Dungeons & Dragons Fan Fiction ❯ When I left You ❯ Chapter the First ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I own everything here except the world concept and Aodhan… both were borrowed from a D&D campaign I'm in, and I decided to write about it.

 

A/N: Ano, I know I haven't written in close to a year, but that's what the military does to you… It forces out the creativity… except when you're on nights… then the creativity blazes… kind of.

 

Pairings: E/A

 

Summary: Ellisia's on her way home for the first time in seven years? What… or who will be waiting for her, if anything's there at all?

 

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Prologue: The First Meeting

 

Ellisia stood in front of her father, a petulant look on her face.

 

“Da, d'you hafta go?” she asked, as her father meticulously packed his bag. She'd seen a tent go into it earlier, and it looked no more full than when he'd begun. But then, that was their world.

 

“Y'know I do, Sweeting.”

 

“But what aboot me? Where will I go while yer off on yer adventure?”

 

“I've spoken with a woman `round the corner, and she's agreed to watch ye while I'm gone.” Her father stopped his packing and came around the bed to where she stood, kneeling so they were eye-to-eye. “Ellisia, I need you to be brave fer me, aye? I know the people `round here don't really understand ye, but ye'll make do. We'll make do, aye?”

 

Ellisia nodded, pushing strands of her dark blue hair back from her face. The queue she'd pulled it into was loosening, and she hastened to refasten it, getting ready to put on the hat her da had given to her for when she went outside. Her hands were covered in black gloves, and the hat effectively hid her face from the world.

 

“Aye, Da, I know. We always make do.” Her face brightened as an idea came to her. “Maybe when Mum comes back we can go live with her family, and I'll get to see Emmy again!” Emmy was her cousin, only a hundred or so years older than her, still a child to the elves, her people. Ellisia herself was seven, five years from adulthood. She was also a Spellscale.

 

Her father's eyes tightened and he rested his big hands on her shoulders, being very gentle with her. “El, mo chroi, yer mum mighten't return for some time. The spell that's taken her took everyone of her family, including young Emmy. We'll have to wait it out, aye?” El felt tears spring into her eyes, as they always did now when she thought of her mother's captivity under the Grand Elf Queen. She had the great fear that she'd never see her mother again, or at least not the mother she'd known.

 

“Och, now, no tears, lass. We'll find a way, I promise. Ye'll see her again, aye?”

 

“Aye, Da.”

 

“Now run along, the shop's around the corner, Mistress Cahlan's place.” Ellisia fished the hat out of her skirt pocket and pushed it firmly on her head, hiding her face, and more importantly her eyes from the bright sunlight outside the house. She gave her father a peck on the cheek and fairly flew out the door, making the dust in the lane before the cottage fly in a whirlwind as she sped around the corner toward the shop, and away from the bullies that lived in the opposite direction.

 

She almost ran full tilt into a boy a few years older than her, one that she'd seen around sometimes, but never spoken to. He had very dark hair, and his eyes were a dark green, much like hers would be, had she not been born as she was. His ears held a slight point, and his hands and feet hinted at further growth.

 

“It's sorry I am fer almost runnin' into ya,” she clipped out hurriedly, backing away, then squinting as the bright sunlight hit her eyes when she moved out of the shade. Her hat! It was on the ground next to the boy, who looked up at her from where he was still seated on the ground. `I'll be havin' me hat, if it's all right with ye?” She edged closer, ready to run if he made a lunge for her. She'd had too many run-ins with the boys fo this town, and she was in no mood to deal with this one.

 

He picked up the hat and held it out to her, eyes widened in wonder. “Here y'are, Miss, an' if ye don't mind me askin', why're ye all bluse like that?” She snatched the hat and stuffed it back onto her head, hiding her face again.

 

“I be a spellscale, young sar. If'n you'll excuse me, I've an appointment.” She started to turn away, to run, when his voice stopped her.

 

“Me name's Aodhan, young Miss, an' sure you look to be in a hurry, but where is it yer goin' to?” She kept turned from him, her sharp ears listening for other sounds beyond him, to see if he was by any chance stalling her. There was nothing, so she answered.

 

“I'm to go see Mistress Cahlan, on behalf of me da,” she answered tritely, taking her skirt up in one hand, hoping he'd take the mention of her da to mean she was expected back.

 

“Why that's me mum, and if ye were to keep goin', ye'd pass her shop. It's over here.” She saw a sign for a cobbler, and through the front window saw a pretty woman with red hair sitting at the bench, pounding on a shoe. “I'll show ye in. What'd ye say yer name was?”

 

“Ellisia,” she said faintly as she allowed him to take her arm and lead her across the street. Once they were inside, she removed the hat and put it into her pocket.

 

“Aye and a pretty name, as well. Mum, ye've got a visitor! Miss Eliisia, says she's here on behalf of her da!” he called, a bit loudly Ellisia thought, to the woman at the bench. The hammer fell steadily and then just stopped in midair, and the woman stood, laying the tool and shoe down on the bench. She looked over at Ellisia and smiled.

 

“Och and there ye are, pretty as he said ye were. Why, m'dear, where're your things?”

 

“Oh, I forgot them, but I live not two minutes away.”

 

“Aodhan, take her back to her house and get her things, will ye?” Ellisia started to protest, but then realized that with the boy by her side, the bullies wouldn't dare touch her, and she smiled.

 

“Aye, Mum.” He took her elbow again and they walked back into the sunshine. She left her hat in her pocket and allowed her eyes to fully adjust to the sunlight. She blushed when she saw Aodhan watching her.

