Protector woke up with a throbbing headache, looking around slowly eyes focusing. Then it all hit him “no! By the eight hells that couldn’t be!!!!” his mind ran over his last thoughts before blacking out remembering the face he saw, the face he could never forget. . . “So it seems it was him, he is back.”
Protector ran his hardest legs and arms pumping like never before a new vigor filled his heart and a burning hatred, something he hasn’t felt in many, many seasons. But this time the hatred had new fuel. HE caused this mess, HE made him kill, and HE took Rose for no explainable reason. Did he know her? How deeply was he connected to the army at the edge of the woods, the army wanting to destroy his village even though they did nothing to the outsider world.
After several hours of cross country Protector made it to his village. Bolting into The Elder’s home he quickly bowed and made the sign of the three suns. “I am sorry Elder but there is an emergency and I need your advice. The Elder was an old man, one of the oldest in the village, he had long white hair that fell to his knees when it was out of his traditional braids, his beard went almost to his waist and it was adorned with many charms of the earth, his eyes milked over from the venomous drippings of a wyrm, arms bore scars from the same battle. He was adorned in simple garb. “Easy, what brings you rushing into my hut so quickly seeking my help?” he asked.
Catching his breath “My Father, he has returned to the forest.”
The elder tilted his head down, “are you certain it was him Protector?”
“Yes Elder I am positive it was him, no one else has eyes like that aside from my brothers and me.” The Elder was silent for a while and then summoned a boy dressed in white, “go and fetch Hunter and Keeper, they must know of this as well.” The boy ran out of the hut a few moments later Protector’s brothers entered the hut. Hunter had short blonde hair, a clean shaven face, and the same eyes as Protector and Keeper. He wore a tight leather vest over a cotton tunic and loose fitting leggings, his forearms had bracers on them with a knotwork carving. On his back was a quiver and on his right hip was a hunting dagger with a leather wrapped handle. His left wrist held a knotted bracelet made of a ribbon from his handfasting almost a year ago. Keeper was the shortest of the three, his brown hair was braided down to the small of his back, he had the forming of a scruffy beard, he was dressed in robes that at one point in time where white. his right middle finger carried a ring made of brass engraved with a serpent eating its own tail. “What is the meaning of this council brother?” asked Hunter.
Protector Stood up and with a sigh began to tell his story, he told of his fight and capture of rose, the journey they made into the army’s camp and there return home and finally his chance encounter with their father. His hand gripped the pommel of little sister tightly as he explained his vision of father disappearing with Rose. “So what do you intend to do about this brother?” asked Keeper.
“I plan to go to Dellhaven and seek him out”
“The City of Kings? How do you plan find one man in such a large city brother?” Hunter asked. “There is no possible way to find him”
“Tsk, Tsk brother” Protector almost chuckled “everyone leaves a trail; you of all people should know that.”
“I want to go with you brother” Keeper spouted out. Protector walked over to Keeper smiling and putting his hands on Keeper’s shoulders, “brother you are far too precious to risk your life by taking you with me, though between you and Hunter I doubt there is anyone else I would want with me on this trek.” Keeper looked down at his feet face turning slightly red. “Sometimes I forget my place, I am sorry brother.”
“Never apologize for that, your place is where you make it.” There was a silence in the hut, Protector turned to The Elder, “Elder I seek your blessing in my quest, do I have it?”
The elder looked up to the ceiling but everyone knew what he was doing, he was calling the guidance of the spirits. The Elder’s eyes began to glow a soft pale blue and his voice changed, it sounded like a hundred men whispering. Oh lost children, fatherless and bastards, the answers you seek questing one lie in the arena of the Great City, but not in bloodshed. Your journey begins when you give up on hope. The light faded from The Elder’s eyes. “That is the advice for I have for you, use it well you have my blessing.”
“Good then I leave in the morning” said Protector. That night the three brother’s drank and enjoyed each other’s company one last time before the eldest left for the world.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Rose's Tale Part I
Rain thundered down the roofs of the orphanage, Jonathan stood in the doorway. “Rose, there is someone here for you. A small girl with long beautiful brown hair sat at the window sill starring out into the rain. She looked back at Jonathan; he was a kind caretaker and had always treated her with respect. She followed him down the stairs, in the main entrance stood a man. He was tall almost 4 heads taller than the 9 winter’s old girl. He looked down at her with hazel eyes, cold eyes that had no smile even though he flashed the child a crooked smirk.
“Rose, this is Kalyr he is here to take you . . . home” Said Jonathan.
“Home?” she asked, “but this is my home Jonathan.”
“Not anymore child,” Kalyr said “I am your home now.”
