THE KIN WAR: Chapter 3
AN: I've decided on Leetah and Ember against my own preference. But I'm doing this in honour of Wendi and Richard Pini, because they always knew the right balance between who gets the attention and who doesn't. Now I'm not casting miracles here. But I'm doing my best.
I'd like to thank all the people who reviewed. You're the greatest, and you're really helping me continuing this story. Thanx for your support.
And last but not least. I'm still working on "Written in Blood" but it has bigger chapters then "The Kin War" so...
Just wait and see, which one is first allright?
Please Read, Enjoy and Review!
"I should be with them...."
Ember was sitting in a tree, sulking. Playing with a couple of leaves she had just picked while one of her feat dangeled beneath her.
Leetah perched an eyebrown at this sight. It had been a long time ago since she had last seen her daughter sulk.
Though it often came naturally to the red haired elf, the healer now wondered if that was the only thing that bothered her daughter. Ever since the young chieftess had led a group of her own it had seemed as if she had grown over it and gotten more seriously and adult. More.... Responsible.
"You know that you agreed to your father in the end right?"
Ember looked up from her sulking and dropped the leaves who whirled to the forrest floor. "Yeah, I know. It's just that this doesn't feel right. I feel like I should be doing something."
Leetah poked the fire to keep it going. Tonight was going to be chilly and it was the only thing that could keep her mind busy at the time. "Well, sweety.." She sighed. "...you're not the only one."
Ember jumped down with a gracefull leap and sat down next to the fire. "Do you think that..." She swallowed. "...some of the elves will be hurt?"
Sensing that her daughter didn't really needed to hear an answer to that, Leetah said nothing, just stared into the fire. She too was pondering the same question and if she'd be the wagering kind... She would've put a lot of furs on that.
They said there in silence... Thinking... Cheacklicker who was keeping them company had curled up a few feet away from the fire.
The sun was quitly setting, and in the distance they could here the angry calls and shouts from the humans.
The humans had been upset by the recent attacks from the trolls, and they had naturally done the one thing they were good at.
They quibbled amoungst eachother.
This certainly proved that they did not have a strong and definate leader at the moment. The humans sure could have used the Djun at this moment but he was dead, and the trolls weren't... But it dind't matter, they would fight and argue amoung eachother until there was nothing left...
Cutter would never let anything like that happen amoung his tribe. Leetah smiled. Cutter was a good chief. She shouldn't worry so much about his safety. He would keep the tribe and himself safe and the losses would be at a minimum.
The fire started back up again and Leetha sattisfied stopped poking it and enjoyed the warmth.
Normaly she wouldn't have started a fire unless it was lifetreatening cold. But now she could do so without worry. The past couple of days the trolls had raided the human cities, getting their hands on anything with value and enjoying the fear and terror that they were spreading with each and every move they made. The elves didn't have much to do with it since compared to the humans they didn't have anything the greedy trolls wanted.
But Cutter realised that when the humans were either gone or dead, the elves would be next. So he gathered most of the elves he could and decided to put a stop to it once and for all. They had gone underground in the crack of morning and it seemed that most of the trolls had returned to the caves aswell since the war turmoil had come to an end a little later in the afternoon.
Now the humans were probably counting their loses and trying to decide what to do.
Sinse both sides seemed busy, starting a fire would probably be very safe, and it gave a little comfort to the long wait that Leetah and Ember had to endure.
Ember sat herself down next to her mother and leaned her head agains Leetah's shoulder. She felt like a cub again. Not like she hated it.... but it felt awkward.
Here she was... After succesfully leading a tribe for several moon turns trough difficult times, this is what she did. Wait for something to happen. She would have given anything to have joined the pack and gone out hunting some stinking trolls. But her father had convinced her that it would be the best for the tribe if she staid here. Safe and sound, together with the healer.
This way when the others came back, there would still be a healer and a leader if things had taken a turn for the worst...
