The Twins
In the time of the great war when small those born of fairey blood were hunted and killed by the humans. Thousands upon thousands of lives were lost in this war that raged for many decades, those of fairey blood banded together and formed their own army to stamp out the human oppressors.
Those of fairy blood that did not wish to fight chose to hide, in small towns, forests, mountains, it mattered not for their hiding places were revealed soon slaughtered.
Those of fairey blood that could pass as human would hide themselves among those who wished to destroy them but for those unfortunate ones who could not hide their heritage could only run and hide. The building army of fairey soldiers gave them hope and a place to run to.
Great battles between the humans and non-humans were fought, tainting the ground red, for human blood and fairey blood were of the same color, regardless of what the humans thought. The humans had the upper hand, they bred at an alarming rate and grew to maturity in such a short time that their armies were always at hand, whereas the opposing fairey army was not. They matured much slower and their young did not come in hordes, although they were remarkable magic users, their armor was superb and their mastery of a weapon was unmatchable.
Not all humans were against those of non-human blood, there we those who disagreed with the annihilation of these fair folk and those were the ones that sided with them, became their ears and eyes on the other side. It was a dangerous line of duty to be a human siding with the fairy folk, for once they were found out, they were tortured until they disclosed what they knew and then executed.
A band of refugees, human and fairey alike, headed for the secret settlement of Belitre Aara (the White Fairy Mountain), this was one of the safe havens that were under protection by the Fay Army.
In this small band was a husband and wife of Torin blood and their newborn twins. The couple knew that the lives of their children depended on reaching the settlement and agreed that if something should happen to the other that they would do everything in their power to get their children to the settlement.
At the base of the mountain the small party was ambushed. The mother of the twins, having the baby girl, was wounded but managed to run for cover, knowing that she should not look back and kept running.
The husband, having the boy, was shot, fatally wounded, protected his son until the last. He wrapped his son in his cloak, placing his family ring on a leather strip around his neck and died protecting him.
The small party that stayed to fight was killed off but not before they killed some of the ambushers. It just so happened that a small band of patrolling Fay came across the small battle but not before the ones of their own kinds were killed. The ambushers were slaughtered and their heads stuck on long poles at the base of the camp to warn off any other attacks.
The little boy was found by the leader of this patrolling group, because they were heading to another encampment he took the boy with him, knowing he would be safe there in the care of the war orphanage.
The little girl, however, made it to Belitre Aara with her mother, who died shortly there after, from her wounds.
Decades passed again and the war still raged on, the battle was coming to a head and soon, there would be something to break this war.
The little girl who grew up on the steep mountain slopes of Belitre Aara grew into a tall, slender young woman with long, white-blond hair and deep, sapphire blue eyes. She had Naralis Analor light, the healer touch, she was gentle with the children, swift and intelligent but the care takers of the orphanage would swear there was an unspoken sadness behind those eyes. She was a quiet child, always helping those smaller than her or others hurt, as she grew into adulthood the children would flock to her and there was no less then three children in her bed at night, nestled next to her or in her arms. Others in the settlement said that she would emit a soft light, something that filled them with peace and warmth. She barely spoke and when not with children she sat quietly to read or stared at the stars with a look of longing and sadness.
She wore around her neck the ring that her mother left behind, on a silver chain, the emblem of her family, a star with three waves below each of varying size. She was educated in the ways of a healer, she knew herbs, minerals, oils and how to mix them for the ailment. She knew how to set bones, deliver children and sew the flesh. No one, however, expected her to hold inner power.
It was the day that the settlement was attacked, unexpectedly, that brought forth her magic. The orphanage was about to be raided but standing in the front was a thin waif of a girl with her feet set and arms crossed. No man made it into that building, no man drew blood from that little girl and no man made it out of that settlement that day.
The name she was given was Brona'thea, heals from her sorrow.
The boy was raised in Vardon'Sebbleh Nensi (The Green Fairy Knoll), almost four months ride from where his twin resided. He too was raised in an orphanage but had become an unruly child, always getting into fights, brooding and his strength became appear ant when he came into adult hood. The keepers of the orphanage brought these attributes to the attention of the army and he was soon taken to learn the way of the sword.
He took his training very seriously and took to many skills in weaponry, his aim was uncanny and his blows mighty. When introduced into the army he moved his way threw the ranks at an alarming speed, he was a natural leader, intelligent, swift and well planned in battle. He had an unnatural knack for sensing what the opponents next move was, his commrads soon began to say that he was blessed by Solonor Thelandira and Tethrin Veralde, for no man as young as he could be so mastered.
