Atentie, nu am zis primul capitol!!! Inca ma mai gandesc la ala:D:P
Meetings
Upon entering the village the first thing that struck them was the quietness of the villagers. They passed silently on the murky, cobbled streets, glancing now and then in front, just to quickly take in the surroundings. The brors were moving hastily through the somewhat labyrinthine alleys, with a sense of purpose. Otherwise they held their big, hairy snouts down, hidden under cloaks made of fine plant fibres or under light straw hats. From time to time someone would give a snort or a grunt of disapproval when passing them and their guards, throwing them cold looks.
‘Obviously they seriously disapprove of our coming here,’ whispered Ru to Rellenae. He looked purposefully toward a small group that had formed near a clay hut somewhere to their left since they had entered the village. Following his gaze she spotted that the brors there had somewhat better clothes than the others. They were glaring at them with their yellowish small eyes, while deeply involved in a whispered debate that seemed to concern them, although it was hard to tell. She nodded stiffly. She had never taken too much interest in their habits. Indeed, she had read about them in a few ballads and journals of some lucky enough to have been welcome into their midst years before the Leaf War. But apart from their social structure and some traditions from 200 years before, she knew next to nothing about them. That is why she felt somewhat uncomfortable in their presence. Ru, on the other hand, seemed to have no such problems. He was, after all, the smartest of them, and had, thus, successfully managed to encompass what knowledge they could gather in the ever increasing notebook he carried around with him at all times. He felt for the hard cover in his bag and felt reassured. He could take a quick peek any time and could remember whatever tradition, gesture or word that might have slipped his mind.
‘How can she endure the stress?’ thought Allan. He was clearly seeing the change in Helaena’s aura. It was never too quiet, but now... It was almost as if she was fighting with someone trying to take over her body. Sudden shifts in the colour, intensity and shape of her aura clearly indicated to Allan’s inner eye that she was in a great battle with herself. And this seemed to be obvious not only to him, but also to the guards towering above her head. They were also tense, studying her every move with interest, with wild curiosity gleaming in their beady little yellow eyes. He knew very well why she was suffering. He himself felt some kind of animosity towards the bror help that had been so willingly and easily given. There was something missing, there were some gaps that he could not fill, and the thought made him a little more uncomfortable than he was willing to admit. What did they want? There was meant to be a catch to their easy help. But he would have to wait for things to move on in order to figure out the full implications of this possible alliance.
‘We’re here!’ said the bror captain stopping in front of a tall hut, made of clay between several ancient trees. It was an outstanding masterpiece of bror ingenuity, thought Ru. The trees soared high to the skies. Yet, their canopy was only half grown at that impressive height. Half of their branches made up the roof of the building, going more or less radial towards the centre of the circular hut. The twigs intertwined and covered every possible patch that opened towards the clear afternoon sky. The hut’s windows were mere holes in the clay walls that united the tree trunks. Ivy had grown on them, finely weaving the frames. But what was more astounding than the gargantuan size of the building which, by all standards, had at least three floors, was the way the walls grew smaller with each moment as a result of the trunks getting thicker. The clay was no ordinary clay, and neither was it ordinarily built. A few springs had been redirected to flow through specially designed channels that span all over the surface of the walls, keeping the clay wet at all times. This drew an amazing pattern which impressed the viewer through its purposeful and organized apparent randomness of the fine grooves through which the water sprinkled and trickled. The sound was awe-inspiring, as if all the springs in the forest had been gathered in that single place. And because of the constant humidity of the building, moss and some unknown types of flowers flourished on the walls, creating the impression that the entire building had actually been dug in a gigantic mound of grey-yellow clay. Birds and odd-looking squirrels were joyfully living their tiny lives on the building.
Allan glanced sideways at Ru who was gawping, transfixed at the wild beauty of the building. He smiled slightly, trying not to show his own amazement towards the grandiose building towering above them. He looked around and saw that some brors were gathering in the small clearing. The others were analysing in amazement, although he noticed with satisfaction that they, too, were aware of the approaching party. He went to join the others and wait for what was to come.
