Pitiful Village

Chapter 6

       As interesting as humans were, I always had to remember that Greta was weaker than Ullume and myself. It was hard. On more than one occasions she had to go to an Inn alone to rest properly for a night. I grew restless not being able to watch her properly and on each occasion I ended up guarding her bedroom window. To me she was like a glass doll. Something so beautiful and fragile that it was impossible to hate. Ullume always accompanyed me, watching for any humans who enjoy midnight strolls.

       Whenever we were far from a town and Greta was losing energy again, she would sleep on my back as Ullume and I continued traveling. I have never told Greta, but sometimes Ullume hold her on his back. He insists that this is just a courtsy toward me, but I have always known of his growing friendship with Greta. It fills me with pride that there may be some hope with humans and Elves living in peace one day. Pride I did not deserve. I wouldn't have done anything except brought these two together. The rest was their own doing.

       Greta was sleeping on my back as Ullume and I were walking through an unaccupyed path in the forest. It was a good thing we found it too, or else we would have to wear our hoods over our faces for another day. I was enjoying the light breeze with my hood down in this forest. It tingled my ears and I could hear Ullume and Greta's heartbeats. They were beating in perfect unison. I closed my eyes, knowing I wouldn't have to open them. I could walk blind without running into anything. The birds were just waking up from their night sleep and I could here the soft cracking of an egg nearby. Such beauty of nature that most humans didn't understand. Some Elves didn't understand it for that matter.

       I flinched at the thought of the Fire Elves. They caused destruction wherever they went. It saddened me to think that they are the desendents of the Flame Elves.Such a strong and proud race that gave in to hatred completely. I opened my eyes to the beautiful scenery of the forest. My name, my home, would always be forest, and I would always come back to it, no matter what . . . .

       Ullume's head snapped up. I glanced at him then pulled my hood over my ears. Ullume did the same. An old woman with a basket of apples came walking down the path. She was smiling and humming, but something didn't seem right. Then I realized, she was an illusion. A memory from the forest and this was the reason I couldn't hear her. She was already gone from this world. The old lady walked right through us and I sighed in pity. Even spirits couldn't truelly rest in peace. Ullume twitched a bit, but soon calmed down. I put my hand on his shoulder and nodded. With a human spirit nearby, surely there was a town too. Spirits always were attrached to what they once were.

       Greta sleeped peacefully but she shivered when the old woman approached us. I could tell she sensed her, humans were sensitive to superstitial things. I glared up ahead, knowing that whatever gathering of humans was up ahead. I had a bad feeling it wasn't a village or town. We walked over the hill to see a cliff up ahead. When we reached it we could see everything below it. It was a little village, except it had soldiers patroling around the edges, human soldiers.

       I looked for a villager, a life, in the small town. There was no activity in the streets and the soldiers seem happy about that. I signaled for Ullume to take Greta. He obeyed and gently removed Greta from my back to his back. Greta never woke up. "I'm going to check out what's going on down there." I said to Ullume. He looked at me with his dark eyes. "I'm going too!" he said stubbornly. I shook my head, "You need to take care or Greta. If I don't come back, I need you two to go to the capital for humans. I'll meet you there." He lifted an eyebrow at me when I said this. He then sighed as he realised he was never going to win this argument. "Don't die okay?" he said seriously, but I could tell there was a bit of humor in his voice.

       I took the path that led down to the valley, but I stayed low. The soldiers each had a bow and arrows for long-ranged fighting. I was missing arrows, so I could probably salvage some, but I might die in the process. I kept my hand on my hidden sword, just in case. I thought about the possibility of them randomly killing a traveller. Depending on the situation it could be very high. I sighed and gave up, if they were going to kill me I could just confuse them for a minute then run away. I straightened up, not even bothering to look whether they have noiticed me or not. I walked up to the enterance of the village but was stopped by a guard with his sword drawn. "Halt! Who dare enter here?!" I bowed a bit out of respect and then lied to the human. "I am a travelling scholar." I lied through my lips. "I have come to study the different ways of life by both humans and elves." The man twitched at the word elf. "Would you be so kind as to explain to me what has happened here?" The man sighed and put away his sword. "This is a cursed village," He said with saddness in his voice. "but also a blessed one. Both humans and elves lived peacefully here, until the human king destroyed them." He shook his head. "Now spirits of the past dwell here and because we were never givin the order, we can never leave." He scratched his head a bit and then said, "We are the soldiers that were sentenced to destroy this place but out of sypathy we left the children alive and that is why we can't leave. We refused to kill the children, human or elf. I shook my head as I thought of Greta. "Where are the children?" I asked interested. He looked at me and then said, "They are taking shelter in the houses, some of the female soldiers take care of them." I looked at the houses that were obviously drenched in despair.

