ON MY OWN
Why did I leave? Well it can be summed up in one word: murder!
I’m not going back without being able to stop them, and for good this time.
So here I am, on my own for the first time in my entire life on my own. I’ve been away for about five months now, and have stumbled upon a tiny barren town, nothing like the place I have called home for the past ninety years of my young elven life; the complete opposite actually.
The plants have been stomped to death leaving only dirt, which seems to be caked on all of the (I’m told they are called) tent establishments in town.
Everywhere I look are different breeds of merchants that aren’t much cleaner than that of the tents…but what should I care, looking down my body doesn’t isn’t much cleaner as I can’t seem to find a waterfall anywhere to wash myself up under.
Shortly after reaching civilization I instantly received attention, and a lot of help to the point of unneeded, and unwanted. Never being anywhere I mistook it for kindness, that was until some of them started getting a little too friendly.
It was then that I noticed that the creatures around me had extremely different coverings then my black leopard pelts I was wearing to cover my chest and private areas. I didn’t want that kind of ‘help’, especially if I wanted to return home someday. That is if they’ll take me back.
I used the supplies I ‘borrowed’ and traded them for less attention grabbing coverings, and a sack to carry supplies in, like my loincloth and pelt top, that I will never get rid of.
Luckily not everyone is looking for something from me. Although I’ve gotten some pretty strange looks and comments from not knowing everything about this world. Like when they offered me bread and I asked what that was…they laughed until they realized I was serious.
It’s not like we have those heat boxes in the forest.
So far my search for the perfect creature to train me has been, not only frustrating, but unsuccessful. I’m starting to feel like I will never find the being that I’m searching for.
I shouldn’t be surprised, the creature I’m looking for should be an expert in killing, and heartless, like they would be walking around advertising their skill set.
So here I am up in a Southern Live Oak with it’s branches shooting every which way, the lushest emerald resurrection ferns all over the branches, and the longest white/gray live Spanish moss matching my almost translucent white hair, with just the slightest tint of violet hanging down from the limbs, making me almost invisible as I try to be just that: invisible. It is the perfect place to meditate which is exactly what I am doing trying to get rid of this deflated feeling and get some rest while I’m at it.
Unlike other creatures who have to sleep every night to be able to function and be healthy, us forest elven only need to meditate to get the rest we need to regenerate. I only need a full on nights sleep once every thirty moons or so to suffice my body, and lately with the nightmares, I try to sleep only when is necessary.
With all the foliage surrounding me I guess I really am invisible to the outside world because my meditative state is disturbed as my pointed olive colored ears pick up an intense conversation between two men.
Trying to get back into my meditation is impossible when I hear talk of weapons piquing my interest. A small smile appearing on my face I quietly change positions to a laying one, easily observing their conversation.
Instantly I see a tall blond humanoid creature with bulging muscles; too big for anyone’s body. He looks to be the one selling the weapons to the shorter one with something black on his head, still probably taller than me, most are as I’m only about four nine.
My eyes never leave their interaction as I try to figure out if one of them could be trainer. I can’t keep my eyes off of the buyer, and I have a feeling in my gut that he’s the one I’ve come all this way for. Now just to convince him of that will be interesting.
Finally I watch the blond head walk away and I know it’s time to approach. Just as I’m about to come down he starts to walk towards the trunk of the tree, enthralled I stop and watch.
Not able to catch all of the features of his face, I can mostly see his tattered black head covering smashing down his dark brown hair as he looks at the ground fiddling with his newly purchased knives.
Turning around, he leans his back against the bark of the oak, and begins to toss a knife into the air until he throws it into the dirt ground, the bottom sticking straight up. Pushing off of the trunk he strolls to where the knife is, bends over and pulls it out of the ground.
From the look of him, and the way he acts, I’m deducing from my panther like observation stance that he’s a human.
Once I’ve hypothesized that he isn’t the ‘kill anyone on sight’ kind of human, that I’ve unfortunately came across before, I figure this is my only chance before he leaves my life forever.
Sitting on the branch I lean backwards swinging upside down next to him while he’s still picking up the knife he’s just thrown, introducing myself with a greeting I learned they all say around here, “Hey!”
On my part it wasn’t the smartest thing as I’ve just been watching him throw around his knives, and is holding all six of them in his hand currently.
Bolting up he spins around holding a knife to where my throat would be if I was upright. Quickly righting his wrong he finds my throat. “Holy shit!” He exclaims as I hold my hands up, or I guess in this case down, in surrender, he examines my swinging upside down, monkey self.
Squinting he asks, “Where did you come from?”
Slowly pushing his arm, still held at my neck, away from my body, I grab the tree limb and flip down, catching myself in a crouch. Pushing my hair out of the way before I look back up at him, and I was right, he’s probably a foot or more taller than me.
“Next time you decide to have private dealings you might want to make sure you’re actually alone,” I say with a smile getting lost in his green eyes, with flecks of gold shinning through his iris’s, as they stare down at me.
Seeing no danger in my presence I watch as he tucks his knives into his bag, “Well I have to say you’re the first person I’ve seen hanging around in a tree. So I’ve never really seen it necessary.”
“But you don’t know if there’s been others, because you’ve never looked have you?”
Glancing back over to me he adds with a tight smile, “Next time I’ll remember to look up for hillbilly pests ease dropping on my personal business. Which might I add isn’t very smart on your part…” pulling his back farther on his back, “it’ll get you killed one day.”
Wow, he must like black. I think observing that he’s head to toe in the color; from his head thing, short sleeve six pack revealing shirt, to his pants and shoes.
When I don’t respond to his warning he rolls his eyes and points in the opposite direction, “Well I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, but I don’t know if strange could be considered nice, so…” he says turning around and walking away.
Running back to the back of the oak, hoisting my bag onto my back, and begin to run after him.
