Chapter One: The Basket

The rain was hammering down hard and along with the wind it had turned the previously calm stream into a dangerous and turbulent river. Torgan struggled with all his strength to row back to the bank, cursing himself for concentrating more on fishing than on the thunderous rain clouds inching their way towards his village. With each stoke the boat seemed to grow heavier but he refused to give up until finally, exhausted and breathless, he reached the bank. With his arms stretched out in front of him he collapsed onto the mud, thoroughly relieved to be back on solid ground.

He allowed himself just enough time to regain his breath before pushing himself up and securing his boat to its mooring post, hoping that it would still be there by morning. He was soaked to the bone and cold, longing for the comfort and warmth of his own home. Torgan was steadily making his way up the track leading back to the village when he noticed something in the bushes. It was practically camouflaged by the undergrowth, so much so that most people would have passed by oblivious, but Torgan knew the trail well and even the slightest change was visible to his sharp eyes. He crouched down and moved closer, edging his way towards the shape like a true hunter, sliding out the dagger that he kept hidden in his boot and readying himself for an attack. When he was close enough to be sure that there was no danger, he relaxed his shoulders and sheathed his weapon, pulling at the branches to reveal that the shape was nothing but a wicker basket. It was not ornate or extravagant in any way, but Torgan could tell that its maker knew their craft well and was sure that it would a fetch good price at the market. He pushed aside the brambles further and tugged at the handle until it came loose. It was much heavier than he had expected and he was surprised to see a thick woollen blanket covering whatever was inside. Torgan hesitated, maybe it belonged to someone else, but surely no one who still wanted it would have just left it there? Looking around him, he pulled back the blanket and looked inside.

Torgan lifted the basket and ran home as fast as he could. It was far and the muddy trail was made ever more treacherous by the ongoing downfall but he didn’t stop. Even when his arms burned and his legs ached from the effort, he didn’t stop.

*           *           *

Anna woke with a start. She was panting heavily and her heart was pounding in her chest. Scanning her room, she checked to see if anything was out of place but found everything to be where it should be. She was in her room, in her house, safe and sound. Reassured that it was all just a bad dream, she lay back down on her bed and shut her eyes. It had all just seemed so real. She had dreamt of a woman, and although she could barely make her out in the darkness, it had seemed obvious that the woman was crying. She had felt as though she could have reached out and put her hand on the woman’s porcelain white cheek, touched her wet tears and pulled back the cloak that was concealing the rest of her face. Suddenly a dark mist had risen from the floor and obscured her from view, it had been the piercing scream that followed that had made Anna wake with a start. She brushed the dream away, she would have plenty of time to dissect its meaning in the morning but now was the time for sleep.

When Anna awoke the sun was creeping though the cracks in the shutters and all the worries from her dream the night before had disappeared. She rubbed her eyes, got out of bed and washed her face and hands in the small enamel washbasin. The ice-cold water felt good against her skin. She looked up at herself in the small mirror. She looked tired, her pale white skin looking even paler in the harsh morning light, her dark hair and blue eyes looking ghostly, insubstantial somehow. Pulling herself away from her reflection she headed downstairs for breakfast.

 “Morning Starshine!” beamed Torgan as Anna shuffled sleepily into the kitchen. He woke with the sun and was always wide-awake by the time Anna arrived at the kitchen table for breakfast.

“Morning Father, have you been working long?” she asked. Torgan was a blacksmith, capable and conscientious but not a natural, having to work long hours in order to compete with the elves that had recently settled in Orderon. The elves were great craftsmen and could put their hand to anything, with far more skill and finesse that Torgan had ever managed. His business had been suffering for a long time now and he blamed it entirely on them. In reply to Anna’s question he just nodded his head, suddenly looking deflated and worn out; Anna knew that he wouldn’t be able keep this up for much longer now that he was growing older. With a heavy heart she watched her father head back to his workshop for another day of arduous labour. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw line dotted with stubble. His hair was shock black and his eyes were blue like Anna’s, but his skin was dark and tough from all the time spent by the fire in his workshop. Her mother would often tell Anna of all the admirers that he had when they were younger, all of the woman that longed to be the wife of the handsome Blacksmith.

“He was so charming and mysterious,” she would say, smiling proudly.

