24 July 2012
*Right. Let's do this. Guys I'm so sorry I had such a long gap between posts, it's just that I had just enough writers block to slow down production of "A Truth". Oh. And I had GCSEs. I can't promise it won't happen again, but I'll try to make sure that I do try to get these bits of story out with at least some degree of regularity. Thanks, Splashdown*
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I sat there, thinking about what Virra had just said. It had degenerated into a story about what had happened to her, but that didn't matter. It had provided me with information that was most likely true today. Elves were looked down upon, and those that arrived from outside the city were treated even worse. It seemed that, from what little I could glean from the tale, elves lost their sense of community when they spent a long time in the city. They became more human. I shuddered at this thought. As a clan elf, I valued the difference we had from the humans. Sure, we had some contact with them, when trading for essential supplies, but we mainly kept our distance from them, mainly because they were, as a group, inately hostile. If they wanted something collectively, they got it. And if they didn't like you, you were out. I remembered when I was younger, the clan was forced to move camp just because the humans wanted to use the land for farming. At first, they came at us with dogs, and when that didn't work (for all elves know animal charming), the farmers informed the local city guard, and they forced us out. Mind you, the look on the farmers' faces when we sent their "ferocious" dogs back covered in flowers and doing little dances on their hind legs was priceless.
But that said, I faced a daunting task if I was to cope. I stood up, and started walking back to camp. The sun was high in the sky, nearly, but not quite noon, so I was still able to set off and make good ground toward the city before night fell. Depending on the boy, of course. As I walked through the winter sun-dappled undergrowth, shrugging off the slightly chilling breeze, I ran through the things I needed to do before setting off. First, and most important, thank Virra for the information she had imparted. Next, if necessary, repack the bundle that Kieran had packed for me, and remove joke items that he might have placed in there. If so, scold him, and as punishment, command him to look after Buttons. If not, ask him politely instead. Which would be phrased as a command, with just the addition of the word "Please?" at the end. He couldn't refuse. Then, collect Samuel, inform Hollar that we were departing, and set off south towards the city. Simple. Or was it?
I stopped. It finally dawned on me that I was going to leave the place where I had lived for so long: my home. The camp where so many memories lay. Where I first picked up a bow and arrow, where I had gutted, cleaned and ate my first kill, where I'd longed to return to after a long day's hunting. I had friends here: Thalia, the silly one, the person I'd turn to if I needed cheering up, we were inseparable when we were younger, rooting around the camp for bugs to scare the boys with. Kieran, my hunting partner, best shot in the clan (apart from me, obviously), and an absolute rock - again, someone to turn to if I needed cheering up, or if I needed to confide a secret. Heck, even the First, Hollar, the almost annoyingly incessant giver of life-affirming advice, yet a more than competent leader for sixteen years. He was a father figure to me, having guided me in my training to take his place throughout the years. I may have resented him at times, when his punishments were a little too strict, but we had a grudging respect for each other. Could I leave all of this behind? I had to, but that didn't make it any easier for me. It was the biggest step I had taken in my life so far, and I had to face up to it. That was that settled then. I squared my shoulders, and jogged the rest of the way back to camp.
And guess who was waiting for me at the entrance of the camp, arms crossed, petulant look on his face, and just waiting to start an argument? Samuel.
Thoughts • Opuss № I