Disclaimer: I do not own WHEEL OF TIME or any of it's characters. All original characters are my own, although some are close to the WHEEL OF TIME characters.
A shadow passed across the mountains, mountains known by some as the Bombadillian Range. For in these mountains lay the ruins of a city once known by many. Now the once great city of Bombadil was known only to a few.
The shadow passed through the closest town. The town was quite small, really more of a small village than a town, and was home to maybe 40 villagers. Several small farms dotted the land west of the village. The village was named Brie. The farms around it were mostly abandoned after a long harsh winter.
Taim al'Lorn was practicing the sword in a clearing in the forest on the opposite side of his father's farm. He did not often get a chance to practice, for he always had plenty of work to in the spring. Usually they would be two weeks into spring by now, but winters clutches would not relent on the village of Brie, let alone the farms surrounding it.
He was not very good with a sword because of this lack of practice. He often hit himself with his bundled practice sword; several spots that were hit most often were starting to bruise. Even with this he was getting better do to the recent practice he had been getting.
Off in the distance a man screamed and practically an entire flock of birds flew out of a tree. It was probably no more than a hundred paces into the glade beside the clearing.
By then it was close enough to here someone running, hard. Maybe fifty paces to his left. Quickly, Taim dropped his practice sword, the thin wood would be quite useless, and picked up his real sword given to him by his father. He did not know how a small town farmer had come by the sword; it's balance was perfect, and it's blade never dulled. It was doubtlessly a thing made by the One Power, forged by some Aes Sadai, long since probably dead. This sword was probably worth more than their entire farm and everything on it. The sword itself would be pretty useless in his hands and anyone with even moderate ability with a sword would be able to cut him down like an old dead tree.
Out of the bushes stumbled a man large enough to be a small bear. Running after him came three large wolves. The man, Taim recognized to be his friend Will Rosbin. In an attempt to help his friend out of a sticky situation, Taim leaped in front of the wolves and flashed his sword. The wolves stopped, but the fur on their backs rose and they growled in last futile attempt to intimidate him, but even though fear surged through his veins, he didn't waver an inch. Slowly the wolves backed off, still growling. Just before the lead wolf returned to the ever growing darkness of the forest he turned and howled, eventually several answers made their way to the clearing. Slowly but steadily eyes began to appear through the murk.
In unison the two young men turned to each other and said," maybe it's time to run." Then Taim said," My house, come on!"
Then they simply ran, as hard as they ever had. Through the opposite side of the glade, they could barely see the fields of Taim's farm. They ran straight through the fields, not even bothering with the paths, they knew the wolves wouldn't.
The house was just down the fields. The barn was right next to the house, but maybe an extra fifty meters past the house. He looked to the barn and of course there was his father.
Thom was just letting the sheep out to pasture. Taim looked back and stumbled with fear. Behind them was a pack of no less than thirty wolves.
He turned back to Thom and yelled, "Dad, get the sheep back in the barn! Wolves!" Of course by that time Thom had seen the boys. When he saw the wolves, though his face went white, he went right to work. By then, there wasn't much time.
They were maybe twenty-five paces away from the barn and the wolves were maybe another twenty more behind them. A good thing though, is that Thom works quickly. Five paces from the barn, he was just waiting for Taim and Will.
As soon as they reached the barn they went to work closing the huge barn doors; Thom and Taim on one and will in the other. Will was really strong, of course that was expected of a blacksmith's apprentice. Because of will's strength he even finished before them.
Finally they were all inside, safe and sound until the wolves got there. Several ran right into the door with a crack and a yelp, the rest scratched at the door or went around to search for another entrance.
"Weltraman Rosbin!" Thom roared, "Did you bring wolves down on my farm again? I told you when you came looking for Taim, them get him for breakfast. Never did I tell you to bring enraged wolves with!" Taim would have pointed out to his father that Will didn't like being called by his full name but it didn't seem smart.
A horse whinnied in the stalls and for the first time Taim saw that there was an extra horse in the stalls. There was Canter, Thom's sturdy mare, and wild fire Will's exuberant steed.
Suddenly, like getting hit with a bucket of cold water, Taim realized Thom was still yelling, and now it was at him.
"Are you listening boy!?" Thom demanded in an exasperated voice.
"Oh, What?" Taim asked in as meek and innocent a voiceas he could muster without sounding completely whipped.
"Did you try waving that fool sword at them?" and at Taim's nod he added, "Do you not know they don't like the gleam of metal."
But Taim knew that wouldn't anger them this much. Taim didn't know anything that would. That's when they saw the rays of light through the door. The wolves were scratching holes through the wood doors. Luckily, after a while of growing holes, the scratching lessened and the hungry yipping of the wolves was growing faint. Soon, each different wolf was gone. Unfortunately, by then the holes were big enough to fit a fist through.
