Pronunciations:

Silme (Meaning: Moonlight) – Seel-may

Ruscion – Roos-kee-on

Aesuithiel – Eye-swee-thee-ell

DC: No, I do not own Perfect World, sorry.

Oh also, thank you to that person who is currently writing 'Blood Rose'. You gave me the inspiration to start this.

Do put your thoughts forth if you have any. I'm still new to the whole 'fanfic' rave.

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Bamboo Village. Situated at the edge of a Forest of – surprisingly – Bamboo trees. I've lived there all my life, pretty much. Nothing much to say about it, it's nice, I suppose, pretty simple, right by the Silme Lake, the deep silvery-blue waters that hold a thousand secrets. I like to sit by the waterside and watch the Undine flit through the water. Beautiful, they are. But only from a distance. I just sit there and watch them, and the turtles. It's nice to get away from everything, my family, that sort of thing. There's always a lovely smell around here as well, it's blown down from the leaves as they sway in the evening wind.

"Back at your haunt, Alydra?" A warm, soprano voice sounded above my head, I looked up, trying to find the source. I smiled when I saw the familiar face.

"Hey Adalesk." I grinned at my older sister, who came and sat down beside me.

"I always seem to find you here." She commented.

"I like it here, Adalesk, it's better than at home…" I protested meekly. Alydra sighed, she was the only adult in my family who respected my choice to start training as an archer. Five summers later, and I could still remember my mother's voice when I relayed to them my choice.

"Alydra." Her tone had been highly disapproving. "You are an elven woman. Women do not fight. You know that."

I'd glared at her. "Mother, I'm old enough to make my own decisions. You know that." I'd pointed out quietly, but the message was clear. I'd glanced at my father, Thalion, but he'd looked away. I'd caught a glimpse of his eyes, unlike my mother; his were filled with pain and regret. I never found out why.

"Leave her be, Aesuithiel, she is right." My father had said, stopping my mother from speaking again, as she had been ready to go on - what looked like - a tirade on the etiquette of Elvish women. With a very unladylike huff, she'd turned and swept from the room. I'd heard a door close upstairs shortly after.

Our house is fairly small, mind, two bedrooms, and a room for sitting and relaxing. I share a room with Adalesk and our little brother, Ruscion, on the lower floor, while my Mother and Father sleep upstairs. The village is so community-based there's little need for anything else, we rarely even enter the house besides to sleep.

I'd then looked to my father, still watching me with that so very strange look. I'd thought he was going to lecture me as well, but he didn't. He walked over and still watched me, he was working up to say something, I was sure of that.

Finally he'd inhaled, "I am not saying I agree with your choice, I would rather you took a different path, but only you can make the decision on what to do with your life." I'd watched him curiously as he reached around his neck and taken his pendant off. It was a Jade stone, cut to form the shape of an arrow, and had a gold hoop near the tail feather where the chain was threaded through. It was so small, so delicate. He was trusting it to me? He'd said nothing as he'd fixed the silky chain around my neck. "The strongest things in life are always close to your heart." He'd whispered, vanishing upstairs.

The next morning he'd been called away with some of the other elves to fight a small group of the Tauroc, who had raided a village at the edge of Heaven's Tear.
He never came back.

I think my mother always blamed me for that.