Faylin is asleep, and Lyrian has been still sitting, watching around the camp. A small flutter is heard in the bushes. Lyrian pans his surroundings, and reaches down, for a rock from the ground. He stands up, and sees. There is a shadowy figure has been peeking near the edge of the clearing behind some bushes. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Although the figure is beast-like, it is not human nor elven. Soft, high pitched growling comes from the shadows.
Lyrian grabs another stone, and throws towards it, "I said, show yourself!"
Bushes shake, and the beast leaves with a tail whipping into the bushes like a lizard.
"Was that a dragon? Or a Drake?" Lyrian wonders to himself.
He sits down, and sighs, looking around. He thinks to himself, and wonders if he should wake Faylin up, but decides not to, and keeps an eye out. He's seen them before, and they are large beasts. Up to the size of a human if it's a drake. He holds high hopes that it is just a lone beast that will leave them alone.
"Lyrian, are you okay?" Faylin asks, waking up.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He replies, "I think I saw a Drake, or a Dragon, I'm not sure."
"Are you sure?" she asks. "I think I heard a growl."
He nods, "yeah."
"I'll watch next if you want?" She offers.
"Okay, thanks," Lyrian replies. "Wake me up if you need to."
"I will," Faylin says, sitting down next to him. Faylin looks around, and the moon is shining bright, and there's no clouds in the sky. The stars are out, and the sky is a deep purple color. She is looking up at the sky catching sight of a few twinkling stars, and she wonders if the stars are actually other worlds.
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Sun is rising in the sky at dawn, the birds are chirping, and the trees are rustling in the wind. They're both eating breakfast, and Lyrian is cooking some eggs over a fire. "We should be able to make it to Limerock Valley by nightfall if we leave now." Lyrian says. "It's about a day and a half walk."
"Good. I'm looking forward to getting to this place, and finding some ore, and then making some weapons," Faylin says. "It'll be nice to actually sell something of value for once."
Lyrian laughs, "you sound like you've been waiting for this your whole life." He smiles knowing Faylin will be happy.
"Maybe I have," Faylin says, slipping a slice of bacon in her mouth.
"Are you going to open up shop when we get there?" Lyrian asks.
"How would I do that?" she says while chewing. "I'd need a forge and I don't have any equipment. I'll probably have to buy a horse and carriage once we get there, I can't carry all the ore on my own."
Lyrian laughs, "you could use magic to make a forge. And you can use magic to make a horse too."
Faylin laughs, "that'd be great, but I'm not exactly a god and pretty sure you aren't either. Besides, I'd need a forge, a workshop, a horse and carriage, and a way to transport all of that."
Lyrian smiles, "well, maybe one day." He starts nodding thinking about the possibilities, "I'd like to be a god."
Faylin laughs, "you're weird."
"Let's get going," Lyrian says as he lugs his bag, "we should leave now, it'll be dark by the time we get there." Lyrian puts out the fire, and packs up his things and Faylin does the same.
Faylin has her bag on her back, and she's ready to go. "Let's go," she says.
"Let's." Lyrian takes off down the road, Faylin following.
They're walking down the road, and Faylin is looking around. Sun is up in the sky, the grass is swishing, and the birds call to each other. They're walking through the fresh forest, and it's a beautiful sparkly day. They reach through a clearing in the woods, and there is a stream running next to the road.
Faylin looks at the stream, and sees a fish swimming in the water. Trout as pretty as a rainbow are beneath the sparkles of clear water. She looks up at the sky, and the clouds are moving, and a single bird is flying up ahead. "It's a nice day," she says.
"Yep," Lyrian says, looking at the sky. They continue walking.
A small group of well armed soldiers with bows on their backs are walking towards their way. Some have short bows, and some are long made of all wood. Leather armor of green cloth and brown hide is slick to their bodies. Casual steps is what they are taking, but they close the distance soon, still making their way.
Faylin tenses up at the sight. Her heart beat increases. Lyrian has been squinting his eyes trying to get a good sight of the leather soldiers. Sharp ears is what he notices, and he confirms.
