The House Of Blood and Dust, Book One: Darkness Rising

Cherry Blossom Blessing

The rain hits down upon the camp, I’ve been back a week and yet to hear anything from Zachary or Avenji, they have left me to wonder if they still breathe and if I wish for them to venture back into my life. I stand in the rain with only linen trousers on allowing the rain to cleanse my dirty body. I’ve been hunting in the woods for three hours with the clan’s master hunters. Unfortunately for me I had to do it in just these trousers, heavy rain and muddy. Human life was better; father has made me feel more like a lowborn than the son of the clan’s keeper,

            “Son, come to me.” I turn and see him, dressed in a beige hooded robe, hood is up. The elf is old in human standards, but for an elf he is still in his prime, he maybe clean shaved and bald, he may be my father but he doesn’t see me as his son just a lost sheep reading for culling. I go to him, into his tent; it’s the largest of the campsite in the middle of the wood.

            “What can this elf do for you?”

            “Do not speak so ill, Feredir… you may have lived with humans but you do not have to speak like the foul vermin.”

            “Says the man who fucked one.” I smirk sarcastically towards him, to gain a laugh from the only elf with hair kissed by fire. The other elves don’t do anything, four stood around staring at me and father. There is a fifth stood in the middle, he is the oldest Parador and was the last keeper, thus my grandfather, this elf has a long beard grown to the middle of his chest which is grey as well as his long hair.  

            “Be quiet Talfagoron… you are only here because your father walked away from here and I haven’t the heart to kick you out of this camp.” I can’t hide my pleasure from my father laying into the ginger fool. Talfagoron stands at five, nine; medium build and naught going for him only the fact that semi attractive girls like him, too much ego for one elf must be the human side of him, halflings seem to either be massive twats or the greatest person in the world, like the gods flip a coin. He’s wearing leather armour with fur, he’s still smiling.

            “So what do you wish from me, father?” he pulls his hood down,

            “Father come to me and your grandson.” Grandfather comes to us, “Michael, tell me why you left?” First thing he asked me when I came back, but he was pissed then,

            “I went to learn about the humans and their way of life, I went to experience things… do you still blame me for Lúthien leaving… she also came back and you have yet to complain at her, and I’m sure if Authion came back you would praise him as the murderous traitorous backstabber he is… just like you… they both changed their names to human, but yet you do not ridicule them.” His right hook doesn’t hurt as much as he thinks; it just breaks the skin on my cheek and splits my lip, for which I spit blood on the floor,

            “Nice parenting, father… I’ll remember to hit my most disliked child.” Suddenly I’m kicked in the back of the knees and dropped, two men hold me still,

            “Feredir, I am sick of you… from this point on your rights to the Parador camp and the Parador name are both stripped from you, you are no longer my son, you are human scum... that adopted human name… Michael… is disgusting.” Grandfather grabs father,

            “What are you doing? He is your son… you idiot.” Father draws his dagger and stabs his own father in the throat,

            “Be quiet, old man… Feredir, the hunters have agreed to keep you, you certainly have that talent.” One of the elven men pulls my arm forward so that my forearm is facing towards the ceiling. An elf in red robes comes to me; my heart is pounding in my ears, I start to struggle. The mage places his bone like fingers upon my skin. The mage’s face is covered by a piece of white cloth.