Horizon Bound

The sun rose over the gentle woodlands. The few guards who had taken the night watch only heard the soft sounds of the morning. The survivor’s encampment under the branches comes alive under the sun’s bright light. The early spring cool quickly starts to fade as the sun heats the surrounding area. The families in their temporary homes get ready to go about their days. The children get ready for their education in one of the large gathering tents. All but one. A spry teenaged-looking elf known to skip out on her lessons. She was already on her way out of the tall wooden walls covered in flowering vines.

Her name is Andraste, a spry and lanky elven girl. Her hair is dark with purplish natural highlights and pale skin. Her bright brown eyes are more of a hazel shade. She is one of the orphans from the cataclysmic events of the fall of the Order of Hallowed Servants. The families of Sun Hollow knew her family was once high in the ranks. The Order’s members were not all safe; after all, Andraste had lost her parents. Andraste’s nursemaid saved her life, as she had been given a warning by Andraste’s mother that if anything happened, she was to spirit the child away to safety.

Andraste was not like the other children; it was a known factor in her education. She had begun her education early with her wet nurse. Knowing she would one day be the inheritor of the Order of Hallowed Servants’ secrets. A stash of secrets that was hidden so well that the unknown forces that attacked them could not find it. Andraste was not fond of her education once it left that of her nurse. The Hollow’s teachers did not appreciate the fact that a child was so advanced in their education. And with Bira’s influence, Andraste was removed from the classes of the children of the Hollow.

After all, Andraste was not a child. She was an elven youth. And while Andraste was no longer forced to attend the lessons of her peers. She’d been told never to leave the hedge walls of the Hallow. The world outside was unsafe for such a young, elven woman, especially one of her tragic origins. And what they assumed was a frail nature because of her heritage as a noble within the Basilica of the Order of Hallowed Servants.

Sun Hollow’s citizens did not know that Andraste had an innate talent for magic. Taught sorcery from a young age, Andraste’s talent was immense. She had also befriended the dwarf on the edge of town, who had a makeshift forge where he worked on the gear that the citizens of the camp needed for their daily work. He had taught her the basics of defending herself with a dagger. Andraste also showed talent with archery. A few rangers in the area tried convincing her to enlist and train for their corps.

There was no valid reason for Sun Hollow’s citizens to worry about the frail girl. Her wet nurse had informed the families of Sun Hollow many times. “Lady Andraste is a protected child. She has a geas.” No matter how many times Bira told the families, no one believed Andraste was a bearer of a geas.

It was rare that the bearer of a geas would know who had gifted it to them. It was not the case for Andraste. She was blessed and given her geas by Fantaasma, the Goddess of Balance. She would pick individuals based on their allegiance to the maintenance of balance. Ones who would stand for a protected and balanced world. Neither indebted to the light nor the dark. The ones who bear the geas of balance are neutral in all their works.

The citizens would watch as Bira tried to get Andraste to do any of her basic chores and basic lessons. Andraste always preferred being outside of the world. She would watch the sunrise and the sunset daily. And she would regale with stories of forgotten heroes she had heard of. Andraste’s storytelling skills always impressed the younger children. Andraste did not expect anyone to watch beyond her abilities. She knew she had work to do, but did she want to? She would have to ask that question later in her life. For now, Andraste could remain a safe child, protected within the walls of Sun Hallow.

After all, her geas would protect her from all harm that would come her way before she came of age. The day of the ceremony would come. Her current geas would break, and someone would ask her to submit to a new geas and a new purpose in life.

Andraste was unsure of Bira’s stories. Were her parents so high in the ranks of a known group to get a geas from a goddess for their child? What if that was all a lie? How did Bira know Andraste had a geas? The questions were many, and the answers were fewer than most.

Luckily, Andraste had made a bit of a name for herself amongst her peers. She would be able to travel on her own and stay safe while traveling. Andraste impressed her teachers with her knowledge about the world around her. And an uncanny ability to sense danger. Some attributed that to the geas that she was under. Others attributed it to her being aware of her surroundings even though others distracted her.

