“Marolea! Lady Marolea!” A little boy from the human village a few miles away was pounding on the door. “Marolea!” He shouted again. Marolea, a ranger, who, at that very moment about to step out her back door heard the little boy and turned on her heel. She opened the front door. “Langore!” She said in surprise to the little long-golden-haired boy in front of her. “Have you brought Tien back, again!” The little boy nodded and handed her a long black rope tied to a young dark brown buck. “Thank you, Langore.” Marolea called to him as he dashed away down the hill. “You're welcome!” he called over his shoulder and disappeared over the ridge. She smiled, watching him, then turned and let Tien to the stables. Marolea locked him in his pasture and he darted over to greet his fellow stall mates, Surco and Bangduer. The young she-elf headed into her house. She grabbed her bow, quiver, and five arrows. After putting the arrows in the quiver and stringing it over her shoulder, Marolea set off at a quick pace toward the forest. After running along, she reached a creek. Marolea hopped it and landed on the side of a large forest. She climbed a tree and about midway, she peered down and spotted a very familiar figure walking in the direction of her house. Marolea slowly climbed down the tree and headed to a large stone in the creek. Balancing preciously, she called out in a loud pure voice. “Aragorea! Good to see you here!” The slim figure turned around and headed toward her. “Hi!” the black haired girl around the of eighteen said as she reached Marolea. “I was just going to the market and was wondering if you wanted to come too?” “Sure I’ll come!” she replied, “Wanna take Tien and Surco? It will be faster.” Aragorea nodded and together the two friends headed toward Marolea’s house over the ridge. When they got to the stables, Surco, the large black stallion pranced over to meet them. Aragorea hopped on the horse and waited for Marolea. On the other side of the paddock, Tien was grazing nearby a little pony. “Hey guys” Marolea said as she hopped the fence and patted the two animals on the head. Bangduer whinnied. Marolea climbed onto Tiens back and cantered over to Aragorea. “Let's go!” and the two set off. They passed many rough scraggly grass and boulders along the way. Shrubs grey here and there and they rode along a sandy path. Soon the friends could see the place where Aragorea and Langore lived. Together, they stopped at the bridge and looked at the gatekeepers box. As if on cue, a tall man with sandy hair and a grim face stepped down the stairs from the keeping box to a few feet from the riders. He was dressed in thick leather armour. “Why so grim, Ruber” Aragorea asked him. “There have been silents coming in pairs and demanding entrance.” The one named Ruber responded. “Some have a nasty temper and pull out their weapons when I refuse to let them in; for they may only enter if they give me their name. Most of those folk don’t give their name.” Marolea nodded. So did Aragorea. I wonder why those silents are there anyway. She thought. “Well anyway,” her companion said. “Could we go in now?” “Sorry.” apologised the gatekeeper and pulled a rope that opened the great brass gates. “Thanks!” The girls called as the rode their horses at a walk into the village. A wonderful sight met them. The women and men were chatting cheerfully and watching the children as they played on the sides of the streets. Puppies barked and ran around rambunctiously while birds tweeted in the trees along the cobblestone path. Street sellers were yelling words such as, “Weapons! Weapons! Get your elven made weapons here! Bows, swords, knives, arrows, anything you want!” Tien slowly stepped along, careful not to trodd on a dogs tail. Then, a familiar face popped into view. He had a little belt and strapped to it was a wooden play sword. “Hi Aragorea and Marolea! Hi Tien and Surco!” “Hey Langore!” Aragorea and Marolea said cheerfully and Aragorea hopped off Surco to give her cousin a hug. Marolea watched as Surco gently snuffed around Langores pockets. Laughing, the little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a few carrots. The greedy stallion munched them happily. Then Langore got out a few more and handed them out to Tien. The buck nibbled them tenderly. Then the three heard a voice. “Langore!” called a man down the street. He looked a lot like Langore with the same long scraggly golden hair except Langore looked much more younger and shorter. “Langore!” he shouted again. “Coming Dad!” Langore yelled and dashed away after saying “Bye” to Marolea and Aragorea. Marolea then jumped off her Tien and stood next to her companion. “I am going to go and look at the stall over