During one particular vicious battle, the young Torin made a direct attack at the opposing forces leader and killed him, the others, seeing their leader fallen, retreated. This was a major victory for the Fay Army.
Word of him reached all of the settlements, a young Torin who's mastery of weapons has put new hope into the hearts of those with fairy blood, someone who would lead them to victory and bring peace to those who wanted it.
He was reported to be tall, well built with long, white blond hair and deep, sapphire blue eyes that burned with vengeance when in battle. He wore a ring on a leather string that some believed to be the ring of his dead wife but in reality, it was the ring of his family, a star with three waves of varying size below it.
He was given his own legion, beautifully crafted armor of white mythril, an enchanted sword and an enormous stead of white silver that he named Galeta Aanehon Mhysa, which meant white cloud walker. This was his beloved companion, the creature was special in many ways and there was an immediate, unbreakable bond between this elven man and this horse.
Only those who spent enough time with this young man would know that he was quiet and seemed far away in thought when not in battle, as if he were missing something and trying to recall where he placed it, often seeming sad.
He was given the name Beorn'aven, the warrior of sorrow.
Now, Brona'thea had become restless in the winter of her one hundred forty-fifth yeah, saying she felt a call, some sort of pulling, that there was some higher duty for her to perform. Before she took her journey from the slopes of Belitre Aara, the residents of the settlement presented her with enchanted traveling gear for they had grown to love and depend on this young elf and felt that she should leave with gifts worthy of one so blessed.
She left that sunny spring day with a white wooden staff topped with a magical sapphire, the color of her eyes, an enchanted short sword of remarkable craftsmanship donned with engravings and tiny blue sapphires in the hilt. Her last gift was one of remarkable interest for any traveler, a leather shoulder bag with ornate silver buckles and decorated with scenes of her mountain home embossed onto the bag and it's strap but this was not the most impressive feature of this bag for it could hold anything. It's folds and pockets were magiced to hold anything, from the very small to the very large and no matter what it held it weighed barely anything. Inside her supporters had placed a map, herbs, oils, minerals, leaves, bottles, items to set bones and sew the flesh, dried good to eat, a small amount of money, ink, quills and a tome, for no adventurer should adventure without recording their journey.
That same winter Beorn'aven was feeling as if he were missing something, as if something had been lost to him and that it was urgent to find this missing part of him. He took his army and scoured the country side for years, never being quite sure of what he was looking for. His companions believed that this was a holy quest, no simple 'feeling' but a pull to find something vital to the war.
Five years had passed and the twins now searched for each other, not knowing what they were looking for but knowing that when they found it they would know.
Beorn'aven had many victories but the blood shed was overwhelming on both sides. He became a feared leader to the humans, he was undefeatable and was said to have unholy powers that aided him in battles. He had mighty vengeance and the more he battled the more accurate and deadly he became. He transported many saved fairy towns to safe havens and he was like a savior come to lead them to hope. No matter how many lives he saved or how many battles he won he was incomplete, he still searched and longed for the missing piece.
Brona'thea traveled the country, coming across the wounded or the orphaned and healed their wounds and took them to safety, she healed any who needed saved, fay or human, it did not matter. She wrote her findings in her tome, explaining the new medicines she found, telling of the people she encountered and of what she was feeling.
One winter she found and healed a young adult hippogriff, it trailed her for weeks and the two soon became traveling companions. She named her (for that is what she was) Aurill'duena, meaning golden companion, because the creature was of the palest brown in color, its feathers shone like polished gold in the sun.
The two became well known and rumors of the stunningly beautiful Torin healer and her golden hippogriff were soon tales at campfires. She was one to revitalize those near death, protect those too weak to defend themselves and she guided numbers to safety. Tales of an unmatched Torin general in the army also circulated rapidly and yet the two had never met, nor had anyone placed the resemblance of their looks together.
Five short years passed and the battle between the humans and the fay was finally coming to a head. On a small mountain range once called Hetta Aarunii (little mountains) but is now named Aarunii Sehiduma (mountains of fallen blood) a great battle raged, the last of the great battles. Many fairy legions were on this mountain range and the human army had come to great them with malice in their hearts and sharp blades in hand. For weeks the battle raged, the armies were at a stand still both almost equally matched, one in number and one is skill, and nothing could break the check mate.
At the end of the fifth week a golden creature appeared from the overcast skies, breaking threw dark gray clouds, gliding down in a beam of white sun light, upon this magnificent creature sat a blond haired beauty to heal her comrades, fighting for their freedom.
Seeing the gold winged creature, Beorn'aven made his way threw his legion to behold this creature and it's rider first hand.
