The First Hunt

Translated from a young elf diary left in an abandoned village.

                It was in the heart of the forest that I learned how to use my bow.  Grandfather took Mori and I to an unrecognizable field far beyond the village I grew up in.  Now it wasn't the first time I held the smooth curved darkwood bow in my hands.  In fact, I had practiced with it on groups of barrels I stacked to look like a man near our home. I would spend hours a day making my arrows with twine, wood and sharpened stone just to be able to use them in practice.

Mori gasped and pointed, "U’Osi en!"

                Our Grandfather, U'Osi in Elvish, and I looked beyond my twin sister's hand as she pointed to the field.  Almost as if put there for us, a 5 point stag stood bathing in the sunlight.  Grandfather nodded to us allowing us to notch our arrows. Carefully we both aimed and released.  Both arrows flying gracefully to our soon to be family dinner.  My arrow hit the rump of the beast exactly as Mori's struck the death blow through its brain saving the beast from the agony my failed shot would have caused it.  It never bothered me that she was a better shot.

Mori immediately smiled and hugged me, "Altus, we did it.  Our first hunt!"

                Both of us ran to the stag stopping to kneel at it.  Bowing our heads, whispering our thanks and mimicking what our parents  had taught us. Even though I was neutral to our beliefs, I still showed I was grateful for the meal we caught.

                We all pulled out our daggers and canvas sacks and started carving away at the deer.  We took leather, meat, hooves and anything else we could carry and use. Once we were done, we left the remains for the forest scavengers

                Arms linked, my sister and I hopped through the woods in such bliss.  Our long black hair floated in the wind as we moved along. Other young-lings in the village would get us mixed up because we looked so much alike.  I didn't mind that we were twins.  It just meant that I looked like the favorite person in my world.  This day couldn't get any better.

And I was right.......

                Grandfather stopped us in our tracks as we came into view of the village.  Dark black smoke filled the tree canopy above our home.  Elves were trying desperately to put out a fire that was blazing in one of the homes.  We rushed to help, grabbing available buckets near the well and filling them.

"What happened?" My grandfather shouted at a frantic elf running to fill their bucket.

                Filling his bucket he cried out, "A mage came into our village, stopped at that house and started spraying fire from her hands. We are trying to rescue the two that are still in there.".

"Where is this mage" I questioned.

"She vanished as soon as the fire engulfed the home." He shouted running back to the house.

                Filled with water we all hustled to follow.  The villagers had gotten most of the flame under control  by the time we arrived.  I tossed my water while turning my head from the heat of the flame.  My eyes locked onto Mori's horrified face next to me as I looked sideways at her.  Turning back to see what had her in shock, was arrows sticking from a charred man-like shape stack of barrels.

"No....."