Dream of Ilden
folder
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
3
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974
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1
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
3
Views:
974
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Part 3
Dream of Ilden
Part 3
please r&r, is much appreciated!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, they settled into a small clearing, having covered all the ground they were able to that day. Dusk was quickly giving way to nightfall as a cheery fire was started and a meager meal was passed around.
Norah was quiet and pensive, eating her meal in silence. Neither of her companions had much to say that night, and it seemed that the only ones with something worth voicing were the crickets and a bird or two.
As she settled down for the night, her mind drifted back to the council. Much had been said and crucial decisions had been made. While she had not been present for some of it, simply uninterested in the politics of it all, she had been forced to attend the last part of it, as she had been the one named by the Oracles…
~*~*~
The inner sanctum of the palace was a place where great dignitaries normally met and mingled with no fear of anyone overhearing their conversations. It was decorated with rich paintings and sculptures from every corner of Ilden, creating a varied scheme that was almost imposing to the average citizen.
The representatives had been holed up in the council all day along with Salivar, the Sovereign of Eirne. After some time, they summoned Norah to the council to ask her questions, before they decided on a course of action.
Norah felt somewhat scruffy compared to them, though her brown dress was clean, it was plain, and certainly nothing compared to the rich white robes of Sovereign Salivar or the deep purple velvets encasing Trysana. She simply stood there, eyes fixed on the floor, waiting for someone to break the silence.
“So this is she,” Trysana intoned with her melodic voice, announcing her as if she was a person of great importance.
“Yes,” replied Salivar. “This is Norah. She has lived her life in the Woods of Eirne as one of us.”
“But she is not from here…” Trysana interjected.
“No,” confirmed Salivar. “She was adopted by Sheela, one of our priestesses.”
Trysana paused before she directed her next question at Norah herself. “Where do you come from, young one?”
Norah sighed before she responded. “I do not know, my lady. Sheela found me wandering the Woods of Eirne when I was but seven years old. Before that…I do not remember.”
“Surely she is not originally from Eirne,” Eldarón brought up. “Her skin is fair, unlike the dark skin of the people here, and her ears…they are pointed.”
“Sheela will not tell me of my family,” Norah interrupted.
Trysana held up her hand. “Her heritage is of no consequence, that is not the matter at hand.” Pausing for a moment, she continued. “I think that we should obey the oracles and send her to the South Lands.”
“But that could kill her!” Salivar objected. “She has no skill as a warrior; she would be dead within a week of starting the journey!”
“Then perhaps she should have someone journey with her,” Vynn said, speaking up for the first time since Norah entered the room. Standing from his chair, he continued. “If the will of the council is to send her South, then I shall see to it that she is protected from harm.”
“Though I am sure that your skills are great and admirable, good sir, I would advise that a second should journey with her as well,” Trysana suggested.
“Of course, my lady, but whom?” Vynn asked.
Trysana turned toward her cousin. “Eldarón. He has been in battle many times, and is more than qualified, I believe.”
“What about someone else as well?” Salivar asked, “Someone from Eirne? Surely the more in this party the better…”
“Nay, sir,” Trysana demurred, “The party needs to be as small as possible if it is to be successful. I believe Eldarón and Vynn will be enough support for Norah in this journey.”
Salivar nodded. “Very well then. We shall prepare them to leave within the week. If no one has anything else to say, this council is adjourned.”
Nobody spoke up, and so they were all dismissed.
Norah half-ran down the stone steps of the castle. She had tried to keep a tight reign on her emotions, but the verdict of the council had her heart pounding and her mind racing. What was she to do against this evil? She hoped that she would know when the time came, but she had doubts. Flying through the village, she tried to keep a steady hold on her emotions until she reached the cottage that she shared with Sheela. Flinging herself on the bed, she wet her pillow with tears until it seemed that no more would come. Since Sheela was not home at the time, she languished in her misery for a bit longer before getting up to wash her face. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she paused. She knew, deep down, that nothing was ever going to be the same again.
~
The night before she left had been one of the most restless nights she’d had. She tossed and turned in her bed, fluffing her pillow and pulling the blankets over her until she finally gave in and got up. Walking quietly to the kitchen, she warmed some water for tea, working in silence until a voice startled her and nearly made her drop the kettle.
“On edge tonight, are you?” It was Sheela, her surrogate mother.
Letting out a sigh, Norah nodded. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“I can understand why.” The aging priestess shuffled toward her and placed a withered hand on her shoulder.
“Why me?” Norah asked quietly. “I don’t understand.”
Sheela sighed. “Dear heart, you may not know until the moment comes when you are to act. When it comes, you must trust in yourself to know what to do, and just do it. Trust your instincts. Trust your heart. Neither will fail you.”
Norah nodded as she sipped as the hot liquid.
“Now, where can I get me some tea?” Sheela asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Norah smiled as she fetched another cup.
~*~*~
Startled out of her near-sleep, Norah looked around to identify the offending noise. Wings fluttered up above, and another cry of “hoo hoo” and she relaxed, recognizing the owl. The pure white owl looked at her curiously, cocking its head this way and that, as if it was trying to understand why she was all the way out in this part of the Wood.
“I don’t know, either,” Norah whispered aloud as she settled down again.
