Somewhere I can belong
Chapter 7
Sins of the Past
Disclaimer: Once more Dungeons Dragons are not mine nor are any of the associated thingies that may find their way into this story. The characters are based on real imaginary characters, wow that's a contradiction in terms. Well enjoy the story and voice your concerns/comments please it'll make me happy regardless of what you type. Also any suggestions for names of the raven or the elf would be greatly appreciated
The time spent in the sacred glen were both a source of joy and discomfort at the same time; his mentor a moon elf who was now a spirit took great joy in his training as a druid. Nowhere was he safe from her rich sylvan accent ringing out with shouts of, "Novice, I have a little task for you." He cringed at the mere thought of that phrase. However, he was learning so much and even though his body and mind ached and at the end of each day, he was truly grateful, more so than words could express. If only she would stop waking him up every morning by creating water above his head.
Quinn had quickly fallen into a routine after his first morning in the grove, wake up soaking wet and screaming, dry off, pray, scimitar exercises both two handed and single handed, spell casting, lunch, trying to avoid his mentor as he raced through the woods, dinner, and lastly a tutorial time with his instructor or as she liked to call it, "Story time." If Quinn had not seen the vision of her cutting down over a dozen orcs than he would never have perceived her a threat, she was scatterbrained, too much of a jokester. But practicing the fighting forms that she demonstrated, Quinn knew that beneath the bubbly attitude was a dedicated heart, well there had been a heart, but the spirit was still there.
"In more ways than one." He chuckled, and then he noticed the ravens. They were not making any noise and that only meant something horrible was happening nearby, not breaking stride he sprinted through the brush. He left nor trail, and no matter how tightly chocked his path was with all manner of plants; Quinn was not slowed for a moment as he glided through the forest to the glade.
The eerie silence that greeted Quinn upon arrival was unsettling, it had only been this quiet when the bodies of orcs had for years scarring the grove. This was different one of the ravens was clutching a broken shaft in its talons and then loosed its grasp and it fell upon one of the smaller cairn stones. Then with a look of disgust and shock the elf incinerated the broken arrow all the while cursing venomously in several tongues, three that Quinn could not even begin to decipher. Then she turned from the pile of ash and faced Quinn, "Sit we need to talk novice, talk of many things."
Quinn eager to know what had happened sat down cross-legged with his back to another cairn stone and prepared to listen, but all that greeted him was silence for several moments until she began to slowly speak.
"Do not speak do not think, do not look for any hidden meanings, I will tell you the truth as it is and I will make no attempt to shroud it from you. I had prayed for more time to prepare you, I thought that we would have more time, but there is never enough time." Her head bowed for a moments as if mimicking taking a deep breath, "Long ago the order of Druids I belonged to failed in its duty. For years uncounted we protected a mound that our goddess had bled upon during her struggles with Grumush long ago while the dew of creation was still fresh upon the earth. Over the centuries we lost our way and stopped being defenders and instead became solitary, abandoning all save our own. When our onetime allies were threatened and called upon us for aid, we found reasons to refuse, and with our refusal their fates were sealed."
Quinn's eyes widened with shock upon hearing those words, yet he wisely kept his thoughts to himself and did not move an inch as she continued her tale.
"They cursed us, the doomed defenders. Beings of all the goodly races fighting not for their own survival, but for their kin, who lived in the valley below. Ehlonna heard their cries and became…angered towards. She severed the link between the druids and her, and when the orcs had finished with the fortress another war party still hungering for blood fell upon us here. We were no match for them and those that could fled, Ehlonna's shrines were torn down and shrines to Grumush were raised over the broken rubble."
For only a moments she looked as though she would end her tale, but gates to a dark portion of her being had been opened and nothing could stem the tide." Of all those that escaped to this grove, none would ever reclaim their connection to Ehlonna, after weeks of prayer and penance nothing would help and many renounced their faith and journeyed with other refugees south. Some remained her, living out their lives in penance, and they had children.