“And yours,” Torgan would add, “from the very first moment that I set eyes on you,” Anna smiled at the memory and helped herself to the bread and meats that her mother had laid out on the table. As she ate she looked out the window to the bustling street outside. All sorts of creatures lived in Orderon, humans were still the main species but there were elves and dwarves and more were arriving daily. Occasionally a giant would pass by, but there were very few around nowadays. Anna loved this town. When she was a child it was a mere village but with time it had grown until it was a busy and vibrant market town. It was the diversity that fascinated Anna, although she would never say as much in front of Torgan, he believed that the elves were evil, manipulating the humans in order to get what they want.

“Good morning, Anna,” said her mother, Mirada, as she came through from the washroom carrying a basket full of clean clothes. She greeted her mother with a kiss on the cheek and helped her with the washing, sorting and folding the clothes into piles. Mirada was as far from Anna as could be in both personality and looks. She was a slight woman with long blonde hair that twisted and curled down her back, with warm brown eyes that shone with kindness. Her skin flourished in the sunshine, turning golden in its rays. She was totally selfless, living more for her husband and daughter than for herself. Everyone who had ever met Mirada loved her instantly, although many of the elderly ladies of Orderon pitied her for her poor choice of husband, including her own Mother who had disinherited her. The daughters of Orderon may had loved Torgan, the Mothers most definitely had not. Even now they blamed him for the feisty and troublesome temperament that Anna was sometimes known to show.

“It’s a beautiful day today, Anna, maybe you could go hunting with your father again later on?” Mirada had suggested that Anna follow her father once before, and to her great surprise Anna had found that she was a good hunter. She could run through the undergrowth without making a sound and her eyesight was sharp and keen. Anna accepted eagerly and hurried upstairs to get dressed.

When she came back down, the house was empty. Her father was still in his workshop and her mother must have gone out to the market. Knowing she had a long time to wait until her father would be ready to go hunting, she decided to go for a stroll around town. As she opened the door a gush of warm air rushed up to meet her despite the early hour. She stood still for a minute, soaking up the heat of the midsummer sun, and when she opened her eyes an old, weather-worn gypsy lady was standing in front of her. Anna jumped back, startled.

“You are destined for great things, my dear, would you care to have your fortune told?” the old lady asked in a husky voice. “Your future is very interesting, but I will not tell you if you are faint of heart, for it is also stained with violence and plagued with sorrow.” The gypsy stared at Anna expectantly, eying her with her one good eye. Anna declined politely and the lady griped her arm, with surprising strength. “Yes, perhaps it is best you don’t know. It would surely be distressing for you, one so young, with so much strife to come…” The old lady turned and left, leaving Anna to reflect on what she had said.

“What do you mean?” cried Anna after her, but by then it was too late, the old lady had already disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the busy street. Anna felt odd, she wasn’t superstitious and didn’t believe in such predictions but she had been left with an uneasy feeling all the same. The gypsy’s words were unsettling and she had said just enough to pique her curiosity. Anna decided to shake it off, nothing good could come out of knowing the future anyway, certainly not if it was as dark as the gypsy had predicted. Besides, her birthday was nearing, she would be sixteen at last, and maybe with the few gold pieces her parents were sure to give her she could buy herself something nice to lift her spirits.

She walked down the main street where most of the shops were, including her father’s workshop that was adjoined to their home. There was a small fish bait shop for the fishermen of Orderon, an expensive tailor for the richer amongst the townspeople and a small alehouse. There was a large market place at the end of the street where most of the essentials could be bought; meat, vegetables, bread, wine. There were all sorts of things to buy for all sorts of beings, ranging from the useful to the downright bizarre. When Anna was a child, the town was split into different neighbourhoods; there were the humans, the dwarfs and the elves, plus a few other beings that would come and go. Each neighbourhood was ran by its own individual council and the town was very much divided. Nowadays, the town had only one council, where each culture was represented and the different species mixed and blended together. Some of the humans were resentful of this, in their minds it was their village that had been overrun by outsiders, but Anna loved it. She carried on through the market, small cottages lined the side streets and some even had small gardens, full of vividly coloured flowers and buzzing with insects. A large river ran by the town providing them with their water and sometimes when it was hot, a place to bathe and splash around.

