Strange Things

She was very young the first time she heard "Life is more than work and money, you have to be able to play also." She didn't know why she thought of it now, but her momma always came to mind when she was stuck. Right now, she could definitely say she was stuck.

She was hanging in a dark room, by her hands, from the rafters of a small hut. The only light was coming from the fire under the huge cauldron of boiling liquid. The goblins had bound her feet together to keep her from kicking it over. The ropes were starting to cut into her wrists and ankles from her struggles to get free. Her wrists felt as if they were broken from holding her full hundred and twenty pounds. She didn't know how much longer she could handle hanging there. Looking down into the cauldron she couldn't tell if it was water or what they had decided to use. It was more of a grey-yellow liquid with strange objects floating in it. A pedestal stood near the fire, on top of it was a book. The book had a red cover, with yellow-tan pages. From where she hung she couldn't see the writing. They had ambushed her coming down the road. She was headed to Artol to join a caravan to Wahunel.

These little creatures jumped out of the bushes at her. Short men, that only reached her chest with the tops of their heads. Their faces painted white, and grey on top of greenish skin. There were fifteen of them. She killed five before they knocked her out and hung her there. The stench in there was awful. She had been trying hard for five days to keep herself from vomiting from the smell. It smelled of feces, decaying meat, dead animals, blood and some smell she couldn't decide what it was. The smell was enough to make you want to die, but she couldn't die like this. The little men were standing around the cauldron chanting.

Looking around she couldn't find a way to get herself free. Suddenly the little men stopped chanting. What are they doing now? They all headed for the big cabinet. They grabbed their weapons and waited patiently. She could be eaten at any moment. At the ripe age of twenty three and she hadn't done or seen all the things that she left the Vale to see. She looked to the sky and prayed "Raisanada it seems your luck has run out for me. Sarlelit if you can hear me just send me a sign. Something that says you're not through with me yet. That you still need my hand to do your bidding . . . "

Jaden and Devin, along with their fellow companions, were traveling down the road to the town of Artol for the fourth day in a row. They passed the time on the road by singing several ballads and talking. His companions were not anyone famous or special. They were trustworthy, and good at their chosen professions. Jaden was a good fighter, who often hired on to town guards to help when they came to villages. Jaden and Devin had traveled together since they were kids. They used to run throughout the village and harass the pretty girls together. It was just in fun, and they were just kids, until the girls stopped being so gross. Then their interest in girls changed and so did the games they chose to play. Then there were the twin brothers, Bryson and Grayson. One was a cleric, and the other a bard. However, he could never tell which was which by their faces. He knew whom the cleric was by his holy symbol and the emblem sewn on the front of his shirt.

"Jaden, have you ever had a dream of a woman so clear that you could nearly touch her?" Bryson asked, as they walked down a long stretch of road with bushes on the sides.

"Yes, I have. The woman was usually the good Lady Nightstalker and I was touching her." he said, chuckling at the memories of their thief companion. She was captured by the city guard and accused of a crime that she could not possibly have committed and was forced to stand trial when they had last seen her. They knew she did not commit the crime, because she was with them the night of the incident. They had not come to town until two days later. No one in town would listen to a bunch of outsiders and had told them to ship out or hang with her.

"I'm being serious. I had a dream last night, well, the past three nights. Of a young lady about our age, in serious trouble and she was calling for help." Bryson said tossing a pebble down the road and watching it roll. "I think this girl is tied up, or hanging somewhere, or something. My ankles and wrists hurt, and my stomach is aching. It hurts like I haven't eaten in a long time. She's very beautiful, long dark hair hanging around her face, she isn't wearing any armor. She is just in her tunic, and it is dirty and ragged. Her face is bruised and bloody, she has sparkling green eyes, and a small point to her ears, but her face is more human. Her wrists and ankles are raw from struggling the ropes to get free. Her legs are all bruised, like she has been beaten. There is a nasty gash on the right side of her head, maybe where they hit her to capture her. " Bryson said, absently rubbing his wrists.

"Let's sing The Ballad of the Missing Valley. That will help get your mind off of it." Devin suggested.

