by R. F. Pace
Once everyone was inside and seated, the elder in the middle said, “I am Norhorn Wolfbane; I am the chief of this village. Jake introduced himself and his fellow travelers. Norhorn continued, “Your arrival is unexpected, and we do not know what should be done with you. You can remain as our guest until such time a decision is made.” “What kind of decision are you talking about?” Jake queried. Norhorn spoke in elven to the other members, and a after a few minutes of debating he said, “I feel now is not the time to disclose that information. I have sent for others so we can discuss this situation. I would ask you kindly to drop your gear in here. We will provide everything you require.” Jake took off his backpack, as well as the others. “We don’t have a problem in doing what you have asked,” he said, “But why do you want us to remove our gear?” Norhorn replied, “You have things in there from a different land and I do not think it wise for the people of this land see such items.” Jake nodded.
Ralnor said, “I will take you so you can clean up before the evening feast.” Jake and George were taken one way by a group of men, and Sara and Tammy another by a group of women. After cleaning up, everyone met back in front of the main hut. The visitors were nervous because of all the looks and whispering that was going on every time someone new got a look at them. They were growing concerned that they had been told no additional information since their arrival.
The evening feast consisted of a lot of things they had never seen before. They tried a little bit of everything and loved just about every dish served. After they ate, they were seated around the center fire, where they listened to various stories being told. After several hours of entertainment, they were ushered away to different places to sleep for the night, as before Jake and George to one location, Tammy and Sara to another.
***
The next morning came fast and once again they met up at the dining area to have breakfast together. After eating, Ralnor gave them a tour of the village. Everyone agreed the village tour was cool; it was more like a theme park attraction than a village. Climbing was a bit of a problem to start with until they were shown how to do it properly. The swaying rope bridges would take a lot of getting used to. The beauty of it all continued to be beyond their imagination.
Groups of people had been arriving since the night before. Most of the people they had a chance to see, would just stare at them. Every group that arrived to be studying them. It was an eerie feeling, to say the least.
As midday was approaching, a group of about 20 men went into the main hut. Four warriors surrounded the building. Two of them stood at the front doors, one at each corner of the back of the hut. Jake asked Ralnor what that was about. “The counsel has been called and the hut is closed so the elders can speak with the spirits of our ancestors. They will be in the hut until an answer is given to them.” Ralnor replied. George asked, “What kind of an answer are they looking for?” Ralnor would only say, “The way we should proceed.” Jake asked, “About us?” Ralnor replied, “Yes, but I do not know what guidance they are looking for.” Sara said, “That worries me. Are we in danger?” “As far as what I know…no,” Ralnor replied back. Ralnor changed the subject and would not explain anything further to them. He would only say that soon the counsel would answer all of their questions.
Later in the day, Ralnor took them back to the dining area for the evening meal. Just after dinner was served to everyone, the hut doors opened. An elder spoke to the guard and the guard went to the kitchen area. The guard returned to his post, and several women carried food into the hut. Ralnor told Jake that the counsel would be ready to meet with them after the meal. The tension level for them now was thick, everyone became even more nervous.
CHAPTER 8
Jake, Sara, George and Tammy were led into the main hut and once again seated in front of the council. After everyone settled down, Norhorn said, “It has been agreed by the council and our ancestors that we should aid you in your quest. The prophecies have foretold of your arrival.” The teens had a totally blank look on their faces and their mouths were hanging open. Norhorn continued, “We feel that we may guide you in some things, but we should not interfere with your quest. We will answer the questions we can, but we feel we should not influence you in the choices you have to make.”
The teens looked at each other and back at Norhorn as if he had grown two heads. Jake finally said, “We were just out on a hike to explore the mountains. We are not on a quest of any kind.” Norhorn’s face stayed stone cold. He looked at the other members of the council. There was no reaction to Jake’s statement. Sara asked, “What quest do you think we are on?”
Norhorn took a few minutes before he replied. He said, “The quest is for a balance here in this land. I will tell you it is written in many books of prophecies that the four green-eyed adventurers will arrive from a faraway land, and together they will be able to go where no one else can.” George asked, “Which way are we to go?” Norhorn replied, “You’re going through the mountain and arriving here was the start of your quest. Your quest is way north of here and on the other side of the frozen mountains.”
The teens were still dumbfounded when George stated, “This is more than we were planning. We have no idea what quest you think we are on or even what we are supposed to do.” Norhorn replied with, “There is a human settlement 10 leagues west of here. We will provide you with equipment and gear for your quest. The human settlement may offer you more insight into your quest. That is all the information I have for you at this time. I will talk with you more tomorrow, after we have had some rest. You are dismissed.”
Without another word being said, Ralnor escorted the group back outside. Once outside, the four started asking each other the same questions and talking all at once. Ralnor finally said, “You time here is short and the light of day will be fading soon. Please follow me so we can get you in more appropriate attire for you journey.” Once again the guys and girls were separated.
