"The Archives of Amme - Episode 2" by Seth Reedy

The Archives of Amme
I. Prophase

Episode 2. The three – quarter elves

            The glow of the orange sun began to fade and sink into the depths of the sea. Elentari had never seen the ocean before this trip and she had watched it the whole way. Her eyes never moved away from the blues and greens for fear of it changing and her missing out. She had spent several hours studying and meditating along the trail and was beginning to feel restless and bored. This was the farthest she had ever gone from home. Lucky for her, she had found some traveling merchants and hitched a ride on one of their wagons. Soon they would reach Kowe and soon they would have to part.

            Several more hours passed and night had fallen upon them. To Elentari’s disappointment Kowe was upon her, but comfort was in the stars. Kowe was a sweet, quaint village with hand crafted buildings of elaborate wood and carefully thatched roofs. Roads were adorned with soft hoof-prints of horses and lined with perfect gardens and perfect shrubs. Elentari thanked the merchants and hopped off the wagon to explore the village. The fireflies danced along the grasses lighting the road ahead and periodically, she stopped to chit chat with them.

            She learned of a small pub in the corner of the city and made her way there. It was hard for Elentari to blend in with the village, but she kept her confidence and entered the pub anyway. Immediately, the bar grew quiet at the sight of the woman at the door. She pretended not to notice the attention that she gathered and sat herself at a table. The pub hesitated while she found her place, but soon restarted its normal buzz of gossip. An old bar wench approached and asked for Elentari’s order. But before Elentari could answer for herself, a deep male voice from another table replied instead.

            “She will have your finest wine!” The man spun around the table and sat directly in front of Elentari. “I know you don’t mind my sitting here. You must be new, I should introduce myself. I’m Brock. I am the general’s son. You should consider yourself lucky that I’m willing to sit here with you.”

            Elentari raised an eyebrow at his arrogance.

            “I’m sure your voice is as sweet as nightingales too.”
            Elentari rolled her eyes. She had heard all this before and was quite bored with men’s yammering over her. “You certainly are the charmer, aren’t you.” Elentari leaned her chest forward, giving Brock the view he was hoping for. She enjoyed watching him squirm and began to drink with the noblest of manners.
            Soon three more men had accompanied them at the table and were waiting on baited breath for Elentari to speak again.

            “I had no idea this village was filled with so many handsome and strong men.” Elentari lied. Morons…

            The men beamed with pride and watched her closely. She slowly lowered her hands to her lap for a spell and engaged the men in stimulating conversations about themselves to distract their attention.

            Pompous idiots she thought to herself as their gold quickly left their pockets and emptied into hers.

            “You must all excuse a lady,” she smiled and the men continued to stare. Quickly she was off and out of the pub, but to her surprise the men had noticed their loss and were following her outside.

            “HEY! We thought you were a lady, not a thief!” yelled Brock with the 3 other men following close behind him.

            “Yea!! You know what we do to thieves right?” another man cheered.
            Elentari’s pride got the best of her and she spun around to confront them.

            “How dare you accuse me! You are merely men and nothing to me! You will regret your remarks!”
            “Sorry my lady, the men chuckled, but lady or not, we don’t like thieves and you’re a thief. Therefore you get the consequences whatever they may be!”

            A tired, sluggish Radek and Astacia approach a street in Kowe in search for lodging when they saw a young girl surrounded by four men.

            Astacia gasped at the sight. “Look! You’re a pirate, Radek. You can save her right?”

            Radek walked cautiously over so as not to surprise or startle the men. He had never dealt with an elf before, especially a female elf, and human women were the only ones affected by his charm thus far. The beautiful elf stood in the middle of the four rough, ugly men and it hardly seemed natural. She had long moon blue hair with large blue eyes. Her body was shapely and adorned with the finest cloth and jewelry Radek had ever seen. The elven girl had begun to mutter an ancient tongue under her breath when Radek decided to make his move.

            “Men! I ask what purpose you harass a visitor, especially one such as this?”

            “She took our gold!”

            “Surely, you have misplaced it or the man who held your cloaks at the pub door has made off with it.”

            The men glanced at the door and saw no half-ling holding cloaks, nor remember there ever being one.

            “They are clever rogues, those.. cloak.. holders” Radek added. “Why he’s nearly out of the city. We just passed him on our way in.” The men looked in the direction that Radek was pointing and ran after.

            Elentari stood frustrated with her arms folded across her chest. “I was going to take care of it.”

            “I’m sure you would have” Radek bowed. “I am Radek and this is traveling company, Astacia.”

            Elentari had never seen a real pirate before and this was a pirate who came equipped with his own wench – a rarity indeed. Elentari refused to bow to humans and remained in her irritated position.

            “I am Elentari. I am from Faelotarna, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” Radek looked clueless at her.

            “I am not to be reckoned with!” she scoffed.

            “Are you evil elves?!” Astacia feared aloud.

