Post by burgo on Feb 7, 2007 6:17:28 GMT -5
It was an early spring evening in the High Forest. The wind was warm, and the snow was almost all gone from the treetops and from the ground. A hunter moved amongst the shadows of the trees. Carefully and quietly he moved, his keen senses locked on his prey, a deer male, in the prime of his life. What a magnificant animal it was, perfect in everyway, and the hunter felt a sting in his heart, when he placed the arrow on his bow, and armed it. He had done the same thing countless of times, but still he had never gotten used to it. Never gotten used to taking the life from these innocent occupants of his home forest. He knew it was necessary, it was his livelyhood. He needed the skins and furs for clothing, and the meat for food.
The hunter glanced over his shoulder, and another, older man, stood a bit further behind him, and nodded his head. In that instance, the young man released his hand, slinging the arrow into it's flight. The arrow pierced the air, with enormous speed, and before the deer even knew what happened the arrow had pierced it's heart, killing it instantly. The hunter stood in silence for few moments, eyes closed he whispred a prayer to the lady of the forest, before starting to approach his now already dead prey. The older man followed behind, with an approving expression on his face he spoke "Tar'lach, my son, I know how you love these creatures, and it kills something from your soul everytime you have to take their life, but it is the way of the balance, everything is food for something else, and if you do not overdo it there is nothing wrong in it, and if you always remember to do it with great humility and respect towards your prey".
Tar'lach stood beside the dead corpse of the deer, and carefully tying it's hooves together he lifted it to his shoulders. Turning his head back to his father, his mentour, he spoke quietly "Shall we go now, this one animal is enough for now, isn't it?", the older man nodded, and they turned back to head home. They walked for few miles, and gradually Tar's mood started to improve, the thought of his mother and little sister smiling warmly as they returned with the catch, slowly took the pain away from his heart. They were almost home, when they heard something from a supposedly empty cave nearby. His father nodded his head to Tar as a sign they should go and investigate, that no dangerous beasts had inhabited the cave.
Quietly the two hunters snuk into the darkness of the cave. It was a maze of small tunnels that all ended into one big opening at the end of the cave. His father walked at front, due to his elven eyes, he could see better in the darknes, as supposed to Tar's half'elven eyesight. They both saw the opening in the distance, and his father signed him to come and walk beside him, and he did as he was told, taking place at his father's left side. Simultaniously they stepped into the large clearing. Tar glanced around, seeing nothing.
Just when he was about to turn to his father and tell him that they should leave because the cave was empty as always, he felt something hit him on the head, and everything went black.
He felt a breeze on his face, and something tickling his nose. Tar slowly opened his eyes, and realized he was not in the cave anymore. He saw the sun shining from the clear blue sky, and smelled the forest around him. But the smell was different. It was nothing like the smell of his home, the high forest. Slowly he lifted himself to his feet, and felt the back of his head with his right hand. It felt damp and warm, and when he looked at his hand he noticed it, blood. He looked around and it was obvious that he was deep in some forest, but the forest was not familiar. Even the trees looked like strangers, stretching their claws above him, ready to grab him and rip him apart. His eyes sweeped accross the landscape, his keen senses fixed on anything familiar. But nothing familiar was at sight. No smells, no nothing, and his father, was no where to be find.
Slowly he started to walk, his head pounding with tremendious force, and from time to time his eyesight, blurred and unclear. He wandered for hours, aimlessly, not seeing any signs of wildlife anywhere. Finally after a half day's walk, he reached a road, or what was once a road, but now had been overgrown with plants. He set near the road, but into the shelter of the trees. The day turned into night, and the air got colder. Tar wrapped the cloak tighter around himself, and pulled the hood to shield his face from the wind.
Early next morning Tar saw the first signs of life. A building was rising in the horizon. He sighed with relief, and set towards it. When he got to it's door, he noticed a sign infront of the house. The sign read, The Crazed Ass Roadhouse. Tar opened the door and walked inside. There were few people inside the tavern, and he choose a table with a clear view over the place as well over to the door, and sat down. He looked towards the bardesk, where he saw three people sitting, and the bartender behind it. He started listening them talking, and fortunately, they were speaking the same language that they spoke in almost every human town near his home also. The hin male, was the one who spoke the most, and the human woman merely seemed to listen and reply with short replies.
