Beginnings of War
Hidden behind moss-covered stones, two emerald eyes peered into the darkness of an ancient world. They watched a burly man stagger along the roadside, straining toward home. Watching. Waiting. Soon, he would vanish from sight. The eyes narrowed, still and silent in the shadows.
Cadeus didn't care what the Elders thought. He was going into town—tonight. He was going to be part of the new world. He refused to be left behind like everyone else in his clan, who shunned human society and desperately clung to weathered relics and fading prophecies from a golden age now buried by time.
No, there was room for new things in his mind, and tonight was the night that he would break that barrier. Cadeus was going to get a look around that village no matter how much trouble it would cost him if he was caught. If anyone from the clan saw him, it was likely he would be publicly lashed, and even worse, if he were to be caught by a human. There was no telling what they would do.
When humans came to this land, they had no idea what a treasure they had found. But like any treasure, it was wrought with risk and peril. The more the humans tried to pry the riches from the soil, the more of them disappeared. Eventually they realized, only those who live here, those that never leave, may work this earth; and so, with this knowledge, they have begun their colonization, but it has been a slow year for the humans. Not only do few people want to come to an unknown, dangerous land that you can never leave, but many storms this winter have allowed few ships to find safe harbor, and the shoreline was riddled with the desperate wreckage.
Cadeus continued to stare into the darkness, his senses on high alert as he listened to the footsteps in the distance. He was a young, headstrong lad on the verge of manhood, training for the Guard. He was lively both in wit and ability, and much quicker than the other boys his age. He had a lean muscular build which made him a lot stronger than his appearance let on. Only after watching him in action could you really see his taut muscles bunch and flex with blinding speed. The other trainees learned quickly not to underestimate Cadeus and it wasn't long before he rose in the ranks to become the youngest squad leader in over three thousand years.
"Whoa! Eiel, what are you doing here?" Cadeus whispered in angry surprise, as he spat out clumps of dirt kicked up from the road by Eiel's shoes and watched as his friend slid down next to him in his hiding spot behind the stone wall.
"It is I, who should be asking you that same question, Cade." Eiel's light laughter carried through the night air and Cadeus clamped his hand down, tight over his beloved friend's mouth.
"Shh! Do you want to get caught?" Sure that Eiel would hold his tongue, Cadeus removed his hand from Eiel's mouth and pulled his spyglass from his trouser pocket. Opening it up, he peered down at the little village, moving the spyglass about until he spotted the red roof of the local tavern. He handed the spyglass over to Eiel, pointing. "There! That's where we're going." Cadeus's eyes glowed with anticipation.
"We? What makes you think I'll be going with you? I certainly have no inclination to visit with the newcomers. And neither should you. Why don't you just come back home with me? I know Eclesia has been asking about you." Eiel playfully prodded his friend in the ribs with his elbow, but he knew Cadeus wasn't going to give in this time.
Eiel was one of only five trainees promoted to squad leader. He could make nearly anyone follow his command, and had it been anyone else he would have commanded them back to the barracks right now for cleaning detail, but it wasn't any trainee, it was Cadeus. Although Cadeus was a couple years younger, he not only matched Eiel in rank, but also in strength, and besides sparring during trials, they hadn't had a good brawl since they were little ones. They had been best friends all their lives and Eiel knew there were times when no one could reason with Cade for anything.
"Aww, your sister is always asking about me. I can go see her tomorrow. Tonight, tonight let's have a bit of fun, you and I, hmm?"
The mischievous glint in his friend's eye was too good to say no to, and Eiel hung his head as if defeated, but the smile on his own face spread quickly, feeding off of the excitement in the air that was nearly palpable at this point.
"Okay, but let's make it quick," Eiel nodded at his friend and then pushed himself up from the ground and dashed down the hill. He was older and taller than Cadeus, he was also faster. Eiel's feet barely touched the ground as he ran, tucking himself in stealthily behind a few rain barrels propped against the back of an old barn, far out of sight from any prying eyes.
Cadeus's smile curled around his lips as he smelled the delectable scent of adventure that hung cool in the night breeze, and then he was off. Like shadows, they stole silently and unnoticed through the town, most windows were darkened at this hour, except the tavern. Perched under the open window, the two Elven boys listened to the drunken babble of those who worked for, The Company.
The Company, was responsible for all the excavations from the land. They funded the transportation of the materials for mining and building of homes, live animals, clothing, they brought over lanterns and liquor, workers and women. In the matter of a few short weeks, the countryside transformed around them to a bustling seaport village, with merchants and tradesmen swapping stories and news over pints of ale and bowls of warm stew.