their.” Marolea said, pointing to a weapon stall. “Ok” Aragorea replied and she headed to a food stall. Marolea looked around at the gleaming display of shiny weapons and armour. “Can I help you with anything?” asked an older man in the stall. After studying the fighting knives and daggers, she looked up. “How much are these?” she answered pointing to a pair of silver fighting knives and a jagged edged dagger with a black handle. “Ah, those knives would be twenty silver pents; but seeing as you indeed are an elf of the makers, they are now fifteen. The dagger would be ten gold nuggets.” “I’ll take them both.” said Marolea and handed him the money. She strapped the Dagger to her belt and put the knives in her pack with the sheaths on. “Thank you!” The man nodded. “You’re welcome!” Then Marolea headed over to where Aragorea was. She had just finished paying for some elven bread and a bit of fruit and turned around to see Marolea. “Ready to go?” Aragorea asked. “Yup! Lets go.” And with that, the girls hopped on their animals and rode out of market. Ruber lifted up the gates as they passed. After they had galloped along the sandy path halfway to Maroleas house, Tien suddenly let out a snort and tossed his head. Marolea, ducking his antlers, climbed off. “Who Tien,” she said in a quiet voice. “calm down.” Tien began to calm down and snuffed at the ground. Aragorea hopped off her horse and knelt down. “There are tracks here. It looks as though some trolls passed through last night.” Marolea nodded in agreement. “There's also some little prints. Dwarves, by the look. Their heading toward Riddler Cavern.” Marolea climbed back on Tien and Aragorea hopped on Surco. “That’s in the Orion Runier Elves Kingdom.” Aragorea said. “Shall we follow the tracks?” She asked. “Sure” Maroela said. Then a little girl that was a smaller image of Aragorea came skipping down the hill toward them. “Aragorea! Its time for lunch!” she called in a cheerful voice to her older sister. “Coming!” Aragorea said and handed Surcos reigns to Marolea. “See you soon!” She cried out. “See ya.” Marolea called back. Then she walked the rest of the way over to her house over the rough terrain. Sorco and Tien walked calmly with her. Marolea locked them in their stables and turned, walking quickly into her house. I should probably bring my dagger. She thought. Along with her bow and three arrows, she ran quickly over to the hills to the troll tracks. Soon, Marolea was running quickly along the shrubby way. As trees whooshed past, she saw black shadowy figures with cloaks that where midnight black, running through the shadows of the Nars Lile Forest. Silents inhabited that forest. Some say they kept their hide out their. Marolea steered away and after a couple of yards, she stopped at a creek. The troll prints halted here. Then, seeing them on the other side, she hopped quickly over and returned to her fast pace. Soon, Marolea saw a long chain of caves up on her left. Stopping, she caught her breath and looked round her. With her bow in hand, Marolea slowly prowled along the edge of the cave. She peered into what looked to be an entrance. Quietly, she snuck in. Inside Marolea found stalactites and stalagmites and it smelled of dead animals. The walls where smooth and cold and the air damp. Grumbles came from deeper in the cave and as she explored deeper, she spotted three large figures sitting ‘round a small fire. “What derd the ‘awrf say? Derd ‘e tell yer the message, Drangum?” asked one in a rough voice. “Said he'd on’y tell ‘er” the one Marolea supposed was named Drangum replied. She took a breath and peered around the corner. The trolls were ugly, big, grey things that looked somewhat part of the cave themselves. Then she spotted the prisoner. It was a young, dark haired dwarf with big grey eyes. He was a scared looking fellow. His hands and legs where bound and was gagged. The dwarf was guarded by a fourth troll. Then she had an idea. I’ll lure one of the trolls out. They value their own lives above all others, so if i threaten to take its life if it does not let the dwarf go then I shall be able to rescue the dwarf. So with that in mind, Marolea took a stone and threw it to the other side of the cave. Dashing out, she climbed the rocks and posed just above the entrance with a stone in hand. Just as she suspected, a troll did lumber out and it was grumbling to himself and looking around in the growing darkness. Marolea threw the stone and it hit the troll in the back. The troll whipped around as fast as a troll can and Marolea leapt down, holding her dagger to its throat. The troll glared down at her but didn’t do anything. “Let that dwarf you are guarding go or my dagger just might slip, just