This is the place where you indulge yourself in the story and mythology of the world of Yith. I hope you enjoy my work. The Writer http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sun, 1 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0600 Sun, 1 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0600 Dear Reader, I am attempting to redefine my story line- where it's going, how it will end, sub-plots, the like. I'm not sure how long this will take me... more then likely longer then you or I wish. So, I shall now post what I have finish of the next chapter. Enjoy, and I shall return soon.     It took Smith and Gradwin a while to find a cave entrance, and even longer to find the secret entrance into the tunnels inside the cave. But in the end, they did.     It was very dark inside the tunnels. If not for Gradwin's foresight in the matter, they would have been in total darkness. However, they were not, for Gradwin brought torches. Now, despite the light, Smith was not comfortable in these tunnels. He didn't feel safe, but rather felt as thought something was watching him from the shadows. He tried to tell these fears and feelings to Gradwin, but Gradwin waved them off. "Your fooling yourself, Smith. We won't come to the inhabited tunnels for a while yet. You have nothing to fear." Smith wasn't so sure.     For a long time, they continued on like this. Smith was no longer aware of the passing of time, for there was no way to tell inside the tunnels and caves. They had to stop and give Gradwin time to think at every fork in the path, for they did not want to find themselves in Goblin territory. That, needless to say, would not end well. Fortunately, they did not, for Gradwin had a remarkable memory, and he had visited the Dwarfs on occasion before.     After much wondering around, a wrong turn or two, and a few dead ends, Gradwin finally lead Smith to a very long, very straight hall. The walls were unnaturally smooth. This was obviously the work of Dwarf hands, as Goblins cared not for things such as smooth walls, and any natural tunnel like this would also have rough walls, unless there was a great amount of water running through here at some point in time, and if it was that, the source of the water was long since ether dried or clogged, for the tunnel walls were dry, and there was very little moister in the air.     They followed the tunnel for a long time, what felt like hours to Smith, and getting nowhere but farther away from the entrance, seemingly. And with the limited lighting, it was impossible to see very far ahead of you. So they did not see the trap they were walking into until it was sprung.     It was very sudden. Ether Smith or Gradwin, even they are not sure which, tripped a hided wire of some sort, and it sounded an alarm elsewhere. The hall was rigged with secret doors that could both open and close soundlessly, and they did, deploying a group of defending dwarfs into the long hall, both behind and in front of Smith and Gradwin. Both the party in front and the party behind were armed, and feeling none too friendly, for they did not like "topsiders", as they called anyone who lived outside the mountain.     They only let the two intruders continue on for a few more steps before stopping them.     "Hold, intruders! Who are you that you feel invited to walk our halls freely?" Said the lead dwarfs gruffly, for this particular dwarf had a special place in his his heart for topsiders.     "Stand down, Uliden. It is I, Gradwin."     The dwarf called Uliden frowned at this. "I know the name, though it is little more then a bad omen for me. Who is the child?" He asked, eying Smith. Smith did not like being called a child, but he had enough wits about him to know that an outburst would not be wise at this point, so he let Gradwin do all the talking.     "This is Smith Phillips. That is all you need know. Now, I have come to see Yonam. Would you take me to him?"     Again, Uliden frowned. Smith wondered if he ever smiled. "He is very busy. I doubt he will have time to-"     "All the same." Gradwin interrupted, giving Uliden a hard stare. A battle of wills took place, which Gradwin won. Uliden bowed his head and motioned for the two to follow him, then turned and stalked off without another word. Gradwin followed closely, tailed by Smith.     As it turns out, the hall came to a very sudden end. And a dead one. Smith looked around, startled. Where did Uliden go? There must be a secret door somewhere, but how do you open it? Then the wall opens, and Uliden pops his head out. "Aren't you coming?" He asked gruffly, though there is a glint of humor in his eyes. Gradwin frowns, and gave no response. After a moment, Uliden moved back through the door, disappearing into the darkness. Gradwin and Smith followed closely. The door lead to a ledge overlooking a grand and glorious sight.     "Behold, travelers," a dwarf behind Smith and Gradwin said proudly. "Hiden Formath, The City Beneath the Mountain!"     And indeed it was. Smith was amazed at the magnitude of what lay before him. Hiden Formath was a city in every sense of the word. It looked at thought the dwarfs had hallowed out a large part of the mountain, creating a huge cavern in which they built their city. And the city itself was no small feat, for the buildings were large and grand, built on a imposing scale. The city was lavishly decorated with gold and jewels from the dwarf mines, and all seemed very well organized. Everyone that Smith could see looked as if they knew where they were going.     Uliden lead them down a narrow path that connected the overlook to the ground level, where the city was built. They were forced to move in single file down the ledge, due to the narrowness of it. Smith quickly saw the benefits of this. Should Goblins ever find the entrance, they would have to move in single file to get to the city, and a troll, from what Smith had heard, would never fit on this path- it would be too big. And nothing would survive the drop from the overlook to the ground level. It was just too high.     Once inside the city, they were met with a great many curious glances, for it was not every day that men were allowed into The City Under the Mountain. As they moved toward the center of the city, it appeared to Smith that there was a portion of the city set aside for housing, a different portion for the blacksmiths, goldsmiths, and silversmiths, and yet another portion set aside for growing food and raising animals. There was a portion set aside for just about anything one could think of that would be needed to survive. And in the center of it all was a structure that was by far the most imposing of all... the Hall of the Dwarf King.     They stopped in front of the massive stone doors that lead into the Hall of the Dwarf King. Uliden shouted something in a language that Smith had never heard before. There was a shouted response in the same language, and Uliden shouted again, a bit angrier this time. Smith wasn't sure what was being said, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't going well. There was the sound of laughter, and more shouting. And the massive doors swung open.     The Hall of the Dwarf King was just that... a huge, long hall. It measured about seventy feet wide by one hundred fifty feet long. The first thing Smith noticed when he entered was two large statues, one on ether side of him, looking to be about seven feet high. Each was of a dwarf, though the two were different in more ways then one, obviously of different dwarfs.     Right next to ether statue was a huge stone column, stretching from floor to ceiling, which was fifty feet above them. Easily ten feet in diameter, the column had a great many jewels inlaid in an intricate pattern. The floors were like a giant mosaic, though the picture was difficult to make out at such a close range.     Uliden continued walking at a brisk past, obviously not planning on being a tour guide. They walked for another seventy-five feet or so before coming to a large empty space. Smith asked Gradwin what this was used for.     "This is the king's dining hall. The table is designed so that when not in use, it can be broken down and moved. Rather ingenious, really." Smith nodded his understanding, still a little in awe of the massive size of the hall.     They reached the end of the hall and came upon another set of doors, a little smaller then the great gates of the hall itself, but magnificent none the less. The guards posted there, snapped to attention when the group approached, and hurriedly went about opening the doors. Uliden walked through without even slowing down.     The inside of this room was apparently where the dwarfs had court, for there were nine dwarfs in the room (not counting the king and his queen), seated in a semi-circle. It also looked like it was the kings throne room, for sitting directly opposite of the door was the throne. "Must be both," Smith thought.     The Dwarf King was the first to speak. "Gradwin! This is... unexpected. And who is this with you?" The king stood in order to great his guest. The rest of the council stood with him. Only a dwarf sitting directly next to the king remained seated. His hair and beard were as black as night, and his eyes were a steely gray. There was a burning hatred in those eyes as he looked at Gradwin.     "A very urgent matter concerning the lives of several of our friends, and a possible act of war."     "Ha!" Scoffed the sitting dwarf, drawling the eyes of everyone in the room. "An act of war, says the wanderer. That's utter nonsense! Peace has held the land for several thousand years. There is no way-"     "That's is enough, Molek. I would hear what Gradwin has to say." Interrupted a dwarf sitting to the right of Gradwin and Smith. Several other voiced their interest. The king let this go on until all in favor had voiced their opinion, then nodded at Gradwin.     "Thank you, good king. Here is the act- a group of Easterners have kidnapped a group of travelers in the Forest of Gorox and are headed this way-"     "Please." Again, Molek spoke out. "Easterners in the Forest of Gorox? Impossible. And even more unlikely is the idea that they would head in this direction!" Several other dwarfs nodded in agreement.     "Gradwin," Began the king, "did you see these Easterners?"     At this, Gradwin paused. "I have it from a very reliable source-"     "See?" Shouted Molek. "He has no proof! This is a second hand account. Hardly reliable."     Gradwin slammed his staff against the floor, and the result was a resounding crack against the floor that echoed in the chamber and caused Molek to flinch. "SILENCE!" Gradwin gave Molek a hard stare. "I will not be interrupted by the likes of you, Molek Dimok."     Several of the council members murmured among themselves at this. Only Gradwin would dare speak like that to the chief adviser of the king with such a tone. Molek seethed at being spoken to in such a manner, but remained silent. The king watch this with something between shock and amusement written on his face.     After a moment or two, Gradwin picked up where he left off. "That source, if any still wonder, is a forest-dweller I know, and with whom I would and have trusted my life with. His word is as good as mine."     The king looked thoughtful. After a moment of thought, he spoke up. "What would you have us do?"     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     Tina was about to collapse from exhaustion. Fit though she was, these Easterners seemed tireless, and they're leader the hardest of them all. Him being an elf, he did not tire as any man did. Safe to say, he could undoubtedly run longer then any of his men, who could seemingly run all day and all night with only a few hours sleep. What's more, he didn't seem to care about the condition of his men or prisoners- he just kept moving.     Finally, Tina could go no further, and her knees buckled beneath her. She fell, and did not have it in her to get up. Even when the whip of her driver found her back, she could not get up. Then had covered sixty miles in three days time, and that was with only four hours sleep each night and very little food. She was far beyond exhausted. Even to say that she was dead tired would have been an understatement.     After several more strokes of the whip, there was a shout. "Enough!" Tina raised her head just enough to see who came to her aid, and saw that it was the elf in charge of this company of solders. He was not looking at her, but rather at her driver, and there was something very close to rage in his eyes. He snatched the whip from the hands of Tina's driver, a huge brute of a man with tree trunks for legs and arms of steel. "They need to be kept whole! I cannot have you beating her senseless, you moron!" The threw the whip on the ground between them and then turned his attention toward Tina. Seeing her on her back, he look up at some solders standing nearby, watching him. "Raise her into sitting position." They hopped to the task, moving quickly. Once Tina had been rolled over and brought into a sitting position, the elf knelt as so to look her in the eye as he spoke. "What is your name, girl?"     Tina stared at him, not speaking. No amount of exhaustion could take down her defiance. He met her glare, and in fact returned it, though sending a different message then she. He won, in the end, and she responded softly. "Tina."     He nodded slowly. "I am called Myron, and despite what you may be inclined to believe, I'm not your enemy. I'm your friend." Tina smirked at this. "I know you don't believe me, but do not be so quick to swat my hand aside. You need a friend, if you are to make this journey with everything you began it with. These men can and would do far worse to you then simply beat you. Indeed, if they had their way, you already would have lost a great deal. I am all that stands between you and them."     As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Myron to be correct. Many had called her a beauty before, though she had a harden edge some found unappealing. These men, she thought, wouldn't really care about things like that. She looked nice.     "Now," continued Myron, "Do we understand each other?" Tina nodded, but the expression on her face made it clear that she by no means thought Myron a friend. And ally, perhaps, but not a friend. But that was enough for Myron. "Good. Now, can you get up?" In response she attempted just that, only to collapse again. Myron frowned, then looked toward Arcon. "You! Come over here." Arcon, his face stony, complied. Myron stood and removed a dagger from his belt. Then. with one smooth chop, he cut the ropes that bound Arcon's hands. He inclined his head toward Tina. "Can you carry her until she regains her strength?"     Arcon stared at Myron expressionlessly for a long moment, then looked toward Tina. He nodded slowly. With that, Myron gave to order to move out again, Arcon picked up Tina, and they carried on.     For the next four days it continued like this. Arcon, being an elf, did not at all mind carrying Tina; Earagorn used a endurance spell he knew to keep his strength up; Jalor, despite his age, did well, for he was used to long, hard runs like this. It was on the fifth day after Tina collapsed that she started running again. It was on that same day Myron saw a dragon.     It was noon, and the troop had stopped for a brief lunch. Myron had finished his meal before anyone else, but instead of hurrying his troops and their prisoners through the rest of their meal, he stared at the sky, deep in thought. At first the dragon had appeared only as a speck in the sky, easily mistaken as an eagle or some other large bird... if you didn't have eye's like that of an elf. Myron frowned at the sight, then hurried his troops through the remainder of their lunch and pushed them on.     All the way to the mountain, the dragon seemed to follow them, though always high enough up to be mistaken for a large bird to the human eye, and Myron never told his troops or prisoners what he saw. Then it disappeared. Myron thought little of it, thought he was wary entering the mountains.     He followed the pattern given to him by the Norgins to pass through the tunnels. Left, right, right, center, left, right, right, left, left, right, right, center... and then came to a sudden and unexpected halt. Here, according to the pattern given, he was to take the center path. But the center path was caved in. So was the right. This can't be good... Myron thought, puzzled and slightly worried. He recalled the words of the Norgin Commander who gave him the instructions... "If the pattern says's to go center, go center. Any turn you make could lead to your death." Myron ran through the turns he had been making. Yes, he had stayed to the pattern. A cave-in must have occurred, blocking the correct path. Myron spun on his heels and started barking orders. "Make yourselves useful, men! Let see if we can't clear the center path." And so it began.     For a great long while- no one is sure just how long they worked, for it was impossible to tell time in the caves- the Eastern soldiers labored at the rock wall, but seeing how that they had no digging tools, it was almost impossible going. Finally, after what felt like hours of futile digging, Myron ordered a stop, having only made a few inches of progress. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/741177/ Sun, 1 Nov 2009 12:06:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/741177/ Dear Reader, I know I haven't posted in a long while... this chapter is taking longer then I thought it would, and I haven't had much time to write as of late. However, I am working on it, and I hope to complete the chapter within the next few weeks. Now with that aside, I will move on to the real reason of this post. Have you ever heard of Wayne Thomas Batson? He wrote "The Door Within", "The Rise of the Wyrm Lord" and "The Final Storm" in his series "The Door Within". He also wrote "Isle of Swords" and "Isle of Fire" in his "Declan Ross Series". I write this because he is one of my favorite authors, and he's come out with a new book. Working alongside Christopher Hopper (The Rise of Dibor, The Lion Vrie, Athera's Dawn) they have created The Curse of the Spider King, the first book in their new series, The Bernifell Prophecies. I encourage my reader's to look into ether of these writers. If you enjoy my work, I have little if any doubt you will love their's. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/732597/ Fri, 2 Oct 2009 10:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/732597/ To my readers, I find myself unhappy with my current prologue. I have created a new one, but I must know... well, I shall ask once you read the new idea. It is as follows.     It was midday. It was also murder. A male body, slumped on the floor of an elegant, yet impenetrable castle. An empty drinking glass. A flask of wine. And no witnesses. Sherlock Holmes, eat your heart out.     