with golden hair.
   Rekki the Bent Bough was amazed at the side of his leader; he was more of a myth than a man and to see him, here, amidst the men, was awe inspiring. He seemed so regal, so proud, so eerily godlike that it made Rekki's skin grow cold and cover itself with goosebumps. Rekki held his bow tightly, it had been a long three days and he knew that the men were tired. Athedil had been marching them without any respite and what was worst of all was the silence of it; they made not a sound, save the muted shuffling of marching feet.
   At last they came to a stop as Athedil raised a hand. The legion slowed then, as they crested a slight rise that was bereft of trees or shrubbery. Below them was a small wood and, beyond, was a sizable village. Rekki recognized the architecture to be human; houses of straw and plaster and stone, with smoking fireplaces and cooking pits.
   "You," Athedil pointed to the score of elves near Rekki. "Will hide in those woods and you will fire your arrows, until you are depleted, at anything and everything that moves. The rest of you, come."
   Athedil lead a great score of the legion away and down the rise. Rekki and the archers slid gently down the slope and took cover in the trees. The village was very close now. If they had any watchmen or sentries, Rekki thought, surely they would spot us. He could see life in the village, men doing rounds of labor, others worked at the great mill in the eastern part of the town. Women were about, too, as were children. And then he realized; stealth was not part of this attack. It was all about terror.
   "There are no warriors here," Rekki thought aloud.
   Anil, the commander of the Second Flank, as their company was called, scowled. "Were there warriors when the humans attacked us?"
   "That was so long ago, Anil!" Rekki argued in hushed tones. "This is going to be slaughter!"
   "Just follow your orders, Rekki the Broken Bough, or you will be tried as a traitor."
   Rekki swallowed hard. The punishment reserved for traitors was a gruesome death and, worse still, there were rumors of Athedil's magic involved. Athedil had a great army of undead further to the south, some whispered. Fallen foes, fallen soldiers, so far as even springing corpses from the ground. Scouts who were sent to report there never came back - or never came back right. The talk of it scared Rekki, as did the rumors. He believed in his lord, he believed that Athedil would lead the elves back to greatness and immortality. But Athedil had become different...... and Rekki was there the night that Athedil had performed the Binding, when he had brought the Creator back to this earth - and then slew her, taking her power for his own. He was there when Athedil had become a god..... all the elves had witnessed it.
   A great commotion broke the silence. The main force of the legion were charging now, shouting with curved swords held high. The town broke into chaos as men scrambled to their houses and children were scooped up by their mothers, screaming with terror.
   "Ready arrows!" Anil roared as a horn sounded.
   Rekki nocked an arrow and drew back. His hands shook.
   "Maeie!" a human voiced called. Rekki's eyes flashed to the house nearest to them. A man stood at the doorway, woodcutting axe in hand. "Get the children and run! Please!"
   "Ready!" Again Anil shouted. "On my mark!"
   A door swung open at the rear of the house and a woman stumbled out. A child was held tightly in her hands and a sack was slung around her shoulders. Rekki's heart broke when he saw it; the child was young and the sack held a sleeping infant. And still, she was pregnant with a third.
   "Run! Run!" the same man roared over the screaming that issued out of the village now.
   The woman set off running as fast as her gravid body could take her. The child was wailing now.
   "Set on her! Set on her! Make sure she doesn't escape!" Anil cried.
   Rekki heard some of his brethren shift position. He, too, turned, out of fear of punishment. He screwed his eyes shut as his hands quivered wildly.
   "Fire!" bellowed Anil's voice over the hissing of dozens of arrows.
   The child's cry was stiffened as arrows pelted the town. The woman fell with a scream. Tears fell down Rekki's face. He nocked another arrow and drew only to release again with Anil's command. The man with the woodcutting axe was skewered to the ground, the houses were bristling with arrows, and the corpses of other men and women and children littered the streets. The main host of the legion was pulling away now as Athedil rode through the dead streets, followed by his Oathbrothers.
   Then Rekki heard a sob - and he knew it came from the woman.
   Stay quiet! he pleaded to her mentally. Please, stay quiet!
   "Rekki," Anil mewed into his ear. "Silence her."
   Rekki swallowed hard and rose. He took shaky steps out of the wood and onto the field where the woman lay. When he saw her crumpled body, he struggled to stifle a cry. An arrow pierced her back, straight through the tiny body of the infant. The older child lay nearby, nearly bifurcated by an elven arrow. It twitched gently and it made Rekki wish he hadn't looked. The woman lay on her side, sobbing. When Rekki grew near, she turned up to face him.
   "I am sorry, sacred mother," he said to her and he knelt down. He caressed her face as gently and comforting as he could as he drew his dagger with the other hand. "I am sorry," he whispered. She didn't cry out as he stabbed her through the throat.