Of earth and Air.

---  Interesting


    Out on the horizon you could see her dance in the moonlight, moving with the wind and grass of the open plain. Not too far off a man , an elf who's features fair and angular watched with excitement. ' I am a lucky man' ran through his mind over and again. Two months prior he would have never guessed that he would find a love, let alone one that was not of Elvin decent, but there she was, dancing in the night. All his excitement shown out as he watched the climax of her dance from his post on the wall.
    "You know, she is waiting for you to propose." a voice behind and to the right spoke up.
    Startled the elf replies. "I know, I know, I am just waiting for the right moment."
    "Her Birthday is coming up, what better way to give her a surprise than that?"
    "Hmmm"
    "Think about it." And with that the voice turns and walks on to other post of the night guard.
    "I will," More to himself than the voice of the night. "I will."

    Out of no where fire leaped up and a thousand lit dots of fire where in the air. The elf watched in horror as these little sparkles struck home upon the wall and the areas around. He watched as his wife to be was pounded with more of this fire lit arrows before his Owen eyes, eyes that watered as rage built in him and he let out a scream like no other. In moments the city was awake and readying for the battle to come.

---  Another Bit of Interesting


The battle field littered with corpses. the castle walls all but lay, lay in ruin. She navigates the ruble looking, searching, seeing. Her torn gown covered in blood and gore, her body drenched in sweat. Her hand, an iron grip on the rapier that is blood stained. Finally she reaches the battle field an leaves the rubble behind. She reaches the field, every where to her horror lie the dead. every where she steps she feels the blood of the fallen seep into her shoes, but she continues to look for something. As she moves farther away from the ruins her search becomes more desperate, more anxious, not only to be away from here, but also he may still be alive, her beloved father.

            Her feet crunched down upon the dry leaves of the old forest dried blood flaking off. She could still feel the blood between her sore toes, her gown now less than rags, with her granddads old rapier now sheathed at her side. Overall her complexion was haggard from battle and furthered by the lost wondering through the woods over the last couple of days, her face streaked by blood, dirt and tears for the loss of her mother and brother crushed under the ruins of the castle as far as she knew, her granddads burial chamber smashed, and her father was not to be found and now though slain. They had fought to the last man against the orcs and all they now had to show for it was the ruins and her.
            What direction she was heading was lost to her as she staggered and fought to put one foot in front of the other. She knew not where to head or what to do. She was only 10 with a limited view on the world and now she was all that remained of her good family.
          She traveled many more a step till the fruit of it all bore down upon her lost mind and exhaustion brought her crashing down to the ground. 'No' she mouthed but no words came forth from her dried mouth as the ground rushed to meet her, but she never saw the impact never felt herself hit. All had faded to darkness for now.

            She woke with a start the world still whirling with the memories of what had happened just in the recent past and an aching stomach from the lake of food. She felt the silken bed sheets beneath her and the warm blanket upon her. The world form where she lay still spin as sleep washed away from her eyes. She looks around at a room that is strange to her the walls where made of blue painted stone and the room smelt of popery and incense. A few pictures hung on walls within her vision but her sight was still blurred by the lack of food and rest still needed.
            As realization set in that this was not where she had fallen she sat up with a start and a new wave of dizziness set in like a tidal wave upon the shore and she feel back to the silken pillow. Her head whirled and turned as the dizziness settled around her. Tears welled up with her eyes and began to fall down her cheeks. She rolls over to be on her side and curls up and sobs away at her loss and unknowing of where she is, how she got here, and what next will happen to her.
            “It is ok now.” An old voice woman’s voice spoke up from the foot of the bed. “you are save now nothing will hurt you.”
            The girl stays silent still crying to her self but hears the woman fully. She looks up from her position as best as possible to see the voice. Before her sits an old woman in a gown of purple silk her hair pulled back and tied by a red dyed leather strip embroidered in gold. Her face old and wrinkled from smiling many a time at many a thing.
            “Are you hungry dear? I can have a servant bring you something.”
            “Who are you?” Her voice cracking and her throat dry. “Where am I?”
            “You are safe with in the walls of the house of Delran, my son in laws home.” The woman stands up slowly and moves to the door of the room, opening it and speaking to someone on the other side the words are not heard by the girl in the bed. “Food and water are on their way after you have been properly fed then we will talk at great length, you myself and the man and wife of the house.” She leaves the room quietly closing the door behind her.
              The wait is not long for the food and drink. It is more than the girl had expected, simple sweet bread and cheese and thin sliced meet warm to the touch, a mug of sweet apple cider and fruit to finish with. All of this was put on a stand next the bed by a middle aged woman wearing a dress not of a servant but one more elegant and sky blue with little god trimming all round. The woman had a smooth complexion and face to match the old lady’s, but much younger. Her hair was a dark dirty blond with golden locks here and there.
              “Poor thing” the woman kneels down beside the bed and brushes away the girls brown hair from her face. “How do you feel?”
            The girl lies there looking, unknowingly at the newcomer to the room, tears still rolling down cheeks to land on the soft silk bed sheets.
            “Do you think you are well enough to eat something?”
            The girl nods her head slightly in response. Looking at the woman she attempts to sit slowly and with a gentle touch the lady helps her to a sitting position and watches in silence as slowly the girl eats and drinks the food before her.
            She finishes the food and lies back upon her side, tears slowly falling, her eyes staring past the woman, past the wall. Quietly she sobs at the horror of blood, the gore, the death she had witnessed at her home, upon the streets, the fields. She thinks now past it all, upon her position now,  what is going to happen to her.
            “Sleep now child.” The woman places a comforting hand upon the girls shoulder. “Tomorrow we see about what to do with you.”  With that the woman quietly leaves the room, turning out the lights and leaving the door slightly a crack open.  And the girl cries herself to sleep within minutes.

