Eli startled awake by a loud pounding on the front door, he cursed under his breath and groaned as he donned a light shirt, the soft fabric cold to the touch. He looked out the small window and saw the sun was just on the rise, though it would take hours to breach the mountain tops surrounding his small village. Eli heard his mother answering the door but the words were muffled to his tired senses. He opened his door and groggily stumbled out to greet their uninvited guests. People had been turning up at all hours since his father was alderman before he died. Now the people of the village look to he and his mother for guidance and to solve any and all problems, no matter how petty. As he walked through the front room which dominated most of the small house, his sister came from her room rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "go back to bed, I'll get it." She nodded sleepily and returned to her room. "what is the meaning of this?" he asked forcing an alert demeanor.
"Sir, I'm afraid the wolves have returned, I woke to find three of my flock ripped apart, the lad I hired to watch em, well I found im' found drunk in the barn."
"I see." Eli said, sympathetic to old Tarron's issue. "where is the boy now?"
"still sleepin' off the drink." Eli nodded.
"give me a few moments to dress, I will take the boy to the stocks, if he hasn't the coin to compensate you, we will find suitable goods at his home."
"thank ye, young sir." The old man stepped off the porch as his mother closed the door and Eli retreated to his room to dress. Though Eli was only eighteen years old, he was already looked at as the village leader, taking after his father. He was strong willed, intelligent, very charismatic and charming, but he was also kind-hearted, gentle and fair.
"So, I take it you are going to neglect your chores to play king of the village again." His mother snarled behind the door. He rolled his eyes as he continued to dress wordlessly. "you will answer me when I'm talking to you!"
"god's mum, I just woke up. Can you not give me five minutes before you start fucking barking at me?" The tall woman barged into the room and tried to shove him, he could smell the liquor on her breath, the scent so strong he could almost taste it. Eli stepped to the side and let her crash against the rough wood plank wall. "It's my work that pays for this fucking house, it is my work that pays for the poison you scoff down like water." He took his belt and fathers sword and attached it around his waist as he left the alcohol reeking building. "I apologies Tarron, mother is… unwell."
"I see." As they walked together through the village, people were waking to begin their day. Several of them owned their own shops selling home made goods but the majority were made up of farm hands. The towns people that saw them greeted Eli cheerfully and he replied in kind, often asking after sick relatives or asking if everything was well. They walked for just under ten minutes before they came to Tarron's farm. Just as the old man said, the farm hand was passed out drunk in the barn. The farm hand was a newcomer to the village, he arrived with his grandparents three weeks earlier. Eli looked at the young man who was about twenty three cradling a bottle of rum. He then kicked the young man's foot and he shot awake. As he sat up he groaned and grabbed his head as the hangover struck him. "time to wake up son, you have landed yourself in a world of shit." Eli growled, he was greatly agitated as it was he who offered the job to the young man. He turned to the old farmer. "I'm sorry about this, here." Eli took three silver pieces from the pouch on his belt and handed them to the old farmer.
"It's not -"
He held up his hand to stop the old man. "it was I who suggested you employ him. I compensate you, and he compensates the town." The old man thanked him. Eli then grabbed the young man by the front of his tunic, he struggled but it was futile, Eli was tall and well built. "if you don't walk on your own, I will see to it you are flogged." The drunk young farm hand soon stumbled to his feet and Eli escorted him back into town. As they walked, he would shove the young man when he began to lag. More people were awake and walking to their workplaces as Eli forced the young man back into the village.
"what'd he do then?" shouted the smith Gunmar.
"drunk on the job." Eli replied. The smith sucked his teeth and shook his head.
"to the stocks then?"
"yeah, and I need to go out and find those damned wolves." The smith approached them throwing Eli a small bag of coins.
"that's for the help last week, I know it's a bit late but you know how hard it is to get a copper outta miss Dover." Eli added the extra coin to the pouch he had and thanked him. "the wife wants to know if you would join us for supper this week."
"well, I need to take care of the wolves and find someone to watch the old man's flock. But when I return I think that would be great."
The smith smiled brightly "good, good. Do extend the invite to your mother and sister."
Eli laughed dryly. "I'm sure Elaine will join." The smith was already walking away and he waved his hand in friendly dismissal. Eli and the farm hand continued through the town until they finally came to the town hall, it was a well made stone building, the only one in town, it was also the house of the local lord. Just outside, there was a set of pillories as well as gallows to the side of the building. Eli shoved the young man into the stocks and locked it shut. He then made his way to the young man's family. The house was close by and it didn't take him long to reach it.
He knocked on the door softly and retreated a few steps and the grandmother opened the door. "I do beg your pardon for waking you so early. But I'm afraid I have come baring bad news."
The old woman looked shocked. "is it Eustice? Is he hurt?"
"no, no he's fine, but he is the reason I am here. You see, he was found drunk this morning in the barn of his employer, but the issue is it was his paid duty to watch over his employers flock in the night, but three of them were found dead this morning, attacked by wolves."
"goodness me."
"and I'm afraid it's my duty to collect compensation from him, but since he is in the stocks and in no fit state to do anything, I have come to you."
"w – well I -"
"who is it?" a course voice sounded from inside the dark building.
"the young alderman, he -"
"tell im' to fuck off."
"I'm afraid I can't do that sir, your family owes the town money." The old man barged past his wife and sneered up at the young man before him.
"I said fuck off."
"I would like to, but I can't without fair compensation. Now, we can either come to a fair settlement, or I can force my way in and take whatever I please." His tone now serious and threatening. The old man shrunk back.
"and what do you suppose a fair settlement is." He responded, bitter and defeated.
"six silver pieces. Three for the damage of property, another three for the failure in fulfilling terms of contract."
"that's outrageous!"
"It's more generous than me taking everything you own." He retorted, impatient. Anger flashed in the old man's eyes but there was nothing he could do. He stormed back into the house cursing with each step. He returned with the coins and dropped them at Eli's feet. Eli looked at him and, in a taunting, but polite tone, "thank you for your time, sir, once again, I apologise for waking you." he picked up the coins and pocketed them before returning to the stocks. He unlocked the young man who had sobered up slightly. "go sleep it off." Eli said shaking his head. entering the town hall he scoffed in contempt. Eli hated living in the village, most of the people were good, hardworking and decent, but those like his mother and the lord mayor made it almost unbearable. There was a small room in the back that served as the lords office which was richly decorated with art and tapestries. Behind the closed doors Eli could hear the fat man snoring. He knocked on the door and heard the man stifle awake.
"what?" Eli walked in and saw the fat man sitting in the high backed chair. Drool dripping from his chin, his face was scarred from pox. "oh, it's you. wadda you want?" Eli flicked a silver coin onto the table.
"just sorted a problem and got compensation. Here's the towns cut."
"good." The fat lord licked his lips as he took the coin. "you can fuck off now."
Eli inclined his head, "yes sir." A vile taste accompanied those words as he stormed out of the building. he had never gotten along well with lord Fectus. For the longest time, Eli's family took care of the town until the king decided to gift the land to him during his father's tenure as alderman. Since then there have been constant agitation and conflict between the two families. As he walked outside, a slightly unpleasant smell met his noes, the years of anger and resentment boiled up, that was the final straw. He strode home. He opened the door and saw his mother sitting by the smouldering ash of the fireplace, filling a small cup with strong spirits.
"ah look who -" Eli slammed the door to his room locking it and began packing his rucksack. He removed a loose floorboard from the corner and pulled out a small old chest, he opened it and saw his savings, there was a good amount there, much of which was from fleecing lord Fectus and his ridiculous taxes. He added it to the sack, his mother barged and banged against the door but he ignored her knowing she was too drunk to break through the lock he installed himself. Once he was done he stood and scanned the bare room, though he didn't own many possessions the few that usually decorated the room seemed to fill it, without the clothes, blankets and knickknacks the room seemed much smaller. He lingered for a moment before his mothers cursing caught his attention, allowing his anger to seep through he unlatched the door and kicked it open, knocking his mother over. The sound of her hitting the floor and the sight of her struggling to stand amused him immensely. Eli then without helping his mother stand, made his way over to his sisters room, he knocked on the door softly, but urgently before entering.
"get up, we're leaving." He then took her clothes and filled the bag.
"what -"
"just get dressed, it's time to go." Elaine did as she was bid and they were soon ready to go. He took her hand and without even a fair well, they rushed out of the house into the street. They got onto the main road and started east. The main road was the only safe way to get to their village as it was situated between the dragon maw mountains. They walked for an hour before elaine stopped.
"I – I can't leave."
"why the hell not?"
"It's you that hates it." She said softly. "I have Roy… and someone needs to look after mother." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. She cupped his cheek and looked at him lovingly. "It's you that needs to go." She looked back up the road then continued, "you were always too grand for this place. Go stake your mark elsewhere." She kissed him on the cheek.
"I will come back for you, when I am set up, I will get you."
"I know."
"a – and I'll write. Oh, and can you tell everyone?"
"I will, but I don't think they will be surprised… go on now." She said with a sad smile. He turned but stopped himself.
