Endings Read online

Endings

  By Lisa Williamson

  Copyright 2012 Lisa Williamson

  Adventures of Loralil Greyfox

  Book one

  Endings

  Chapter One

  Life Ends

  Screams of terror and betrayal filled the clearing. Blood flowed as the vicious invaders looked for their prey. They weren't here but the sounds from below should bring them forth. Death was not quiet on this afternoon.

  Once the noise from the attack reached up the hill to the smithy, the Blade master looked up. He was tall for these small folk. He came to a height of 5'6". Tall for an elf. He had blue black hair tied back in a club. His eyes were a deep purple, odd for a surface dwelling elf. He had massive muscles from years of smithing. He grabbed up the nearest weapon, a sword he made years ago for a king who did not live to collect his custom job. A flame brand. He yelled back to the open door of his home, "Silvershine! Greyfox! Come out here!"

  "What is it, Stoneblade?" Asked his wife as she came out of the house. She was a beautiful woman. Long silver hair pulled back into a myriad of tiny braids. She was slender and graceful. She had kept a fine figure after the birth of her child and the following years of settled life. She was a foot shorter than her husband and had a voice that would make birds stop singing in envy.

  "The village is under attack," Stoneblade replied quickly has he turned to intercept his child as she tried to fly past him. "Stop right there! Greyfox, you must go to the hiding place."

  "Father! No! I want to help!"

  "Do what your father tells you child. This is no game." Silvershine held out her hand to her only child. She needed to be sure that this precious child was protected. Chastised the elven child turned and re-entered the dwelling. The two then ran down the hill and entered the slaughter below. Even though they were trained warriors and masters of their crafts they could do little to save those below. The raiders' wizard knew of their presence and planned accordingly. Watching for the arrival of the only two members of the village who could tip the balance away from an easy victory, he had trap spells set to hold them when the appeared.

  Just as he planned they fell for his trap. They found themselves enwrapped in layers and layers of webbing. They could not cut themselves free and fell to the ground. As they watched they saw the people they had lived with for the last 30 years being put to the sword for being too old to be worth transporting to the slave markets. When the raiders were done with the killing, all that they could see left of their friends and neighbors were five women and to their horror their fourteen year old daughter.

  The leader of the raiders was a tall, ugly half Orc named Samuel Elvenbane. He was the product of rape and he lived his life trying to outdo his father's legend. He had raped and pillaged his way across three countries, always looking for the villages of elves. He was seeking two very specific elves. He had found them at last. Stoneblade and Silvershine. They had participated in the death of his father, the only being Samuel ever looked up to. Now he would have his revenge.

  "Are they paralyzed wizard?"

  "Yesss, my leader," hissed the cloaked being at his right.

  "Good," he turned back to his prisoners. "I have waited twenty years for this. You two will pay for killing the only being greater than my perfect self." He pontificated. "First, I shall have you elf bitch. Right here in front of your mate. Or even better," looking at the young elf maiden brought before him. He reached forward and grasped her chin. Tilting up her face he saw the parents blended into a new and even more striking combination. Eyes of deepest purple surrounded by long moon-silver lashes. Hair of the same color cascading down her back freely to her hips. Slender yet just blossoming into womanhood. She was straight and proud in front of these killers. She had her parents contempt for them. She had been told all about the world without. The humans, Halflings, Dwarves and others. But mostly she had been told about this particular beast. She wrenched her face out of his hands and spat at him. Hitting him square between the eyes. There was a shocked silence from his followers and then he burst out laughing.

  He liked the audacity of this child.

  "Strip her," he ordered. Her mother tried to move. Straining inside the spell, she tried to form the sound of the music she needed for the counter spell. She couldn't think. The snake wizard had a way of making her thinking muffled only when she tried to cast a spell. She was in her full capacity as she watched her beloved daughter raped just as she had been by this thing's father fifty years ago. She survived then and got her revenge. Now she knew she would not. Tears of rage and pain rolled down her face. When the beast finished up he invited his men to have go, as long as they didn't do any permanent damage to the goods.

