Graigus
Stombren
Part II
Two days of quick and steady travel were beginning to take their toll on Emeil and Brakus, her love. Now she just had to wait until nightfall to deliver the child and be back on her way to Randeir, where Mayla and Kalil awaited her return. They would cover for her so no-one would know that she was even gone, and no-one would ever find out what has happened to her. She was excited. This would be the first time she has ever seen a human, and she was more curious than ever. Now would probably be her last time to see a human, and she wasn't sure what to expect. She had heard stories, some she deemed true, some false, and some that she wasn't quite sure of. And Kailil had told her things about Draebek. But in a few hours, she would see her very first human.
"Tis a strange night,
isn' t
it?" Alamus proclaimed to brake the silence between him and the constable as they did
their final round of the town to make sure everything was all right.
"Yes, I guess it is Alamus." said Draebek absently, obviously
his mind was elsewhere, and he would offer naught for conversation this night for
Alamus.
"Yeah, sure. Well, I'll be off now, don't want to be late for
dinner then. The wife always gets miffed if I come home too late, and especially with ale
on my breath, if you know what I mean!" Alamus said as he nudged Draebek in the ribs
with his elbow.
Draebek offer no response other than " 'night Al" and he kept
on walking absently away from his companion. Alamus just stood there and shook his head.
'Must be a woman' he said to himself as he walked home.
"No Brakus! You just wait here
and watch for me! There's no point in both of us getting killed! You know what humans do
to Elves that they find skulking around their cities!" Emeil pointed out to her mate,
knowing what her father told her was a lie. "And one of us has to make it back
home!" She wasn't sure if she really was worried about the welfare of her boyfriend
or if she was just curious to see a human, but she felt as if it was her job, and she
would finish it.
"All right, but you give me the signal if there is any trouble!
Just go, find this beast's home, and leave the half-breed! Don't mess around, just drop
off the brat and we can get back to our lives! I tell you, if.."
"Brakus! Bite your fool tongue! And if I ever hear you call this
child a 'half-breed' again, you'll be sorry! Now I am a big girl, and I can take care of
myself!" and with that, Emeil stomped off out of the woods where they hid, following
directions that were given to her by Kalil. 'I sure hope no other humans see me' she
thought to herself as she carried the baby across an open field towards the wall-less
town.
It was late, and surely even the dreaded mages that look for elven flesh to satisfy their hunger for power were fast asleep. The sun had been down for nearly an hour now, surely humans went to sleep when the sun went down. She was relieved when she seen the house that Kailil had described as Draebek's house was right at the edge of the town. But there was a light in the cottage! Actually, there were lights still on in almost all of the houses in this town! There was one rumor that was false! Humans do not go to sleep at sundown! Then maybe the rumor about them turning into ferocious beast after midnight was not true, thank the god! ' I knew that was just a tale used to scare children' she thought to herself, but she could not turn back now, and who knew if the humans even slept at all! So she went on, trembling with fear and excitement.
She picked up her pace as she neared
the cottage, and made it to the back side without being seen. She waited, catching her
breath, and then rounded the house to drop off Graigus at the door. She stopped, looked
down at the child that lay asleep in her arms, and realized something; new babies sure
sleep a lot! She chuckled to herself, trying to calm her nerves, and resumed her progress
to the front door, only to see someone coming up to the very door that she was just about
to leave the child at. 'Oh no! A human! Did it see me?' Fear overtook her as she pressed
herself against the side of the house. She stood there with the child, shaking. ' I don't
think it has seen me' she thought to herself as the human walked up to the house as if
nothing were wrong. The door opened, then closed. She was safe! It had not seen her! She
breathed a sigh of relief, waited a minute, then rounded the house towards the front door.
Right into the face of a human male with a sword in his hand, pointed right at her! She
was going to die!
"Who are you? A woman!?' he said to her as he lowered his sword.
'Why are you sneaking around my house?"
She just stared at him blankly. What language was this that he spoke?
It must be human. She thought to run, but he made no move to harm her, and she found
herself fascinated by him! His skin was white! His ears had no points!
Draebek repeated himself, this time realizing that she was an elf,
speaking the elven tongue.
