Fall of the Firstborn

4: An Early Dawn

'As the battle of Light and Unlight waged upon Halidom, so battle awoke in the heavens between Alfrea and his foe, until a storm arose of such violence as to almost tear that realm asunder and bring forth the end of all that was. From the wounds that were rent, clods of godly flesh fell from on high through the skies of Halidom, and so falling took shape to become Earth. And the burning blood that spilled forth found form to rain down as Fire. So wroth was Alfrea for the Curse that was cast that the mightier was his onslaught of the two, and overcoming his foe at the last he clove him such a wound as to send him wailing back to the shadows.' 

From the chapter Birth, in the book of Oldspell (2nd Age)

In the wooded depths of Mistwood Forest, the twin brothers and their company journeyed under a growing dusk. Deorwine glanced from side to side, to check how his fellows were coping with their new mounts. Haeleth, who plainly had not yet got to grips with his own, looked as unsure and awkward as ever, and had to give more heed to staying atop the beast than to the forest and its lurking dangers around them. The others however, seemed to be faring better, and certainly a good deal better than they had over the last few moons. He himself had had problems with his steed Arnbjorn, at least to begin with. But the two of them had found a working relationship at last, and presently he felt as comfortable as ever astraddle the grizzleback's great furry girth. In his eyes, Arnbjorn had always been the choicest bear-steed, and had naturally been most honoured when the beast pledged the oath of allegiance to him and his kind in their ongoing skirmishes, deigning to bear him into battle. Even for one of his kind Arnbjorn was strong and hardy, and whose battle cry alone once sent their hoofed and horned enemies to flight. But more than this, he was a friend of old.

The company continued on through the forest. The air was all but still, wafting in soft silent breaths now and again; and the world around them seemed to lay markedly calm, perhaps too calm for Deorwine's liking. He took in his surroundings to mark their whereabouts. The stars were of little use for guidance at the moment, being hidden behind giant clouds that were labouring across the sky. And they had had to stray from the grizzleback trails to get to where they were headed. But there was little chance of losing themselves in the thick of the wilderness: Frealing or grizzleback, they all knew their forest-home well enough, and Deored the woodland vales of River Hrethe in particular since he had taken Megin as steed, a grizzleback whose sloth dwelt not so far away. In any case, thought Deorwine, their downward course was enough to tell them they were more or less heading the right way to the marsh.

Presently the party passed through a stand of trees that crowded all around them, deepening the dusk with their great shadows. Deorwine marked them as singing oak, trees that thrived here, growing loftier and more abundant than in the western parts. He caught their spry rustle as a breeze sighed through the leaves, the sound of countless airy wings flitting in the night.

As they passed the thicket by, spear-tips flashed in stronger shafts of moonlight now filtering down through the wood, catching Deorwine's attention. In the eyes of his peaceful people the use of weapons had at first been seen as an ugly matter, and their designing and making no less so; and only after the Guardians' nod had Deorwine and his fellows been allowed to wield them. But the necessity of the spear and the bow had become apparent as the threat in the north had increased, and their use had quickly proven to be the lesser of two evils. Indeed, it looked as if Deorwine would have to bring the spear and the arrow to avail again very soon.

The company reached the edge of a straying body of water in the wood. Here and there trees stood half submerged in its depths. Gnats buzzed across the still face of the pool and teemed in the air. A cloud of them was soon harrying the host, and particularly the grizzlebacks, who fidgeted and griped and sought in vain to swat the gathering swarm with their forepaws.