Chapter 1

The elf viewed the sprawling collection of huts and forges that made the black smithing town of Smithsville. He made sure his cloak was positioned correctly to hide his elfin features as he tiredly trudged towards the palisade fence that formed the first wall defence of the town. As he trudged, one ray of sunshine for him was that at least he would excel at his inevitable job this time, and he wouldn’t be reduced to working as a common labourer on a farm. As he walked he once again reflected about the circumstances that hand forced him to constantly move from town to town, and go from job to job. In the last several years he had been a carpenter, a smith, a labourer and a healer. While he was passing the main gates he noticed the black soot covering the buildings, the large amount of guards circling the town and the alertness all of the villagers’ wearily walking around the town hand. At the checkpoint at the entrance and while the guards searched the pack that contained all of his worldly possessions he asked what hand happened. "It happened last week", the guard answered, "an elf caused havoc here, walked in, killing 6 good men while he was doing it. Then he torched as many of the houses and forge as he could and then killed another 30 villagers before being forced to flee. It took us all week to repair the damage he did and we lost so much money that things are almost dire. So if you’ve come to work in the forges, they sure could use your help!" The elf reflected upon the guard’s words as he walked along the main street. He also remembered that he would have to tune down some of his skills to make sure that he wasn’t suspected. If he were caught as an elf now he would be killed on the spot. He finally reached his house that hand been formerly arranged. He entered the house and saw from the offset that as he hand asked the furnishings were good but sparse and the house was very Spartan. He placed his pack down by the door, hung his cloak and sword on the wall hooks and explored the house’s rooms. After his quick inspection he settled down into the armchair, light the fire by invoking magic and saying under his breath fyrsingr. Then out of his pack took one of the books that he hand been able to bring from his former home that hand been in the shady halls of Landelven. A loud bang on the door broke his self-induced reverie and a loud yell of "have you settled yet because you’ve got work tomorrow and you need to be ready for it." The elf opened the door and saw a portly red faced man standing on the doorstep, his big red moustache bristling after his yelling. He smiled as he saw the figure that answered the door and said "well I see you’re already quite comfortable so I’d better come in and tell which forge you’re working at." The elf stepped aside and let the man in accompanying the act with "do you want a drink or something" to which the reply came "yes please something not too strong if you can Saefyran". While the man settled himself comfortably in the opposing chair to the Saefyran’s, while Saefyran went to the kitchen and took 2 mugs from the cupboard and a bottle of light mead for them both. When the two of them hand settled and taken several gulps from their respective mugs, the stranger opened conversation with "how are you finding the town? I trust you are finding it to your liking?" and then continued with " you’ll be working in one of the better forges, that’s partly thanks to a word to the forge master from my good self. However that’s by the by. They want you there at the 7th bell after dawn and they want you ready and in a fit state to do a day’s forging in the hot." As Saefyran digested this news he dimly heard the stranger say "you know it would be very unwise for anyone to find out your identity seeing, as I’m sure you heard, what happened last week." And the elf agreed while saying yeah I’d better not let anyone know who or what I am, so that means ill have to kill you to keep my secret safe, and ten smiled as the strangers face went to aghast. Then his opened and shocked mouth curled into a smile as he realised Saefyran was joking. "Oh very good, although you’re right. I should be very careful as to what I say or do in the town to avoid suspicion," he exclaimed with a huge grin on his face and then let out a huge booming laugh. As they both relaxed I front of the fire, the man suddenly asked Saefyran why he had had to leave the Elven forests, but again as he hand always found he hadn’t got the answered he hand wanted. As the conversation once again lapsed into silence, the stranger finished his mead and then announced slightly louder then before, well it’s been good to see you again Saefyran but I really must be off, business to conduct and a wife to please. Saefyran showed him out and then gently shut the door behind and returned to his mead and his place by the fire.

