The Alfheim Archives

Ashes to Dust...

As I laid his body down, I surveyed my surroundings. The bodies of my enemies strewn around me set my thoughts racing. I immediately considered ridding my house of the bodies but as I glimpsed my mother, my priorities changed.  Mother had always made it well known that when she died, she wanted to be cremated, ashes spread across the winds of Alfheim. Keeping this in mind, I started to gather wood from the surrounding trees. I stopped and checked every log to be sure that it was decently sized and cut properly for later. I eventually took the load and carefully stacked them up in a neat pile. With that done, I bent down and collected bits of kindling and throwing it at the bottom of the wood altar, turned to retrieve my mother. Before I moved her, I entered the kitchen, and wetting a cloth, I began washing her wounds. Afterward, I grabbed one of her best dresses, and removing the soiled and bloody dress she wore, I redressed her. Once I had finished cleaning her up, I carefully picked her up and laid her across the logs. I returned to the house and grabbed an old amulet that my parents had given me for my eighth birthday, a blanket, and an old mason jar. I paused in front of my mother and after second thought, I leaned over and hugged her. I lightly placed a kiss on her forehead like she had every night before I went to bed and whispered in her ear. "Good Night, Mom. Sleep well." I unrolled the blanket that I had grabbed and looked at it quietly. It was a blanket I had gotten her when I was younger. I had worked for weeks to be able to buy it for her birthday. I placed it over her body, covering her whole body. With a flick of my fingers, I set the altar aflame, suddenly able to control my powers with ease, and stood watching the flame eat away at the wood hungrily.

As I stood and watched my mother's body go down in flames, I vowed that I would avenge my mother and father and that I would make them both proud. Once the fire had burned the last of the wood and debris to ash, I scooped up my mother's ashes and carefully filled the jar and locket. With my mother's ashes stored away, I returned to the house. Walking through the house, I gathered all of my most important belongings, stuffing my bags with everything that would fit, including food and medical supplies just in case. Once my bags were full, with my mother's ashes nestled around my neck and in my bags, I stopped on the threshold of the front door and looked over the house that had been my home for seventeen years. I was still baffled that just this morning, my parents and I had been happy and living life. But as I turned away, I couldn't lose the feeling that one day, Fate would bring me back home. Until then, however, as I walked out of my family home, I had one goal in mind. I had a certain military recruiting center in the nearby town of Farandar, to visit as soon as possible.

As I wandered down the nearest road to Farandar, I took into account my surroundings, filing away the information for later. I couldn't help but watch as Light elves young and old hovered over their belongings and family, looking at me with eyes filled with fear, hunger, and sorrow. Five minutes down the road, a young girl who couldn't have been older than eight approached me fearfully. As I turned to look at her, she flinched away. Once she realized I wasn't doing anything, she mumbled something under her breath. I asked her to repeat herself but a little louder. She looked at me and with a small voice asked me if I had any change or food to spare. I could tell that she was hungry, so rummaged around my bags and gave her some of my bread and a few coins. She smiled and slowly, wrapped her arms around me. I could barely make it out when she whispered "Thank you", into my tunic. I patted her back and answered. " You are very welcome. I gave you all I could. I don't have much myself. Now go on. I have to go now." She pulled away and giving me a small smile, she turned and ran into one of the buildings along the side of the road. I turned away and continued down the street.

As daylight turned to dusk, my thoughts turned to find a place to settle down for the night. I veered off the main road and began searching for a decent clearing. I came across one not far from the road and began setting up a fire. I then laid out my sleeping bag and sorted the right items out of my bag that I would need to catch myself dinner.  Pulling out my White Elf Army pocket knife, I whittled a stick into a sharp spear. I collected my small game net, my pocket knife, my "spear" and my wits and headed further into the bushes and trees. I sharpened my senses to sort out any small game that I could catch and kill. I caught a faint rustle in the grass to my left and I crept up to it using my powers to hone in on its location and send an arrow right into its body. I crept over and picked up the rabbit and headed back towards my camp. As I walked back into the clearing I decided I would roast the rabbit over my fire and cook what I didn't eat until it was jerky. That way I would have food for the next few days. When I could barely keep my eyes open anymore, I lowered the fire so that it would smolder and illuminate the clearing but burn itself out or go out of control while I slept. I rolled out my sleeping bag, and removed my shoes, and set them by the fire. I burrowed into the sleeping bag and started to drift off.

I didn't know what time it was when I was awakened by the sound of a close arrival. Whether they were friend or foe, I wasn't sure, but I was about to find out.