Rellenae had sensed what was sure to be some sort of town hall from afar. The building itself was bustling with energy, although she could not yet tell if it was sapient. She felt the walls shrink, a slow, laborious process that remained by all accounts quite unnoticeable to the naked eye. But to her it was obvious, the flow of the slow, yet purposeful life in the three trees, the minute amounts of clay being washed away by the little sprinkles of water, the additional particles being added on by everything that grew on it, that developed in perfect balance with the rest of the building. She saw her awe, which she had always shown in little to no amount, mirrored in Ru’s face. She grinned in her mind, amused by the child-like reaction he had. He was such a naïve character when it came to such marvels. ‘Which,’ she thought, ‘is why I should always keep an eye on him. You never know what he’ll do if presented with promises involving knowledge.’ She made a mental note to tell him about this potentially disastrous weakness. She looked at the others. Allan was his unusually reserved self when in solemn situations. She could see the faint flicker of a smile briefly etched on his face. Her eyes turned to Helaena. Her heart skipped a beat. The girl was surely going to burst with venom. Her eyes were slightly red, every muscle on her face straining to maintain a neutral composure despite obvious interfering thoughts. Her hands were tightly clenched in fists, which seemed to hang heavily from stiff wooden arms. She was slightly hunched, although if viewed from behind, none of this was obvious. But Rellenae knew better. She understood the struggle between rage and self-control fighting over her friend’s body. She drew closer to her. Helaena shifted slightly on her feet, slowly revolving to face the scene going on behind Rellenae. Before she followed her gaze, she noticed with deep concern the cracking look in her friend’s eyes. As she spun on the spot to see what had caused it, she heard a joyful, if a bit hoarse voice:
Meetings
Upon entering the village the first thing that struck them was the quietness of the villagers. They passed silently on the murky, cobbled streets, glancing now and then in front, just to quickly take in the surroundings. The brors were moving hastily through the somewhat labyrinthine alleys, with a sense of purpose. Otherwise they held their big, hairy snouts down, hidden under cloaks made of fine plant fibres or under light straw hats. From time to time someone would give a snort or a grunt of disapproval when passing them and their guards, throwing them cold looks.
‘Obviously they seriously disapprove of our coming here,’ whispered Ru to Rellenae. He looked purposefully toward a small group that had formed near a clay hut somewhere to their left since they had entered the village. Following his gaze she spotted that the brors there had somewhat better clothes than the others. They were glaring at them with their yellowish small eyes, while deeply involved in a whispered debate that seemed to concern them, although it was hard to tell. She nodded stiffly. She had never taken too much interest in their habits. Indeed, she had read about them in a few ballads and journals of some lucky enough to have been welcome into their midst years before the Leaf War. But apart from their social structure and some traditions from 200 years before, she knew next to nothing about them. That is why she felt somewhat uncomfortable in their presence. Ru, on the other hand, seemed to have no such problems. He was, after all, the smartest of them, and had, thus, successfully managed to encompass what knowledge they could gather in the ever increasing notebook he carried around with him at all times. He felt for the hard cover in his bag and felt reassured. He could take a quick peek any time and could remember whatever tradition, gesture or word that might have slipped his mind.
Helaena lingered behind the other two. Her deep-black hair hung opaque over her eyes. The other two had not noticed it yet, but she was intently gazing at the ground in front of her. She could not dare take in the surroundings. She felt an odd fear, mingled with revulsion searing her every vein. She could not help thinking of how these beasts had kept her father prisoner for so many years, of how they may have killed him as they kill goats, snapping the necks like twigs... They must have killed him, haven’t they? He was most surely lying on the mold filled, infected bottom of one of their spike pits. Or else why hadn’t he written? Why hadn’t he given them a sign that he was alive after they had received numerous proofs of his tortures? Why had he let her mother die of a sorrowful heart? They were going to pay, of that she was sure. She felt her blood slowly heating up to boiling point, making her body stiff, making her irritable. But she was too weak, and the other two wouldn’t help her in what she wanted to do. As for Allan, he was useless with his tedious advice on morals. And yet... part of her held in the light of reason both her dying mother’s words and her teacher’s preachings on love and honour. Even Allan’s opinions popped up in her mind from time to time, and try as she might, she could not overcome them. And worst of all, the two bror guards standing next to her seemed to be on to what she was feeling and were also tense, keeping a close eye on her movements.
‘How can she endure the stress?’ thought Allan. He was clearly seeing the change in Helaena’s aura. It was never too quiet, but now... It was almost as if she was fighting with someone trying to take over her body. Sudden shifts in the colour, intensity and shape of her aura clearly indicated to Allan’s inner eye that she was in a great battle with herself. And this seemed to be obvious not only to him, but also to the guards towering above her head. They were also tense, studying her every move with interest, with wild curiosity gleaming in their beady little yellow eyes. He knew very well why she was suffering. He himself felt some kind of animosity towards the bror help that had been so willingly and easily given. There was something missing, there were some gaps that he could not fill, and the thought made him a little more uncomfortable than he was willing to admit. What did they want? There was meant to be a catch to their easy help. But he would have to wait for things to move on in order to figure out the full implications of this possible alliance.
