The Journey Home

[T@rget]

The spring rains did not let up.

Since we are no longer being hunted no one is in a huge rush to travel in the rain. Not after the long cold winter. The hunting parties go out. They would come back with food and pelts. This did not help my mood. Being stuck inside while every one went out hunting I had to stay inside the cave. Not having a tail is what's keeping me from going on the hunting party.

[T@rget]

“Aurgh!” I yell at the storm darkened heavens. “Stop raining! Stop raining, stupid clouds.”

No one is around to see my temper tantrum. That being the case, I rant at the weather; I scream, I yell, I kick up dirt clods; in general I act like a petulant child. I know that is not about the rain. In fact I love hunting in the rain, it hides and washes away the sent. Or even just walking in the rain for fun. You get to come home to a nice warm fire, and best of all warm dry clothes.

No my foul mood comes from having to watch half of my family die! Well mostly that, there is the little matter of my stupid tail.

“Go away,” I told the ghost that still insists that it is still attached to my rump. “Dump tail. You’re dead. You’re gone. Leave!”

I stand, try to stand any way: at least this time I don’t dump fully onto my face. I wobble over the other side of the cave to wait for the hunting party. With nothing else to do I wobble around the cave.

This post has been edited by T@rget on Apr 7 2007, 12:06 AM

[T@rget]

The day is gloomy, not sullen. The rain has let up enough for three days of traveling. Every one has a tent, every one that is except Roar. Dragon’s and flammable stuff don’t mix that well; since the rains stopped it is a nice night to sleep under the stars, by a fire that is. Some where along the way our band of travelers has picked up or made a set of instruments. These are mostly wind types but one of the Elves has some type of string instrument, one that I never seen before.

Every one leaves me alone. No one wants to get their head bit off. I know that I should not be snippy or for that matter angry with any one. I just can’t help it. So every one stays a way, well Roar and Lock have to interact with me.

The melody is a happy one. The Elf singer has the most lovely voice I have ever heard. She must have been a professional. The song, I am told, is in an obscure dead dialect. It is about a maiden’s love that has gone to fight in a war so that the father would allow the marriage. No one can understand the whole thing, except me that is. Even the singer can translate only fragments. What little she did translate was enough for me to understand the whole song.

The song is a long one. It took ten days of singing it at the campfire to finish. It has many popular stanzas, which the Elf woman repeated. The first time through she sung one or two stanzas a night. After the first run through she would sing one that was requested. That is how I was able to understand the entire song.

I keep the fact that I understood the song to myself. Doing such suits my mood, maliciousness. Since no one wants a heaping mound of my anger, I kept this to myself.

This is how the days passed.

We would strike camp early in the morning. Every one would have to go slow because of that idiot Dramen trying to relearn how to walk. A rotating shift of hunters/foragers, of which I was not one, would set out to find the evenings meal. Though our party of thirteen had an ample supply of food, the shift would go out wandering. They also brought back news of the land, and if anyone was still looking for a group of escapees: no one was.

[T@rget]

“It’s over that hill,” said Thraad.

Silence over came the usual chatter. I took a deep breath. Roar also took breath. After such a long time, finally we made it home. No one said any thing else. With another sigh I set out along with Roar. Ever one else remained seated, each with a solemn look on their faces.

This is some thing I have been looking forward to since I left home so long ago. But now I am filled with so much dread. I want to see the rest of my family but then…

Over the rise I see the house on the beach, I also see what looks like a large ship that is in the middle of being made. Roar steels himself for what comes next. We set off to the main house instead of the other smaller ones. With the other houses so close to each other it gives an appearance of a small town. Even so it seems strange that I can’t see any people.

When we get closer someone steps out and shouts, “Move along stranger. We have no use for Bandits. Synacra’s Regulars do not come out this far, but as you can see we can defend ourselves.”

Others step out holding bows with arrows nocked. Then I see that the one speaking has a sword strapped around his waist. As I am looking I see kids peeking from behind their elders. Roar is getting nervous. To many with arrows pointed at us.

“We should leave Tay.”
My anger is rising. By everything that my brother and sisters said, this should be where our parents.
“Maybe we got it wro…”

“NO!” I yelled. “This is the pace that Seigfrehd told us! This is where we should find Mother and Father!” I step forward as I draw both of my swords, “You, take me to Taarl and Criyheen Uzor! And if one hair is harmed you have to answer to me.”

The one that was talking took a step back, surprised by my fury. Others pointed their bows at me. Each drew back their arrows.

[T@rget]

The children inside the long house are crying. It is the same style as some Elves use. Now I can see that there is a random collection of differing races around the primitive square, not just Elves as the ones with the bows on me. This makes me even angrier, I can’t really explain why. This puts the children into a bigger frenzy.

Before I know what is happening a female Elf closes the distance and slaps me full on in the face.
“You should leave now.”

It stings but that is not what has me dumbfounded. I did not see her. The children are now in the arms of an adult. Comforting words and soothing tones are being spoken. Now that I see all the children my anger cools somewhat. It’s now easer to control it. On the heels comes guilt.

“I,” my voice chokes in my throat, “I’m sorry I never wanted…”
“Just leave now. We will send word when Taarl and Criyheen come back.”
Roar perked up right away, “Really they’re here?”

“I said that they are not here,” said the young slim Elf woman, “when they come back I will send some one to bring you back.”
“I am really so…”
She just pointed.