"I – I have all your clothes." He took the pouch from his belt and handed it to her. "this should cover plenty of fabric."
She didn't take it. "I have more at home, and you will need this more than me." She closed his fingers around the pouch and she giggled. "besides, you stole it fare and square." She smiled softly and turned, walking back to town. Eli watched her walk away before blinking away a tear and carrying on. The hours passed quickly, he found several winter fruiting trees and filled his pack with the apples, plumbs and pears. It was just before nightfall when Eli pulled off the road, a river flowed to his right and he found a dry patch in a hidden clearing. As he set up his sleeping furs, the winter chill started to creep in.
'it's finally here.' The cold had finally made its way through. He drank deeply from the cold fresh water of the flowing river before wrapping himself in the furs.
Chapter.
The grass around him was frosty when Eli woke before dawn the next morning, glad he decided to set up the tarp before sleeping. He tore it down and repacked his large rucksack. He breakfasted on several apples and pears, he refilled his supply with the trees around and continued on his way. The day grew warmer but not enough for him to remove his heavy coat. During the day he passed several dozen farms passing the last one by midday. As he arrived at the edge he was forced to stop. 'if I take one more step, I will have left my home.' he took a deep breath and continued.
Four miserable days passed. Each colder than the last and he was forced to live off fruits and water, but everything got much worse on the fourth evening. Just as he had set up camp, he heard twigs snapping behind him. he jumped up and drew his father's sword. He heard a deep chuckle emanate from behind him. Eli shot around just before an arrow whistled past his cheek, there was a loud yell behind him and Eli turned and lifted his blade in defence catching the hilt of a hand axe. He thrust it to the side throwing the man off balance before bringing the blade back across severing the man's fingers. The attacker screamed in pain and Eli kicked the man to the ground, he raised his guard once more and fended off several clumsy attacks by unknown assailants. He was able to defend himself well enough as he and his father would train together, however it had been years and the sword itself always seemed inadequate. He managed to stab one of the attackers but he was protected by leather armour so Eli doubted he did any real damage. "looks like we got a fighter ere' eh boys?" The deep voice laughed from behind him, those around joined in. Eli fended off the attacks while looking for an escape, he thrust and barged past one of the stinking men but before he made it to the road, red and white flashed behind his eyes as he fell cold.
Chapter.
As Eli woke, he struggled to see. The light was blinding and he had an intense thumping headache as if someone was hammering nails into his skull. He blinked away the spots that dotted his vision. His hands were bound tightly behind him, his clothes were caked in dried mud. He looked around and saw that he had been caged, after a few moments he was able to make sense of his surroundings. His stomach dropped as he realised he had been captured by a local band of slavers. The same band of slavers that Lord Fectus informed everyone he had taken care of. He groaned softly as adjusted his position against the stump. He struggled against the course rope for several minutes, slowly loosening with every moment.
One of the slavers noticed he was awake and called for the leader. They approached him and rested on their heels just outside the rough cage. "there we are, we was worried ya wouldn't live through the night." Eli sneered at the slaver then spat at the leader who shot up, wiped the spit from his face and stormed into the cage. He stood over Eli and slapped him hard across the face several times. Enraged and embarrassed he walked away, the others soon followed suit once more leaving Eli alone. Without second thought he continued to struggle against his bindings, every so often one of the slavers walked by to check on him before returning to their drinks. By nightfall, the bindings had become loose enough for him to slip his hands through. He looked around but noticed that the camp was still lively. 'shit.' The cold began to creep into his bones, he had been stripped of all but the light shirt and pants, he shuffled in place and his muscles cramped from being sat upright for so long.
Chapter.
The hours dragged on and the slavers went from boisterously drunk to barely conscious. Eli removed his hands from the bindings, and crept out of the cage taking the rope with him, the one man on guard was reliving himself against a tree, Eli snuck up behind him and wrapped the rope around his neck, kicking the crook of the slavers leg forcing him to his knees, Eli pressed the slavers face against the urine stain on the tree, Eli pulled the course rope against his throat, the slaver flailed helplessly fumbling for his blade. He gasped for air, and tried crying out but to no avail. Once he had finally stopped writhing, Eli let go of the rope and looted the slaver. Taking his heavy coat and thick cloak, his gloves and his sword belt and blade as well as his dagger. A foul stench arrived at his noes, the clothes he took from the slavers mustn't have been washed in months, he shook his head trying to rid himself of the effects of the miasma that clouded his mind. Giving up, Eli looked around and drew the dagger, he shoved the rusty, chipped blade into the back of the slavers neck to make sure he was dead. Cleaning it he snuck through the camp. Finding three of them huddled around the fire, he smiled sadistically. He found a large clay jug, uncorked it and the air was suffused with eye wateringly powerful alcohol. He poured the spirits over the three sleeping slavers, they slowly woke up as it soaked through their blankets to their skin, they looked up in alarm to see the young boy standing over them with a blazing stick he took from the fire. Once Eli was sure they were awake, threw the stick onto the blanket they shared and the three slavers caught fire, they fumbled to brush away the flames but the alcohol had seeped into the fibres of their clothes, the more they resisted, the faster the blaze spread. What was panicked fumbling soon became screams of pain as the clothes melted to their skin, the screams awakening the whole camp. Eli drew the longsword he took from the slaver and carved his way through the hungover, barely awake slavers, many of them were not yet standing and were still wrapped in their fur blankets. As he cut his way through the hungover men, Three of them managed to defend themselves but Eli was able to cut them down, blood spay melted the thin layer of frost on the grass beneath them as well as covering Eli himself. Before long, what was left of the camp was waking up and he decided he was unable to kill any more of them without risking his own life, without another thought he disappeared into the trees. Angry curses sounded from behind him as the leader found his dead men.
Chapter.
Daylight came by and Eli had run more than two leagues from the slavers camp but found himself terribly lost. He looked at the rising sun between the grey papery bark and sickly bare branches and knew that was east, but where he was in relation to the road or any familiar landmark was a complete mystery. He also knew he couldn't stop, with the frost on the ground, he was easily tracked. 'fuck it.' He wiped the blood from his new blade and sheathed it. He looked around and decided to continue into the trees. Several hours passed and the sun was high when he could hear the barking of a hunting dog, dread filled him as he knew he would be unable to outrun dogs, especially without a river to cover his scent, and he knew he wasn't as good of a woods-man to mask his scent with the resources around him so he continued running, the cold air burning his throat, the barking got louder and he could now hear the thud of shod hooves and the clink of saddles. He got to a clearing and drew the blade, holding it at the ready he stood proudly toward the oncoming hunting party. He quickly noticed that the blade was far more suitable than his fathers' army issue short sword. The hound jumped through the thick brush and snarled at him, barking loudly to alert its masters. He pointed the blade toward it ready to strike it down when it attacked. The thud of hooves from multiple horses got louder until a mighty white mare charged through the brush, on her back he saw old man Michah.
Still on guard he watched the hound. "is that you Eli!?" the old man called as he jumped nimbly off the stallion. He had known Michah for many years, the old man owned a large farm at the end of the valley, he would often come into town to buy supplies and Eli would sometimes accompany Gunmar with deliveries.
"y – yes." He replied exhausted, his hot breath turning to thick steam as he breathed heavily, adrenalin coursing through his body. Soon the smith gunmar burst through into the clearing followed by his son Erick. They both smiled brightly, relived seeing him alive and well. Eli lowered his blade as Michah whistled sharply and the hound sat quietly. Michah and the others approached but still nervous, he took a step back.
"what happened to you? your sister told us you left when we came looking for you, me and the boy looked for you straight away, there is -"
"a band of slavers. I know, they found me and took me."
"how did you escape?" Erick asked amazed.
"I slid out of the bindings, strangled one, took his belongings, burned three alive, butchered another twelve as they woke then ran for it."
Gunmar approached and Eli let him this time. "We made it to Michah's and when we didn't see you on the trail we told him of our worries."
"t – thank you." Eli said softly. The exhaustion of events finally showing. A twig snapped behind them and Eli shot around with his blade ready, but relaxed as he saw it was just a snow fox sniffing around.
"come lad, we will get you fed and rested, you must be exhausted." Michah said softly. "we are less than a league from my farm." Eli nodded and sheathed the blade. With the help of Michah he climbed onto the uncommonly tall mare, she was beautiful, had powerful muscles and even though she was bigger than Gunmar's and erick's plough horses, she looked suited for running. Michah whitlsed shortly and the hound barked and jumped through the bushes toward the way it came, the four of them followed it through a game trail and arrived at the road an hour later and finally the farm. Eli jumped off the beautiful mare hitting the ground hard as the drop was far bigger than excpected. He looked around the familiar grounds and began to relax. He thought about the encounter with the slavers, the severity of it, but then remembered killing them and was filled with a sense of satisfaction. The three who found him took their horses to the barn leaving Eli in the open, he found the water pump and used the cold water to wash the blood from his face. He was soon greeted with the pungent odour stemming from the unwashed coat and cloak he stole from the slaver. He undid the cloak and was about to throw it away but Michah shouted out to stop him as he walked back. "you should keep it, its good quality, just needs a bit of a wash is all." He smiled. "so could the rest of your clothes." he joked. Eli looked down embarrassed. "It's alright kiddo, I'm sure we can find you something suitable in the meantime. They will need to soak for a good long while." He followed the old man into his large house, Michah found some riding clothes that fit him well. "they are a bit old, they were mine when I was your age, but they should fit well enough." Eli wasn't surprised they fit, though he was far taller than anyone he knew, he always had to have his clothes made to fit or altered, but even as an old man, Michah stood well over six feet tall, he had a slender yet powerful build meaning his clothes were about right. Eli changed and threw his clothes into a large tub that was soon filled with hot water and cleaning salts. "c'mon lad, tonight I am holding a celebration, an old tradition of mine. If you don't feel like company… you can stay here."
