Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 

 

It was a new day for Damion; the sun did not show itself today and was blocked by grey clouds. A cold wind blew through the village and many of the elves dressed up in thick drab clothing. Damion lay snoozing until Enelya turned up. Enelya entered the house quietly as if trying not to wake him. She leaned down and shook Damion gently. He groaned and stirred as he began to awake.

“Good morning sleepy head, it’s time to go to training” Damion sat up stiffly not used to being this low down whilst he slept.

“Urgh, sure thing” Damion stood still wearing the clothes he had the day before.

“Oh one more thing, bring your sword. If you’re going to practice they prefer if you choose your own weapon” Damion looked at her,

“Why?” he questioned.

“Oh, because each weapon is balanced differently and if you’re going to learn, it’s best to learn on your own weapon”

“Oh! Understandable” Damion led out first and Enelya followed soon after.

Enelya lead Damion down a long path through groups of trees which lead to a large field. It had been split into different areas which Damion assumed was for different training. Damion looked towards Enelya and only just realised she was carrying a bow and quiver, not a sword.

“Um Enelya?” Damion said nervously,

“Yes?” she responded without looking back at him.

“Why have you not got a sword?” Enelya giggled.

“That’s because I train for sharpshooting, I don’t handle swords”

“Oh? Well ok then” Damion seemed almost frightened to her, as if he was nervous about being left alone.

“Don’t worry so much, I’m going to leave you with General Idril. She’s strict I’ll admit but she will help you out a lot” Damion did not respond and carried on walking close behind. The field was filled only slightly with other elves. The army he was thinking of seemed a lot smaller than he imagined. There was about thirty people overall who was present. Enelya finally approached a woman who seemed busy with papers and was fumbling around. She wore thin green armour; it had elven patterns engraved into it. She wore a breastplate and also greaves. This made Damion nervous once he looked around and everyone else was wearing the same. Thoughts of getting hurt rushed through his head. However he regained his posture and calmed down before she and him reached her.

“Hello General Idril, may I request a moment of your time?” Enelya said confidently. Idril looked up from her papers and smiled.

“Of course, what do you need?” she asked.

“I have Damion here, he is human and he would like to join our training” Idril studied him carefully and walked around him. She seemed to be measuring him.

“Hmm, you seem steady enough” she looked at his shoulder closely, “A small injury but that shouldn’t matter” she stood up in front of him and looked onto him. She whistled loud;y and soon a young man with blonde hair and wearing the same raiment as the general  approached.

“Gurtin reporting Madam” he shouted and saluted as he stopped.

“Can you fetch this young man a raiment please?” She studied him once more and looked to Gurtin again “I’d say just a little smaller than yours”

“Yes Madam” Gurtin ran off swiftly and entered what seemed to be a small storehouse.

“I see you already have a sword”

“Yes Mam” he answered quietly. She looked at him and smiled slightly.

“Enough of the formalities, you are not in my squadron so you will refer to me as Idril, is that clear?”

“Yes Idril” Damion shouted trying to sound confident.

“Very good. Now Enelya, you are in my squadron, could you please proceed to the shooting range please?”

“Yes Mam” Enelya saluted,

“Thank you” she ran off quickly down towards a path that led out into the forest.

“Mam, I have acquired the raiment you asked for”

“Thank you, now Gurtin wait around for a moment, I’ll need you in a moment” Idril passed the raiment to Damion. “Try it on, see how it fits”. Without thinking Damion began to put on the raiment that was given to him, buckling up all the leather straps and fixing it in place. “A little loose but we don’t have another that would fit closer. This will have to do” she turned away from Gurtin and Damion. “Now!” she shouted startling Damion, “Damion I would like to start you with the basic and to do that I need to see what basic will mean to you” Damion felt uneasy and knew where she was going with this. “Damion I would like you to fight Gurtin, no holding back from either of you. Understood?”

“Yes Idril” shouted Damion,

“Yes Mam” Gurtin shouted louder.  

 

The sky had become grey stained with clouds, the bitter wind whipped around Damion and Gurtin. Thunder rumbled above them yet lightning never showed itself to them. The elven tribe stood around Damion and Gurtin anxious to see the battle. Gurtin stood proudly, his sword drawn and held just in front of him. Damion however showed no confidence, he shook nervously.

“Now!” Idril bellowed, “Are you both ready?”

