The Last Of A Bloodline
Time has passed,
Much has changed
All but her icy grace.
A promise she made,
For her heart remains
In this frozen place.
This is what it is written on the stone near the statue of the most valiant of heroes and the icy prison of a young elf girl who's love for him was greater than any man could hope to receive. And all who read those words becomes aware of the tragic story that had taken place so long ago.
It was in the Dawn Cataclysm, when mysterious things happened amongst the gods of which no mortal eyes ever witnessed. But some say these events did marked the mortal realm even though none knew exact.
As many others, the bloodline of methwood elves had suffered great losses in tides of war, but they had retreated into the dense cover of the methwood forest. They lived isolated from the outside world, careless for stranger, for stranger were often associated with troubles.
One day a hero ventured through the methwood, a champion of Mielikki, sworn to protect nature at all cost, when he ran into the fairest of elves he'd ever seen. His human heart beat rapidly when she approached him and watched him with interest.
She knew it was against the rules of her tribe to let a stranger pass into the woods, she would have to show him out and clear his memory. But when he begged her to stay she felt weak in her knees and let him stay in the woods. Everyday she spent more and more time with him, and eventually they declared their undying love for each other.
She brought him home to her village, the elder women were sympathising with the stranger and allowed him to stay, but the male elders disagreed. Firm in their conviction, they said he would bring trouble like any other stranger. Yet against the will of the men the women gave him shelter and gave their blessing to the two lovers.
It was not long before the women were proven wrong. Trouble had found its way into the methwood. Lead by one man powerfull in magic and the arts of combat, evil cut their way to the elven village. Many elves died or were captured for interrogation on the whereabouts of the hero. He could not see this onslaught and when his love was taken captive he decided to confront him. A duel, man against man, was agreed and the two fought for days, weeks and months. One fought with passion, the other with rage.
The sound of their clashing might echoed through the woods until one of them made a mistake. The hero raised his sword and drove it through the plate of his enemy. He staggered back when he had slain the villain and felt a terrifying curse fall upon him. His flesh slowly turned to stone, making him a motionless statue. The girl, free from her boundages, ran to the statue and threw her self against it. Her tears flowed richfully while she sang songs of complain for many days.
Her song was so full of grieve it even reached the ears of Mielikki, partonness of the fallen hero. She was so touched she descended from the skies to comfort the young elf girl. But no comfort was good enough to stop the mourning for her loss. Since the goddess failed to undo this terrible curse she begged the goddess to kill her. But Mielikki couldn't, instead she froze the girl, preserving her in a couting of ice until the curse could be lifted.
But the years and generations passed and no cure was found, leaving the girl in her icy prison next to the statue of the cursed hero. Even now the two lovers can be found in the deepst of methwood, in a place where permanent frost chills the air and crystal dawn reflects the tears of this tragic story.