"well, perhaps a party will do me good." He said softly.
Chapter.
Over the next few hours, more and more people streamed in, Eli knew or at least recognised most of them, he greeted those he knew and introduced himself to those he didn't, fires were lit and several pigs were on spits glazed with honey and wild herbs, the sweet and tangy smell filled the air as the glistening meat spun, the brewers from the next farm over had started to play and anyone else who could play would grab an instrument from the mead wagon and join in, the atmosphere became boisterous and jovial as the air was filled with laughter and loud conversation, there was a wrestling competition, a few of the older men were telling stories and jokes while they ate, drank and smoked their pipes, the young women were dancing seductively and giggling, while the older ones were drinking and cooking. Everyone that arrived bought fresh produce from their farms, an oven was built and coming out was roasted apples and mushrooms in beer gravy, roasted vegetables and pies, as well as the pigs over the flames, stews with chunks of meat and beautiful roasted vegetables were being made over fires as well and fresh bread was being brought with every new party guests. Eli quickly forgot about the terror from the last few days, as early afternoon turned to evening, the food had been eaten a some of the fires were out, but one large fire had been built, near it the musicians were playing lively jigs and dancing music, people holding hands and dancing around the fire.
Music and laughter filled the air. Eli and Erick had become very drunk so they were sitting with Gunmar and Michah by the house where they watched the others dance and sing, they would sometimes join in on the song but were in no fit condition to dance. Soon Eli and Erick were on the verge of throwing up when from around the corner of the house walked a beautiful young woman about Eli's age, Eli noticed her come in on horseback earlier that night but must have just finished unpacking.
"Wow, she is stunning" said Eli to Erick louder than he wanted, Eli leaned over onto erick pushing him out of the chair. Not realising he had already passed out from the drink, they fell out of the chairs with a dull thud accompanied by laughter from Michah and Gunmar and a soft giggle from the beautiful young woman.
"Here, let me help you get him inside" her voice was gentle and more intoxicating than the drink, it ran through him leaving him hot and flustered, he looked up from his unconscious friend and met the gaze of the young woman. She was far fairer than anyone he had seen in the valley, she had wide angled eyes and thick lips, she had high cheekbones and a narrow jaw with sharp lines. Her hair was soft and smooth and as orange as a winter sunset and parted to one side and was held with intricate braids and knots. Her eyes the deepest blue and he saw that her ear came to a very subtle point. 'Is, she an elf?' Eli thought to himself, 'she is spectacular', he felt himself heat the more he looked.
"Th - thank you miss, but p, please don't trouble yourself, I – I'll be able to g - get him in - into the fire myself" he said trying to stifle a hiccup.
A loud giggle emanated from her lips, "No need to put him in the fire cutie, he isn't my type." She whispered, playfully winking at him. Eli became ever more flustered, not knowing what to say, he just stood there looking and her beautiful form with his mouth agape. Unable to speak, it was his first time a woman was flirting with him, and he did not know how to react to it, he had always joked with Erick and the other young men in the village boasting about what he would say, but now the time had come he could do naught but stand there like a fool. Michah laughed heartily pulling him away from the transfixed stupor he was in.
"Best get Erick inside, there are a few bed rolls on the ground for you and he for when you feel like going to bed."
As Eli stumbled to get up, he was caught on the elbow by a swift and delicate hand. "Can you walk?" her soft voice once again threatening to take hold of his senses with gentle tethers, in which he would willingly bind himself.
"Y-yes. I apologise for meeting you in this state, I'm. Is - let me start again…" he tried to gather his wits before speaking "my - name is Eli. It is a - pressure to meet you"
She giggled again, "My name is Aamira, it is nice to meet you Eli," she held out her hand and Eli went to grab it to shake, then he thought he would try something, he gently took her smooth warm hand and leaned forward and kissed it gently. Berating himself in his mind for being such a fool, he would never have tried such a thing were he sober, he looked up to see her smiling at him slightly blushing. "Well, aren't you just the young gentleman" she said giggling.
Suddenly realising he was still holding her hand, he slowly let go, longing to keep hold, he stepped back meekly and looked at Michah who was watching them with a soft smile on his face. "Well, best get him inside, go on, I'll have a full cup waiting for you when you get back" Eli cupped his mouth as he gagged, the thought of another drink sent his stomach spinning. He was able to keep it down when he got distracted by the laughter. "Ahh, well best get him in and sit quietly, you will feel better if you throw up though, Aamira, would you be so kind as to get young Eli a bucket" he said laughing.
"of course." Eli bent over to pick up Erick but was stopped when his head started spinning like whirlpool.
"Woah, shit." He said as he slumped back into the stool, he began to panic "Oh gods, am – am I going to die?" Aamira, Gunmar and Michah burst out laughing.
"No sweetie, you have just had a few to many mugs of mead. That is all." she giggled and walked over to stroke his hair.
"Mr. Selland, would you take the one on the ground inside for me, I don't think I could lift him, as for this one, I'll help him to his bed." Gunmar stood with surprising ease, but it was not to last as he fell flat on his face with a loud thud followed by a lazy groan, those who witnessed it laughed, cheered, and finished their mugs.
"Oh dear." Aamira laughed, the sound once again intoxicating Eli. One of the guests walked over to the still unconscious Erick. Grabbing him by the belt and lifting him up with great ease. The sight was amusing to all around, and with little effort he took Erick to main room of Michah's house and put him on the sleeping roll.
"Sleep it off lad, though, you are in for it tomorrow." he let off a hearty chuckle and went back outside where Eli was leaning heavily on Aamira. He was stumbling barley conscious. He was trying to mumble his thanks and apologies to Aamira but all he could manage was slurred sounds and groans. She kept giggling as he tried.
"Hush sweetie, you can tell me all about it in the morning"
"er,flur-ing tincs…." She laughed softly again and took him inside.
Chapter.
The morning light came through the window burning his eyes behind his eyelids, with it came the groans of despair and regret. The thrum and shuffles of people moving to the water pumps to sooth their dry mouths and parched gullets. Soon the moans and grumbles turned in to sighs of relief as eyes adjusted to the cold light of day and the water had whetted their throats. It was mid-morning when Eli was finally able to lift himself off the bedroll on the floor and make his way over to a wash basin, with his eyes still heavy he almost stubbed his toe on a table. As he arrived at the wash basin, he dipped his hands into the cold water, and washed his face and neck. The cold water instantly reviving him though his eyelids still heavy and a headache started to throb behind his eyes. Somewhat refreshed he made his way outside to soak up some sunlight in the hope it would help wake him. The cool air sent shivers down his arms, and he realised he was not wearing the clothes Michah had given him.
"What the?" he made his way back inside and saw that his clothes clean and neatly folded, the thick wool lined coat and heavy cloak had been thoroughly cleaned and now had the soft scent of citrus and lavender he got into his clothes as well as the coat he took from the slaver as well as the sword belt which still had the longsword and dagger attached. He glanced around hoping to see a glimpse of the young woman who helped him last night, though he was not entirely sure she was real, he wanted to see her in the daylight at to get a clearer picture.
"Oh gods, I can't even remember her name." he berated himself aloud, all he could remember was her soft flowing, deep amber hair, and the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen. He hoped, he prayed, that he would see her again. Soon Erick stirred, he swore and went right back to sleep. Eli laughed softly and walked outside. The air was filled with smoke from mounds of white ash, the grass was cool and soft under foot and the morning air seemed far more forgiving than the previous week. The grounds around Michah's house were littered with small carts. Some lined with furs for sleeping, others had chests of food or barrels of drink. Some of the guests stayed in their carts and others in the large house. He stood in the sun for several minutes, watching people pack their carts and start to leave. The low conversations were about how much their heads hurt and recounting the highlights of the party. The smoke had started to clear quickly with a cool wind coming from the west from between the mountains. He started to walk around the house between the scattered carts and bedrolls. He found a large sack half filled with apples, he went up to the people standing next to it and asked.
"Excuse me, would you mind if I took a couple apples, please?"
"Course ya can kiddo, take what ya want."
