The Arrow

The elven Prince Antien was beyond angry.

After walking into the room of his betrothed and found her gone, a note left behind explaining things, anger did not even begin to describe the emotion that raged through his mind, body and soul.

She actually left!

A chair suddenly shattered into tiny fragments as he flung it out of his way and her tiny bobbles on her nightstand were victim to a sweep of his arm as he passed out of the room. 

How could she do this to him?

Manya, their spiritual leader and trusted elder, had foreseen their union, told of their intense bonding and everlasting devotion. Antien slammed his hand into the wall as he thought on his and could not fathom Naerdiel would actually leave him! He loved her for Manya’s sake. He loved her…

Deep within the forest, an elf maiden ducked around a tree and waited while the Scouts passed on their patrol. Naerdiel was running for her life, or so she thought. The idea of marriage was a prison she was neither ready to commit to nor be forced into it at this time. So when he announced that he had made the arrangements and they would be married in less than a month, she ran. Fast. 

Her departure from the elven  lands was difficult, however it helped to be a warrior trained maiden who knew how to evade the his Scouts and not trip their natural alarm system  or alert the animals. It was only a matter of time before she was free, free to do whatever she liked.

Checking around the tree, she found the way clear and so took off again through the forest and as she ran, she used concealments, spells and the natural environment to hide her passage away from Antien. Away from the man she loved but would not allow herself to keep.

****

“Antien, son, peace,” the elderly elf woman said calmly from her chair. She nervously tucked a stray stand of hair behind her curved ear as she watched her son vent in anger then smoothed out the wrinkles in her delicate skirt.

It was days later and there was still no sign of his betrothed. He was beginning to doubt the abilities of his Scouts, berated them at every opportunity for their incompetence, then would remembered who they were tracking and smiled – she was that good. He would know. He trained her.

His mother was still talking and shot him a questioning look regaining his attention, “Naerdiel will be found, so please find your inner peace and calm down. You are upsetting me and the rest of the People.”  The look she received in reply only forced another sigh of exasperation from her elegant lips, “This is not healthy, son.”

Anger burned through him again and he fought the urge to yell at her, so spoke very quietly but his words were full of passion, “Mother, she left. The moment the announcement was made that we could finally stand before Manya and make our vows, she left.” He was finding it exceedingly difficult to hide his anger, “How dare she, she had no right.”

“There is nothing you can do about it, Antien. She made her own choice and you cannot force this, it is not our way,” his mother cautioned. “If she wants to be found, she will be found. If not, you will have to let her go until she is ready to return.”

Antien moved towards the refreshment tray and with excessive force, filled a glass with white nectar that he promptly gulped down. One word left his mouth, “No,” then departed the room leaving his mother, the Queen sitting in stunned silence.

****

Thwap!

Damn. Missed again. Naerdiel slumped as she viewed where her arrow landed this time, inches from her intended mark. Well, she had all the time in the world to practice and drew another arrow from the dirt at her feet and notched the string.