Elderflower, The Last Halfbreed

Chapter 1 Home

Long ago, my people were killed. A man named Saul, ravaged my homeland and left it in ashes. My brother and I were the only ones to make it out alive. My father sacrificed himself to protect us. The father that I once knew is now gone forever. I remembered that night like none other. The sky raged red as the fires burned brighter. I remembered holding on to my brother's hand with all my might. Now we live in secret. Living off of daily wages that my brother wins in sword fights. I see him fighting every so often with my father's old sword. Retribution, is what Henry calls it. He's only a boy and yet he can wield a giant broadsword. I can see all the emotion in his face when he knocks his victim out with the end of his sword. All the hate and anger. I turn my face away. I hate to see my brother in so much pain. That was ten years ago. Now I see my brother Great King of Authway, the homeland that I've always known. Ever since that night, I've never seen him smile. His face a mask of determination. I see my father among his features. One day Henry told me something that changed my whole life forever. This is my story as I find out who I am.

 The forest seems to beckon me each morning as I wake. My face shines as I feel the warmth of the bright sun on my face. I've always known this forest as home. For two years this had been my shelter. My home. My life. Each and everyday I would wake up and wonder what the outside world was like outside of the forest. I felt my ears with the tip of my fingers. Nope. Still not pointy. I sighed. My brother told me that we were the last race of Half breeds. Half elf and half human. I still haven't seen a change.

Henry told me that we had a long destiny planned out for us but he didn't know what. He thought it was to save the world from the likes of Saul but I disagreed. I always thought that being half and half was a sign that there is something out there. Something that we must do instead of listening to our past. That is were our differences lie. After that, Henry told me to leave the city and head to the forest of Woodbrine. After that he never talked to me again. For two years I've lived in silence. Waiting for just one word from Henry.

My eyes took in the familiar sight of my camp as I thought to myself. The precious items that I still had was my hunting bow, a small campfire, and a canvas tent with the figure of a winged horse, the only thing that reminds me of home. My legs ached as I walked towards the fire. The wood was wet from the morning dew. I swore to myself as I gathered my bow. A present my brother gave to me before he left. I tested the string. Satisfied I walked out of my camp glancing at the blue horse on my tent.

The sun was just barley up as I trudged through the forest looking for my breakfast. I had already checked my traps and all of them empty. Something was wrong. There was always a rabbit in at least one of them. I drew my bow. The eagle feathers pressed up to my cheek. I could sense the trouble already. The birds had gone silent now.

My stomach growled with protest. I tried to be silent. It didn't work. I heard the crack of a branch as someone stepped on it. I whirled around to only notice a lone man dripping blood. His armor looked dented and the cut on his side looked bad. His head was bowed with exhaustion. He looked ready to topple. He looked up at me with sympathy etched on his face. Then I noticed the insignia on the dying knight. A blue winged horse. I dropped my bow immediately and ran towards the fading man.

He grasped his wound with pale fingers. He had lost a lot of blood. Too much to be helped. This man knew Henry. Maybe he sent him to bring me word and ended up getting attacked. I noticed the wound was deep. The man's face shook and his blue eyes started to fade. He was the only person that I had seen in two years. I couldn't let him go. No. Henry needed me. He muttered under his breath as he was growing closer and closer to death.

“Stay with me! You can't die. I won't let you. Stay with me!” I tried to tell him. He didn't want to listen and kept on muttering. Suddenly, his eyes blinked open as he screamed. Goose bumps shivered down my arms as I heard him scream. Then he went limp. Frustration kicked in as I picked him up and tried to carry the heavy man towards my camp. His armor weighed more than I did.

With every ounce of my strength I managed to carry the man into my camp. I could feel the warm blood pouring from his wound. It sickened me but made me push harder. My legs were already aching and now they were going to be very sore. I thought of Henry. I thought of home. Diathalon. My city. I could still here the man uttering useless words under his breath. As soon as I lay him on the bed I began to tear the armor off of the knight.

His tunic was in rags when I pulled off the armor. I gagged once I saw the bloody wound. A long ragged line snaked its way across the man's chest and finally cut deeper into his side. I wondered how long this man had been walking with his bloody wound. I took a deep breath and began the long process of binding the wound.