Valan

Chapter 2 (Three Rings

Chapter 2
Three Rings
In a small boat, caught in the middle of a much greater storm, a small boy sheltered. Underneath a blanket so heavy and cold it clung to him like a second skin, unable to keep his head up or his eyes open for more than a few seconds, as the rain and wind pounded him square in the face. Flashes of lightning showed small glimpses of the waves, they seemed to almost touch the sky they were so high. Every flash he saw the outline of people so tightly packed together, all their faces and features hidden by their hoods. Men? Women? Children? They could have been any of them and all of them. Then he sees it, not even the lightning able to penetrate through the shear vastness of the wave. It seemed as though it pushed the clouds aside revealing the moon at its breaking point. Complete darkness and silence followed before they gave way to the sudden crushing impact.

Valan woke from his dream panting, almost struggling for breath, squeezing the covers in his cramped fists. His hair and entire body soaked in sweat, his body burning like that of an ill fever. The covers twisted around him like a snake slowly suffocating its prey. It was only just before dawn. Valan felt like he hadn't slept again, always the same dream every night, always waking at the same point, he had had this dream ever since he could remember. It was now just an accepted part of his everyday life. Often he would overhear people talking of their dreams, what magic and wonders they were filled with. It wasn't a dream at all, it was a nightmare, tormenting him every night of his life so far, never changing, never pausing, only filled with fear, darkness and lack of control. To dream of anything else would be a blessing but Valan often questioned himself, would he miss it? It clearly had some importance to him, some meaning behind it, yet he knew not what it was.

Valan sat up with his legs hanging off the bed, shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He yawned as he stretched. He thought for a moment about trying to get a little more sleep, there was no point though, he had a lot to do today so he had to get started, the sooner the better he thought. Valan went into the main room which was a large rectangular room. A small round table almost defeated by its wonky legs stood in the corner using the wall to keep its balance and dignity, on it sat a few candles and a book. Last night's fire now glowed a dull red colour its light and heat barely noticeable anymore. A few more logs and it would be fierce once again, charming the shadows into a flickering dance. 

Outside the coolness of the morning beat the grogginess from him and Valan felt as good as the new day was itself. Valan checked the sky to look for signs of what weather to expect in the next hour or so and all signs pointed to clear skies. He returned inside threw on his boots and his thin green hooded cloak that hung on a peg next to his quiver of arrows and his hunting bow. He returned outside removing his axe from the chopping block it was wedged in and walked northwards out of the small town of Kranmarche that he called home.

Kranmarche lay a two days ride east of the great city of Diminen which sat at the very heart of Malathia, and three days ride west of the great stone city Calaharn carved from the Calahara Mountains themselves. To the south just on the edge of the small town ran the River Valume, which ran from the northeast south and bent west till it met the White Sea. To the north was Mount Solitude the greatest peak in all of Malathia and surrounding this great mountain was the Malanth Forest, or how it was more commonly known in Malathia as Forgetful Forest, because of its vast size. It stretched from The Calvana Mountains in the east to the White Sea on the west coast. Many people easily got lost, some even believed as they were never found, that they set up a village maybe even a town deep in the wilderness. It had never been found so its existence was only a mystery and any that went in pursuit of this place returned with nothing or didn't return at all. Other word spread of a secret society even a secret other race of creatures dwelled there. A race many called the Hallathan's. These were taller, faster, stronger, wiser than any man or beast to ever walk the lands of Malathia. The place they resided in people had named Meleth, though this was just a story for the younger folk told by fire and bedside.