Jake and George followed Ralnor, who took them to a hut way up in a tree. When they entered the hut, they could see all kinds of armor and equipment. Ralnor walked over to a shelf that contained leather armor and started sorting items. After a few seconds, he handed each of them a set of armor. Ralnor said, “These should fit you well. Try them on.” Several minutes of grunting and groaning, they managed to get the armor on and stood looking at each other in awe. Jake said to George, “Wow! That looks so cool on you.” “You look awesome yourself,” George replied.
Ralnor removed various items from the shelves and handed the item to them. In no time at all the two had been equipped to handle most any situation, from simple hunting to an attack by unforeseen enemies. Ralnor then walked to the weapon racks that held close to a hundred different swords. He studied the two young men for a minute, and then turned his attention to the various weapons. He selected two very finely crafted swords, several throwing knives, short bows and some daggers. He looked at Jake and George saying, “These are very ancient weapons that have been used for over a thousand years. They are no toys and will cut through most anything. Use them with care and listen to the way they lead you.”
Jake and George were stunned at how light and maneuverable the weapons were. Ralnor showed them how to wear the swords and explained various ways to draw them in times of need. As they were walking out, George stopped and looked at a whip that was hanging on the wall. Ralnor said, “If the whip is what you want, then it is yours.” Fascinated, George walked over to it and removed it from the wall. Jake stood right beside him checking it out. George said, “This may sound weird to you, but as I was walking out, it felt as if this was calling me.”
Jake just smiled at him and replied, “That doesn’t seem weird. Look where we are at.”
Just before Jake turned around, he looked up and noticed the end of an old stick on the top shelf. As he reached for it, Ralnor said, “Before you do that you should know that stick is called Yatuku. It means “of ancient origins” and wields great magical powers from the earth. You will know if you can wield Yatuku once you touch it.”
Jake reached up to touch the stick very cautiously. When he first touched it, nothing happened. Once he wrapped his hand around it and removed it from the shelf, Yatuku gave off a golden glow which ran down Jake’s arm and then covered his entire body. A bright flash then filled the room and the golden glow was gone.
George was speechless and watched Jake to make sure he wasn’t hurt. “Are you okay?” He asked. Jake replied, “Yes, I feel a bit odd, but full of energy. It’s like I’ve been here before.” Once they were back in front of the main hut, Norhorn spoke to Ralnor. George asked Ralnor what was said. Jake broke in, “He asked what happened in the hut.” George, Norhorn and Ralnor looked at him. Then it dawned on Jake, it was said in elven and not English.
Norhorn said, “I see Yatuku has allowed you to wield it. By being able to wield Yatuku, you have now completed the requirements of the prophecies. You should remember that anything you do with it that is evil will come back to you. Yatuku is meant to be wielded for the purposes of good and the protection of the people.” George was looking back and forth between the two of them asking, “What are you guys talking about?”
Jake turned to answer him but stopped with his mouth still open. George looked at him, then turned to see what he was looking at. George could only stare at Tammy and Sara as they walked up. The elven leather fit them better than a glove. Their hair was braided and they not only looked beautiful, but dangerous. They too were equipped with various gear each holding a special weapon, the same as the guys. Norhorn addressed Sara stating the sword you are carrying will increase your abilities to use fire. Tammy asked, “What is my special weapon?” Norhorn replied, “You do not carry a special weapon. You will gain the ability of healing that will come during your quest.
Norhorn addressed the group and said, “We have supplied you with the items you need for your quest. You shall leave this village at first light.” Turning to look at Jake he said, “Yatuku is your responsibility now. You need to complete Yatuku by finding the stone. This stone has been lost for many years and will attach to Yatuku making it complete. Exactly where the stone is now, we do not know. With you being able to wield Yatuku, we know you are the one the prophecy speaks of.” Turning to address all four, Norhorn continued, “The prophecies instruct the bearer of Yatuku to go north of the frozen mountains.” Without saying another word, Norhorn departed the hut.
Ralnor instructed everyone to follow him. He took the group to a training area and with the help of several villager, showed them how to properly use all of their weapons. The four took to the training like seasoned veterans. Ralnor said, “While on your journey you must practice as much as you can to be familiar with the weapons.” Training continued for several hours past dark, when Ralnor called an end to it. He said, “You have a long day tomorrow… you must get some sleep.”
CHAPTER 9
First light was still over an hour away when everyone was awakened. They were fed and their new gear was packed. Ralnor checked each of them over making a few minor adjustments. Just as he finished, one of the village ladies entered and gave them several bundles that contained food. The group was then led out of the village, just as the sun was breaking the horizon.