Anna was roaming around admiring the beauty of the town, wandering in and out of the numerous shops looking for nothing in particular, when she noticed a bow with a quiver and a set of arrows in one of the shop windows. The bow was more beautiful then any she had ever seen and certainly far more elegant than the heavy, clumsy one that her father lent her to hunt with. She went inside the shop to look at the bow more closely, to study the fine, intricate engravings that ran along its length.

“May I help you?” came a voice from behind her, a soft and melodic voice that made Anna smile. She turned to see a young man not much older that herself standing behind her. He was tall and slim, but she imagined that his build was deceptive as he seemed strong despite his lean frame. He had long, dark hair and piercing green eyes and there was something very refined in the way he held himself. She studied his handsome face as he in turn seemed to be studying hers. She blushed, thinking that he must find her pretty before suddenly realising that he was just waiting for her to answer. She replied quickly, her words coming out too fast.

“Oh, I was just admiring this bow. It is obviously the work of a fine craftsman.”

“I am glad you like it, it was not easy to make, I must admit that I almost gave up, but now I am pleased that I did not.” He smiled and with each word Anna liked him more.

“You mean you made it, but you’re so young, how could you already have such talent, such skill...” Anna trailed off, blushing again and averting her eyes. The young man smiled sheepishly and thanked Anna for her kind words. He brushed away the long dark hair that had fallen in front of his eyes and as he tucked it behind his ears. Anna’s heart skipped a beat. The boy had pointed ears, he was an elf. As much as Anna believed that the elves had a right to be in Orderon, standing in front of one was quite a different matter. She had been brought up on stories from Torgan about how evil these beings were. Could this be why he had this effect on her? Was it some kind of trick? Anna quickly muttered some feeble excuse, something about being late to meet someone, and rushed out of the shop, not even turning when the elf cried after her.

“Wait, come back, I don’t even know your name!” he called, and in spite of her father’s warning, Anna turned back to look at the elf that she had just left behind and felt a shot of disappointment run through her. Are they really all that evil?  She wondered, he looked so kind. Anna had often seen elves wondering around Orderon, they were becoming hard to miss, she had seen them laugh and joke with other humans. To her they looked like any other species, just as capable of kindness and cruelty as any human, but she had never met one before, certainly not one of her own age. Anna realised that for someone who thought of herself as so free and open-minded, her world were surprisingly restricted.

“Wotch it!” cried a dwarf as Anna collided with him square on. Mumbling under his breath, he started to gather up the papers that had fallen. Anna was quick to help him pick up his things and as she handed the last one back, she noticed that it was marked with the emblem of the shop she had just left. Hesitating, Anna decided to ask the dwarf about the elf.

“I couldn’t help but notice that your papers are from the shop across the way, do you know the place well?”

“Tha’s no ordinary shop, young lady. Tha’s Azuran’s shop. You’d be ‘ard pressed to find a finer craftsman than ‘im in all the land. He can do anything that boy. I work for him in fact, and I can tell you that he’s a fine master n’all.”

“But he’s an elf,” said Anna quietly, as if worried someone might hear.

“Yes, and you’re a human, but I don’t ‘old that against you.” The dwarf walked off, muttering under his breath and shaking his head. Azuran, whispered Anna, she liked the way it sounded, noble yet modest, then she scolded herself, it must just be the mind tricks that Torgan spoke of that made her like him so much, what else could it be? Anna had often been approached by the young men of the village, all determined to win her, to tame the untameable, control the uncontrollable, but Anna had no interest in them, so how could this elf suddenly make her feel so different? So aware of her scuffed shoes and unbrushed hair. Feeling confused and a little disappointed in herself, Anna decided to go and watch the street magicians to try and take her mind off Azuran.

Anna was fascinated by magic and loved nothing more than watching the magic-doers perform their tricks. On her way to see them she passed a group of girls she knew, they smiled at her and beckoned her over. They were laughing and smiling and Anna felt an unexpected pang of envy. She knew these girls well, they were good friends of hers, and she could tell from the warm smiles they gave her as she passed that they liked her too, but they were no longer enough for Anna. She was tired of knowing the same people, going to the same places and playing the same games. She needed more, adventure, mystery, anything, just more. So she greeted her friends, politely made her excuses and carried on. It didn’t bother her too much, she liked being alone, but sometimes it would be nice to have someone to talk to, someone who would understand, who would have the same lust for life and thirst for excitement as she did. She had tried telling a friend once but had found no comfort; “But why leave, Anna? Everything you’ll ever want is right here.” Her thoughts fell once more on Azuran, maybe he would understand, but she knew that this was pure speculation. She brushed away these thoughts and carried on down the street, past the storytellers and the gypsies, past the merchants and the entertainers.