Morning shined through the window and Saefyran awoke to the sound of the sixth bell after dawn. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in his bed, he noticed shouting in the street and looked out of his window to see an elf and a villager locked in combat. As the elf pushed his foe to the ground Saefyran leapt out of his window and pounced on the aggressor with no weapons but his fists available. As both the elf and Saefyran rolled in the mud, locked in mortal combat, a crowd of people and several guards drawn by the sounds of the scuffle gathered round and watched the spectacle silently. For they were not willing to be drawn into the fierce fight in case it turned nasty on them specifically. Finally however Saefyran grabbed a sword and as the elf grabbed his they locked swords. But after over a century of surviving by his skills under his belt Saefyran slowly began to push the elf onto the defensive and the finally buried the sword he was carrying into the marauders chest killing him instantly. An hour later and Saefyran walked up to the forge using the directions that had been given to him yesterday. The forge master looked up from his work and smiled "well are you the new forger? Well are you?" but then a glance of recognition passed his face and he went on to say "well I recognise you now, you’re the one who killed that blasted elf. My forge was one of the ones he torched. It took a week to repair the structural damage and then replace the valuable equipment that was destroyed in that blasted fire." As Saefyran relied he looked around the forge "well sir, I learned from one of the very best and I’ll be happy to work under you for as long as I’m needed." As the forge master gave him the tour around the forge and plied questions about where did he learn the craft and who was the teacher. Saefyran tactfully lied to the questions and gave the names of the last place he’d plied his black smithing. When Saefyran was finally let lone to work he stood at his anvil took one of his hammers and began to pound one of the already heated bars into the shape of a sword; for that day the day’s consignment was a batch of swords for the king’s army. As the evening bell tolled, Saefyran was opening the door to his house after a hard day’ work and then a little exploration around the town. He hand also bought some food and drinks and some other clothes for his existence.

As the weeks passed and then the months rolled by, Saefyran fell into a routine of working then an excursion around the town followed often by a visit from his friend who hand greeted him on his first day. Over that time he grew to know many of the town’s inhabitants and indeed he was on very good terms for most of them; including his friend’s family, where he was always welcome to spend some time and was adored by the children who insisted on introducing him as uncle. But then his life took a strange turn and a very welcome but coincidental face came from the past. As Saefyran worked at his forge one day he heard a request for a sword to be repaired by a voice he knew so well that he nearly dropped the red-hot piece he was working on, onto his foot. He then when the owner of the voice hand left volunteered to repair the sword and since by now his skill with metal was so readily acknowledged his request was accepted and he was told where to take the sword after it hand been repaired. But there was something that he knew and that was that he hand originally smithed the sword out of a special metal when he was in the woods for the owner specially. After 2 hours the sword had been fully repaired and as a bonus Saefyran had added an extra an extra layer of softer steel that would trap an enemies weapon and allow the owner to kill their foe. As Saefyran reached the Market Square and waited for the sword’s owner to materialise and claim the cloth-covered package he hand safely placed under his cloak. Then a tap on the shoulder brought out of his deliberations about whether the person he hand know a long time ago was the same as before. He pivoted to see a slim woman beckoning him to follow him and he knew that on the outside she hadn’t changed from before. She led him to a warehouse where then she turned to him for the first time after beckoning him and demanded "what on earth are you doing here? As in here in this town and doing this? Where did you go?" but then she let out her pent up breath and ignoring her previous questions said, "I missed you." After that they both spent a long while just talking, he related the story of what hand happened after he hand been forced to leave Landelvenden, and she added about what duties she hand been assigned with after he hand left and her punishment for their love. "It was painful being separated from you but what make it worse was that I was the forced to do what ever my mother wanted. She spent many a long hour trying to show me the error of my ways. Why we weren’t suitable and other topics, most were to do with you. Eventually though she just got angry when I wouldn’t accept it and hit me for disobeying her; then she sent me on very long assignment that is even now after half a century ongoing." After that Saefyran handed over the sword and she thanked him "I never stopped loving you all that time and I always hoped that I would see you again, Safyr." She finished and he added from the heart " and I never stopped loving you, Diamedra".

