Chapter 2
Her father criticized her on her lateness once more lecturing her on the whimsical minds and actions of these flighty northern elves. She nodded submissively and helped them prepare the evening meal. One of the hunters had landed a rabbit, which was skinned and roasted with herbs that she had found and dried days ago. Dinner was delicious. To sleep she curled up in her cloak, between some tree roots. Again, her father placed sentries. They were very nervous ever since they had crossed the river that separated the north from the south. Especially about her. The northern elves, she was told, had some absurd ideals when it came to marriage.
In the north.marriage was for fancy. Unrestrained elves had no principles of what should be kept private. Elves in the north publicly displayed affection to each other, embracing and kissing. Her father claimed that if they didn't at least keep their unions private they would be no better than the horses in the spring. Lusty fanciful creatures, that had no respect when it came to a woman's social status or reputation. She thought it uncivilized. It fascinated her but such a people could only uphold such dreamlike notions for long. They would soon see that order and civility came through respect and modesty. Still.it fascinated her.
What would their cities be like? The people. She could only imagine such a race though cultured and delicate by existence could live in such a passionate manner. Northerners were renowned for their intellect and their wit when it came to deals and treaties. Cleverly phrasing a passage so that later they could read it with a different meaning but still have their intentions legalized under the phrase. She dared, longed to see if their wits could possible match those of her southern friends. Who were without doubt the most intelligent people she knew.
Her father was respected but definitely not as intelligent as some of her friends. Why place watches when it was obvious they were in elven territory. She was sure that all elves, even the northerners had some sense of safety. They would logically keep all beings of darkness in such a terrified state of continuous fright that they wouldn't dare to attack anything that even seemed elven. Even if it was a female.
However, out of our party of fourteen, twelve veteran hunters, trackers and scouts and her father she was probably the most dangerous one in the lot. That is if they didn't shoot me with arrows.
She had taken a step not many women had the chance too. It had been tricky at the time but the results had been well worth the trouble. As the hosting family to the spring festival for sword fighting she as the younger hostess was responsible for the happiness of the guests. While her mother greeted the guests, she managed the food and drink. It went to the dueling meadow, the common conversing area and the forges, where new blades were being produced. Females were restricted from fighting, conversing was not part of her responsibilities and no one had yet to forbid her from forging.
By the time, they found out, she was the one in the corner with her hair braided back and the entire set of smaller hammers she was one of the best. A few years later she was the best. She reasoned that they would not dismiss her from the forges until one arose who could temper a blade sharper and lighter than hers. Her finest, currently hidden within the folds of her skirt easily cleft through mail, sheet metal and other swords.
She had fashioned it as such. Being female hindered her slightly, limiting her tools to the lightest and smallest of hammers. It also limited her use for a sword. Females were forbidden to learn the use of a weapon. Women were also weaker than the men were. She would not be able to fight in a battle, her strength was incomparable to that of the weakest of her probably foes. She would not be able to stand against the clash of a sword, much of her strength was in the holding of it. Her swords had to do the work for her. A razor sharp edge that would not be impeded by any armor, be it metal, hide or bone. A blade that she could wield, one that one of her strength could maneuver to counter the first and only slash or swing of an enemy. The fragility of her blades were also intended. Should she be defeated in her stand her weapon would break before the enemy had the opportunity to put it to use.
She only kept one such blade in existence at any one time lesser ones were given to friends. Kirel, the leader of their party had volunteered to escort them to the pass of ice, where ice elves would take her the rest of the way. One of her blades hung at his belt. The master blade was with her now, the scabbard cleverly sewn into the lining of her outer skirt, the hilt was easily accessed through a concealed slit in the top layer. She smiled secretly, they had been ecstatic when she'd sat down to sew this skirt. They were traveling north for a similarly proper reason. She was going to visit some relatives.
Female relatives. Even more important proper female relatives, who would straighten out her unfeminine interest weather she passed on the knowledge of her tempering or not. It had always been a guard for her. Not anymore though. Friends of hers, female ones had taken the initiative and tried their hands at skills that were considered anything but womanly. Mainly swordplay and archery. She was immediately packed for a long journey to her relatives. Not northern elves of course but the ice elves, who lived even farther north, past the dense hardwood forests of the northern elves and into the snow blown mountain valleys that housed other civilized elves. Her presence could not be tolerated when it invoked such improper thoughts in other reputable women. She was to return when she was straightened out. However long it took.
