Challenge 1 - Adurna
The scent of rain was heavy in the air as I walked through town. The smell was strong, and I knew that meant that rain would come soon. When it did, I knew that everyone would be worried about leaking roofs.
This was because the town I live in at the moment is not full of well built buildings. Instead, some are crumbling and others are too drafty. The people here live in peace with what they have, since they haven’t the money to rebuild their houses to make them better.
As I walked, I looked around in disgust. Humans are all around me, and I lucky to not have been discovered as what I really am by them as yet. If they were to figure it out, then I would have to flee and certainly never return. At the moment, I could not allow that to happen, I had been told to live here until someone came for me.
When I was about fifteen, though to human eyes I looked to be about seven years old, my aunt Nuala had brought me here. My parents, Queen Laura Berilan and King Zelphar Nightstar, had both agreed that I should be hidden away somewhere that our enemy, King Lindan Marcos would not think that an elf could be hidden.
To his eyes, hiding an elf in his domain would be folly, not many could hide amongst them and not be found out. Only if they were the age I was could one possibly manage it. At the age I had been at the time, I very much resembled a human. Not until we reach the age of thirty, do we start to resemble elves in any case. Though to the humans that would be the equivalent of a fifteen year old.
This was the stage I was now at and I knew that things would start to get difficult for me. For one thing, in a few days I was being kicked out to find my own life, away from the friendly shelter of Hariv Orphanage. That I did not look forwards to, I was being kicked out just when the soldiers were due to come and recruit all the sixteen year old men for the army.
The army that my parent's enemy, the human king, Lindan Marcos, commanded. More innocent boys for us elves to slaughter in battle. That really sickened me and most of my people because of the obvious desperation he was showing. Apparently he believed that mere numbers could win the war.
My people knew different. It was not just numbers that would win this. Sure they helped, but an experienced elf warrior whether a girl or a boy, can cut down five humans in the time it takes one human to slay one elf. Experience was something that both sides needed.
Soon I moved inside to a rather dingy inn. There was smoke in the air from a fireplace somewhere nearby. I looked about in the gloom, my eyesight keen. No one seemed to be sitting near the actual fireplace, so that seemed like a good place to settle for a meal.
Though I was gloomy about the fact I would soon be homeless, I knew that I could enjoy myself while it lasted. It was then that I heard several familiar voices coming from one of the rooms corners.
Instantly I swung in that direction to see that many of my companions in the orphanage were here, they seemed more happy than usual. I made my way over, to allow one of the girls to give me a hug when I was near enough.
"Ah there you are, Greta," a feminine voice said. "I was starting to worry about you, dear."
I stiffened at the ugly human name that she called me. That was not my real name. It was purely the name I used as a cover of my true identity. "I'm sorry for worrying you, m’am," I replied, apologetic but polite.
There was nothing I could really do other than that. I had been raised by my real parents to always be polite, though I never thought the humans could deserve it.
This said, I took a look at the table surrounded by the other orphans. It was filled with food and they were being exuberantly cheerful. "What are we celebrating?"
"Collin's seventeenth birthday," one of the girls replied. I looked at her, it was a young seventeen year old blond haired girl. I smiled at her, she was in jolly spirits for one who's twin was about to be snatched away by the soldiers.
"Happy birthday, Collin," I said, feigning excitement. I was not very excited about his birthday at all, he was one of my best friends and the soldiers would come for him tomorrow. The next time I would see him would likely be the day that he was killed like so many other boys his age.
Of course, that realization sucked a lot. All too soon that would come, and I would have to comfort Sam, his twin, when they were forcibly parted by the soldiers.
I was filled with rage as I thought these things about the war that had to end and soon. Collin was not the first boy who'd been taken since I came to the orphanage. Five others had been and though they said they would send word to us, they never had.
Mrs. Glassby, the orphanage mistress was saddened by this. She had asked the guards if the boys were allowed to contact her, and they had said yes. When this answer was given, she asked why the boys had not. The guards refused to tell her why and nearly took her away from us for good.
The youngest gaurd had had a heart though, and had convinced the others to leave her be. He had obviously not wanted us to all become homeless. Not that any of us children dared say anything to them at the time. Lest of all me. That would have been totally out of line and I would have aroused suspicion.
"Come and eat, Greta," Collin called, happy to see me.
I only did so, to let him be happy. Why spoil his birthday because of my own bad thoughts about what was to happen to him? He was only human, anyway.