"I... I am Emeil....' she swallowed hard, then continued 'I am a
friend of.. Kalil!" How did he know her language? Maybe elven prisoners was forced to
teach humans their language. "Please don't hurt me! I bring you no ill will
sir!" Her fear was evident in the fact that she could hardly talk and she was shaking
enough to wake the baby, who started to cry. "Don't cry baby!" she said to the
infant as she held him closer and kissed his forehead. She hoped that the human would not
be angered by the sounds coming from the child. 'Would he kill the child too?' she thought
to herself.
"Hurt you?' he said with shock, sheathing his sword. 'Why ever
would I hurt you?" He couldn't help but to feel pity for the young elf. He was young
for a human, 29 winters old, but she was younger than he. And elves far outlived humans by
many years. "Where is Kalil? Is she with you?" he asked as he looked around for
his love.
"No, she is not. But I do bring her child with, um, I mean, uh,
your child." She held the child out to him.
"I have no child!" he said, taking a step back from the child
that was being held out to him.
"You do now, Draebek' Emeil said as she took a bold step closer to
the human, starting to lose her fear of him. 'Kailil was with your child when she last was
with you, but she could not tell you."
Draebek could not believe it, but he took the child. Emeil turned to
leave.
"Wait! Please, can you at least come inside and explain this to
me? I am a bit confused. Please! I give you my word that no harm will come to you. Will
you?"
Emeil felt pity for the man, he seemed lost, but he did receive quite a
blow, realizing that he was a father! She agreed and stepped into the house behind the
tall human. This would be interesting!
Emeil explained what had taken
place, in between glaring at everything in the cottage, and sipping a very good wine that
Draebek's father had made himself. She explained everything up until she met Draebek. She
realized that Draebek seemed worried about his new role as father, but the grandfather
seemed excited.
"Emeil, what is the lads name" the Draebeks father asked her
in her own tongue. Did all humans speak her language?
"Graigus, though I know not where she got the name. 'Tis not her
father's name"
"Ha ha! 'Tis my name sweet Emeil! I too bear the name Graigus! How
about that son!" The old man explained, patting Draebek on the shoulder with glee.
"She must have remembered you
telling her about me and decided to use my name! I love it. Why did you never bring this
sweet girl, Kailil was it?, around to meet me son?"
"Well, she wouldn't come near the town, she seemed to fear large
towns." Draebek offered to his father as a response to his question. He really didn't
know why himself.
"Oh no, it was not her fear of the town! Our town is much larger
than this!' exclaimed Emeil, not fearing these humans now. "She just feared humans,
as do all of the people of my race. We are told a lot of bad things about all of the other
known races, from birth! But I now know better, just as Kalil! Humans are like we are! She
must have thought that you were an exception to what we were told, but still feared your
townsfolk. You are the first humans that I have ever seen!"
"Where did you meet this girl Draebek?" his father asked.
"It's a long story" Draebek responded, seeming to not even to
hear his father. "Where is your town, Emeil? How can I get there?"
"Oh," she seemed startled at the question. "I cannot
say, it is forbidden. as a matter of fact, I had better get ba.."
"I am sorry to interrupt you Emiel, but it seemes that someone is
watching us through a window" the old man announced all of a sudden. "Wait here,
and I will get him." And with that he started to cast a spell.
"No, wait" cried Emeil. "I will get him, it is Brakus,
my beloved. He must be worried sick!" She stood up quickly and made her way to the
door. She looked around at all of the windows of the cottage. She did not see anyone, so
how could Graigus? Magic! 'Neat' she thought, and she opened the door and walked around
the house to where Brakus was standing, his eyes open wide.
"You are alive, and are befriending humans?! Have they threatened
you in any way? Is the baby ok? What hav..."
She put her finger up to his lips, quieting his barrage of questions.
"I am ok, Graigus is ok, everything is ok! Come! Enter the home of a human with
me!" She started to lead him and felt his resistance. "Come on! I'll protect
you!" she said with a sly smile, then she started towards the door again, and he
followed.