"Much obliged." He went over to the bag and pulled three beautiful red apples. He continued walking as he bit into the crisp apple. He continued to wander around the house he soon came across a small covered area, the floor was made of smooth stone, under the shingled roof he could see a small armourers table, grinding wheel and whetstones as well as a small forge and anvil. He looked at the weapons by his side, semi – drawing the longsword, he noticed patches of rust, and the edge of the blade was folded and chipped. He looked at it in disgust. Eli had always taken good care of any equipment he owned and seeing the sword in such a poor state infuriated him. he went over to the small building and got to work. The day slowly grew warmer and he was comforted by the familiar labour. Starting with the dagger, he used the grinding wheel to remove the chips and bent edges before scrubbing the blade with sand to remove the rust. He then spent an hour honing the blade to a razors edge on the whetstones. He looked at the sheath for the dagger and opened it, the insides were fithly with patches of rust, dried blood and flakes of metal. He cleaned the leather and reshaped it with the steam he made by boiling water on the hot coals of the forge. Once he was happy with his work, he dipped the dagger in oil and wiped it off gently with a rag, he did so several times until he was happy with the coating. Eli then turned his attention to the longsword. He took the time to identify it, It was a quality weapon, the handle was wrapped with brown leather strips and the pommel and cross-guard were unadorned. The scabbard was made of two pieces of wood that was wrapped with three wrought iron hinge clips that allowed it to open. He lay the blade on the table and took the time to repair and clean the scabbard. He reoiled the wood to protect it from the weather, he scrubbed the rust from the hinges and oiled those as well. As he treated the blade the same way as he did the dagger, he began talking to the blade he was sharpening.
"I can't believe I made such a fool of myself in front of that girl, ah, you should have seen her, she was perfect, spectacular, breathtaking, stunning and elegant, she was –" he looked up and sighed. he inspected the edge of the blade, he was not going to make it as sharp as the dagger as a razors edge is easier to chip and bend. He changed the whetstone to a finer grit, threw a handful of water over the stone before continuing "Well, it doesn't matter now, she probably thinks I'm a drunk fool."
"I wouldn't say that." The voice came from behind him, a shiver to ran down his spine, the voice was so pure almost curing his hangover, he turned around and saw her. In the light she was even more beautiful, she was wearing plain riding clothes but that did not diminish her staggering beauty, nor did it hide her shapely form, the braids in her hair more intricate and beautiful than he saw in the dark, she was very pleasing to Eli. Not only her beauty and body but her voice as well as her kind and playful personality also appealed to him.
"Well," he stammered as if he were still drunk, "If you don't think I'm a drunk fool, you must think I'm a bit touched for talking to a sword."
She smiled and looked down "Perhaps a little" she teased. her voice was like listening to a stream on a hot summers' day, or the birds in spring, he could listen to her all day, and it would still not be enough. She walked over to him and inspected his work. "may I see?" she held out her and Eli handed her the blade. "fine work, are you a smith by trade?"
"no, I was the alderman of my village, but I did spend much time with gunmar in his shop as he and my father were very close friends."
"I see." She handed the blade back to him and indicated for him to continue. She smiled at him softly and he got flustered.
"So uh, I saw you riding in last night, the grey stallion is yours, is he? He is very handsome."
"Yes, he is, Michah gave him to me when he was just a colt, he has looked after me for years. Loyal animal, a truly remarkable breed these two."
"What's his name." the conversation becoming easier and even more enjoyable for Eli.
"Kardakk" she replied smiling. "Would you like to come for a ride with me? Clear your head after last night?"
"I – I – uh" he stammered, her question shocking him. "I would love nothing more." He tried to say confidently. "but I don't have a horse."
"did you walk here?" she asked softly.
"more or less." He replied somewhat embarresed.
She smiled "Well, in that case, I'll tell papa that we are taking Kara'ni out for a stroll and I'll get some food as well, just in case we are out for a while." With a quick smile, she turned to go back to the house. Eli could not help but watch her walk away. He then caught himself staring and turned around blushing. He quickly finished his work on the blade and sheathed it before starting for the barn to get the horses and saddles ready. While he was in there, he looked for the saddle that Aamira would use. In an empty enclosure he found it. The saddle was a beautiful with large saddle bags. It had runes cut into it and other ornate carvings. It was strange, when he saw the decorative carvings, it was as if Aamira had put her personality into it. Under a flap of leather, he caught a glimpse of a sword hilt. It was hidden between the skirt and saddle flap. It looked to run the length of the saddle with the tip ending under the saddlebags. Without someone on the saddle he was able to see a small section of the hilt. He was not able to tell anything else about it but wandered if Aamira was skilled with a sword and that's why she had it, many questions buzzed about his head. After a few moments he stood up and took the saddle and the mare from the barn. The mare followed him excitedly. Magnus threw the tack over the fence beside them and petted the horse softly. she seemed to have a noble intelligence about her. She nudged him softly and he began to attach the saddle. As he did he began to feel giddy, smiling like a love-struck fool. He had just finished when he looked back over to the house and saw Aamira coming towards him with a small bag of food and he ran over to help. She put the small sack of food at his feet and went to saddle her horse. While he waited for her, he attached the sword and dagger to the belt, he picked up the sack of food and found a loaf of bread, a small wheel of cheese, grapes, apples, pears and a small bundle of dates and a clay bottle. He went over to Kara'ni and petted her on the neck.
'Well, I guess I had nothing to worry about. I can't believe she wants to spend time with me.' Feelings of excitement, joy, and anxiety coursed through him. He looked up and saw her walking out with her stallion just behind her.
"Bring the food over and I'll put it in my saddlebags" He took the sack over to her and put it in her saddle bags. Eli glanced at the hilt of the sword that sat under Aamira's saddle and asked.
"That's a beautiful sword, are you any good with it?" She blushed and nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to see it. I was just curious; swordcraft is a passion of mine and I used to spar with my father every day, but that was years ago."
"That's quite alright, it's not a secret I have it. I just don't like to flaunt it about; people laugh when they see a young woman with a sword"
"Perhaps we can practice together?"
"I would like that." she smiled. "don't be too embarrassed when I knock you into the dirt though." she laughed, with that she sprang up towards her horse and got on with inhuman speed, without sound the horse jumped into a sprint, her speed and grace seemed impossible.
"Well, come on!" he heard her say. He ran over to the mare who was eagerly waiting to join the run. He did a half jump as he pulled himself up, gripped the reins and shifted forward. The white mare sprinted after the stallion. In moments he had caught up with her before they reached the road, she was about to turn towards the village.
"wait!" he cried desperately. Her stallion grinded to a halt and without prompting, the mare slowed beside him. "we shouldn't go that way."
"why?" she asked softly.
"there are slavers staking the woods."
"I see. We will go further down the valley then." Eli nodded and smiled, the stallion trotted down the road with the white mare beside him. They laughed as they talked and rode gradually getting faster, before long they were racing, trees whipping past, the cool air burning their eyes and drying their throats. Eli was still very hungover, but he was not going to pass up an opportunity to be with Aamira, so he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes trying not to throw up over the side. Within moments the horses slowed down to their surprise. Aamira looked around and comforted her stallion, kara'ni was also tense. "somethings wrong." She said softly. "these horses don't spook easily." She clicked and the stallion continued slowly, the horses ears were darting in every direction as they and Aamira scanned the opening they were coming into. In the distance, a mound of twisted grass could be seen.
They came to a gap in the side of the road and Aamira jumped from her stallion, she took a few steps into the clearing where the mound of grass was, she took a deep breath and cringed, she returned to the horses and took her sword and scabbard from its hiding place and attached it to her belt. Now with the sword in the open he saw it was beautiful, it was a very fine weapon that could only be afforded by the extremely wealthy. It had a straight cross guard with a two-handed hilt. The pommel of the handle was egg shaped. The blade was about thirty-eight inches, and the scabbard was made of leather. Eli jumped to the ground and test drew his blade to make sure he could draw it with speed if he needed to, he was pleased that the freshly honed and treated blade slid soundlessly from the sheath.
"Here it is, you should go back to the farm and find papa." she said dutifully without taking her gaze from the mound of grass.
"no way."
"It's going to be dangerous."
"more dangerous than being captured by slavers!?" he retorted, his pride offended, she looked back at him with surprise clear across her face. Together they went through the opening on the side of the road into the clearing, they slowly stepped through the tall grass which rustled as they walked through. The wind started to pick up and made waves with the grass. Aamira looked around cautiously with her hand on the hilt of her sword. A thick pungent smell arose from the ground that got thicker the closer they got to the pile of twisted grass, Eli was watching Aamira closely and he noticed that this was clearly not the first time she had done this, the way she walked the caution in her step, the way surveyed the landscape looking for anything out of the ordinary.
"What's that smell?" he asked quietly lifting his sleeve to his nose to block the smell.
"Corroding Carrion." She replied slowly drawing her sword. Eli did likewise, the sword felt awkward in his hand, though it was far better than the short sword, he was relatively unversed in using a longsword. Eli settled beside Aamira, keeping his eyes fixed on the mound of growing twisted grass in front of them. She turned around to the horses across the field. "Kardakk, Kara'ni, seain capprii!" Eli turned to see the horses rear and run down the trail towards Michah's home.