A relieved sigh passed through the three of them as they knew they were safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A shadow passed across the mountains, mountains known by some as the Bombadillian Range. For in these mountains lay the ruins of a city once known by many. Now the once great city of Bombadil was known only to a few.
The shadow passed through the closest town. The town was quite small, really more of a small village than a town, and was home to maybe 40 villagers. Several small farms dotted the land west of the village. The village was named Brie. The farms around it were mostly abandoned after a long harsh winter.
Taim al'Lorn was practicing the sword in a clearing in the forest on the opposite side of his father's farm. He did not often get a chance to practice, for he always had plenty of work to in the spring. Usually they would be two weeks into spring by now, but winters clutches would not relent on the village of Brie, let alone the farms surrounding it.
He was not very good with a sword because of this lack of practice. He often hit himself with his bundled practice sword; several spots that were hit most often were starting to bruise. Even with this he was getting better do to the recent practice he had been getting.
Off in the distance a man screamed and practically an entire flock of birds flew out of a tree. It was probably no more than a hundred paces into the glade beside the clearing.
By then it was close enough to here someone running, hard. Maybe fifty paces to his left. Quickly, Taim dropped his practice sword, the thin wood would be quite useless, and picked up his real sword given to him by his father. He did not know how a small town farmer had come by the sword; it's balance was perfect, and it's blade never dulled. It was doubtlessly a thing made by the One Power, forged by some Aes Sadai, long since probably dead. This sword was probably worth more than their entire farm and everything on it. The sword itself would be pretty useless in his hands and anyone with even moderate ability with a sword would be able to cut him down like an old dead tree.
Out of the bushes stumbled a man large enough to be a small bear. Running after him came three large wolves. The man, Taim recognized to be his friend Will Rosbin. In an attempt to help his friend out of a sticky situation, Taim leaped in front of the wolves and flashed his sword. The wolves stopped, but the fur on their backs rose and they growled in last futile attempt to intimidate him, but even though fear surged through his veins, he didn't waver an inch. Slowly the wolves backed off, still growling. Just before the lead wolf returned to the ever growing darkness of the forest he turned and howled, eventually several answers made their way to the clearing. Slowly but steadily eyes began to appear through the murk.
In unison the two young men turned to each other and said," maybe it's time to run." Then Taim said," My house, come on!"
Then they simply ran, as hard as they ever had. Through the opposite side of the glade, they could barely see the fields of Taim's farm. They ran straight through the fields, not even bothering with the paths, they knew the wolves wouldn't.
The house was just down the fields. The barn was right next to the house, but maybe an extra fifty meters past the house. He looked to the barn and of course there was his father.
Thom was just letting the sheep out to pasture. Taim looked back and stumbled with fear. Behind them was a pack of no less than thirty wolves.
He turned back to Thom and yelled, "Dad, get the sheep back in the barn! Wolves!" Of course by that time Thom had seen the boys. When he saw the wolves, though his face went white, he went right to work. By then, there wasn't much time.
They were maybe twenty-five paces away from the barn and the wolves were maybe another twenty more behind them. A good thing though, is that Thom works quickly. Five paces from the barn, he was just waiting for Taim and Will.
As soon as they reached the barn they went to work closing the huge barn doors; Thom and Taim on one and will in the other. Will was really strong, of course that was expected of a blacksmith's apprentice. Because of will's strength he even finished before them.
Finally they were all inside, safe and sound until the wolves got there. Several ran right into the door with a crack and a yelp, the rest scratched at the door or went around to search for another entrance.
"Weltraman Rosbin!" Thom roared, "Did you bring wolves down on my farm again? I told you when you came looking for Taim, them get him for breakfast. Never did I tell you to bring enraged wolves with!" Taim would have pointed out to his father that Will didn't like being called by his full name but it didn't seem smart.
A horse whinnied in the stalls and for the first time Taim saw that there was an extra horse in the stalls. There was Canter, Thom's sturdy mare, and wild fire Will's exuberant steed.
Suddenly, like getting hit with a bucket of cold water, Taim realized Thom was still yelling, and now it was at him.
"Are you listening boy!?" Thom demanded in an exasperated voice.
"Oh, What?" Taim asked in as meek and innocent a voiceas he could muster without sounding completely whipped.
"Did you try waving that fool sword at them?" and at Taim's nod he added, "Do you not know they don't like the gleam of metal."
But Taim knew that wouldn't anger them this much. Taim didn't know anything that would. That's when they saw the rays of light through the door. The wolves were scratching holes through the wood doors. Luckily, after a while of growing holes, the scratching lessened and the hungry yipping of the wolves was growing faint. Soon, each different wolf was gone. Unfortunately, by then the holes were big enough to fit a fist through.
A relieved sigh passed through the three of them as they knew they were safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~