---  Again a Bit of Interesting.
    A middle aged man and the old lady look up as the middle aged woman enter the small lounge of the mansion. The gentleman rises to his feet and kisses the woman upon the forehead and pulls away.
    “Well what do you think?” he looks to her eyes for a an answer that he expects to hear.
    “Well, she is young and in need of a home would be my guess Daren” the old woman looks to the 2 standing. “Though, it is your home.”
    “She is cute, and it would be nice to have a child running around.” The younger woman looks to Daren and smiles.
    “Both are valid points.” Daren looks to th2 woman in the room and shrugs. “the choice is yours though Hun, and yes she does look better with the layer of blood and dirt gone.”
    “Where did you find her?” The old lady asks inquisitively.
    “Remember the City on the boarder town that got attack oh say a week past, She was about 5 days journey in the woods away for the ruins where I had found her tracks.” His voice turned shows a troubled tone.
    “But why was there no others who where with here of why are the orcs not now at are very door steps?” The younger woman questions.
    “That is a good Question.” He puts his chin upon the palm of his hand and stares thoughtfully to the ground. “We should head to our home in HigGuard when she is able to walk again. I think we should keep her with us both for her own good and perhaps she may have a little information on the matter of what happened.”
    “Now you are not going to interrogate her on this are you?” the Younger lady looks at him startled.
    “No, no. I will ask and she will answer if she whishes to talk of it Sara.”
    “Good.”
    “Now that that is settled,” The old woman stands up, her knees popping as she does so, “I think we should go and sleep for tomorrow if the girl is feeling well enough to travel I would suggest we do so, the sooner the better.”
    The girl tosses and turns to the waves of the dream, a dream that is more a nightmare than any other thing, a reliving of the past. The battle of survival, the ruins, and the fields bodies that she had walked through. The feel of the blood on her feet and hands. The sweat that drenched her mad real in the bed. It all came to her in waves like the sea against the shore of some distant land.
    As the dream reaches its ending where she thought herself dead, She rolls to her back and sits up straight scream out as the sun cracks through the window. “NOOOOOO!” The sound echoes through the room and down the hall beyond for any near to hear.
    She brought her knees to her chest and raped her arms around. Tears rolled down her checks, her body trembling as the dream washed away in the light of the new day.  She calmed considerably over the next few moments, quietly crying to her self, The dream but a faded memory like wisps of steam of the street after a noon day shower in summer. Her mind settling down she began to look at the strange new surroundings all about her.
    The pictures each different, one of a young man about 4 years older than her self, another of a family all of them lined up smiling to be there and happy, with this new tears began to roll but still she continued to look, the last of the pictures depicted a night in shining armor, a family crest on the shield and a crown atop his head made from gold and silver. Under the window she could see a desk set with ink bottle, a quill, and parchment for writing, next to the bed and to her right stood a dresser that stood to her chest, a mirror border with silver on the top, and various other items. One of which caught her eye as out of place. A necklace set with a purple stone, the chain made of silver.  At his she stared, her head turned full
    “Do you like it?” The mans voice startled her out of her thoughts and distractions.  She cowers away form him in her surprise, looking at him with caution and a small bit of fear.
    The man just laughs at this, a gentle laugh. “I am not going to hurt you, I am just here to see how our young girl is doing.” He walks to her side and kneels near to the bed. His face covered with a gentle smile he looks her up and down stopping and at her intense green eyes.
    “Its ok now, well sort a. You are save here with us.”
    “What’s going to happen to me now?” her voice is small and cracked between quiet sobs.
    “Well, for one we are going to take you with us to HighGuard, to our home there.” He smiles gently at her and adds, “You should now get dressed and come down stairs to meet the rest of the family, they all want to talk with you now.”
    He stands and turns for the door. As he gets close he turns head back to the girl. “Oh and bye the way the necklace is a gift from us to you”
    She stare after him for a few moments even after he had departed past the door closing it on his way out. Then form the bed She rises form the bed, her bare feet touching the cold stone underneath, and moves to the closet to see what lye beyond. Behind the now open door are dresses of different color ranging form dark to light, from whit to blue to black, as well in one corner a few sets of slacks and shirts for general wear lye. At the bottom of the closet below the various out fits are a few sets of simple shoes that looked to be with in her size, this last detail startles her just a bit.
    From the choices that are before her she dresses in a purple gown similar to the one she had left in rags and a pair of black slippers that were more comfortable than anything she had ever worn before.
    Before even going through the main door she stops and looks towards the dresser with the necklaces with the purple stone set within and stops. Her thoughts rumble through weather to take this gift or be wary of it. The beauty of the piece though over rules better judgment and she slips the chain around her smooth neck. With all this done she moves to the hallway beyond and towards the stairs at its end.
    Before she even steps to the first of the stairs a young man appears below, a waiting expression across his face. His features are that of the older man with the air of youth around it. Dark black hair around his head and brown eyes look to her. His face is youthfully smooth and tanned of many days and nights outside.
    “well you comen.” His voice is smooth, care free, and gently like the older man she saw before.
    With this she breaks free from her pause of moments and begains down, wary of her surroundings and of him, as she moves forth toward this new individual. At the bottom of the stair he looks her up and down then turns on his heal and leads the way through several twists and turns to an outdoor patio.
    At the threshold she pauses and looks in. In the middle of the patio is a table made of old polished oak. Around there sits 5 chairs set at intervals three of which are occupied. One sits the old woman from the night before the other hold younger woman and the gentleman. The young man that lead her here sits in the chair to the right of the gentleman. Upon the table is set a various different breakfast items with places set at each chair.
    “well come” the old woman looks at her waiting. “Don’t keep us waiting lets get a look at you in the morning light, as well your food will get cold.”
    With this the girl takes an attentive step out to the reaming chair and sits.  The foods before here make her mouth water; there are deferent pastries and bread set on a small plate at the center. Upon another plate sliced meet and cheese await with aroma of exotic spices. And the last of the plates holds upon it a various assortment of fruits and vegetables fresh from a garden. A pitcher of sweet smelling liquid sits in the center on a blue spill over dish laced with gold at the edges. 
    “well, Do you have a name young one?” Sarah looks to the girl, an expression of caring lighting her olive colored eyes. “Or do we need to make one?”
    “C-C-Carry.” Carry’s voice now is but whisper. A lump lies in her throat making it hard to speak. She involuntarily bows her head to hide the tears that stream down her pale cheeks.
    Sarah reaches over the table with a handkerchief in hand and wipes the moister form carry’s cheeks. “now, now no need for any of that.” Her voice is quiet and comforting yet stern all the same.
    “So, What city are you from?” His words are gentle and curious. Carry looks up her eyes hurt, the pain is evident and full near to overwhelming. She is racked again with tears and sobs this time.
    “I see,” Daren’s face goes grim, he had struck a cord. “You are from the town that was destroyed if I am not mistaken.”
    All Carry could do to answer was Slightly nod then look down to her feet. She goes on, fully crying for a good several minutes, Her mind brings forth once more the pictures of the destruction and chaos that was witnessed by her.
    “Let it all out.” The old lady gives her comforting smile. “Let it all out and you may find you feel better to talk about it.”
    “I- I-I I just w-w-ant to forget a-a-about it all.” The girl stammers between tear field cries. “I-I-I just want my mom back.”
    “Well, I don’t know what to say, and there is not much I can do but listen.” The young man says, his eyes show he can understand what she feels so strongly, “Maybe talking might help but only when you are ready to tell.”
    “The O-O-Orcs just kept coming and coming th-they broke in an-and killed people.”  She found she could not stop once she spoke those words.
   