A man is in the room. This man is the killer. He is tall, with raven black hair, shoulder length, and has a imposing build. His eyes are grey, and they coldly eye the body on the floor. He kicks it, as so to make sure it's dead. The man on the floor does not respond. Clearly dead. The killer claps twice, and a handful of guards, as cold and heartless as the man they serve, enter the room and roughly remove the body. The killer watches, but says nothing as the guards take it out a secret passage, leading to the rear of the castle. As soon as the guards have left the room, the killer summons the commander of an elite branch of his army. The commander enters and bows.     "All is in place, I trust?" The killer asks, eyeing his commander.     The commander smiles cruly. "Yes... all in in place. Come tonight, the Queen and Koman's only heir will be as dead as he is." He chuckled humorlessly. "Then..."     "There is no need to recited to me my own plan. Just get your part done, and you will live to see my victory." Said the killer with a icy glare. The commander bowed low and averted his eyes, unable to meet the look he was given.     Night. An army of men in dark armor move soundlessly across sleeping contryside. They move toward a silent castle with one purpose in mind- to kill the queen and her child. They had yet to breach the walls of the Castle Jaylon, but it was only a matter of time. The lines of defenders was growing thin, and the enemy, whoever they were, had sent more then enough men to overrun the small fort, one not even build for defence, but rather as a summer home for the High King.     A lone man hurried down a castle corridor, taking no notice of the sounds of battle outside. Here was a man on a mission.     He quickly turned into the Queens bedchambers, finding the High Queen dressed in riding clothes, hardly her normal attire, and scared, listening to the sounds of battle outside. She was holding a small boy, her only son, who was just over a year old. He was whimpering, clearly scared, yet not wailing. For that, the man was thankful. The High Queen looked up upon his entry.     "Forgive me for intruding like this, but time is against us. We must fly." Said the man (whom we shall call Rescue, for his name was lost to history). The High Queen nodded. Rescue was in a hurry and impatient. It was an impatience born out of urgency. "Come. We must move, less they fall upon us before we leave." Again the High Queen nodded, and she, still holding her son and hurried after Rescue, who was moving quickly down the corridor, his staff tapping against the stone floor.     They moved quickly to the stables, where Rescue had come earlier and prepared horses for the group. "I shall take the boy. He will be more safe if he rides with me." This brought a few tears the the High Queens eyes, but she nodded and handed Rescue the boy. "We will stay to the plan. If we become separated, you know where to meet me." She nodded again, tears running freely now.     "May I say a quick goodbye? I may not see him again." Asked the Queen, still crying. Rescue gave no thought to the matter, merely handing the boy back to his mother for a few moments. The Queen wiped the tears from her eyes and face, holding her son close.     "Hush, little one. Everything will be fine. No need to cry. You shall be fine." She looks up at Rescue. "You'll take good care of him?" Rescue nods solemnly. The Queen returns her attention to her son, holding him gently, trying not to cry. "It is going to be okay, sweet child. It will be okay."     After a few more minutes, waiting until the boy was sleeping, Rescue gently removed the child from his mother arms. The boy slept on, undisturbed. Rescue gently placed the child in a made basket that had been made for this moment by his own hands. After making sure the child was secure and would not fall out in the rough ride, Rescue mounted himself.     "Quickly now. Out the servant entrance. It's the only one that isn't guarded." Said Rescue. He turned his horse in that direction himself, and pushed his horse into a fast trot with the Queen following closely. As soon as the entrance was cleared, the horse broke into a gallop, and Rescue made no effort to slow it. The Queen was not far behind.     It was then that a small portion of the attackers were circling around the back of the castle, and caught sight of the fleeing horses. They shouted for more troops and took off in pursuit.     It was a hard chase. The horse of the attackers were faster, but tired. The horses of the Queen and Rescue were, on the other hand, fresh, and could run for a while yet without tiring. Yet the attackers were relentless in their chase. They pushed their hose to the brink of collapse, but it payed off. One of the men had a crossbow at hand, and began firing. Several shots went over the head of the man. A few more landed a short distance behind ether horse. The crossbowman muttered a few choice curses and took aim once more. This time, he was more careful in his aim. After a few moments of aiming, he let the arrow fly.     Moments after the shaft was let lose from the crossbow, the Queen gave a cry of pain. The arrow had hit her in the back. A moment later, her horse gave a cry of pain, for it had been shot in the flank. It lost it's balance and collapsed, throwing the Queen to the ground.     Rescue, paused for just a moment. He looked at the Queen, unable to tell if she was dead or not. Well, if she wasn't yet, her attackers would soon be on her, and then she would be. There was no time to turn around. The attackers were closing fast, and Rescue had to worry about the child. It was time to fly.     Rescue stopped his horse and turned him around as so to face the oncoming attackers. They had galloped right pass the Queen, now thinking only of the man ahead of them. The crossbowman took aim once more. Rescue raised his staff in the air and muttered something that no one, even the boy in front of him, heard or understood. There was a sudden flash of light, and the attackers horses reared and whinnied, startled and a little scared by the sudden light. Then, as quickly as it came, it left.     The attackers were startled by what they saw, once their eyes had readjusted to the dark. The boy and the man were gone. There weren't even tracks to tell where they had gone. They just... disappeared. They conferred briefly about how they were going to explain this, then turned their horse around and headed back for the castle.     In another place, far, far away from the attack and the dark knights and attacking forces, a similar flash of light occurred, this time outside of a modest sized house. All the lights were off, save one- the residents were just waking, and the child slept sound. Again, Rescue was thankful. He turned toward the east. It was almost dawn. The man of the house would be coming out the door in a matter of minutes.     Rescue dismounted and removed the basket from his horse, and made his way toward the front door of the house, moving like a phantom, making no sound at all and blending with the shadows. He gently placed the basket, with the sleeping child inside, on the doorstep, and then retreated back into the shadows, to watch and wait.     Within a few minutes the man of house opened the door, ready for work. It was at the very moment that the child work and began crying. Startled, the man stared at the baby for a moment in a stupor. Then, his senses returned, in force. He shook himself as if waking, then checked the street for anyone who may have left the child on his doorstep. He did not see Rescue.     Seeing no one, he quickly took the basket inside and called for his wife. Rescue smiled. Mission success. So tell me, which do you like more, this one or the other? Please comment! Hubert Baldar http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/720343/ Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/720343/ To my readers. Resently, I combined several of my earlier chapters in order to make them longer. This does not change the storyline, so don't get to worked up. But we are now in chapter five. Hubert Baldar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     Arina raced through the Forest, pausing every so often to brake a branch on a tree, or to push some stones together with her feet. Behind her was Gradwin, the strange hermit of the forest, followed by Smith Philips, a fifteen year old with no idea what was going on. An unlikely group at best. But then, these were unlikely times, when no one knew what would happen the next day... or if they would be around to see it.     Arina was enjoying herself immensely. It had been long since she had been able to lead her brother like this. With all the trails she had left behind, it would be long before Arcon caught up to her. Not to mention it got her closer to Smith...     Smith, on the other hand, was showing signs of exhaustion. Being woke at the crack of dawn, having a small bowl of oatmeal, and running through the forest for hours was not his idea of a pleasant morning. In fact, it was quite the opposite. And he didn't even know where he was going or what he was running from!     He looked at Gradwin, who showed no signs of tiring whatsoever. Did the man ever run out of energy? He never failed to surprise Smith. And then there was Arina. The Elven princess had, seemingly, dropped out of the sky into the forest, and still, despite spending several hours with Smith, had yet to say so much as a single word to him. Smith was starting to wonder if he could turn invisible, he just didn't know it. He frowned. He would never understand Elves. Ever.     "So... remind me... why we're... running... again?" Smith managed between gasps.     "I believe, my dear Smith, that we are not running from someone as much as we are trying to beat someone to somewhere. Make sense?" Gradwin responded without turning or braking pace.     