“A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl! Only five gold pieces!” offered a street merchant.

“Pots and pans! Pots and pans!” cried another. If you weren’t careful, you could easily get tricked into buying something that you didn’t want or didn’t need, the merchants all had a certain way with words. Anna walked past a juggling clown, barely noticing how he dropped all of his balls as she passed him. She listened to the beginning of a story about a young woman that fell in love with a handsome elf, and how there love could never be, but she found the story depressing and eerily personal so she quickly moved on.

Finally, she reached Enchanted Corner. Orderon was full of small alleyways and cobbled squares, but Enchanted Corner was by far her favourite. The whole square was full of flashes of light and colour, magicians chanting and witches boiling potions that bubbled and flowed over the edges of their cauldrons. Things felt different here, as though anything was possible, the air felt thick with magic and expectation. Anna watched as a witch poured a bright liquid into her cauldron, then jumped when it made loud bang and a bright light filled the square. The witch responsible cackled with laughter and a group of small children gathered around to inspect the sweet smelling potion. Anna spotted Molivin before he saw her, over in the far corner of the square, hopping up and down and gesticulating wildly as he recounted a story to a group of children. He stopped when he saw her, his warm smile spreading from ear to ear.

“Anna, my love, how are you?” beamed the ancient magician, “it’s been such a long time, and my how you’ve grown.”

“While you, on the other hand, haven’t changed a bit!” Anna laughed and embraced her old friend. When Anna was a young girl, on one of her first visits to Enchanted Corner, Molivin had amused her with his spells and incantations and they had been friends even since. He came from a long line of magicians, who passed the trade from generation to generation, but Molivin had no brothers or sisters or any children of his own so the legacy ended with him. Of all the human magic doers, Molivin was by far the best and wisest of them all. Every winter he left for another land and every summer he returned to Orderon, full of tales of wonderful places and mystical creatures. He had once told her of a time when he left Arbornia, and travelled in a large boat over the seas. He had told her of wonderful tastes and amazing sights, of how all his senses had been heightened to their limits. She had asked him what Arbornia was, and he had explained to her in detail the complex geography of their lands.

“Arbornia is a realm, it is where all the mortal beings live, or most of them anyway. In the realm of Arbornia are many lands, that of the elves; Laykimee, that of the dwarves; Rogstorn and of course, that of the humans; Orderon. The lands are generally named after the largest town or village that belonged to them when they were created, Orderon being at the time the largest of the human settlements. It has changed much since then, it was destroyed once, many years ago, long before even I was born,” he chuckled, “but those who lived here rebuilt it, bit by bit, and maybe one day it will return to it’s former splendour.” 

The wide-eyed young girl and the frail old man made for an odd pair, but their friendship had remained solid throughout the years. He stood before her in his favourite purple robe and hat, his silver beard tumbling down almost to his waist, smiling wildly, and Anna realized just how much she had missed him.

“So tell me, how were your travels? What weird and wonderful discoveries did you make this time?” she asked.

“Very interesting, I have much to tell, but not yet, I must unpack, you can help me if you like, I acquired lots of items and trinkets on my travels, some of them might be of much interest to you.”

“Oh Molivin, I would love to help, but this afternoon I am to hunt with my father. I had such fun last time, I would hate to miss it.” Anna explained that the last time she had been hunting she had caught five rabbits and her father had caught nothing, much to his despair.

  “Say no more, dear child, I understand, and in any case, I shall see you soon,” Molivin threw his hand in the air and with a puff of smoke he disappeared. Anna laughed, he always had had a flair for the dramatic. She watched the other magicians for a while before heading home, meandering back through the lively streets. On arrival she found the house full again, her father sitting at the table while Mirada bustled around the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepared lunch.

“May I ask you a question, Father?” she asked as innocently as possible. Since her earlier encounter with an elf, Anna was dying to know more about them. She had to be careful, her father’s hatred ran deep, right down to his core, but Anna needed more than childhood tales before she could condemn a whole species, she needed justification.