    It was a could autumn night, the leaves had just fallen of the trees and the moon was out and full like a big silver blue disk. From her window in the servants quarters, the servants and their family’s were treated well in this boarder town by the goodly king, she could see the princess dance as usual on a night of the moon. Her mind drifted down the familiar avenues, dreaming of one day dancing like her, moving as graceful as her through the night breeze. Her dream was broken, a flicker of light in the distance caught her eye, followed by hundreds more.
    She knew something was up even before the hundreds of tiny lights hurled forth to strike down upon the wall, a few had struck the princess and her body guards as they ran back to the safety of the gates. They fell not but a few steps away from where they had started and a scream came forth louder than she had though possible from one person, She could see him, the only elf on the wall his arms outstretched. His head held back, and his voice full of pain.
    To her continued horror she could not draw her eyes from the scene before her. Even as the orcs, the bloody orcs charged full out to the walls. There had been know warning form the outlying villages or the patrols or anything. They had simply slipped bye the easier targets. Their crash on the gates thundered through the walls, people scramble here and there to shoot out at the orcs as they put ladders up crawled over.
    The fight went on as such for what seemed to be hours but was instead mere minutes. As far as she could see the town was winning, winning but barley. Then came the turning point.
    The gate busted in under the wait of the rams and a section of the wall flew apart as mages joined the battled on the orcs side. Human mages, what were humans doing helping the orcs. She looked on, a new horror settled in her stomach. The mages turned there attention toward the castle and launched explosive magic. Peaces around were torn out as the orcs overwhelmed the forces on the ground.
    Her mother grabbed her around the waist and tore her away from the window. She was then handed her granddad’s rapier and told to run to the sanctuary. The last that she saw of her mother was the explosion hiting the window and collapsing down on top of her and her brother who was right behind her. She was fortunate to be pushed out of the way by him where she landed hard.
    In a daze she stood back up, her mum’s last words still ringing in her head ‘run to the sanctuary’ she started to make her way down to the basement level. The orcs had entered she could hear them down on the bottom floors fighting the guards. Her way was surly to be blocked down to the basement levels but nothing matter any more but following her mothers words, the only thought that ran through her head. She moved forward and made her way down the curving steps.
    At the bottom her daze was broken by the sound of people barking orders, ‘Find the treasure room, find the orb of earth’ The voice was dark and sinister and electricity sounded after then all was quiet but the orcs as they moved apart each going in different directions by the sound of their foot falls.
    She rounded the next corner and ran full into an orc. With out thinking the rapier leaped into her hand and without a thought was in beast belly. The orc fell back clutching the wound, cradling it as a mother cradles a new born, its weapon lay on the ground and it groaned even thought the cut was not all that bad. Her second swipe took of its head.
    She stood there looking at the body that lay at her feet. Her stomach twists and turned, she felt sick with her first kill. She had never killed anything until now and she was revolted by it. Sure they deserved if but she still felt sick anyway. With that she turned and ran back up the stairs, where were her mother and brother. She had to find them.