"What was that?"
"Later!" she snapped "Stay focused!"
The air surrounding them was shattered by a shrill screech the likes of which Eli had never heard before. It seemed to upset the fabric of the valley as birds left the sanctuary of their trees and he saw land dwelling creatures leave the safety of their various burrows and the shade of the trees. Eli lifted his off hand to cover his left ear and he bent over in a vain attempt to muffle the shriek that seemed to bore into the very fibres of his being. His hairs stood on end and his blood chilled in his veins, 'what in the hell what that ungodly noise' he thought.
Over the crest of the mound, he saw something emerge, first came a claw, thin and bony with shiny talons as long as Eli's fingers, then a sickly grey mass, twisted and unrecognisable came next, it took Eli a moment to comprehend the shape of the monstrosity that was before him, the mass of thin skin stretched over misshapen bones plunging Eli into a pit of fear,
"What the fuck is that?!" he cried, revolted by the sight before him, within moments the mass started to un tangle and thin sinewy wings stretched out and from under them came a beaked head, it looked like a vulture with the feathers at the base of its snake like neck but it had large empty eyes, black as the deepest cavern, between the eyes, the face was comprised of a thick heavy black beak with tiny razor sharp teeth protruding from the top hook. It opened its beak once more to let loose that horrible screech but before it could, Aamira lunged forward with inhuman speed with sword held at shoulder level pointed towards the shrieking beast's head. She thrust towards the base of the beast's neck, and it lunged back with unnerving swiftness. Aamira ran up the mound and once she had reached the top jumped five meters in the air with the blade above her head and brought it down onto the wing joint of the horrid beast, separating it with tremendous force. Seemingly unaffected, the grey beast arched its neck and snapped at Aamira quick as a snake, the force of the bite and strength of the neck would have been able to rip the head from a horse, Eli ran up the mound to join Aamira in the brutal contest, holding his sword level, he lifted the blade to slash at the beasts side, as he was about to deliver the blow, the beasts tail struck him across the right side of his ribs with the force of a great club knocking the wind out of his lungs and throwing him to the wall of the nest shaped mound. Dazed and breathless Eli tried to focus his senses, trying to blink away the yellow and red spots that clouded his vision and stop the ringing that had formed in his ears. As he looked over to the silhouettes that were moving at incredible speeds, his sight came back to him, he steadied his sword hand and looked for an opening so he could re-join, he was shaken but still determined to get in there and help.
Aamira had found the flow of the fight and was quickly gaining ground, she would dodge and counterstrike before needing to roll away from the slashing talons, the beast had started to bleed profusely from the deep wounds she had inflicted but it seemed undistracted and fought with the same vigour as if it were uninjured. She glanced over and saw Eli trying to sneak up.
"Not yet!" she shouted, without another word she lunged and unleashed a flurry of thrusts and slices impossible to see. The beast was able to dodge most of the attacks but every now and then Eli would see blood spray the ground as new wounds opened the horrid creature.
Questions of how Aamira moved so fast and with such strength bubbled into his mind, but he repressed them and drew his attention back to the matter at hand. He noticed that the monster's attention was focused solely on the nimble young woman, and decided he would be able to sneak up, he decided to go for its neck as it was the thinnest part. He quickly and quietly moved in behind the bony creature and started to run towards its tail, as he predicted the beast threw him up into the air, after a few moments he landed on its back into a crouch and thrust the blade of his sword into the base of its neck, it let out a short scream quickly interrupted as Aamira stood and shoved her sword into the bottom of the monster's jaw through its head killing it instantly. It slumped to the ground lifeless, and Eli tried to pull his sword from its neck, he was unsuccessful, then he put his foot next to the flat of the blade and managed to yank it out, the sound of the steel against bone made his skin crawl. Out of breath and still a somewhat dazed, Eli stumbled off of the corpse of the monster onto the twisted grass below. Hands on his knees he bent over to catch his breath he looked over to Aamira with new longing and admiration, she put her foot on the large beak of the monster and pulled her blade from the body making it twitch as the steel was removed from its nervous system. Looking surprisingly unflustered she walked over to him.
"You did really well today, not everyone can kill a basilisk without real training."
"A what?"
"Basilisk, they are disgusting monsters that feast on rotted flesh. They are usually hunted and killed by members in the Order of the First Ember. It looks like we stumbled upon a nest."
"Basilisk, I will remember that." he laughed. Then as the adrenalin wore off he felt a crushing pain on his right side. "Ah fuck!" he cried as he dropped to his knees letting his sword fall to the ground he wrapped his arms around himself trying to reduce the building pain. He fell to his side screaming in agony, Aamira dropped to his side cradling him as if to lend him her own strength. It felt like every second was a thousand years. The pain finally died as he slipped out of consciousness.
Chapter.
His dreams were vivid and terrible. He saw a great walled city, engulfed in flame, a city that seemed so familiar and yet he had never seen it before gut wrenching panic gnawed at him, he heard the roar of a dragon and the beating of its wings. He was Kneeling defeated before the body of a young woman he tried to focus on what she looked like, though he could see her perfectly, he couldn't make sense of what she looked like, as he knelt there he was filled with guilt, rage and hate, beside him sat a beautiful blade, his hands were sitting helplessly in his lap and they were drenched in blood. above him towered a beautiful palace and behind the high turrets was a red sky polluted with black smoke. His visions were followed by a torrent for fire that threatened to burn his mind, but before he was engulfed in the inferno there was a flash of blinding white light and a searing pain at the back of his head, Then darkness.
Chapter.
"Eli sweetie, can you hear me?" the soft sweet voiced pulled him from the darkness that bound him. "Sweetie, please wake up." The gentle words warming him.
Eli stirred and groaned "Ah shit! my head… where – where am I? what happened?" He asked, suddenly he sat up, opened his eyes to be confronted by vision so blurry he could not even make out shapes. "Where is she, where is Aamira, what happened to her, is she okay?" panic, fear and pain filled his voice. A burst of pain shot behind his eyes blinding him and he groaned and grabbed his head to ease the pain.
A soft giggle erupted from next to him, "be still Eli, I'm just fine, it's you we have been worried about."
He turned to face to the voice and asked, "Are you okay, were you hurt?"
"No sweet boy, I'm fine, as I said, it's you that we have been worried about."
Eli rubbed his eyes and strained to see clearly. After a few moments, his vision became clearer, he was able to see that he was in Michah's house but how he got there was a mystery to him, he looked over and saw Aamira smiling at him leaning forward with her hand on his.
"How did I get here, how – how do you know how to fight like that, how are you so fast, I – I saw you jump. How do you do that?"
She smiled at him "let's get you fed, then we will talk all about it."
He groaned in agreement "I am starving – wait, how long have I been out?"
"About four days." she replied quietly.
"Well, that would explain it." Aamira stood up and took Eli's arm as he rose from the bed, his legs were weak and sore but supported him well enough. He noticed he was in his undergarments with bandages wrapped around his torso, but to his surprise there was very little pain, only some mild discomfort. He stopped and asked if Aamira would help take off the bandages, she obliged, he looked down. There was a light purple line there the tail had struck him, but he could not see any signs of real damage. "How did this happen; I thought my ribs would be broken for sure."
As they walked, she explained that her grandfather arrived shortly after he passed out, how Michah was able to heal his ribs once he had been bought back to the farm. As they got to the door Aamira stopped and said, "You may want to cover your eyes, it's a bit bright out there." He put his hand up to cover his face and they opened the door and walked outside.
"Ah Eli, the mighty slayer awakens" bellowed Gunmar followed by a cheer of the group that had formed outside.
"Why are all these people here?" he whispered.
"They are here to see you after you killed that monster. Everyone came to the aftermath of our little fight and saw you next to the felled beast."
"But it wasn't me that killed it, that was you." he whispered.
"Technically that's true, but the blow you inflicted would have killed it all the same, I just expedited matters."
He laughed. They reached the large table that had been set up outside and a big plate of food was bought before him and Aamira. He ate gratefully and drank his fill letting the sun warm him. After some conversation detailing what he had missed while he was asleep, and the crowd had finished asking him questions about what happened and how he killed it, he tried to explain that it was not all him but Aamira shook her head. Soon it was just himself, Aamira, and Michah as Gunmar had left with Erick to go home after Michah had thanked him for his help and company over the last few days.
"Excuse me Michah, but, how were you able to heal me so well, I thought I had broken ribs?"
"I know a thing or two about healing my boy, from a different time and a different place" he looked down in sadness "When I was a different man." He quickly snapped out of it and said, "At least you are healthy, I had a good scare when I saw you in Aamira lap"
Eli blushed and looked over at Aamira who was enjoying a small vine of grapes. "Well, thank you for helping me. Listen, I hate to ask but would I be able to rest up here for a few days, just till I get my strength back, then I must set off"
"I insist you stay here and rest, strong as you are, you won't do yourself any good if you are not at, your best." Michah replied. Eli was pleased with the compliment.