  ***************************

  Earlier

  Greyfox climbed down the ladder into the cellar, grumbling all the way. She had always been indulged by everyone around her. She had never been told she couldn't do anything. It was frustrating to be treated like a little child. She knew that she was good at fighting. Her father had taught her how to use knife, sword and bow. She was the best shot in the village. Of course she had the best teacher in the world. Her father. He had been the king's Blade Master back when he lived in the outside. Mother was almost as good as father with a sword and his better with a bow. How could they send her down her as if she was still a baby?

  Greyfox looked around down here. For years she had been using this room as a playroom. She had pretended when she was little that she was a great general of some outside army. Fighting and defeating Orc armies. Hunting down and slaughtering Drow and other evil creatures. As she grew older she hid her treasures here. A cast off sword that her father decided was not good enough to bear his mark. Her mother's old practice harp. A bow and arrows that she had made herself. Her first attempts at song crafting and the small target she used to practice throwing daggers. She had many a happy winter day down here but now she was all grown up. Her mother told her that soon she would become a woman and would learn the mysteries that each Elven mother taught her daughters.

  "Well, I'm bored down here. Maybe I can just go outside the house. Surely if I bring my bow I can help Mother and Father damage those raiders." Grabbing up her bow and arrows she snuck up the ladder and back into the kitchen. She looked carefully out of the window before she opened the door to the outside. She didn't want to be captured before she had a chance to pot some Orcs. She opened the door slowly, seeing no one in the yard she scooted out and sprinted under the trees.

  Going from tree to tree she got close as she felt was safe to the valley floor. Climbing her favorite tree she found she had a clear view of the carnage below. She choked back the vomit that came to her throat. Laying on the ground like broken dolls were all her friends from the village. The old baker, his wife, the seamstress. The cooper, the wheel right and the storyteller. Greyfox saw bodies clear across the valley. All her friends lying on the ground, surrounded by blood.

  Her eyes flew, looking for her parents. She didn't see them at first. Then in horror she saw them run down into the valley. Right into the trap that had been laid for them. They were quickly enveloped in long sticky white strands. She cried out as she saw them fall and a tall ugly creature walked up and stood over them. She raised her bow and started releasing her arrows. She took down three of the attackers before they found her tree. She kept firing, hitting what ever she aimed at. It was as if her horror lent her an accuracy she normally lacked. Just as she was running out of arrows she heard a strange sound. It sounded like chanting but in some weird language. As she listened she found herself becoming very tired. She fought to keep her eyes open and to continue to fire but she couldn't. Her eyes fell shut and she fell out of the tree into the waiting arms of the chanting creature.

  He easily caught her. His
master would be very pleased. He looked down at his burden. This was well worth the trip. In his arms he held a lovely elven girl child just on the brink of womanhood. She was obviously the daughter of his master's two enemies. He turned and carried her toward the village.

  ************************

  Lying on the ground were she had been abused, Greyfox tried to bring her thoughts together. The horror of what had been done to her kept sending her thoughts scattering out of her reach. She knew that there was something she should be doing but she just couldn't remember. Why was she lying here? Why did she hurt? Mother would know. But where was Mother? There was some reason that her mother couldn't reach her. What was it? She tried to form her mother's name but all that came out her mouth was a whimper. Was that me? Think Greyfox. What happened? Just as she seemed to touch on what happened she smelt something. With a quiver of fear the smell brought back the memories. THAT SMELL. IT BELONGED TO AN ORC! With a cry Greyfox sat up and scooted back away from the source of that smell. Her mind running in

  circles in its fear. She had to get away. Find her parents. They would make it all right. They never let anything bad happen. The were the strongest, smartest people in the world. Looking around in fear she tried to spot them. As she moved backward she bumped into something. Turning she screamed as she realized that what she had bumped into was one of her friends. The body of one of her friends. She quickly reversed her course. Trying to stand she made it to a crouch when she looked up and saw the ugliest creature in her world. Her memory came back. This was the creature who raped her! She froze.

