To End a War:
Introduction:
Not all wars are between nations or races. Some wars are far closer to home. They are between families, friends, or associations. Twenty Five years ago such a war tore Ethari's world apart.
Ethari had always said that he was not as strong as the others but that was more of a way of dealing with the pain of the past than the actual truth. The truth was that Ethari had at one time been one of the most promising Moon Shadow elf warriors in the Silver Grove. Then the only man he'd ever known as a father had betrayed a sacred oath.
Whether that betrayal was justified or not was what had started the war between inhabitants of the Silver Grove. It eventually lead to half the inhabitants of the Silver Grove leaving and establishing a new settlement somewhere to the north.
After twenty five years the opportunity to end this war finally presents itself to Ethari and he will take up his weapons once more. His only hope, that he will not need to use them.
Chapter 1:
A Day of Loss, and Day of New Hope
Ethari sat at the small work bench that he kept in his and Runnan's bedroom. He was fiddling with the papers and quill that he kept on the work bench for when inspiration struck him in the middle of the night. At those times he could never go back to sleep until he had at least drawn a rough sketch of whatever had popped into his head.
He put the paper's down and picked up the ink well to check and see how much ink was in it. He looked at the contents of the ink well hurriedly but not fast enough to escape the memories that the ink well carried with it.
He sat on his work stool holding the ink well in his hand staring at the fine details of it. It was shaped in the form of a Moon Lily with 1 moon opal embedded in each petal. The maker of the ink well had so exquisitely and masterfully carved and etched the lines and imprinted the texture on each petal that when moonlight shimmered across them the petals seemed to dance like the petals of a real Moon Lily caught in the breeze.
It had been a gift a gift from the only father that Ethari had ever really known. His older brother Ro'ban.
Ro'ban and Ethari were born 15 years apart and were their parents' only children. Their father had been a highly skilled trainer of moon arcanum animals and their mother had been a highly skilled metal mage.
Though neither of their parents had been assassins it was not because they were opposed to the profession that Moon Shadow elves were so noted for. Rather it was a matter of practicality. With an elven assassin's life expectancy being somewhat shorter than your average elf, if an elf was particularly skilled in a trade they were not allowed to become an assassin as their skill was too valuable to both the community and its assassins.
The arts of the blade, stealth and illusion where the life blood of Moon Shadow elves though so as a compromise those who could not train to become assassins were allowed to train and join the volunteer guard that took shifts patrolling the perimeter of the Silver Grove at night.
This guard was essential to any moon shadow elf community. Firstly because it served as a recruitment and proving method for those young elves who may be prospects to become assassins. Secondly, as already mentioned, it allowed trade elves the opportunity to satisfy their in born instincts. Thirdly it provided the community with much needed protection because not all creatures of Xadia were peaceful and harmonious.
One of these creatures was the fanged wolf. One of the most deadly creatures of the moon arcanum; the fanged wolf was as large and as fast as a horse. It was not social like other wolves but preferred to hunt alone. To do this it had two weapons. It's first was a set of hinged fangs, like those of a viper, in its mouth. The second was a stinger concealed beneath the fur and at the end of it's prehensile tail. Both these weapons injected a venom that was capable of even killing a sub adult dragon.
It had been one of these creatures that had killed Ethari's parents one night when it was their turn to stand guard for the village.
Ethari was only 3 years old at the time. Many had wondered if Ro'ban would be able to handle the responsibility of becoming a father figure at such a young age. They needn't of worried. Ro'ban was everything that Ethari could have hoped for in a father or a brother.
Ethari looked out the window that was above his work bench. The window had a view of the stables and training corrals that had had been used by his father. From the window he could also see his mothers blacksmith forge. Both had been put to ample use by Ro'ban and Ethari as they had both inherited the skills of their parents.
He remembered the many hours Roban had spent with him in the stables teaching him to gain the trust of the notoriously proud Moon Striders. He remembered the intense but exhilarating heat of the forge and Ro'ban's instructions to keep his emotions in check when working with animals or ore. "Don't let the excitement of creation overpower the patience needed ta create something of function, use, and beauty. As a metal mage it's important ta keep yer emotions in check as ye can unintentionally infuse yer own emotions in ta the very thing yer try'n ta create. Also remember the same goes for the animals. They can sense yer emotions. If ya walk into the corral with yer emotions unchecked and uncontrolled y'll lose control of the situation."
He could still hear Ro'ban saying "Ri', Ro'ban's nickname for him, 'remember lad we come from 2 long lines of animal trainers and metal mages. 'Tis a proud heritage to be sure but that heritage 'tis like a flower in a garden. It needs love and care. Ignore it and twill wither and die. Nourish it, care fer it and y'll be amazed at the beauty it will bring in ta yer life and the life of others.
