Chatterbox: Inkwell

The Elves of Litenis Valley

I thought you guys might want to read my new book! I'll post the introduction and first chapter, and you guys can tell me if you want me to post more!

Introduction:

This is a tale that takes place in and around Litenis Valley. It is about the elves and the war that was waged there. But you must know a bit about the Elves first. 

There are four Kingdoms of elves. The Northern Kingdom, The Southern Kingdom, The Eastern Kingdom, and The Western Kingdom. These kingdoms used to be one kingdom, of all the elves. They lived in the center of the valley. But, slowly, some elves moved north to the Mighty Mountains, south to the Southern Shores, and east to the Fragrant Forests. And those elves started their own kingdoms. But other elves stayed in the center if the valley, which came to be called the Pale Plains. Each kingdom had different rulers. Now, the ruling system in Litenis Valley is a bit strange. It started with the first Queen of the southern kingdom. She married, and had three children. She hated for only one of them to become king or queen, so she let all of them rule. With further thought, she decided this would be the official ruling system in the Southern Kingdom, because it would avoid jealousy from the younger siblings. But all of the children married, and they realized that their mother didn't think how many kings and queens there would be if all of the children's children were rulers. Not to mention their husbands and wives. Haftia was the queen's youngest.  So it was decided that Haftia's children would be the rulers, and all of the elves married into the royal family would be Dukes and Duchesses. And so from then on, the youngest child's children would rule. But there had always been something strange in the Northern Kingdom's Royal Family. They had always been snooty and snobby, and  very unlike the other good natured elves. On the other hand, the very kind, good natured elves, that you could always share a laugh with seemed to have moved to the Southern Shores. Many of the elves in the Southern Kingdom swam in the vast sea nearly every day. And they were cheery and full of glee. These were probably the nicest elves you would ever want to meet. But over time, those elves developed special abilities to swim under water for extended periods of time. They couldn't exactly breathe underwater, but they were certainly much more skilled at swimming and holding their breath underwater than other elves. Land dwellers, they began to call them. They also obtained turquoise, blue, purple, and green hair. And their skin became the color of ocean waves, varying from a subtle green, to a dark teal.  But some elves moved out of the Eastern Kingdom due to an infestation of strange beasts, and came to the Southern Shores. Now, the elves of the Eastern Kingdom were very superstitious, and they thought the Water Elves, as the especially skilled swimmers became called, had dark magic. The Water Elves were accused of having betrayed the Elves of Litenis Valley, and used Dark Magic to become something else. The Elves from the Eastern Kingdom warned the Elves of the Southern Kingdom of their suspicions. And the Water Elves were banned. They were forced to live far away from the shores of the Vast Sea, living their lives out underwater. Some say this is how the war got started, which brings us to the real reason of the war. War is a nasty subject, but we must reach it sooner or later. 

Well, you see, no one knows quite how the war got started. Every kingdom seemed to blame the rest for the war. But, though very few ever spoke of it, what was really going on in the elves' minds was this. The Northern Kingdom. They had been waiting all these years for a reason to accuse the northern kingdom. And now they had a reason. Rebel Groups had been popping up all over the valley, protesting against the Northern Kingdom. But only someone really determined to find the truth could know those secrets. And if anyone ever will know, well that is for you, dear reader, to find out. And I have a feeling you will. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~         

Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air was cool and crisp. The morning dew was just beginning to sparkle. The nose of a rabbit twitched in its burrow, and the last hoot of an owl was barely audible through the trees. And nestled safely away in a little cottage, an elvish girl barely opened her eyes. She rolled over, and settled back down, nestling her face into the soft white fur of her best friend. The girl's name was Arowyn, and her Winged Wolf was called Borealis. Borealis turned his head over his shoulder, and began to lick Arowyn's face. "Oh, Borealis! Stop it! I'm trying to sleep!" She giggled. This only encouraged the wolf, and he stood up, and shook himself, as most wolves and dogs do when they first wake up. Arowyn opened her eyes wider, and stood up. She dusted off her dress, which was stiff and uncomfortable. She had fallen asleep the night before without a thought to what she was wearing. Just like me when I was a girl. Arowyn's mother had said. She been just as stubborn and reckless as Arowyn when she was a girl, and was constantly telling her how much her daughter was like herself. Arowyn's sister,Marya , wasn't like her mother. She was adventurous and athletic, but somehow managed to be ladylike at the same time. More like her father. Arowyn's father had disappeared years ago, and she didn't remember him at all. But she imagined him as a brave man, adventurous, but wise. And kind. He would have had such a warm smile, with wrinkles around his eyes and dimples in his cheeks. She could just picture herself sitting in his lap. Arowyn snapped out of her daydream. She was twenty-eight* years old, and much too old for this sort of nonsense. At least, that's what her grandmother always said. To picture her father wouldn't bring him back. Arowyn opened the roof of the cottage (all Elvish cottages were built with opening roofs. It was part of the architectural flair.) and climbed out. She whistled a strange whistle, a sound only she could make. And Borealis bounded out, performing a graceful leap, and landing lightly on the roof. Arowyn swung her right leg over her companions back, and pulled her body up. Borealis spread his wings, and with a command from Arowyn, he took the air. He soared, running on thin air. Arowyn loved flying. She loved the heights, the feel of the wind in her face, the soft fur under her, and the freedom. Her mother had had a Pegasus as a girl, and had enjoyed flying every bit as much as Arowyn. 

Arowyn let her hair down from the Elvish Braids she put it in every night. It flew in the air, soaring in its own way. The red locks gleaming in the sunlight. She laughed, then whistled another command into Borealis' ear. He began to pull his wings in, causing him to soar lower to the ground. They flew lower and lower, until Borealis' paws beat the ground. He tucked his wings, and began running. Arowyn wrapped her arms around the big animals neck and buried her face in his thick fur. The air was cool as it rushed past her, but she was warm. She stopped directing Borealis, and let him take her where he would. A loud call resounded through the air. "Breakfast!" Borealis perked up his ears. He then turned and shot off in the direction of the cottage. 

*Elvish ages are a bit different than Human ages. So, if you or me were 14, an elf of the same age would be 28. 

When Arowyn entered the cottage, she smelled the sweet smell of the breakfast cakes her mother was making. Most elves ate breakfast cakes now and again, but Taline, Arowyn's mother, made them almost every day. And Arowyn never got tired of that scent in her nostrils. "Good Morning, Arowyn!" She said, a warm smile on her face. 

"Morning, Mama." 

"The cakes are almost ready. Why don't you sit down?"

Arowyn found her usual seat at the table. But her sister wasn't in her's. 

"Where's Marya?"

"Oh, you haven't seen her?"

Arowyn hadn't seen her sister all morning. What's going on? Arowyn wondered. This wasn't right. Marya never just disappeared like this. If there were something wrong, she would've told me. The sisters never kept secrets from each other.  Arowyn took the last bite of Breakfast Cake, and licked the last if the crumbs from her fingers. "I have to go to the Bakery. I'll see you tonight." The mother smiled sadly, bending to kiss her daughter on the head. Taline had to work at a bakery ever since her husband disappeared. Arowyn decided to ride into town. She mounted Borealis, and got ready to go as she watched her mother's horse and buggy fade into the distant mist. She whistled in her companion's ear, and he sped up, galloping also into that misty morning air.