"So, uh Aamira, how are you so fast, it was amazing to watch. Are – are you part elf?" he asked sheepishly suddenly afraid he had approached the subject the wrong way. She looked at the old man who nodded silently and walked back to the house.
"I'm glad you are Feeling better son" he placed his hand on Elis shoulder and tapped it, then started towards the house.
She put the vine of grapes on the ceramic plate in front of her and replied "Yes, my grandmother, Michah's wife was a Iletti warrior, so my having elven blood makes me stronger and faster than a human, it also means other things but, we won't go into that now. As for your other question, I come from a long line of great fighters and ever since I was a small child, I loved swordcraft from watching my family."
"That's amazing. You are the most incredible fighter I have ever seen!" he stopped and thought for a moment then added "Although, I will be honest, I have not seen that many, I'm sorry for being so forward but I think you are amazing and, if – you agree, I would like to get to know you better. If not, I completely understand, but I would hate myself were I not to ask" he suddenly felt foolish and embarrassed.
She smiled and giggled, then placed her hand on his. "I would love to."
Eli realised the breath he was holding in his lungs. He spent the next few minutes smiling to himself trying to stop blushing. A million thoughts raced through his head. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to say, I did not expect you to say yes, so I didn't really plan this far ahead." He ran his hands through his hair trying to cover his embarrassment since talking to women was new to him.
"So, how you are feeling?"
"A bit nervous if I'm being honest."
"No sweet boy, are you okay from the other day" she laughed.
"Oh right, compared to asking to see you, almost dying was simple." Shaking his head "But yes, much better than I had expected to be, though, I still can't quite believe what happened. I never thought I would do something like that."
"Well, if you stick around for a while, we might be able to teach you how to swing that sword." she teased.
"I know you are teasing… but I would like that."
She thought for a few moments and spoke "If you really want to learn, talk to papa, he is a master swordsman and can teach you much more than I can."
Eli considered the idea. "Do you think I should?"
"You wouldn't be the first, there have not been many, but you would not be the first outsider to learn from him." They spent the next hour talking about little things, trying to get to know each other until the sun went down. He was delighted to be spending so much time with her.
"I had forgotten to ask, but do you know where Erick went?"
"Yes, he went back to town to I think he was missing his girlfriend."
"Ah of course."
"As delightful as this conversation has been, looking after you these last few days has left me exhausted. So I will retire for the evening."
"Thank you for looking after me." he said quietly, He wanted to talk with her all night, but he knew that he had to let her sleep. Aamira walked inside while Eli stayed out at the table. The cool night air was crawling in and a fog had started to rise from the fields. As a chill started to creep into his body, he left the table and went inside. As he entered the warm room he heard a conversation in one of the bed rooms.
"I know you like him, and after all the trouble you have been through wanting to meet a nice boy, you deserve someone sweet and understanding like Eli. But I think he would be better off joining the order, they can give him an education as well as teaching him to fight. I left the order for personal reasons, and I hate them for it, but that does not mean they are not useful."
"I understand." Aamira replied with obvious sadness.
"Listen, I will do everything I can, I will teach him how to answer the induction questions and tell him what kind of tests he might face, this way, it is more likely he can be placed in a discipline of his choosing instead of having to work his way through. He is a good kid and I want to help him, but a full education with the order will be vastly more helpful to him than showing him a few tricks with a blade."
"Thank you" she said softly.
'The Order of the First Ember' Eli thought to himself, he never thought he would have the opportunity to join, they had always seemed so far away, but it seems everything is possible now he was leaving the valley. He heard movement from behind the door and looked around for something to do that would make it look like he was not just eavesdropping. Slightly panicked, he saw the wash basin, he quietly made his way over and started to wash his hands, face and back of his neck, the door to the other room opened and saw Aamira and Michah emerge from the dimly lit room. He looked over on greeted them both, Aamira walked over to him, Eli straightened up slightly worried, she put her hand on his cheek and pulled him forward gently, she got onto her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek softly.
"Good night." she whispered, and with that left for her room. Awe struck he remained still for a few moments watching her leave. Michah gave off a small chuckle and walked over to him.
"Come with me for a moment, son. There is much to discuss."
"Yes sir." He replied, trying to contain his excitement. Michah led them outside and he sat in his beautiful yew rocking chair, he indicated to Eli to take a seat on a small stool across from him, Michah began to fill his pipe, and Eli sat patiently, it was difficult for him to sit still as he was so worked up. For several minutes of filling and packing before he lit the leaf. Once a good burn was established, he leaned back and looked at Eli through the dim light created by a lantern hanging from the eave.
"Aamira tells me you wish to learn the arts of swordcraft, yes?"
"Yes sir, it has always been an interest, but since father died I need proper instruction" he replied.
The old man nodded. "your father was an exeptional warrior and peerless commander. You have been well served by his previous instruction." He took another few puffs before continuing "So far as I can see, a smart youth such as yourself has several paths you can take. First, I could teach you, the training is long and hard but if you finish your training with me, few would be able to match your skill. Second, you go out and find another sword master, but they are few and far between and can be rather expensive and they may not be as good. Finally, you can join the order. That is where I had learned to fight, the apprenticeships are long and very difficult, and in the end, you may not even be placed among the ranks of the knights because those positions are difficult to gain because of the corruption imbedded in the system. The order is also very difficult to leave if you want to, oaths are sworn, and they are not easy to unbind. But, if you choose to join the order, they will give you a full education, reading and writing, geography, mathematics, history, herbology, alchemy, mineralogy and if you happen to have the old blood running through you, they can teach you magic, however, the knowledge is limited because the old blood is very powerful and a threat to them, so while they may acknowledge your power, they will never encourage it. If you so desire, you can even choose what you want to learn after you prove yourself, You can learn smithing, architecture, more advanced schools of combat from fighting with your fists, to archery, you could even learn to use polearms from the old monks. The order will offer you so many different avenues, and if you prove yourself to be exceptional and happen to have the old blood, they may even grant you a dragon… But there is a price, and it is steep."
"What is the price?" Eli asked transfixed by the possibilities ahead of him, even more so with the possibility of having his own dragon.
"Service, 50 years of service." Michah said solemnly "An easy price for elves and even dwarves as they have long lives, but for men. It is a whole life."
Suddenly sobered by that fact Eli thought "That, that is a very steep price indeed."
"If you so desire, there is one more option for you, you stay with me, I will teach you everything I know about the order, I will teach you swordcraft, and I will help you understand the trials and tests of the order, this way, you will outperform all other initiates and apprentices you have been set against. This will open most opportunities for you. You will go through the gates of Kirishan'um stronger, faster and smarter than even the current apprentices. It will be slow going because I cannot dedicate myself full time to your education, but if you commit, I can see you ready in just over a year. Now let's be clear, I will not provide you with the full education. That would be pointless as were you to go to the order you would just be relearning everything, no, I will just give you the foundation of what you need to know. We will spend 4 hours of swordcraft each day. 2 in the morning before breakfast, and two in the evening before supper. Throughout the day we will be working on your reading and writing, once you are capable of this, I will then teach you the elder tongue, now this is very important, those who can understand and speak the old language will be able to better understand the world around them, magic, is also used through the old language as it describes the very essence of everything, but I don't think we will need to worry about that. The main reason I will teach you the Elden tongue, is that it will make you very desirable, you may even be selected by the grand order to receive individual instruction." Michah went into detail about what Eli would learn under his tutelage. Thoroughly absorbed by what Michah was telling him, he retained the information with obvious delight. Once Michah was finished speaking, there was a brief quiet to allow Eli to process what he had just been told.
"This would be amazing, but I am forced to ask, what is it you would want in return."
"Good, this mindset will serve you well, question what other people have to gain, understand their needs, and wants and you will never be at that man's mercy. As for what I want, I want her happiness, Aamira is young but has had a life with little happiness and joy, but she still wakes up and does everything she can to make the best of what she is given, because she is part elf, she has been disrespected, insulted and even attacked. She does not deserve that, she is the sweetest person I have ever met, and you are the first young man to treat her with respect, let alone adoration. Now I'm not saying you are to be married or anything like that, I would just ask that you keep an open mind. If the two of you just don't work that is fine, not everyone is compatible, but it is time she met a man and was able to be married, I would also like her to be married for love, so many people are married for a reason, advantage or leverage, hardly anyone gets to choose who they get to be with, and I will not have my granddaughter suffer an unhappy life, I will not have that at all. She is very taken with you and that brings me joy to see her happy and smiling. For that reason, I am more than happy to help you achieve your goals. But you must swear to me right here and right now that you will work your hardest, and that you are not just trying to court my granddaughter just to leave once you have had your way with her because believe me, if you just want to use her, I will kill you and they will never ever find what is left of you." Michah's change in tone took Eli by surprise and the way he spoke forced him believe he would kill him without hesitation.
"I do so swear, I mean your granddaughter no disrespect or harm nor do I intend to sully her honour, I swear to put my heart and soul into the training you have graciously offered and will do my utmost to succeed."
