Black White and Shades of Greyy

by ElissaBeth Frear

  Months of not knowing had turned the hope of the couple into hatred. The love they had so deep for their child now turned their hearts to stone. Even if they wanted to return to their village it would be impossible to take back that which had been lost. Their hands were covered in the blood of innocence for the sake of an implied injustice. They continued through the lands of Men pillaging and killing continuing to lay the foundation for a life they welcomed and embraced in the name of their daughter.

  So consumed by their grief and hate the couple, who had once found such pleasure in finding new things in nature, now tore through forest and fields with such a blind rage they saw nothing of their environment. Steep mountains covered in snow or the lush green valleys and the meadows full of wildflowers like a raging river blurred into nothingness. The colors and aromas that surrounded them became tones of death gray and stale air. When they camped between villages the campfire would stir up the ashes of their demons. The smoke swirled into the nightmare they felt shifting into the horror they would inflict. With each life they took the darker the world became.

  Chapter 16

  The realm of Men would never be as beautiful as the home they had with their daughters and therefore would never require being explored. They had no use for knowing what amazements lay before them, for it belonged to Men and that alone was sufficient reason to keep curiosity beyond reach.

  The lands they wandered were full of such wonder that had the situation been different they would have spent years exploring every leaf and crevice that presented before them. The intent was not to understand the world of Men but to destroy its soul. As they were torn and ruined so too was the desire for all that surrounded them. The mountains and plains that took their steps offered no solace or comfort. Flowers and birds hummed and chirped a scoffing little laugh as they passed; the joy in life ridiculed the sorrow of great loss. Nights bore the agony that even the stars would despise. The moon in its glory laughed at their pain and the sun scorched the already parched landscape of their heart. The song nature sung stung as a bitter reminder of the nightmare they lived, to outlive a child.

  Chapter 17

  Moving along alone in unfamiliar lands they were often left unable to patrol their camps properly. They had no way of knowing that small hunting parties had been formed to locate and follow the Scourge of the Coast. Footsteps they left behind carried a terrible hint of darkness as they traveled.

  One dark skinned man had detected their evil essence. He was a hired tracker and also an Elf from the Dark Places. Thick silver white hair of his people and the soft lavender eyes allowed him to command a presence. Those who hired him knew him only as a bounty hunter; any other information was irrelevant so long as he accomplished the given assignment. He was an expert in seeing the aura of his prey, and the Elf couple had become an easy target.

  The Dark Elf was not the only tracker following the aura of the tormented couple. Another one who bore Light had been summoned from a far corner of the Empire with a very different purpose and by a much Higher Power. Each tracker had a very different task but both would be entwined in the lives of the couple and that of their family.

  The couple moved through the thick forest lands and along the coast. They followed the lands, marking maps and ravaging towns and villages. As they ventured the word of their presence moved along with them. Their spree was quickly catching up to them requiring a drastic change in tactics. Too many had noticed an ‘old couple’ moving about strangely and disappearing after the deaths had been discovered. The resources they now required were growing more and more costly and elaborate.

  The raining season had come to the Land making careful movements more difficult.

  Entering a small soggy port town bitter and soaked through to skin they made a discovery that shook them to the core. They had been seen by a witness and the description matched them quite accurately. This new knowledge would throw the worlds of Elf and Man into an uneasy state of unrest to the point of outright war. No longer would the lines between races be obscure, now there was no distinction and no elf would be safe. The reign of terror from two had thrust both their race and that of their enemy into deep seeded prejudice and mistrust that would take decades to undo once it took a firm hold.

  Chapter 18

  The two years aboard the merchant vessel proved educational and somewhat pleasant. She had earned a place within the crew and began to understand more the ways of Humans and the sea. Some had taken it upon themselves to allow her to assist in their deck duties. Others felt the need to impress with their ability with knots and rope work. All these things helped add to her knowledge of the inner workings of the ship.

  As they spoke to her she would copy the words they used. She had become quite fluent in the language of the crew and even adopted some of their mannerisms. Greyy also began to teach a few of the crew her craft in bow fletching and hiding. Her natural ability was not something that could be copied but the general concept was.

  The boat was small, comparatively speaking, and used to carry goods and resources to mining towns around the main lands. It was not by any means a deep sea craft and the wide open ocean was far too powerful for them to venture. It was also well known that pirate crews enjoyed terrorizing the larger ocean going vessels. They would certainly be no match for any of the cutthroats lurking in the deep.

  Curiosity being one of Greyylene’s greatest abilities also was her biggest liability. Most of the crew was happy to answer her barrage of questions or make room for her incessant peering into duties and conversations. Learning was something that helped keep her mind of being so homesick. One dark day found her stealthing into the wheelhouse while the Captain and the Navigator were pouring over maps and sea charts. The stern faces and low hushed tones forced her to lean in closer breaking her hiding place to hear what they said.

  Discussing the treacherous waters and plotting possible alternative routes the men pointed and drew on the maps spread out before them. Without breaking stride or thought the Captain leaned over the small table and handed the hidden elf a mug of ale. Sheepish and embarrassed at being discovered she took the mug and moved in a step closer to see more fully the plans they were debating.

