Prologue ~ Escape

A.N. I'm using Sindarin, from Lord of the Rings, for Snow Elven names. Just thought you should know, because why the fudge not. They don't mean anything here, though. :3
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you can recognize, I'm just writing this for fun~

Light blue irises gazed up at the sky — I mean, what could been seen of the sky through this slit in the rocks. Chilling wind and white snow kept hiding the veiling light grey clouds once in a while, but that didn't let the Snow Elf's spirit dull. Unlike most of her kind, Liviel has never seen the surface world for she was born after her kin fled in hiding. She was one of the youngest, only a few centuries old, but she still looked like she was fresh out of puberty. She longed to see what a tree truly looked like, to hear a bird's crystalline song or even feel the supposedly warm sun beat down upon her snow white skin.

She had read countless old books, asked many close people about their distant memories and spent so many hours daydreaming, but it simply wasn't enough. No, she needed to see it for herself, and also prove to the others that this supposed dangerous surface world had changed. She beautifully sang a short whispered prayer to Y'ffre — also known, or more like spelt alternatively, as Jephre — the God of Song and Forest, as she gently pressed her beloved generic leaf-shaped and deep green amulet against her heart. She requested of him that her suspicions were right, and that the world above would give her a chance.

'Chances are, they do not even recall your kin,' that rational, comforting soft voice echoed in her mind once more, as it always did when she suddenly doubted herself and was in dire need of courage.

Liviel bit her light lower lip as she looked behind her. She would be leaving everything she had known behind her, all familiarity long dead and gone. But wasn't that what she had been planning on during all these last years? Hadn't the unknown been strongly calling for her long enough?

She took in a deep breath, simultaneously closing her eyes, and took back the slender hand she had previously rested against the frozen-over rocks. She would soon be able to see the sky above her head, not through a crack in a wall. She continued her trek through the tunnel, her magelight silently hovering around her, knowing very well that she was the first soul in a long while to wander these natural walls. Her soft footsteps barely echoed in the rocky tunnel, her gaze trailing the illuminated ground as to not trip.

Wind picked up, making snow dust dance in twirls and swirls, not to mention gusts tugging at her dark blue cloak, thus she held it tighter around her shoulders. Cold rarely bothered her, but she didn't want to lose her article of clothing, her only way of concealing her race from most eyes for the weeks — nay, months to come. She picked up her pace, for she knew she was close to the deep, deep cave's entrance. Her breath hitched when she found a gaping hole in the tunnel right above her, and she could clearly see the sky.

"Liviel!" she heard echo from the direction in which she came, making her blood run cold. "Liviel!" It was still very far away, but she knew she needed to act fast.

She still half-smiled, thinking that this time, they were getting too slow. Her gaze trailed across the walls, knowing very well that running would only confirm her presence to her follower. If she could hear them, so could they.

'This footing seems stable enough…' she thought as she studied the bumps and curves in the frozen rocks.

Without wasting another moment, she started to scale the irregular wall, the rocks that had tumbled from the large hole easing her attempts. She tried to make as less sound as possible, but muttered a curse under her breath when she realized her cloak had snagged on rocks. She was already almost out — her upper body was already through the hole — but she didn't want to give up because of her cloak. After a few seconds of pulling and tugging, she heard the both relieving and heart-wrenching sound of fabric tearing apart. She pushed herself up on the edge, her bare arms pushing against the numbing snow, and mustered the strength she needed to pull through.

She rolled onto her back, easily ignoring the blizzard around her, and just beamed at the free sky as she breathed hard, tired by her feat.

"Liviel!"

Her smile wiped out of her face, her breathing suddenly halted and she just hoped the other wouldn't figure out that she was up the hole. She strained her hearing so she could hear what was happening, for the voice seemed too close to be a mere echo anymore.

"Liviel… Your cloak…" she barely heard over the roaring wind. He must have seen the torn piece of fabric — nothing escaped his keen eyesight. "You really left…"

She waited a few minutes before she sat up, looking around her. The Snow Elf knew she had been living below mountains, but she never would have thought them so huge — so impressive. She glanced at the hole in the ground, her candlelight dissipated for a while now.

"I am sorry, Aeglos, but I have to," she whispered to herself, holding onto her amulet, before she stood up. She glanced at the hem of her cloak, sighing in relief when she noticed the damage wasn't that bad at all, and then headed in one random direction — anywhere to get away from her old home — but she did take note of her surroundings, telling herself to take note of everything for when she came back.

If she came back, that is.

A.N. That's just the start (the next parts are also going to be about thrice this length), but what do you think so far? Is there anything you'd like to see, or even the opposite? Constructive criticism is always appreciated! Thanks for reading~ :3