Untitled Chapter 1

It needs a bit of work but your insight would be appreciated

I have pronunciation for all the names or cities because I had a hard time myself

I had agreed to move in with my second cousin Laelin [Lay-lin]. To the hidden city deep inside the Groelblen [Growl-blen] forest, the truth is, I am scared. Their ways are much too ancient compared to our culture. Not to mention what makes me more shaken then any other thing in this world-the journey that takes us. I am going into the silver white city of Elrodven [El-rod-ven]. Laelin guided me and a few others through hair splitting mountains, crawling with the beasts of the unknown. My cousin told me it was a six or more day journey to the legendary crystal city. She was the only girl in our group, and that’s what I feared. If she were to get taken or worse-killed, I don’t know what I would do. Another thing is these men weren’t gentlemen. They were, without a doubt the worst of the worst of our kind. The final thing that bothered me through this bone crushing journey is if, at the end, I was rejected. Once you got to the city, it wasn’t over. They would either send you back from whence you came or accept you as a new citizen. We were Agrador [Ag-rah-door] elves, seeking better life. Even if the Agrador’s were the worst enemy of the Elrod’s they were still generous to accept people into their city. This meant a lot to me, that they would let the enemy into their home. It was respect, and it showed no fear.

The first day: five Agrador elves and one Elrod elf set out together, sworn to protect each other through the worst. The first obstacle was of course to get away from the Knight squad. They had patrolled the city walls ever sense Laelin escaped. She had gotten out and promised me to come back. Somehow she got back in to the city, unharmed and healthier than ever. We gathered in the local pub, catching up with each other and waiting for the pack of four to arrive. We agreed with an even number of people, it seemed the most logical of choices. Laelin and I both knew four people wouldn’t be enough so we spread a small rumor inside the walls of an act of breaking free. We chose the most interested pair to come with us.

Our crew gathered supplies of weapons, food and sentimental items. Laelin led us out the first door with ease, creeping through the alley ways and peoples houses. We climbed atop of Arlin’s house- a man in our crew. His roof was connected to the inside wall, right next to a door leading inside the inner chambers. Laelin and I kept watch while the others took the rest of the supplies. We then hid while the Knight squad marched by. Before I knew it we were in the chambers of the walls. We ran down the wall labyrinth faster than I had liked. She reassured us there was a door somewhere. Suddenly we had stopped; she put one finger up as a sign of wait and silence. Laelin crept ahead of us. It made me nervous so I poked my head around the corner to watch her. All I could see was a light by torch, her shadow moving slowly towards it. Laelin took out her bow and quickly the light was gone. Her arm brushed against mine as she lit the torch again.

“Sorry bout’ that. Now where were we?” She laughed softly, turning around and heading just as fast as before down the tunnel. Arlin smiled, as she whisked her head around the corner, her hair touching his face. I knew by that one little glance that he loved her more than any other could. We followed her down the thick wall slowing our pace as we got closer to our goal. We stopped several times, waiting for guards to get out of our path and for Laelin to say it was ok to move again. The door to freedom was packed with the knight squad. I had no clue how we were going to make it. Our crew hid behind a corner, Laelin and I watching the guards. We both took out our weapons, getting ready to attack the unknowing pack of security. Laelin ordered for the rest of us to get prepared as support. The guards stopped talking and our team froze, had we been caught?

One of the men took a few steps towards the corner, he was about to expose us and we would be killed without a chance. He stopped again and the other men looked at each other. Then I heard it too; footsteps. They were slow moving but light and it barley made a sound. Yet it was the loudest thing here seeing we crept in the darkness. The footsteps got louder; it was coming towards us but on the opposite side. The guard closest to us went around the other corner to go see. There was a sound of someone dropping heavy metal armor against the tile floor. The other guards froze, the youngest man-with out a helmet turned towards us, like he was going to run out of terror. His eyes got bigger when he turned back around to face his friends.

Then, I saw her. A woman turned the corner and one of the men chuckled.

“Here we are, cowering over a woman.” He laughed again. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be sleeping at this hour? Or doing something useful like shining my shoes?” the man took a step towards her, his hand attempting to move her hood. She was wearing a black cloak, her dark brown hair exposed down the sides. When the man touched her hood she stiffened. She quickly lunged forward, the man collapsing over her shoulder and onto the ground. The other men stared, running towards her with their swords. Laelin set took her stance, preparing her bow, the arrow lining up with the bowstring and her hand pulling back next to her face. She let go and the arrow and hit one of them men charging at the woman in the head. He fell to the ground without his friends knowing. She was about to kill another but I tilted her aim down. The woman moved her cloak, taking out two daggers in her hands and slicing down a few people. She threw both of them at two more guards, hitting them in the chest. The final guard crept behind her as she headed towards the door. She stopped when her hand touched the door and swiftly turned around. She knelt on the ground, spin kicking just in time to trip him. She grabbed her knives and opened the door. The last thing I saw of her was the quick glances we exchanged. A few strains of her hair was braided against the straight part. Her green eyes drifted over at us, Laelin and I stared in awe. The stranger grinned at me and floated out the door.

“Wait!” Laelin called after her. It was too late, our savior was gone. “Thank you.” She whispered as we stood up, looking at all fallen men. I couldn’t take my eyes off where she once stood. How could a single person kill all these people? Especially when that person was a woman, is that even possible? Our group left quickly out the exit, looking for the elf. She was no where to be found, just dust in the air.

Now, this is where the real adventure begins. Getting out of the city was one thing but out into the wild without constant shelter and protection from society was another. The terrain and weather of this world change quickly through out the land. I fear for the worst, not even I know what’s out there in the field. The first day of our journey we traveled slowly, our bodies already exhausted from being murderously beaten the day before. We were slaves, were. The word was so small yet it meant so much to me. Past tense and it meant a memory I never had to go back to again. The elves of Agrador are slaves. Well technically over three fourths of the population are slaves and the rest are our masters. Those bastards, we are no different then them. We have the same blood and genes yet we are lower class citizens. In Elrodven everyone is free; we are all equal and happy. I don’t want to be there as a slave, I don’t want to be beaten anymore. I serve no one!