Born To Fly - The Copper Tree Series (book #1)

4| A Killer

Night came far to quickly for Lavalda's taste. It seemed that the day had gone by so quickly, and it was hard for Lavalda to grasp what had happened after Alvako left. 

Life sure does suck sometimes. He sighed Why are things so messed up? Did I anger the Reanna to get this cursing? Or is this supposed to be a blessing? He inwardly scoffed. Goodness, I must be going insane, how could anything like this be a blessing? 

Lavalda shook his head, trying to discern everything Ardon had told him after Alvako had walked off:

"I have decided, for multiple reasons you don't need to know, that I will tell you my profession. I train killers that do my bidding. You will be one of them, and you will be a good one." He had said before spinning on his heel - leaving Lavalda alone with his shock. It was a very difficult subject for him, as his mother and father had brought him up to be a good elf. They had no intentions for him to be anything evil like that, and Lavalda had never thought about killing anyone before in his life.

Lavalda looked up as he headed to the servants sleeping tent. The stars looked beautiful against the dark blue sky. That only angered him even more - why couldn't the sky rain to match his mood? That might have been a little bit more satisfying. He entered the tent long enough for Heru to notice him. Heru sighed as he stood up and exited the tent with a coil of rope and headed towards the nearest tree. Lavalda followed reluctantly, wishing that he could sleep in any other way. He got down on the ground in a kneeling position and leaned against the tree, wincing as the ruff bark rubbed his injured back. Heru tied him up tightly to the tree and walked back into the servants tent. 

Lavalda closed his eyes and tried to avoid the painful memories, but they came anyways. He took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and waited to see what the first one would be...

"Lavalda? Wake up, it's the day of my birth!" He heard Tanya's voice ring out. "Wake up!"

Lavalda opened his heavy eyelids as his little sister jumped up and down on his straw mattress. "Alright, alright.... I'm getting up. Hold on for a bit Tanya," He said as he stood up, "Now. Let me see, I guess you want a present, don't you?" It was more of a statement then a question, but  the seven year old answered anyways.

"You are the best present there ever is Lavalda!"  She sang out pleasantly.

Lavalda smiled at her sweetness. "But wouldn't you like another present too?"

"Of course Lavalda!" she smiled.

"I thought so," Lavalda turned and began to rummage in his chest that sat at the foot of his bed. It was the only place that he had to keep his personal things. He set aside his prized dagger that his father had given to him on his day of birth celebration two years before, and he removed his spare shirt and pants. Then he pretended to be confused. "Hmm. Your presant is gone... I guess I can't give you anything this year." He teased.

"Lavalda. I know you are just playing with me. I heard you tell mother that you were going to the village to get me a present." She confidently declared.

Lavalda smiled, because he knew she was too excited to be game. He pulled a small light blue pillow out from underneath his bed and handed it to her excited hands. "There you go Tanya. Happy now?"

"Oh.....Lavalda - it is beautiful." She murmured as she stroked the soft silk, admiring the green swirls embroidered onto the pillow, it seemed to her that the green swirls were vines, twisted into beautiful patterns that seemed to blend into the violet flower petals that spelled her name in elvish in a swirly font. "How did you get this?"

Lavalda laughed, knowing that that would be her first question. "Let's just say that a good number of my best carvings went into it."

Lavalda sobbed silently into the night. He wished that he could go back to that life, where everything was just a game, where he didn't have to worry about getting beaten all of the time....where he knew that his only sister was safe. 

After a while, the lights went out around the camp and most everyone was asleep. Lavalda knew the routine. In about five minutes, the guards would switch to get some sleep, and around that time, Lavalda's body would go numb in the cold, and he would be able to sleep without being awakened by intense pain coming from his back - as long as his nightmeres were not too intense.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of a knife against rope.

"Who's there?" He inquired worriedly. Instantly, a hand was clamped over his mouth.

"Be quiet! Do you want me to get caught?" It was Alvako, who let go of his mouth. Lavalda was, surprisingly, furious. 

"What do you think you're doing!" He whispered angrily. "You will get caught, I know it! And besides that, you were supposed to give the messages to my family!"

"I did, calm down. I sent the messages with a runner."

"What about Tanya?"

"She was found two days ago. I got the message just tonight, otherwise I would have found her for you," He continued cutting the ropes. "I know how much you loved her."

"Alvako, the guards will switch the watch any minute! You have to go, or we will both get caught!" He whispered urgently. 

As if on cue, one of the guards came out of a tent, and began making his way towards his post. 

Lavalda and Alvako froze, but the guard had already noticed them.

"I am not leaving you again." Alvako whispered into Lavalda's pointy elf ear.

Lavalda knew it was to late to save Alvako's life, because he knew that the law would not spare Alvako's life. Ardon was rightfully allowed to kill Alvako, and there was nothing he could do but watch the guard alert the others, and see Ardon enter the scene, taking only one look at the mostly cut ropes before stabbing Alvako in the gut multiple times. 

Lavalda stared hatefully at the ground.

From that moment on, Lavalda had no love or respect for anyone besides Tanya. He hated Ardon for killing Alvako. He hated Alvako for being so stupid enough to try to kidnap him. He hated his parents for not saving him. He hated Uvanimauraco for thinking there was anything to like within himself. 

He especialy hated his father Sarada for selling his only son.

Lavalda decided that the only way to give Alvako anything nice for at least trying to save him was to treat him better then his own father, and an easy way to do that was to hate his father even more. 

So Lavalda decided to reject and ignore anything principles that his father taught him, and he would make sure that his father heard that his son turned into Ardon's prized killer, and he would cause his father extreme pain to make him suffer for what he had done.

He would do whatever Ardon wanted.

Anything.

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