Suddenly, Arina stopped running. No, she froze in place. She tensed, listening intently, and when Smith moved to ask what she was doing, she put a finger to her lips and shushed him. Smith frowned, but said no more, and listened to the surrounding forest, as Arina and Gradwin were doing. Though he heard nothing, he knew that Elves had hearing far advanced to humans... or at least, in Lord of the Rings they did.     Suddenly, the forest behind Smith came alive with the noise of a large animal moving at great speeds. Smith spun around, hand moving towards his sword hilt. But it was too late. Whatever had been moving through the forest had reached its target... him. Smith was knocked over and pinned to the ground by a huge, wolfish beast. It look like an Alaskan Tundra Wolf, only it was as large as a Shetland Pony. Arina quickly nocked a arrow in her bow and Gradwin moved in, though he was armed with nought but a staff that he always carried around.     "STOP!" Barked the wolf in a deep voice that sounded part growl. "Move again and the boy dies!"     Then, the forest came alive with the sound of a whole pack of these large wolves. They snarled and growled, snapping their jaws. The wolf on Smith, who was apparently the head of the pack, growled deep in his throat and said, "Who are you strangers, and why are you in our territory?"     Gradwin studied the wolf for half a moment, then relaxed. "Oh, enough of this nonsense, Jel! You know very well who I am, and you know Arina, too! The only stranger here is Smith, but he is with me, and you know me, so enough!"     Smith was shocked by the tone with which Gradwin addressed the wolf, but that was nothing compared to the shock he had when the wolf smiled back!     "Gradwin, my old friend, I did not recognize you with that beard! You have grown old." The wolf whom Gradwin called Jel chucked. "And what brings you to my side of the forest?"     "The destiny of all of Yith." Gradwin stated, then, after a glance at Arina, added, "And childhood games played by grown elves."     Arina, who had also relaxed, glanced at Gradwin, and Jel chucked again. "'Childhood games'? Does that mean your brother will be along shortly, Arina?" Asked Jel, shifting his gaze toward where Arina was standing. Arina nodded shortly, and Jel grinned wolfishly. "Then I shall make sure he is welcomed to the pack lands." He nodded towards his pack, and they sped away into the forest. Smith, still slightly stunned by all that had just happened, maneged to pick himself up and brush himself off.     "Come. We must be getting on. Jel will keep my brother occupied for a while, but he will soon be on our trail again. We must hurry." Arina stated as soon as the wolves had left. Smith inwardly groaned. More running! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     "She came through here." Earagorn announced while examining the ground.     "Can you tell how long ago?" Jalor asked.     Earagorn continued studying. "No more then two hours ago." Earagorn look up at the small group, grinning. "We're catching up." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     "We're here." Arina announced proudly. Smith glanced around the small glade they stood in, hands on his knees, panting. Nothing about the glade look unusual... in fact, it couldn't have looked more natural. No ruins, no sword in a stone, no odd-looking rocks, nothing save a large hill in the center of the glade. Was the hill what they were racing Arcon, Tina and Jalor too? He looked at Arina.     "Uh... where's 'here'?" He asked, clearly confused.     For the first time since meeting him, Arina spoke to Smith. "This is the Place of the Forging. Centuries ago, it was inside that very hill that the Great Swords were forged. And it was here..." She turned as so to look Smith full in the face. "... It was here that young hopefuls were brought to train, to master the art of sword fighting. That is why we are here."     Smith was now more confused then before. "So... so this is why we've... been running all morning? To... to hone my skill with the... blade? Then why the... the race?"     "Oh." Arina grinned. "That was for old times sake." Smith blinked at Arina, but asked no further questions. He glanced at Gradwin, who had not said a word since arriving. Gradwin made eye contact, raised his brows, and said nothing. Smith looked back at Arina, who was circling the hill, studying it, obviously looking for something, but just what escaped Smith, who was still trying to catch his breath after the long run. After several moments had gone by, Arina gave a small cry. "I found it! This way!" She exclaimed from the other side of the hill. Gradwin and Smith hurried over to her.     They found her examining a small rock pile. "What is it?" Asked Gradwin.     Arina did not answer for a few moments. Then she pressed one of the smaller rocks at the bottom of the pile in, and the side of the hill opened up! "That's it." She said excitedly, and hurried inside. Gradwin was quick to follow, with Smith in tow.     Inside they found a very cave-like room with dirt floors, walls and ceilings. It was circular in shape as so to maximize the space and fit the hill. In the center of the room was a large furnace, presumably where the workers heated the metal when the forge was in use. There were eight anvils placed in a circular pattern around the room, each with it's own set of tools hanging from the ceiling, such as hammers, tongs and vices. The walls were lined with weapon racks, filled with every weapon imaginable. Swords, spears, arrows, battle-axes, maces, flails, daggers, and javelins. Standing like silent sentries were suits of full body armor, place in between weapon racks, as if to prevent thievery. Glistening silver armor, still shining in the light the open entryway. In fact, everything was still glistening, as if it had just been made yesterday. All the swords, spears, maces, flails, battle-axes, daggers, it was all shining in the light of the sun. How could all this stay so well preserved?     Smith shook himself, as if to shake off the amazement that the place seemed to inspire. He looked to Arina to find her looking over the weapon racks, occasionally picking up a sword, as if to test its weight or balance. Finally she called to Smith. "Do you prefer heavy swords or lighter blades?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the sword in her hands.     "Uh... I like broadswords. But I have my own-"     "These are better." She interrupted, and tossed the sword she was looking at to Smith. "Catch!" She shouted as she threw the blade in the air. So Smith did... barley. He did not anticipate the weight of the broadsword thrown at him, and was almost knocked over by the sudden weight!     "Oof!" Smith grunted as he caught the blade. After getting his balance back, he gazed at the sword in his hand. It was the most beautiful sword he had ever seen, perfectly balanced, with an elaborate hilt design, seeming of gold, with a large amethyst in the center of the hilt cross. Something was written on the blade, but it was in a language Smith could not read. Smith managed to clear his mind long enough to think about seeing how it felt. He swung it around some, carving the air around him. It was a perfect balance, almost as if it was made for him. "Wow." He mumbled. He quickly removed his sword from it's sheath and replaced it with the new blade. A perfect fit.     He glanced around the room to see Gradwin and Arina in a heated debate of some kind on the other side of the forge. Not wanting to get involved, he moved outside further test the new sword. After several minutes, Gradwin came outside as well, but not in a very bright mood. He, without so much as a glance in Smith's direction, headed over to a fallen log about twenty feet from the hill and sat down, pulling his pipe out of his sack, and stared into the forest, puffing away. Arina follow a moment later, only she had a blade of her own, and the smug look of triumph on her face.     "Smith! It is time to test your abilities with the blade." She said.     "With what?" Asked Smith, sheathing his new blade.     "With these. They're blunt right now, but that can be fixed in time. Right now, it is time to train." She said, getting in the ready position. Smith, who had expected something like this, didn't wait for her to finish setting up. He launched himself at Arina with all the quickness he could muster given the morning's run, swinging a deadly horizontal chop that, if the blade was sharp and it connected, would disconnect Arina's head from her shoulders. But Arina was faster then Smith had thought. Not as fast as Gradwin, but faster then Smith. Arina ducked low, swinging for Smith's legs. Smith only barley managed to jump in time. Smith swung low as soon as his feet touched the ground. Arina dodged easily by flattening herself on her back against the ground. She entwined her legs around Smith's, then flipped herself, tripping Smith and causing him to lose his grip on his blade. It landed ten feet from where Smith had fell. Arina jumped up, grinning. By now Gradwin was watching the fight, not making a sound or even moving from his spot as so to get a better view, but watching intently just the same. Arina moved in for the "kill"... when something unexpected happened.     Smith was desperately trying to reach his sword, crawling on his back and wiggling as so to get closer. Then Arina was on top of him, drawling back for the "killing" blow. She planted a foot on one of Smith's arms as so to prevent "escape". Smith made one last desperate grab for the sword.... and the sword came to him. As soon as his hand felt the hilt, he drove the blade upwards, towards Arina's stomach. He stopped the thrust just as the sword point touched Arina's stomach.     "Dead." Smith said, grinning. "Now let me up!" Arina did so, a shocked expression on her face. Gradwin chuckled in the background. Once Smith had got up and brushed himself off, he turned to Gradwin, who was still watching with a glint of approval in his eyes. "Now would you care to explain what I just did?" Smith asked as the full weight of what he had just done sank in on him.     "What make you think I know?" Gradwin asked, studying Smith closely.     "The fact that you're the only one that's not shocked by what I just did." Smith said, frowning ever-so-slightly. This brought another chuckle from Gradwin.     "All in good time, dear Smith. All in good time." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     Tina, Jalor, Earagorn and Arcon raced through the forest, moving as fast as the dense shrubbery allowed. They stopped every now and again to check for signs or tracks and to be sure that they stayed on the proper trail. As they moved along, they reached a spot that Earagorn had to stop and study.     "There was... as scuffle here." He said slowly. "It looks as if... Smith was thrown to the ground... by a very heavy animal." He moved on to study a different set of tracks. "This is where Arina stood. She's ready to fire her bow... but something stops her. And here," Earagorn mumbled, looking a set of footprints not far from Arina's. "I don't know who these belong to. But, whoever this is moved to about here." He said, pointing to a spot about eight feet from where Smith was. "And stopped. They were surrounded..." He said, moving about. "By wolves!"     "Yessss..." Came a young sounding male voice from the surrounding forest, follow by a humorless chuckle. "Yes, they were." Then, all at once, the forest was alive with knights in dark armor, armed with crossbows. Jalor and Tina grabbed for their swords, but the voice spoke again. "I wouldn't. My archers never miss. You'd be dead before you could put the blades to any use."     Arcon looked in a state of disbelief. "No... it... it couldn't be..."     The voice chuckled again. "Oh, but it is. It most certainly is." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     Smith and Arina were about to begin another bout when they were interrupted by Jel, who crashed out of the forest in a hurry, a distressed, almost panicked look in his eyes and cut across his body. "Gradwin! Arina! I bring grave news! There are Easterners in the forest!"     Gradwin was up in a instant, eyes wide. "Where are they headed?"     "Toward your friends! They were lead a Elf!"     Arina now spoke up. "Are you sure?"     "I have seen enough elves to be sure when I see one. This was most certainly an elf. He had hair as black as night, eyes a steely gray, and a face chiseled from stone. He was leading a group of Eastern Warriors to the same spot where you first encountered my pack. I had my pack set up an ambush, but the black knights had the skill of elves with their crossbows. Most of my pack is now dead. I myself only survived by the grace of the Great One."     Smith, who had been listening quietly until now, raised his voice. "We have to save them! There's no telling what will happen to them once the Easterners get them behind their borders."     "Agreed." Arina said quickly. "We must not allow my brother to sit in chains while we drawl breath!"     Gradwin put a thoughtful look on his face and sat back down, puffing away at his pipe. He chose his word's with caution, seeing the unstable mood both Arina and Smith were in. "I... agree. We should do something. But with caution. If this group was big enough and had the skill to kill off most of Jel's pack, then they are more then we can handle." He said slowly, staring at the ground thoughtfully. Arina frowned.     "Gradwin! Every second we spend in thought is another second those Eastern rats get closer to my brother!" She said impatiently. "We've got to do something! NOW!!" She gave Gradwin a fiery stare, which Gradwin ignored. He didn't want a fight started, though he could have easily won, unity was important if they were to rescue Arcon, Tina and Jalor.     "Tina... may I speak with you for a moment?" Gradwin asked, looking Arina in the eye.     So they did. They moved a short distance away, as so not to be heard. It looked to Smith as if Gradwin was trying rather hard to calm Arina down. At long last, the confrontation appeared over. Arina let out a sigh, saying, "Fine. You win this round. We shall wait... for now."     Gradwin nodded at Arina, then softened. "We will save your brother." His gaze moved to Smith, though he continued speaking to Arina. "There is more at stake here then you may realized." He then seemed to snap out of a daze, for he shook his head, put his pipe away, and took Smith to the other side of the hill. "Smith," he said quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear. "Let me see that blade."     Smith was quiet confused by Gradwin's mysterious behaviour, but handed over the sword. Gradwin studied it for a moment, then paused, as if just remembering something. He reached in his pack, the same pack he kept his pipe in.     "I believe..." Gradwin began slowly. "That this belongs to you." He finished as he withdrew the mystery book the stranger had given Smith in the ally.     Smith was dumbfounded. "But how... I mean... that's... how did you get that?!?"     Gradwin chuckled. "So then it is yours."     Smith wasn't sure how to respond. "Well... kinda. I mean, I guess it's mine. It was given to me... by a guy... who SAID it was mine, sooo... yeah, I guess it is." Gradwin handed it over, and a remarkable thing happened. As soon as the book's cover touched Smith's hands, it opened and the pages began turning, as if blown by a breeze, though there was none. It came to rest close to the center of the book, on a page that had a picture of, of all things, the sword Arina had given Smith while in the hill. Smith looked up at Gradwin, looking for any hint of knowledge about what had just happened, but found none. He turned his eye's toward the opposite page, where he found a description of the sword. Only the writing on the page were in the same runic tongue that the writing on the sword itself was in. Smith was unable to read it, or even guess what language it was in.     "Gradwin... I can't read this." Said Smith, handing the book over to Gradwin, who studied the page for a few moments. Then something dawned on Smith. "Hey... how come you can see the writing, but my parents couldn't?"     "It is because, Smith, this is no ordinary book. Only special people can see what's inside these covers. I'm sure your... father is a fine man, but is not one of the Chosen, therefore, he cannot see what he is not meant to see." Gradwin glanced up at the confused look on Smith's face, and smiled. "In time, Smith, you will learn to read this, as understanding comes to you." Smith was still confused, but he nodded his understanding. "Good. Now then!" Gradwin clapped his hands and rubbed them together excitedly. "Smith, there are many things this sword can do, but for right now, you only need to know a few of these things. The rest will be revealed in good time." He handed the sword back to Smith. "You will be needing this, I think." Gradwin said as he reached into his pack yet again and withdrew a small pouch, just big enough to fit the book. "You may carry the book in this. I thought it would be of use, seeing how it saves you the trouble of carrying the book in your hands at all times."     Smith took the pouch, placed the book inside, and placed the pouch over his shoulders. The weight felt good. He turned his attention to the sword. "So," Smith began, addressing Gradwin. "What can she do?"     Gradwin paused, thinking over the sword's many abilities, trying to decide which would be most useful. Picking a few, he began. "To start, as you have already learned, the sword can come to you, if you truly need it. To do this is not hard. In fact, it requires nothing. The sword will come to you. How it does this, I am not sure. But it does, and that is all that need be known. Also, in times of dire need, the sword can give off blinding flashes of light, stunning most creatures of darkness. This can be done quite simply. Hold the sword above your head, and shout 'Give me light'. Then, depending on how you say it, the sword will do one of two things. It will ether, as I said before, give off a burst of light, stunning enemies, or it will give off a small glow, allowing you to see in dark places. It all depends on what you what at the moment and how you give the command." Smith nodded, then gazed amazed at the sword. He looked back at Gradwin.     "How does it do this?" He asked, wonder and suspicion in his voice. A sword giving off light? Unheard of.     "I do not know all things, Smith. The workings of this sword are as mysterious to me as they are to you. Some say one of the Great Beings forged the sword, along with the other seven. Others, that after the forging of the blade, it was blessed by the Great One as a special blade, for a special purpose. But no one knows for sure."     Smith still wasn't convinced the sword could do what Gradwin said it could, but Gradwin had never been wrong before, so he went along with it. They headed back to the others, only to find Jel gone. Arina said that Jel said that he had somewhere to be, though where exactly she couldn't recall. He had left shortly after they had gone to the other side of the hill, and she hadn't really payed much attention. She had been preoccupied.     