Chapter 1
- reading time
- 12 minutes
The soft moonlight glow illuminated the merchant’s trail. Only the crunching sounds beneath his footsteps echoed as he marched towards his destination. A flickering campfire light could be seen within a sheltered clearing ahead, marking the merchant’s destination. Cheerful voices echoed despite the bitter cold. A friendly voice stood out amidst the laughter and chatter.
“After that,” Bran recounted with a grin, “he threw me out the window and told me never to talk to her again!”
A subtly elvish looking woman sat beside him - indicative of her long, but stunted ears. Her long brunette hair cascaded over her shoulders and her golden eyes twinkled, as she laughed profusely. Her caramel complexion glowed, and her eyes crinkled with delight as she tried to catch her breath between fits of laughter. “Bran!” she exclaimed. “May Bara forgive you for that! I can’t believe you went back just for that—you nearly killed us for it too!”
The two cheerful souls sat on the ground, reminiscing over their stories. Nearby, a man slept with his head in his arms. A dying fire crackled under a pot of barely-touched stew—only one portion might have been eaten. A single bowl, hardly touched, lay beside the sleeping man.
Bran exuded an air of understated resilience, his complexion telling the story of a man who had spent countless hours under the sun’s scrutiny. Once pale, his skin now bore a weathered hue, suggesting a life spent laboring outdoors, yet his build remained lean, suggesting agility and endurance over raw strength. He glanced up to notice a visitor and flashed a quick smile. Despite his cheerful demeanor, his smile rarely reached his eyes—a quiet acceptance of the merchant who wandered into the campsite.
“Elowen,” Bran spoke with a playful grin, “have I ever told you about some of the adventures Taliesin and I had before we had to start dragging you along everywhere?”
Elowen scoffed, “Yeah, of course. Tally talks to me, you know.”
Bran smirked back at her mischievously. “He’s much too humble to really tell you the whole story of how we stumbled into your path. We were still new to the nomadic life. Whenever we heard whispers of goblins north of Mitfield or trouble in the caves near Totley, he’d always say, ‘Oh yeah, I bet my future first wife is over there after we’re done with this bounty.’”
“Really!? Tally!?” Elowen nearly stood up in shock.
“Yeah, Taliesin!” Bran chuckled. “He’s so different now, much more… well, you know.”
Elowen nodded in agreement.
“Anyway,” Bran continued, “we had just collected our worth from Retham’s town chief. It was something simple, like retrieving a necklace his idiot daughter lost while roaming the forest.”
“Oh yeah,” Elowen recalled, “that time when you guys stumbled into that cabin.”
Bran laughed. “That’s the one - anyways, we were going to sleep rough right outside Retham. Bran stopped for a moment to close his eyes and fully immerse himself in the past memory.
“Bran,” he said to me as we walked out of the gate, “remember that cabin? I don’t think anyone lives there—if they did, they’re long gone. It’s not that far from here; we can make it before it’s too dark.” I nodded in approval, so we started off that way.
After about an hour of traveling on unimproved ground, I started berating Taliesin, “This is not the woods I want to be lost in, Taliesin!” In a panic, he tried to find any sign of our past trail. “I’m not lost, it’s just a bit further—I swear, I remember where we are…” He did that thing where he pulls and massages his right ear, you know? “Oh ya, aight, just a bit further, sure…”.
“You remember that Ranger we saw back near Totley, a couple of weeks ago?” he whispered to me.
“Not really,” I snorted in reply.
“Well, I think I just saw him in Retham—it’s the same hood, I think. I think he’s half-elvish; I saw stunted ears coming out of his mask or cowl…?”
After a moment of silence, I replied, “I’m not sure what that has to do with this…”
“Well, I was thinking, Bran—it might be time to get another partner—so that we can have shifts when we take up camp.”
“Yeah—that sounds like a great idea—but we gotta make it out of the cold with all our fingers and toes first.”
So there we were, shivering as we trudged on through the woods. The cold seemed to seep into my bones, fueling my burning irritation. Finally, after what felt like hours, we stumbled through the trees and found ourselves standing before the cabin. Taliesin shot me a grin, wide and smug, though he was as tired as me. “See? Never doubt the great Taliesin,” he said with that awful obnoxious tone that he does.
