Birth of A Moon-Elf

[Leia Avenrose]

Disclaimer: Everything is mine. Everything belongs to me. Well, aside from the names of places mentioned within the story. If you?re familiar with the D&D world, the fantasy stuff, like Elves, Drow, Dwarves, etc., then you?re all set to flame me a lot. *smirk*
Dedication: To everyone on Battledale!



Birth Of A Moon-Elf
By: Lynzi Knight
Rating: G / PG




The day had been particularly cool. Clouds, large, intimidating and rather gray, floated high up in the skies. No one within the secured walls of Evereska paid them any heed. Although many of the Elders came out to read the day, or the future, by the movement of the smoky billows, they never came out into the open to investigate such a miserable day. One little Elf, however, a special Elf, like non other, had been sent out of her house by her parents to go find something more entertaining to do. The little redheaded Elf huffed, annoyed, as she kicked at a pebble lying there on the steps. With her chin propped up in the curve of her palms, she stared at the ground with her brows drawn together tightly. Nothing was ever going right these days, she thought grimly, her eyes shifting over quickly to watch a trio of black ants as they traversed the long walkway in front of her house.

Overhead the loud cries of the eagles circling the top of the city echoed off the mountains crowded in it. Rocks trembled, a few smaller ones falling from their high peaks. The young Elf girl jerked her gaze upwards at the beautiful birds and watched with fascination as members of her kin sat stooped perched on their magnificent allies. In just a few days, it would be the seventh year of her cycle. If she were to be turning seven-years-old, she thought with sudden excitement, she?d better start acting more mature. Exactly what her father had suggested she start doing?

Her eyes slowly left the large winged creatures to stare down at her feet. While listening to the loud noises coming down from the heart of the city within the middle of the secluded paradise, the young Elf was able to separate the now from the then. Quick, light footsteps approached her in a state of haste. She didn?t bother to look up; she could feel who it was from a far enough distance. They stopped right in front of her, trying to catch their heavy breathing. Lifting her eyes, she found herself staring into a pair of identical golden eyes that were exactly like her own. Their creamy colored cheeks were flushed a light pink, the black tattoos that decorated the flesh going horribly in contrast with the light color.

?Ari,? she murmured, ?what are you doing here??

?Is that any way to greet your friend?? Ari?aera Daeavain slumped down in front of her, exhausted, nearly missing the little band of ants still making their way over to the other side. Ari frowned, as she caught the confused, curious gaze settling deep within her friend?s yellow eyes. ?Ar, what is it? You?re dazing out on me again!? She reached forward quickly and smacked her in the legs.

Ar?thilmus Eildeth blinked out of her reverie immediately. Searching her friends? face for a moment longer, she then spoke. ?Nothing, Ari. Nothing.?

?Are you?all right, Ar?? Ari leaned forward a bit, brows knit in concern.

Ar shook her head, waving her worries away. She began to laugh a light, melodious sound. ?I am fine. Do not worry for me. I?ll always remain fine.?

?Are you sure?? Ari shook her head, frowning deeply in thought. ?You seemed to have gone awfully pale a few moments ago? Are you seeing things again, Ar??

?I?? Ar?thilmus let her lips touch again, as her voice drifted away. Her eyes sought the comfort of the lush grass that never died before returning to peer her friend in the eye with a heavy look. ?It was the black people again, Ari, the ones with the white hair.? Her voice trembled. ?I?I don?t know why they?re in my mind? I just want them to go away. I don?t want to see them anymore! They disgust me.? Tears welled in her eyes, and she ducked her head to cover them up.

Ari?aera, upon spotting the crystal in her friend?s gold eyes, hurried over and sat beside her. Throwing an arm around her silently shaking shoulders, she began to soothe her with a quiet chant. ?What did they do this time? Don?t leave me in the dark, here, Ar.? She brushed back some of Ar?s deep auburn tresses from her face, and then stroked her cheek in reassurance.

?They slaughtered everyone upon sight.? She tried to calm her voice. ?We never even had a chance against them, Ari. It was in the middle of the night. We were all asleep. Duldrantzarla was there?? She choked back tears, pushed away the gentle, comforting hands and continued, ?Duldrantzarla was there?on the ground, dead, Ari! She was all?blood?? She broke down then, hugging her knees to her chest with her arms wrapped around them tightly. Ari gathered her up against her and began to rock her back and forth, whispering small words of console.

?Duldrantzarla was dead? Are you sure it was she? What of Horadyzan, Ar? Did you see him anywhere??

?Nay.? She calmed her tears. ?I could not see him, I could only hear him.?

?Was he fighting? Was he aiding the warriors? What of the citadels? There had to have been some kind of warriors up in the skies with their eagles.?

?Nay. It was dark, Ari. Remember? I could only see what was in front and all around me.?