"Oh. Wood elves." Lyrian mutters under his breath. He turns to Faylin, "you got anything on you?"
"Just my hammer and shield," she says.
"Alright. They don't usually attack people unless provoked."
"Lyrian, they're right in front of us," Faylin says as the wood elves get closer and closer. "What are we going to do?"
"Be friendly," Lyrian suggests. "Just act natural. We're just passing through their lands."
"Stop right there human," the leader elf draws her bow, her long blonde hair brushing in the wind. She's wearing a green, and brown leather outfit that shows her agility and survival. Arrows are in a quiver on her back, and deadly blades make up the longbow in a green jagged pattern in her hand. The deadly longbow almost looks like a double-bladed sword, but can easily fool someone. She's a wood elf, with an arrow pointed right at them. "State your business," she demands militantly.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"I'm a blacksmith. My companion and I are just passing through on the way to Limerock Valley," Faylin says with her hands up.
"Really? A blacksmith? What business do you have in Limerock Valley?" she asks, prepared to throw a piercing shot.
"We're traveling there to mine for ores and minerals," Lyrian answers. "We mean no harm."
"Yet you pass through our forest at a time like this? Keep going any further and you'll enter our clan territory. Go around and face the beasts ahead. I'd suggest you turn back if you want to live," the elf urges.
"Why is that?" Lyrian questions.
"We're dealing with a situation right now. Flightless dragons that are supposed to be extinct but have been brought back to life," she explains. "Keep going, and you will enter their hunting grounds."
"I need to get to the mines," Faylin pleases with a rush. "I've been taxed too high and cannot continue my business with my usual mining location. If I don't find a new mine, I'll lose everything."
"Get out of our forest human!" the lead elf blurts out, her brash voice has them jump. "I don't care about you humans and your greed for coin. It's your problem now." The other elves in her group aim their bows.
Lyrian places a hand on Faylin's shoulder and pulls her back. "We should get out of here Fay."
Faylin sighs but refuses to move. "Do you have any other safe route to Limerock Valley?"
The lead elf shakes her head, "the only way to Limerock Valley is to pass through our territory which is restricted. No humans allowed. If you need to that badly, go around and hope you don't face one of those beasts that plague our land."
Faylin frowns, "we can't go around. We've never faced any type of dragon before." She knows that she is just a lonely commoner. Inexperience has the will to drive her to severe injuries or worse. Thoughts of it has made her tremble slightly.
Faylin continues, "we have no idea what to expect, and if we go around and face one, we're dead. Please, I'm begging you. Let us pass through, we won't cause any trouble, and we won't take anything from your land. I just need to get to Limerock Valley and find a new mine."
The lead elf glances to one of her archers in thought and then back at Faylin and Lyrian. "Then what do you expect? An escort? Us elves do not serve humans. Besides the ones you've already enslaved by force."
"I don't expect an escort, just to pass through your land unharmed," Faylin explains.
The lead elf sighs, lowering her bow slightly, "I'll grant you permission to cross through our land." She puts down her bow in full and the other hunters do the same. "But we don't treat humans as equals." She has her arms crossed and she points, "You have to give us something in return, and know that you will be watched closely."
Faylin's eyes light up. She turns to Lyrian who smiles and nods at her to obey. She turns back to the lead elf, "Here, I can give you some coin." Faylin holds out a hand full of gold coins but is slapped quickly out of her hand, scattering and jumping around the dirt floor.
She scoffs and emphasizes, "I do not want your filthy human currency. I want something better. Something that doesn't enslave my people. Something useful."
Faylin looks down to the floor and shrugs, "like what?"
"Us elves value story, connection, anything to do with nature," she thinks with a finger to her chin. "We don't want to be bound by the chains of greed and power that of corrupt humans."
Faylin nods, and looks at Lyrian, "do you think we should give them a toy?"
Lyrian nods, "sure, it's better than nothing." He is pulling out a wooden dragon contraption.
"What's that?" the elf sneers.
"I made it," Faylin puts it on the ground and winds it up, letting it go as it struts forward and breaths small puffs of smoke. "I make small things, or toys I guess. It's useless, but..."
