A/N: Like the last chap this one is just to lead into things for later
chaps, but in my opinion is more interesting. I find the ending of this
chap humerus or it's just me.. Anyway R/R please.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters in this chap. Except the horse, Altariel.
A Royal Choice
Alhana Starbreeze, daughter of Lorac Caladan, wife of Porthios, sat in her shelter of trees. Her troops sat outside the shield of Silvanesti, her beloved homeland. Even thought Alhana was rightful queen of silvanesti she was considered a dark elf because she married the Qualinesti, Porthios. Alhana was here trying to get to her people trying to make them understand that divided they would fall and only united could they rise.
Alhana had dedicated her life to this cause, a cause that she would pursue till her dying days to fulfill. Tired of looking at the plans to get past the shield, plans she knew wouldn't work, stood and left her tree shelter. The guards outside the entrance way snapped to attention as she walked out, prepared to follow her through camp for protection sake.
"I'm not going far." she informed them. The guards nodded and remained at their posts.
She turned and headed towards a tent that was next to her tree shelter. Two guards stood at the entrance of this tent to, but once they saw Alhana they bowed and stood aside.
"Slivanoshei? Are you awake?" she asked softly.
"Yes, Mother." Slivan stood in the center on the room with his sword in hand.
"What are you up to?" she asked curiously.
"Practicing." Silvan answered swinging his sword with considerable skill.
"You are improving," she said proudly, "but the hour is late my son. You should be in bed." she said disapproving of his staying up late, which had become a habit lately.
"I'm not a child." Silvan said in annoyance.
"You will always be my child." she said forcefully, but then her voice softened, she could never be mad at her son long.
"How are the plans for the shield going?" Silvan asked changing the subject.
The happiness in her face seemed to drain away, "Poorly..sometimes I feel we will never get past it.."
"Have faith Mother, if not today then we will get past it another day." Slivan said swing his sword a few more times.
Alhana smiled glad that her son had faith in her, but sometimes she wished she had someone to have faith in, like the old Gods...
There was a sudden commotion outside , the sound of people yelling commands out and others of people grabbing swords. Samar, her close friend and aid, came running into the tent.
"We're under attack!" Samar said quickly, bowing to them both.
"Who's attacking?!" Silvan asked eagerly.
"You will not be fighting." Samar said almost glaring at Silvan, knowing what the boy was thinking.
"But who is attacking?" Alhana asked interrupting. She began to readjust her sword belt.
"Ogres."
"How many?" she asked going pale. 'What would Ogres be doing all the way over here?' Alhana asked herself.
Samar hesitated before he answered, "Enough to walk right through us like a mist." he said darkly.
Alhana paled even more (if that was possible), this was the last thing they needed. Samar walked over to steady her as she swayed on her feet.
"We may be vastly out numbered but..we will get through this like always." Samar said trying to encourage her.
Alhana thought for a moment on what to do until she was interrupted by Silvan, "Mother, I can fight!" he waved his sword.
"But you are a prince.." Samar began forcefully.
"And a prince should help his people as much as he can!" Silvan shot back.
"You can do something for me.." Alhana said thoughtfully.
"Really?!" Silvan went to his mother, "What?"
"I need you to go to the Knights Council and ask for reenforcements, for we can not win this battle alone."
Silvan looked a little put out but nodded, as long he was doing something for his people. In minutes Silvan was on the fastest horse that they owned and was galloping away from the battle. Even though it was dark Silvan could tell that a storm was gathering as lightning flickered in the distance.
Alhana stood watching him go as the battle neared camp.
"Why did you do it?" Samar asked, "Personally I would have kept the boy her so he could get experience in battle.."
"Because..he is the hope of our people, if he dies..our hope dies. I suppose I also did it out of love.."
The battle cry of the Ogres neared them. Although the odds that they would win were incredibly slim Alhana turned towards the cries of the Ogres, "To battle!" she cried, leading the way.
Silvan rode hard even as the rain began to pour down. Silvan was having a hard time seeing the road that ran along the side of the Silvanesti shield in the dark and rain, only the flashes of lightning guided him. The lightning was helpful up to a point, until it hit a tree that fell over their path. He reigned his horse in. Sighing, he backed his mount up to jump it. Spurring his horse forward and leaning over the neck of the horse they prepared to jump it. Just as they were three feet from the tree, a lightning bolt hit the fallen tree and his mount reared. Feeling the horse losing balance Silvan threw himself from the saddle. When Silvan hit the ground he began to roll down the shield side of the rode, his horse falling behind him. He expected to hit the shield and his horse falling on him, but instead he kept rolling. His horse managing to regain it's feet skidded the rest of the way down next to him.
Silvan looked up at the dark sky as it swirled in his vision as he lay on his back. When the spinning stopped he slowly sat up, he looked at his horse who looked just as dazed and confused as he was. Sighing he stood and brushed himself off.
"Well must be on our way." he said quietly and he slowly led the horse back towards the hill they had fallen down. His steed suddenly bulked.
"What?" he asked when he realized the horse had stopped, "Come on..it's alright.." he urged the horse forward. The horse tossed his head and took a step back.
"Here, I'll show you that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of." Silvan said walking towards the hill that led back up to the road they had fallen off. As Silvan neared the hill he ran smack into something, and fell back in shock. Rubbing his nose (the first thing to had hit the shield) he stood up. Silvan rubbed his hands together suddenly feeling very cold. Silvan began to walk backwards back to his horse. The horse gave him a look as if to say 'I told you so!'.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Slivan growled glaring at Altariel (his horse). Slivanoshei was still having a hard time believing it but it appeared that he was on the other side of the shield of Silvanesti.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters in this chap. Except the horse, Altariel.
