Paladin the path begins
Chapter 3

Luna had been tracking her quarry for hours now, her father, the elven king, having tasked her and the hunter unit to thin the herds around Keldran’s borders for the coming winter. The other herds had been quick work, taking only a few days. This particular herd though had been moving at speed for hours now and she was beginning to get frustrated at how long it was taking them. She moved nimbly through the forest brush, her centuries of experience allowing her to avoid such things easily, every now and again she’d catch a glimpse of her comrades as they tried to keep pace. Luna heard the telltale sounds of the herd from up ahead, a moment later and she came to a stop behind a thick fir tree, her heart pounding from the long period of exertion. Luna pulled up her cloak’s hood to obscure her fair skin as she stalked forward carefully, instinctively notching an arrow on her bow in anticipation for the kill to come. Up ahead stood the deer herd they’d been tracking, this herd had long given them problems, once again growing too large. Luna detested this aspect of her station. She knew it was necessary to keep the herds manageable, and as an order from the king, not one she could disobey. She drew her bowstring to her cheek, taking aim quickly and loosing an arrow as three more flew from the trees around her, four of the deer falling to the ground dead. The rest of the herd paled at the sight, scattering into the forest in panic. Luna dropped her hood, letting out a deep sigh now that the job here was finally done.

“Let’s get them loaded” she shouted to her comrades, striding forward from the tree line to inspect the kills.

The others emerged shortly after her, Fiora her sister, Jaike her first wing, and Finn who she believed was a cousin, though her father never acknowledged him as such. The kills were remarkably clean she noticed, the animals having died instantly from all four arrows, it was a rarity with two novices present. They each gathered up a deer carcass, now began the long haul back to the cart at the roadside with Kion, as followers of Yindar they may not eat meat... well not openly anyway, but the deer would fetch a good price in Fernhaven and it would be a sign of disrespect to Telth if they wasted the carcasses. Jaike and Finn led the way back as Fiora jogged alongside her excitedly.

“Do you require an escort to the seers later sister?” Fiora asked, shaking her mousey brown hair from her face unsuccessfully.

She liked her sister immensely, they had always been close, especially after their brother left them so many years ago. But Fiora was too much a palace girl, Luna knowing she only came along on the hunts to spend time with her. She knew her sister would rather be at home with her cats, though if Luna was being honest, she herself was beginning to tire of the tasks of being a hunter, perhaps after all these years, she was ready to take on the responsibilities of a princess like her father had wanted.

“No, but thank you, the seer glades are only half a day from here, and besides I’m sure Jaike would appreciate some more time with you” she replied, giving Fiora a wink as her sister’s face went crimson.

She knew Fiora was trying to attract him, having a feeling the two were already joined together anyway.

“Pah!, I care nothing for him Luna... well maybe a little bit” Fiora snorted, turning her nose up and catching her ear in the deer’s blood. Fiora squeaked innocently, dropping the carcas and wiping at her ear frantically with her sleeve.

Luna couldn’t help snorting with laughter. She realised it was childish though, she was nearly three hundred after all, and it was only a matter of time before her father would replace a suitable mate for her joining. It would be in the best interest of the kingdom though... not her own.

“The carts just ahead now!” Finn shouted excitedly from up ahead, it was his first hunt and his elation at his hard training having paid off so quickly was making him burst with energy. She had to admit though, it was a rare occurrence for such perfect kills on a first hunt. As the four of them deposited the carcases onto the back of the wooden cart carefully, the shire horse snorted and stamped impatiently. Her father had been impatient for their task to be done so close to winter, allowing her the use of the rare beast. Oxen would have been normal for such a task, but they moved far slower, the horse would shave nearly a day off the journey home. The others climbed aboard the waggon without her, Luna foot having an appointment with the seers to the east on the behest of her father. The seers would allow her the use of the seeing pool that would hopefully benefit the Keldran elves in some great way. It was an important task, her father having been impressed with her the last time she had visited Barrow-helm years ago, her visions had been clear and concise the last few visits, and they had helped her father gain new alliances and given him domain over Fernhaven, so she was to go again now, knowing her father wanted more territory in the face of Paladins massing in the east. Though she knew he was loathe to go south into Vieldon for land, the place people were now calling the plague lands.

“I’ll meet you at the road to Keldran in four days Jaike, if I’m not back by then... wait longer,” she told Jaike with a smile, pulling her cloak tight around her. She hoped to avoid the bite of winter that was surely due in the coming weeks, but delays were always inevitable.