Eiel was fascinated, entranced by the sounds and smells around them. The stale scent of ale and piss that wafted up from the wooden floorboards, the sound of a woman's breathy laugh and the man in her arms who grunted with satisfaction in response, they flooded his senses making his mouth water and his manhood pulsate with a tinge of jealousy. Cadeus didn't notice however, because this was the first time he saw her. From his hiding place, Cadeus watched. She brushed her hair, each stroke pulling moonlight through her auburn strands.
His elvish ears pricked up as he listened to the zing of the brush as it moved through her hair. He sat under the tavern windowsill and watched the young girl in her nightdress through her open window on the second story of the tailor shop across the road. She was young, but didn't appear much younger than he was. 'Maybe she had seen sixteen summers?' he thought.
Her lips parted and a soft voice came out in song. Cadeus moved from his hiding spot without thinking, drawn to the vision before him. One more step and he would've been out in the open, easily spotted by anyone, but he was quickly arrested in his pursuit by the strong jerk of Eiel's hand.
"What are you doing? C'mon we're leaving now!" He grabbed Cadeus by the hand and all but flew back up the hill.
"What is the matter with you? You could've gotten us both caught! What were you thinking?" Eiel was fuming. It was rare for him to lose his temper with anyone and even more rare to lose it with Cadeus, but Cadeus had never acted foolish before.
"Eiel, I..." Cadeus looked around slightly bewildered, searching for the right words, for some sort of explanation. He hung his head, ashamed of himself for his carelessness. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
Eiel looked at his friend, his anger already forgotten. "Forget about it Cade. Let's go home."
Cade lifted his head to meet Eiel's gaze and nodded once. "Right. Let's go."
The two friends stole back into the night. No one noticed as they silently slipped back into the barracks and into their bunks. Soon Eiel was asleep, his dreams filled with taverns and elvish girls hanging on him as the Elders in the village called him a great hero and bought him beers, but Cadeus had no such luck. The remainder of the night he lied in his tiny cot, wide-eyed, staring at the bottom of Eiel's hammock hanging above him. Every time Cade closed his eyes he would see visions of auburn and ivory, and the poor boy simply couldn't sleep a wink.
In fact, it was a few days before Cade could really sleep at all, and if it hadn't been for being exhausted from running drills, it might have been a few days more than that. Even so, it took a few weeks to stop thinking about her, and over a month before he forgot entirely about the red haired girl with skin the color of moonlight. He eventually did though as nothing can stay long in the mind of a young man at that age.
The clan began to grow more restless about the situation regarding the humans and many meetings were had to find a solution on how to approach the matter. It was decided a party was to go out and gather intelligence under cover of night. Cadeus and Eiel both volunteered but Cadeus's squad won the bid and word was sent for them to go down to the armory to suit up and ready themselves for the mission into town.
Cadeus sat on a hay bale beside the racks in the armory, tying his shin guards in place when Eiel walked over.
"Cade, what are you doing?" His quizzical look would have been humorous to Cadeus any other day, but the tension in Eiel's body mannerisms told him that now was not the time to laugh at his friend.
Cade sighed, "I'm getting ready to lead my team on an expedition into the Human's town. You heard the Elders." He knew this was not going to appease his friend and he was going to get a lecture regardless.
"I did, unfortunately. I don't know if I agree that you're the one for this assignment." Eiel softened his words a bit at the end, but he knew the effect they would have.
Cadeus stood up facing his friend, "I'm perfectly capable of this assignment and any assignment the Elders decide to grant me. What gives you the right to say that to me? I thought we were friends, Eiel? A friend would never say that the other man is unworthy."
Eiel could see that his words had hurt Cade much not than he had meant to. "I would never say you are unworthy, my friend. I only voice my concern because of that girl."
Cade's face brightened, the sudden images of soft white skin and fiery red hair crossed his mind, he had forgotten about the girl in the village. All he had remembered was sneaking into the village with Eiel, crouching beneath the tavern window.
"You thought I had forgotten?" Eiel softly whispered to Cadeus as the slight flush of blood drew into his friend's face.
"Eiel, I... Uh," Cadeus had a soft nervous chuckle. "I had forgotten about her. No, really! I am thinking about her now that you brought her up, but that doesn't matter. I won't let anything compromise this mission, and never my men."
Eiel saw that same honest dependable look in his friend's eye, the same look that had helped them win dozens of childhood games and get them out of more trouble with their parents than they would have otherwise ever lived through. The look that said 'Trust Me'. So he smiled at his friend and nodded with a deep gut felt satisfaction, then turned and walked away.
Cadeus smiled at the back of his friend for a moment, but there was no time to waste watching him walk away, he had to prepare for his mission. He sheathed his daggers and placed one in his belt and another in his left boot. He was excited, for the mission, he was excited for his people to find out more from the visitors, but it was short lived excitement. Cadeus left the armory, and headed out to the stables, but suddenly the ground shook and the deafening beat rung in his ears making his blood run cold.
Thump...Thump...Thump...
The War Drum had been struck.