Ethari now turned his attention to a simple weapons display on the wall next to the workbench were he sat. The weapons looked simple enough. A bow staff hung vertically with a battle hatchet hung on each side. They were anything but simple. When the handle's of the two hatchets were held in one hand with the heads on opposite sides of the hand they would turn into a full shield with just the flick of the wrist.
The bow staff when held in the middle and given a quick up and down shake would fold in half. The majority of the folded staff would flatten to form a razor sharp double edged sword blade. The very bottom of the staff would turn into a sword hilt with hilt guards.
These weapons had been Ro'ban's gift to him on his sixteenth birthday. That was the day Ethari was allowed to become a guard of the village. In between creating some of the finest metal work, enchanted and non, in Xadia and working with various animals brought to be trained, Ethari and Ro'ban spared each other with their weapons as only brothers could.
As metal mages of the highest order both Ro'ban and Ethari had an instinctive feel for the weapons they created and were often more adept at handling the weapons they created than the elves they were created for.
So skilled were they that when ever the sound of blade meeting blade came from behind their home it was not long before several villagers were gathered around watching and taking bets on which of the two siblings would get the better of the other on that day. Then the day came that changed everything.
An elf came running into the Silver Grove. He was near the point of complete exhaustion and shaking with grief and anger. His name was Jarreth. He was the youngest high mage in the history of the Silver Grove and Ro'ban's dearest friend.
The news that Jarreth brought was devastating. His wife and their only child had been killed by a fanged wolf while camping. When Ro'ban pressed Jarreth as to how he knew it was a Fanged Wolf, Jarreth had a simple two word response, "Historian viventum".
Ethari remembered that until this point Ro'ban had kept his composure but when he heard his dearest friend speak the words of the spell that allowed a mage to conjure an illusion of past events in an area he fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably.
If Ethari had been as a son to Ro'ban then Jarreth and his wife had been as brother and sister. To Ethari they were as Aunt and Uncle. The assurance of death that the spell of past events brought was simply too overwhelming.
Finally Ro'ban stopped crying and looked his dearest friend in the eyes, but the stare was not one of compassion, nor of grief. In the true nature of a moon shadow elf it was the cold calculated look of vengeance for the loss of innocent life.
In an act that Ethari now knew was rash and clouded by the raw emotions of loss Ro'ban had bound himself to hunt down and kill the monster who had pierced his heart, and ripped the soul from the closest thing he had to a brother other than Ethari. He gathered his weapons, battle hatchets and a bow staff much like Ethari's, and departed to the campsite of Jarreth's family.
Ethari leaned forward placing his elbows on his workbench, his hands cradling his face. A long slow shuddering breath escaped his mouth. Tears began to find their way from his eyes to his hands, and from there down his wrists and forearms as the memories overwhelmed him.
Ro'ban had returned 3 days later, his left hand looking slightly swollen and purplish and carrying something heavy in a sack. At first Jarreth thought that Ro'ban had not found the monster that had killed his world. While fanged wolves were large and left an obvious track they were swift and capable of traveling extreme distances in little time. The fact that his friend had not found the creature was discouraging, upsetting, but not necessarily surprising. That guarded understanding quickly turned to unbounded rage when Ro'ban admitted the truth. He had found the wolf and let it live.
"Traitor!, Betrayer!, Bastard!" Jarreth yelled.
"Jarreth, what ya saw and what actually happened were two different things"
"You weren't there!"
"Neither were you!"
"How dare ya say such a thing. I held me world, the lifeless bodies of me wife and daughter, in me hands"
"Aye, but ya didn't see the wolf attack now did ya?"
"I didn't need ta. I cast the spell. I saw what happened!"
"No, ya didn't. Yer emotions got in the way. Ya saw what yer heart wanted ta see. I saw the bodies', Ro'ban started to choke up at the memory, 'I saw the wound marks in their chests that killed them. I've seen the wounds that the fang's and the tail of a fanged wolf make. They don't match Jarreth."
"Don't you dare tell me what I saw"
"Dammit Jarreth will ya listen ta reason. Aye the wolf was there but there were broken branches everywhere. Branches that had been sheared off by someth'n. Along side the wolf's tracks there was blood and odd random marks as if someth'n long and thin was be'n drug behind. The track's were erratic, like the beast was scared, try'n ta get away from someth'n."
"I followed the tracks Jarreth. I found the wolf and these." Ro'ban dumped the contents of his bag. A massive blue paw with tufts of white fell on the ground. It had been gnawed off mid foreleg. Right below the bloody stump was a massive trap with a long chain coming off of it. At the end of the chain a large spike that was used to secure the trap and its victim.
Ro'ban walked to the spike and picked it up. "The wounds that a fanged wolf makes are intended ta deliver its venom" His voice was low now, almost pleading. "They go straight in and out like the thrust of a rapier. The wounds on yer wife and daughter were puncture wounds but they weren't clean. It was like whatever had impaled them had been ripped out towards the side of their chests'. They were wounds that someth'n like this would make."
