orcs and goblins oh my, maybe no goblins

         The Orcs Tense as the worgs howl out at the black sleek panther running full out away from them. Her sleek muscles are taut and smooth, the ribbon about her neck flows back in the wind of her speed. One thing on her mind, must get away.
         The orcs bring up their bows and get of a shot apiece, each flying true. One hits her flank and the other her side, each bring forth form her a yelp as she increases her speed to get away. Even with the increase thy still follow launching arrows at her rear end but they hit no more during her flight to get away.
         She now knows she had inadvertently stirred up a nest of the smelly ugly things when scouting the territory for the raiding party that had destroyed her older brothers home and him as well for all she knew. She had seen the corpse filled field and the ruins of the homes and city. 
         Again she swore revenge upon the miserable orcs for this new seed of destruction so like the other that had taken away her first family and now her new brother had been slain, how much more of this could they do before the regions would unit, would it take an all out invasion to get them together. Well they could now be on that very brink.
         But for now as she realized, she needed try to out run them and escape to the main city and any other place on the way to warn them of such another attack that might come.
         She knew not how much longer she could keep ahead of her foe. She could feel the blood seeping form the wounds of the arrows and as she moved pain kept striking for she knew the arrows where barbed viciously, but with luck she could pull it off and if not the area was doomed.
         With that in mind she kept moving to the cliff she knew well and that the worgs could not follow the path down unless they went the long way and that might give her the chance she needed. So again she increases her speed and runs full out dodging and ducking through the underbrush like as if it was nothing, reaching the lip of the cliff.
         With out even slowing she angled her self both down and to the right and leaped out in to the air, aiming her self for the small ledge 20 feet below, striking and pouncing off with out a thought to the next one lower and 2 her left then right again and then running full out on this, jumping at the last moment out to a waiting tree branch that was sturdy enough to hold her weght and then down to the ground below without even slowing she ran as fast as possible toward the nearest road to the nearest city of LowGuard.     


         On the edge of the mountainous region, upon a high hill he stood, sorrow and hate still in his eye, looking out across the rocky land towards the mountain range, across the territories of the orcs. For the last 40 years no man is said to have made it across this stretch of land. But truth be told sense the orcs moved closer to the surface no one has tried, plus he was not a man but an elf. And now the orcs were up to something north of the mountain pass that served as a safe route for trade.
         First his town destroyed and his wife to be killed, he had buried her himself and left thinking he was the only survivor of the attack. And now another place that he called home had been destroyed in a similar manner, Bringing back painful memories rampaging back to his mind. The rumors in the villages and towns beyond had  been as he thought, that the orcs were up to something, normally they stayed away from the towns that bordered on cities. And for such an act to occur,  the destruction of two cities 8 years inbetween was near unheard of. But it had yet happened, and if he could stop them from doing so again soon he would try till his dying breath.
         With this he moved out of the hill top and to the woods below bring forth all knowledge of wood lands and his skills in the silent step and the quick movement that had been taught when he was a mere child. Silent where his steps as he moved along the old trail past the his first home and on beyond. He traveled as such, a wisp of wind through the leaves to tell he had been there and by for days on end.
         As the forth day turned to night a sound of movement stopped his silent trek. He cranes his neck and listens to the wind for another response; all of his senses are on alert to the world around. A moan follows the first sound of movement; pain could be heard in the near silent night as again what ever it is moans out to the night.
         Cautiously  he moves forward toward the sound, keeping all senses alert. As he comes to the edge of a ranger clearing he sees her.
         She is lying naked in the wet grass, the gentle cool wind blowing across her skin and moving the grass in motion to her low moans. Upon her right side an arrow protrudes, blood slipping forth from the nasty hole. Another arrow is stuck in her rear the wound is cut jaggedly, one of the barbs sticks out barely visible in the light of the moon. About her neck is a ribbon of red silk tied loose, it sways a bit with the wind that moves across her back.
         Above and behind he can see the crows circle, ready to tack her spirit of to the other side as soon as her last breath leaves her lips. But upon further inspection the elf sees that is still some time to come and if he is good she will live. With this he begins the delicate procedure of removing the arrows and cleaning the wounds. With this done he pulls out his bed roll and raps her cold body inside, Rubing her knees and elbows to warm them , to get the circulation going once more.
         In the center of the clearing he finds a ring of stones and ash in between. Here he places a kindling and a log, and strikes flint and steal, making a roaring fire in minutes to warm the camp. The next task he finds is easy, the girl is light and so easy to move closer to the fire. With all this done the moon he sees has risen to the center of the sky and has begun its fall down to the other side. Dawn will come soon. He takes guard up in the branches of a white oak, his eyes roaming the woods beyond, but no sign of troubles comes for the remaining night.


