The Licensed Mage

36 Trow

        The girls huddled closer together as the air became still and cold in their small dark room. Their rations have certainly increased and they were enjoying what seems like a bountiful meal in days. Nony had fallen asleep after eating and was resting her head on Sli’s lap. Sli gently stroke the girl’s hair as she looked up into the dark corner.

        “Trowlie, won't you join us? There’s still plenty more.”

        ‘Trowlie’ as they called her, was the Trow elf amongst them. She refused to divulge her name or cooperate so they had simply begun to call her Trowlie.

        The young Trow girl huddled her small blanket closer to herself, “I’m fine. Just leave me alone you Slyv.”

        Sli sighed and gently moved Nony from her lap, careful not to wake the young girl. She picked up some food and brought it over to Trowlie’s corner, setting them beside her as she sat with her back to Trowlie’s. She stayed quiet as she waited for Trowlie to eat and slowly relax when she heard her breaking the bread.

        “I never thanked you for helping me. Thank you.”

        Trowlie was silent as she chewed the stale bread, “I wasn’t helping you I was helping myself. Wanted more food, that’s all.”

        Sli turned to look at the girl, “Why do you hate me so? We’ve never met before.”

        Trowlie looked up and stared at Sli’s green eyes with her own copper brown ones, “You are the granddaughter of a Slyvanian Chief. The Slyvanian Chief banished my people from the forest, simply because we were different.”

        It was true, what Trowlie said but it was nearly 5,000 years ago when this happened. The Trow’s and Slyvan’s were once sister clans and grew and worked together, but the ancient Slyvan’s grew fearful of the Trow’s magic, so much different than theirs. Elves are not as powerful as most people believe but each tribe does have a specific trait they are known for. The Slyvan’s, known as the noblest of the Elves, is able to live in harmony with nature and to command the plants as they wish, to grow an oasis within the harsh desert.

        While the Trow’s magic is more connected to the earth and the dark side at that. Trow’s use their Earth magic to destroy, to create cracks and fissures within the ground as oppose to close gaps and holes. The Slyvan who lives with nature were fearful of the Trow’s who fought with nature so the Chief at the time, banished the Trow’s to live in the sparse landscape, far from the lush forest. It was said that after they were banish was when the Trow’s started to grow their distinct look of dirt brown skin with hair mixed with the colors of dirt brown and red clay.

        Sli sighed as she leaned on her hand, “But that was ancient history. Can’t we put that aside and rewrite history?”

        Trowlie turned back from her, “No.”

        Sli felt defeated and dejected as she slowly got up and went back to the others. Nony was still asleep and now Nalia was sleeping soundly next to her. Cat and Baylie were watching and waiting for Sli as she sat and placed a hand on Nony’s shoulder. She was shocked at how boney she was already starting to feel.

        “Why can’t she help us? With her magic we could easily break out of here.”

        They spoke quietly as Sli continued to watch Nony sleep, “We’ve already tried to use our own magic Baylie. We’re still too young to grow into it and the same can be said for her. Besides we don’t even know if we’re still on the ground much less near plants. We can only continue to pray for help.”