by accident.” She waited for the troll to respond. “What will it be, Your life away or the dwarf given to me?” “Fine!” The troll said finally. “You can have the filthy dwarf.” “Wise choice. And,” she paused “If I or the dwarf get hurt by you or one of your comrades, You'll be the first body on the ground.” and with that, she lowered the dagger and the troll stomped back into the cave. Marolea followed. The other trolls looked at their returning leader and raised their weapons, ready to kill, but the one Marolea was following held up his lumpy hand. “We let she-elf live.” He commanded. “Step ‘way from the dwarf, Margle.” The troll named Margle stepped away reluctantly and Marolea dashed over to him. She quickly slit the ropes that held him. “Thanks!” He said in a cheerful but quiet voice, rubbing his sore wrists Marolea merely nodded and beckoned for him to follow. Together, the two ran out of the cave. All the trolls gazes fixed on them. They crossed the river and skirted by the forest of the Silents as quickly as possible and soon came across Marolea’s house. Marolea let him in and led the dwarf in her house. The dwarf, panting exaggeratedly, flopped down at her kitchen table. “Thanks for rescuing me!” he said happily. “I’d've starved if I’d been their any longer! Just imagine, I only had little tiny black berry things for a meal! Every day!” Marolea smiled. “I’m sure you would have died if I hadn't rescued you.” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “So, whats your name?” “Kuril,” He replied. “I am looking for a ranger named Marolea.” She grinned. “You have found her! But why where you looking for me?” “Well, an ancient wizard named Chisar told me to come and find you. He said you are to meet three others at the cave where the four lands meet. The four of you are to collect the five power stone bearers and their owners, if possible before the two evil wizards, Edruin and Wangdoreum, find them first. After you find them all, you’ll go to Serpents valley to fight the creatures their that the evil wizards created and gathered. Chisar said they are building a powerful army. The sooner you guys beat them, the better, he had said to me. Also he said that you will gather an army to oppose the evil ones army when the time is right” Then he looked shyly at her. “I asked him if I could come also. He said yes if you said yes."
“Marolea! Lady Marolea!” A little boy from the human village a few miles away was pounding on the door. “Marolea!” He shouted again.
Marolea, a ranger, who, at that very moment about to step out her back door heard the little boy and turned on her heel. She opened the front door.
“Langore!” She said in surprise to the little long-golden-haired boy in front of her. “Have you brought Tien back, again!”
The little boy nodded and handed her a long black rope tied to a young dark brown buck.
“Thank you, Langore.” Marolea called to him as he dashed away down the hill.
“You're welcome!” he called over his shoulder and disappeared over the ridge. She smiled, watching him, then turned and let Tien to the stables. Marolea locked him in his pasture and he darted over to greet his fellow stall mates, Surco and Bangduer.
The young she-elf headed into her house. She grabbed her bow, quiver, and five arrows. After putting the arrows in the quiver and stringing it over her shoulder, Marolea set off at a quick pace toward the forest.
After running along, she reached a creek. Marolea hopped it and landed on the side of a large forest. She climbed a tree and about midway, she peered down and spotted a very familiar figure walking in the direction of her house. Marolea slowly climbed down the tree and headed to a large stone in the creek. Balancing preciously, she called out in a loud pure voice. “Aragorea! Good to see you here!”
The slim figure turned around and headed toward her.
“Hi!” the black haired girl around the of eighteen said as she reached Marolea. “I was just going to the market and was wondering if you wanted to come too?”
“Sure I’ll come!” she replied, “Wanna take Tien and Surco? It will be faster.”
Aragorea nodded and together the two friends headed toward Marolea’s house over the ridge. When they got to the stables, Surco, the large black stallion pranced over to meet them. Aragorea hopped on the horse and waited for Marolea.
On the other side of the paddock, Tien was grazing nearby a little pony.
“Hey guys” Marolea said as she hopped the fence and patted the two animals on the head. Bangduer whinnied. Marolea climbed onto Tiens back and cantered over to Aragorea.
“Let's go!” and the two set off. They passed many rough scraggly grass and boulders along the way. Shrubs grey here and there and they rode along a sandy path.