Inside, it was like stepping into a warm hug. A dusty old hearth sat against one wall, and a few crates were stacked in the corner—probably left behind by the last poor soul who used this place. We made quick work of setting a fire and settled down onto the rough beds. As the fire crackled, Taliesin leaned back, and he had this, like, strange look on his face - I’ve never seen his face the way I did that night- Elowen. “Bran,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. “There’s something I need to tell you.” I looked over at him, raising an eyebrow.
“What’s up?” He hesitated for a moment, staring into the flames.
“I’m the Prince of Durley.” I almost laughed, thinking he was pulling my leg, but his expression was dead serious. I just blinked at him, taking a second for it to sink in.
“Prince Taliesin?” I tested the sound of it.
“Had to keep it quiet, I suppose…?”, Then he started talking rapidly, slurring a bit of his words - you know when he gets nervous the way he does. “I’m supposed to be traveling to Shone - you know what Tavean is doing, right? We saw those commanders back near Clifract. Tavean and Kington are - something is happening. I just feel it, I was only meant to scout out the area for my dad and as - I guess a rite-of-passage - an-and if we don’t do something…”
My mind spun with the weight of it. My friend was a prince. While still dazed, he looked straight at me - with fierce eyes, just these eyes that I’ve never seen before Elowen…
“Everything you and I know… will die.” We eventually let the conversation mellow into silence - only the sounds of the crackling wood underneath the scorching fire filled the room, and I must’ve nodded off pretty quick despite the news.
But, my dreams were wild that night. It’s like I was living someone else’s past. I saw Talisien in my dream—we were facing this large army, from the flags—it looked like Kington’s. He stared at me—and I think - I remember what he said - it was something along the lines of, “I’m glad you’re back with me by my side.” Then right after, I fell into a cave that looked just like—well—I guess the one we were just got out of, or I guess… never got out of and then wham! I woke up to Taliesin shaking me and he told me how he was almost assassinated by that ranger he was telling me about. The next day, we made it to Baford, split up to cover more ground—I went to taverns and he roamed the docks to find someone who would help me protect the prince, and that’s when—well—yeah—I’m sorry I never told you—but it was never my identity to tell.
The fire was nearly out. The shadows on Elowen’s eyes darkened, as she stared off towards the dark forest. “I know who Taliesin is. I’ve known since before you met me. That night in the cabin, I tried killing Taliesin. I was that ranger.” Bran smirked, thinking Elowen was trying to make up a story that matched his own.
“My family was murder–slaughtered by Shersterean bandits, trying to find elvish riches we might’ve taken from our migration—I think, but our family has been far removed from our elvish roots, so there was nothing there. I was playing out in the woods when they came through. I remember screaming, just a horrible… gut-wrenching scream…”
She grabbed her chest, and took a deep breath. A shiny pink hue covered her eyes as she tried blinking away the coming tears—but it was futile. Slowly, tears started beading beneath her golden eyes as she furiously blinked, trying even harder to fight against it. Bran’s smile faded as he watched. His smile turned into a cold stare, nearly detached from any empathy.
“My mum’s face-, my brother’s body–” She paused a moment—as she shuddered at the images that flooded her head. “Tavean’s military came in afterward, they killed every last bandit. Afterwards, they found me—housed me, fed me, and eventually trained me. We didn’t know what the Durley Prince looked like. Durley kept their prince’s appearances pretty discreet, being that he’s the last heir - other than vague descriptions, we had barely a clue of what he looked like, and we had somewhat reputable reports of his movement near Totley. When I got there, I saw you guys… something about him drew me in, and ever since then, I tailed you two.”
“So why didn’t you kill us in the cabin then if you were that ranger, o-or before? Did you enjoy deceiving us? Some sadistic brain of yours, as if we’re playthings…” Bran spoke softly, but forcefully. Hints of aggression between every word. Elowen responded with a soft sigh, followed by a despondent smile.