Atona suddenly heard someone outside singing. They were singing in the common tongue so it couldn't be these awful creatures that captured her. They were singing, "The Ballad of the Missing Valley." Suddenly the little goblins stopped chanting. Four of them headed outside to hide in the bushes with their companions. Two of them stayed in the hut with her. The biggest and fattest of the two started beating her with his stick again.

"HELP! PLEASE! HELP ME!" Atona screamed at the top of her lungs, it came out as more of a squeak, her throat so dry. She couldn't see what was going on outside. All she could do was try to dodge the stick. She was hurting so bad it was hard to move her whole body to avoid the stick.

The gentleman heard her scream. They stopped dead in their tracks. They pulled out their swords and started advancing slowly. They didn't know what they were up against but they couldn't pass up the scream of help. Suddenly the first four little men jumped out of the bushes yelling and growling. The tallest of the three humans, Jaden, was ready for the little goblin that came running at him, sword out in front of him ready to stab him in the side. He swung his sword down and to the left blocking the stab and halting the little creature in his tracks. In a swift motion the man swung his sword back around and slashed his opponent across the ribs. Leaving a gash big enough to slow the little goblin down to a slow crawl. The goblin turned red eyed and outraged at being hit. Took his sword up above his head and ran towards Jaden ready to impale him in the heart. Jaden spun on his left foot and slashed across the goblins belly killing the goblin in mid run. The other men were fairing just as well. The other blonde male, Devin, was battling two of the little creatures. He was blocking both swords in a graceful dance. One of the creatures would stab at him on his left side, sure to make a fatal blow under his ribs. Devin would step to the right and avoid getting stabbed while swinging his sword down and hitting the other creature across the shoulder. The other goblin turned his attention to Jaden and started slashing at his legs. Devin was pulling his sword out of the belly of the goblin when he looked up and noticed his other companions had finished with their opponents.

"Let's find the girl." Jaden said heading towards the hut.

"You got it." Devin said following. They opened the door to find one of the goblins hitting her with a stick and another untying the rope holding her above the boiling liquid. They all paused in awe and surprise to find a lady exactly as Bryson had described her. Her beauty couldn't be masked by the bruises or the blood, but now was not the time to stand looking at her beauty. Before the goblin could get the knot completely undone, Bryson threw a dagger and stuck it in the rope to hold it in place. The goblin looked at the dagger with a great deal of terror and shock combined, before letting go of the rope. Seeing that the dagger was indeed holding the rope in place and their sacrifice was not falling, it started to scream. Before the little creature could finish his scream there was another dagger stuck into his throat.

"Hurry, that dagger will not hold that rope for long." Bryson said from behind everyone else. The goblin with the stick after seeing his partner in serious trouble, dropped the stick he was holding and ran for the corner where the dead animals lay. Uttering pure gibberish, he squatted down to his knees and was kneading his hands together. He kept his eyes on the enemy at the door and kept glancing over to where the rope was stuck. The gentlemen suddenly caught on and looked at the rope quickly coming undone. Devin rushed in towards the little goblin sword drawn and down, ready to impale him. Jaden rushed forward and grabbed Atona by the waist just as the rope broke and she started to fall. Devin reached the place where the goblin was squatted just in time to watch him disappear.

"There you go my lady. Safe and sound now. What were you doing so far from town?" Jaden asked putting her down.

"I was on my way to Artol. I was going to catch a caravan to Wahunel." She said rubbing her wrists and suddenly feeling very weak. She sat down near the door, breathing in the fresh air. Something she had taken for granted until then.

"Where were you traveling from?" Devin asked as he started looking over the book.

"I'm from the Elvin valley." She said moving closer to the door.

"The Elvin Valley? The one the Ballad is about?" Bryson asked. He was a shorter human, with dark hair, tanned skin and a small scar on his chin. His eyes were a piercing green, they almost seemed to look into your soul. He wore a double handed sword on his left side, and a black leather shirt. Looking at him, he seemed so familiar to her. His face was one she had seen before.

"Yes, I was raised in the valley." She said rubbing her wrists, and feet.

"I have always heard of the valley but never had the opportunity to see it. What's it like there?" He asked bending over to help her with the pain in her ankles.

