Written flowing Elven script
I am uncertain of the day, or Month, or even the year...I am a prisoner here in the Mist, and each night I find I have plenty of time to reflect. At night in these lands, unspeakable things emerge from the shadows to prey on the living, and I inevitably always find Myself holed up somewhere, if it be in the comfort of an inn, or in some dark nook praying for the sun to rise. I have decided to write upon these pages at this moment for little reason other than to occupy My mind whilst the darkness without crawls with dangers I dare not face alone.
My name is Thin'Thalin Thil'Thanas, though for nearly sixty some years I had not heard my full name pour from My lips but a handfull of times. How this happened is a story that I am going to commit to these pages to the best of My recollection, for I fear I have forgotten much under duress over the years.
I vaguely remember the day word came that the forests had been entered by many Humans. Many of the Forest Kin passed near the walls of the great city of Qualinost, seeking to unite with their cousins. My father, who had long cultivated an Immense garden within which we lived, seemed but mildly annoyed, thinking it but another minor irritation caused by the barbaric humans. He continued spending His time meticulously caring for each plant, and every inch of earth, rock and every living thing that entered or left that garden. His Garden had no place within the walls of the city, he felt the area within the walls "too touched" to properly sustain the garden He envisioned. I sadly do not remember much of My mothers tastes, Her skills took Her often into the city, and if ever My siblings and I were able join our parents within the walls, it would be for long ceremonies or celebrations. Much of My time was spent with My father in His garden, though I chose to learn little, committing Myself to menial tasks, beings I Had no interest in plants.
It was upon a dark day that the seriousness of the situation became apparent. As if the dark rolling cloud banks and rumbling of thunder served as a forboding message of the threat tearing its way towards us. I was in My father's garden, all of my attention focused on a mere square foot of earth in front of me. At My fathers instruction I was to take a small folded piece of parchment that contained seeds, scratch the earth at precise intervals with the quill of a feather, and sew the seeds at a specific depth. I was hurried in My work for the air had the smell of rain upon it, and I did not want to have to repeat this task, nor earn My Fathers disapproval.
A peculiar noise caught My attention. It sounded similar to the high pitched yip of a forest creature, maybe one of the wild hounds. It was answered by many others. A chorus of the Yips rose in the tree tops, and seemed to travel among the trees of the forest towards our garden from a distance. A cold chill ran up My spine as I leaned back, looking at the lined pattern in the bare earth before Me, trying to sort the situation In my child's mind. A dash of movement caught My attention, a light brown face framed in wild yellow braids peered down at Me from a large low hanging tree limb. A wild Elf, Forest Kin, His head tilting as he looked down at me and My seed patch. He seemed almost a part of the tree for a moment, His leathers adorned with bark like patches. He tilted His face up and his jaw seemed to spasm as the high pitched yip emitted from His Mouth. It was accompanied by many others from nearby. It was then that My father seemed to appear out of Nowhere at my side. From My vantage point upon My knees yet, He seemed so tall and stoic, His black hair in perfect place upon His silken robes. He addressed the Forest Elf plainly and directly, politely demanding to know exactly what was transpiring. I myself had difficulty understanding our Forest kin, he spoke very fast and in a manner dissimilar to our own. One word seemed to carry more weight than the rest, each time he spoke it I seen My father refocus the resolve upon his face....Dragons.
With little pause My Father excused Himself and the Forest Elf seemed to almost run through the tree, disappearing in mere moments.
Beckoning for Me to follow, My Father proceeded into our dwelling, rousing My mother and instructing her to gather My siblings and I quickly. As She went to fetch My brother and sister, I spied My Father in His bed chamber opening an ornate chest at the foot of His bed. For a mere moment I seen Him produce pieces of Our Families Ancestral Armor, items I had seen only once before. I had little time to observe Him as My mother Lined My siblings and I up and began outfitting us as if for travel. I remember wanting so badly to ask what was happening but knew all too well that it was best I simply did as I was told and nothing more. My Father emerged from My parents bed Chamber in full Elven Armor, His Hair drawn tightly back, his normally calm face looked hard and his eyes filled with a strange piercing determination that I had never seen before. I once again felt a cold chill grip My spine.
