As soon as their feet hit the beach they raced through the world of Man hoping to create as much pain and sorrow as they felt. The heart of the parents ripped from their souls left them empty shells of individuals. They had become so focused on the wicked task that the life of peace and serenity became nothing more than a flicker of an ember in a dark night.
Chapter 8
Greyylene, grasping at branches and hiding in pine boughs through the ice chilled waters rode the current downstream to the inevitable plunge at the falls. Knowing her time on the waking plain was nearly expired she held fast closing her eyes and praying to the deities she thought she knew. Plunging in the free fall of the majestic cascade Elf and tree landed hard against rocks and boulders. The tree shattered leaving little more than a small section of trunk and limbs for the passenger to ride. At the base of the falls other logs had been gathered, most were also broken and useless from the plunge. Surviving the hurling plummet and abrupt stop, Greyylene summoned her remaining strength. She scrambled to the top side of her little log to be out of the freezing water. Her next task was to bind logs together by intertwining their branches and using them as a raft to hopefully float to safety.
By the time the lone elf was rescued several days had passed and the small raft was well out in the open seas far from any shore. The fear she felt was more from the unknown future as opposed to the strangers who found her. The cold ocean and salt water were beginning to take a toll on her mind and body. No drinkable water or food for days and no shelter from the sun burned her skin and parched her lips and mouth to the point of making her unable to speak coherently.
Floating on her makeshift raft the tall elf looked as though she belonged as much in the Ocean as she did in trees. Her coloring and markings that blended perfectly for forest life also proved appropriate for sea life. Her pale smoky gray complexion mixed with the long streaming mahogany locks accented her bronze copper flecked eyes. Her long willowy limbs with the natural waving and shifting pigments of her people clung tight to the logs on which she floated. The art of blending into the surroundings, for her, was as natural as breathing. In her weakened state, however, the Elvin aura and soft glow that normally accompanies one of her race had begun to fade.
Chapter 9
The ship that found the soggy pile of elf debated long and rather boisterously on what to do with the “body floating in the water”. Uncertain if it was a bad omen to bring a dead body aboard just to throw it back the crew argued pointlessly among themselves until the captain strode on deck and made the decision for them.
“Haul that t’in aboard n see What or Who it may be, Den we sees what to do wit’ it!” he said with a gruff shove to the nearest crewmate.
Unceremoniously hefted from the raft, almost like a bag of oats, the sailor that slung the unconscious form over his shoulder never bothered to see if she was alive or dead. His duty fulfilled once he delivered her to the deck he moved back quickly as to avoid further contamination from the “cursed figure”. Highly superstitious, the crew chanted and muttered incantations to their respective deities hoping they would be the one to stave off any further undeserved damnations. It was only when the captain came and turned the form over with the toe of his boot that the full realization of the terror they had brought aboard was grasped.
Such a horror they had brought into their midst! Not only was this a Female, but the colors and markings must prove it to be a Siren or some other mystical creature from the Depths teasing them into some kind of servitude. The crew immediately backed away, some so far back to be in danger of falling over the rails, leaving the new arrival a wide berth. Weakened by her extended stay in open waters Greyylene was forced to lay semi-conscious on the deck watching the crew’s reactions to her presence.
Knowing that to order any of the crew to take the female would most likely result in mutiny the Captain grabbed her by the back of her waterlogged shirt and dragged her to an empty cabin. Tossing her to the bed he left. She was relieved at the solitude but now began to shiver from being cold and still soaked through with sea water. Drifting in and out of coherence she tried to devise a plan of escape.
Chapter 10
A short time later the ship’s doctor came to investigate the unusual find, bringing with him a change of clothing and a basin of warm water. Nervously entering the dimly lit room, the mutterings of the crew behind him, he laid the clothes and basin on a low table and began to inspect for damage.
She stirred at his touch and woke with a start causing the doctor fall backwards in a chair. Her hands spread out like claws; she stood at the corner of the bed still a bit drippy. Flustered, disoriented barely able to see clearly she demanded, using her own Elvin tongue, to know who he was and more to the point Where she was.
The doctor’s look of panic and confusion was so ridiculous that it made her stop mid tirade. Silently she watched as the man collected himself and righted the chair. Standing at his full height he was slightly shorter than she and looked to be older than a child but younger than the mountains. He was wise in his youth with kind eyes and long gentle hands. His long auburn hair had touches of silver and he kept it neatly tied at the base of his neck. The hair growing across his lip hiding a ready smile was unusual at best and caught Greyylene’s curiosity. Her eyes tired and stinging from salt water blinked but refused to look away, she followed his movements closely as he moved slowly to the table. He gently picked up the pile of dry clothes and handing them to her he spoke in a language she had never heard.
“I know these are men’s clothes, but they seemed like they’d fit ok. I’m pretty sure you don’t have one inkling what I’m tell’nya, but I be Doc.” he said pointing to himself.
