The funeral pyres blazed through the night sky. The forest sat in an eerie silence that held all who dwelt in it. Even the creatures of the forest trotted into the clearing to see what the somber event was. After a short while a melody rose from those who attended the ceremony. The death rites had begun.
Off sitting on a rock was a young elf. He was young for a night elf, only about a century or so old. His name was Ithodain Élthoríéan. The ceremony of the death rites were for his father. His father was no ordinary night elf; he was the political center of the city Insolethian.
It was custom for the woman of the Night Elvin race to become warriors while the men were given the trivial task of maintaining the city politically and economically. Some of the men were sent to the Academy to be trained into warriors but these were for only those who had great skill, but even then they were still frowned down upon. Ithodain had been sent there as a young child only in his first couple of decades. He was also sent to the wizardry school to learn of the magic of his people. After a few decades of training Ithodain was finally sent to learn of the political ways from his father. Ithodain was given smaller tasks such as looking after the businesses in the market. He had been doing that for several years, until now. His fathers death had brought him a new position to fill, and expand.
It was earlier that week when Ithodains father set out on a customary trip through the forest to trade with some of the residential races of the forest. He left that day with a party of ten, as was accustom. Everything was going as planned, as it always did until later that evening, when only three of the party returned. They ran into the city screaming about a monstrous beast that attacked. Chaos took over the city.
Ithodain decided to sit the distraught trio down in a nearby cottage and try to get some information out of them. After an hour of interrogation, Ithodain was finally able to make sense of what had happened. It was about an hour away from the city, the party was returning home after a long day of bartering. As they were walking the ground beneath them began to rumble, confused by this they stood still wondering what type of witchcraft had caused such a quake. The ground split open and a slimy vine emerged and wrapped around Itodians fathers leg and pulled him in. Panic took over the rest of the party and in the chaos four more were swallowed alive by the beast or badly injured. Those who remained turned tail and fled. While running back to the city, they hadnt noticed the forest trolls in the trees waiting for easy prey. The trolls launched their spears at the unexpecting victims; three of the six comrades fell. The remaining three managed to stumble into the city, and now here they sat before Ithodain.
Ithodain went outside of the cottage and Captain Elsethia, the Captain of the Elite Forest Guard, ran to him to get the orders for her and her troops. Ithodain ordered that the East and North walls had a double garrison and that three archer squads were deployed on both the South and West walls. Elsethia departed as she ran off she gave her warriors Ithodains orders.
These were going to be tense times, Ithodain knew it. As he returned to his house he couldnt help feel the chill from his fathers death add to the autumns cutting breeze. He slowly toddled back to his abode in a fog of his thoughts. What he didnt know though was in the shadows, his brother Elrohiran, was already plotting to use their fathers death for his personal gain.
It had been three days since the night the remnants of the party returned, and all had seemed calm. The night elves finally thought that things had settled enough to initiate the death rites. Here Ithodain sat, watching as his people celebrate his father life and death, wishing him a safe trip to the afterlife. It had been a long couple of days for Ithodain, now that his father had died; he had to run the place. No longer was it just the simple task of watching over the merchants. The ceremonies took more planning than he wished he ever had to do in his life.
Here he sat, listening to the song of his people praising a great leader. Will I even measure up to you father, Ithodain thought, I dont even have the slightest clue as to where to begin. Ive lived my life under your wing, doing everything to learn more. I am wise but I am clueless to these things you used to do. Father all I ask is that you guide me, so I may make you proud and when my death comes, so I may hear the songs of my people praising me as a great leader not a failure.
The night carried on and the feast began. The roasted meats and fine dishes left aromas lingering through the air. The sound of cheerful song and dance soon overcame the sullenness of the ceremony. Soon the whole city was rejoicing in song and dance, some more than other because of the drink they had consumed this evening. Ithodain had decided to let his troubles leave him and enjoy the festivities while they lasted. After the feasting and the dancing was over, many started to drift back home. The pyres began to dying off and soon only embers remained. As the last of the celebrants left, Ithodain returned to his lonely perch on the rock, where he had sat during the ceremony. The thoughts of what hed have to go through the next day overwhelmed him. Panic took over and his mind went blank like the gaze of an elk when it hears its hunters footsteps.
"You alright", said a voice behind him. Ithodain turned to see Captain Elsethia walking towards him.
"I'll be fine", he said, "I've made it through worse".
"We both have", said Captain Elsethia, "ever since the Academy".
"Estheriél", Ithodain began, "you remember the time we were on patrol, and we ran off. They couldnt find us for three hours; the whole city was in a panic".
"Yeah those were good times", Estheriél admitted," my daughter, Raélithía, is entering her last couple of years at the Academy, soon shell be an elite forest guard like me".
"So, does she have a little male warrior that she is looking after too", Ithodain said in jest, "you never seemed to fail to come to my aid".
"Well someone has to watch out for you", she replied, "Now dont they".
"Estheriél ... thanks", with that Ithodain pulled her close and gave her a soft kiss. The panic that once flooded Ithodains mind vanished. All that mattered now was longing he felt, and the endless night sky. Both Ithodian and Estheriél became lost in the twilight. The stars glistened over the heavens. Magic still filled the air, the night dragged on as the final embers of the pyres extinguished. Passion filled the air until the stars faded into morning.
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