The one time My father had ever shown Me the ancestral Armor of our Family, He told me in length of its history, how to maintain it....
and that if ever I was to lay eyes upon it again would be for one of two reasons. The first that upon His death, I his eldest Son, would receive the armor, and in a great ceremony, I would take a family oath, and keep it as he Had, and His fathers before Him had done. The second, that war was upon us, and that He in sworn oath, would don that armor, and wear it to serve the Qualinesti nation. As he and My mother made a final exchange of their undying love, a great harmony of horns could be heard from the city of Qualinost.
My Father kept His oath, and went to join with the defenders. My Mother, with My siblings and Myself, found ourselves mixed with a great multitude of others, it would seem that many were being evacuated into tunnels beneath the city with the help of the Dwarfs. We unfortunately came late from our dwelling outside the city walls, and the masses within the Elven city had congested the tunnels, barring our access to safety. It was then, while we stood there with no other option than to wait, that the first assault came upon us. Like something from a dark nightmare, a swirling mass of black silhouettes against the gray sky began to descend from directly above us. Their size became frighteningly impossible, at first appearing like a small, slow moving swarm of insects. They drew painfully closer, their massive wings bending much like a bird of prey, circling down upon us. As all stood in silence, gazing up in terror at the descending hoard, it was without warning from the west that a huge mass barreled over the top of the wall, its wings close to its body, they unfurled sending a powerfull gust of wind in either direction. I felt an indescribable fear, it paralysed My entire body, causing My very bones to want to shrink as i clenched My eyes shut and curled up into a ball. The dragons presence was tangible, its behemoth body seemed to cast its weight at everything beneath it. In a moments passing, I distinctly heard a chorus of bow strings twanging, a great inhalation from the beast as it passed directly above me, and then the sound of it expelling a great blast of fire. A blast so powerfull that it tore through the crowd of my kin with an impact that both pulverized and incinerated.
I glance up just in time to see the beast veer upwards. I without thought scramble up and run in fear, the cold pavement rising before Me into steps, and then a small wall. I had ran to the top of the outer wall, stumbling I careen forward, slamming into stone My face slides down its smooth surface. My sister and brother are there also, having followed me, I look over to see my Brother peering over the edge of the wall, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. I push away from the wall a bit with my head, planting My hand and with much struggle I get up to peer over the edge. The forests in the distance are being scoured by dragons, they send great walls of flame and smoke before them. I am only able to take in the horrific scene for a moment, catching glimpses of the armored figures upon the dragons nearest. We all duck down as the entire world begins to shake, blast after blast can be felt through the stones beneath us. The Horde has descended upon Qualinost.
My siblings and I were not fortunate enough to find our way into the tunnels beneath Qulainost. We instead scrambled through a city that crumbled around us with bombardments of fiery blasts and the thunderlike sound of collapsing structures. We at times just huddled and clung to each other. With our mother lost to us in the turmoil, we could do little else than let the fear drive us. I spotted a massive opening in the outer wall and made for it desperately. My siblings in tow We made a narrow escape and found ourselves in the forest. Thick smoke rolled through the trees and the air was nearly too hot to breath. The Yips of the Forest Kin had vanished to be replaced with howls and warcries as they continued sending volleys of arrows at the massive rep-tillion encroachers. We ran until we could run no more. Behind us the smoke rose from the miles of charred earth to span the better part of the Horizon. I remember feeling the awe of the scene, it was so surreal, the image before me seemed so impossible. With no better ideas, and exhaustion weighing upon us, we huddled together in the fading light. Specks of an orange glow would flicker and dance across the horizon line as the dragons continued burning the earth. Even as My lids grew too heavy to hold open, the sleep stealing upon me did not dampen the fear as I sunk into a black misery.
A sharp pain shoots through My young aching body as awareness comes to me, there is noise and commotion beyond that I cannot yet grasp. As the light of morning splits the blackness, my eyes focus upon a large shape with something flailing wildly at its side. A massive Human Male stands near me, His whiskered face scowling. He has a crude blade in one hand, My sister by the hair of her head in the other. Panic, fear for My sister, both drive me to My feet as I run headlong towards the human with my fists clenched. His armor is miss matched, with plates here and there fastened to a leather harness. He looks at me for a moment with little more than curiosity before his face splits into a yellow tooth grin. I feel a slamming impact against my throat and the earth seems to fall away beneath My feet as I am lifted into the air. I find myself in the iron clutch of another large Human. I cannot breath, I see his face for a moment as he looks down his nose at me with a scowl. As My sight fades with My consciousness, I hear words I at the time did not understand.
'Well wha' does we 'ave 'ere....."