83 Chapter 1 (1/2)

As sword met sword, the ringing of metal sounded out across the yard. Two people were in the middle of a duel, but calling it a duel was a little inappropriate. In fact, it could be considered fairly one sided. A tall, elegant boy was swinging a sword, deflecting off the attacks of much smaller person. However, it was the smaller person that had the clear upper hand.

It was only a few minutes before a wide swipe took the sword from the boy's hand and sent it flying off. Upon losing his sword, the boy seemed to let out a breath and relax his shoulders, calling the match done. The other person didn't let up though. As a result, he took an elbow in the gut.

”Uh!” he grunted as other person spiraled a sweeping kick, sending him flying to his ass.

They raised their sword again, as if they planned to deliver a killing strike. The boy's eyes widened, fear and pain starting to overwhelm the sheepishness he had on his face so far.

”Elmindreda! That will be enough!” A man nearby barked.

The small woman's sword stopped instantly. She took a step back and sheathed her sword in a single motion as if she wasn't in a fight at all. However, she couldn't help herself, and a moment later gave the boy on the floor a mocking grin.

He rolled his eyes as he worked his way back up to his feet. ”Jeese, Min, have some mercy on me please.”

”Do you think soldiers on the battlefield will show you mercy, Danin?” The imposing man walked forward, shooting both of them rough looks.

”No, sir.” The boy called Danin responded, straightening his back just short of soluting.

The man made a pointer finger and pushed Danin in the chest. ”Never let your guard down. You accepted loss just because you lost your weapon. Don't expect your opponent to do the same.”

Elmindreda's smile grew more condescending, while Danin's shoulders slouched under the unrelenting criticism.

”And you!” the man turned suddenly, Min jumping a little as she scrambled to hide her obnoxious smile from her mentor. ”Pride can be your downfall. I saw you playing and teasing with him, letting him think he'd win. That kind of overconfidence could cost you.”

Danin's slouch grew even more severe as the words attacking Elmindreda struck his pride even more, but at the least, the smile was removed from her face as well.

”I'm sorry, Baron.” Min gave an unwomanly bow, ”I will reflect.”

”I bet,” Baron rolled his eyes and sighed. ”I guess, that'll be it for today. I want you both to perform bow practice. Who ever can't hit the target at 100 paces tomorrow morning runs 50 laps.”

”A hu-hundred paces?” Danin's voice was high, but Min only responded with a nod, which Danin noticed before shooting her a sharp look. ”Don't tell me, you can shoot a hundred paces easy?”

Min lowered her head for a moment. ”A-a skill.”

”Another one? You leveled again?”

”Mm… level 35.”

”Ho-how many special skills does that mean you have now?”

”Ni-nine.”

”Perhaps I should make it 200 paces for you.” Baron contemplated out loud, causing Min to make a noise of protest before he raised his hand. ”Don't worry, I won't… for today. But to get a skill every 5 levels. Besides the hero, you're the first I've seen in a thousand years to be blessed with so many skills.”

”Wow,” Danin looked at Min with open adoration until Min turned her head away with a blush.

”Elmindreda!” the words came from a woman's voice some distance away.

Min's blushing face immediately went white, ”That's my mom!”

”Don't forget you were going to help me check the stream nets tonight!” Danin called out as Min turned and immediately dashed off in the direction of the voice.

”Mm!” Min responded as she continued to run up the trail path which lead into the elfish camp.

Camp would be the appropriate name for the small village, as everything was made out of makeshift fiber woven buildings. They had doors, but their support was skeletal at best. The elves were intrinsically migratory, and only stayed in any given camping area for a month or two before moving on to the next one.

One of the largest tents in the village, placed somewhere close to the center, was the one that Min headed to. As soon as she entered the door, she gave a curtsy.

”I'm home, mother.”

”Ah, Elmindreda, will you take off your shoes. Look at this, you have dirt all over your dress.”

”I was practicing, mother.” Min responded as she pulled off her sandles.

”Yes, yes, practicing swords and bows with that Baron guy.”

”Baron is a respected general, even father approves of him.”

”Him… yes, you going out roughhousing all day. No. All of your special skills are built around fighting and archery, it's a travesty!”

”Ma… I'm an archer.” Min's voice took on a petulant whiny voice as her mom wiped her face with a napkin and spit.

”It'd just be nice if you had a few special skills that'd served you as a proper wife.”

”Mom… not this again.”

”You're 71 years old, Min. You've reached a marriageable age…”

”Mother!”

”And I want you to know how to properly sew and cook. One of these days, you're going to meet someone that you'll want to cook for and sew clothing, and you're going to be glad your mother taught you these things.”

”I can already cook and sew better than you!”

”That doesn't mean you don't need to keep practicing.” The woman crossed her arms and held a no nonsense aura.

Min rolled her eyes. ”Yes, mother.”

The older elf sighed, then held Min's cheeks, ”One of these days, my dear, you'll find someone who is worth giving everything you have. I promise you this. You may not realize it now, but one day, you will.”

Min allowed her mother to pull her into a nearby crafting room, and for the next three hours she was forced to needle thread until her fingers felt like they were about to bleed. It was boring work, but it was still time she got to spend with her mother, so she cherished it anyway. Still, she was young, and she spent the time thinking about when she'd be able to shoot targets with her bow. Many elves didn't marry until 100, so she still had plenty of time.

”Ow!” She had poked herself with a needle in her inattentiveness, causing it to bleed.

”Be careful, dear.” Her mother responded without looking up.

Min shot her mother an annoyed look. Min's mother, Alliana, was considered a beauty across the elvish settlement. It was no wonder then that she ended up marrying her dad, a top member of the council.

”What about father?” Min asked suddenly, trying to give herself something to else to think about.

”Oh, yes! That reminds me.” Alliana perked up. ”Do you mind giving me some privacy tonight. I heard you were going to go out with that Danin boy, that'll be fine.”

”Huh? What's going on tonight.”

Alliana chuckled. ”Ah, nothing much. Your father has been working hard, so I wanted to improve his life a bit. I suppose I should go take a shower about now.”

”Ew, mom, please, I don't need the details.”

”Oh, ho, in that case, would my little Elmindreda want to hear about our wedding ceremony again?”

”Mom!”

”You know you were conceived during the wedding ceremony. That's very rare for elves. It takes some almost a decade of trying to conceive to be successful. But it seemed like as soon as your father finished up, you were on your way. It's considered good luck…”

”I'm leaving mom, I have stuff to do!” Min rushed out of the room while covering her face as Alliana laughed

”I'll see you soon dear. You can come home after the sun sets. I'll be finished with your father by then.”

”I'm not listening!” Min slammed the door to cut off her chuckling mom.

In order to clear her mind, she followed through with the practice she was assigned. Finding her hay block with a target on it, she took a bow and arrow and started shooting. As she fired, allowing her special skill Precision to make her shots near perfect, she grew into a rhythm. Load, pull, fire, load, pull, fire. Each arrow landed true and it didn't take long before the red center of the target was nothing but arrows.

”Beautiful.” The word snapped her out of her actions.