Chapter 1
Kilnoher stood in the middle of the glade that served as the central gathering place for the small elven village of Glenhaven. All around him the elves of his tribe were assembled to bid him and his companion well wishes on the Forging of their Fates. Every member of the tribe had turned out for the special occasion as it had been eighteen years since the tribe had last had the opportunity to celebrate the Forging of Fates. The excitement of the day had the entire village bustling throughout the glade in preparation for the celebration that would take place later in the day after the two youngsters returned from their Forging.
Kiln was a little annoyed at all the attention, but was trying to weather the felicitations with good humor for the sake of his family. His mother, Elisara, was beaming so proudly that Kiln was quite certain the late morning sun could retire from the sky for the day and nobody would notice. Behind Elisara, Kiln’s older sister Ariela, was giving Kiln a knowing smile. Her eyes mirrored the amusement that her mouth displayed. She knew that Kiln was hating every moment of being stuck here talking with people and was enjoying the discomfiture of her baby brother. After all, at the age of one hundred and six, she was now no longer the primary target of their mother’s protective instincts.
That honor belonged to Kiln. Oh and maybe the other young man standing next to him. Dan Del Torre was the same age as Kiln and the tribe was thrilled to celebrate the double forging, even if one of the two celebrants was a human. Dan had, for all intents and purposes, been adopted as an honorary member of the tribe. Polite and soft spoken, the young human possessed all the qualities that an elf should embody and his understanding of magic matched that of many of the lesser mages of the tribe. That was a rare distinction. After all, there were few humans who could match the centuries of learning and accumulation of power that an elven mage had at their beck and call.
When Dan had first come to the forest five years ago Kiln had been jealous of the other boy’s talents and the way the adults had spent much of the time that they had once dedicated to Kiln on the newcomer. Then Kiln realized that the reduced attention made it easier for him to slip into the woods with his bow, unnoticed. That had reduced Dan as a threat in the eyes of a younger Kiln and soon they had become friends. After all it was not as if there were many others their age in the village. The next two closest in age were a young girl who was six and the boy who had been the last to go through his forging and was now thirty four years old.
Elisara stepped forward and gave Kiln a warm hug. It was the kind of hug that only a mother could give to their child and it made Kiln flush in embarrassment at the public display of affection. Kiln waited for several seconds before he felt that it had been long enough that he could break the hold without it being awkward.
“I have been waiting so long for this day to happen,” Kiln’s mother said proudly. Then she leaned forward and performed the ancient elven gesture greeting and farewell among family.
She kissed Kiln gently on the forehead as he leaned slightly forward to receive it. Then she stepped to Dan and performed the same ritual. Dan received the kiss a little awkwardly. Kiln could tell from the stiffness of his best friend’s movements that the human still felt like a stranger among the elves that had so willingly accepted him into their midst. With the rituals complete Kiln nodded to Dan who returned it and the two set off into the forest, leaving the other elves behind to prepare for the feast and celebrations. Kiln let out a long sigh of relief once they were out of sight.
“Finally,” He moaned, “I thought that my mother would never let us go.”
Dan’s eyebrows furrowed in befuddlement, “It wasn’t that bad. I think it's nice that your family cares for you.”
Kiln rolled his eyes.
“Yeah I know, but my mother is always so… so emotional about everything. If father were here he would at least be able to restrain her a bit, but, well he’s not.”
Dan nodded sympathetically, “How long has it been since he was sent to the front? Six months?”
“Eight,” Kiln replied, kicking absently at a pine cone, “I wish he could have returned for the Forging, but the fighting around Easthold had gotten worse the last few months. Both my brothers are out there now too.”
“Really? Huh, last I heard they had been stationed up in the foothills near the mountains.”
“They were until a couple weeks ago,” Kiln answered with a shrug, “but they got reassigned. They are in my father’s patrol now.”
“Huh, wonder how I missed that.”
“You were holed up in your room reading for too long.”
“Oh, yeah, I guess I was.”
The two walked on for a ways in silence until they reached the agreed upon hill. Once there they split up. Dan found a nice log to sit on while Kiln wound his way up to the top of the hill. Once Kiln reached the summit of the small hill found a comfortable rock that he often sat on when he just wanted to gaze out across the forest he called hom. Once he had settled down, Kiln pulled out a small lunch his mother had packed for him. It was a lovely bit of turkey, smoked just the way he liked it, and a mild cheese.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Kiln was grateful for the food but part of him felt that his mother had gone too far with the lunch. Honestly, she probably would have followed him out here and through the door if she could have, but the tradition of the elves dictated that he find a secluded place where he could meditate before the fateful moment, then he would rejoin his people for a celebration that night. For once in his life Kiln felt that the elven traditions had actually helped him rather than smothered him. With a rueful shake of his head Kiln dismissed that line of thought and turned his thought back to the important issue at hand.
Today was the Forging of Fates and any moment now the door would appear and he would step through it and accept his Gifts. The excitement of the moment finally began to surge and with it came a twinge of unease. Kiln did not know what to expect. The experience beyond the door was unique for every individual. Eventually, the moment arrived. Kiln blinked and there was suddenly a door ten feet in front of him.