  "Good, you're back. Now it is time for you to see what I do to my enemies, child. You will remember this day for the rest of your sorry days." He reached down and pulled her to her feet by the hair. Pushing her in front of him they walked toward the center of the village.

  There his men had erected a scaffolding with two tall stakes with crossbeams in the center. Greyfox saw that her parents were tied to these and stripped. Turning to his hooded mage he spoke in an undertone. "Have you made sure that they can in no way interrupt my pleasure?"

  "Yess, the spell is laid. They will not be breaking free thisss time."

  "Good." With that he dragged Greyfox forward by her hair. He spoke into her face, his breath like rancid meat. "You will watch now the revenge of Samuel Elvenbane." Turning to the crowd of his followers. "Let no Being say that they can get the best of me or my people. Start the punishment." He waved his hand at the scaffold.

  Two large, burly men stepped up to the two elves. Raising their arms in unison, they each brought down a whip on the backs of the prisoners. As they pulled back their arms for a second blow Greyfox could see the sparkle of something woven into the whips. Bits of glass and metal, used to tear the skin off the bones of those whipped by it. Quickly blood was flowing down the backs and legs of Greyfox's parents. No sound came from the two though. Samuel looked over at his mage. "Can you lift the silence enough to let them scream but not enough to use the bitch's bard tricks?"

  "Of course, my lord" The snake twiddled his fingers and the spell was partially lifted. Now harsh breathing could be heard, but to Samuel's disappointment there we no cries. He dragged Greyfox up onto the scaffolding and grabbed one of the whips from his men, handing her off to that being. Raising the whip he brought it down with all his strength on Stoneblade's back. He got no other reaction than a tightening of the jaw. He repeated and repeated his blow until Stoneblade's back was in tatters. He then moved on to Silvershine. He got not more satisfaction out of her. Finally he dropped the whip and walked around to face his two captives.

  "Why won't you scream?!"

  Lifting her head took more strength than Silvershine believed she still had but she did. Looking straight into his eyes she cursed him in low elvish to live a long and empty life. He raised his fist and smashed her in the face. Stoneblade continued her curse by adding that someday he would find his doom by elvish hands and that he would have no son or daughter to follow in his footsteps. Laughing shakily Samuel gestured to his mage to bring Greyfox forward. "I will have an heir. He will be made on the body of your child!" He then grabbed her and squeezed her small breasts to show his ownership. "I will use her and use her until I get what I want and then I will throw her used up body away." With that he pulled out a long knife from his waist and slit the throats of the two elven parents. Greyfox, whimpered and tried to go to her mother. Samuel let her, thinking that it was just the right thing to place his mark upon her.

  "Mother!" She tried to stem the flow of blood from her mother's throat but there was nothing she could do. Turning she grasped her father's hand. He too bled out as she watched. As the light of life fled their eyes Greyfox let out an anguished keening that she would only stop when she was clubbed into unconsciousness. So started Greyfox's life beyond the village of her birth.

  The bandits rounded up their few prisoners and set the village to the torch. Soon there was nothing left to show that a peaceful people had lived in this place for the past 2,000 years other than a pile of smoking timbers.

  ********************************

  CHAPTER TWO

  ENTER MIKA

  Mika Silvershaft walked down into the center of the remains of his sister's village. There were remains scattered around the village common. He could see burnt timbers and bones. What was once a thriving village was now the site of a massacre. He slowly walked toward the only remaining complete structure. It was a scaffold.

  As he climbed the stairs he could see the two stakes and the grisly remains still chained to them. For some reason the two bodies here were not attacked by the scavengers who had cleaned the bodies of the other towns' folk. He could still see the bright colored cloth worn by the two elven bodies resting there. He looked down at the corpses for a long moment before a sound escaped his lips.