            Elentari was releieved that Astacia could speak for herself and smiled at her. “No, we’re the most peaceful of the elves. I just happen to have no tolerance for ignorant, smelly human men.”

            Radek was now annoyed that the young women quickly bounded and chatted a great deal like hens. “Look, Radek interrupted, “do you know the way through the mountains?”

            “Of course I do” lied Elentari.

            “Good. We need to leave and get through the mountains. Will you take us?”

            Elentari walked over to the shrubs that lined the street and chatted some more with the fireflies.

            “What is she doing?” whispered Astacia. Radek shrugged.

            “We first have to go through Ganturin woods and its half a day’s journey. It was suggested to me that we camp tonite and leave in the morning.”

            The three walked to the edge of the city and set up camp. Radek was attempting to start a fire, but Elentari was rather annoyed by the stupidity of him. She cast a spark to the wood and that gave rise to a fire. The fire glowed with vibrance through the night and fireflies swam around them.

            Morning peaked over the mountains with golden rays dappling the hills and the cozy campers. Radek stretched to roll over to find Astacia picking red flowers with orange stems. Elentari was standing over him frowning.

            “Why…. Good morning, Elen!” Radek smiled.

            “Nas la mara arim. Elye yellovanin Elentari.” She walked away in the direction of the woods.

            “Right! So, we’re heading to Ganturin woods, right Elen?”

            Elentari spun around. “Once more I will tell you to call me Elentari. Obviously, you are no real pirate or you would be schooled in the most noblest of tongues, my tongue.” She faced the mountains again and both Radek and Astacia ran to catch up.

                                                                        * * * * *

            Ganturin Woods was not a very habitable place for many, but one. Rumored to have eyes, the forest was usually avoided by common creatures, good and evil. However, one creature had made his home there among the trees and bushes. The few men who crossed the forest always said that the eyes of the forest were watching them and hunting. These same few always told their listeners they would never cross through it again. The myths from these travelers mouths had circulated and was to blame for the forest’s lack of traffic. Some say he was a beast of seven feet and clomped around the bush of the forest floor. Others say it was merely a phantom being rarely heard and never seen. Common folk couldn’t sit comfortably with thoughts such as these. They didn’t like not knowing if the one stranger was good and protecting the forest or evil and lurking to eat lost men.
            Lethuin stopped carving arrows when he heard the rustles of new company in his forest. He could hear three breathing visitors and could tell one was elven kind, for not being able to hear its feet touch the ground. He quickly leapt to the trees and through the canopy to find them. Soon enough he caught up with the visitors, but they were merely at the entrance of his woods. He sat perched above them, just out of some dappled light, and listened to their ramblings.

            “You what?!”

            “Look, little man! Don’t go yelling at me!”
            “You said you knew the way!” Radek yelled.

            “Yea, and you’re a first mate who can’t navigate. So why don’t you tell me why we’re going THAT way!”

            “Because it]s not the way YOU’RE going, ELEN, and I know it’s the way out!”

            Suddenly an arrow shot to the ground just in front of Radek’s feet.

            Lethuin had seen a band of orcs pass through and the human would lead the women right into trouble.

            “See! I warned you! These trees are sacred Radek! You’re offending the forest.”

            “Trees shoot arrows??” Astacia gasped.

            “Astacia, come with me. Never mind the arrow, I’ll protect you.”

            The forest trees reached at least 200 feet into the air with 10 foot wide trunks. Elentari closed her eyes and stopped following Radek. “We’re being watched.” She looked to the canopy but couldn’t see Lethuin peering down at them, even with her elven eyes.

            “We are?!” shrieked Astacia.

            Elentari decided to follow Radek despite her discontent with his decision. Lethuin raced through the trees ahead of them to find the orcs had stopped to sit. This definitely meant trouble. Lethuin could see that the pirate was somewhat skilled, the starry elf carried an odd weapon that reminded him of home, and the fiery wench was too scared to be of use. He had better help them.

            He sat perched above the orcs and listened to their grunts as just beyond, the small group approached.

            “Stop!! Yelled Elentari “I smell something horrid!”

            “So? Said Radek.

            “I am an elf! It means trouble!”

            “Well… I can handle it woman. Don’t worry.” Radek continued on.

            Lethuin rolled his eyes and decided the elf could be of some use to him. Perhaps, she knows of my clan, he thought. All at once the orcs jumped out of the bushes surrounding the group. The orcs snickered and Elentari stood fuming.

            “I will NEVER listen to a moronic human, again!”

            “God! Elves aren’t much better.”

            GAH! Gasped Elentari

            The orcs attacked the three of them. Astacia squeeked and ducked out of sight. Lethuin, as quick as the orcs, had positioned his long bow and struck two orcs in the head. Down, both the orcs fell. The nearest to them shrunk away and charged after Radek instead.

            Radek was lunging and parrying within an inch of his life. His rapier was barely missing its mark.

            Elentari had dodged and leapt until finally rolling away from immediate danger, but the orc stayed after her.