Gradwin reached into his pack, pulling out a map of Yith, and spread it out on a rock. "We are here." He said, pointing to a spot on the map. "I would guess that our friends are about... here." He pointed at another spot on the map, not far from where they were. After a moment of study, he finally came to a conclusion. "We will need help, but I know where they are headed."     "Where?" Asked Smith, peeking over Gradwin's shoulder.     "Here." Said Gradwin, pointing a mountain range along the Norgin border.     For a moment, Smith was confused. "Why would Easterners head for Norgrus? Norgrus and the Eastern Empire have been at war with each other for longer then any other races on Yith!"     This caused Gradwin to pause for a moment. "Tell me something, Smith. How else would Easterners get into the Forest of Gorox, if not through Norgrus? There is no way they could have passed through Nictar, and sailing through the Southern Ocean is far more dangerous then most think, for it is the only ocean that still hold Leviathans and Sea Serpents. So how do they get here?"     Smith studied the map for a short time, and when he was unable to find any other path, he shrugged. "It just seems unlikely, that's all."     "It is, but not if Norgrus and the Eastern Empire aligned."     Arina balked at this. "That crazy! Even if the Eastern Empire did go along with the idea, Norgrus would never-"     "There is no other option. That is where they are headed. We must get there first."     Again, Arina was the first to protest. "How? Unless we have dragon steeds, there's no way-"     Gradwin again cut her off, this time with three short whistles. Then he hurried to the top of the hill in the center of the glade. Arina and Smith quickly followed. Before long, there was a small dot to the north, quickly growing larger, until you could almost make out the wings. Sunlight glinted off the scales, and the shape of the magnificent creature came into focus. Smith stared, dumbstruck.     "A real dragon..." He whispered in awe. As the dragon got closer, one could make out the color of the scales... this one's were red, with a yellow underbelly.     "Quick, get off the hill! This is where he shall land." Said Gradwin, hurrying down the hill, closely followed by Arina and Smith.     Arina quickly closed the distance between her and Gradwin, obviously upset. "Gradwin! Are you mad, trusting a dragon?!? They aren't trustworthy!"     "Since when?" Asked Gradwin, turning to face Arina.     "Since the Betrayal of Denoth!"     "That was years ago, and only a single dragon did that, not the whole race."     "But that single dragon was the Dragon King, and his race follow in their kings footsteps!"     "Not all of them. I know this dragon, and would- have trusted him with my life. A great many of the dragon race are followers of the Great One."     They continued back and forth, never noticing the dragon, who had landed without a sound, intently listening in. Nether party took notice of Smith.     After letting the argument continue for a few moments, the dragon interjected. "If I may, I would like to speak on behalf of my race." He said in a deep voice that seemed to shake the ground. Arina jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion. Gradwin merely nodded his head. The dragon, in turn, inclined his. "The Betrayal of Denoth, though many years ago, is nowhere near irrelevant. Indeed, most of the dragons that were alive then are still alive today. I myself was but a youngling at the time, so I have no recollection of the event. However, Denoth was denounced by near the entire race for his actions, and was banished by the High Council of Great Dragons, and has not been seen since. All of the dragons that were with him on the matter, left with him. There is no evil left in the race."     Arina still wasn't convinced. "Then why did you go into hiding, if it is as you say?"     The dragon gazed into Arina's eyes for a long time before speaking again. "I understand you mistrust, for it was the Elvish race that was hurt the worst by the betrayal, but it is misplaced. Me and my race went into hiding because the other races of Yith would no longer have us. It would have come to war, and brought about unnecessary death and destruction. We could not have that, so we left for the good of all Yith. Though we do in fact wish to reconnect with the other of the Four Great Races, we must first shake off the shame we have carried for so long, for some of us feel that the sins of one of us reflect upon the entire race. I, myself harbor no such feelings, but one dragon cannot move the heart of an entire race."     Arina still didn't like the idea of riding on a dragon, but in the end she went along with it... until she found out that the dragon, who's name was Paradel, could only carry two riders at a time, so she would be unable to come along. This she fought with all her might, but Paradel was insistent that he would be unable to carry more then two riders, and Gradwin was unmoving in his decision that the two would be himself and Smith. After much arguing, Arina gave in and said that she would catch up later. Gradwin nodded at her, then turned his attention to Smith.     "Now then. Smith, I can assume you've never mounted or rode on a dragon before?" Smith nodded, still somewhat awestruck by the fact that he was standing in the presence of a real dragon. "Not surprising. Few have. Well, no better time then the present to learn. It is rather easy, really. Do you see that one spot, right at the base of the neck?" After a moment of study, Smith nodded. "Very good. Now that is where we will sit. Usually, a special type of saddle is used, but we don't have one of those handy, so we shall have to make due without. Now Smith, all you must do is climb up the tail to the spot at the base of the neck and seat yourself. I will be right behind you."     It only took a few minutes to mount Paradel, and then they were off. The assent was so sudden that Smith desperately clung to the neck of Paradel with all his might and would not let go. Paradel did not seem to mind. Once they were air born, Smith started to relax just enough to see below. The view was breathtaking. Almost the most beautiful thing Smith had ever seen. Almost.     For hours they flew, and Smith never tired of it, though his legs were very sore by that night. However, it was well worth it, for they had far outdistanced they foes... that is, if they were coming this way.     "So Gradwin..." Started Smith, looking at the huge mountain range that lay before them. Each mountain was easily as tall as Mt. Everest, so going over the mountains was near impossible. And according to the maps, there was only on way through this natural wall... the Balmor Gap, home of the Fortress of Yin, which, in turn, was the home to 650 of the best trained knights and warriors in the land. It was probably the most well guarded fortress in Yith, other the Nixon Goroth, the Black Fortress.     "Yes, Smith? You had a question?"     "Yeah... why is it so important for us to be here first? What are we doing?"     Gradwin answered without looking at Smith. "There are only a few ways to get past these mountains. The first, and most well known, is the Balmor Gap, but it would be impossible for a group of Easterners to get though there. That leaves one of the many tunnels and caves that riddle the insides of these mountains. However, most of those tunnels are filled with ether Goblins, who would sooner chop your head off then look at you, Cave Trolls, and I won't ever begin to speak of what they have been known to do to their prisoners. That leaves Dwarfs, but they rarely intervene with travelers in these tunnels, unless you are in theirs. We must enlist the help of the Dwarfs to stop the coming Easterners."     Smith understood instantly. With the Dwarfs help, it would be impossible to pass through the mountain without their approval or knowledge. "But, how can we enlist the help of Dwarfs? They never come out of their caves anymore."     "That is where you come in." Respond Gradwin without hesitation, stunning Smith for a moment.     Upon recovering, Smith tried as hard has he could not to look totally shocked. "Me? What have I got to do with this?"     Gradwin looked kindly at Smith, and said, "Smith, dear boy, there is much more happening here then you may realise. You will learn all in time, but for now know that the future of Yith rest in your capable hands. That is why I am here. To help you, advise you, and guild you." He placed a hand on Smiths shoulder. "You are never alone, young Smith. Know that, if nothing else, and you will be fine." http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/714507/ Wed, 5 Aug 2009 09:36:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/714507/ Dear Readers, Chapter Five is taking much longer then I expected. It shall be a while yet before I am able to post it. However, rest assured that I am working on it, and it moves closer to completion with every passing day. Stay faithful in your reading! Until next I write, Hubert Baldar http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/708231/ Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:14:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/708231/ Earagorn (?) a.  Name: Earagorn (last name unknown) b.  Occupation: Legend Keeper; hunter c.  Place of work: Yith d.  Home: Yith e.  Age: 30 f.  