Chapter One
My adventures began shortly after my return to the forest. Among the overgrown foliage and hidden beneath the soil, I found the remains of several articles of clothing, wood and leather from the homes that had been ransacked, weapons that had been ruined, and, to my horror, bones. Sifting through the brush and dirt, I discovered something of mass importance―or at least I thought it to be important. A brooch in the shape of a vicious-looking dragon holding a deep blue gem in it's jaw, and a beautifully crafted silver necklace, vibrant green gems woven into the spirals of metalwork. My mother's. I knew that necklace anywhere...it had been passed down in the Hlae'anea family for generations upon generations. I was to receive it when I came of age...I cried for the first time in a long time. Pressing the cold, dirty metal to my chest, I stood up with even more determination than before, pocketed the trinkets, and went on my way back into town.
Direham. A small human town that settled near the forests' edge, named so for a Dire Boar attack that happened in my grandmother's time. I had, more or less, grown up in this town. I knew the people, the places. Everything. And if anyone were to know anything, it would be the owners of the Inn. My human parents. Many, many travelers always passed through, keeping to either the Inn or the Tavern for most of their stay.
It was late when I returned to the Inn, and mother was sitting in her rocking-chair near the fireplace, father next to her in his big, comfy recliner. I stood in front of them, the fireplace roaring behind me, lighting my parents' faces in an orange light, reversing the shadows. Mother was the first to look up, worry, yet a hint of understanding, in her eyes. She knew what I had come to ask, as did Father. He put the mark in his book, set it down and, folding his hands, looked up at me. I took out the brooch.
"I found this among the refuse...do you know what it is?" Father took it into his aged hands and ran his fingers over the details and stone.
"I recognize this...it is the insignia of a kingdom from the West."
"A kingdom from the West?" I repeated eagerly and knelt in front of the older man. "Which kingdom? Do you know?"
"I'm sorry, child. I do not." He handed it back to me. "If you find a library or some sort of scholar, they will be sure to know."
"Where is there a library, Father? I have never left this town and forest..."
"In the next town over, about four days travel. Havengate, is the name. They have a small library there. Perhaps they will be able to tell you more than I could."
"Havengate..." I repeated again, studying the brooch once more before pocketing it. I looked to the old man and woman sitting before me. They had aged drastically; I hadn't even noticed. They were nearly seventy years old now. A huge feat for humans. Many of them didn't live past forty or fifty due to disease, famine, war, and other factors. Direham was a quiet little town that consisted of mostly farmers and a few merchants; it was relatively clean for an agricultural settlement. "I'll come back. I promise."
"Oh, my dear Tahleth." Mother stood and took me into an embrace. I realized then how small she had gotten. How small they had both gotten. Mother was tinier than me now, and Father was only an inch or so taller than myself. They were frail, and I knew they wouldn't be here for much longer. "Do what you must do first. I know it is important to you. Promise me that if we are gone when you return, you will not grieve."
"Mother!"
"Hush, child." She continued. "Promise me. You will move on and live a happy life. Find love. Have a family. Do not grieve for us. Instead, celebrate the time we have spent together. You may not be my birth child, but you will always be my beloved daughter."
"Mom..." Biting my lip to stop from crying again, I gathered my things up and bid one last farewell to my parents before heading out and away from Direham.
I started heading North on the road out of town, determination filling my entire being until...until I reached the edge of the town. Stepping beyond that point would be the farthest I had ever strayed away from home in my life thus far. I stopped, looking out at the fields of wheat as the sun shone down on them, deepening their golden glow, and a breeze passed by making the stems flow like that of a river. It was a beautiful sight. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, and stepped forward past the line of the town and into the warm, comforting sunlight.
My adventure began on that dirt pathway heading North. It would be three days to the next town. Three days to the library. Three days and one step closer towards solving the mystery that had been eating away at my conscience for years. Ecstatic to be on my way, I put a bit of bounce in my step and grinned. I heard the sound of hooves on the ground behind me and I stopped, turning about to see who or what it was. A small horse was trotting steadily down the road. It's rider was an even smaller man about three feet tall, his curly brown hair was covered by a dirty pageboy hat, and strapped to his back was a small lute; he had a scarf flowing behind him. The small man was smiling widely, his light brown eyes staring straight ahead. Unlike other half-lings I had seen, this one had sideburns and stubble upon his chin. A bard. I had seen them before in the Inn; they often sang songs of great heroes, entertaining the patrons.. Smiling, I waved him down. He stopped and looked at me with a broad grin.