‘We’re here!’ said the bror captain stopping in front of a tall hut, made of clay between several ancient trees. It was an outstanding masterpiece of bror ingenuity, thought Ru. The trees soared high to the skies. Yet, their canopy was only half grown at that impressive height. Half of their branches made up the roof of the building, going more or less radial towards the centre of the circular hut. The twigs intertwined and covered every possible patch that opened towards the clear afternoon sky. The hut’s windows were mere holes in the clay walls that united the tree trunks. Ivy had grown on them, finely weaving the frames. But what was more astounding than the gargantuan size of the building which, by all standards, had at least three floors, was the way the walls grew smaller with each moment as a result of the trunks getting thicker. The clay was no ordinary clay, and neither was it ordinarily built. A few springs had been redirected to flow through specially designed channels that span all over the surface of the walls, keeping the clay wet at all times. This drew an amazing pattern which impressed the viewer through its purposeful and organized apparent randomness of the fine grooves through which the water sprinkled and trickled. The sound was awe-inspiring, as if all the springs in the forest had been gathered in that single place. And because of the constant humidity of the building, moss and some unknown types of flowers flourished on the walls, creating the impression that the entire building had actually been dug in a gigantic mound of grey-yellow clay. Birds and odd-looking squirrels were joyfully living their tiny lives on the building.
Allan glanced sideways at Ru who was gawping, transfixed at the wild beauty of the building. He smiled slightly, trying not to show his own amazement towards the grandiose building towering above them. He looked around and saw that some brors were gathering in the small clearing. The others were analysing in amazement, although he noticed with satisfaction that they, too, were aware of the approaching party. He went to join the others and wait for what was to come.
Rellenae had sensed what was sure to be some sort of town hall from afar. The building itself was bustling with energy, although she could not yet tell if it was sapient. She felt the walls shrink, a slow, laborious process that remained by all accounts quite unnoticeable to the naked eye. But to her it was obvious, the flow of the slow, yet purposeful life in the three trees, the minute amounts of clay being washed away by the little sprinkles of water, the additional particles being added on by everything that grew on it, that developed in perfect balance with the rest of the building. She saw her awe, which she had always shown in little to no amount, mirrored in Ru’s face. She grinned in her mind, amused by the child-like reaction he had. He was such a naïve character when it came to such marvels. ‘Which,’ she thought, ‘is why I should always keep an eye on him. You never know what he’ll do if presented with promises involving knowledge.’ She made a mental note to tell him about this potentially disastrous weakness. She looked at the others. Allan was his unusually reserved self when in solemn situations. She could see the faint flicker of a smile briefly etched on his face. Her eyes turned to Helaena. Her heart skipped a beat. The girl was surely going to burst with venom. Her eyes were slightly red, every muscle on her face straining to maintain a neutral composure despite obvious interfering thoughts. Her hands were tightly clenched in fists, which seemed to hang heavily from stiff wooden arms. She was slightly hunched, although if viewed from behind, none of this was obvious. But Rellenae knew better. She understood the struggle between rage and self-control fighting over her friend’s body. She drew closer to her. Helaena shifted slightly on her feet, slowly revolving to face the scene going on behind Rellenae. Before she followed her gaze, she noticed with deep concern the cracking look in her friend’s eyes. As she spun on the spot to see what had caused it, she heard a joyful, if a bit hoarse voice:
“Welcome to this forest, Great Four!” The man who uttered those words in plain English had been at first concealed by two larger brors, but soon found his way from behind them. The group seemed to be made of high-class brors. “I expect you journeyed swift and strict and you are tired and hungry.” He gave them a generous wide-smiled look. His face was wrinkled and scarred. Allan couldn’t help wonder why his aura was so intense when the man seemed quite frail. “All you need will be provided in due time. But for the moment I ask you to come with me to the chieftain. He has the answers you seek.” He grinned at them again, his black eyes flickering with joy surveyed each of them as if they were treasures of a time past. And then his gaze fell on one of them. Ru was taken aback by how fast the flicker in the old man’s eyes had died. He turned around. The man was looking at Helaena.