After about a hour, Saefyran realised that he should head back to work now and turned to leave when he suddenly sensed someone above him and scanned the lofty and thatched roof that hand strong oak rafters holding it together. Diamedra noted his alertness and asked what he thought it was and he replied "nothing maybe but something doesn’t feel right". Then he spun and saw 5 black robed figures fly out of the rafters with the weapons of assassins about them and beset Diamedra. So surprised was she that he managed to stab her after only 20 seconds of confused and scuffled combat. As she doubled up with the pain and the dagger lodged in her she saw 3 elves pounce through the door and recognised her Safyr in the front flanked by her ver faithful guards who then beset and assailant each while Saefyran took 3 all by himself. After parrying the first blow he whirled and with a flash of steel caught one of the rushing assailants across the chest hen was forced on the defences by the other 2 attacking from each side. As he waited for the oppitune moment he saw that the 2-elven guards hand dealt with their foes respectively and were rushing the aid of their mistress. Then he smiled and thought, "well now she’s safe lets take these idiots down quickly and the leave to avoid any trouble." For he hand recognised both of the guards as formerly of Tildanaria’s force and therefore knew both him and the crimes for which he was banished. Then a sharp sensation of pain spread across his arm as one of the 2 remaining assassins succeeded in cutting him over his swords grip, focused Saefyran thrust elegantly and then quickly improvised a slash across to the opposite man to one he hand originally attacked. Mortally wounding that man he then turned all of his concentration on the remaining opponent. Their swords met with a clang and then disengaging Saefyr went on he offensive and tried 6 cuts from opposing sides and then finished up with a decisive and powerful thrust towards the opponent’s stomach. His opponent was skilled however and managed to block all of the blows until the final one came and then they only managed to deflect the blow into his chest. He crumpled up and then as Saefyr’s sword came out of his chest with a sickening sound and then the assassin fell to the floor with only a look of shock on his face. Then Saefyran leapt up into the rafters helping his ascent with the magic word raysrheit and then he vanished into the shadows. 5 metres above the floor he looked upon the scene as Diamedra’s guards stood at her side and invoked a healing spell. Then as she sat up and he saw she was ok. He leapt out of a hole in the roof caused by the assassins and then dropped down then the floor at the back of the building. After he hand brushed off his cloak he then quickly ran to the forge and after rushing a satisfactory apology to the forge master who nearly yelled himself blue because he was so angry. At the end of the working day and a meal at his friends Saefyran went home exhausted but elated. For his burdens over the last 50 years hand been lifted by the love of his life and as far as he was concerned there was nothing better in the world than that.

In the weeks and months after Diamedra hand visited Saefyran felt better at his exile but he also noticed that the tensions against some of the villagers and others in the village were growing and eventually he found out that there was a family feud occurring. However nothing happened until a week later when 6 of one of the families, who Saefyran hand heard were descended from royalty, killed 1 of the opposing family. After that the families were at it hammer and tongs. Every night there would be street battles and some people were forced to fight for one or another of the families. Eventually Saefyran had had enough and one night kidnapped both leaders of the families and forced them to talk in his cellar. When he found out that the cause for the life costly feud was because of a simple misunderstanding over some change given in a shop, Saefyran nearly killed them both on the spot but then he forced them both to pay compensation for the damages and the loss of life. He the paid the "wronged" family what they were owed and sent them on their way but not without a warning that if the feud continued he would kill both of them. The next morning as Saefyran worked he heard one of the other forge hands say " hey you know the feud that hand bee going o, well I heard that the guys that ordered it called it off for some reason." What said his friend working next to him you mean called off completely, but that never happens with a feud most families fight it out to the end because neither ever want to back down because they always lose face. But then both of them were yelled at to get back to work by the sweating forge master. When Saefyran arrived at his friend’s house for his evening meal he met his friend at the door and said pleasantly "hello how was your day? I’ve hand a day of real hard work as usual," and his friend answered " not too band, not too band, I have to say though that when your me, every working day is hard;" at this Saefyran's friend fondly patted his considerable belly. "Well Joath what’s for the meal then cause I’m starving and I have a feeling that your children are going to wear me down even more." "Well I have to say you are eager for your tea, but I’m sure that you’re right about my kids. They are more than a handful at times." As Saefyran entered the threshold of the house he heard excited screams and then a cry of "he’s here;" and then he saw 2 well dressed young children running towards him with excited grins on their faces. The next minute they were hanging of his arms and then he raised them both up in the air and looked them both in the eye and then grinned and carried them both to the living room where he dropped both onto the comfortable lounge chair. As they scrambled about trying to regain their sense of balance he grabbed them both by the ankles and held them in the air for enough time for the blood to flush to their head and then he dropped them both onto their backs on the lounge chair. Then as he began to grab them again he heard a loud cry. "Stop that this instant you 3. Saefyran, for goodness sake, you’re behaving as band a 6-year-old. Grow up for once." A powerful matriarch like figure appeared in the doorway, hands o he hips and then berated the 3 of them for their antics. She then advanced o them and with a slap of her spoon, she whacked Saefyran’s hand so that he dropped the kids once again. Then all 3 stood to attention trying not to laugh at their antics, but also trying to desperately not to look like any of them needed to know why Joath’s wife carried a strong wooden ladle.