“Yes Mam” Gurtin replied first. Damion gulped,

“Yes Idril” he replied quietly. The tension in the crowd grew; many people muttered and conversed about who they believed would win.

“Three…two…one…fight!” Gurtin gripped into the ground fiercely and launched an instant attack at Damion knocking him to the groud, the crowd around cheered for Gurtin. Damion stood feel sore already, he wiped the dirt of his face and returned the offence, he swung his sword with sheer force but missed Gurtin by inches. Gurtin began to return an attack but was knocked quickly to the floor by a counter from Damion. He stood quickly ready to attack yet Damion swung his sword swiftly knocking him back down. Damion looked bewildered and stunned by his expertise in sword fighting. He couldn’t understand how this all came so naturally to him but enjoyed it all the same. He smiled gently at Gurtin. He offered his hand to help Gurtin up yet was slapped away.

“Don’t touch me you filthy human!” he yelled viciously, “I am not done with you” he stood was extreme speed, his speed unnatural to any human. Gurtin slashed his sword angrily but Damion blocked and countered his attempt. Sweat dripped from Gurtin’s brow, he had become angry and was increasingly become more so. Gurtin yelled out angrily roaring at Damion. He launched forwards swinging his sword but was surprised when Damion had blocked and countered yet again throwing him to the ground.

“The battle is over, I declare Damion the winner” the crowded yelled out Damion’s name, he smiled and put his arms up victoriously. Gurtin climbed to his feet and mumbled to himself.

“Just you wait” he angrily stormed off removing his armour and throwing his sword to the ground. Idril looked sadly at Gurtin and shook her head.

“That fool, his anger problems will get him killed one day”

Enelya ran to Damion hugging him as if she had known him for years, Damion stood shocked and blushed.

“Wow that was pretty impressive for someone how doesn’t know how to fight” she let go and looked sceptically at him. Damion replied with a shrug of the shoulders.

“So Damion” he jumped at the sound if Idril’s abrupt voice. “That was very impressive, so where have you trained before?”

“I honestly have not trained to fight before” both Enelya and Idril stood with arms crossed not believing Damion. “Honestly I have never trained before, I’m telling the truth” he spoke with honesty in his voice. It was enough to convince both of them for now. Idril walked away about ten steps and turned back to Damion.

“Damion, accompany me please if you will” Damion raised an eyebrow.

“Umm sure?” he began to walk to catch up with her.

“And the rest of you, please get back to training”

“Yes mam” the whole squadron replied.

 

The sound of glasses echoed in the back of the tavern. It was nearly empty as most people were working or gathering food. Idril pulled out a chair and sat at a table not far from the bar. She gestured her hand to Damion asking him to sit down. He nodded and did so. Idril took a sip from her glass, the liquid was a bright green and glow slightly. Damion looked at it studying it from every angle. He was unsure about drinking it. 

“It’s Drudil Damion” Damion looked still unsure, Idril laughed quietly at him. “It’s simply the juice squeezed from Drudil berries”

“So what makes it glow like that?”

“Oh that, well being as you are human I’m sure that you probably won’t want to drink it if I tell you” Damion looked sarcastically at her.

“Come on, I’m tougher than I look. Tell me” she sighed,

“Well ok then, mind you this is the only thing we have to drink apart from water…It’s raptos blood” Damion looked at Idril now wishing he didn’t know.

“Oh well…that’s not too bad” he smiled awkwardly and took a sip. It tasted sweet and had an even sweeter aftertaste. “That’s really good”

“It gets repetitive once you’ve had it for so many years, but now, down to business”

“Business?” he questioned.

“Yes business, now after seeing your fighting skill I can’t believe you haven’t fought before”

“But-”

“However” she interrupted, “I do believe you, now listen to me, everyone knows here that Elves are the only race which are born with a skill” she stopped to take another sip of her drink. “Now, I was born will the skill of swordplay, I adapted to be a leader. Enelya was born a marksman and is expert with a bow” she stopped yet again to take another sip of her drink. “Now if you have honestly never trained before, then I believe you may be human but it seems you might have some elven blood within you”

“But no one in my family was an elf, my father was human and so was my mother. How could this be possible?” he asked.

“Well I don’t know but all I know is, you cannot be pure human” As she sat back in her chair waiting for Damion’s response, he started to remember something. He remembered Enelya’s melody and how his mother sang the same tune.

“I?”

