Eolyn
26th October 2004, 15:10
Ok so I have been writing this for a few months now and I've got alot of clutter in my mind so I hope this comes out right.I also only have the first chapter writen and its on my zip disc.At the moment I'm unable to veiw it so Im gonna be making alot of changes in this.I haven't actually shown anyone my writings so please be gentle, yet I also want your opinion..or I think I do.
I have deleted my original story.i have been working on it off line so im putting in the revised version.
The sky was bright and alive with activity that night I can’t forget. It was the most beautiful I have ever seen it. The stars had never been as bright and there was an unnatural amount of them falling, streaking the sky, you only had to glance up once and you’d catch a sight of one. How could the world be so amazingly unaware of the turmoil going on inside me and continue to be so selfish, perfect in its existence? Thinking back, I’m in an absolute state of awe that someone could wake up one morning, at peace with the world and everything in it, going through the day in complete unaware to the ciaos that is about to befall them. It’s chilling to think I didn’t know it was coming. It’s made me the person I am now, never leaving anything to the last minute, living life now and never in the future, and giving me a purpose.
In mid-autumn, when the winds had become chill and the rusty leafs decorated the crisp earth, a silent girl crouched amongst the tall reaching grass, a rock for the bending trees to admire. With the beating winds whisking the long strands of raven coloured hair violently around her head, she stared at the rising mountains in the distance. Peace came willingly. Breathing deeply, she focused on what she was feeling and thinking. She had spent the past three hours calmly preparing for her rights into the Order. Each elfin who reaches the age of adulthood was to choose the Order in which they will serve and be loyal to, above all other bonds in life, except of that of the family.
There was never really any conscious decision on which Order she would choose. Strangely it had always been a calling in Willa’s family to serve the Paso. Willa felt overwhelming pride over the fact that her family had stayed true to the time-honoured tradition of becoming Paso upholders. Knowing that every moment and action in her life had lead to this moment Willa savoured the peace and tranquillity that surrounded her, breathing in the scent of the lush meadow, and listened to the tree’s whispered pleasure at seeing their daughter finally reach maturity.
Eager to be living the life she had planned for herself for fifteen years Willa contemplated the drastic change this momentous event would have on her life. She had been living in the future for as long as she could remember and now finally she was free of the pressure and the continuality of her every day life, and she wasn’t quite sure how she would handle that.
Anxious and even a little apprehensive Willa recited the essential manoeuvring techniques that would ensure her survival in the wilderness. Amidst the howling winds, a cutting shout invaded Willa’s contemplation. In one fluid motion Willa was up on her feet and on the move. Quickly entering the forest, Willa followed the direction of the call but was aware of everything that moved around her and was wary. Certain that this was the signal that indicated the commencement of her trials Willa steeled herself for the oncoming battle. Countless seconds passed since the last calling had been made and there would be no more. Only Willa’s skill and wits could save her now.
Excited that this was the real danger she had been looking for all her life Willa was struggling to keep herself from throwing caution into the wind. Slowing down to a steady stalking of the woods Willa’s mind was speeding faster than the red tailed glutens that chase the hawks from there perch. Which animal, beast, or person would they send out to the woods to attack her and test her ability? Hearing a sudden snap of a dry willow branch in the not so far distance Willa secured her ceremonial bow on her back and skilfully manoeuvred her spear up into the branches and lofted herself into the above trees. It wasn’t difficult for her to travel undetected through the vines but should her hunter be elfin her skill would be open for scrutiny. Conscious of that fact that her breath was come in rapid steamy puffs that sounded thunderous to her ears.
Snap! Suddenly the trill of the chase was drained out of her. Something was moving out there… and from the noise it’s making it big. It was probably a boar or a bear, maybe two. Completely alert Willa glided through the branches seeking out her prey. Running through her options, she decided to take the defensive position, maybe even wait until it runs out of energy following her scent then move in to attack. “Preparation was a gift not often given to Paso, and never lightly thrown away, only by the fool”, she recited to herself. Climbing higher into the thick maze of willow branches and grabbing limbs Willa set herself up for the night if need be, until her hunter crossed her path.
The sky had grown scarlet,announcing the approach of darkness. The Beast still hasn’t crossed her. Peering at the limp forms of the stag and the rabbit in the fading light, Willa pondered the over the memory of their deaths. The rabbit had been the first to stumble upon her. Innocent to the bone it hadn’t the intelligence to flee from her. Sitting docilely Willa’s inner sechi called to her to spare its life. Uncomprehending eyes welcomed her to share its vegetation. These were the animals she had nurtured and played with all her life and she was going to release its sechi before its time.
Teachings and values conflicted inside Willa’s mind. Aoibh, Willa’s confidant and her grandfather at heart, had instilled in her the value of life and the teachings of sechi. “The sechi is the centre of all our thoughts and feelings, its where they all come from and without our sechi we would not be able to function, for we would be void of thought and feeling” he had lovingly confided.