The evening meal at Joath’s house was a good but simple, nothing really fancy but all honestly cooked and honestly bought. As they all sat at the simple oaken table and the food was served, Joath engaged Saefyran with conversation about happenings outside of Smithsville. Saefyran wasn’t really listening to anything new until he heard a very surprising scrap of news. "What, what did you say again." said Saefyran as he heard a tiny bit of news. "What, the bit about good old king Vroess Lordlan making a peace treaty with the elves in return for elven goods." As Saefyran digested this news he ran it through his mind over and over again until he was more confused about the news than before he hand heard it in full. "But that’s wonderful for me, what about people who don’t like elves though, they’re not going to like this." The Saefyran fell into bliss as he heard his friends reply "well as far as the king’s concerned they can go hang because he has done what’s right for the kingdom. Our goods need to move forward and having the elves help us is the right movement." After the conclusion of that conversation dinner hand been served and Saefyran ate in complete silence mulling over the piece of news that he new his friend hand changed his life with. The next day at work, Saefyran asked the forge master for a minute and asked him if he hand heard the news, then when the forge master replied that he hand, Saefyran told him "I’m an elf in exile. Just in case you didn’t know I just wanted to let you know who exactly you have under your employ." But the forge master to his surprise replied that he hand already found out by observing Saefyran’s skills with metals of all kinds and forgings. The fact that Saefyran hand wrapped a cloth around his brow "to stop the sweat" when actually it covered the pointed tips of his ears hand also not escaped his attention.

The next few months saw a definite and permanent change in Saefyran’s life and also his attitudes and outlooks. His positive manner now was the life and soul of the forge and his friends all trusted him inexplicably. The only real niggle was that he never forgot that he was in exile, and the fact he couldn’t see his old friends in Landelen and he still hadn’t seen Diamedra since the incident in the warehouse. Apart from that though nothing ever troubled Saefyran; that is nothing until the messengers came. It was early in the sow season of the year. The sow hand fallen heavily the night before and as Saefyran awoke he heard a banging at his front door. He opened it to find his Fried Joath at the door breath less and as he gasped out his news on the doorstep Saefyran’s querying look was answered. "2 elves, at the gates. Asking for you and only you. Got to come, with sword and belongings they said." Saefyran immediately ran inside. He hastily packed all of his belongings into his bags and then got dressed hurriedly. As Saefyran shouldered his packs and then strapped his word around his waist he said "I leave the house to you, keep it for the kids and say I’m sorry for having to leave." Hen he began to walk up the knee-deep snow covered round when his friend stopped him with a reply "but why do you have to go? Surely they aren’t that band." But then he was stopped form making more protests by Saefyran holding up his hand and saying "suffice it to know I’m not going to get any peace until they take me to Tildanaria. I’ll be seeing you again. Goodbye." As Saefyran reached the main gate he saw the tall cloaked elves with sheathed swords and bows waiting for him. When they saw him they moved forward only to be held back by the guards, who wouldn’t let them go in the town in the hope that there wouldn’t be any trouble. Saefyran calmly stepped up to them and said, "let’s be about our business for I’m sure she didn’t send you for a social catch up". 30 minutes later and Saefyran flanked by his 2 silent guards reached the temporary elven camp with the obviously royal tent in the centre surrounded by hundreds of other smaller tents. However Saefyran knew exactly where he would be taken and walked right to the central, royal tent where he was let in and the told to leave his blade behind him. When inside the royal tent Saefyran saw that the whole of the lordly court hand been assembled just for his fate and on the large dais at one end were the two figures he hand been expecting. The one standing and to the back was obviously Diamedra and the other one sitting regally on the large beautifully crafted throne in the centre of the dais was the queen herself; Tildanaria. When she saw him the queen’s expression went to something similar to disgust and she said her voice easily carrying to the corners of the tent. "So you have come, I thought so. Well you know why you were brought here and what will happen. So shall we get on with it." 2 hours of questions answers and debating passed before a verdict was passed and it was exactly as Saefyran expected. The sentence passed hand been Execution. That night Saefyran (who’d been locked in one of the spare tents before his afternoon execution) lamented. He lamented at not seeing Joath’s children again. He lamented at his unfortunate forbidden love and he lamented at the queen’s hard and fast hatred of him. He did remember though the times he had used to have in Landeleven. Then he hand been able to be carefree and he and Diamedra hand bee able to play together as the best of friends. They’d done so may things together and the most prized of his possessions apart from a locket was one of the treasures they and found as children and she hand give to him for a birthday. But those days were passed and he lamented their departure as well.