"What can I do ya for, M'lady?" He took his hat off and bowed.
"Where, if I may ask, are you heading, Bard?"
"North to Havengate, Elf. Why d'ya ask?"
"If it would not be too much trouble, would it be alright if I rode with you?" I smiled curtly. "You see, I am also on my way to Havengate. To see the library."
"The library? But it's ever so small!"
"Alas, there is none to be found here in Direham. Any library or scholar will do for now."
"Alright then, M'lady." He smiled again and held out a hand. "Come on up and we'll be on our way."
"Thank you so much, Sir Bard!" I hopped on the saddle behind him and held on.
"Please, name's Tuck. Tuck Puddle. And this 'ere is me faithful steed, Rabbit."
"Tuck Puddle and Rabbit." I stifled a laugh. "I'm Tahleth Hlae'anea."
"Tahleth. Hmm. I'm gonna call ya Tally."
"Tally?" I smiled. "No one's ever given me a nickname before...I like it."
"Most glad." Tuck laughed and kicked the sides of the horse. "Hold tight, dear Tally! Hyaa!" Rabbit, the small horse, whinnied and sped off down the path, leaving a trail of dust behind us.
A few hours later, the sun had begun to set off on the horizon, and Tuck and I decided to make camp in a small clearing near the woods. He started the fire and began cooking, while I pitched our tents. Sitting down, I stretched my hands out to the flames, welcoming their warmth on my freezing hands. My faint smile slowly disappeared as I began to think of how crazy this was. How stupid this was. That I was following a dead end, chasing a ghost. Who was I kidding? My family disappeared thirty-seven years ago. Whoever or whatever had taken them was long gone or dead by now...
"Tally, dear?" The half-ling man put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "Are ya alright?"
"Aye. I'm fine." I forced a smile and looked into the fire again.
"That, M'lady, is a lie." Tuck took a seat next to me, rotating the spits over the fire occasionally. "Talk to me, my dear. I am a great listener."
"I don't know..." Looking down at him my violet orbs met his brown and I knew then that I could tell him. He had that look in his eyes that my mother always had. Kind, sincere, caring... "Alright. I'll tell you."
"Ya 'ave the floor." Smiling, he strummed a few chords on the lute. I told him everything that I could remember. My clan family, the fire, my human family. Everything except the brooch and Mother's necklace; an adventurer I had met at the Inn one year told me to never trust a half-ling, no matter the circumstance. At the end, I bit my tongue to keep from crying. "Ya 'ad a 'ard life, my dear. I extend me deepest apologies to ya, along with me assistance."
"Tuck." I smiled and rubbed at my eyes and after a moment of silence, continued. "Can I ask why you were on your way to Havengate as well?"
"I be deliverin' some antidotes. Me sister was sick so I volunteered to venture out to the Southern city of Torzalan and gather the medication for 'er."
"That's was very brave and noble of you."
"I love all me family. Do anythin' for 'em. Ma, Da, and all seven o' me brothers and sisters. Wouldn't want any 'arm to come to 'em. Ah, me elder sister. Name's Vil Skiprock. Married a Tallfellow merchant and lives in town now. I still live in the village where I was born. Just a little to the West of Havengate." He handed me one of the spit, a roasted squirrel on it. I thanked him and began to eat.
"You have seven brothers and sisters?" I said through a mouth full of squirrel. "Damn."
"Aye. Ya said ya only had the one brother?"
"Aye. Tahlen, my twin."
"Were they tryin' ta confuse ya?"
"Who?"
"Ya parents! Tahleth, Tahlen. That would confuse me."
"It's a family name on my father's side. Although, if I had seven siblings like you, that would get awfully confusing." I chuckled, tossed my stick aside, and stood. "Anyways. I'm going to retire for the night. G'night, Tuck."
"Ah, splendid idea." He stretched, heading inside his own tent. "G'night, Tally dear."
We rose early the next morning, and after a quick meal, packed our things and headed back on the trail north. The first I saw of the town was a tall building that looked like the steeple of a temple jutting out from the hill and reaching to touch the clouds above. Once over the hill, my suspicion was confirmed as I spotted the temple near the center of the town. When we trotted farther in, I saw the holy symbol to be that of a face within the sun. I quirked a brow for a moment, vaguely recognizing the symbol, as we stopped and dismounted. Gathering our things together, I smiled down at Tuck.
"Thank you for the ride here, Tuck. I really appreciate it."
"Oh, 'twas nothin', Tally." He grinned and for a moment we stood there in an awkward silence, not knowing what else to say.