            Lethuin crept in and slit an orc’s throat just as two more charged him from behind. He jabbed both of his scimitars into their stomachs without needing to face them. The orcs bent forward with grunts of pain. He retracted his short swords and spun to finally face them, with no expression of pity. The growls of the orcs were soon silenced when Lethuin sliced downwardly and had removed both their heads.

            Elentari leapt out from behind an orc persuing her and mumbled her curse. “Alta helcetari, raumo indu nixelya ar huatas cuile.” Suddenly the orc was engulfed in ice and was dead. She spun around to see Radek stab an orc for the sixth time. The orc buckled over and fell to the grass.

            Astacia shrieked. She was racing around trees while an orc chased her. All of a sudden, Astacia stopped to face the orc, but stared at the ground.

            “ASTACIA! RUN HERE!!” yelled Elentari.

            Instead of running, Astacia faced her assailant growing closer – 20 yards, 17 yards, 14 yards, 10 yards…

            “RUN ASTACIA!” yelled Radek. They all began to run toward her to help.

            Unexpectedly, she slung a dagger with such a skill and grace that it made her look as if she had done it a million times before. The orc stopped with the dagger square in his head and fell back from the force of the blow.

            Radek and Elentari had stopped running to her and stared blankly. Astacia turned to face them and smiled her usual cheery smile. She was quickly off to look at Elentari’s block of frozen orc.

            “That is so cool!” Astacia admired.

            “You better finish the job. He could crack free.” Lethuin warned

            “He’s dead!” Elentari fumed at his insulting her spell casting.

            “Well, no one needs to find this laying about either.” He added.

            Oh, how he irritated her. Obviously, he wasn’t evil, but he got under her skin in a way no man had ever done in this short of time. The stranger perplexed her. He was tall and fair skinned with grey eyes and elven white hair. The strength and build of his body exuded his ranger skills. He carried two elaborate scimitars and one long bow – all of which looked familiar to her. He wore a large brown cloak that barely showed his earth tone clothes beneath it. He was used to this sort of adventure, she could tell. His hair danced over his eyes and surprisingly it attracted her, but yet that was why he frustrated her so.

            No she thought. He’s half-elven, that’s why he frustrates me.

            She walked over to the ice block and pulled out her ranseur. With one swing she had pierced the ice and shattered it. Astacia shrilled as she watched the block of orc shatter into a million pieces and melt into the earth.

            So, she has some skill, thought Lethuin.

            Lethuin, however, liked the fiery maiden dressed like a gypsy. Her hair was wild like flames and as radiant as the sun. She wore a feather necklace and a skirt made merely of tied scarves. Feathers danced over her belly from under her top.

            Those feathers are not from any bird I know of, he thought.

            The elf, on the other hand, sparked his curiosity and annoyed him all the same. She had long glowing hair tied back out of the way and her ears peeked through loose strands. Her cloth was made from the heavens and her figure shown through it in every angle. Clearly, she was thought holy by whoever wove her vestments, despite her ability to show it. She dressed in a style unfamiliar to him and the tattoo on her forehead reminded Lethuin of his own tattoo around his right eye.

            “So, you’re a mage?” he asked.

            “How DARE you! I am a sorceress!” Elentari replied coldly.

            “Even worse.” He scoffed.

            “I’ll have you know that I – “

            Lethuin ignored Elentari’s rebuttal and turned to Radek. “Did you not see my warning? Why did you go off the path?”

            “Well, um… I .. I just thought I...”

            “Oh! You’re the tree that shot arrows at us!” Astacia interjected

            “You’re lucky I was watching. Next time when an elf warns you, listen, even if she’s rude.” Lethuin turned and glared at Elentari.

            “Who are you?!” Elen demanded.

            “I’m the protector of these woods. Oh, and you’re welcome for saving your life.”

            “Gah!” Elen gasped.
            Astacia stepped forward with the same bright smile she always carried and said “I’m Astacia and thank you.”

            “You’re welcome Astacia. My name is Lethuin.”

            Radek approached with a hand extended for shaking, “I’m Radek. Thank you Lethuin and I’ll uh, remember your advice next time. No hard feelings?”

            Elen glared at Lethuin and raised her nose at him pretending he didn’t affect her.

            “What are you all doing together?”

            “Well, I live in Port Epstein. That’s where we’re headed. Elentari was just showing us the way through the mountains.”

            “Well, I can get you to Kerato Hills” Lethuin replied.

            “Elen, are you coming too?” Astacia asked.

            “I think I have to. I wouldn’t dare leave you in the presence of these creetons.”

            Lethuin turned to lead the way.

            “Why are you willing to take us to Kerato Hills, Lethuin?” Radek questioned.

            “That group of orcs you met, they were the fourth group this week. Evil in my forest has tripled and they talk of plans and fleets. I need to know what’s coming so I can protect my woods.”

            “Oh, the GREAT savior! Someone should tell him that a half-elf can’t save the world.” Elentari bickered.