"Very well, I hereby take you as my apprentice. And give you permission to court my granddaughter if she chooses to accept you"
"Thank you, sir." He responded gratefully, swelling with pride.
"Now, there are a few things that must be made clear, while you are my pupal, you will refer to me as master and my word is absolute. This is vital that you understand, if we are out in the wild and a danger presents itself, you must follow my instructions without deviation. If I tell you to follow my lead, you must, if I tell you to run and save yourself you must do so without hesitation, also, you will not discuss my teaching or your lessons with another person unless I give you express permission is that clear? however, I would like you to discuss it with my granddaughter. Having someone to train with and talk to that is not me, will help you retain what you have learned. So, after each lesson, if you want, talk to her about what you learned."
"Yes master."
"Now, as for the rest, the order requires all members to bathe daily, to be clean shaven until you can grow a full beard if you so desire, any equipment you are given during training will be kept in perfect condition, as will all your belongings. When you are representing the order, you must be clean and present well. I will teach you the right way of presenting yourself, but I am more relaxed as I will require your attention to be directed to learning rather than menial chores, I do however expect you to be presentable and clean. Is that understood."
"Yes master."
"Good, very good." Michah stopped and ashed his pipe.
"Now, your first lesson will begin tomorrow morning at first light. Meet me here. Now get some rest. We are in for a long day tomorrow."
"Yes master, thank you."
Michah nodded in response, Eli made his way inside, his excitement was clear. He did not think he would be able to get to sleep that night, he filled a mug from the barrel of water, he washed his mouth and swallowed, he lay down and after hours went by, he fell to sleep.
Eli woke just before sunup. He was wide awake even though he was only able to manage a few hours' sleep. He got dressed, belted on his longsword and went outside where he saw Michah. He was facing the east towards the rising sun. The low breeze was waving his long beard. He was wearing a beautiful sleeveless robe made of light blue silk with silver embroidering, his pants were fine linin and wore tall leather boots. On the ground beside him was a pile of wooden training swords. Each was a different length, and shape, they had different hilts and different styles of cross guards. He approached quietly afraid to disturb the peace.
"Good morning young Eli, are you ready."
Surprised he knew he was there Eli replied, "good morning master, yes I am ready."
"Excellent. Now, first we must decide what kind of weapon you want. This will be easy because it has been many years since you have had to train you will not need to change any embedded skills or fighting styles. So, let's begin. Look over the selection of swords, try to visualise what you will use, try to see what will make you strong, remember you must trust your weapon with your life."
Eli looked over the collection of weapons and immediately knew he wanted something two handed. "the sword I have here is vastly better than my last. But it's still not perfect." he told Michah and he removed the one-handed swords and there were four swords left, a bastard sword, a long sword, a hand and a half, and a great sword.
"Now these are just basic shapes and dimensions representing each type of sword. For a real weapon you would change the weight of the pommel, width, length and thickness of the blade, length and style of the handle, shape of the cross guard. A sword should be as specific and unique as its master."
Eli picked up the great sword and realised it would be too long and clumsy as it was almost as tall as him. He swung it a few times to be sure, but it felt out of balance, and he could not get it into a guard position quick enough, he picked up the bastard sword and felt it was far more suitable,
"Excuse me master, you said I would be able to change everything about a sword, yes?"
"That's right, it takes years to perfect a fighting style and longer still to perfect your weapon." Slightly daunted by the painfully long process he looked at his master with apprehension. Clearly sensing his distress Michah said, "It's not as bad as it seems, as your skill progress and refine, so should your weapon."
"Well, I would like to try with this one. Though I am a little concerned about the shape and length of the blade as well as the thickness of the handle."
"This will be fine for now, but memorise those notes, we will need them for later, now show me your stance."
Over the next two hours, Michah went through the basic movements of swordcraft, showing how to block and parry, he told him to use the base of the blade to block and the top to strike, he made sure to correct his footwork and told him how to correct a mistake and made him repeat till he got it right. The last fifteen minutes was spent in a sparring match, to test what he had learned. Eli was correct in picking the bastard sword because he was tall and could make full use of the blade's length and weight. It was not quite what he wanted, but for a wooden replica it was fine. Michah told him that he would make Eli a wooden sword that was closer to what he wanted, he also said that they would go through a dozen or more before it was close to perfect. After the two hours had passed, Eli was exhausted, the sun was fully up and with it came the comfort of the morning light, after being congratulated on his performance for his first day, Eli tuned to face the house and saw Aamira sitting in her father's beautiful rocking chair watching them smiling, she had in her hands a mug of tea and a plate of fruit and berries on the stool next to her. Slightly embarrassed that he had an audience for his training, he turned his head to the ground blushing. Aamira then stood bought over a large pitcher of water and two cups. Giving one first to Michah and then to Eli.
"You did so well this morning, you really are a natural."
"Thank you" he replied still embarrassed.
Sensing his anxiety, she said to him "I won't watch any more if you don't want me to, I was just so happy that you are finally learning again."
"Thank you, just for the first few weeks, I would rather make my mistakes with as fewer people watching as possible. Is that okay?"
"of course, it is." She smiled sweetly
"Master Michah would like me to talk to you about what I had learned, he says it will help me remember."
"Yes, that sounds like fun, and it really helped with my training, perhaps if you have a bit of time here and there, you and I can do some practice."
"Maybe when I get better, I have seen you swing a sword, and you would put me on my ass before I could blink."
She giggled "That sounds fair to me."
Michah approached them. "I have come to a decision; I have been meaning to spend some time in my house to the south. I would like the both of you to accompany me there. It is much better suited to your instruction as it contains training grounds, library, forge and a full support staff. I would like you to spend today gathering what you will need to travel. Bring some food but we will be able to hunt and buy most of what we need."
"Yes master" replied Eli.
"Yes papa." Aamira said at the same time.
The rest of the day was spent preparing and gathering resources for their travels. Michah saw one of the young men from town and called him over, he handed him three gold pieces and asked him to deliver several messages to people in Arino and Maldor. Maldor was the town Eli came from and Arino was further down the valley. The day went quickly and soon it was lime for lunch, it was a simple meal of soup and ale. Eli and Michah spoke of the importance of learning to read and write, as well as different scenarios where he would need to defend himself or others. Aamira would say something now and then, but Eli got the impression that she had already had this conversation. As the day progressed and they were just about finished with the preparations. The great six wheel wagon was filled with furs for sleeping and making tents, food provisions such as breads, cheese, flour, vegetables, Dried and cured meats like salami, jerky and sausage was also added. Small barrels of drink were added as was a few small empty ones to carry fresh water. In a lock box behind the driver seat carried all the valuables that would be taken with them, some important pieces of parchment, goods for selling if need be as well as an ample supply of coins, many sets of clothes were added as was a few pieces of different fabrics if repairs were needed. Michah's beautiful sword as well as Aamira's and Elis were wrapped in cloth and put within easy reach, tools for their maintenance were placed in a small box and set in the wagon. The tack for the horses were cleaned and oiled for use and Aamira and Eli were charged with washing and watering the horses, who seemed exited for the journey. For two hours before supper, Eli and Michah once again trained with the wooden swords. Eli was tested on what he had learned in the morning and to his master's pleasure he was able to remember most of the basic movements and stances and answer most questions. The two hours passed quickly, and Eli found himself aching. The weight of the wooden sword had provided good exercise and would eventually build his muscles. For supper they had a simple soup of vegetables and rabbit, but after the hard day's work, the hot soup was delicious and filling. Once again, just before bed, Eli and Aamira talked getting to know each other better and getting closer, and just like the night before, she sweetly kissed him on the cheek and held him in her arms. The feeling of her pressed against him made him feel hot. When she left for bed, Eli was alone with his thoughts which lingered on the beautiful woman he was getting to know. He quickly fell asleep and was enveloped by the same vivid dreams he experienced while unconscious. Once again he woke up just before first light but this time his arms, legs and chest were throbbing and aching form the previous days training, he went outside where he thought he would see his master, but when he could not find him, he went to a soft patch of grass, knelt down facing the soon to rise sun, closed his eyes and prayed, though he was not religious and did not know to whom or what he was praying to, it felt right to just be thankful for all that was happening, he was thankful for his new mentor, he was thankful for the new direction in life he was going, he was thankful for all the kindness he had been shown by all around him. But mostly he was thankful for Aamira. The girl so perfect his dreams could not create better.
While he was deep in his thoughts, he felt a strange sensation of total serenity and peace. He felt a strange sense of awareness to his surroundings, he could see what was happening around him without looking. It was as if he could feel Aamira coming from the house and without thinking he spoke.
"Will you join me?" once the silence was broken, so did his sense of the surrounding, the sense of calm and piece however was still there.
Slightly surprised she said to him "I'm sorry, did I distract you. I can leave if you are in prayer."
"No please, I like your company. It is going to be a spectacular sunrise and would love to share it with you."