The Third person really cathed his eye however. It was not anything he had seen before, it looked like a fox. But it was taller and sat there like a man.
For awhile he sat there and listened to them before he got the courage and walked up to them. He softly spoke to them, as he was a really shy boy, and the fox-man stood up. He introduced himself as Crow, and led Tar outside, explaining and answering some of his questions...
The hunter glanced over his shoulder, and another, older man, stood a bit further behind him, and nodded his head. In that instance, the young man released his hand, slinging the arrow into it's flight. The arrow pierced the air, with enormous speed, and before the deer even knew what happened the arrow had pierced it's heart, killing it instantly. The hunter stood in silence for few moments, eyes closed he whispred a prayer to the lady of the forest, before starting to approach his now already dead prey. The older man followed behind, with an approving expression on his face he spoke "Tar'lach, my son, I know how you love these creatures, and it kills something from your soul everytime you have to take their life, but it is the way of the balance, everything is food for something else, and if you do not overdo it there is nothing wrong in it, and if you always remember to do it with great humility and respect towards your prey".
Tar'lach stood beside the dead corpse of the deer, and carefully tying it's hooves together he lifted it to his shoulders. Turning his head back to his father, his mentour, he spoke quietly "Shall we go now, this one animal is enough for now, isn't it?", the older man nodded, and they turned back to head home. They walked for few miles, and gradually Tar's mood started to improve, the thought of his mother and little sister smiling warmly as they returned with the catch, slowly took the pain away from his heart. They were almost home, when they heard something from a supposedly empty cave nearby. His father nodded his head to Tar as a sign they should go and investigate, that no dangerous beasts had inhabited the cave.
Quietly the two hunters snuk into the darkness of the cave. It was a maze of small tunnels that all ended into one big opening at the end of the cave. His father walked at front, due to his elven eyes, he could see better in the darknes, as supposed to Tar's half'elven eyesight. They both saw the opening in the distance, and his father signed him to come and walk beside him, and he did as he was told, taking place at his father's left side. Simultaniously they stepped into the large clearing. Tar glanced around, seeing nothing.
Just when he was about to turn to his father and tell him that they should leave because the cave was empty as always, he felt something hit him on the head, and everything went black.
He felt a breeze on his face, and something tickling his nose. Tar slowly opened his eyes, and realized he was not in the cave anymore. He saw the sun shining from the clear blue sky, and smelled the forest around him. But the smell was different. It was nothing like the smell of his home, the high forest. Slowly he lifted himself to his feet, and felt the back of his head with his right hand. It felt damp and warm, and when he looked at his hand he noticed it, blood. He looked around and it was obvious that he was deep in some forest, but the forest was not familiar. Even the trees looked like strangers, stretching their claws above him, ready to grab him and rip him apart. His eyes sweeped accross the landscape, his keen senses fixed on anything familiar. But nothing familiar was at sight. No smells, no nothing, and his father, was no where to be find.
Slowly he started to walk, his head pounding with tremendious force, and from time to time his eyesight, blurred and unclear. He wandered for hours, aimlessly, not seeing any signs of wildlife anywhere. Finally after a half day's walk, he reached a road, or what was once a road, but now had been overgrown with plants. He set near the road, but into the shelter of the trees. The day turned into night, and the air got colder. Tar wrapped the cloak tighter around himself, and pulled the hood to shield his face from the wind.
Early next morning Tar saw the first signs of life. A building was rising in the horizon. He sighed with relief, and set towards it. When he got to it's door, he noticed a sign infront of the house. The sign read, The Crazed Ass Roadhouse. Tar opened the door and walked inside. There were few people inside the tavern, and he choose a table with a clear view over the place as well over to the door, and sat down. He looked towards the bardesk, where he saw three people sitting, and the bartender behind it. He started listening them talking, and fortunately, they were speaking the same language that they spoke in almost every human town near his home also. The hin male, was the one who spoke the most, and the human woman merely seemed to listen and reply with short replies.
The Third person really cathed his eye however. It was not anything he had seen before, it looked like a fox. But it was taller and sat there like a man.
For awhile he sat there and listened to them before he got the courage and walked up to them. He softly spoke to them, as he was a really shy boy, and the fox-man stood up. He introduced himself as Crow, and led Tar outside, explaining and answering some of his questions...