The Sword Quest

Chapter 3:Estel

I silently stalk the deer. It is a huge buck, and that will feed my whole family for days. It wasn't until I felt a light touch on my shoulder that I knew what was up. I didn't understand so I just ignored it and went to draw my bowstring back to shoot the buck. Before I could let the string go, I felt something wrap around my arm and torso, a tree branch. I stay still not moving because I'm not sure what they want from me. It wasn't until I watched the buck prance away did I know what it wanted.

"What was that for?" I question, still not moving. Suddenly another branch came into view, coming straight for my forehead. The end of the branch touched my head lightly before a soothing soft voice fill my mind.

"Mother wants you." It whispers before retracting itself and the branch wrapped around me. I nod slightly as I am stunned as to what was happening. The only mother I could come up with was my mother, but the trees wouldn't call me for that, so that means it is their mother, the mother tree Lorella.

I stare up at the huge Willow Tree, it is a big around as the Castle walls of the humans, and twice as tall. The emerald foliage of her branches stretched out encompassing my village in her glorious embrace.

Surrounding Lorella was an armed Elf guards of about fifty men, protecting Lorella like it was our life source, which is sort of true. As I am not intimidated by the guard I walk forwards, at my full height and my shoulders back. As I get closer all the guards move slightly to make way for me to go into the Whisper chamber Lorella made thousands of years ago. I nod to one of the last guard before walking into the trunk of Lorella.

Once I am fully in the trunk, leaves block the entrance as to protect what she is going to tell me. Lights that could possibly be brighter than the sun light up the inside of Lorella. Her hollow inside is carved with what seems to be ancient Elf writing. The heat of the light gives of a soothing feeling that before I knew it I was asleep on the moss floor.

"My child Estel." A voice rings through my mind. "Open your eyes." As I open my eyes I look around to see that it looks almost like my village in the Eternal Forest but there were no houses. In the center of it all was a ting Willow spring, and a beautiful women tending to it. Her emerald green hair almost look like our Lorella foliage, and her honey colored skin of the Whisper chamber. As if she feels my presence she turn and grins at me. "Welcome Estel." Her voice rings, sounding musical. "I have brought you to my home to tell you that a calamity of this world has happened. Before this I need to ask if you are up for this task. Only you are fit to do this because you know the person."

"My lady I will take this task and prove Elves are not evil." I say bowing, my voice sounding almost as musical as hers.

"Then I shall tell you what it is you must do." Her voice rings before there is a swirling of the land around us. "Of the human world, in the human castle, the Great Sword Elain was stolen, that I bestowed upon the first King to help the Fae queen and I rule this land together. If this Sword is not returned to the rightful owner, this country shall be put into never ending darkness and pain. I have chosen you to go the the Human castle and prove your worth the the princess to allow you to accompany her on this journey with four other men." She says the image changes to one of the Sword getting stolen from what I think looks like a ninja.

"Before you wake up and go on this journey I have to give you something to prove you will be my son. The son of Lorella is full of hardships but you can do it." She rings out walking up to me and kissing my forehead. "This will help you. It will come to you in life or death situations, use it to help all of you on this journey. Good luck my son." She voice slowly fades out.

I am suddenly woken up, light filling my eyes, before I realize that I am back in the chamber. I need to hurry to get to the human castle. I stand up quickly and feel dizzy. I quickly try to find something to grab onto, my hand touches the wall to balance me out. Where my hand touched the tree, that place became a glowing white before spreading across the whole tree. "This is part of my gift, this is to show you are my son. Use it sparingly." Lorella's voice rings.

I quickly walk out of the chamber to see that the whole village is staring at me. It wasn't until I turned back to stare up at Lorella did I realize it was the tree they were looking at. The whole tree was glowing, the bark the silver glow, and the foliage glowing a golden color. Mummers come from all over saying things from, "Her son has awoke. He will save us. All hail her son." Which is why I move quickly to my house, fetching some clothes and my weapons for this long journey.

 "Son did you hear? It seems that Lorella has deemed one of our elves as her son. My son, the wise Lorella, the one who used to be elfen, has shone the light upon our little family. For this I am happy. You will guide the new elves to victory and tell the world we aren't something to reckon with. I have something for you." Father's voice ring through our hut. He rounds the corner, walking into my room. Once he registered what I was doing he walk swiftly out the door and into his room. You could hear him rummaging around his room, looking for something, until it stop and you could faintly hear him say, "Found it."

He came back in my room and handed me a black longbow. From a distance it looked like any other longbow you'd see, unless you got closer and looked closely. You could see that it was hooked together in the middle, but could also come apart, made of a dragon's horn. The bowstring was made from the hair of a unicorn. This one shall never break, no matter what pressure it is place under. He also hands me a double scabbard. It holds two blades. One is a thing dagger. The other is a fine black sword. They were both made from the talon of a dragon. They shall never dull, and if it is lost, it always comes back to the owner.

"Father, I cannot take them." I say bow my head slightly. His hand lands on my shoulder not taking the weapons away.

"Son, you, Lorella's son, are to carry on the pride of our family. We live to protect the forest, now you will protect everyone. Keep the calamity from harming this world. Keep this world safe from any evil. As an elf, I'm proud that you are to help everyone, but as a father I'm afraid. My only son is to go off into human territory and save them. The same people who years in the past helped us, but turned around and harmed us. I for one I am mad at the humans but wish I could have done something to change the past and to fix the future. Now, my son, you can do what you will to help them. Go find that human girl, the one from years past. I love you son. Make your family proud." Father says, thrusting the weapons in my hands, pushing me out the hut.

  I smile at him, before walking our path to the human territory. Passing many of my brothers and sisters, cheering, with great, bright smiles. I smile back, walking all the way out to the human territory. My smile made them happy, even the animals, trees, just nature was happy, not me. I was scared. Elves are not fearless, we fear a lot of things, this is one. I'll be able to meet my princess from many years back, when I get to the town, but I don't know if she'll recognize me, being from so long ago.