“You can ask me anything you want, Starshine, I will try to reply the best I can.”

“Could you tell me about elves? I see them all around, but I know nothing of them.” Thinking quickly, she added, “I need to know more if I wish to protect myself.” She studied his face, hoping to see some kind of reaction but saw nothing.

After a long pause, Torgan started to speak, “I have said it before and I will say it again, elves are evil. You must not be fooled by their fair looks and eloquent speech for it is but trickery. They believe themselves above us, superior. They use their magic…”

“They know magic?” Anna interrupted with too much of excitement in her voice and Torgan frowned.

“Yes, they know magic,” he replied flatly, “As I was saying, they use their magic to crush us humans and our livelihoods. They know that we cannot compete with them but they do not care.”

“Stop speaking such lies!” came a voice from the doorway. It was Sorren, Mirada’s older brother and Anna’s uncle. Anna had not noticed him arrive and apparently neither had Torgan, looking up at him he did nothing to hide the dislike in his face. “You know that the elves have done nothing wrong, it is time you stopped blaming them for your own failures.” With this Torgan flew out of his chair, fists clenched out in front of him and teeth gritting together. Mirada ran to grab him and hold him back, although if he had wanted to fight she could not have prevented it.

“Stop this now!” she pleaded, “Can’t you see what’s happening? You’re fighting over elves!” Torgan looked at her but said nothing as he turned and stormed off into his workshop. Sorren looked as his sister unapologetically. He was much taller than Mirada, but they shared the same brown eyes and light blonde hair, a strong family resemblance that had not been passed on to Anna. He ran the family farm on the outskirts of Orderon and was the first person that Torgan had met upon his arrival in the village. They had been great friends at first, but as the elves had started to arrive their differing opinions had made it impossible for their friendship to continue.

“I’m sorry, Mirada, but it just makes me so angry. All this ignorance…the elves are a species that should be respected, admired even, but not hated.”

“I understand, Sorren, but he is my husband, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, at least until he calms down.” Sorren nodded and left, but not before placing a large package on the table. Fresh meat, thought Anna. Sorren was always generous with his produce, another reason for Torgan to dislike him. Anna quickly darted out the door and hurried after her uncle, eager to know more.

“Uncle, wait!” Sorren spun on his heel and faced her.

“Do not listen to his lies, Anna! Your father has been blinded by jealousy, a vicious beast. I cannot tell you any more, your father would never speak to me again if he knew that I had said anything.” His face softened, “you should come and visit us sometime at the farm. The girls would love to see you again.” Anna nodded, she would very much like to see the farm again.

 Anna liked her cousins, Sarah and Isabella, very much. They were good friends of hers, and the only two girls her age that didn’t laugh at her strong spirit of adventure. She had spent a lot of time at the farm when she was younger and had come to see her cousins as sisters and her uncle and aunt like second parents. When her aunt had died, Sorren, Sarah and Isabella were heartbroken, as was Anna. It was a long time ago and slowly they had learnt to live with it, but it still hurt whenever she thought of it. It was around that time that Sorren and Torgan had their first real fight, unable at last to look past their differing opinions. Sorren wanted to buy a tombstone crafted by an elf, whereas Torgan had wanted to do it himself. In the end, Sorren bought it from the elf, for the craftsmanship was unbeatable, but Torgan never forgave him. They tried to get on, but things just weren’t the same.  

 Anna went back into the house disappointed. Her discussion with her father and Sorren had left her even more confused than before. She decided that she would take Sorren up on his offer and go and visit him sometime. She would also talk to Molivin, he was the worldliest person she knew and was bound to know more on the subject.

It was only when Anna had been sat at the table awhile that she realised that her father’s bad mood was not going to fade, which meant that they would not be going hunting. She knew that she wouldn’t be allowed to go alone so didn’t even bother asking. It would have to wait until tomorrow. She spent the rest of the day helping her mother around the house, occasionally watching the busy street outside until eventually night fell and she was unable to watch any further. She went upstairs and settled herself in bed, picking up a book that she had been reading. It spoke of travel and adventure, of far-away lands and mystical creatures. It freed Anna from all the worries of her life and allowed her to become someone completely different, someone who was accepted for their own ideas, admired even. Anna’s eyes started to feel heavy and soon after she had put the book down and turned out the lights she fell to sleep.