A/N: ok, i know people are reading this, please, leave me a review! even if it's just real simple, i don't care, i'd love to have one!
Part 3
please r&r, is much appreciated!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, they settled into a small clearing, having covered all the ground they were able to that day. Dusk was quickly giving way to nightfall as a cheery fire was started and a meager meal was passed around.
Norah was quiet and pensive, eating her meal in silence. Neither of her companions had much to say that night, and it seemed that the only ones with something worth voicing were the crickets and a bird or two.
As she settled down for the night, her mind drifted back to the council. Much had been said and crucial decisions had been made. While she had not been present for some of it, simply uninterested in the politics of it all, she had been forced to attend the last part of it, as she had been the one named by the Oracles…
~*~*~
The inner sanctum of the palace was a place where great dignitaries normally met and mingled with no fear of anyone overhearing their conversations. It was decorated with rich paintings and sculptures from every corner of Ilden, creating a varied scheme that was almost imposing to the average citizen.
The representatives had been holed up in the council all day along with Salivar, the Sovereign of Eirne. After some time, they summoned Norah to the council to ask her questions, before they decided on a course of action.
Norah felt somewhat scruffy compared to them, though her brown dress was clean, it was plain, and certainly nothing compared to the rich white robes of Sovereign Salivar or the deep purple velvets encasing Trysana. She simply stood there, eyes fixed on the floor, waiting for someone to break the silence.
“So this is she,” Trysana intoned with her melodic voice, announcing her as if she was a person of great importance.
“Yes,” replied Salivar. “This is Norah. She has lived her life in the Woods of Eirne as one of us.”
“But she is not from here…” Trysana interjected.
“No,” confirmed Salivar. “She was adopted by Sheela, one of our priestesses.”
Trysana paused before she directed her next question at Norah herself. “Where do you come from, young one?”
Norah sighed before she responded. “I do not know, my lady. Sheela found me wandering the Woods of Eirne when I was but seven years old. Before that…I do not remember.”
“Surely she is not originally from Eirne,” Eldarón brought up. “Her skin is fair, unlike the dark skin of the people here, and her ears…they are pointed.”
“Sheela will not tell me of my family,” Norah interrupted.
Trysana held up her hand. “Her heritage is of no consequence, that is not the matter at hand.” Pausing for a moment, she continued. “I think that we should obey the oracles and send her to the South Lands.”
“But that could kill her!” Salivar objected. “She has no skill as a warrior; she would be dead within a week of starting the journey!”
“Then perhaps she should have someone journey with her,” Vynn said, speaking up for the first time since Norah entered the room. Standing from his chair, he continued. “If the will of the council is to send her South, then I shall see to it that she is protected from harm.”
“Though I am sure that your skills are great and admirable, good sir, I would advise that a second should journey with her as well,” Trysana suggested.
“Of course, my lady, but whom?” Vynn asked.
Trysana turned toward her cousin. “Eldarón. He has been in battle many times, and is more than qualified, I believe.”
“What about someone else as well?” Salivar asked, “Someone from Eirne? Surely the more in this party the better…”
“Nay, sir,” Trysana demurred, “The party needs to be as small as possible if it is to be successful. I believe Eldarón and Vynn will be enough support for Norah in this journey.”
Salivar nodded. “Very well then. We shall prepare them to leave within the week. If no one has anything else to say, this council is adjourned.”
Nobody spoke up, and so they were all dismissed.
Norah half-ran down the stone steps of the castle. She had tried to keep a tight reign on her emotions, but the verdict of the council had her heart pounding and her mind racing. What was she to do against this evil? She hoped that she would know when the time came, but she had doubts. Flying through the village, she tried to keep a steady hold on her emotions until she reached the cottage that she shared with Sheela. Flinging herself on the bed, she wet her pillow with tears until it seemed that no more would come. Since Sheela was not home at the time, she languished in her misery for a bit longer before getting up to wash her face. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she paused. She knew, deep down, that nothing was ever going to be the same again.
~
The night before she left had been one of the most restless nights she’d had. She tossed and turned in her bed, fluffing her pillow and pulling the blankets over her until she finally gave in and got up. Walking quietly to the kitchen, she warmed some water for tea, working in silence until a voice startled her and nearly made her drop the kettle.
“On edge tonight, are you?” It was Sheela, her surrogate mother.
Letting out a sigh, Norah nodded. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“I can understand why.” The aging priestess shuffled toward her and placed a withered hand on her shoulder.
“Why me?” Norah asked quietly. “I don’t understand.”
Sheela sighed. “Dear heart, you may not know until the moment comes when you are to act. When it comes, you must trust in yourself to know what to do, and just do it. Trust your instincts. Trust your heart. Neither will fail you.”
Norah nodded as she sipped as the hot liquid.
“Now, where can I get me some tea?” Sheela asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Norah smiled as she fetched another cup.
~*~*~
Startled out of her near-sleep, Norah looked around to identify the offending noise. Wings fluttered up above, and another cry of “hoo hoo” and she relaxed, recognizing the owl. The pure white owl looked at her curiously, cocking its head this way and that, as if it was trying to understand why she was all the way out in this part of the Wood.
“I don’t know, either,” Norah whispered aloud as she settled down again.
A/N: ok, i know people are reading this, please, leave me a review! even if it's just real simple, i don't care, i'd love to have one!