The Power Within (On hold)

Chapter 7

Elenora found her comfort in the land surrounding the white tower.

She had grown to love her temporary home nestled in a nest of rock, and she enjoyed the freedom that she was granted. Back in the castle she had only been out with her father, and that was on horses, not on the ground. But now she could wander as she wanted, as long as she stayed within the walls of stone.

Her favorite thing to do outside was explore the woods; she had already found a secret clearing that she would rest in for hours. She would lay on her back in the fragrant soft green grass and watch the clouds go by. Patches of daisies provided plenty of flowers for daisy chains. The clearing even had a sparkling spring of cold water where she could easily quench her thirst.

Elenora would wander in the woods, letting the peaceful stillness in turn still her heart. She dared to try something she never thought she would do, climb a tree. That was the day she had returned to the tower with a scraped elbow and an aching knee.

She found herself talking to the creatures of the forest, the bunnies and the foxes and the birds. They were easier to talk to then elves, besides Jake of course, because they had no judgemental feelings. They never compared herself to her mother, and Elenora liked that. But thinking about her mother hurt.

And she sang. Out amisdt the swaying trees no one was watching, and she was as free as the birds that were her only audience. So she sang her heart out, imagining the stream and the wind were accompying her voice with their constant song.

When she wasn’t enjoing the outdoors for the first time in her life she was training with Jake. Her swordmanship was coming along nicely, at least, that’s what Jake said anyway. And she felt herself getting stronger, everyday more capable of evading an attack, jumping aside to let it whirl harmlessly through the air. And he taught her more moves each lesson they shared.

She counted those days as the most peaceful of her life. And then that all changed.

One morning Elenora was walking around the very edge of the land inside the stones when she heard a scream.

A woman’s scream. The kind that was filled with such terror that it chilled your blood.

Elenora froze, listening hard. The scream had come from outside of the stone walls.

After a moment of indecision she began to scale the walls, finding handholds and footholds in cracks amid the stone. Soon she heaved herself up onto the top of the stone barriers and wiggled to the edge on her belly.

Elenora knew it was dangerous to be on top of the walls like this, especially since the amulet was dangling from her neck on it’s chain, but the scream had sounded like it had come from an innocent woman, and she could not do nothing, not even run and tell someone. By the time they sent a party the woman might be hurt, or worse, dead. No, she couldn’t do that. It went against her nature.

She cautiously peered over the stone and had to hold back a gasp at what she saw.

In front of her in a field beside the forest surrounding the stone walls was a long line of marching elves. But they weren’t marching of their free will, they were on a prisoner march.

The scream had probably come from the elf kneeling on the ground being beaten by a Niger.

Hate filled Elenora as she watched him strike her again, so hard that she fell, then order her to keep walking.

The other elves in the march looked just as miserable, their feet dragging with weariness, and their heads hung in defeat. The Niger guards prodded them with their swords, occasionally screaming at them to move faster. Chains hung from the prisoners wrists.