Stifling a laugh she began again, "Born from forsaken druids yet Ehlonna had mercy upon the children and them and they were able to reclaim the lost link…for a price. So great was Ehlonna's anger that she bound those that had broken her covenant with them to this world, they are bound here as I am in the places of their death and cannot move on until two deeds were done, the fortress lost because of our inaction would be reclaimed and the mound must be reclaimed as well."
"For two hundred years we fought to reclaim the fortress and the mound, we hunted them in their holes and knew no fear in our divine mission…and no success. All we accomplished was to keep the orcs fighting us and not the descendant of those we failed so long ago."
"You must do what I could not novice. You have a great gift and Ehlonna acts through you."
Quinn rose from the ground, a mix of shock and amazement combined upon his face, " I can't do this, its to much. I can't save anyone"
The moon elf advanced upon and instead of striking him, or deluging him with water she merely laid her hand upon his chin lifting it up, and spoke softly. "Ehlonna spoke to me once as I lay between this world and death. She told me it was not for me to redeem our order, I would train he who would. He would come to this grove and I would know because he would believe himself lost even though he always would find his path. He would be selfless and be that which our order was before its fall."
"I'm not powerful enough to do what is needed."
"Power is nothing, novice, all that matters is the will. If power was all that would be needed to set things right then our enclave would never have fallen those centuries before. This is your trial novice, I will offer whatever aid I can but upon leaving this grove I will not be able to call upon my powers. I will merely be a voice whispering in your mind"
A change came upon Quinn as he fingered an amulet bearing the mark of Ehlonna upon it. He smiled and looked upon his mentor," Thanks for putting all the pressure upon me."
Sensing the jovial nature of Quinn's remark she responded in kind, "In the ages before we were eradicated the final test for all novices was to be sent out upon a mission by Ehlonna. This is your task and your challenge…become who you were meant to be Quinn, not what you think you should be but what you must be. She turned away and grasped the very same blade that Quinn had refused days before, "This is Natures Wrath. It has passed down from druid to druid for ages I give it to you Quinn in hopes that it will aid you in your task. If you even think about refusing this time, I will gladly call upon Ehlonna's wrath and smite you lightning."
Still shaking with unease Quinn reached for the scimitar and grasped its ornate handle…he felt the power coursing through the blade and saw something that surprised him engraved upon the pummel. The symbols of two goddess were placed side by side, he recognized the sigil of Ehlonna instantly, but it took a moment for Quinn to recognize the mark of Elistree, The Dark Maiden. The blade had been forged by a drow, and even rarer, whoever the forger had been had been a drow seeking redemption. "This is truly a unique blade indeed."
"It has many graces and rest assured you will need all of them novice, it served me well and it will serve you just as well. Before we leave I have one last gift to give you, and with that said she glided her hand through Quinn's head. Suddenly he was bombarded with images and details, "These are my memories of the area, I hope that they aid you…" She paused suddenly looked down upon Quinn, "Is there a reason that you are lying on the ground holding your head novice?"
"it feels like you hit my head with a dwarven warhammer."
"Ah so it did work, I had doubts, but I figured that you would survive. My own life was imperiled as well in doing such a transfer of memories."
"But you're already dead!"
Her smile stretched almost from ear to ear as she retorted, "Just because I am dead does not mean that I do not care." That said she placed her hand upon his shoulder and whispered a few words in half hushed tones.
Quinn noticed the pain subsided immediately, and grudgingly rose to his feet. "Thanks to your near lobotomy of me I know where to go, but I still have issues with attacking an army of orcs."
"Oh they're mostly gone now, they left to attack Aaron's Mill."
Quinn was aghast with shock, "My friends are there, I need to help them."
"Novice listen to me, you cannot save them by joining then. You can save them by breaking the link between the Orcs and their god, you reclaim the mound, and you break their strength. That is how you will save your friends, and we must move quickly before all is lost.
Rohan's Ramble:
Hope that you all enjoy the update, and let me know of what you think.