Puzzled and trying to follow his words she copied what he said when he pointed to himself. “Do’K.” she said in the raspy voice of one who has spent far too long on the sea with no protection.
With a smile and a nod, he handed her the clothes and turned to go.
“I’ll be back wit’ ye in a moment lass.” he said knowing she would not understand.
Chapter 11
When he returned with a meal and fresh water, she was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed staring out the small porthole. The quiver she had been wearing was hung upside down to dry on the end of the bed. Her hair neatly braided and lying across her back gave her spine a rather ethereal look. He stood a moment in the door mesmerized by the sight of her exotic beauty before knocking. The sound of his knock took her by surprise and she immediately melted into the shadows of the room.
“Whoa! It’s just Me, Doc! Come back.” he said searching the small room for her presence. “I brought Food. Don’t be fear’n Me, lass.”
He stood dead still until she reappeared, almost beside him. Slightly flustered he stood holding out the food to her. When he decided she was not a ghost or a threat he placed the tray on the desk near the door and started to give names to each item. He would hold an item to her and say its name then reaching out she would copy the word as she took the item.
“Bread.” He would say as he held the small loaf in the palm of his outstretched hand.
Embarrassed at the odd pronunciations she tried several times to repeat him twisting her mouth to copy his.
“BrrEed.” She finally stated with some degree of satisfaction taking it quickly from his hand.
In this way, he began to teach her the language of Men.
Days turned to weeks as the crew sailed the coasts of the major land masses. The ship that found her was a merchant vessel and made many stops at harbors delivering and acquiring goods and resources along the way. Most of the time Greyylene was tasked to stay aboard ship so as not to hinder deals with local shop keepers. She would use the time when the crew was ashore to walk the decks and riggings learning the inner workings and rhythm of the ship.
Greyylene proved to be a quick learner and asset to the deck. She picked up knots and sails quickly
and could climb the ropes faster than most of the seasoned sailors on board. At first they saw her as a curse or bad omen, but quickly she became known as the ‘lucky charm’. Her forest cunning proved to be somewhat useful even at sea. Sharp Elf eyes gave her the unique ability to see fathoms further than the others and even better at night. She also had an uncanny ability to feel a storm coming long before it showed across the horizon.
The armor and change of clothing she was given, while they had been male in origin, seemed to fit her tall frame with elegance and grace only a female of her race could accomplish. The only article of clothing that couldn’t quite be garnered from the ship's reserves was shoes. Most often she was seen barefoot rather than trying to cram her odd sized feet into men's boots.
Chapter 12
So enamored with the newest member of the crew the Doc had desired to do something special for her. Noticing her quiver when she first arrived he knew immediately what he would do for her. When the ship had sailed into port with a well-known Fletcher for a short stay to load more cargo the Doctor slipped to town in order to acquire a new quiver and long bow. He presented her with his treasures at dinner that night and was quite thrilled when he saw the excitement on her face as she picked up the new instruments of her craft. The others of the crew watched in awe as her fingers glided across the new bow like a musician to an instrument.
When the tall elegant Elf first came aboard the crew had decided they would protect her like a puppy from any harm that may befall an ocean going vessel. They were proven naïve in their underestimated value of her skills. Her home was not the water but her forest skills proved to translate quite effectively. As a hunter in the forest Greyylene was accustomed to killing creatures much larger than she. But the seas also gave horrendous beasts.
A day out from harbor after she had received the new bow and arrows the heavy laden ship was caught in a mysterious eddy. The seas growled and churned beneath them in the wake of something huge. They were in no position to outrun the mysterious threat so were forced to stay and fight.
Notching an arrow into the bow string she wrapped herself in some ropes for balance waiting and watching the churning caldron below them. Seeing that the crew was not familiar with archers she tried to stay aware of where each man was positioned so as not to hit a fellow sailor rather than whatever creature was to emerge. The first slithering tentacles that wrapped over the rails gave the perspective of size. This was something the highland forest elf had never before witnessed. Steeling herself against the rising panic she waited to see just what this beast really was. As the Kraken broke the surface of the water and its eye met hers she released her arrow and notched another in such rapid succession that the creature had been mortally wounded before it could process where the attack originated. The others of the crew quickly dispatched the beast and sent it back to a watery grave. Climbing down from the mast she looked over the rails in awe at the size of what they had just fought.
“What was that?” she said still gazing over the edge.
“That, Lass, is what we calls a Kraken. They be a bit testy and a menace to most who fish these waters. Not to mention they have no value for food, no use with its hide for even a proper weapon. Ye can’t cook it, they gots no value other than to terrorize ships. useless creatures.” The sailor said with a scowl and spit over the edge in disgust at the sinking body.
Returning to her quarters Greyy relived the encounter with the mighty Kraken. Now that the battle was over her body began to quake at the massive size of the beast and reality of the danger began to settle in her mind. Her ability with the bow had become something that the sailors were proud to have on their ship, but for her it held little comfort. Danger and loneliness began to overwhelm her as the crew could be heard outside celebrating the victory over the Great Sea Demon.