Reaching a step ahead of him I begin to walk backwards. “Wait! I have a proposition for you,” I blurt out watching as he stares at me blankly.
“Sorry honey but I’m not interested!” he answers as he continues to walk shaking his head.
A glare now on my face. “Don’t worry neither am I! I just want you to teach me what you know about fighting.”
I copy as he slowly stops his steps, giving me an analyzing stare for what seems like an eternity as he stays mute. I watch as his eyes annoyingly roll as he puts his hands in his pant holes as he continues his decent.
Watching him walk away as my jaw hits the dirt in shock of his rudeness. Yep he’s perfect!
As I finally regain my composure I’m more determined then ever, I spent five months looking for this guy, he’s not getting rid of me!
Starting to run after him I yell, “Hey!” I grab his shoulder with force spinning him around so he’s facing me as I see his angry and irritated face.
“Look I’m not going to teach you anything!” he barks out.
Folding my arms across my chest, I glare at him asking a little too anxiously, “And why exactly is that!?”
“Because I only have so much time on this earth, and I don’t want to waste it with the likes of you.”
“How do you know? You don’t even know my name.”
Sighing he continues, “I don’t need to know you to know I don’t want to be around you. Plus just look at you, you aren’t the kind of person that fights,” he assumes as he gestures to my whole body.
Stopping at my feet he lets out a chuckle, “You don’t even wear shoes. Find someone else to teach you, because if I taught you, there’d be weapons and you’d be at risk of loosing a toe.”
I give him an incredulous look. Wow, I’m not the kind of person that fights…Boy is he wrong, but I’ll stroke his ego.
Trying to hide my smile I retort, “What’s it to you if I don’t wear shoes? I didn’t ask you to worry about my safety I just asked you to teach me. And it’s not like I have never held a knife before, if I lose a toe I lose a toe,” I say shrugging.
That got his attention, making him stop and look at me like I’m insane.“Why would you waste time learning to fight anyways? And more importantly, what’s in it for me?” he questions raising an eyebrow.
Squinting at him, “Why I want to learn is none of your business!” I pull out a bag of one hundred gold pieces and show it to him. “But as for what’s in it for you: I will pay you for your services, food, and stay on the way.”
I stare at the quizzical look on his face as he stares at me as he debates.
Reaching out he tries to take the bag of gold before I quickly pull it away, “Do we have an agreement?”
“Arr,” he starts running both of his hands over the black cloth on his head, “I must be insane…but ye got yourself a deal honey,” he says annoyingly.
Reaching out my hand, “Don’t you beings shake on it?”
His green orbs glare at my hand as if it’s a viper, and his fingers are it’s next target. Finally he reaches out and grips my hand shaking it.
As soon as I hand over the bag a light glows from it, before going back to it’s normal nap sack coloring.
Instantly he drops the bag, his eyes snapping to mine, “What was that?” He questions pointing to the pouch now on the ground.
Shrugging I feign innocence, picking up the bag and handing it back to him. “So when are we going to start?”
“Listen,” he says closing the distance between us with an evil glare in his eye. “I don’t deal with all of that magic shit, you got me? Magic and I don’t get along. So if you did anything to me undo it this instant!” he orders with an inferno in his eyes.
“Touché are we? There’s nothing I can take off of you,” I honestly say.
“As long as we’re straight. You can practice magic as much as you want. Fight with it even if you want. I don’t give a shit…as long as it’s on your own time. I won’t be having you fight with any magic, and you will under no circumstances do any weird magic crap on me, do you understand me. Especially if it’s without my knowledge or this whole arrangement is over, understand!?”
“I understand!” I nod in agreement. “Now what do we do first?”
“I’m getting a weird feeling standing next to you, so lets go and eat; it’s around lunch time and lets hope it goes away,” he comments walking towards one of the horrible smelling tents.
“Hey, about the names I mentioned earlier, I should probably know yours?” I remark starting to follow him.
He looks at me with a questingly look, then turns around and starts to walk away saying, “It’s Ash.”
Turning around and catching up to his side, “Nice to meet you Ash! I’m Sky,” I inform him as I put my hand out as he ignores it, continuing his descent towards his ‘lunch’, which I’m guessing is a food time.
Sighing I put my hand down and follow Ash, ’I thought I finally got introductions right this time.’
Solemnly walking next to him. “Well where do you like to eat?” he pipes up asking me.
Looking towards him,“Honestly…”
“No I want a lie,” he cuts me off raising his eyebrows, causing me to glare his way.
“I usually just eat whatever I find outside, in bushes and such.” Waving my hand at the tent, “Never even entered one of those places,” I inform scrunching up my face in disgust.
I know I’ve said something wrong when I look to the side and he isn’t there anymore. Looking back I see that he’s stopped so I walk back to where he’s standing with a blank face on.
“Wait! Where did you say you came from?”
My eyes briefly go wide as I feel my cheeks start to burn as I gesture with my hand, “Oh here, there, and nowhere all at once. You know same as everybody. Why?”
Looking at me like I’m crazy, he shakes his head from side-to-side, “No. Not the same as everybody. I’ve never met anyone that hasn’t ever been to a food establishment, hangs out in trees and has never worn shoes.”
Glancing to the side I find a distraction, “Hey look over there. It looks like a great place to eat!” I then begin to question myself when I look at Ash’s face, “Right?” I ask as I stroll past him.
“Yes,” he hesitantly answers with a glare.
“Just so you know I will get the truth out of you, sooner or later,” Ash adds as his stare makes my heart begin to race with worry.
“Can’t wait!” I challenge as I shrug him off, trying to keep the subject off of me. “But for now can we eat? I’m starved,” I lie as I turn and start to walk away making sure not to get too far from him, or I’m in trouble.
