Elven Academy

Fast Friends

Murzal moved her soldiers to the left, her archers back, readying her orc army for the coming flood of evil. She scrambled to the left, moving her mounted warriors, their red war paint shining with the setting sun. The evil foot soldiers moved in, brandishing their swords and shields at the ready. Their colors waved in the wind, a black griffon against blue. Murzal let loose her battle cry, and the archers released, raining death from above. Murzal swiped her hand across the ground, knocking over the plastic human soldiers. They scattered across the grass, knocking over a few of the elven soldiers standing to the side. She jumped up into the air, cheered and ran around her orc army, hands in the air. "We won!" Murzal dropped to the ground knocking over the rest of the little plastic soldiers. She laughed, resting back against the cool grass. She looked up around the vast yard and sighed at the empty space.

She sat up and crossed her legs. A frown stretched across her face as she looked up at the big house, with its white paneling, windows lined in light blue. There was the garden that her Mother hated, the bright yellow flowers guarded by a little metal fence. She smiled as she caught sight of the painting she had done, covering a corner of the house with pictures of dragons. They fought a single orc holding up a shield and spear. Her face covered with red markings like the toy soldiers, and her lip curled up into a snarl. Murzal smiled and squared her shoulders as she looked at the warrior hero, Betharra Oakenheart.

She started setting up her armies again, the stories of Betharra fighting back hordes to save her people playing in the back of her mind. Murzal stopped when a strange whistling sound came from behind her. She turned her head, crying out as something hit her. She clutched her head and looked around for what hit her, finding a strange brown ball lying a few feet away. She stood and walked over, picking up the peculiar leather object. The sound of a twig snapping turned her head. A small human boy tumbled down the hill and landed at Murzal's feet. She looked down at him as he grinned up at her. She raised an eyebrow as he scrambled to his feet.

"Hi!" Murzal watched his smile get bigger as he threw his hand in the air. "I'm Nickolas! Can I have my football back?" Murzal looked down at the ball in her hand then back at Nickolas.

"Why did you hit me with it?" She asked, holding the ball out towards him. His smile fell as he took it, tears forming at the edges of his eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to; I was trying to hit the target my Dad set up." His bottom lip trembled as Murzal tilted her head.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you trying to hit a target with a... a foot ball?" Murzal said the last bit slowly as she pointed at the object in his hands.

"To see how good I can throw, did you want to try?" Nickolas cheered, grabbing Murzal's hand. She let the small human boy drag her up the hill and further into the woods behind her house. They swerved around a large oak, and he pulled her into a clearing. He pointed up at one of the trees the ball still in hand. "There!" Murzal looked up and spotted the red and white circle hanging from the tree. Nickolas let go of Murzal's hand and stepped back, pulled his arm back, and launched the ball at the target. It clipped the underside of it, making it sway back and forth.

"Hang on; I'll get it!" Nickolas shouted as he chased after the ball. Murzal stood there and waited for him to get back, looking up at the target. It reminded her of the targets her uncles and aunts would set up for the spear throws. It's all about the breathing, Little Mur. Focus on your breathing first. She could hear her aunt's voice whisper to her. Nickolas sprinted back into sight, holding the ball over his head. "Here!" He handed it to her, then pointed at the target. "Give it a try!"