 

“What're you lookin' at?” she asked self-consciously, blinking both sets of eyelids. He blinked as well, then blushed himself.

 

“Yer eyes, they're just so…”

 

“Weird? Unnatural?” she challenged, unsure if she could win a fight against the boy, but sure she'd try.

 

“Pretty. Unusual. Never seen anything like them.” She blushed harder and averted her face, sure it was pretty shade of purple by then, her blush bright enough to tint her scales pink.

 

“Thank you. It's this house, here.” She looked up as they approached the gate, and saw the bullies waiting next to it, fists clenched. She sighed and pulled her arm away from Aodhan, her inner set of eyelids sliding closed to hide her eyes from the dust about to be kicked up. “What d'you want, Tommy?” she asked tiredly. “If ye'd kindly move, I can get to me door.” The lead boy just shook his head, and she searched the house for her da's presence. It was gone, meaning he'd ported out already. She was alone, but for the boy at her side, and what could he do to them?

 

She slid her hand into the pouch at her side, watching Tommy's eyes narrow. Before she could pull out her components, they were on her, fists punching at everything they could reach. She clutched onto the component, rolling out of the way, and rolled to her feet just in time to see Tommy thrown to the side by Aodhan's bull rush. Tommy hit the stone fence hard, falling with a wheeze to the ground. The other boys stopped to look at their fallen leader, and she took her chance.

 

She cast a simple diversion spell and darted past them, taking Aodhan with her as she went. Once she was inside the gate, she knew she was safe; the house and grounds were protected by numerous spells her da had put in place.

 

“What in the nine bloody hells was that?” he asked, rubbing his shoulder where he'd run into the older boy.

 

“Tommy and his gang. They don't like me bein' here, call me a freak. Stupid, small-minded-“ she cut herself off, well aware that though Aodhan was older than her, she was still more mature than him, and he'd likely not heard any of the curses she had been about to loose.

 

“They're pidgeon-feed, all right,”Aodhan said, spitting at them in disgust. He turned and blinked in awe at the house. “This is a big house!”

 

“Well, me mam and some cousins lived here up til a year ago.”

 

“Ye've been here that long? And I've never seen nor heard of ye?”

 

“Me mam and cousins went out, and me da, but I never really did,” she admitted sheepishly. “Then they were taken by the Change, and…. I haven't seen them since.” Aodhan's face fell.

 

“Aye, me da was taken, too. Well, let's get yer things, shouldn't keep Mum waitin' too long, aye?” Ellisia smiled and led him inside, to her little room off the kitchen, where she kept her things. Her pack was there, all packed, and she saw her da had even remembered her cloak.

 

“This is it, let's go. Would ye like something to eat before they come back around to harass me?”

 

“Nah, and if they're out there, I'll just rush them again.” However, he pulled a sling from his pocket, and several small round stones. “And if that doesn't work, I'll hit `em with these.” She nodded and they stepped back out, but the bullies were nowhere to be seen. Ellisia sighed; they were hiding on the other side of the wall, waiting for them to walk through the gate. Her caltrops had worn off, so she felt safe walking out. She tugged Aodhan down and whispered their position in his ear. He nodded and vaulted the wall, landing solidly on Tommy's shoulders as she rushed out of the gate to distract the others from her new friend.

 

They came after her, as she knew they would. “Aodhan, speed it up! Let's go! Mistress Cahlan's waiting for us.” The boys stopped, and she looked at them warily. Tommy let go of Aodhan, whom he'd been about to punch, and backed away. Aodhan straightened his tunic and sauntered over to her, the other boys moving out of the way. He just smirked at her when he reached her, and took her pack from her, placing it on his shoulder. Once they got out of earshot, his smirk grew into a grin.

 

“Mum's on the Women's Council, and she'll tell their mum's if they jumped us. That's why I wasn't too worried about them.” She smiled slightly, and followed him back to the shop, where Mistress Cahlan directed him to take her things upstairs.

 

“Would ye like some tea, dear?” she asked, moving through a curtain in the back and into a small kitchen area. Another staircase ran up from the back of the room, and Aodhan came clattering down it, skidding to a stop at the bottom. Ellisia felt a giggle escape, and clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle it. Cahlan seemed not to notice and put a kettle on for tea.

 

“Sit, both of you.” They sat immediately, and she sat at head of the table, and smiled at her. “Tell us a bit about yerself, young Ellisia, that is, only if ye want to. I'm afraid I don't know as much about yer race as I'd like to.”

 

“Well, I'm a spellscale, and me mum is- was a Sun Elf. Me da's a human. A spellscale is born only to parents who are both sorcerers, and very rarely at that. At least, that's what I've read. Me entire body's blue, and me da's been tryin' to find a way for me to hide the color, but he's had no luck yet. Me eyes, well, they'll just have to stay the way they are.”

 

“Can ye breathe fire?” Aodhan asked excitedly, earning himself a disapproving glare from his mother and a peal of laughter from Ellisia.

 

“I'm not a dragon,” she said gently, once her giggles had died down. “I just have the coloring of a dragon. I'm dragonkind, not dragonkin.”

 

“Oh.” Aodhan seemed a bit disappointed, but subsided, asking no more questions.

 

“I've a feelin' ye'll be here a lot, young Ellisia,” Mistress Cahlan said, something in her eye that Ellisia couldn't read.

 

And true to those words, she did come back, after that three week long visit, every day.

 

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So how was that for a first chapter? I know it didn't make much sense, but it will, maybe sometime soon. If you'd like me to put a short race writeup for Spellscales in, I can.