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.
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