“Yes?” Idril responded. Damion looked down to scared to say anything.

“I really don’t know anything about this, I’m sorry” Idril leaned forwards and placed her hand upon his shoulder.

“Damion its fine, I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m just interested in what your past may be like. There might be more that you don’t understand”

“You have no idea” he looked up at her, “I’m so confused right now that, I just don’t know what to do. Rose is gone, I’m stuck in this place which I have no idea where this is. I’m lost” Idril felt sympathetic for Damion and did not ask any more questions in risk she would cause offence.

“Well our tribe will gladly let you stay. You can leave when you like but until then, please stay”

“Sure thing” Damion replied with a glimmer of hope in his voice. 

 

    

Damion had left the tavern and wandered around the town trying to work out how he didn’t notice a place this big from the peak of the forest. He wasn’t even sure where he was anymore. The town was covered with Elven runes and letters on each inch of stone. He studied each one beginning to wonder what it all meant. However before he could begin to try and learn a young elven girl around his age began to approach him. She stopped in front of him and seemed to begin to study him.

“Hi, you must be Damion”

“Um yeah that’s right, and you are?”

“Oh silly me, I’m Aleta” Aleta wore what seemed to be average elven clothing, green drab clothing and a brown leather belt holding it closer to her waist. “You’re a very good swordsman, you fight like a professional”

“Well yeah I guess” he replied scratching the back of his head.

“You must be very famous where you come from, I’m not really worth anything here like you” she blushed slightly.

“Don’t doubt yourself so much Aleta, each person within a community is worth something and will always be worth something. I was told you are all born with a skill, what would yours be?”

“Oh well I was born to cook and forage food, so that’s all I do” she looked down and scuffed her feet in the ground. “Maybe I could…cook for you sometime?” she said nervously.

“That sounds delightful” Damion said cheerfully, Aleta blushed bright red and tried to hide her face. Damion began to laugh.

“Aww don’t hide you face” he took her hands and moved her hands away from her face, “Your beau-” Damion stopped dead. He let go of her hands and stepped away from her quickly. He began to feel guilty about what he nearly said. He still loved Rose and could not forget her. “I’m sorry, I must go” Damion walked away swiftly keeping his head down. Aleta watched with tears welling up.

“Wait!” she ran after him and caught hold of his hand. He looked back at her accidently getting caught in her eyes. “Did I say something wrong?” Damion shook his head. “Then what?” Damion turned to her and sighed taking hold of her hands.

“My heart belongs with another” Aleta stared into his eyes sadly.

“Where is she?” she asked concernedly.

“I…I don’t know” he looked deeper into her eyes, “I don’t know how I can find her either” Aleta began to think and finally replied to him.

“Well maybe this is a sign; fate must have brought you here. Why else would you be talking to me now?”

“Bad situations and a terrible past that is what has led me here. The human world will no longer be able to understand me” he looked away from her but she placed her hands on his face making him look into her green eyes again, “Well stay here, we understand you. I understand you” Damion tried to look away yet could not, he understood what she was saying a secretly believed her. However he did not want to, his love for Rose was burning and telling him that this was a mistake yet, he felt at home amongst the elves. He looked deeply into Aleta’s eyes and began to smile. He placed his hands on hers pulled them away from his face gently, she looked back into his eyes and thrust forwards placing her lips against his. Damion stood in shock but calmed to the cooling feel of the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. He began to kiss her back equally as passionately as she kissed him. He had only known her for a few minutes but it seemed like a lifetime to Damion. He finally pulled away from her blushing bright red. She too had a bright red face and bit her bottom lip embarrassed.

“You’re staying at the abandoned shack at the edge of the village aren’t you?”

“Uh yeah I am, why?” he looked still stunned from the kissing.

“Well umm” scuffed her feet and again and began to play with her long brunette hair. “Maybe I should pay you a little visit tonight” Damion looked down quickly and began to sway slightly.

“Maybe that isn’t a good idea, I mean I barely know you” Aleta moved closer and pressed up against him.

“We have a whole lifetime to know each other Damion” she looked into his eyes held her focal point on them. “Surely one night together would help you understand me much much more” she said seductively. Damion blushed terribly and began to sweat.

“Well maybe your right” she smiled at him.

“I’ll come around tonight then” she began to walk away from, “Be ready for me” she said turning around and winking at him.  He didn’t know how to react and giggled slightly. Damion suddenly felt great guilt and his heart began to race. He couldn’t understand why he agreed to such a thing.