“Of course, just stay safe Luna, I’ve spotted evidence of bandits these past weeks,” Jaike told her with a nod of acknowledgement, tapping Kion on the shoulder who set the horse to moving.

“Four days sister, and don’t you dare be late,” Fiora said to her sternly, wagging her finger.

“But of course, see you then sister” Luna replied, waving them away.

And as the cart rumbled down the road, Luna noticed Fiora hop onto the driver’s bench beside Jaike and smiled, it just confirmed to her that Fiora had found her joined, though in truth she had known the two were destined for each other the moment they had met months ago. Luna just wished she could meet the one she resonated with herself. She pulled up her hood, dashing onward through the forest toward Barrow-helm, the place of the seers.

Luna made excellent time to the seers glade, her centuries of running the forests with the hunters giving her the skills to navigate the forests easily in an almost super elven time. The forest came alive as Luna came within the hallowed grounds of Barrow-helm, she passed under a great canopy formed by old oaks and willows that were impossibly tall, though as she passed into the glade Luna noticed dozens of freshly dug graves outside, she’d never seen graves here before. She began to hear birds singing in chorus from all around and a multitude of animals wandered the grove oblivious to her, wolves and deer, bears and elk, here all manner of creatures lived, though many not native to this part of the world and as she passed by several pretty dryads, their skin a luminescent green in the canopy light, she was reminded then that others here were not even of this world, the dryads bowing to her in greeting before running deeper into the glade giggling. Here all was in harmony, where no violent thought could be formed and no death happens, though she swiftly conjured the image of the grave markers and shivered. Luna felt immediately at peace walking under the great willow arch that acted as an entrance to the seers hall, the place itself a mass of interwoven trees creating a semblance of an old human dwelling, everything here was alive she thought, right down to the buildings themselves and even after so many visits it still awed her. As she had expected the seers were ready for her, standing in a semi-circle along the walls of the hall. They truly could see the future she thought, bowing in reverence to the seers. Luna knew she was easily a few hours earlier than even she had planned.

“Greetings Lunathion An Keldran, princess of the realm,” said Aldrin in a kindly manner, an elf that her father had postulated was over three thousand years old and could remember the dwarves of legend, though like the rest of her people he seemed no older than a human of twenty years.

“Greetings Aldrin” she replied, her knee high leather boots and tunic creaking slightly as she straightened, she’d need a new tunic she decided, though she’d owned this one nearly forty years now and was loathe to part with it, perhaps Huring could fix it when she got home again.

“Have ye brought tribute girl” boomed Gor’toth, a grizzled black Orc sounding angry as always, his bulging muscles noticeable even with his billowing seers robe covering him.

He had been a great warlord once Aldrin had told her last year, then Telth the lord of the forest had come to him in a vision. Gor’toth had cast aside his axes and armour in Yor Nor’Ton, travelling to Barrow-helm to live as a seer. It seemed almost comical to her that an Orc could live in peace, let alone here in perpetual harmony. Luna took a Golden brooch from the pouch at her waist, turning it over in her hand slowly. It was a thing of great beauty, forged in the golden age of her people hundreds of years ago, a beautiful emerald ran through the centre that radiated a great light, making everything a shimmering green. She tossed it to Aldrin who snatched the brooch from the air effortlessly, examining the brooch carefully.

“This will be most useful my dear, your father is always over generous to us” he said happily, running his fingers around the edges of the piece.

“Follow me please,” he asked her a moment later, beckoning Luna to follow him. She could feel the eyes of the others on her as they walked from the seer hall to the pool of seeing. Though she noticed on the way out that of the other gathered seers, she recognised none of them.

“The plague reached even here Luna, and if it were not for three Paladins passing through our glade, we would surely all be dead. This plague Luna, it is not natural and we are powerless against it I fear” said Aldrin sadly, seemingly having read her mind.

“It even claimed Hurik, I had thought once that mountain man was too stubborn to die, yet none of us could save him, nor Reina, Georf or Jaina, they will all be missed so much” he told her, shaking his head sadly and she thought she saw a tear roll down his cheek.