?Well, how about we forget about this and go have some fun? Hm?? Ari gave her nose a delicate pinch before kissing her on the cheek. ?Come. Our times together should only make those premonitions of yours disappear?? She stood, dragging Ar?thilmus up by an arm. ?Let us go bother that old Wood-Elven baker down in the heart of our glorious city, Ar.? She winked, as they began to walk away from the large house. ?Perhaps he?ll give us some treats so we?d leave him alone once and for all!?


[Hours later, during the night?. Ar?thilmus? point of view?]

A shrill noise had awakened me that night. I had feared my forewarning coming true, but Ari?aera had insisted that it would not. A funny Elf, that one. Sitting up in my bed, I caught sight of the moon peering down at me through my slightly curtained window. It seemed to smile down upon me, to bless me with its beauty and power. The white, transparent curtains rippled in the gentle warm breeze that flowed through the window on an invisible ride of some sort. I closed my eyes then, allowing the hidden fingers of the night to caress me. As I went to open them, a terrible high-pitched shriek screamed in my mind. I gasped, the glowing red eyes forever imprinting themselves into my mind.

I would never forget them.

Trying to steady my heavy breathing, I stared down at the outline of my legs beneath the sheet. I then realized that I had it clutched tightly within my hand. Releasing my stiff hold, I slowly relaxed, sinking back down into the comfort and warmth of my bed. This was my home. This was where I would forever stay, not to step foot out at all. I would never leave this place, my home, Evereska. Turning my head on the pillow, I stared out at the dim glow that always consumed everything in the midst of the night. It was always like that; it was beautiful. I began to feel fatigue dragging my eyes close, when all of a sudden the door to my room was thrown open violently. I jerked into a sitting position, my eyes wide. I could feel the fear that had been hidden before suddenly come out into the open to grasp my heart in a vise-like grip.

It was hard to breathe.

A large figure hidden away in the shadows burst into my room. It froze. I held my breath. I couldn?t sense them. Something was blocking my mind from the free connection! Coming up from behind, I could tell, a bluish-green glowing orb perched at the top of a staff, my mother hurried into the room. Panic seized her usually clear, calm face. I began to fear the worst.

?Atar,? I whispered in reorganization, relieved, as the figure looming overtop of me came into the moonlight. ?What?s happened? Who?s hurt? Atara??

Father came over to my bed, just as I glanced over to my Mother, her tiny orb of light briefly lighting everything it passed. I bit back a sudden scream then, as the light reflected off a pair of glowing red eyes, and white, shiny hair. Father quickly pulled me out of bed, bringing my sheet along, and wrapped it around my body. I began to protest, but he shushed me immediately, telling me to keep quiet, and to keep my face hidden. Mother nodded in silence, her lighting orb casting eerie shadows along the walls of my room. The thoughts then began to fly through my mind, as I watched my Mother hastily throw clothing into a bag, along with some of my most personal processions: would I ever see my room again? Would I ever return? Would I ever see Ari again?

Deep in the back of my head, a small, dejected voice replied, ?No.?

Throwing the bag onto her shoulder, Mother nodded to Father, their eyes quietly speaking wordless meanings, before I found myself in the hallway and rushed to the back of the house. I snuggled closer to my Father?s body, trying to suck in all his warmth and love that I could. I would not wish to part without my parents; they meant everything to me. On the way out the back of the house, I spotted three mutilated corpses, their innards laying about everywhere by the side of the house. I cried out, but Mother hushed me, while Father gently urged my face into his shoulder quickly. Before hiding my face, I saw him cast Mother a glance. I did not know what all of this meant. Was someone out to get me, was that why they were stealing me away in the middle of the night? What and who were we running from?

I longed to ask my Father these questions, but I already knew his answer: do not speak of it.

I sighed against him, allowing my head to turn a bit to peek out at what else might?ve been out there.

There had to have been millions of bodies, some of the females naked, covered in blood, limbs torn apart. I felt my stomach heave, but I forced it down. I could not look at this another moment. I could not stand it at all. It was all so revolting. I put my face back into Father?s shoulder and closed my eyes, trying to push the images out of my mind. As we continued to run, deeper and deeper, faster, I heard a loud rumble shake the earth, followed by loud shouting in a language I did not understand. The one thing that came into my mind: Drow. There was an intense beating of wings, then a loud horn being blared. Then silence. Father and Mother stopped in their tracks, their ears, as well as my own, twitching, as they strained to listen. We then heard it, after a moment of silence, the sound of something large and heavy slamming down into the ground.

?Duldrantzarla!? I cried out suddenly, my cries muffled against the coarse fabric of Father?s jacket. I then realized that I would never again see the silver dragon ever again. As Father and Mother hurried to get out, I wept bitter tears against my sheet, clutching at my Father for support. ?Aminmela Ile,? I whispered out to the spirit that had belonged to the beautiful and most legendary beast of all time, weeping out my loss.