This fine morning saw Andraste headed towards the archery range on the north side of the refugee camp. She planned on working on her skills with a bow. The Rangers always enjoyed having the young elf at the range. A few of the younger men challenged her to archery competitions. Friendly ones that earned one a fletching feather from the others’ stash. Rangers stationed at Sun Hollow used different fletching feathers. They also had different marks on the arrowheads to identify who had gotten what strike. At least one of the boys in training was also included in these challenges. Andraste always said she enjoyed the competition. The challenge of it was something she felt made her a better archer.

“Morning!” Andraste called happily as she entered the tent used as a headquarters for the ranger squad. “Who’s all in for today? What’s the challenge?”

“Only the kid today. There’s a large group going out on a hunting party soon. We’re letting them rest up before the excursion,” the human captain of the rangers answered.

“But Reyne, the kid got angry the last time I won,” Andraste complained. Put out by the idea that she wouldn’t be able to win a new feather. Andraste understood that the hunting party was more important than the training challenges. After all, they would need the fresh game to feed the refugee camp.

“Sorry, lass,” Reyne acknowledged with a grin. “You can always train here, or you can see if the dwarf needs any help with sorting his workload. I heard he has a new apprentice who could use your inspiration.”

“You’re right. Fuli has a new apprentice. You won’t mind if I skip out today, Dav?” Andraste asked the trainee. A young human boy who was already as tall as she was, even though he had only seen his eleventh cycle.

“You’ll be fine, Andi. I’ll see you at supper,” Dav answered with a grin. For all that the two would challenge each other on the range, they were good friends outside of it. Dav would take his morning and midday meals at headquarters. He and the other rangers would take supper with the rest of the town in the communal mead hall.

“I’ll see you then, Dav!” Andraste responded. Since her previous plans had changed, she thought about her options.

Yes, she could visit Fuli, but if the dwarf had a new apprentice, he may not be interested in her hanging around. She tried to remember the name of the young human that Fuli had taken on. He had only started working for the dwarf a few weeks ago, but Andraste had not been to the forge in a few days. She checked her dagger; the blade was looking dull. Perhaps she needed to go to the forge to have the blade sharpened.

#

With her mind made up, Andraste turned south towards the town square. She took the path she knew would take her by the meal tent to snag a bit of bread before heading towards the forge. The forge was on the southeast wall, better to keep the camp safe from the smoke of the fires and to prevent any potential fires from spreading. Andraste thanked the baker at the meal tent as she grabbed a sandwich for the old dwarf and explained her plans. As a group, everyone knew that Fuli had a tendency to skip his morning meal.

“Morning Fuli,” Andraste called as she entered the dwarf’s domain. “I brought you some bread for a snack since I know you’ve missed your morning meal.”

“Ah, Andraste.” The dwarven smith smiled as he set down his hammer. “You rascal child beloved of mine, you’ll spoil my supper with this loaf.”

“Lies, Fuli, lies,” Andraste joked back. “I also brought a blade that needs to be worked on again.”

“Garim, come out here,” the dwarf called to his apprentice. Andraste waved to him as he entered the more relaxed room. The two worked in the back of the shop, where the forge was more or less out of the way of the camp. “Garim, this young pest is our miss Andraste. She abuses her weapons. This will be a true test for you.”

“Oh, Fuli, you’re going to let the apprentice sharpen my dagger?” Andraste questioned. This turn of events honestly confused her. Fuli rarely let others touch the weapons he forged. It was a point of pride that he held as a master smith.

“It’s fine, miss Andraste,” Garim responded. “Fuli’s tests are easy. I know the cranky old man has something up his sleeve, or he wouldn’t have handed this over to me for a task.”

“Hush, child,” Fuli scolded his apprentice. “Of course, I have something up my sleeve. I always have something up my sleeve.”

Andraste was confused, “Fuli, Garim? What?”