Luna felt a great sadness fall over her at the news as well. She had liked Hurik a lot, he had always had a story to tell her and had been the first to welcome her into Barrow-helm as a friend. She was broken from her thoughts though as they came to a stop beside the seeing pool. It gleamed as always with a green sheen mirroring the trees above it almost making the shallow waters invisible, as it had been the last time its waters were perfectly still, even with the slight breeze that ran through the forest. She knew what to do after so many times entering its hallowed waters and removed her clothes and boots. She had learned the first time that clothing interfered with the seeing, and after realising that Aldrin had no desire to leer at her she found entering naked gave her clearer visions every time. Luna waded out into the pool, the water was cool but not unpleasantly cold, her waist length hair floating upon the surface of the water. She stopped upon reaching the centre, leaning back and letting herself float upon the surface, feeling strange as the water remained still, almost as if it were a bed. She closed her eyes and started to clear her mind of all thoughts feeling the gentle breeze roll over her exposed skin.

Luna was soaring over Keldran city and from this vantage point the city was breathtakingly beautiful, the sunlight glinting off the almost glass like spires of the castle, the white walls shimmering in the brilliant light reflected back from the sun. She guessed the event was close at hand as she spotted her people still wearing their autumn clothing, the last of the harvest being carted into the city. She scanned her home quickly, but she could see nothing of note. There must be something here though as the visions were never pointless. Then came a cry of anguish, loud enough for her to hear even this high up, a great commotion was erupting from the market square below and as she manoeuvred her form closer the vision was suddenly gone. Replaced by darkness as she was standing in a clearing, by the ruins of an old tower where a lone figure was surrounded by men, she felt something triggered in her brain, she felt her face flush and her heart race. The visions flashed before her mind’s eye quicker and quicker now that she had broken her concentration, she was beside a great blackened tree, then Fiora’s face, that was one moment joyous and the next pained unbearably, a village utterly destroyed, it’s people weeping in anger their, faces twisted with hate, the blue dragon of her father’s house and a feeling of great betrayal, then the visions crashed to a halt and she came back to consciousness with a start. Luna lay in the water for what seemed an eternity as her brain processed the visions into something she could explain and understand. She eventually forced herself to stand once again, as she waded back to the edge of the pool she tried to reconcile herself with the second vision, the lone man against three others. She told herself that it didn’t ultimately matter, the outnumbered human didn’t stand a chance. And yet she had felt something... beautiful at seeing him, perhaps he was her... no. Fate would not be so cruel as to resonate and join her with a human, her father would never accept it. She put the thought from her mind, for such things could drive an elf mad.

“There may be great pain ahead Luna, though I’m sure you have gleaned this. So I shall merely tell you to be mindful, you are my favourite elf after all” Aldrin said with a smile, waving his hand and removing the water dripping off her body, casting it back into the pool once again.

“Are the visions ever wrong Aldrin, I’m afraid I lost my concentration and the visions were... hazy?” she asked as she dressed, tying her hair into a ponytail.

“Never wrong Luna, and rarely cohesive. Even to someone as experienced as I, but they are of future events and the future is ever fluid, one different choice can change the whole future, making all that you saw null and void. Yet nearly always those who try to change that which they see, make them happen” he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving a wan smile.

She understood what he meant, but that wasn’t helpful to her and they walked back to the hanging willow in a solemn silence. Luna had decided at the pool that she would use the last of the light to get a head start to the crossroads.

“Go with the blessing of Telth, Lunathion An Keldran. Think about what I have said. Some decisions can change the very fabric of the world itself” Aldrin said, though she was sure she had said nothing of her plans to leave so soon.

“May Yindar grant you good health Aldrin” she replied, wondering if Aldrin had gleaned something that she hadn’t.

“He always has, and farewell Luna... until the next time perhaps,” he said with a slight uncertainty.

“Are you sure there will be a next time?” she asked concerned, securing her weapons tightly.

“Oh there is a good chance, for what is certain in these times” he replied, adjusting his robes belt unnecessarily and walking away.

Luna turned away herself, leaving at a brisk pace, she had a little daylight left now and could cover some distance yet before twilight.

Luna had covered a great distance by the time she made camp in a clearing by a great oak tree. As she searched through the low light for kindling she heard raised voices, she quickly unfastened her bow and quickly strung it, making sure her short sword was loose in its sheath. Luna took a deep breath and notched an arrow, running towards the edge of the tree line and keeping low, her hood pulled up she pressed herself up against a tree at the edge of the forest, realising it was blackened. She took a deep breath and thought about her next action, it almost felt like the future was pressing on her, forcing what she must do. A moment later she broke from the trees, stalking towards the raised voices and sounds clashing steel emanating from the ruins of an old tower. It seemed the future was less fluid and more hardened steel though as she spotted a rough looking man reaching for an arrow. Without a thought, she raised her bow and loosed an arrow.