Suddenly we stopped. Hushed, hurried whispers were exchanged. I lifted my face from Father?s shoulder to find myself staring into a pair of deep violet eyes. Its? hair was rather long, but kept up in braids, wrapped around its head. I looked over at Mother, who was weeping openly, the bag with my items lying by her feet on the ground. Taking that moment to look around, I noticed we were standing within one of the two footpaths that led out of Evereska. I was surprised to see we had gained so much ground in so little time. The Gold-Elf gave me a glance over. I seemed to whither beneath its cool stare. Perhaps it was what it wished to have happened. It smirked knowingly, nodding to something my Father had asked. Mother continued to cry. I wanted only to run over to her and comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be all right.

But?it wasn?t?.

Father and the Gold-Elf continued to converse in Elven. I didn?t bother to catch anything. It was obvious what was about to happen here. The Gold-Elf, whose name was, I had only caught it briefly, Thi?eulis Maederouth. Father suddenly set me on the ground, gave the Gold-Elf a quick glance, and began to smooth away loose strands of my hair away from my flushed face. I stared him in the eye, before glancing over at Mother. She had stopped crying, I could see, which was good, and decided to join us. Before crouching down in front of me, she handed the Elf my bag. I stared at them with wide eyes, the lump in my throat blocking any means of speaking to them properly.

?Lapse?,? Father whispered in a tender voice, his gentle fingers caressing my brow. ?You must go with your cousin. Do you understand?? His eyes searched mine. I felt trapped.

Glancing back at the Elf standing behind us a few feet away?he had decided to give us some time alone, I brought my eyes back to my parents. I shook my head stubbornly. Tear blurred my vision of them. I was already losing them. Feeling the heavy droplet of sorrow fall, choked on a sob that escaped into the night and echoed off the mountains. I then lunged for Father, my sheet falling to the ground. My arms encircled his neck as I wept into his jacket. I was losing them! There was nothing I could do about it! No! Why was this happening??

?Why?? I bit out, my breathing painful and restricted. I shook my head, crying all the harder. ?I do not wish to leave! Atar?Atara! Do not make me go. I didn?t mean to do anything bad. Please, I will make it up to you! Do not make me go with him, I do not know him, Atar, he is but a stranger to me.? I clung harder, with desperate fingers.

Mother came next to me then, her gentle, slender hands stroking my damp face. Putting her lips to my forehead, she brushed a tender kiss that was cool to the touch. More tears stung my eyes. I blindly reached out for her. She lifted me from my Father with a cry of torment and held me tight, close. I cried with her, both sharing the same loss, the same agony. A mother and child being torn apart. There was nothing left for them to do. It was probably for the best. Holding me close, Mother looked over at the Gold-Elf, her jade eyes like sparkling emeralds. She shook her head, trying to fight back more sobs of heartache.

?She is only a baby, Thi?eulis.? She sniffled quietly, nodding. He nodded in return, understanding. ?You must promise me that you and your kin will treat her right. Do it. Now.?

?I promise you, Thani?eriul. She will be well fed, well provided for. You have no need for such worries. You are our cousins, family. We will respect that.? He bowed his head, before bowing his entire body to her. Standing, he stared her straight in the eye. ?It is a death wish??

?Uma,? Mother whispered in a hoarse voice. She brought her attention back to me. Setting me down on the ground, she smoothed back my hair, gingerly tugging on the ends in a playful way. I knew she was trying to help me out. She then spoke, ?You will go with them, do you understand?? I nodded slowly. ?You will listen to them. When this is all over, Papa and I will return for you and you will be back at home, here, in Evereska, safe and sound, Ar. You must know how much we love you?.?

Father knelt down beside Mother. They were so beautiful together. Father reached forward to touch my cheek. I leaned into his touch, for it would be the last time that I would feel of it again. He stared deep into my eyes, nodding over to the Elf. Thi?eulis came forward to wrap the sheet around my and bent to pick me up. Holding me close, with a surprisingly gentle hold, he watched my parents with ardent eyes. Mother and Father both stood, Father coming forward first to hug me hard.

?Aminmela lle, Ar,? he whispered with heavy love. He pulled away then, allowing my Mother to step in.

?Aminmela Ile, Ar,? she whispered with the same affection. She kissed me hard on the cheek, slipping something into my hands, before pulling away to be held by Father.

?We must be off, now. Take care. Farewell.? Thi?eulis nodded to them, gathered me close and then turned to sprint down the footpath. I looked back at them from over his shoulder, my vision of them moving up and down with the quick movement of the running Elf. Mother waved, and I went to wave back, but the sheet wrapped around me kept me tightly together. I then began to weep. I heard Thi?eulis murmur that I should let it all out. I did, into his shoulder.

?Atar?Atara?Aminmela Ile??


~Fini


Note: Atar = Father // Atara = Mother // Aminmela Ile = I love you // Uma = Yes // Lapse? = Baby // (That?s the Elven language translated into common tongue i.e. English)

[royal blade]

interesting. I really enjoyed it.

blade

[sailorDH]

I love fantasy stories like these~

thx for sharing

[Pearldragon2662]

wow really great. I want to read more.