A Royal Choice
Alhana Starbreeze, daughter of Lorac Caladan, wife of Porthios, sat in her shelter of trees. Her troops sat outside the shield of Silvanesti, her beloved homeland. Even thought Alhana was rightful queen of silvanesti she was considered a dark elf because she married the Qualinesti, Porthios. Alhana was here trying to get to her people trying to make them understand that divided they would fall and only united could they rise.
Alhana had dedicated her life to this cause, a cause that she would pursue till her dying days to fulfill. Tired of looking at the plans to get past the shield, plans she knew wouldn't work, stood and left her tree shelter. The guards outside the entrance way snapped to attention as she walked out, prepared to follow her through camp for protection sake.
"I'm not going far." she informed them. The guards nodded and remained at their posts.
She turned and headed towards a tent that was next to her tree shelter. Two guards stood at the entrance of this tent to, but once they saw Alhana they bowed and stood aside.
"Slivanoshei? Are you awake?" she asked softly.
"Yes, Mother." Slivan stood in the center on the room with his sword in hand.
"What are you up to?" she asked curiously.
"Practicing." Silvan answered swinging his sword with considerable skill.
"You are improving," she said proudly, "but the hour is late my son. You should be in bed." she said disapproving of his staying up late, which had become a habit lately.
"I'm not a child." Silvan said in annoyance.
"You will always be my child." she said forcefully, but then her voice softened, she could never be mad at her son long.
"How are the plans for the shield going?" Silvan asked changing the subject.
The happiness in her face seemed to drain away, "Poorly..sometimes I feel we will never get past it.."
"Have faith Mother, if not today then we will get past it another day." Slivan said swing his sword a few more times.
Alhana smiled glad that her son had faith in her, but sometimes she wished she had someone to have faith in, like the old Gods...
There was a sudden commotion outside , the sound of people yelling commands out and others of people grabbing swords. Samar, her close friend and aid, came running into the tent.
"We're under attack!" Samar said quickly, bowing to them both.
"Who's attacking?!" Silvan asked eagerly.
"You will not be fighting." Samar said almost glaring at Silvan, knowing what the boy was thinking.
"But who is attacking?" Alhana asked interrupting. She began to readjust her sword belt.
"Ogres."
"How many?" she asked going pale. 'What would Ogres be doing all the way over here?' Alhana asked herself.
Samar hesitated before he answered, "Enough to walk right through us like a mist." he said darkly.
Alhana paled even more (if that was possible), this was the last thing they needed. Samar walked over to steady her as she swayed on her feet.
"We may be vastly out numbered but..we will get through this like always." Samar said trying to encourage her.
Alhana thought for a moment on what to do until she was interrupted by Silvan, "Mother, I can fight!" he waved his sword.
"But you are a prince.." Samar began forcefully.
"And a prince should help his people as much as he can!" Silvan shot back.
"You can do something for me.." Alhana said thoughtfully.
"Really?!" Silvan went to his mother, "What?"
"I need you to go to the Knights Council and ask for reenforcements, for we can not win this battle alone."
Silvan looked a little put out but nodded, as long he was doing something for his people. In minutes Silvan was on the fastest horse that they owned and was galloping away from the battle. Even though it was dark Silvan could tell that a storm was gathering as lightning flickered in the distance.
Alhana stood watching him go as the battle neared camp.
"Why did you do it?" Samar asked, "Personally I would have kept the boy her so he could get experience in battle.."
"Because..he is the hope of our people, if he dies..our hope dies. I suppose I also did it out of love.."
The battle cry of the Ogres neared them. Although the odds that they would win were incredibly slim Alhana turned towards the cries of the Ogres, "To battle!" she cried, leading the way.
Silvan rode hard even as the rain began to pour down. Silvan was having a hard time seeing the road that ran along the side of the Silvanesti shield in the dark and rain, only the flashes of lightning guided him. The lightning was helpful up to a point, until it hit a tree that fell over their path. He reigned his horse in. Sighing, he backed his mount up to jump it. Spurring his horse forward and leaning over the neck of the horse they prepared to jump it. Just as they were three feet from the tree, a lightning bolt hit the fallen tree and his mount reared. Feeling the horse losing balance Silvan threw himself from the saddle. When Silvan hit the ground he began to roll down the shield side of the rode, his horse falling behind him. He expected to hit the shield and his horse falling on him, but instead he kept rolling. His horse managing to regain it's feet skidded the rest of the way down next to him.
Silvan looked up at the dark sky as it swirled in his vision as he lay on his back. When the spinning stopped he slowly sat up, he looked at his horse who looked just as dazed and confused as he was. Sighing he stood and brushed himself off.
"Well must be on our way." he said quietly and he slowly led the horse back towards the hill they had fallen down. His steed suddenly bulked.
"What?" he asked when he realized the horse had stopped, "Come on..it's alright.." he urged the horse forward. The horse tossed his head and took a step back.
"Here, I'll show you that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of." Silvan said walking towards the hill that led back up to the road they had fallen off. As Silvan neared the hill he ran smack into something, and fell back in shock. Rubbing his nose (the first thing to had hit the shield) he stood up. Silvan rubbed his hands together suddenly feeling very cold. Silvan began to walk backwards back to his horse. The horse gave him a look as if to say 'I told you so!'.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Slivan growled glaring at Altariel (his horse). Slivanoshei was still having a hard time believing it but it appeared that he was on the other side of the shield of Silvanesti.