  Across the clearing his companions could hear the high pitched keening sound and turned to look at their friend. Karleen rushed toward him. She knew without asking that he had found what he had been looking for. The keening went on as she climbed the stairs and looked over at the corpses. She could see two slumped bodies, surrounded by a grey mist, untouched by the ravages she saw below. One dark haired and one silver haired. These were the two people they had come to find. Mika's sister and brother-in-law. The cause of their deaths was obvious. The blood from their wounds had pooled around their feet and had not dried. There were no flies or other insects around the corpses. The mist had kept the course of nature from the corpses.

  She walked over and placed her hand on Mika. He spun about, with his weapon in his hand. Karleen could see no sanity in his eyes. She quickly whispered a spell under her breath and he slowly fell into her arms. "Talen! Come here!" She called out to one of their companions as she sagged to the floor. A strong looking human turned from the house he was examining and ran toward her.

  "What happened?"

  "We found Stoneblade and Silvershine." She pointed to the two corpses. He nodded and took the unconscious elf from her arms. He would take him back to the camp and then he and the others would start cleaning up the village. Sliap, the only priest in their group was all ready praying to his god to help the souls of those in this village. Masq may be a god of the humans but he had been known to help out elves before.

  "I'll put him down near your stuff, Karleen. Then I'll come back and gather up what remains we can find." He turned slowly, with a quiet voice he continued. "Do you know what burial rites this tribe used?"

  "No. We'll have to ask Mika when he wakes up." The sadness could be heard in her voice. She had never met Mika's sister but she felt that she knew her from the stories that Mika had told her over the years. She watched Talen walk away and then turned back to the pitiful bodies before her. Something wasn't right besides the condition of the bodies. For a moment she wasn't sure what but after a moment it dawned on her. Where was Mika's niece? She quickly turned and ran down the stairs.

  Calling out to the other four members of h
er party she asked if any of the bodies they had found belonged to a child. So far no one had found a small corpse. "Karleen, we've only searched the village so far. Didn't Mika say that his sister lived up in the woods a ways. Maybe the child is there." Sliap responded sadly. He turned and called out to one of their comrades. "Katlin! Why don't you go up there?" He waved toward the hill were the family's home had been. "We are going to start laying out the bodies in the village square." He paused for a moment, looking up at the two bodies on the scaffold, "We must do something about them."

  "Yes. Right now." Karleen turned and walked back, Sliap following behind.

  "There's something wrong here." Sliap said. He walked toward the two bodies. "I can feel some type of spell here. Something terrible." He reached out his hand and a flash of light sprang out at him. With a cry he stepped back, covering his eyes. Karleen rushed over to him. She took his hand into her's and gently turned it over. The palm had been burned by the flash of light. She took and deep breath and sent a wave of healing energy over the wound. The priest took a deep breath. "Thank you, Karleen."

  He turned back to the bodies. "There is some type of spell over the remains. It feels like a trap spell."

  As he said that Karleen finally understood the strange sensations she had been feeling. The sense of being trapped was coming from the two inside the spell. A mage had placed a trap spell on the two elves just as they were dying. Their spirits were trapped inside a globe of energy and could not escape into the next life. Karleen turned and ran away from the horror she felt. She had to get some distance between herself and the two in front of her. She would be no good to Mika if she got sucked into the despair above her.

  *************************************

  Back at the site of the camp Talen gently placed Mika on the ground. He wasn't surprised that their leader had collapsed on finding his only kin up on the scaffold. Stronger beings than the elf had been known to crack under less stress. He quickly put up Mika's tent and set him down inside. Mika should stay asleep until after the grisly work of gathering the bodies together was done. In Talen's twenty years of adventuring he had only come across sites like the one below a blessed few times. He had made sure to stay away from war zones. Though he was a swordsman he had found out very young that he wasn't cut out for the all out slaughter of war. He believed in fighting for good causes and would take on commissions to take down monsters and the occasional bandit troop. He had been lucky, not since he was a child had he seen death on such a scale. An entire village wiped out, not by disease but by the hand of thinking beings. Usually the village would have been rounded up and sold into slavery. By the number of bodies scattered around he would say that no one had been spared, except the very young.