The lead elf picks it up, "You made this? You didn't just buy it?"
"Yes, I made it," Faylin says a second time.
"It's a wooden dragon," Lyrian adds. "Faylin here makes them in her spare time. She's quite the artist."
"It's not much, but it's something," Faylin says.
"It's beautiful," the lead elf says. She looks over the dragon in her hand, examining it with a straight face. "You need to realize that the things you make can bring joy to someone. The time spent on this is more valuable than any coin you will ever have. Do you know why Faylin?"
Faylin shakes her head.
The elf continues, "because this, this is what is worth living for. The time and love you put into this will stay in this toy forever. It will never die. That will bring joy to someone and yourself, no coin involved. And that time, you will never get back, except for the love and appreciation. That is giving without anything in return," she says dropping the contraption back in Faylin's hands. "That is the true meaning of giving." The elf crosses her arms and hangs her head to the side, awaiting.
"I don't understand," Faylin replies with a face of her own shame.
"You will. One day," the elf says. "Now, come with me."
Faylin and Lyrian follow the elf into the forest, the rest of the group follows them. They're walking through the forest and the trunks of trees are tall and the branches are swaying in the breeze. Elf steps are light. No clanging of armor this time.
"I am Aleena by the way," Aleena says, looking back at them through her hunters following.
"Faylin, but I guess you already knew that," Faylin takes note at Aleena's intelligence, looking down with a little frustration and jealousy showing in her.
"Lyrian," he says, smiling and cheerful as always.
Aleena smiles and nods, "nice to meet you two. You're lucky we're not in a war or anything. This could've gone very differently." She leads them further into the forest, and they pass a group of elves sitting around a campfire. An old elf man plays a flute to dancing elven women. Elves are looking over at the group from a hut on wooden wheels, and one of them walks up to them, holding out a hand.
"Hey, what are you doing with these humans?" he asks.
"They're just passing through our lands," Aleena explains. She turns to Faylin and Lyrian and points to a small campfire of adults and small children, "by they way, I have a story I'd like to share with you, come."
Faylin is still, "Oh, we really don't have the-"
"We'd love to," Lyrian pushes Faylin to the side and interrupts her smiling at Aleena.
Faylin's face turns to a frown, and her eyes narrow. "I really don't want to be late to the mines. I don't want to waste any time."
Lyrian raises a brow and leans to her ear. "We should stay on their good side," he whispers pulling away. "Besides, it's nothing but hospitality. We should be honored."
Faylin growls, "fine."
They continue to walk to the campfire, and the elves are sitting around the fire. They're all in various states of dress. They have long hair, and some are short hair both male and female. More elven children even gather. Aleena sits down on a log by the fire, and motions for Faylin and Lyrian to sit, "so, you're a blacksmith?"
Faylin nods, sitting down next to her. Lyrian sits next to Faylin, and the elves are sitting around the campfire. "I'm a smith, but I can't work without ore. That's why I need to get to the Limerock mine."
"I see, well you're lucky. There are plenty of mines around Limerock. But you'll need to be warned. I heard even the new flightless dragons plague Limerock as well. Some of their kind love caves to dwell in."
"Flightless dragons?" Lyrian asks. "I've never heard of these creatures."
"Neither have I," Faylin adds.
"Dragons that have lost the ability to fly, I guess. I don't even know much about them," Aleena says. "They were brought back to life after a necromancer was found experimenting with their bones. The only thing I can't understand is that they are not undead. They are alive and well but unable to fly."
Faylin nods, "so they're just normal dragons, but they can't fly?"
"No, they look very different but same reptilian look, each with different kind and unique hunting strategies. Some are large and heavy and hunt for large prey, and some are small and light, and hunt for smaller prey," Aleena details. "I'm sure you've seen a few of them, but I don't know how many there are. But they are still fairly new, so there shouldn't be many."
Lyrian turns to Faylin, "that could've been the thing that I saw last night."
"Anyway, let us continue on with the story." Aleena claps her hands together once and tightens them, "listen up everyone."
She smiles, ready to tell her story.
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Aleena
image [https://files.fm/thumb_show.php?i=6hhxeda36z]