As he made his way to the inner circle his eyes fell upon the golden animal that bore his own sister. She was his twin to the last. The same color hair, the same deep sapphire blue eyes, the same pale completion, the same blood.
Brona'thea dismounted, as did Beorn'aven and confronted each other for the first time in over a century. The two faced each other, inspecting the other with the same wide eyes. They touched each others faces, touched fingertips to fingertips, palm to palm; they had found what they were missing, what they were looking for.
Beorn'aven found the leather band that kept the ring safe next to her heart, he pulled it from it's hiding place and examined the ring. He pulled his out of his blood stained armor, she took it in her hand and smiled when she beheld the symbol.
Neither spoke a word, as if none were needed, as if they had told each other their story threw their touch.
In the days that followed, the two fought side by side, tirelessly, endlessly, flawlessly. Their steeds there to protect them.
His strength was multiplied by her presence, her power was intensified at his side. The two were an unmatched team on the battle front, never leaving the others sight.
She would bless the army with an invisible wave the made the air ripple and spark; it is said that the warriors became empowered by her magic, wounds seemed to mend on their own, bones were unbreakable and they became swift and accurate.
The human army was defeated. What was left of them retreated in haste, leaving their dead unburied, taking only what was on their body.
The loss on the fairy people were great but now there was hope. A new hope of the future, to settle down in safety, start families, rebuild what was abandoned, destroyed and lost. What was left of the army went with small groups of their own kind to build new homes and to protect the new settlers, incase of small bands of the disbanded human army.
The twins, Brona'thea and Beorn'aven traveled the country for many years together. Visiting the small communities that were now repopulating, killing vagrant bands of what was left of the human army, healing those who needed aid.
The two were inseparable, if ever there was a time that they needed to be apart if was only for a mere few days. They would spend days together, by streams, by lakes, by the sure, in silence, sitting next to each other, elbow to elbow.
The two soon married, twins as well. They had built a small castle on the Avalon Sea shore, in a newly built large settlement named Acrane. The couples planted their Fauta'Tiergebal-amadora in the extensive court yard and raised their children in the keep.
Brona'thea set Aurill'duena free but the animal would not leave. Brona'thea built tall tower at the side of the castle and at its top most pinnacle she made a home for her beloved friend. The hippogriff would perch for hours, over looking the city, watching the children of Brona'thea.
Beorn'aven started at knight-hood in Acrane, he their grand master. Galeta Aanehon Mhysa was the only steed he would use, the horse was tireless and ever strong and powerful. When it came time for the children of the castle to learn to ride, Galeta Aanehon Mhysa was the one to teach them. He was ever patient and gentle, never pushing the child to fast with their learning.
Treaties were passed with human settlements in the years to follow. Diplomats from each new fairy settlement attended these meetings and Beorn'aven and Brona'thea were at the lead of their people.
Hundreds of years had passed and the twins were ancient. Bards sang of their lives, adventures and the war, peace had maintained without effort for years, peace had finally come to their kin. The spouses of the twins had died, waiting for them in their Fauta'Tiergebal-amadora so that they may cross together. Soon, the two had fallen ill. They were placed in the same bed, the two intertwined hands and never broke contact until their last breath that they breathed together.
Thousands mourned the death of Beorn'aven and Brona'thea, bells in the temples chimed at their passing.
A grand tomb of white marble was resurected in the center of the now city Acrane. It was of white marble, with beautiful carvings of their lives on its walls.
When the twins were placed inside the tomb thousands came to throw flowers at the base of the monolith, candles were lit and prayers were whispered.
A mage magically sealed the tomb so that none may enter. Their bodies and most cherished belongings would never be touched nor stolen.
On the dawn of their death, the great golden Aurill'duena cried one single, sorrowful note and flew off toward the rising sun. The silvery white Galeta Aanehon Mhysa was gone from the stables, it is believed that the steed jumped the fence to follow his master to the other side or to die in the wild. Over many years it is believed that these two creatures were gifts from the gods and bonded to their masters, which would explain their unusually long life.
In the sky that night new stars appeared to the west. The gods had placed Beorn'aven and Brona'thea in the sky to forever watch over the people that they loved and fought for. It is said that when great danger for the fairy kind was at hand the eyes of the constellations will turn sapphire blue.
The tomb still stands in the center of Acrane, though it is believed a legend about the two heroes. For on the outside it appears to simply be a decoration, for there is no door or seal for entrance or escape, many have tried dispel the magic on the tomb but all have failed. Once a year in Acrane, the people celebrate their freedom. Flowers are strewn at the base of the white marble tomb. This is also the night that a squire is bestowed knighthood in the Acrane Knights.