Her father criticized her on her lateness once more lecturing her on the whimsical minds and actions of these flighty northern elves. She nodded submissively and helped them prepare the evening meal. One of the hunters had landed a rabbit, which was skinned and roasted with herbs that she had found and dried days ago. Dinner was delicious. To sleep she curled up in her cloak, between some tree roots. Again, her father placed sentries. They were very nervous ever since they had crossed the river that separated the north from the south. Especially about her. The northern elves, she was told, had some absurd ideals when it came to marriage.
In the north.marriage was for fancy. Unrestrained elves had no principles of what should be kept private. Elves in the north publicly displayed affection to each other, embracing and kissing. Her father claimed that if they didn't at least keep their unions private they would be no better than the horses in the spring. Lusty fanciful creatures, that had no respect when it came to a woman's social status or reputation. She thought it uncivilized. It fascinated her but such a people could only uphold such dreamlike notions for long. They would soon see that order and civility came through respect and modesty. Still.it fascinated her.
What would their cities be like? The people. She could only imagine such a race though cultured and delicate by existence could live in such a passionate manner. Northerners were renowned for their intellect and their wit when it came to deals and treaties. Cleverly phrasing a passage so that later they could read it with a different meaning but still have their intentions legalized under the phrase. She dared, longed to see if their wits could possible match those of her southern friends. Who were without doubt the most intelligent people she knew.
Her father was respected but definitely not as intelligent as some of her friends. Why place watches when it was obvious they were in elven territory. She was sure that all elves, even the northerners had some sense of safety. They would logically keep all beings of darkness in such a terrified state of continuous fright that they wouldn't dare to attack anything that even seemed elven. Even if it was a female.
However, out of our party of fourteen, twelve veteran hunters, trackers and scouts and her father she was probably the most dangerous one in the lot. That is if they didn't shoot me with arrows.
She had taken a step not many women had the chance too. It had been tricky at the time but the results had been well worth the trouble. As the hosting family to the spring festival for sword fighting she as the younger hostess was responsible for the happiness of the guests. While her mother greeted the guests, she managed the food and drink. It went to the dueling meadow, the common conversing area and the forges, where new blades were being produced. Females were restricted from fighting, conversing was not part of her responsibilities and no one had yet to forbid her from forging.
By the time, they found out, she was the one in the corner with her hair braided back and the entire set of smaller hammers she was one of the best. A few years later she was the best. She reasoned that they would not dismiss her from the forges until one arose who could temper a blade sharper and lighter than hers. Her finest, currently hidden within the folds of her skirt easily cleft through mail, sheet metal and other swords.
She had fashioned it as such. Being female hindered her slightly, limiting her tools to the lightest and smallest of hammers. It also limited her use for a sword. Females were forbidden to learn the use of a weapon. Women were also weaker than the men were. She would not be able to fight in a battle, her strength was incomparable to that of the weakest of her probably foes. She would not be able to stand against the clash of a sword, much of her strength was in the holding of it. Her swords had to do the work for her. A razor sharp edge that would not be impeded by any armor, be it metal, hide or bone. A blade that she could wield, one that one of her strength could maneuver to counter the first and only slash or swing of an enemy. The fragility of her blades were also intended. Should she be defeated in her stand her weapon would break before the enemy had the opportunity to put it to use.
She only kept one such blade in existence at any one time lesser ones were given to friends. Kirel, the leader of their party had volunteered to escort them to the pass of ice, where ice elves would take her the rest of the way. One of her blades hung at his belt. The master blade was with her now, the scabbard cleverly sewn into the lining of her outer skirt, the hilt was easily accessed through a concealed slit in the top layer. She smiled secretly, they had been ecstatic when she'd sat down to sew this skirt. They were traveling north for a similarly proper reason. She was going to visit some relatives.
Female relatives. Even more important proper female relatives, who would straighten out her unfeminine interest weather she passed on the knowledge of her tempering or not. It had always been a guard for her. Not anymore though. Friends of hers, female ones had taken the initiative and tried their hands at skills that were considered anything but womanly. Mainly swordplay and archery. She was immediately packed for a long journey to her relatives. Not northern elves of course but the ice elves, who lived even farther north, past the dense hardwood forests of the northern elves and into the snow blown mountain valleys that housed other civilized elves. Her presence could not be tolerated when it invoked such improper thoughts in other reputable women. She was to return when she was straightened out. However long it took.