Morning broke across the elven camp and as the sun sent it’s rays across the basin and as the golden light passed across Saefyran’s prison tent. He watched the shadows of his guards appeared across the floor and stopped just before his feet. Then Tildanaria entered he tent surrounded by guards and smiling to her-self in congratulations. "Well did you have a nice last night "son"," she said mockingly and she then snapped her fingers and the guards grabbed Saefyran, bound his hands securely and escorted him outside, towards the execution spot. While Saefyran was forced to kneel, one of the court elves read the list of charges and formally pronounced the sentence to the whole elven camp. The execution stepped forward a naked blade in his arms and a solemn frown on his face as if this was a duty that he did not enjoy. Then Saefyran made his last request to the execution, and asked that his execution be quick and painless, after the elf’s nod, Saefyran bowed his head, and waited but instead of the death blow came cry of "attack, creatures attacking." While there was general confusion and in some cases panic, Saefyran seized his chance and whispered blanderuscomr then as his sword rushed towards Saefyran leapt up, twisted his hands so that his blade sliced his bonds and then snatched his sword out of the air. Tildanaria, seeing all of these events unfold, yelled at her guards to grab Saefyran. However as she yelled this the foe appeared, it was a man completely encased in a black suit of armour on top of a creature that looked like a dragon but hand no scales and instead a slimy looking hide. It also had a very slender neck and a tiny head with a huge jaw and rows upon rows of sharp dagger like teeth. Then with a horrible, ear-wrenching screech that terrified ever elf in earshot the creature swooped down onto the camp and in its first dive it carried off 4 elves and it’s rider killed another 2. But while the creature regained height for another dive, Saefyran leapt, he then imbued his own momentum with magic. The creature then dived again and as it swooped under him Saefyran released the magic and fell onto the creature’s back. He then brandished his sword and parried an attack made by the still seated rider. Then as his enemy stood up, Saefyran settled into a defensive stance not caring that he was up so high, not caring that the creature could roll and knock him off. He only concentrated on his enemy. Then the man attacked with a rarely before seen fury, not caring for finesse, only caring about trying to kill his opponent. But Saefyran was as skilled a fighter and blocked every attack made. Saefyran then went on the offensive and attacked with a single mind. But while they were fighting, the rider’s steed rolled throwing both combatants towards the much nearer ground. As Saefyran fell, the creature came in for the kill and stuck out its neck trying to grasp Saefyran with its powerful jaws. But Saefyran managed to twist himself away from the snapping jaws, and then he struck with his sword towards the narrow head. But the creature proved as agile and the two of them hit the ground at the same instant still in a mortal struggle. As Saefyran extricated himself from the ruins of the tent he had fallen on he saw the creature getting wobbly to its feet. Then it screeched and bounded towards Saefyran, who readied himself to fight hard, they then met, Saefyran rolled to one side to avoid snapping jaws and stabbed upwards, his blade connected with the soft underbelly of the creature then continued his roll to avoid a second set of claws. As the two combatants separated Saefyran looked long and hard at his enemy, then he charged, and the creature followed his example and attacked. But then the creature, which hand learnt from its mistakes, jutted out its head and while Saefyran rolled away swung out its claws, rending Saefyran’s sides red and shredding his skin. Undeterred though Saefyran rose up and then plunged his sword through the hide over the creature’s chest up to the hilt and then finished his attack with a powerful blow to the creatures neck, removing it’s head completely. After he hand removed his sword from the dead creature, Saefyran looked around for the creature’s rider and saw them holding a sword to Tildanaria’s neck. The figure said "now you die witch elf, we don’t want you nor your goods and so there fore you must die. Goodbye and I hope you go to a place of torture." The figure then raised his sword for the killing blow, but seeing this Saefyran ran the short distance despite his wounds and threw himself on the figure. In the ensuing struggle Saefyran managed to avoid his enemy’s weapon, but then the figure rolled and as Saefyran followed him the figure impaled Saefyran upon the whole of the sword’s length. Then Saefyran reached out with his hands and grasped the attacker by the throat, only visible between the helmet and the breastplate. As he tightened his grip on the ma’s throat, Saefyran felt his blood running along the sword and knew that he was likely to die. But finally Saefyran’s grip on the man hand killed him and then he managed with the last of his strength to haul himself off the sword and through eyes glazing over he saw the elven court all hurrying towards him. In the front was Diamedra, but he was sure that was a hallucination because he asked himself whether her mother would let her be with him for his final hours.

RATE THIS CHAPTER!