  After the men had finished their discussion the Captain lowered a glare at the Elf female, and in a voice as quiet as summer breeze but as threatening as a thunderbolt made it very clear if she were to ever sneak in on him again it would be her last act on the world of the living.

  After being scolded so deeply she slunk out to her cabin and feigned making repairs to her weapon for something to keep the burning tears at bay. Never before had her curiosity been reprimanded, in fact her parents were quick to encourage her exploration and questioning of things she didn’t understand. She was beginning to realize how far from home she truly was, and it made her heart cry for her family. Through hot tears and blurred vision she strung the bow and filled the quiver preparing for a battle she was uncertain would ever come.

  Chapter 19

  Duties aboard ship were fairly straight forward, see something needing done, do it. She was still not given an official duty station, but her skills were constantly improving. Many times she assisted others in their jobs as much for practice as for keeping peace. If there was something near an assigned post requiring attention then it had best be completed on the assigned watch or there would be hell to pay. Most of the crew was still uneasy about allowing her near the rails, fearing her unsteady footing would send her overboard. It took the other sailors quite a while to realize her sea legs were well established. Only when her curiosity, again, kicked in did they see her true nature emerge.

  She found the top of the main mast a place that held an interesting opportunity to survey her surroundings from a higher vantage. Often at home she would find the highest tree to climb allowing her to see the entire Island Village. The mast offered the same feel as a tree in a good wind.

  She became quite adept at climbing the ropes and keeping look out
in the crow’s nest. Her keen vision and night sight ability proved a great asset on many occasions. She was an expert in picking out pods of sea creatures, other boats or hidden obstacles under the water. Even her land sense of weather patterns proved uncanny and helpful and translated well to the life at sea.

  High in the crow’s nest the lone elf gazed out over the misty gray waters. There had been an uneasy calm that ran throughout most of the crew for several days, finally the dead calm seemed that it would break.

  So still was the ocean that even the normal birds and breaking whales or dolphin pods had disappeared. The entire crew knew something was about to give way and prepared the ship for a storm. Mid way through the watch the sky broke into heavy rains that could be seen for miles. Thick sheets of rain could be seen marching as an army towards the vessel. Greyylene was almost unable to climb down fast enough before the storm over took them full on and with a brute force to make some of the most seasoned sailors jump. Lightning and thunder echoed across the sea and the waves threatened to rip apart the hull. Her nimble fingers and quick even footing assisted in securing sails and riggings so they wouldn’t be lost.

  Sailors were scrambling across the decks. Orders flew as fast and boisterous as the debris from high winds. The men were being tossed around like dolls by an angry child. One fierce wave blindsided the Captain, who had been trying to secure a cannon rigging. The lines snapped and the cannon became a rolling battering ram across the deck. Quick as light Greyylene swung from the sail riggings to push the unsuspecting Captain out of harm’s way. Careening through the air on a line that had looped down and over the mast rigging she made her attempt just close enough to release and continue the journey straight into her target yet missing the mark. In her wild flight several other lines were loosened and making themselves into projectiles. The offending cannon was still rolling back and forth along the deck and when Greyy landed with a heavy thud, the leaded runaway found a resting point pinning her and her leg against the rails. She wasn’t crushed outright, but her leg was severely damaged and in immediate need of attention. The Captain, however, never saw the flying elf but only the ropes, he thought that it was mast rigging that had given him such a ’lucky break’.

  The storm raged on for several more hours and she remained pinned to the rails and wedged under the cannon. Well after the storm had subsided and clean up was under way it become clear she was missing. The Captain, afraid she had gone overboard, prepared a search party and was going to the wheel house to turn the ship about when he came across her lifeless body stuck in a corner under the offending cannon. Soaked through and in shock her body was pried out from her prison and hauled to the infirmary.

  The doctor had received a small amount of training in battlefield medicine and severe breaks in bones were his “specialty”. Her leg had been broken in several places making the healing on a ship painful at best. He tried the best he was able to immobilize her leg to allow for a clean heal and kept a careful eye for any infection.

  Several hours after she was treated and returned to her cabin the Captain went to visit. He had been informed of her heroic actions and felt compelled to see the damage that could have been his fate. Even though she was still quite undone and weak, she was able to recognize her visitor and respond enough to give a slight smile before falling back into a deep pain ridden sleep.

  Even with great healing properties and herbal teas and potions known to her people the mending was far too slow for her restless spirit. Hobbling about the deck searching for something to do that wouldn’t interfere with the others she was forced to concede to assisting the cook peeling potatoes and other assorted odd unwanted tasks. The horrible little balls in her hands made her long for her sister’s cooking. The sweet herbs and fragrant spices that she added to every day meals were like magic transforming the ordinary to something spectacular. She often wondered how Amadia was and what they would be serving for the evening meal. Her imagination gave her great solace in the tiny space they called a kitchen.