 

“Bulls eye!” Enelya yelled out thrusting her hand up in a victorious fashion. Her arrow had hit right in between the eyes of the training dummy. It was made of wood from the trees of their part of the forest.

“Good job Enelya” Idril called out, Enelya chuckled and ran up to Idril.

“Excuse me Mam; may I address an issue with you?”

“Granted” she nodded.

“May I ask is it true?”  Idril shrugged.

“He claims not to know much of his past or of his family, especially his mother” Enelya sighed.

“That’s true for me also though, she left us when I was four, I don’t remember much of her” Idril looked up to the sky.

“Yes that was a sad day when your mother left, but we needed to respect her choice” she paused to contemplate for a moment, “Do you not agree?” Enelya didn’t want to admit it but finally replied.

“Yes Mam” Idril continued to look into the sky, the clouds above had not moved and thunder still rumbled above them.

“I think we should end early today Enelya, I’m rather weary of those clouds”

“If you think so Mam”

“Alright all of you” she yelled out, “Training is ending early today so pack up and go home please” everyone around mumbled happily and began to pack up for home.

 

“Hey Damion wait up” Damion turned to see Enelya running to catch up with him. She reached him and leaned over trying to catch her breath, finally she stood up staright breathing normally again. “We ended early today, Idril was worried about the weather” Damion looked up as if he hadn’t noticed it. “Damion your very quiet is something up?” she asked him trying to catch his eyes but failing.

“I’m fine Enelya, I’m just thinking” Enelya thought not to ask but ignored her gut feeling.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Well” he started and took a deep breath. “I’m thinking about staying here, until I can move back into a town” Enelya’s face brightened up but tried to hide it in case of upsetting Damion.

“Well your welcome and safe here” she smiled at him.

“Welcome I’m sure, but nowhere is safe for me” he turned away from her and walked away from her.

“Damion wait” she called out, he ignored her and carried on walking. Enelya stood and pressed her two index fingers together feeling guilty. Damion finally arrived at his shack and led down upon his bed. He was feeling tired and just wanted to forget the day had happened. His eyes became heavy as his head landed upon the pillow and soon he had fallen asleep.

 

Damion awoke to find himself in a white room with nothing but the familiar hooded figure stood a few metres away from him.

“Damion listen I don’t have long no you must listen” Damion nodded quickly. “You cannot stay in that village, you’re not safe, you must leave in the morning as soon as you can” Damion began to look confused.

“But their all so nice to me, I feel safer here than I do out alone in the forest”

“No Damion listen to me, you have to leave and take Enelya with you”

“Enelya? Why her?” The hooded figure finally took down her hood to reveal long blonde hair and pointed ears. “Your…an elf?”

“Yes Damion I’m an elf” she swiftly walked up to Damion and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“And Enelya is-”

“Hey Damion wake up” a voice echoed above them.

“Wait I didn’t catch that? She’s what?”

“Damion she’s-”

“Damion you silly boy wake up”

“Wait!” the elf shouted. The room disappeared and was replaced with darkness.

 

Damion opened his eyes to look up to Aleta leaning over him. He sat up groaning and rubbed his eyes.

“I thought you were going to be ready for me?” she looked innocently at him and pouted.

“Look Aleta, I’m not sure this is a good idea” he said trying to convince her. She pushed him down and looked into his eyes.

“But I thought we was going to get to know each other” she kissed him and pressed her chest up against him. “We are going to, right Damion?” she said with a cheeky smile and seductive voice. Damion smiled and gulped.

“No” Aleta’s eyes widened.

“No?” she replied angrily.

“Yes, no I do not want to do this now get out” Aleta began to boil over with rage.

“How dare you!” Damion looked at her with equal rage.

“How dare me? How dare you! I don’t even know you and you come in here forcing yourself upon me!” her eyes softened, “Get out now” Aleta began to weep slightly.

“Ok Damion, goodnight”

“Goodnight Indeed” he stared at her as she left quickly and then led down feeling proud and angry. He lay there thinking about Rose and how he would find her. It brought him into an emotional whirlpool and began to break down crying himself to sleep.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

The story got stronger and better in this chapter. From the training to the new friendship. I like the battle scene and the ending. The story had a feel of real life and conflict. Thank you for the amazing chapter.
Coyote