Physical appearance:                 Head Shape: Squarish, with a strong jaw                 Hair (color, texture, style): Light brown; coarse; a wavy, tangled mess                 Eyes (color, shape, eyebrows): Dark brown; almond shaped; think, bushy                 Nose (size, shape): Squarish; small                 Mouth (size, shape, color, teeth): large; oval; very pale pink; slightly yellow from lack of care                 Skin (color, texture, hair): Tan; rough, leathery; his body hair is very dark, so it gives the illusion of being thick, though it is not                 Physical Build: 5'9", 245lbs., heavy-set, very muscular                 Posture:  While sitting: Slouched                              While standing: Slight slouch                              While walking: Slight slouch                 What you notice first: His muscles g.  Background:                 Place of birth: Horgathya, Capital of the Eastern Kingdom                 Parents: Unknown                 Siblings: None                 Places lived: The forest of Yi, Horgathya, Nix-Ulgard                 Childhood experiences: He was, for the most part, raised by werewolves, which is a experience in itself!                  Education: Arcon                     Special Training: While in Nix-Ulgard, he learned how to use the broadsword. He also learned magic through the Wizard Kulas.                  Jobs worked: Wizards pupal, hunter, Legend Keeper                  Travel: Everywhere!                  Friends: Arcon                  Relationship with God: Earagorn believes that there is A god, but not necessarily the God of Arcon.                  Greatest successes: Finding the legendary Sword of Flame and Ring of Flame in the Togarth Mountains. h.  Characteristics:                 Special skills or knowledge: He speaks werewolf; has learned to control fire through the Ring of Flame                 Collections, talents: No collections; He can use basic magic, wield the Sword of Flame, and speaks werewolf;                 What people like about him: His fun-loving nature                 Interests and favorites:                                                 Favorite food: Koleth Meat                                                 Favorite drink: Wine                                                 Favorite music: The Flute                                                 Favorite book(s): He cannot read                                                 Favorite sport: Jousting                                                 Favorite recreation: Hunting                                                 Favorite way to spent a weekend: With Arcon                                                 Dislikes: The cold, Norgins, Bolors (a bear-like animal on Yith), Jykas (saber toothed tigers)     i. Bio:             Earagorn's story is an intriguing one, deeply shrouded in mystery. He was born a Easterner, yet was raised by werewolves. No one is sure how he came to live with the werewolves, only that he did. His memory of his life as a Easterner is vague, fuzzy. He's not even sure who his parents are.             For the most part, Earagorn's life was spent with werewolves. Until age 15, he hunted, prowled, and moved with the pack that had taken him in. Then, one foggy day, Arcon came into the pack's territory. It was then that Earagorn met Arcon. But their first meeting was not a happy one. In fact, Earagorn tried to kill Arcon. Arcon, however, maneged to subdue him, and brought him out of werewolf territory. It took several weeks of rehabilitation for Earagorn to even begin acting like a normal human. It took several months of care for Earagorn to look like a normal human. And it took one year of friendship and kindness for Earagorn to stop hating Arcon for taking him from his pack.             So now Earagorn is human again, friends with Arcon, and is learning more about the world outside of werewolf territory. He learned of Wizards, Norgins, Easterners, history, archery, how to act and how not to act when in a new town, and most importantly, the ancient legends. He soon decided to that he, too, wanted to watch for the return of the king's son, Tylak (which means "Shadows Bane" in the ancient tongue), hunt for the Nine Great Swords, and help free Yith from the shadows of the Norgin Horde and the Eastern Kingdom.             He decided that magic was necessary for this task. Despite Arcon's disapproval, Earagorn insisted he be apprenticed to a Wizard. So, Arcon apprenticed Earagorn to the Wizard Kulas, where Earagorn stayed for the next three years, learning the ways of Wizards. Then he traveled with Arcon throughout Yith. Though most of the travels were rather aimless wanderings, there was one event...             Earagorn was 26. He and Arcon were in the frozen Togarth Mountains, a mountain range that acts as a natural wall between Norgin territory and "The land of Men", as it is called by the Elves. Please note that they were in the mountains, not on them. A cave in occurred, separating Arcon and Earagorn. Even with his knowledge of magic, Earagorn could not move the rock wall. He was forced to take a side passage in an attempt to meet up with Arcon again. While in the passage, Earagorn found a very small opening in the side of the passage. A dim light was coming from inside the opening. Earagorn decided to investigate.             He only barley managed to squeeze through the tiny hole when it caved in, trapping Earagorn inside with the largest, ugliest cave troll he had ever seen... and it was hungry.             It was a fierce and close battle. If not for Earagorn's magic skills, he would have died. He did not, however, and defeated the troll. That done, he moved on to the inner chamber, where he found the source of the glow. A sword. With a ring on a chain, rapped around the hilt. He had learned enough to know that this was a Sword of Legend. The troll outside was it's guardian.             Slowly, Earagorn removed the chain with the ring from the swords hilt. After removing the chain, he slipped the ring on his finger, and instantly felt a rush of power and energy unlike anything he had felt before. He removed both his sword and it's sheath from his belt, replacing them with the legendary Sword of Flame. And he found that he was suddenly much more aware of the cold.             Three months latter, Earagorn and Arcon were forced to split up while in the E.K (Eastern Kingdom). Earagorn set off on his own, agreeing to return to a prearranged spot in three weeks time. He headed to a small town to try and gather information on someone Arcon believed to be Tylak. While in the town, he picked up a follower. A female Elf that seemed to follow him around. He let this go on for two weeks, until he was sure that she was, indeed, following him. Then he confronted her.             She told him her name was Arina, but that was all. When asked why she was following him, she maintained a defiant silence. Earagorn... insisted. She... refused. A fight followed, which Earagorn lost. She let him live under the condition that he never told anyone that he had met her. She also wanted to know if Arcon had found Tylak yet. When Earagorn didn't answer, she... persuaded him to cooperate. He said they weren't sure, but they were following someone by the name of Valic, whom they believed to be Tylak. She left him then, not to be seen again. One week later, Earagorn and Arcon met to update the other. Before Earagorn could speak, Arcon anouced that the boy they were looking for was dead. Someone else got to him first.             The remaining years between that and meeting Smith were spent wandering around Yith, following up on lead after lead, trying to find Tylak. Nothing came up, until one day, when Earagorn caught sight of a boy falling from the sky... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/702141/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/702141/ Dear Readers, I'm afraid I have some bad news, as the title of this post states. My computer has what I think to be a virus. I cannot get on it anymore. At least, not until we get it fixed. So my posting shall become rather... spaced. Bare with me, though. I'm am working on the next chapter, I shall post the end of the last chapter below, and I have began the editing phase in my earlier works, and plan on REposting them once finished. Hang in there!! The Writer. And now, chapter six, part three.     Tina and Jalor exchanged slightly worried looks, then turned their attention to the woods behind them. "Hello?" Tina called. "Arcon, is that you? Come on out!" This was met with rustlings from the woods as the unseen archer moved toward the small clearing where Tina, Earagorn and Jalor stood.     When the archer was fully in view, Earagorn whistled. "You are pretty pretty. Do I know you?" Tina elbowed him sharply in the side.     Tina started over. "We are in your debt..."     "Arina."     Tina nodded her greetings, as did Jalor. Earagorn had turned a shade paler at the name. "I do know you." He whispered, more to himself then to Arina.     At that moment, Arcon exited the wood. "Sorry I was not back sooner. I encountered a group of skeleton warriors trying to flank us, and I had to dispatch of them, or they would've dispatched of-" It was at this point that Arcon noticed Arina. He was visibly shocked. "Arina..." He whispered.     Arina had spotted Arcon as well, and she was also visibly shocked. "Arcon... but... but they told me you were dead. How..." Tears began to build up in her eyes, and she bit her lower lip. Arcon smiled gently and moved to embrace Arina. She fell into his arms and embraced him fiercely, crying into his shoulder. He patted her gently on the back and kissed the top of her hair. Tina watched all this, then glanced questioningly at Earagorn, who was standing beside her.     "I am as much in the dark as you are, Tina. He never told me about her."     "Then how do you know her?" Jalor asked, for he was standing close by when Earagorn whispered to himself earlier.     "We had a bit of a run-in in the past." Jalor nodded, but couldn't help but wonder what kind of "run-in".     After a few seconds, Earagorn couldn't stand being in "the dark" any longer. "I... hate to interrupt." He started, "But would someone mind telling me what is going on here??" He directly addressed Arcon. "Look, buddy, how do I not know about this? I thought we shared everything with each other!"     Arcon smiled apologetically. "This was a piece of my past that was too painful to mention... but now, I suppose introductions are in order!" He smiled at Arina, then gestured for everyone to come closer. "Tina, Jalor, Earagorn... my sister, Arina."     Earagorn stood there for a few moments, gaping. Arcon had... a sister?? And he never told him?? Earagorn was having trouble coping with the facts. "So, let me get this strait," Earagorn started. "You have a sister, and you never told me??"     Arina frowned at Earagorn. "Have you gone deaf?" She asked, her voice sharp as she defended her older brother... not that he needed it... "He said I was a painful memory. You would have him recall bitter memories just so you could know about them?"     Earagorn was stunned by this... this girl. No one had ever talked to him like this before now. It was unheard of. He was, after all, a Keeper! Guardian of Legends! His eyes flashed with heat of an inferno gone mad, and he gripped the hilt of his sword. Earagorn, you must understand, had an uncontrollable temper, when aroused. He was at the point of losing all control when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Tina, her eyes filled with worry and... fear. She was afraid. Of him. He glanced at Arcon, his long time friend. He was watching him warily, his hand on his knife hilt. If it come to a fight, family first. Earagorn shifted his gaze to Arina. She was fumbling with her bow, her eyes wide and locked on him. Earagorn shook his head and took a deep breath, attempting to control himself. This was not the time nor the place for such an outburst. He glanced at his hand, still gripping the hilt of his sword. He forced his fingers to relax.     "Sorry. I have a bit of a temper, and I've never been hated before." He put just enough edge to the last line to communicate what he thought of Arina's tone. Though his face bore a smile, he was still steaming on the inside.     It took Earagorn four day to cool off. During those four days, the group wondered around the Forest, trying to find only-Arcon-knew-what. Arina stayed around for only three of those four, however. One morning, three days after Arina joined the small group of wanderers, she wasn't there. She just left in the early morning, leaving only a note behind. The note read as follows:                 Dear Arcon,     Do you remembir when we used to hide in the woods, leaving klues behinnd, and the other tried too find the hider? Pretend that wewre doing that again. I have some where to be. It is in the Hill, to the East. Eaisy to finds, right?         Arina     Arcon frowned at the note. It wasn't like his sister- or of elves in general, for that matter- to make so many mistakes. Earagorn, who had awoke as well, looked over his friends shoulder.     "The 'Hill'? What's that supposed to mean?" He was frowning as well. He then went on to point out every error in the note, asking what it meant. Finally, Arcon grew tired of the questions.     "Would you just be quite for a moment and let me think??" Asked Arcon, a mixture of annoyance and _____ in his voice. "Let me think..." Arcon said again, mumbling to himself. He read the note again, this time writing every error in the dirt with his knife point. After that was done, he and Earagorn stared the writing, which looked like this: iknowwhereheis     Arcon frowned at this. Earagorn, who was watching this go on, glanced between the dirt writing and his friend. "May I ask what you are doing?" Earagorn asked after a few moments. Arcon did not answer. So he tried again. Still no response. By now Earagorn was frowning as well as his friend. He tried snapping his fingers. That only served to wake Tina, who, after rolling out of bed, joined Arcon in his puzzling.     Finally, Tina spoke up. "If what we're trying to do is make since of the letter jumble, I don't see what the problem is." Earagorn looked up, startled. Arcon studied Tina.  "It looks pretty clear to me." Tina took out her own dagger, and drew four lines in the dirt. The writing now looked like this: i|know|where|he|is. Tina smiled in satisfaction... and at the bewildered look on Earagorn's face.     "How did... I mean, what did... I mean... it was that obvious?!?" Tina's smile only grew at this remark. Even Arcon's lips bent upward at this.     "Yes. It was that obvious. Is that bad?" Tina asked sweetly, still smiling. Earagorn shot her a glare that would wither a forest.     Jalor, who had awoke at Earagorn cry of disbelief, chose this moment to change the subject. "Who's 'He'?"     No one answered. Arcon, though he knew the answer, said nothing, for that would give away much more then he wanted anyone to know at this point. He simply stood to the side, watching them try and decide who "He" was. It was rather amusing, but he let his face betray nothing. After a few moments, he broke the silence that had settled over the group. "Well, let's go." He said, swinging his pack over his sholder.     "Go? Go where?" Asked Earagorn, more then a little confused.     "We're going to follow my sister." http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/701400/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:48:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/701400/ a.  Name: Arcon Elyas Pelador b.  Occupation: Legend Keeper; it is his job to watch for the coming Deliverer, and to ensure that the ancient prophecy's come true. c.  Place of work: Yith d.  Home: Yith e.  Age: 450 f.  Physical appearance:           Head Shape: Oval           Hair (color, texture, style): Light blond; smooth; strait and long           Eyes (color, shape, eyebrows): Dark blue; almond shaped; thin           Nose (size, shape):Medium sized; long, narrow           Mouth (size, shape, color, teeth): Small; oval; pale red, almost pink           Skin (color, texture, hair): Pastel; smooth; very little           Physical Build: 6'11", 200lb., lean and somewhat lanky           Posture: While sitting: Strait back             While standing: Strait back             While walking: Strait back           What you notice first: His silence g.  Background:                     Place of birth: The Elven city of Nygra           Parents: Jacom & Bethal Pelador           Siblings: Arina (younger sister), Myron (older brother)           Places lived: Too many to record           Childhood experiences:  First word: "Bow!"; Favorite expressions:           Education: Home schooled! He learned most everything he knows from his parents.           Special Training: Archery.           Jobs worked: Forest sentry; Legend Keeper           Travel: All over.           Friends: Arina, Earagorn, Gradwin, Humton the Dwarf           Relationship with God: Excellent.           Greatest successes: Winning the Junior Archery Contest in Nygra h.  Characteristics:           Special skills or knowledge: Reading (in Yith, very few can read), writing (also a rare talent in Yith)           Collections, talents: Had a large collection of books and scrolls at Nygra; he is the best archer on Yith           What people like about him: His sense of humor           Interests and favorites:                        Favorite food: Elven foods (any kind!)                        Favorite drink: Grape juice                        Favorite music: Pipes                        Favorite book(s): "The Last Stand of Nyxon; a historical account" by Goth Nixten; "Tales of the Great Kingdom" by Goth Nixten; "Legend of the Dragon Keeper" by Hogor Bynax                        Favorite sport: Archery                        Favorite recreation: Sparing with Earagorn                        Favorite way to spent a weekend: Weekends mean nothing to Arcon                        Dislikes: Boulders, Cave Trolls, Ice Trolls, Giants, Norgans, Kotu Adam There you have it. The bio of Arcon. I didn't add a character history (a bio) because there is too much to tell! As you may have guessed, Arcon didn't sit around much in he 450 years of life. Maybe I'll make one and post it later. I don't know. But, today, this is what you get. Until next I write, The Writer http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/698698/ Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:18:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/698698/ Dear Reader, I am afraid I am suffering from a case of Writers Block at the moment. I am trying to create the next (and final) part of chapter six, but I am having trouble thinking up a suitable ending. I shall post any further progress. In the mean time, I still want to know, what do YOU want next? A bio? Or the final section of chapter six? Waiting for your response, The Writer http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/693864/ Fri, 29 May 2009 13:50:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/693864/ Dear Reader, I am writing this today in order to see what you want next. So I ask you... what next? More chapters? Another bio? If it is a bio you want, then on who? Tina? Arcon? Or maybe Earagorn? I have questions, and only you, the reader, have answers. input is vital for the survival of this blog. HELP ME!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/686973/ Fri, 8 May 2009 14:31:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheBook/686973/