“No—I tried. I heard you guys that night in the cabin. I even had my blade to Taliesin’s throat. But when I looked up, I saw his eyes, he was awake the entire time, y’see, but—his eyes… they were unblinking and dauntless - it was like he was looking at my soul - and then he whispered one sentence to me: ‘If these are the last few seconds of my life, I’ll happily live the rest of them knowing the beauty of your eyes, Elowen.’ Then he whacked me right in the jaw.”
That sentence took Bran out of his apathetic stare, as he chuckled at the thought of Elowen’s pain. “I dove out of the window the second I had the chance. The rest of that night, I traveled to Baford to swap clothes, find a ferry to Helsterford, and hightail it back to Tavean to report everything.”
“Wait, so…” Bran sat confused—rethinking about the initial encounter he had with Elowen. He inhaled sharply as he realized the situation. “So when he came back to me, saying he found someone willing to help us that day…?”
Elowen nodded, “He cornered me, while I was waiting for the ferry to arrive.” She hesitated a moment, took a breath to appreciate the recollection.
“Wait! Elowen,” he called out, as he quickly closed the distance between us. “I want to—”
“Get away from me!” I snarled back, “I don’t know you.” I scanned the area around the dock; people started gathering to wait for the coming ferry. A few of them armed—bounty men, probably needing a few coins—I couldn’t risk any attention to myself. I positioned my body to flash my blade in his view, and lowered my face so he could see my clenched teeth under my cowl. He threw up his arms, and flashed a jeering grin. He allowed me to grab his collar. He continued his mocking smile, “We both know that’s not true.” Through his grin, he spoke softly to me, “These thugs all need coin, of which,” he shook his leg, and metal coins clinked about, “… I’m in abundance of.”
I felt fresh stares of the spectators around me. Reluctantly, I released my hold on his collar. I spoke through clenched teeth, “how do you know my name?” Oh Bran… I was so angry - I almost tried to kill him on the spot an-and I would’ve figured out a way out later.
“Last night,” his eyes moved off to the distance, “I lived a future where you and I shared many moments together - it could’ve been a dream…” His voice faded, as he closed his eyes to remember a fleeting moment.
“Keep following me, and we’ll share a pretty quick moment, lover-boy”, as I snarled back. He did this weird thing, Bran - where he snapped back into focus and went all serious mode. “Follow me, Elowen. I’ll pay you for your effor-” “Money isn’t worth being a traitor.” I started to walk away - dismissing him, I think I figured I could get a carriage or even walk back to Tavean just to get away from him.
After a step, he quickly said, “I know who killed your parents, Elow… They weren’t Shersterean. Durley has been keeping a close eye of our neighbors, we know who signed the contract for your parents’ death. Think about it for a second - damn near all the bandits near Bleechesto are elvish too. Help us get to Shone, I’ll tell you what I know - you can report everything to the Empire you love so much. It’s a win-win.”
I paused for a moment, considering everything he told me. He could be lying. Knowing what I know now about Tally - he wasn’t lying, Bran. I wish I had more time with him… but… I got more time than I deserved.
Elowen shrugged for a while and shook her head as she released her shoulders. “The rest is history. Every adventure I had with you two- it felt like a dream. I didn’t have to worry about who was watching me. I fell in love with being a careless adventurer. I fell in love with…” She sighed as the fire soon died out, and it was near silent as the area was transitioning into dawn. “You said that you dreamed of fighting against Kington, when did you and Taliesin do that?”
“No, we didn’t do any of that.” Bran shifted his focus to the merchant. Dawn continued creeping towards the edge of the sky.
“Either way—it’s time—isn’t it…” Elowen’s voice was soft and resigned as she also slowly moved her focus towards the visiting merchant.
The merchant nodded as he looked at the creeping dawn. He stood, his body shifted into pure darkness, despite the new sun blessing the sky above—and the area around Elowen and Bran became pitch black. Bran closed his eyes in acceptance and reached out to place his hand upon Taliesin’s back one last time. A sensation-less touch, as Bran’s fingers slightly passed through his body. Elowen leaned over to try and kiss Taliesin’s forehead. She winced knowing she couldn’t feel his brow.
“These last few months of my life, I happily lived them knowing the comfort of your company… Tally,” she whispered.