The elfin from Vere'brius

chapter 1

Vere'ebrius, my home was quiet as usual. The few sounds heard between the trees were the odd bird and the melodic language of my people. Walking further towards the Hearthomes where we lived I allowed the peace of the village wash over me. Today had been the first day that my father had taken me outside the protection provided by him and the other Sentinels. I could see why my father was proud of the work he puts into everything. Vere'ebrius was a safe haven from the dangers lurking around in the woods surrounding us and the Sentinels were the ones to keep it that way.

I felt my father's contentment as well, noticing I still had my power active I severed the connection with my father after sending the feeling of gratitude and trust.

"You know that you've still got much to learn before you're allowed to receive actual apprenticeship to join us? The only reason we allowed you to come in the first place was because of your peculiarity."

Rolling my eyes I said "Of course father, I'm not adept at Lightening my steps. My aim with the bow is terrible and you've barely started teaching me to see the signs the forest leaves for us. You've only mentioned that, what? Ten times today?"

"And for good reason. The forest is a dangerous place, you are still but a child. We can't have you walking after the will-o-wisps of a dryad."

"Can you leave the rest of the lectures for tomorrow? You're always the one telling me that us elves were supposed to be of a patient sort, telling me I'll learn with time.

Come on let's go see Ilinya, she promised to take care of a meal for us when we'd returned"

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Walking up to the Hearthome that has served as my home for the last decades I can't help but reminiscence today's events. The short sweep we did to the west of the village wasn't particularly interesting. Though eye opening for some. I thought, glancing in my daughters direction.

A faint smile crept up on my lips as I thought back proudly on her antics of the day. She's young, too young to be out of the village if you'd ask any of the other Sentinels. She grew up between them though, listening to their stories day in day out. She always wanted adventures of her own, preferably right now.

Normally an elf lets time guide him or her. They live in the village for years on end, living in peace. Through observation and curiosity they learn to sing, dance or play instruments. They tinker around to create art of various sorts. Nearly everyone is content living in the village. After centuries they might start interesting them in what's outside the village, usually only after fully mastering what they've been working on. At which point they'll start practicing the bow and quarter staff.

The staff is a difficult weapon to master, it allows for endless combination and variations of movements. The elves that have come close to mastering look like they flow through a fight instead of fighting in patterns.

But not Seryna. The girl doesn't seem particularly interested in art or the few crafts that the elves do use. The stories that she's been told since birth are probably to blame for that.

Normally the elves don't teach, they let skill come naturally through time. My daughter, however had other plans. Since the moment she could walk she's been doing her best trying to get her hands on a bow. A Sentinel makes his own, anyone who wants to use a bow makes his own. As you learn to use weapon you learn what the wood should do, How the string should react and you modify it until it's perfect for your own hands.

Seryna received a simple and small bow when she first started to have enough meat on her bone to actually use the thing. All under the promise that she'd make her own if she'd ever wanted to become a Sentinel. She was thought how to use the weapon by not only myself but also half of the other Sentinels that knew her.