As my mother Neshra lay on her bed she mumbled uncontrollably, sweat covering her beauty. I remember coming across the poorly lit room to comfort her. As I came closer I smelled what could only be her death spirit leaving her body. I closed in to listen to the hush words as she spoke of a life that I do not know. She spoke of a key in the fireplace and of loose set of stones in the wall. She gasp the words of another life that I had. For all I knew this was all the family I could acknowledge in this world. I knew not why I did not look as the others did, why I saw them grow from childhood to aged in so many short years. As I comforted my mother, she spoke that she had provided me shelter many generations before. How she had been given an elixir to stave off death and that it had all but run dry.
She continued to speak as the last breaths flowed peacefully from her form to mine. She spoke how my true name was Gwantuur. I knew this to be true but could not understand how this had not been spoken until now. We had always traveled from village to village. Staying only a few years then leaving out again. This was because of the secrets she bore of my truths. "Go ye forth and seek your ...." , nothing else but the hiss of breath. Her body became more weak as the moments past until she lie motionless upon the bed. I sat there confused and in a state of shock for what seemd but a moment. I knew I must find the items from which had she spoken of. I gently kissed her loving forehead and stood. Across the room I jolted, almost as if I never moved I was there. In the far corner of the coals and ash of the fireplace lie an iron key jammed into the mortar. I removed the key and searched the room for the stones she had spoken.
After searching along the floor I found not the looseness of any stones. Had she not given the whole story before her passing. I went to her body and from the corner of my vision I peered the place that she spoke. Cautiously, I removed the stones and reached inside the darkness. I removed a small box. The tumblers fell into place with the key and the lock fell open. Inside were items which gathered no dust. She had taken great care. My fingers brushed over the contents, an empty crystal vial, a leather parchment, a small coin bag, and what seemed to be a blade. I picked up the blade, it was light as a feather. Quickly I knew I must leave, she would soon be missed from her duties in town.
I gathered these things into my sachel, as there was a creak upon the door. I blew out the lamp and crept along the wall, silently onto the table and into the rafters. The room now only had the haze of a soft orange glow from the embers in the fireplace. I heard footsteps outside. Seconds past and the door opened. Two men in dirty clothes stumbled in. Quietly they swept about the room, picking up small trinkets and placing them into their pockets. One of the men spoke to the other. "She sleeps so that we may have our way with her" and snorted. He ripped at her dress, but before he realized she had past, I flew from above and drove the blade into his neck to the hilt. What was happening to me, my blood boiled inside my veins. I removed this blade with a twist and heard the other speak. "There is nothing else here, leave her and lets go" He had not seen what had happened in the darkness. I must leave now before my anger spread. Out from the door and into the darkness I ran. From a distance, I glanced back and listened. The cottage became again filled with light and the sordid screams as the other intruder realized the scene. I knew I could not stay. Swiftly I ran into the wild.
Upon twilight I learned my life. I read the words as does the river flow. They described that I was much unlike her, that she had sworn to raise me as her own when the fires came many years ago. I was handed to her from my true mother Golwen along with the crystal vial and the words that follow as best she could remember. She had agreed with Golwen that I would be safe and raised with the love that only a mother could provide and my true origins be kept silent.
Upon opening the parchment I found enclosed a medallion with characters engraved that seemed foreign, but familiar at the same time. The writings in the hand of Neshra upon were addressed to Gwantuur son of Golwen. She spoke of sorrow for hiding my truths from me, and that if I were reading this I was of the right age or grave circumstances had befallen. It continued on. I was an elf and not of human kind, but the world was changing then since the Tears as Golwen spoke of. Elves were not welcomed in human society, and were to be believed slaves all but relieved from the world cept for a few as property or scattered as the winds throughout the lands. Over time some had become interbreed in the beliefs that their life spirits would be past into the human children. She made it clear that I was not like this. I was more than that. If I were to seek to the north in the forests of Naar that I may find more of my kind, but that this may not prove true for in our journeys throughout we had not seen others. She had tried to raise me to be true to the world and in peace with it but not to let others know about me.
It continued, my years of life would not be as hers, the elixir would extend her human life but not as equal to mine. That she would continue to find my true family one day and would not give up trying. The reasons for our travels were to protect us from those that would not understand or to make servant of me. She did not want me to become harmed as the other elves were for in her heart it was not my destiny. It was signed "Watching with Love -- Neshra"
Tears flowed from my eyes as the emotions became over bearing. I must go forth and seek more knowledge of my true nature. Who has more answers. Who can I trust now. I would not find my true path in the opens of towns and villages. I took great burdens upon myself that Neshra had suffered solitude in keeping my secrets. She had not had a family beyond me... because of me. Now that she is gone I have only to find more about whom I am and others like me.