  Chapter 20

  Great clouds rolled in like a tidal wave across the land. Storm season would insure crops and fresh water for the residents of the Empire. Most inhabitants would ignore the rains unless the winds and lightning proved too difficult to travel, continuing their daily tasks without any care to being soaked. For the unfortunate Elf couple the angry sky mirrored their own hearts and the rain did nothing to wash away their sorrow or drive for revenge.

  Creating a small fire by a cave mouth the outlaw couple forced them into the chore of making a meal. Meat from small animals was normally a delicacy and enjoyed at the family table with piles of vegetables from the garden. The daughters would giggle and joke as they prepared the meals for the family filling the home with joy. The memory was bittersweet gouging deeper into the couple’s hearts as they prepared a joyless meal alone in an unfamiliar land on an unholy mission.

  They sat in the low light around a heatless fire eating a meal they could barely taste. In the darkness images and visions began to dance in the shadows showing their missing daughter. A silent scream in the deafening seas framed the face of their beloved child in agony thrusting deeper the anger in their hearts. Longing to be with her child in the time of dire need Greyy’s mother cried herself to sleep hugging her knees to her chest staring at the shadows that reminded her so vividly of her task.

  Greyylene’s Father sat at the entrance to the cave gazing out across the soaked darkness. The wicked plot forming in his mind touched by love for his daughter began to churn in his chest like a dagger. The fire that burned deep in his being was already beginning to consume his mind. Even the devotion to his wife paled in comparison to the hate eating at his spirit.

  The sound of rolling thunder shook the earth ending in a blazing display of lightning that lit the night like the day. At the edge of the forest the Father saw the image of a tall figure dressed in long robes faintly outlined by the torrent. There was a soft glow from the Heart of the figure that seemed to radiate from deep within him. With the next burst the figure was gone as if the forest had swallowed him. A moment passed but the eerie image of the figure was burned into the mind of the Elf fugitive.

  Chapter 21

  Cooking for large groups had never been too much of a problem for either Greyylene or Amadia. The village where they grew up would often have community meals with the responsibility falling on one different household each time. The girls were constantly making new things with herbs and spices, experimenting with combinations of foods, beverages, tastes and aromas. They had become quite the envy of the village meals and the turn outs for their culinary event was always much greater than what was thought possible in a population so limited. Knowing the kitchen was almost as second nature as knowing the forest, and the only difference on board the ship was the size of the space.

  Tiny cramped quarters often made for heated discussions at best. The rotund ship’s cook took the space of two normal sized people and was more than happy to shove his weight where ever he felt the need. His disgust at being forced to work with “The Elf”, as he would call her, showed clearly at his treatment of her. Even with her injury healing nicely he would arrange for a dangerous work place with the purpose of bringing her further harm. Frequently he would barge his way into her project solely to knock things around or be in the way of her finishing the task.

  One particularly steamy and volatile day he came, and allowing his pants to drop well below accepted norms, stood in front of her with his bare ass square in her face. Finding a mighty joke in allowing one of the most foul and juicy flatulence escape his bared bottom to the food she was preparing, she responded with the blade of her onion covered knife to thrust as far into his squishy posterior as it was able. The sting of the onion along with the relative dull blade sent the offending cook running out on deck with the knife still stuck where it had been imbedded.

  When the Captain entered the galley trying desperately to control his hilarious laughter he fo
und the Elf had quite taken over the kitchen and was finishing the rest of the preparations for the meal. Without saying a word the Captain looked around the room watching her hobble from one station to the next with the deft and ease of one who had been raised in the arts of food preparation.

  The Captain smiled to himself before turning around to exit. After the meal had been served and was well on the way of being cleaned he came again, this time with the offended chief cook in tow. Expecting to have a grand spectacle of a reprimand for the offending elf the cook stood full in the door, arms crossed and a smug look on his chubby face. However, the proclamation made caused the cook to faint and Greyylene to laugh out loud.

  “I say, here and now, for the duration of the time needed to heal your leg that you will be chief in charge of this here galley and that this fat ass bloke will be Your assistant. Keep him away from any food and the crew will be eternally in your debt. And with that he turned and walked away.

  Chapter 22

  It seemed only a few days to the crew that the new Cook had taken over the galley, in reality it had been several weeks. The meals that came from the kitchen made many of the men quite homesick for girlfriends, wives and mothers left behind. Her prowess in the culinary arts turned the mundane into a special event that the crew anticipated nightly. Not only had Greyy earned a place as a deck crew mate, but she had also made quite the name for herself in her cooking, much to the dismay of the former Chief Cook.

  One of the understood tasks as a ship’s cook was to make sure the Ale and Rum was well stocked. To run out of the life blood of the crew would be an offense worthy of walking the plank or, if conditions were right, being keel hauled. After sending the former cook after a keg of ale, Greyy noticed that he had been gone far too long and went to investigate. What she found sent a blood boiling rage through her that made the offensive troll to sober immediately on seeing her. Rounding the backside of a rope ladder into the hold, she almost tripped on the slumped inebriated body of her errand boy. He was sent to bring up a keg of ale but instead of doing so dug into the rum and was drinking it as fast as he could wrap his lips around the keg spout.