“Yes of course . . .” Jonathan said, It is time for you to go little Rose, your things are already packed. Rose looked around very confused but obeyed orders and hugged Jonathan tightly around the waist. “I will miss you Jonathan”
“And I you little Rose” He hugged her back for a bit longer than a moment. After they broke embrace and Rose turned and walked away with Kalyr. As the pair walked outside to the carriage, Rose looked up to him “so where are we going father?” In a flash she felt to sting of his smack upon her cheek.
“I am not your father remember this now child. You are to be a tool in my plans . . . nothing more.” He said as he briskly walked away to the carriage.
The rain hid her tears.
“Rose, this is Kalyr he is here to take you . . . home” Said Jonathan.
“Home?” she asked, “but this is my home Jonathan.”
“Not anymore child,” Kalyr said “I am your home now.”
“Yes of course . . .” Jonathan said, It is time for you to go little Rose, your things are already packed. Rose looked around very confused but obeyed orders and hugged Jonathan tightly around the waist. “I will miss you Jonathan”
“And I you little Rose” He hugged her back for a bit longer than a moment. After they broke embrace and Rose turned and walked away with Kalyr. As the pair walked outside to the carriage, Rose looked up to him “so where are we going father?” In a flash she felt to sting of his smack upon her cheek.
“I am not your father remember this now child. You are to be a tool in my plans . . . nothing more.” He said as he briskly walked away to the carriage.
The rain hid her tears.
Protector's Story Part V
They woke up to smoldering ashes the next morning. Rose looked over at Protector; he seemed to be moving around as if last night hadn’t happened.
“Where are you going to go now?” he asked.
“I do not know, I failed my mission, to them I am as good as dead.” She got up and dusted herself off and began to pick up her gear.
“Well. . . I do not know what to say to that”
“Finally a loss for words boy?” she smirked at him.
“Boy?” he shot her a jesting glance, “Who are you to call me a boy? Who was the one who took out a general last night?” a hollow smile touched his lips.
“Yes boy, always boy until you earn to be called man to me”. He scoffed her off, they worked on taking down there little camp when Protector’s ears picked up something, He darted just as a dagger hit the tree behind him. In his roll he drew little sister; Strength still lay on the ground by where he slept. His eyes darted throughout the tree line no one, he saw no one. “Look out!” he shouted but Rose was already ahead of him her weapons where out and she was scanning the trees too.
There was only silence not even the birds or squirrels where moving. The forest stood still. “No. . .” was all Protector could say before a blunt force cracked him on the back of his head and he was down. He looked up vision blurring, there was a man dressed in black carrying Rose’s limp form. His hair was long shaggy and nearly black, a large ugly scar was born on his left check and he was unshaven, he looked back at Protector with the same sharp hazel eyes. Protector’s head spun rapidly “Father…?”, his vision blurred and darkness came upon him.
“Where are you going to go now?” he asked.
“I do not know, I failed my mission, to them I am as good as dead.” She got up and dusted herself off and began to pick up her gear.
“Well. . . I do not know what to say to that”
“Finally a loss for words boy?” she smirked at him.
“Boy?” he shot her a jesting glance, “Who are you to call me a boy? Who was the one who took out a general last night?” a hollow smile touched his lips.
“Yes boy, always boy until you earn to be called man to me”. He scoffed her off, they worked on taking down there little camp when Protector’s ears picked up something, He darted just as a dagger hit the tree behind him. In his roll he drew little sister; Strength still lay on the ground by where he slept. His eyes darted throughout the tree line no one, he saw no one. “Look out!” he shouted but Rose was already ahead of him her weapons where out and she was scanning the trees too.
There was only silence not even the birds or squirrels where moving. The forest stood still. “No. . .” was all Protector could say before a blunt force cracked him on the back of his head and he was down. He looked up vision blurring, there was a man dressed in black carrying Rose’s limp form. His hair was long shaggy and nearly black, a large ugly scar was born on his left check and he was unshaven, he looked back at Protector with the same sharp hazel eyes. Protector’s head spun rapidly “Father…?”, his vision blurred and darkness came upon him.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Protector's Story Part IV
Protector returned to Rose within moments before the entire camp was in uproar.
"Well that seemed to have went well" she said.
"sure. . ." Protector looked away slightly shaken and pale from what had transpired.
"What's wrong never killed before?" she asked with her crooked smirk.
"Not that" he said. Looking back at the camp, seeing soldiers on the move forming search parties, "we better get out of here and quick"
They duo moved back into the deep parts of the forest quickly as they could for no light to guide them the new moon hid itself in darkness. After two hours of their retreat Rose finally made them stop “so that’s it job done? You killed him right?”