It was a simple construct of plain polished wood and a brass doorknob.The only indication that it was odd, was the fact that it popped into existence right in front of him right on the crest of the woody hill. There were no glowing runes. No fancy ornamentation. There was just the door and its frame, standing there. It had not even appeared in a grand flash of light, Kiln had just blinked and the door was there.
The young elf took a deep breath to settle his nerves and stepped through the door. As he stepped through he took in a sharp breath of surprise. His surroundings had changed dramatically. Kiln heard the satisfying crunch of leaves. He shuffled his soft leather boots through the carpet of fallen leaves. Their browns, bright oranges and yellows wove together to form a mesmerizing tapestry of fall colors that was at odds with the bright spring he had just left behind.
Kiln looked up from the ground and studied the rest of his surroundings. He was in a forest of massive, sprawling oaks and white barked aspens whose leaves shimmered and seemed to subtly change colors in the gentle breeze. Their tall branches reached ever upward toward a sky dancing with the colors of one of the most beautiful sunsets Kiln had ever seen. Reds, oranges and pinks blended with the slowly deeping horizon of dark purples slowly deepening toward black. The only incongruity with the angelic view was the lack of an actual sun in the sunset.
The anomaly snapped Kiln back to his senses. He was here for a reason. He was here to look for his gifts. He began to study his surroundings intently but saw nothing out of place. Cautiously, he began to walk forward and explore his surroundings. It took him about five minutes to find a break in the trees. The clearing was devoid of any trees. In its center a campfire burned invitingly, a log arranged conveniently next to it for sitting.
Kiln hesitated for only a moment. In any other setting the setup would have been deeply suspicious, but this was the Forging. He had never heard of anyone being hurt during one. So he took another deep breath of the rich air, strode over to the log and sat down. Then he noticed the long cloth wrapped bundle that had been hidden from view by the log.
Kiln felt his heart rate increase as he reached down to open the wrapped object. Excitedly he pulled aside the forest green cloth, revealing the smooth grain of wood. The longbow was simple in design, but Kiln could tell that it was well made, although the wood was unfamiliar to him. As he stroked the wood lovingly with his hands, he simultaneously felt a shiver run down his spine. A whisper spoke inside his mind. This is the Longbow of Sight.
Kiln felt goosebumps run up his arms at the whisper and he gazed at his new Gift. Then he leapt to his feet and looked around expectantly for another package. He had always dreamed of owning a bow of legend and wandering the world exploring every inch of land he saw. Now he wondered what else he would find. Perhaps he would be given an enchanted quiver or pair of boots. Maybe he would receive a magic map. The endless possibilities thrilled Kiln, but he could not find anything else that might be a Gift. After a minute of fruitless hunting, Kiln returned to the fire and sat. The sky was slowly getting darker and the wind was getting colder. Kiln pulled the log closer to the fire and found the thick green wool cloth that had been wrapped around the bow. He threw it over his shoulders and the cold abated slightly.
Would he have to look elsewhere in the woods for his second gift? Perhaps it was a kind of scavenger hunt. Kiln had never heard of such a Forging, but each Forging was different for every individual so it was within the realm of possibility. Just as Kiln was about to stand he heard the whisper come once more. This is the Cloak of Shadows.
Kiln froze and looked around, Then he realized his mistake. He pulled the wool covering and stretched it out. Sure enough, it was a cloak. It did not look remarkable, but the wool was warm and thick. He focused on it and got the impression that it would increase the level of his stealth. With that realization he turned his attention back to the Bow of Sight. He got the impression that it would double his shooting range and ability to see in the dark.
Both would help him once he was allowed to leave the elven woods and explore the wider world. With a sense of accomplishment welling up inside him, Kiln turned away from the fire. He fixed the Cloak of Shadows around his shoulders and hefted the Longbow of Sight in one hand. As the light of the sunless sunset faded, Kiln made his way back through the woods to the simple door. He tried creeping through the lengthening shadows of the trees around him, but felt silly after a bit. He was not sure if the cloak was actually working. He needed someone who could help him test the new Gifts.
Soon he stood before the simple door that would take him back to the world of Herald. Kiln turned and took one last look at the beauty of the fading world around him. Then he stepped back through the door into the noon day sun. From atop the hill he looked out across the forest that he called home. He could probably convince his mother to let him explore the woods for now, provided he figured out how to use his Gifts. Below him, at the base of the hill, Kiln saw an identical door open and the familiar form of Dan stepped out. Kiln grinned. Dan was a big shot at magic and had studied for years at El Torre Sorcierre. He would know all the best ways to test their new Gifts.
Kiln strode down the hill, a cheerful bounce in his step. After today the world would be his to explore. He just had to survive the celebration his mother was preparing back in Glenhaven.
Name: Kilnoher
Age: 16
Race: Elf
Blessings:
Longbow of Sight
Cloak of Shadows