         Morning comes bright, the rays of light lance through the trees into the clearing and directly upon her face in an annoying fashion. With this Carry wiggles away turning her head to the other side to get away form the light, but pain hits in her rear and side and the run of her life comes back to the front of her mind.
         She wakes with a start, the feel of a leather blanket wrapped around her naked body startles her to full awareness and she looks around at the clearing for any sign of the her savior. Out of an old whit oak falls, quiet ungracefully a half asleep elf who lands on his back with a small bounce and a yelp of pain. From her a laugh strikes out at this.
         “Ha, ha, very funny,” The elf looks at her with a hurt expression played across his face. “Good, I see you’re awake.”   
         “Hey it was funny, You don’t see that every day.” She giggles gently at the elf.
         “Ya, and you don’t see a girl sleeping in the woods near orc country in the nude either.” He his expression still hurt but curiosity playing over. “Speaking of which how do you feel?”
         “Better thank, You.” She smiles a deep smile her eyes like emeralds. 
         “Good, Here is my next question.” His tone is now serious. “First Why were you out here in this gods forsaken area, And two did you see anything worth mentioning?”
         “Well one, I am sworn to kill orcs, revenge and all, ya know. Number two all I saw were orcs, nasty, smell, ugly orcs. Thousand of the greened skinned things.”
         “Ok, here is the deal, I will take you to the nearest city so you can do what you will. But do not head out this way again, it is to dangerous.”
         “Wow, wow, wow, One I will go to the city at the  least and then I am going to come back out here, And two where do you get of telling me not to come back out here, They killed my deer brother and his kids and wife, I got to get em back for that one, and number 3 what were you doing out here any way all by yourself?” Her voice showed more bitterness than she cared for.
         “Excuse me, I get of telling you that for your own good, As well as in time there will be plenty of these things to kill in the safety of numbers so stay put in the city!” He returns his voice now raising with each word.
         “I will do as I need thank you very much.” She snaps back quickly.
         The elf calms considerable as he looks to the girl. There was no keeping her there she was as strong willed and stubborn as his first love, the memories! “Look I, Don’t want to see anything bad come down unto you and you venture out there you may die a painful death.”
“I will take my chances. I can take care of myself.” She says simply.
         He looks at her and just laughs, all in good humor laugh. “You remind me of some one I used to know, actually two some ones to be exact.”
         She just looks at him, her head cocked to the side with a curious expression across her face. The look alone sends him into another laughing fit. “What’s so funny?” She snaps quick but quiet.
         “You” he answers back. “You remind me of a young lass I once knew who always hung around a love of my.” He looks off into the distance staring at nothing at all. “But she died when the  city got attacked by orcs some 8 years back.”
         Her eyes go wide with astonishment. Old memories filter in and sting at her heart. “You were in that city during the attack? I thought I was the only survivor.” She claps a hand around her mouth as if she said something terrible wrong.
         He just stared back into her eyes now his attention fully on her. The confusion obvious, “You can’t be from that city, can you?” He moves closer to her, his eyes piercing hers, making her sit uncomfortable under his stare. “You are, you are I can see a young girl behind those eyes the youth that hung around me and my love, you are that lass aren’t you Carry.”
         Her mouth just dropped. She was speechless, this elf knew her name and yet she did not recognize him, not at first anyway. Recognition came but slowly, there knelt the elf of her child hood, her friend that she could confide in at any time that she was sad. He had taken care of her when her family did not have the time to do so. In the flesh knelt the past that she thought lost, only a part but still her heart raced and she began to cry as she flung her self into his arms. All That Landel could do was holding her.

         They walked quietly for awhile just enjoying the company of one another. To his eyes she had grown into a beautiful young woman, but still had her wonderful determination that he had admired so in this girl. She hadn’t changed much at all only matured and he like what he saw, he could not lie to himself, she did remind him of his love, and after all they had many similarities.
         “Where have you been for the last 8 years carry?” Landel finally broke the silence between them, he needed to know.
         “With a new family… so to speak.” She said simply with a shrug of the shoulders. “How bout you?”
         “Here and there!” He gestures with his hand.
         “ahh, come on tell me!” Her face bright with a smile.
         “Hey, Don’t you look at me like that.” He says giving her a playful shove. “I have been all over traveling and doing things, some dealing with the orc problems others are just simple travel…. And who gave you permission to become so beautiful?”
         She blushes at the compliment, and again shrugs her shoulders. The animal skin shirt that she wore felt wonderful. “It just happened. Hey there’s the city… race ya,” And with that she takes off at full run the leggings showing of her form as he watched her wild spirit sore.
“Hey…No fair.” With quick long strides he takes of after her his heart pounding more from the thought of having her around then the exercise he was getting.