“He is dead. . . But I did not kill him” he was looking around for twigs to start a fire.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked, “your sword was bloody when you came back”
“It is something I do not expect you to understand. . .” he struck tinder and slowly brought the small flame to life in a few short moments.
I’m never expected to understand anything about you or your people are I?” she looked off into the dark, muttering something about xenophobia.
“It’s not xenophobia that is for sure, my tribe has a curse. That has been a plague for hundreds of years, and tonight it took effect on me.” He stared deeply into the fire throwing a log on it.
“And what is this great curse you speak of?” she asked as she sat across form him looking at him and the dancing flames licking the dried log.
With a small sigh he began to speak “every child grows up with legends of the darkness in the night, but our children grow up with stories of the darkness within themselves, long, long ago before we were even a concept in the eyes of the Creators, there where dark things that roamed the land to the north of my peoples village. These where demons of ice and shadow, the descended from the mountains on high, they bore horns on their heads great beards like the pelts of bears, broken swords that weighed as much as stones and they spoke in a deep growl of a foreign tongue that we did not know. These monsters brought destruction to every place they touched. Laying upon them the wrath of the four elements; Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. People from every tribe fell to there might, until the ancestors, the founders of my modern tribe rose up against them. They were called The Warriors of the Circle. These great fighters and mages alone could hold of the northern demons but it was not easy the fights were long, brutal and filled with much bloodshed. Finally after seven years of constant war, what remained of the warriors used ancient magic and casted what we today know as The Endless Knotwork. Bound the demons to their own souls so that they could not take a physical form, this came at a heavy price. Forever there would be darkness in our hearts and it would be an eternal battle within for everyone descended from their blood. We are born with two souls our soul the one you have talking to you now and the soul of one of the demons. My people live in isolation not from choice but of necessity if we were to deal with the pain in violence of the outside world it would awaken the dark spirits within us and we would lose control and the dark ones would return. Because of my father’s mess. . . mine has awaken.” He laid down back to the fire. He did not speak for the rest of the night. Rose sat there thinking of all she had told him. The fire burned.
"Well that seemed to have went well" she said.
"sure. . ." Protector looked away slightly shaken and pale from what had transpired.
"What's wrong never killed before?" she asked with her crooked smirk.
"Not that" he said. Looking back at the camp, seeing soldiers on the move forming search parties, "we better get out of here and quick"
They duo moved back into the deep parts of the forest quickly as they could for no light to guide them the new moon hid itself in darkness. After two hours of their retreat Rose finally made them stop “so that’s it job done? You killed him right?”
“He is dead. . . But I did not kill him” he was looking around for twigs to start a fire.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked, “your sword was bloody when you came back”
“It is something I do not expect you to understand. . .” he struck tinder and slowly brought the small flame to life in a few short moments.
I’m never expected to understand anything about you or your people are I?” she looked off into the dark, muttering something about xenophobia.
“It’s not xenophobia that is for sure, my tribe has a curse. That has been a plague for hundreds of years, and tonight it took effect on me.” He stared deeply into the fire throwing a log on it.
“And what is this great curse you speak of?” she asked as she sat across form him looking at him and the dancing flames licking the dried log.
With a small sigh he began to speak “every child grows up with legends of the darkness in the night, but our children grow up with stories of the darkness within themselves, long, long ago before we were even a concept in the eyes of the Creators, there where dark things that roamed the land to the north of my peoples village. These where demons of ice and shadow, the descended from the mountains on high, they bore horns on their heads great beards like the pelts of bears, broken swords that weighed as much as stones and they spoke in a deep growl of a foreign tongue that we did not know. These monsters brought destruction to every place they touched. Laying upon them the wrath of the four elements; Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. People from every tribe fell to there might, until the ancestors, the founders of my modern tribe rose up against them. They were called The Warriors of the Circle. These great fighters and mages alone could hold of the northern demons but it was not easy the fights were long, brutal and filled with much bloodshed. Finally after seven years of constant war, what remained of the warriors used ancient magic and casted what we today know as The Endless Knotwork. Bound the demons to their own souls so that they could not take a physical form, this came at a heavy price. Forever there would be darkness in our hearts and it would be an eternal battle within for everyone descended from their blood. We are born with two souls our soul the one you have talking to you now and the soul of one of the demons. My people live in isolation not from choice but of necessity if we were to deal with the pain in violence of the outside world it would awaken the dark spirits within us and we would lose control and the dark ones would return. Because of my father’s mess. . . mine has awaken.” He laid down back to the fire. He did not speak for the rest of the night. Rose sat there thinking of all she had told him. The fire burned.
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