Aamira blushed, Eli seemed somewhat different to what she had gotten to know over the past week, he seemed more confident which made her happy "I would like that." She knelt close next to him, so their arms were touching. They stayed like that for several minutes silently enjoying each other's company and the fresh clean air until the sun came over from the distant mountains. The air was surprisingly warm, and the sky was perfectly clear, when the sun had finally risen the air grew warmer still and Eli and Aamira enjoyed the peace of each other's company and the perfect comfort of the rising sun.
After a few moments soaking in the light, Eli heard Michah approaching. He slowly got up but the ache in his legs made it difficult. Once he was up, he offered his hand to Aamira who took it and stood up as well. "Once we have finished our morning session, we will get the horses ready and then we will leave. Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes master" Eli bent over and retrieved his wooden sword from the ground. He turned around to face his mentor and begin his training, he looked to his left and saw Aamira wink at him, then make her way back to the house. Throughout the morning, Michah showed him more basic movements but spent more time sparring, Michah was especially through when teaching him blocking and parrying.
"It is important to know how to fight, but it is vital to know how to defend."
The two hours were agony for Eli as he had not yet recovered from yesterday's sessions. But Michah trained him as if nothing were amiss. Michah was pleased that he did not complain or ask for a reprieve. He did slow down when needed because he did not believe training someone until they dropped was a good method. After the mornings training session, Eli was sore but felt rejuvenated. After a quick breakfast he bathed quickly and got dressed. Once he was, the three of them attached the horses to the grand carriage and started on their journey east out of the valley. Michah was on the drivers bench while Eli and Aamira got comfortable in the furs in the back. Throughout the day Michah would ask Eli different questions about everything from the different types of birds they could hear, to different plants, which ones could be eaten, and which ones are poisonous. Three days passed this way until they reached the first town on their way. It was midday when they reached Arino. They passed through without stopping, just after they got through the town, Aamira changes spots in the cart and snuggled up next to Eli, she put her head on his chest and he stroked her hair. It was smooth, soft as silk and surprisingly thick. It was beautiful and amber, he kept answering questions and asked a few of his own, all the while she was leaning against him, he put his arm over her, and she bunched up closer. She giggled as she could hear his heart racing, this embarrassed Eli slightly because he had never been so close with a girl before. As they continued, Eli remarked on how comfortable the wagon was. It seemed to bounce gently and not drop into every hole in the road. They changed positions a few times during the day but they always stayed close to each other, The heat from the sun started to come down hard even though it was the beginning of winter, Aamira and Eli set up the canopy over the cart and a small extension that covered the driver, the shade was of great relief and with the cool air flowing through and the gentle moving of the cart, Eli felt the urge to sleep, Michah had said just a few moments before that he was done asking questions for a while and that they should rest, so he Eli adjusted himself to Aamira's delight and he soon found himself laying in the gently swaying cart in the arms of the beautiful young woman, he could not help but smile to himself as he felt her shapely form against him. Eli and Aamira did not sleep, rather whisper sweet nothings to each other while Eli stroked her soft amber hair. She slowly moved her hand across his chest and arms, then moving down inch by inch, his heart began to race which made her giggle again. Soon her hand had reached his trousers which was already bulging.
"Wait" he whispered.
Aamira shifted and looked up at him with big eyes. "Is everything okay? do you want me to stop?" she whispered back.
"Oh, it's not that at all, I'm just -" he looked away embarrassed. "I have never done this before."
"We can learn together" she whispered smiling at him, she then moved herself up and kissed him. He had never kissed a woman before, but he just did what felt natural, he cupped her head and looked at her, the nerves making him breath hard, Aamira was feeling the same anxiety and ecstasy. She leaned in kissing him deeply with her right hand making its way down his body again, he could not think, everything was happening so fast, before he knew it, her hand was slowly rubbing the front of his pants. He could feel her hand rubbing and feeling every inch of him. As she played with it, it got harder. The more she played, the closer he got, he had this feeling a few times before when he did it too himself, but this was different. Her breathing was hot and heavy against his ear, running pleasure throughout his body, she would softly moan and tell him he was doing a good job. He was nervous to touch her but soon he found himself running his hands along her body, he found it was firm in places where her muscle was more predominant, but her chest, thighs and behind were shapely and soft. He found himself grabbing her and running his hands on her thighs.
Breathing heavily "No stop, I – I'm close, I don't want to make a mess." He whispered. She then stopped moving her hands along his member and looked around. She found an old piece of fabric tied to a post of the wagon, she looked up to make sure Michah wasn't looking, she then got back to where she was and pulled Elis pants down slightly, she then placed the cloth on him and rubbed him, breathing and gently biting his ear which sent shivers and waves of pleasure through him, he was breathing and moaning quietly, she smiled and continued breathing in his ear as Eli grabbed her tighter and tighter she could feel him twitching in her hand, she smiled more and sped up, moments later, the white fluid erupted from him, panting and moving his hips into her hand, again and again. Once he had stopped, she gathered the cloth and wiped up, most of it was caught but there was still some covering his member, so she quickly wiped him up and helped him put his pants back on. Eli was all red and sweaty. He was panting and had a big grin on his face.
"That was – wow. I mean, thank you, that - wow"
She giggled and looked up at him.
"Can, I do you now?"
"Yes please" she said whispering and breathing heavily. They had moved closer to the back of the wagon where it was flatter and out of sight with everything blocking them from Michah.
"Um, I don't know what to do, so if you don't like something tell, me"
"I will" she said whispering.
Eli started with his hands on her waist, they started to kiss and then he moved his hand up to her heavy breasts, they were large, round and soft. She moaned as he gently squeezed then started to run his hand between her legs, she opened up slightly to let his hand in, she then whispered.
"Wait, can you – go under the pants but please, don't go inside me"
"Oh, gods yes."
He then moved his hand under her pants. He slid his finger through the soft hair and found it was wet and slippery, this delighted him and made him hard again, he gently ran his fingers along the wet lips of her womanhood, then slid one finger between, she jumped and made a quick moan covering her mouth, breathing loudly through her nose, he gently began to rub his fingers between the wet slit that made her writhe and moan. Her movement and noises made him so hot and bothered he could barely contain it. He started to figure out which spots caused the most pleasure and was told if he was going too hard, soon he found the spot at the top where he would rub, he breathing became heavy and she would look at him then get embarrassed, he would kiss her neck and bite her ear the same as she did to him, suddenly, she clamped her legs shut shaking and writhing breathing heavily she grabbed his arm tightly he thought it would fall off, after a few moments, she quieted down. He slowly removed his hands from between her thighs, she jolted at the sudden Feeling. She looked at him still breathing heavily.
"That was – amazing, than – thank you" she whispered, breathing hard.
"You are most welcome." He replied, ecstatic with what just happened. Eli found another soft cloth. "Here you go"
"Thank you" He looked away to give her some privacy.
Still in shock about what happened the two of them lay together for the rest of the day, giggling and kissing. Eli greatly desired to see her undraped form, but he knew that would not happen while Michah was around. They wanted to do it again, but they knew they were going to stop soon.
"Can, can I ask you something" she asked softly with a hint of fear.
"of course, you can ask me anything." he said in the most comforting tone he could muster.
"Are – are you worried – I mean, does my – elven ancestry concern you? I know that many think me an abomination, but –" she looked up at him with tears from fear and worry welling in her eyes that was crushing to witness.
He sat upright and cupped her soft face looking straight into her eyes "Don't you ever think that, not for one minute, you are the most amazing, spectacular the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Since I met you, I have thought of little else. I will make this clear right now. You are perfect in every single way. I would not change a single thing about you. Do you understand me. You are perfect." he had never been more serious or confident than he was in that moment. She tried to look down. She had never been so vulnerable before, every boy she met would tease her or worse, no one had ever been as gentle and kind as the one holding her in his arms, she tried to leave his piercing gaze, but he held her in place. "Tell me you understand, I need to hear you say it." Even more embarrassed than before, she felt her face flood with heat, once again trying to look away but to no avail.
"I understand" once she had said the words, she was allowed to leave his gaze, he lay back down and she on his chest hugging him tightly.
'I think I love this girl' he thought. He hugged her equally as tightly as he felt their bond grow. They stayed locked together as the hours went on and soon fell asleep.
As the sun began to set, Michah pulled off the road to a small clearing next to a rushing river. The spot he picked was surrounded by trees and they could hear the river bubbling past. They all jumped off the wagon to make sure the ground was dry and to ensure they were not intruding on anyone. Once they were happy with the location they selected, Michah gave his instructions. For the first time since leaving, they set up camp instead of sleeping in the cart.
"Now you two, place your sleeping furs over there, you will have some privacy. I'll build the fire just here."
"What do you mean privacy?"
"Come now son, I was young once too" he said with great amusement. Both Eli, and Aamira turned bright red as they realised.
"Ah – I" Eli said stuttering, they were both too shocked and embarrassed to look up.
"Relax son, the old dogmatic rules concerning Celibacy and pre-marital relations mean naught to me. You are both young and I have no qualms of you making the most of it, however, Eli, I expect you to pay full attention to your studies, I will not have you being distracted. Can you promise me that?"
Still too embarrassed to look up he replied to his mentor "Yes master."