For many years I searched, living and surving in the forests seeking that in Naar. My experience in the hunt had become fierce and utterly silent as the wind in the trees. Yet, something deep inside my blood burned for vengeance of how those humans had treated my mother and my mother before her. They were not my equal and I could outlast them, I would not be made a slave to their kind. My motions became fluid as I learned to use the weapons of bow and blade. Silence and agility were my allies.
Since the raisings of Neshra I must not give up all hope, the path and truth will be found in the darkness ahead. The path before me is bearing to the right, I prepare to remove myself from the main path so as to blend into the shadows. For a brief moment I thought I caught a glimpse of, ahh.. twas nothing just the rustle of the wind. I moved into the treeline masking my movements from the path. The hairs on my neck tingle and stand upon end. I hath not had this feeling since being stalked by the predator beast many moon cycles ago. I listen to the forest noises for warning, nothing... Whatever it is, it moves almost as silently as I. Deeper into the forest depth I plunge. I could use this excitement, for I have not felt the rush of adrenaline for much time now. But alas, whatever it was it is now gone. Onward.
For nearly two moon cycles now, I have pondered what type of creature was lurking me. "I must not dwelve on such things, focus" , I thought , " Neshra... Golwen.... path of destiny .. focus.". I must rest. Up into the forest canopy I climb. Once settled in, I study the particulars I can not forget. I removed the medallion from around my neck. As the sun ray's filter thru down thru the canopy, I again become mezzed by the words and symbols upon the medallion's surfaces. I nod off to sleep.
Feeling rested and refreshed, I jump from my perch to the earthen ground below. I am flipped upside down mid flight, Dangling an arms length above the soil. The blood rushing into my head, something or someone had tied a cord of some sort around my left leg. I quickly cut the rope, as I was not to be snared or enslaved. Again, the hairs tingled on my neck. Full circle my vision flew, what is this creature. At the base of the tree I had retired in for my slumber, there was an etching in the soil. It was the same as that of my medallion. I yell "What are you.. How do you know these things..."
Behind me, the sounds of movement, I removed an arrow from my qwiver. A giggle in the opposite direction breaks the silence. Prepared to kill, I knew now my adversary was not that of a beast. However, it did not stink of human. I steadied my bow, eyes ever alert for my target. Out of the darkness, an arrow flew and cut the strings on my bow. I readied, my blade. Again another giggle. "Show yourself, face me in the open" , I began to smell an aromatic sweetness to the air. I had noticed this before. Had this thing trailed me since before, without my knowing. "Never" I thought. Out of the mists came a voice, its words I could not truly understand.
Out before me, a figured appeared. A female slightly smaller in stature as I. She smiled at me with a compassionate gleem in her eyes. "Who are you" I asked. She spoke in a tongue that seemed like velvet to my ears. "I do not understand you, I am Gwantuur, son of Golwen, what are you". A puzzled look crossed over her face, and the smile returned. "Golwen" she replied "Gwantuur of Golwen"
"Yes, Yes, son of Golwen, do you know of her or of Neshra" I stated " Do you know of them" She gestured to my blade. "Is that a Din Lann blade, where did you get that." she asked. Puzzled , she could speak as I,
"Are you an elf, do you know of Golwen" I stammered
She nodded, "Yes, I like you are an elf, but if I may ask, where did you get that medallion of the house of Lok-ri, and how do you claim to be that of the son of Golwen Lok-ri" she asked. "Golwen has passed beyond these times,since I was but a small one, she had not any born offspring for she was killed by the hands of humans, long ago and she never gave birth".
I placed my blade upon the ground as a sign of surrender, I reached into my sachel and removed the parchment that I carried for these many years. I handed it to her. She stepped away with it, back into the mists Momentarily, she returned and spoke. "if this is true as it reads, we have a journey ahead of us, you have a lifetime of learning ahead of you to know who your are." She smiled "Plus, we have to work on your tracking skills young Gwantuur Lok-ri, we must make your grandfather Vheisoldae proud." she smiled again and motioned for me to gather my wares and prepare for travel.
And so the path of Gwantuur, son of Golwen begins...