"Uhm...I'll see you around. Good luck to your sister."
"I certainly hope so. And thank ya." He bowed a little and scampered off in the opposite direction of where I intended to walk. The library was near the temple, I soon found out via a street merchant selling fruit, and hurried off in the proper direction. Tuck was right, the library was small. Hardly worth the visit if I were just visiting. But I wasn't. I came here for information. I approached the messy counter, books and parchment strewn about, and cleared my throat to get the man behind the counter's attention. He was small and old with a hunched back and squinting eyes.
"Aye?"
"Uh...I was hoping to find a, uhm, scholar?"
"A scholar?"
"Aye. I have-" I fumbled with my words as I pulled the brooch out of my bag. "-This. I need to know where it came from."
"May I?" He reached out with a shaking hand and took the piece. He studied it by holding it mere inches away from his face, running his thumb over the details. "Child...where did you get this?"
"The forest, among the remains of my clan-spot."
"Your clan-spot, child?" The man looked up and squinted his beady eyes at me. "Ah, I didn't realize that you were of the elven folk. Pardon."
"It's quite alright, Sir." I took the brooch back from him. "Do you know of this?"
"Aye." He sighed and dipped under the desk for a moment, rustling with papers, and returned with a thick dusty book. He pried it open and pointed to the page. "'Tis the crest of the city of Kreytzen off to the West. This particular one has a stone of Blue Spinel laid in. Usually it would be a Red Garnet..."
"...Wha―what does that mean?"
"It means, dear child, that the brooch you have there, belonged to someone of a higher class. Royalty, perhaps."
"Royalty?" I questioned and looked down at the brooch. Things had just gotten a bit more complicated.
"Mm-hmm." He nodded and went back to librarian duties.
"...Sir?"
"Hm?"
"You wouldn't happen to have a map, would you?"
"Little elf, this is a library." He scoffed and walked out from behind the desk. "Follow me."
"...Alright." He shuffled away from the desk and wove in and out of the shelves before finally stopping in front of one. He motioned to one of the shelves which contained a number of books and pieces of parchment.
"These are all the maps of the town and surrounding area. Behave, little elf." He gave me a very stern look with his beady eyes, then turned and walked back to his desk.
"Hmm..." I looked back at the man, then at the book and parchment I had pulled off the shelf. Quickly, and as quietly as I could, I stuffed the map into my bag and made my way out of the library, smiling and thanking the old man as I left. He didn't suspect a thing. Having a map finally, I studied it as I walked away towards west side of the town. Being completely absorbed in my map, I didn't even see what was coming...suddenly, I collided with the chain-mail of the town's guardsman's uniform. It knocked me backwards onto my backside and I dropped my map and bag on the ground. Panicking, I scrambled to pick up my things, but the man was already kneeling down, scooping up my belongings.
"I am so sorry, Ma'am!" He clambered on the ground with my things, dropping them again and picking them back up hastily. Being over the fact that I thought I was going to get arrested for stealing from the library, I looked up at the man. He was younger, for a human, about twenty or so, and very fit. He was tall and muscular with a healthy glow to his skin and had short, sort of shaggy, golden hair. His eyes were blue... "Are you alright? I was so intent on looking at my issued orders that I didn't even see you..."
"It's alright." I chuckled and smiled up at him. He was handsome, and I couldn't help but stare a little. "I was actually looking at a map so I didn't see you either..."
"Oh! What a coincidence." He shuffled my things and handed them back to me. Giving me a wide grin, he held out a hand. "Let me help you up."
"Oh...thank you." I took his hand and he pulled me back to my feet. I rearranged my things, putting my map back in the bag. "Uhm..."
"Er...uhm, I'm Navaren Oakenheart." He held out his hand again. "Newly recruited city guard."
"Uh, Tahleth Dunhall, or Hlae'anea. Depending on which background you want to look at."
"Two last names? Interesting." He smiled. "I suppose that's a story for another time?"
"Yeah. Maybe over some mead?"
"Mead?" He perked up then quickly looked up at the sun. "I'm off duty in a few hours. Should I...uhm, meet you at the Tavern at sundown?"
"Sounds perfect." I smiled again and shuffled my feet a little, realizing what I had just done. "Uhm, I'll see you later then, Sir Oakenheart."
"As to you, Lady Dunhall." He bowed a little and quickly walked off. Once he was gone, I giggled furiously and made my way to the Inn. I needed a bit of rest before continuing my journey, and before the start of my date with the human.