But... She couldn't help but wonder... what if nobody came back?
She looked at the mother who seemed deep in thoughts. And wondered how she had felt when she was left with One-Eye in the war for the palace. Had she felt this way?
No. Ember knew the answer to that. Absolutly not. She had been too distracted with One-Eyes captured soul. But besides that? She would probably have felt fear. Fear of lose, and fear of the outcome of the batle.
Like Ember felt now.
The redhaired leader shivered and Leetah hugged her cub a little. They both knew what the other was thinking about...
War...
and all it's concequences...
Suddenly Ember was wide awake. Her eyes flaired and her hair danced when she jumped up. "They're coming! I can hear them mother!" She walked towards the troll entrance and started to roll away the heavy stone that was sealing up the entrance. Leetah smiled. She should have known better then to worry so much. The little preserver Petalwing would have a fit if it knew that she was worrying so much.
"I can't wait to see Mender, I just hope he's okay..." Ember muthered. Leetha just got up from her seating position when Cheaklicker suddenly growled and a cold hand grabbed Leetah's heart. Fear overcame her. Why hadn't they sended?
"Ember!!"
Ember's eyes were wide with fear with Cheaclickers response and her mother's trembeling voice. She looked at the entrance but realised she would never be able to close it in time.
The wolfpack that had been resting in the bushes nearby were now emerging, ready to defend their territorium and their pack.
"Ember RUN!" Leetah yelled. But it was allready too late. The first troll emerged from the entrance and took a strike at the first living thing he saw. Ember avoided the strike by stepping back and grabbed her sword.
Her spear was lying near Leetah, Ember stupidly never even concidered needing it today. The troll however took another swing at her and usefully cleared the entrance to let more trolls come trough.
Leetah grabbed Embers spear while the wolves hungrily attacked. She would not abandone her child. It was the only thing Leetah could think of... That and that there was no hope. They were going to die.
Ember was fighting the troll succesfully and managed to gut the troll, which rendered him helpless. But even with this small succes she knew she wouldn't last long. She could fight with the little sword but she was so much beter with her spear... She cursed and tried to get to her mom who had it, maybe... just maybe they could escape... But the wolves and trolls were everywhere and the wolves were getting slaughtered. Another troll took a swing at ther with a club. She countered it but didn't had enough time to defend herself from a second troll who stabbed her in the chest. She cried out and fell to her knees...
Leetah had felt it and seen it happen. She didn't want to lose her cub, she really didn't! She could heal her... There was still time! But there were dosens of trolls... She never stood a chance to get even close. She droped the spear, her daughter had no use of it. And when she got to the first troll, who just brutally murdered a wolf, she let her magic run lose and conflict as many damage as she could to the horible green creature. The troll never knew what hit him, and could only scream.
Ember clutched her chest... She was trying to stop the bleeding, but blood was allready everywhere. Her mother... her mother could heal her... she'd be just fine... If just... But when she looked up and saw the uglyest troll grinning at her. She knew that it would never be. The troll lifted his club and took it out on Ember... It was the last thing she saw...
Leetah screamed... She was too late... Her daughter... A wolf bumped into her and the healer fell on her hands and knees. A sob came trough. How could this have happened?!? A rough hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up. But Leetah was quicker and her hands quickly mutilated the trolls face... again screaching filled her ears while she landed on the floor again.
She felt drained. Drained of her spirit, her body and her magic... But she'd die trying. "Ember..." she whispered! And tried to crawl towards her with blood covered daughter... But again she was picked up and before she could do anything... a sharpe pain... and then nothing...
Nothing but a dead silence...
...
O.o;;
Okay... A lot of action... A little bit gruesome I might add... It might be too much... But don't be scared away, this is probably the worst part of the story.
I'm curious though, about what you people think of this chapter... Was it too much? Did I overdo it? Is it still good?
Okay, well let me know and stay tuned... Our next chapter will tell us how Skywise is faring all alone in the mines...
;) V.