Jake said, “I have no clue what we’re doing.” Sara replied with, “I think that’s how we all feel.” The group marched off to the west on a well-worn path. The only directions they had been given were to the human village 10 leagues west. Jake once again was in the lead with Sara beside him. George and Tammy followed closely behind. Sara said, “When we started this adventure I didn’t think we would really find anything, but hoped we would. Now that we have, I wish we hadn’t.” Jake laughed agreeing, “Yea, I know what you mean!” Tammy replied, “I do love these clothes; they feel like they are part of me.” George was checking her out and said, “I like them too!” Tammy hit him on the arm. George said, “Ouch, what was that for?” Tammy rolled her eyes and then strutted in front of him, making a show of it. George just smiled.
***
The first league of travel went by quickly. The path was now starting to narrow and was not as well-worn as when they first left the village. Different kinds of animal noises now filled their ears and the group was once again walking very cautiously. With the pathway narrowing, Jake took the point and Sara fell in behind Jake. Tammy was behind Sara and George was once again at the back.
Jake could hear something rustling in the leaves ahead of them. He slowed and drew his sword. The others followed suit. Jake slowly moved toward the source of the noise. As quiet as possible, he used his sword to move the brush back to get a better look. His heart was thumping in his ears, he started to sweat and his eyes were wide open. When he saw the source of the noise-making monster, he felt so stupid. There in front of him were two young raccoons, playing. Jake turned to look back at the others and said, “Raccoons.” A sigh of relief came over the group. Just as they started to relax, the young raccoons’ ears perked up and their noses began sniffing the air. The two then took off from where they had been playing. Tammy said, “What’s going on?” Jake shushed her. The area, which minutes before had been full of life and various noises coming from it, was now very quiet.
Footsteps could be heard from something very big coming toward them. The wind blowing from the direction of whatever was coming their way, carried the smell of what appeared to be nasty, old, sunbaked garbage. They could hear branches being snapped. Jake moved to hide behind a big tree, to use it as cover, from whatever was coming their way. George did likewise, moving to a tree that was about 10 feet from Jake’s. Both were watching the area the noise was coming from, trying to get a look at whatever was coming their way.
Jake made a motion for the girls to pull their bows out and back away toward the area where the raccoons ran off. He was hoping to set a trap. They nervously waited. Sara and Tammy replaced their swords, then removed their bows. They had an arrow notched ready to draw. Jake and George held their hands chest-level with the swords pointing up, ready to strike whatever came through the brush. They kept looking over their shoulder in the direction of the noise then back at each other.
Both were shocked when a troll came through the bushes with his nose in the air, sniffing like a dog. He was still about 10 to 15 feet from the guys and heading in their direction. The troll knew there were humans around, just wasn’t too sure of their exact location. Sara drawing her arrow back, caught the troll’s attention. He had found what he was looking for and was heading toward her. Tammy saw what Sara was doing; also drew an arrow back. The movement was noticed by the troll, which cause him to let out very loud and angry battle cry. As the troll’s momentum increased toward the girls, Sara released her arrow hitting the troll in the left shoulder. Tammy released her arrow but didn’t compensate for the branches in front of her. The arrow deflected wide and sailed over Jake’s head into a nearby tree.
The troll was now at full charge towards the girls, but was stopped short when Jake’s sword made a clean slice through its neck. A red ring of blood formed around the troll’s neck and the troll’s eyes went wide open from the shock. As he went to take a step, he fell face-first to the ground. His head detached, tumbled toward the girls. The
troll was making a huge mess from his blood pouring out onto the ground. The garbage stench was now twice as bad as it had been. The group standing shocked and dazed, George was the one brave enough to go inspect the troll. As he was searching for anything of value, the troll’s body started twitching.
George coming all unglued, started to back away. He tripped, fell, and landed on his rear. Everyone else started laughing. The release of energy was just what they needed. When George gathered himself again, he finished the search. The troll had nothing of value on it. Jake asked George, “Was it worth it for you? I know it was for me.” Then he started laughing even harder. When he started laughing again, the girls picked up right where they left off. All George could do was smile and shake his head.
They finally got their act together, Sara asked, “What was that nasty thing?” Both Jake and George said, “A troll,” at the same time. After Jake cleaned his sword off, they started moving west again. Jake said, “We need to make good time if we are going to reach the human village before dark.” Everyone opted to make better time rather than slowly progress in a quiet manner. The trail went from well-used to just about an animal trail. Often times the trail would split, they would follow it to a dead end and have to backtrack and take the other fork.
Sometime around mid-day they stopped to eat. They ate in a shady spot under some old trees. Tammy said, “I wish I had my camera. This is such a beautiful place. I don’t even think you could take a bad picture anywhere.” Sara said, “Yeah, but if we took a picture of something like those kobolds or that troll, what do you think would happen?” Jake added, “Everyone would want to know where we ran across it and this area would be forever ruined.” They finished their meal and repacked the remaining food. Once again they were heading west.
***