Soon the friends could see the place where Aragorea and Langore lived. Together, they stopped at the bridge and looked at the gatekeepers box. As if on cue, a tall man with sandy hair and a grim face stepped down the stairs from the keeping box to a few feet from the riders. He was dressed in thick leather armour.
“Why so grim, Ruber” Aragorea asked him.
“There have been silents coming in pairs and demanding entrance.” The one named Ruber responded. “Some have a nasty temper and pull out their weapons when I refuse to let them in; for they may only enter if they give me their name. Most of those folk don’t give their name.”
Marolea nodded. So did Aragorea.
I wonder why those silents are there anyway. She thought.
“Well anyway,” her companion said. “Could we go in now?”
“Sorry.” apologised the gatekeeper and pulled a rope that opened the great brass gates.
“Thanks!” The girls called as the rode their horses at a walk into the village. A wonderful sight met them. The women and men were chatting cheerfully and watching the children as they played on the sides of the streets. Puppies barked and ran around rambunctiously while birds tweeted in the trees along the cobblestone path. Street sellers were yelling words such as,
“Weapons! Weapons! Get your elven made weapons here! Bows, swords, knives, arrows, anything you want!”
Tien slowly stepped along, careful not to trodd on a dogs tail. Then, a familiar face popped into view. He had a little belt and strapped to it was a wooden play sword.
“Hi Aragorea and Marolea! Hi Tien and Surco!”
“Hey Langore!” Aragorea and Marolea said cheerfully and Aragorea hopped off Surco to give her cousin a hug. Marolea watched as Surco gently snuffed around Langores pockets. Laughing, the little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a few carrots. The greedy stallion munched them happily. Then Langore got out a few more and handed them out to Tien. The buck nibbled them tenderly.
Then the three heard a voice. “Langore!” called a man down the street. He looked a lot like Langore with the same long scraggly golden hair except Langore looked much more younger and shorter. “Langore!” he shouted again.
“Coming Dad!” Langore yelled and dashed away after saying “Bye” to Marolea and Aragorea. Marolea then jumped off her Tien and stood next to her companion.
“I am going to go and look at the stall over their.” Marolea said, pointing to a weapon stall.
“Ok” Aragorea replied and she headed to a food stall. Marolea looked around at the gleaming display of shiny weapons and armour.
“Can I help you with anything?” asked an older man in the stall.
After studying the fighting knives and daggers, she looked up.
“How much are these?” she answered pointing to a pair of silver fighting knives and a jagged edged dagger with a black handle.
“Ah, those knives would be twenty silver pents; but seeing as you indeed are an elf of the makers, they are now fifteen. The dagger would be ten gold nuggets.”
“I’ll take them both.” said Marolea and handed him the money. She strapped the Dagger to her belt and put the knives in her pack with the sheaths on.
“Thank you!”
The man nodded. “You’re welcome!”
Then Marolea headed over to where Aragorea was. She had just finished paying for some elven bread and a bit of fruit and turned around to see Marolea.
“Ready to go?” Aragorea asked.
“Yup! Lets go.” And with that, the girls hopped on their animals and rode out of market. Ruber lifted up the gates as they passed.
After they had galloped along the sandy path halfway to Maroleas house, Tien suddenly let out a snort and tossed his head. Marolea, ducking his antlers, climbed off.
“Who Tien,” she said in a quiet voice. “calm down.”
Tien began to calm down and snuffed at the ground. Aragorea hopped off her horse and knelt down. “There are tracks here. It looks as though some trolls passed through last night.”
Marolea nodded in agreement. “There's also some little prints. Dwarves, by the look. Their heading toward Riddler Cavern.”
Marolea climbed back on Tien and Aragorea hopped on Surco.
“That’s in the Orion Runier Elves Kingdom.” Aragorea said.
“Shall we follow the tracks?” She asked.
“Sure” Maroela said.
Then a little girl that was a smaller image of Aragorea came skipping down the hill toward them.
“Aragorea! Its time for lunch!” she called in a cheerful voice to her older sister.
“Coming!” Aragorea said and handed Surcos reigns to Marolea.
“See you soon!” She cried out.
“See ya.” Marolea called back. Then she walked the rest of the way over to her house over the rough terrain. Sorco and Tien walked calmly with her. Marolea locked them in their stables and turned, walking quickly into her house.