Lox, her mentor and teacher in the Paso had shown her the urgent need for Paso members in their society and how death is apart of life. The Paso believe that everybody has a purpose and that when the time comes for a being to die nothing can stop it. The Paso always chose rookies to perform the rights of passage during hunting period, as unnecessary death is not part of their beliefs and it is punishable even by death should the occasion require it. She believes in both with does not help her most of the time as they sometime contradict and leave her static and indecisive. Knowing the rabbit would feed a family tonight didn’t help her send it back to Gaia. Tradition calls for a novice to be armed with three weapons to show their skill in combat. Firstly a dagger, along with a bow, and a spear. A rookie must kill four creatures, which will be herded into the forest, each with a different weapon. Combat without a weapon will also be assessed. In the context of reasoning the rabbit would have been an animal that would of normally been killed by the snapping of it’s neck but Willa couldn’t free something’s sechi without it attacking her and knowing how rabbits are, even provoked it wouldn’t attack. Not even in defence of it life. Killing it by the dagger had left her vulnerable to any undetectable enemy but her heart was at peace with her conscience. Her first kill would not haunt her like some fighters she knew.
The stag had come charging through the brambles not yet mature but hot headed, eager to show his strength. He was a magnificent animal and his fresh antlers would adorn the wall of her new room in the Paso quarters. He was an adequate opponent and the feel of his struggling antlers gripped tight in her hands made her heart race still. That only left her with the spear and her bow. If at some point she could not defeat her opponent Willa must return to her quarters and hang the sign of he rejected on her door. One single white cut of cloth. Willa never bought herself any white material and the fact was widely known. Whatever the outcome Willa would not be dressed in white come tomorrow.
Resting herself against the trunk of the big oak tree behind her Willa tried to regain some of her strength. The familiar surroundings awakened memories Willa had long banished from her mind. Willa could stop the flooding emotions that rallied to consume her thoughts. Knowing that the more she struggled not to think about them the more they where likely to plague her. Hesitantly opening her mind Willa braced herself for what she would feel. It had been the eve of her seventeenth year and she had been celebrating her announcement that she was training to become Paso. Her clan had rejoiced in the fact that she had chosen the path they had set down for her. She had been anticipating that moment for months and she was finally able to go out and celebrate with her soon to be spear kin Mona and Celeste. Celeste was her most valued friend and Willa loved her like a real sister. Mona was newer to the group and had proven herself to be trustworthy and dependable. They had taken her under their wing when she had moved to Wren’s Hope from a different clan.
I have deleted my original story.i have been working on it off line so im putting in the revised version.
The sky was bright and alive with activity that night I can’t forget. It was the most beautiful I have ever seen it. The stars had never been as bright and there was an unnatural amount of them falling, streaking the sky, you only had to glance up once and you’d catch a sight of one. How could the world be so amazingly unaware of the turmoil going on inside me and continue to be so selfish, perfect in its existence? Thinking back, I’m in an absolute state of awe that someone could wake up one morning, at peace with the world and everything in it, going through the day in complete unaware to the ciaos that is about to befall them. It’s chilling to think I didn’t know it was coming. It’s made me the person I am now, never leaving anything to the last minute, living life now and never in the future, and giving me a purpose.
In mid-autumn, when the winds had become chill and the rusty leafs decorated the crisp earth, a silent girl crouched amongst the tall reaching grass, a rock for the bending trees to admire. With the beating winds whisking the long strands of raven coloured hair violently around her head, she stared at the rising mountains in the distance. Peace came willingly. Breathing deeply, she focused on what she was feeling and thinking. She had spent the past three hours calmly preparing for her rights into the Order. Each elfin who reaches the age of adulthood was to choose the Order in which they will serve and be loyal to, above all other bonds in life, except of that of the family.
There was never really any conscious decision on which Order she would choose. Strangely it had always been a calling in Willa’s family to serve the Paso. Willa felt overwhelming pride over the fact that her family had stayed true to the time-honoured tradition of becoming Paso upholders. Knowing that every moment and action in her life had lead to this moment Willa savoured the peace and tranquillity that surrounded her, breathing in the scent of the lush meadow, and listened to the tree’s whispered pleasure at seeing their daughter finally reach maturity.
Eager to be living the life she had planned for herself for fifteen years Willa contemplated the drastic change this momentous event would have on her life. She had been living in the future for as long as she could remember and now finally she was free of the pressure and the continuality of her every day life, and she wasn’t quite sure how she would handle that.