The scent of rain was heavy in the air as I walked through town. The smell was strong, and I knew that meant that rain would come soon. When it did, I knew that everyone would be worried about leaking roofs.
This was because the town I live in at the moment is not full of well built buildings. Instead, some are crumbling and others are too drafty. The people here live in peace with what they have, since they haven’t the money to rebuild their houses to make them better.
As I walked, I looked around in disgust. Humans are all around me, and I lucky to not have been discovered as what I really am by them as yet. If they were to figure it out, then I would have to flee and certainly never return. At the moment, I could not allow that to happen, I had been told to live here until someone came for me.
When I was about fifteen, though to human eyes I looked to be about seven years old, my aunt Nuala had brought me here. My parents, Queen Laura Berilan and King Zelphar Nightstar, had both agreed that I should be hidden away somewhere that our enemy, King Lindan Marcos would not think that an elf could be hidden.
To his eyes, hiding an elf in his domain would be folly, not many could hide amongst them and not be found out. Only if they were the age I was could one possibly manage it. At the age I had been at the time, I very much resembled a human. Not until we reach the age of thirty, do we start to resemble elves in any case. Though to the humans that would be the equivalent of a fifteen year old.
This was the stage I was now at and I knew that things would start to get difficult for me. For one thing, in a few days I was being kicked out to find my own life, away from the friendly shelter of Hariv Orphanage. That I did not look forwards to, I was being kicked out just when the soldiers were due to come and recruit all the sixteen year old men for the army.
The army that my parent's enemy, the human king, Lindan Marcos, commanded. More innocent boys for us elves to slaughter in battle. That really sickened me and most of my people because of the obvious desperation he was showing. Apparently he believed that mere numbers could win the war.
My people knew different. It was not just numbers that would win this. Sure they helped, but an experienced elf warrior whether a girl or a boy, can cut down five humans in the time it takes one human to slay one elf. Experience was something that both sides needed.
Soon I moved inside to a rather dingy inn. There was smoke in the air from a fireplace somewhere nearby. I looked about in the gloom, my eyesight keen. No one seemed to be sitting near the actual fireplace, so that seemed like a good place to settle for a meal.
Though I was gloomy about the fact I would soon be homeless, I knew that I could enjoy myself while it lasted. It was then that I heard several familiar voices coming from one of the rooms corners.
Instantly I swung in that direction to see that many of my companions in the orphanage were here, they seemed more happy than usual. I made my way over, to allow one of the girls to give me a hug when I was near enough.
"Ah there you are, Greta," a feminine voice said. "I was starting to worry about you, dear."
I stiffened at the ugly human name that she called me. That was not my real name. It was purely the name I used as a cover of my true identity. "I'm sorry for worrying you, m’am," I replied, apologetic but polite.
There was nothing I could really do other than that. I had been raised by my real parents to always be polite, though I never thought the humans could deserve it.
This said, I took a look at the table surrounded by the other orphans. It was filled with food and they were being exuberantly cheerful. "What are we celebrating?"
"Collin's seventeenth birthday," one of the girls replied. I looked at her, it was a young seventeen year old blond haired girl. I smiled at her, she was in jolly spirits for one who's twin was about to be snatched away by the soldiers.
"Happy birthday, Collin," I said, feigning excitement. I was not very excited about his birthday at all, he was one of my best friends and the soldiers would come for him tomorrow. The next time I would see him would likely be the day that he was killed like so many other boys his age.
Of course, that realization sucked a lot. All too soon that would come, and I would have to comfort Sam, his twin, when they were forcibly parted by the soldiers.
I was filled with rage as I thought these things about the war that had to end and soon. Collin was not the first boy who'd been taken since I came to the orphanage. Five others had been and though they said they would send word to us, they never had.
Mrs. Glassby, the orphanage mistress was saddened by this. She had asked the guards if the boys were allowed to contact her, and they had said yes. When this answer was given, she asked why the boys had not. The guards refused to tell her why and nearly took her away from us for good.
The youngest gaurd had had a heart though, and had convinced the others to leave her be. He had obviously not wanted us to all become homeless. Not that any of us children dared say anything to them at the time. Lest of all me. That would have been totally out of line and I would have aroused suspicion.
"Come and eat, Greta," Collin called, happy to see me.
I only did so, to let him be happy. Why spoil his birthday because of my own bad thoughts about what was to happen to him? He was only human, anyway.