I should probably bring my dagger. She thought. Along with her bow and three arrows, she ran quickly over to the hills to the troll tracks. Soon, Marolea was running quickly along the shrubby way. As trees whooshed past, she saw black shadowy figures with cloaks that where midnight black, running through the shadows of the Nars Lile Forest. Silents inhabited that forest. Some say they kept their hide out their.
Marolea steered away and after a couple of yards, she stopped at a creek. The troll prints halted here. Then, seeing them on the other side, she hopped quickly over and returned to her fast pace.
Soon, Marolea saw a long chain of caves up on her left. Stopping, she caught her breath and looked round her.
With her bow in hand, Marolea slowly prowled along the edge of the cave. She peered into what looked to be an entrance. Quietly, she snuck in.
Inside Marolea found stalactites and stalagmites and it smelled of dead animals. The walls where smooth and cold and the air damp. Grumbles came from deeper in the cave and as she explored deeper, she spotted three large figures sitting ‘round a small fire.
“What derd the ‘awrf say? Derd ‘e tell yer the message, Drangum?” asked one in a rough voice.
“Said he'd on’y tell ‘er” the one Marolea supposed was named Drangum replied. She took a breath and peered around the corner. The trolls were ugly, big, grey things that looked somewhat part of the cave themselves. Then she spotted the prisoner. It was a young, dark haired dwarf with big grey eyes. He was a scared looking fellow. His hands and legs where bound and was gagged. The dwarf was guarded by a fourth troll. Then she had an idea.
I’ll lure one of the trolls out. They value their own lives above all others, so if i threaten to take its life if it does not let the dwarf go then I shall be able to rescue the dwarf. So with that in mind, Marolea took a stone and threw it to the other side of the cave. Dashing out, she climbed the rocks and posed just above the entrance with a stone in hand. Just as she suspected, a troll did lumber out and it was grumbling to himself and looking around in the growing darkness. Marolea threw the stone and it hit the troll in the back. The troll whipped around as fast as a troll can and Marolea leapt down, holding her dagger to its throat. The troll glared down at her but didn’t do anything.
“Let that dwarf you are guarding go or my dagger just might slip, just by accident.” She waited for the troll to respond. “What will it be, Your life away or the dwarf given to me?”
“Fine!” The troll said finally. “You can have the filthy dwarf.”
“Wise choice. And,” she paused “If I or the dwarf get hurt by you or one of your comrades, You'll be the first body on the
ground.” and with that, she lowered the dagger and the troll stomped back into the cave. Marolea followed. The other trolls looked at their returning leader and raised their weapons, ready to kill, but the one Marolea was following held up his lumpy hand.
“We let she-elf live.” He commanded. “Step ‘way from the dwarf, Margle.” The troll named Margle stepped away reluctantly and Marolea dashed over to him. She quickly slit the ropes that held him.
“Thanks!” He said in a cheerful but quiet voice, rubbing his sore wrists
Marolea merely nodded and beckoned for him to follow. Together, the two ran out of the cave. All the trolls gazes fixed on them.
They crossed the river and skirted by the forest of the Silents as quickly as possible and soon came across Marolea’s house. Marolea let him in and led the dwarf in her house. The dwarf, panting exaggeratedly, flopped down at her kitchen table.
“Thanks for rescuing me!” he said happily. “I’d've starved if I’d been their any longer! Just imagine, I only had little tiny black berry things for a meal! Every day!”
Marolea smiled. “I’m sure you would have died if I hadn't rescued you.” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “So, whats your name?”
“Kuril,” He replied. “I am looking for a ranger named Marolea.”
She grinned. “You have found her! But why where you looking for me?”
“Well, an ancient wizard named Chisar told me to come and find you. He said you are to meet three others at the cave where the four lands meet. The four of you are to collect the five power stone bearers and their owners, if possible before the two evil wizards, Edruin and Wangdoreum, find them first. After you find them all, you’ll go to Serpents valley to fight the creatures their that the evil wizards created and gathered. Chisar said they are building a powerful army. The sooner you guys beat them, the better, he had said to me. Also he said that you will gather an army to oppose the evil ones army when the time is right” Then he looked shyly at her. “I asked him if I could come also. He said yes if you said yes."