Chapter 13
Overwhelmed by so many changes in her environment Greyylene often found herself sitting alone deep in thought. Frequently she would find a dark corner to work her bow or arrows but sometimes she would just sit and watch the sailors. Her mind would wander to her home far across the waves. A smile would creep across her face as she recalled times with her family and friends. Always the antics that she and her sister would find lifted her spirit and eased her loneliness.
She remembered a time when the sisters would race the length of their small island; Greyylene would always win having longer legs and more stamina. Their playground was the whole island and very few areas they did not know as intimately as they knew their own homes. They always reveled in new discoveries and treated each one as a grand adventure.
Sitting in a dark corner of the ship Greyylene took out one of the smooth orbs that were kept safely in a small pouch on her belt. She held it in her hand and recalled the story of their discovery.
The day that the young Amadia fell into a deep crevice both terrified and excited the girls. It took Greyylene hours to find the path to her only to discover that her sister had made a very important find without her. A cave lined with glacial minerals and deposits with a rainbow of extraordinary stones lay under the colony untouched by any of the other villagers.
One of the most intriguing stones they found in the cave was the “Whispering Stone”; the girls found them lovely and would pretend they were useful for currency. Its use was discovered accidentally when the girls were out playing in the forest. Greyylene’s ability to melt into the background becoming almost invisible allowed her to play jokes on her sister with great frequency. Holding one of the stones in her hand and whispering into it, but to herself, Greyy threw the stone and both were shocked at the results.
When the stone hit the ground behind Amadia the exact words that Greyylene had whispered into it were stated again by the stone. The combined expression of both girls secured the moment in their minds and set them on a course of finding as many of the smooth rocks as they could carry.
They would play and hone the skill of the "Whispering Stone" as often as possible. A simple discovery provided hours of entertainment over their years of play and growth.
Chapter 14
Carving a clear path of terror across the mainland communities Greyylene's parents were meticulous in their vicious attacks. Quietly they would enter a settlement and watch carefully the activity around them. Most often none would notice their presence; occasionally they would be tossed a coin or a scrap of food being mistaken as a beggar. Once the sun drifted around the backside of the horizon they would seek the home of their mark.
Most often a family of four with two daughters would be the ones the vengeful couple would seek. Gazing into the window or open doorway they would watch quietly until the family went to bed. The girls would be safely tucked into bed for the night then the nightmare would begin.
Gentle as summer dew and fast as lightning the Elf couple would enter the home to accomplish the gruesome task. Rarely lingering long enough to take notice of the homes they entered, poor or wealthy the task was the same. The oldest child was slaughtered in their bed and a lock of hair removed. As the couple left the village they would tie the hair around a tall stick and bury it in the ground just at the entrance to the town. In this manner each town would eventually realize they were the victim of a tragic event that stole one of their citizens.
Nights of silence and peace greeted mornings of screams and terror when the discovery was made of the violence that swept through the villages of Men. Families cut apart in their beds while they slept as a new fiend brought down an unholy massacre on innocents. The fury driven couple so blinded by the disappearance of their child turned to a life of murder exacting revenge on anything that even remotely hinted at being of the invading race called Human. Peaceful civilians did not exist in their mind and thinking. All they knew was bloodlust and hate that had once been the deep love and family devotion so envied by their neighbors.
Chapter 15
It was not long until the Authorities of the land heard of a killing spree an
d sent out wanted posters for information concerning the midnight fiends.
Quickly and quietly they slid through the night to accomplish their task. None ever saw who had come to rain down sorrow and anguish to the human families and homes; at least that was their thinking.
It had become part of their game as they traveled and a matter of pride to go from place to place unnoticed. Seeing the posters asking for information added to their satisfaction.
As elves they would stand out as unusual in crowds without disguises. Covering their ears and long features by hunching over and walking with staggered limps the couple was free to move about the villages taking note and making preparations for the night’s raids. Resting in the heat of the day in cool shadows they would summon their strength and energy for the gruesome job to come. When the lights would dim and disappear they moved. Their stealth used for hunting forest beasts became a useful tool for these new lands. They often would remember teaching their own children the same techniques they now used. Breathe in, breathe out, slowly close eyes and melt into the shadow then step one foot in front of the other light as a feather and quiet as a moonbeam. The formula was the same, and the prey never knew what happened.
A whispered prayer offered to the dead, in their mind, justified the act of revenge.
The prayer had been added late in their rampage after coming across a family who prayed with the children before tucking them soundly into their beds. The parents would kneel by the bed with their child, hands folded serenely as they recited the incantation of peace for slumber. After stealing the life and granting the child permanent slumber the Elf couple found a perverse pleasure in copying the routine and adding their own twist by removing the lock of hair as they ended their supplication with a breath and bloody swipe of the blade.
Black White and Shades of Greyy Page 2