Anxious and even a little apprehensive Willa recited the essential manoeuvring techniques that would ensure her survival in the wilderness. Amidst the howling winds, a cutting shout invaded Willa’s contemplation. In one fluid motion Willa was up on her feet and on the move. Quickly entering the forest, Willa followed the direction of the call but was aware of everything that moved around her and was wary. Certain that this was the signal that indicated the commencement of her trials Willa steeled herself for the oncoming battle. Countless seconds passed since the last calling had been made and there would be no more. Only Willa’s skill and wits could save her now.
Excited that this was the real danger she had been looking for all her life Willa was struggling to keep herself from throwing caution into the wind. Slowing down to a steady stalking of the woods Willa’s mind was speeding faster than the red tailed glutens that chase the hawks from there perch. Which animal, beast, or person would they send out to the woods to attack her and test her ability? Hearing a sudden snap of a dry willow branch in the not so far distance Willa secured her ceremonial bow on her back and skilfully manoeuvred her spear up into the branches and lofted herself into the above trees. It wasn’t difficult for her to travel undetected through the vines but should her hunter be elfin her skill would be open for scrutiny. Conscious of that fact that her breath was come in rapid steamy puffs that sounded thunderous to her ears.
Snap! Suddenly the trill of the chase was drained out of her. Something was moving out there… and from the noise it’s making it big. It was probably a boar or a bear, maybe two. Completely alert Willa glided through the branches seeking out her prey. Running through her options, she decided to take the defensive position, maybe even wait until it runs out of energy following her scent then move in to attack. “Preparation was a gift not often given to Paso, and never lightly thrown away, only by the fool”, she recited to herself. Climbing higher into the thick maze of willow branches and grabbing limbs Willa set herself up for the night if need be, until her hunter crossed her path.
The sky had grown scarlet,announcing the approach of darkness. The Beast still hasn’t crossed her. Peering at the limp forms of the stag and the rabbit in the fading light, Willa pondered the over the memory of their deaths. The rabbit had been the first to stumble upon her. Innocent to the bone it hadn’t the intelligence to flee from her. Sitting docilely Willa’s inner sechi called to her to spare its life. Uncomprehending eyes welcomed her to share its vegetation. These were the animals she had nurtured and played with all her life and she was going to release its sechi before its time.
Teachings and values conflicted inside Willa’s mind. Aoibh, Willa’s confidant and her grandfather at heart, had instilled in her the value of life and the teachings of sechi. “The sechi is the centre of all our thoughts and feelings, its where they all come from and without our sechi we would not be able to function, for we would be void of thought and feeling” he had lovingly confided.
Lox, her mentor and teacher in the Paso had shown her the urgent need for Paso members in their society and how death is apart of life. The Paso believe that everybody has a purpose and that when the time comes for a being to die nothing can stop it. The Paso always chose rookies to perform the rights of passage during hunting period, as unnecessary death is not part of their beliefs and it is punishable even by death should the occasion require it. She believes in both with does not help her most of the time as they sometime contradict and leave her static and indecisive. Knowing the rabbit would feed a family tonight didn’t help her send it back to Gaia. Tradition calls for a novice to be armed with three weapons to show their skill in combat. Firstly a dagger, along with a bow, and a spear. A rookie must kill four creatures, which will be herded into the forest, each with a different weapon. Combat without a weapon will also be assessed. In the context of reasoning the rabbit would have been an animal that would of normally been killed by the snapping of it’s neck but Willa couldn’t free something’s sechi without it attacking her and knowing how rabbits are, even provoked it wouldn’t attack. Not even in defence of it life. Killing it by the dagger had left her vulnerable to any undetectable enemy but her heart was at peace with her conscience. Her first kill would not haunt her like some fighters she knew.
The stag had come charging through the brambles not yet mature but hot headed, eager to show his strength. He was a magnificent animal and his fresh antlers would adorn the wall of her new room in the Paso quarters. He was an adequate opponent and the feel of his struggling antlers gripped tight in her hands made her heart race still. That only left her with the spear and her bow. If at some point she could not defeat her opponent Willa must return to her quarters and hang the sign of he rejected on her door. One single white cut of cloth. Willa never bought herself any white material and the fact was widely known. Whatever the outcome Willa would not be dressed in white come tomorrow.
Resting herself against the trunk of the big oak tree behind her Willa tried to regain some of her strength. The familiar surroundings awakened memories Willa had long banished from her mind. Willa could stop the flooding emotions that rallied to consume her thoughts. Knowing that the more she struggled not to think about them the more they where likely to plague her. Hesitantly opening her mind Willa braced herself for what she would feel. It had been the eve of her seventeenth year and she had been celebrating her announcement that she was training to become Paso. Her clan had rejoiced in the fact that she had chosen the path they had set down for her. She had been anticipating that moment for months and she was finally able to go out and celebrate with her soon to be spear kin Mona and Celeste. Celeste was her most valued friend and Willa loved her like a real sister. Mona was newer to the group and had proven herself to be trustworthy and dependable. They had taken her under their wing when she had moved to Wren’s Hope from a different clan.