         They run and dodge and try to tackle one another in high spirits, these 2 friends reunited again. As they reach the gates of Low Guard Landel gives a disappointed sigh, the fun was over already, he could of lasted for hours and knew so could she. She looked at him and gives him a playful shove as he comes to a stop, a smile on her face beaming.
         She had become quit graceful over the last 8 years, he was surprised as he looked her up and down for the 6th time today. Her body was curved well and she was stronger than she looked, he could see the well toned muscles on her thighs though they were not bulky. Her hair had grown to a reach dark brown and her eyes were like deep emeralds. Her face and hands were slender and well taken care of even considering her love for the outdoors. He admired her.
         “What are you looking at!” She snaps playfully, cocking her head to the left slightly, her eyes showed an inner light of intrigue at his staring.
         He snapped out of it quick almost to quick to recover and give away his mind. “Oh nothing just seeing how well you have grown.” He laughs deep for the first time in 8 years, it felt good to have her around again even if she was older now.
         “Yeah sure. Well follow me I got to check in at the house then we should go to the city council and tell our story.” Her voice sure and confident She leads him down the streets and twist, every now and then street merchants would wave at her and great her.
         She led him to the high walls of a mansion, right up to the gate where 2 guards snapped to attention as soon as they saw her coming up the street. All he could do is gap at the respect the guards gave her, Was she the in charge of the labor force here? He could not tell but they did sure show a lot of respect to her.
         “My Laddy ….Your father is upstairs in his study worried sick about you, We were all worried,” The guard relaxes from his stance. His partner goes to the gate and begins to open it. “we will tell him you are on your way up right now!” With that he begins to move to a guard room where to more guards sit and wait for orders to be passed.
         “No, No that will be quit al right I wanted to surprise him, Jonson.” She smiles and walks past the guards onto the grounds, looking back once waiting for Landel to catch up.
         “You live here?” He says astonished. “Is your father the master of the place?”
         “Heh, yeah, He is a good man and I love him for the care he gave me after He had rescued me from the wild. I am a Delren now.” She smiles as she thinks back to found memories of this family. “Any way lets get up to the study he will want to know what I have heard, and will have an idea on what to do.”
         “Ok, lead the way beautiful,” She just looks at him in the eye her expression knowing.
         She leads him through the building, down the twists and turns and stairs like nothing, they arrive at the study door Where she stops. Adjusting her shirt she puts a hand out to the door and nocks loudly and to her satisfaction she hears grumbling inside.
         “Come in” The mans voice is full of strain and worry, but gentle and kind with experience with such matters.
         She opens the door slowly and sweeps in gracefully, a smile is played across her face her mood Is good and readt. The older man looks up from his books and blinks a few times but is quickly over the surprise, he rises and sweeps her into his arms hugging her tight to him. His eyes are watering and it eventually falls into tears.
         “I thought I had lost you and your brother when his home had fallen, I heard about the attack a few days back and thought the worse had happened.” He now cries openly in her arms. “Are you ok and where is your brother did he live,”
         Carry begins to cry openly, “No he sacrificed him self for, He…he took a blow for me, told….told me to escape and live.” She puts her face against his shoulder, tears socking the cloth.
         “We will all morn the loss of him, just remember that It is not your fault he died he died for you then.”
         “I was the only survivor. I was the only one to live through the cities destruction. It is all gone like my first home.”
         “You still have me and your mother though this time. You were the best thing that we ever found.”
         “I just want brother back, He did not deserve to die.”
         “I know, I know.” He strokes her hair, moving a lash or two back from her face, “So who is your friend there?”
         Landel comes out of his daze of the place that the girl calls home, The fact that she is now part of a nobel family, “I sir, Am known as Landel, I was the only other survivor from her First home.” He stands straight to his full size. “I was back then one of the guard and to be wed to the princess of the city, Well at least after I made the proposal any way. I used to take care Carry there when her father, the captain of the guard was busy with work.” His eyes wonder back to those days before the battle, back to trying to keep up with the little lass. He had loved every moment of it, how he had wished to have children of his own and he still does.