    The room was as she had left it. All in ruin her family lay beneath pile of rubble and the memory popped into place neatly. This time her stomach turned as threw up all over her feat. They were dead, she could see her brothers arm as it lay apart from the pile. She could see his blood pooled on the ground where she stood.
    Her legs felt week and she fell to her knees the blade rattling on the ground as she let go and brought her hands to her eyes.
    ‘we can’t sit here you know’ A strange voice speaks in her mind. We need to get moving.
    The girl stops her crying and looks around cautiously. “wh-whos there?”
    ‘silly girl down here’ She looks down the only thing to catch her eye is the rapier. It glowed slightly. ‘I am the sword and you are the chosen, so get up and lets move’
    “What!” she looks away startled, her eyes though are drawn back at the blade as it glowed its soft glow.
    ‘I will help you with my skill to survive, but I can’t do that with out you, we need to get out and away from here. I will explain in time’ The glow disappears and she picks it and her self up of the ground.
    She makes a mad dash for the stairs and down. The fighting by this time seemed to have died away and everything was too quiet and lonely. She had the feeling of being all alone as she reached the breach in the castle wall and stepped out.
    Her mouth felt dry as she finished, her eyes stared of into nothing, not a sound came out of her. Every one sat there their minds replaying the tale in their heads. This girl, Carry had been through a lot, she was only 10 maybe 11 years of age.  How could fate have been so cruel to this young lass who now had no home, had no family and provided that Daren had not found her, no possible future. Something was stirring, it was not a random choice for the orcs, and something was amiss.