Elvin Honor (edited)

This is a new idea I'm toying with... Any feedback is appreciated- what do you think? Does it catch you? etcetera.

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I couldn’t sleep. I knew what was to come. I’d known as soon the moment I had woken up in my small, utterly bare room.

“How could it have gone so wrong?” I whispered to myself. “How could anything have gone so terribly, horribly wrong? It was just a simple assignment, so simple…” I shuddered, nightmares of helplessness coming back to me. Maybe I’d get lucky, I consoled myself. Maybe the court would understand my position. But the wishful thinking passed quickly, flooded out by grief. In just moments, life had gone from innocent to devastating, and I was at it’s heart like my hands were tied behind my back.

I have lead a normal life. I come from a good elvin family and a heritage of warriors. I have a brother and two sisters I’ve spent my childhood with, mentoring and leading as the oldest. I have a loving family and neighbors, good friends and comrades in arms. I was a quick learner and a natural swordsman and archer.

Like any elf, I have almond-shaped, brilliant green eyes and long pointed ears that usually poke through my hair, which is highlighted blond, like my mother‘s. I wear my hair shoulder length, like most males, and I’m tall and wiry, with all the grace of our heritage.

A couple of heartbeats, and nothing would ever be the same again.

When the door opened, it was nearly noon of the next day. Two elvin guards dressed in the dark green, intricately designed leather armor of their station stood waiting for me. Once out the door, the guards, their faces stony, each took one of my arms, guiding me down the familiar passageways.

The soaring, arching, graceful beauty of the court hall made my chest ache. The sheer magnificence of the complex, smooth, graceful, and detailed masonry that made up the room was enough to strike any elf awestruck, every time. I felt numb as I was guided up the hall, past the grim-faced elves, to the rise where the Valenfas and his council stood. A Valenfas lead the elves in wisdom and compassion, descended from the same line for many centuries.

“Kithkanan Tanfalhesan ne-Lan,” the Valenfas said slowly, his strong voice carrying easily to every corner of the hall. Out of respect, nobody spoke his actual name. “You have been called before us today for the… the tragedy that occurred three days past. Yavhan, a warrior from the tracking party, has demanded it. Do you accept his right to trial, and your right to defense?”

“Yes, Valenfas,” I said heavily. What choice did I have?

“Yavhan has come forward as a witness of the incident and claims that you abandoned your duty both as a warrior and an elf and allowed the party’s leader, Nalen, and half the party to die in enemy hands.”

“I did not flee,” I growled, beyond caring how rude it was to interrupt the Valenfas.

“No, you didn’t. You are accused of forsaking your duty and moral responsibilities- which you know is a different matter,” the Valenfas said evenly. Heaviness layered his voice, the sense of foreboding crawling over my skin. The Valenfas continued, after a hesitation:

“I and my council have reviewed the event, and find Yavhan does have a basis for his claims.” My heart sank. The last drop of hope vanished, replaced by only deep despair. “Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

I was silent for a long moment, trying to amass a suitable explanation- anything. Finally, speaking slowly, feeling as though the words were ripped from my chest, I whispered, “Nalen was my closest friend. I would have done anything in my power to save him.”

I knew it wouldn’t be enough.

The Valenfas turned to his council, discussing in such low tones that no one else could hear. I glanced once at Yavhan’s face, the being determined to doom my very existence. He somehow managed to look grim and fiercely satisfied at the same time. Again I wondered what had lead to his hatred of me, how and why he had twisted such an already horrible tragedy worse.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elves turned back to me. The grim looks on their faces said it all. I was afraid I was going to drown in the waves despair and grief pounding over me.

“Without anything else to work with, Kithkanan,” the Valenfas’s tone was low and troubled. Though he spoke strongly, I could barely hear him over the pounding in my head; no, no, no, this isn’t happening, no- “…you are found guilty of betrayal to your commander in allowing him to die.”

No, no, no. Murmured gasps ran around the room. I knew that my name had promptly been dashed into the ground. I had just instantaneously gone from a promising young elf to the worst kind of scoundrel. This couldn’t be happening.

“Kithkanan,” the Valenfas’s voice cut over the nervous chattering effortlessly. My heart rose in my throat, and I involuntarily balled my hands into fists, unable to stand hearing what my mind knew was only moments away. “For denying the morals the elvin have always held close to their hearts, you are hereby stripped of your honor and status an elvin warrior. You know elves to not believe in death sentences; therefore, you are hereby banished from the elvin lands for however long you may live.”

Just looking at the Valenfas’s face showed how difficult it was for him to say those words; an elf had not been banished for many, many centuries. No one stirred as they watched the events in grim silence. Cold numbness flooded my raw emotions, I clenched my jaw as my eyes threatened to overflow. No- no tears would come. I would stand strong… stand strong…

The Valenfas gestured to an elf at the side. I recognized him- he was a magic-weaver that lived not far from me. His face was hard and stony- for once he didn’t look at me like a second son. Like the child he’d bounced on his knee and told stories and showed tricks, whose wife was the best baker in the world second only to my own mother.

“So all elves you meet will know your fate,” the Valenfas continued, nodding to the magic-weaver, “you will wear the banishment band from now until you pass on yourself. ”

He stepped up, a simple, gold band bracelet in his hand. “Hold out your left hand, Kithkanan,” the magic-weaver said coldly, holding back emotion. Feeling as though some raw beast was clawing at my chest, I did as I was asked. The magic-weaver slid the cold metal band around my wrist, then whispered a few words in whatever language magic required.

I had heard the stories of banishments, like any elf. It was so, so much different to be the banished one. I knew, deep down, that as bad a light as the event had been shed in, that I had done all I could. That was more painful than anything- no one would ever understand, everyone would think I was an evil-spirited elf, an immoral, corrupt, wicked rogue.

As I watched, the gold band shrunk until it fit my wrist. I thought I might be able to get one finger under it, but I would never be able to fit it over my hand.

According to legend, the band couldn’t be melted, rusted, cut, or even scratched. The only way to get one off was if the Valenfas and the original magic-weaver joined together in a reverse spell. A banishment band has never been removed. I stared at it, as if suddenly my entire world was summed up by the simple, gold band. Which, in a way, it was…

When the Valenfas spoke, it was as if it was at a great distance-

“You will be given half an hour to pack your belongings and bid your leave with your family. At that time you will be escorted to the city limits, with orders to leave the elvin lands and never return.”

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