       I looked at the soldier and realized how tired he must've been. "May I meet the children." I asked and he looked at me with his tired blue eyes. "If you must, but I ask you a favor young scholar." I raised an eyebrow. "What do you ask of me?" I asked, curious. He stumbled a bit but then said, "Could you give some of the children proper schooling? We do not have a teacher here." I nodded, a fair trade, I had more knowledge then any scholar. "May my children accompany me?" I asked, hoping Greta could finally get a place to sleep. "Yes or course!" He said, grinning. Humans- no not just humans. People were so solf when it came to the younger generation. I signaled to Ullume to come down. He was probably reluctant to do so but obeyed nontheless. When he reached me he tightened his grip on Greta. The soldier widened his eyes, "May I ask why only you and the boy have cloaks." I smiled, I knew he was going to ask that. "We are sensitive to the sun. He is my own but I adopted the girl because her village neglected her." The soldier nodded and showed us to the first house. It was filled with human and elven children, sleeping peacefully. I went over to one elf to check their tribal liniage. It was a small boy who was just growing out his ears. He turned in his sleep and I could see a birthmark that clearly stated mixed blood. It made sense, these children all had mixed blood of the tribes. I would have to ask them later which tribes they belonged too. I looked back at the man and asked, "Why did you keep the elven children alive?" I asked in honest curiousity. He looked a bit embarressed and then said, "At first we only wanted to kill the elves, but the villagers protected one another. Whether they be human of elf they tried to keep everyone alive. We had to kill them all though, because the prince was present. When we did, there was only children and so the prince left." The man dropped his fist on the kitchen table that was in the house. "He was just bored and he left telling us to slaughter children!" He shook his head with shame. "We couldn't do it though, we couldn't become completely heartless and so we have taken care of the children ever since."

       I placed my hand on my chin and thought about the situation. He said prince but in the three human kingdoms there was only two that had princes. Austiria had two princes and three princesses. Nigra had three princes, but one died of fever recently and one princess. Clearauta never chose it's king through bloodline. They had a battle after the previous king dies, to determine who would be best in ruleing the country. Of course elves couldn't participate. "Did you come from the Kingdom of Austiria or the Kindom of Nigra?" I asked the soldier. He glanced at me and then signaled for me to follow him. I told Ullume to stay with the children. When we reached the courtyard he stopped. Soldiers were watching us with glares. "You are no ordinary scholar are you?" he asked with accusation in his voice. I could tell he didn't believe my story one bit, he just let me in to be cautious. So that he could kill me. "I saw you look at the elven boy, and I heard you ask the question of why we did not kill the elves. Also to cover it up you asked which kingdom we were from." He slowly drew his sword. "I'm sorry, but I cannot let you live, messanger of Nigra." My eyes widened. He thought I was a messenger for his king! if I let my hood down then he would be terribly wrong but he would probably also be scared and try to kill me anyway. He started coming at me at full speed. I drew my sword and parried with him. "I don't want to fight you!" I yelled at him in fury. I could feel his heart beating like a horse. I couldn't fight and keep my hood on at the same time! I jumped back farther than a normal human and swiftly took off my cloak. The man gasped in disbelief at my ears. "My name is Taure Simpa!" I released my diguising spell and yelled out with my white hair and diamond eyes. "I am of the Moon clan, the sole survivor, if you kill me you will have wiped out an entire Elven Tribe!" The mans eyes were filled with confusion and hurt. I looked around  at the other soldiers who were staring at me in disbelief. "Forest!" I heard a small voice behind me. Greta was staring at me wide-eyed and frightened. She ran to me and hugged my legs. "Don't go, don't die please." I patted her head as I saw Ullume come out of the shadows. "I thought I told you to take care of her?" He snorted as he let his hood fall. "I thought I told you not to die. You probably came close to taking a life you know? I am not taking responsibility if you break down after killing one human." I rolled my eyes and then said, "I would have to avoid taking lives then, even if I die." I looked at the human you attacked me then put away my sword. I picked up Greta who was fighting tears. She was always more emotional after she woke up from a nap. "I will educate the children just as I promised." I said to the man. "I have more knowledge than a regular schalor anyway." I picked up my cloak and wrapped it around Greta. I redid the diguiseing spell so that my hair and eyes wouldn't scare anyone. "Ullume, put your hood on." I said as I walked up to him. He sniffed but obeyed. "Wait," sait the man. I turned around to face him. "How can you care for both humans and elves? Even after all we've done to you?" I scratched my head and then sighed. "Because I was betrayed by both humans and elves."

Author's Note

Please excuse spelling errors!