“Come back tomorrow to pick up your dagger. Until then, I have some work for you if you aren’t busy. And no cheating today. I heard you used some magic the other day to lighten your load on the wagon.”

“But Fuli, it was heavy. I dispelled it after I delivered it. To be fair, farmer Johan was happy he could get it off the wagon without hurting himself. His tools are quite heavy, and I know they need to be so, so I wanted to give the man a break with the load.”

“Fine, girl, but make sure the hoity-toity ladies of the old guard don’t learn of this. They’d think I’m using cheap materials and overcharging them.”

Andraste grinned, “I would never. Magic is too unstable to waste my efforts on them.”

“Andraste,” the dwarf cautioned, “are ye mad girl?”

A simple smile was all the response the dwarf received. Fuli looked shocked. He knew better than to take her expression at face value, “be careful, Andi. You know how suspicions arise when you go messing with magic. They all think we’re bad influences on you here at the forge and at the range. You study too much to be safe for many people.”

Andraste laughed slightly at Fuli’s declaration, “Fine, I’ll try to stop scaring everyone. Bira has told the folks of Sun Hollow so many times that I have sorcery in my bloodline.”

“And they.” Fuli continued for the girl, as he was wont to do from hearing this regularly. “Would rather see you as a frail child with no skills for growth. Stop with the magic while working on other than basic things. And Andraste, I mean it, no more prank spells.”

“Fine, I’ll be on my best behavior, Fuli.” Andraste grumped. She would rather entertain herself with the tricks she had learned while in her lessons for magic usage. “It will make my day a bit more boring, but I will try my absolute best.”

The old dwarf just sighed. This girl would be the death of him. “Just stay out of sight if you play with your spells. You know how the old guard are.”

Andraste looked solemn at his last statement. “I understand, but Fuli, it’s not my fault that they are so stuck in the past. The old guard should really be more accepting of sorcery. It’s not like the traditional wizards have lost their spot in society.”

“The old guard are stuck in their ways.” Fuli agreed. “But that’s why they’re the old guard. It used to be sorcerers, and the pact-bonded were lesser mages. The wizards with their towers did not help that fact. Their excruciating educational requirements were unfavorable to the lower class, even if their children were adept at spell work.”

“I think Fuli, when I am grown and able to make changes, the first change I’ll work on is integrating the different magic users. Even opening the ranks to our friends who follow their gods.”

Fuli, already impressed with Andraste’s leadership potential, was further impressed with Andraste’s bold statement. If anyone could make the changes needed in their world, it would be someone of her standing. A bearer of a geas or not, Andraste had a bright future ahead of her. She just needed to leave the confines of Sun Hollow. Andraste required more than their little community could offer her. And, if Fuli were a betting man, he’d put gold on the fact that Bira was getting her charge ready to leave the camp sooner rather than later.

Andraste, unaware of the elder dwarf’s introspection on her character, readied the cart she used for deliveries to and from the forge. “Where are you sending me this fine day, my good dwarf?”

“Ach, watch your tongue, girl, off to the hoity-toity ladies. They have a load of lumbar ripe for the furnace. After the pickup, I’ll send you to your next stop.”

“Lumber from the old guard? What have they done this time, Fuli?”

“Some of their old furniture was just that, old. They had Edvan and his team craft them a new table and benches for the classes.”

“Oh.” Andraste sounded disappointed in herself for thinking that some great wrong had been done. “I hope the students enjoy their new workspaces.”

“They have been. The lads will be there to help load the cart.”

“All right, I guess I’m heading off to the old guard’s castle,” Andraste said as she pulled the cart behind her. She knew deep down that calling it the castle was a bit off-putting to some members of their community. Still, Andraste’s earliest years were spent in a basilica under the watchful eyes of the Order of Hallowed Servants—one of the few organizations that did not cast out worshipers based on race or class. The Order even had its own dedicated spaces for clerics and the few paladins that stopped by for the night.