Relenae saw Ru’s puzzlement, but she knew better. The thin demeanour, the raven eyes, the thick, though grey hair, even the way the grey-green clothes seemed to hang on his body, both humble and, at the same time, hiding some great inner power… he was, by all accounts, must have been, Helaena’s father.
Relenae saw Ru’s puzzlement, but she knew better. The thin demeanour, the raven eyes, the thick, though grey hair, even the way the grey-green clothes seemed to hang on his body, both humble and, at the same time, hiding some great inner power… he was, by all accounts, must have been, Helaena’s father.
“You!! You’ve been alive all this time?! And not a word, not anything!” Helaena broke out in an avalanche of reproaches.
“I...”
“For all these years we thought you were dead! Mum lost all hope, I’d lost all hope. I watched her wither, helplessly, mourning you, her beloved, irreplaceable husband, the one she loved most until she had me, the one who gave her the biggest joy of her life! And I, I waited like a fool for so long until tears were dry, hope had gone and I was left hollow. Yet this made me strong!! I swore to get revenge on those who had surely had taken your life! I was willing to accept your death afterwards as your last gift for us, you, the pure of heart from my imagination! But I see now that you are heartless!! Soulless, Merciless!! You call yourself a father?? Hah!” she spat at his feet. With each scolding she had drawn closer to him. The brors wanted to place themselves between her and her father, but he waved them away. At a certain point all the water flowing on the wall started diverting towards the limp figure of the thin man with his head hanging in shame. The water accumulated in a giant bubble that hung heavily in the air behind the tense and shaking body of the girl. Her eyes were filled with heavy tears flowing relentlessly down her cheeks falling from her chin just to joint the huge blob trailing obediently behind her. If in the beginning her voice had been confident, superior, brazen, it utterly cracked at the end, ending in a deep sob. Her hair was dishevelled, her eyes pleading and accusing, burning like the fires in the bowels a restless volcano. And he didn’t say anything. He had just stood there, head bowed, accepting every reproach as a blessing, his eyes hollow, his face screaming relief and acceptance.
A pause ensued, long, uneasy. Finally, the old man raised his head and found the strength to speak.
“You are right. I wish I could reach you, I have tried so many times...” a small twitch of the arms. They bore long, deep healed wounds going up and down their entire length. Ru was sure they were marks of numerous failed attempts of escape from some kind of barb-wire prison.
“But I had no choice, even when I could. It was too late, I thought you had given up on me, that you, that she remade her life. But they were the thoughts of an old fool. If it makes you feel any better, you should know that had I had the chance to change anything in the time I’d spent with you both, I would only change myself- more caring, more understanding... but now, now it’s too late...” He spread his arms and held out his old skinny chest under its green-gray linen. “If you believe I deserve death in return for my sins, I accept it wholeheartedly, being at peace now after having seen you one last time. If you choose differently, I have, however information to help you in what you seek. But it is entirely your choice.” His face had become stern. His wrinkles seemed not too deep, but not inexistent. His old features that somehow still retained what once had surely been a noble glamour seemed carved in skin-coloured stone. He was still, a totem of regret and acceptance.
Helaena overcame the obvious blankness that had overcome her while her father had spoken. Her face became serious, with a hint of malevolent pride. Her eyes were ablaze with a hideous victorious spark. Her hand rose, turned upwards. The sphere of water rose with it. She pointed her hand to her father, a smile etching on her face as if cutting through her features. The water drifted steadily to the man, engulfed him and became opaque. It had become oblong in order to encase its victim.
“Wait” shouted the other three... her friends. They wanted her to stop, but revenge was so sweet, so satisfying. An oval appeared on the surface of the matte sphere. Ru’s doing, for sure. Indeed, he was concentrating on that spot with all his will. But she was stronger in her flowing pleasure. She looked at the face of her father. Fear glistened in his reddening face. The fool was trying to hold his breath. That look... she had seen it in the eyes of her mother upon her death... No! She could not! But all the pain, it needed compensation... But his pain? Wasn’t she as murderous as so many others she had scorned? She was killing her father for crying out loud!
The realisation of the abomination of her own deed fell like a mountain on her consciousness. It squirmed under her venom. It wriggled free. It made her drop the hand and break the water coffin. It splashed all around her. The poor old man fell to the ground gasping, gulping air avidly, eyes bulging, hands shaking in the strain to support his weight.
She felt weak. Her body was trembling, and it was not because of the effort. It was over.
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