With that Ro'ban picked up the long spike holding it where everyone could see. It was covered in blood. "Jarreth the wolf did kill yer family. I'm sorry, but ya got to understand it wasn't intentional. The beast was scared; try'n ta get away from the trap when it stumbled in ta yer camp. Yer wife and daughter simply got in the way. The beast wasn't try'n ta kill them. The wolf, yer wife, and yer daughter were the victims of someone else's cruelty."
Ethari remembered there was stunned silence from Jarreth and the crowd that had gathered as a result of the heated argument. Finally Ro'ban broke the silence. "Jarreth no one here knows the pain of losing a loved one to a creature of Xadia more than me, but please don't let yer grief drive ya ta seek vengeance against an animal that never meant yer family har..."
"Liar!" Jarreth yelled cutting off Ro'ban. "Liar", he said again in a quieter but even more threatening voice. He gestured to Ro'ban's hand and continued "Ya swore and oath and bound yer self to that oath. It is not fer you to decide guilt or innocence. It is for you to fulfill yer oath or suffer the consequences."
Ro'ban hung his head. He knew the truth of what Jarreth said, but he also knew that all life was sacred. That as fierce and as deadly as a fanged wolf could be, he could not keep his oath as the animal never intended to kill Jarreth's family.
Finally Ro'ban's reached into a little bag he carried with him and pulled out a small rope. He wrapped the rope tightly around his left wrist just a little above the binding that signified his oath and then placed his arm on a nearby low hanging branch.
"Yer right Jarreth. I did bind me self ta killing the beast, but I cannot justify avenging the lives of the innocent by killing another innocent. If ye will not release me from me oath then I will release me self." With that being said Ro'ban pulled out one of his battle hatchets and with one fluid motion severed his left hand from his forearm.
Ro'ban dropped his blade and quickly wrapped his bloody stump with a cloth. He then looked at Jarreth, pain written in every line of his face and repeated "I will not kill an innocent creature."
Ethari folded his arms on his workbench, cradling his head in them, as he sobbed uncontrollably at the memory of what happened next.
Jarreth's face was livid with rage. He drew a rune of concealment in the air. Then in a tremulous yet wrath filled voice proclaimed "Occultatum ex omnis quoadusque mortuus ex". Hidden from all until death
And just like that Ro'ban was gone. Hidden from the sight of any living creature till the day his heart beat it's last beat and he breathed his last breath.
As Ethari continued to cry he felt comforting arms wrap around him from behind. He leaned his head into the crook of one of the arms that now wrapped around his shoulders. Finally Runnan spoke.
"It's been 25 years hasn't it love."
"Yes, to the day"
"Every year I try ta come up with someth'n ta comfort ya, but every year this seems to be the best I can do."
"It means far more than you'll ever know" Ethari said as he burrowed his head deeper into Runnan's elbow.
Runnan held his grieving husband for several more minutes before trying to engage Ethari in a happier topic. "Ethari, today is a day of sadness, tis true, but today, this day, is also a day of gladness. Callum and Rayla are most likely on their way here now. We need to get ready for them. Besides Callum is going ta be nervous enough as it is askin us, Lain, and Teandra for Rayla's hand." There was now a teasing tone in Runnan's voice, "Imagine what he'll do if he see's one of his future father in law's swimming in his own tears. The poor boy will think he's given ya an emotional breakdown because he's takin yer little girl away."
Ethari was still fighting tears but Runnan had always had a way of pulling him back from the emotional brink. It had been that way since they had first met and was part of the reason he loved him. However, that last part that Runnan said about Callum being devastated by Ethari's emotional state? Well he couldn't let Runnan get away with that.
"Oh, my emotional state is going ta ruin his day? More like the boy is already an quiver'n mess because he knows that you and Tiandra are planning on doing yer best ta make him pee his pant's when all he wants ta do is ask ya fer the privilege of loving our daughter fer the rest of his life."
Now Runnan, mockingly acting taken aback by Ethari's accusation replied, "What?, me and my dear sister planning to sabotage Callum's asking for Rayla's hand all in the name of a little fun? We wouldn't dare do such a..."
"Yes ye would," Ethari cut him off, "what ye fail to realize is that there are those of us, namely me and Lain, that are far more concerned with our future grandchildren. Somethin that won't happen if you and yer sister insist on scaring the poor boy to death before him and Rayla can even get started".
Runnan kept up the act. "Dearest, I am shocked that ye would think that me and me sister would even consider exercising our rights as his future in-laws in such a way".
"Ugh, don't give me that B.S. Ya both would and ya know it"
In a bashful and somewhat repentant tone Runnan begged "What if we promise to only scare him halfway to dea..."
Runnan never finished the sentence as Ethari's elbow caught right in the ribs. They both held each other and had a good laugh before leaving the room to finish the preparations for the special occasion of the day.