"It's beautiful. Lots of old trees, a clear crisp river and waterfall. The flowers are always in bloom it seems like, and the people are sweet, and nice." She said fondly.

"I hate to break up the party over there, but we need to get out of here before some of the others decide to be brave and come back." Devin said.

"He's right. If you could help me up, and have your brother hand me my belt." She said pushing herself up hoping her feet would allow her stand.

"That would be my twin brother, Grayson, and the family healer." Bryson said. "Mother so wanted him to stay and help her run the store, but you can't separate us. We are a team. I'm Bryson by the way."

"Good to meet you both." She said taking a few tentative steps to see if her legs would stay under her. "Atona."

"Now, you know Mother wanted you to stay and marry that lovely girl, what was her name again? Oh yes, Dahlia." Grayson said handing her the belt she asked for. She wasn't mistaken one bit when he turned toward her they were identical. Even in voice, but the one helping her up had that small scar on his chin. Small enough that if you weren't up close you wouldn't have seen it.

"I want to thank you gentleman for helping me." She walked out the door lifting the flask to her mouth. Letting the liquid flow down her throat. Jaden noticed how her throat muscles were struggling with the liquid at first. She must have been without any liquids for quite some time. He also noticed how lovely she was. How her hair cascaded down her back like a black river shining in the sunshine. How her tunic dipped low enough to suggest her lovely figure but not revealing anything. Her waist was small and she carried her sword low on her right hip to help balance. The only other person he could recall wearing their belt in such a manner was his sister. When he left she was only fifteen, she would be about nineteen now. Father would have her husband picked out by now. Though he doubted she would ever agree with any of his fathers suggestions. She was too headstrong, and willing to pick her own husband when she was ready. He shook his head and continued to watch Atona. Her legs were powerful and yet held the allure that they should be soft and smooth under her leather breeches. He couldn't believe he was thinking about her in such a manner.

"No, you should travel with us. You are not steady on your feet yet. We are heading to Artol anyway, you might as well walk with us." Jaden caught himself saying, and catching her as she stumbled over a rock that was way too small to stumble over.

Atona thought about how humiliating it was to have stumbled in front of such handsome men. Then caught herself, and started weighing the odds on her being able to swing a sword, much less walk any farther.

"You are absolutely right, I'm in no shape to go any further on my own. I'm afraid to say that I can't walk either." She said sitting down in the road.

"Grayson, please come here." Bryson said suddenly sitting down next to her.

Grayson spoke softly some strange words and rubbed his hands over her feet there was a warm feeling and a tingling sensation all along her legs.

"It will be a few minutes before we can go. The healing has to have time to work." Grayson said, smiling at her. "Are you hungry? We can whip up a little lunch. We haven't eaten anything since we struck out this morning."

"I'm starved. I don't think I've eaten in over five days." She said, leaning back against the tree that Grayson had carried her to.

"My goodness. We have to eat something then. Give us a few minutes and we will have it all taken care of. Here is some water. I noticed that you carry wine in your flask. You are going to need water." He said handing her his flask.

"Thank you, all of you." She said relaxing. She felt bad they were going to all this trouble for her. She noticed that Jaden kept watching her. When she would look his way he would abruptly turn away. "So how is it that you know the ballad?" She asked them.

Trying to find how they knew the story of the two lovers that couldn't be together because their fathers hated each other. They ran away together, and swore to each other that they would love each other, and never leave the others side no matter what. So they traveled together until they found the Vale. They were looking for a place to call home, when they found a small piece of land owned by elves. They told their story to the elves. The elves made a pact that they would protect the couple, and allow them the land if they would never enter further into the forest. The couple agreed and said that they would also try to prevent others from entering that area of the forest.

One day some humans, dreaming of Elvin riches, followed the farmers to their home. They waited until the farmers turned out the lights, then they ventured further into the forest. Upon entering the forest they broke the magical weave between the elves, and the creatures of the forest. When the elves had found the humans in their sanctuary. They killed them. The next day, the elves went to the farmer's house, to send them away. Upon arriving at the farmers' house, they found that the farmer's wife had been in labor all night. She was having difficulties. The elves helped with the labor, and forgave the farmers, for they couldn't have prevented what happened. From that day on the couple was welcome in the Vale.