He was afraid, but if the humans have not killed her, maybe they
wouldn't kill him. He stopped at the edge of the doorway, and peered inside. It was a
quaint little cottage, and inside was an older, grey-haired man with a walking staff,
another man dressed in light armor and wearing a sword, and the baby sleeping soundly on
one of the two beds in the small cottage. Emeil just walked in like she was at home, and
plopped herself into a comfortable looking chair. What should he do?
"Come in young man" said the older gentleman. "Your
letting in the nightbugs!"
"You speak my language!" he said, surprised. "I am
Brakus, son of Morak, brave warrior."
"And I am Graigus, and this is Draebek. Now close the door lad.
You've nothing to fear from us. Please, sit. Would ye like some wine?"
Brakus walked in, never taking his eyes off the old man, and closed the
door. He then walked over to the closest chair to the door and carefully sat down after
examining the chair thoroughly. It all seemed too easy.
"Brakus is it? Yes, well, would ye care for some wine? Made it
myself!" The old man said as he walked over to a bottle that was on a table that was
in the area that must have been designated as the eating area. 'Where were all of the
bones, and all of the blood?' he thought to himself as the old man filled two glasses and
handed one to him. He did not drink, 'for surely it was poison!' he thought.' I will catch
them at their game when they ask me to drink and the old man will not drink the poisonwine
himself. Then I can expose them for what they really are and slay them both.' But the old
man sat down and drank some of the wine. Brakus waited, and nothing happened. He sniffed
the beverage offered to him, then took a small sip.
"Good wine, isn't it Brakus!" the old man offered in between
sips of his own glass. And he had to admit, it was good.
"We have to leave now Emeil, before the Elders or our families
worry about us." Brakus exclaimed. "We cannot be caught here, for if we
are," he looked at the two men in the room, "'well, you know what will happen.
Come now." Brakus stood up quickly and walked over to the door, waiting for the
humans to stop him so that they may kill him. Emeil followed.
Draebek shot up quickly. "Wait! I have more.." he cried as he
stood up, wanting to ask more questions.
Brakus spun around and pulled out his sword before Draebek could even
finish what he was going to say, moving Emiel out of the way of the combat in the process.
Draebeks sword flew out of it's sheath as well, faster than Brakus has ever seen. This
would be a tough one, he thought.
"Stop it Brakus! They mean us no harm!" Emiel explained as
she stepped between the two sword wielding men.
"They do not want us to leave Emeil" Brakus barked at her,
trying to push her out of the way. "They wish us to stay so they may fill their
cooking pots with our elven flesh. They are evil!"
That's when he felt the blow that he never expected- Emeil slapped him
across his face! He looked at her with amazement. Has a spell been cast upon
her to make
her bend to their wills?
"These people are like we are! All these years we've been lied to!
Or maybe these stories may have been true somewhere else, but trust in me, look at
me" she grabbed his jaw and forced him to look into her eyes. "We are safe here.
Put away your sword."
Brakus stared into her eyes, and then lowered his sword. He then looked
over towards Draebek, who had already sheathed his weapon. "Forgive me, I knew
not."
"Don't worry about it Brakus" Draebek said, extending his
hand.
Brakus looked down at it, sheathed his sword, then grasped the hand.
Nothing happened.
"I hope that one day my people
will learn the truths about your race, sir. Maybe one day we will meet again." Brakus
was surprised at his own words. He no longer felt total distrust for these humans.
"Worry not Brakus, for my people have bad ideas about other races
as well." the old man replied, getting up to extend his hand to Brakus. "Maybe
one day we all will realize that we really are the same, inside. 'Twas nice to meet you
two, live well, and be prosperous."
And with that Brakus and Emiel departed, leaving the Graigus and
Draebek alone, alone with the baby.
"The Baby!" cried Draebek, heading for the door. "I have
to get some more answers from them before they are gone!"
"Wait son, let them get back to their lives. They are just pawns
in life's little game." The wizened old man added as he put his hand on his son's
shoulder.
"Besides, I have a feeling we have seen not
the last of their people."
The two men walked over to the bed where the baby lay sleeping. They
just stood there in silence for a while.
"Well,' replied Graigus, 'I've
always wanted a grandson!"
Draebek looked into the old man's eyes. "But I've never wanted to
become a father" was all he said, then walked out the door.