A hidden Name

When I was young the world did have a name, but that was a long long time ago. Before the creatures that roam the planet became fearful, cowardly, untrusting. Back when names and titles were still considered important, now though children are not named until they almost reach adulthood, and some who have particularly heedless parents are not named at all. I feel ashamed to live in a world such as this one, where life itself is now considered unimportant. I miss the old days when the creatures would smile at one another as they passed. Now they only cower in fear, afraid that the passing being that is walking by will be one of shadows and fear. We have forgotten the joy that life brings, and have sunk down into an endless void of pain and suffering. One day I fear that we will no longer care for even our own lives, that we will all lay down and slowly lose the will to live.

" VANORA" A boy's voice shouted next to my ear pulling me from my thoughts. " What is with you," The boy said stepping away from me when he realized that he had managed to get my attention. " You've been staring at the fire for the last ten minutes, I called your name three times you know."

I blinked up at my brother unsure how to reply to his words, it had been a long time since he had had to pull me out of a daydream. Shaking my head I pushed myself to my feet glancing around at the dark forest surrounding our little camping spot. " I'm sorry. I guess I must be a bit tired". Reaching up I brushed my dark hair behind my ear squinting at a strange-looking tree. " It won't happen again Valinor, I promise".

Valinor frowned plopping onto the ground and crossing his legs. " It better not," He said his eyebrows still furrowed. " We can't afford to daydream, Vana, you know that. The world has changed, we can no longer allow ourselves to be distracted if we do one or both of us is going to end up getting killed".

I looked away feeling ashamed of myself, how could I allow my brain to wander off in a daydream and leave my brother alone to guard me, especially when it was supposed to be my turn on watch. We could have been ambushed, if we had been then we both would have ended up several wounded, or as Dalinor had said, dead. I should know better by now.

Sighing Valinor shook his head giving me a pitying look. " We didn't get attacked so it's okay, Just don't let it happen again"

I nodded sitting down next to him again and focusing on the world around me. In the distance just over the trees, I thought that I could make out the beginning of the sunrise, we would have to get moving again soon, staying in one place for too long was dangerous for anyone, but especially for Valinor and me. We had found that if we stayed in one spot for more than two nights then "they" would find us, the last two times that had happened had resulted in Valinor being pushed to the brink of death. I had barely been able to heal his wounds before he bleed out, still, he had just narrowly managed to survive.

Valinor looked off into the distance his blonde hair shifting slightly in the wind. " Do you smell that?" He asked his nose twitching as he sniffed.

I tilted my head, then lifting my nose into the air and took a long breath in through my nostrales, I was instantly hit with so many sents that it was hard to distinguish one from another. Closing my eyes I slowly began to separate different smells. That was the wood from our campfire, that one was a bear, that was our horses which stood not far away from were we now sat, and finally J distinguished the far of smell of... My eye's shot open. " That's smoke," I said. "Too small to be a forest fire and too big to be a campfire. It's a..." I closed my eyes taking another deep breath. " A bonfire."

Valinor looked at me with wide eyes. " Are you sure?" He asked figiting slighly. I nodded and he jumped to his feet not waiting for me to say more before beginning to gather up our things. I grabbed a canteen of water and dumped it over our small campfire, it went out with a sizzle sound and I turned grabbing my bag and running over to my horse, shoving my purse into the saddlebag. Grabbing the canteen again I raced through the trees and over to the river that I had heard bubbling along towards the north when we had first set up camp.

I filled the canteen and ran back to camp as quikly as I could grabbing onto the sadle horn and swinging up onto my horse. Looking to my left I saw that Valinor had also mounted his horse and was preparing to speed off into the trees. I kicked the side of my own horse who winnied and galloped forward, Straining my ears I heard Valinor's horse began to follow mine and took a deep breath turning my attention ahead again.

...............

Our horses galloped forward huffing as they forced themselves to go even farther. I was beginning to feel cold as the wind repeatedly hit me freezing the edges of my ears and whipping my hair back behind my head. Valinor on the other hand seemed unbothered by the fact that we had been riding hard for about two hours in freezing weather and without resting our horses. I was just opening my mouth to speak when I heard the clang of metal somewhere off to my left. Blinking I looked at my brother to see if he had heard it to. His expression remained unchanging, so slowly I looked forward again.

Exactly three minutes later, I counted, there was another clang of metal but this time to my right. I hadn't been hearing things, slowly I reached up and pulled my hair out from behind my ear letting it fall forward almost covering my eyes, Valinors eyes narrowed and he reached back pulling his hood up to cover his head. I gave a slight nod, so sudtle that I barely even moved my head at all but Valinor understood and kicked the side of his horse making it go even faster then it had been moments before. Taking in a deep breath I did the same. Feeling slightly guilty for having to push my horse even harder I leaned down and began to stroke her neck. " I'm sorry Stormcloud" I whispered into her ear, still rubbing her neck lightly. I felt my brothers gaze on me but remained leaning forward until he eventually coughed irritably.

Another clang, to my left again, a burst of panic rose in my chest and I turned my head to meet my brothers gaze. For a split second our eyes met, and then the sky was light by falling flame.

I screamed and veered my horse to the right just barely dodging a long flaming arrow. It hit the ground with a strange THUNK sound and the grass burst into brillisant crimson flames sending curles of smoke up onto the blue sky. Valinor was on the other side of the flames his eyes wide. His lips started to form my name, when another wave of arrows fell towards us trailing lines of fire and smoke. I screamed again and kicked my horse into movement, galloping desperately away from the arrows.

Then as the world was passing in a blur my worst nightmare happened. A large dark shadow formed in front of me, making Stormcloud rear up on her hind legs flinging me off her back and into a thorn bush. Screaming in pain I attempted to drag myself from the bush ignoring the gashes that it cut into my arms and legs.

The shadow approched me letting out a sound that was very much like a chuckle of amusment. " Hello little one" It said in a voice that reminded me of the screams of the dying. A thorn cut into my forehead as I tried to scoot backwards away from the terrifying creature. Blood gushed from the new wound and into my eyes tinting my vision red. The shadow creature shot forward and pulled me from the bush by my throat lifting me into the air. I depreatly clawed at it's hand attemting to free myself from it's iron like grip.

Reaching up it grabbed ahold of a large chunk of my black hair pulling it back revealing my ear. It chuckled darkly again and said. " Well well well, looks like I've found myself an elf" It laughed running his finger along the point of my ears. Hissing I attemted to push itd other hand off my throat, but iy was too strong. It laughed at my attempt at freedom and gave me a little shake. " Tell me little elf, what do you think of this new world that we've created". It gestured to the forest around us. " Do you like it".

I growled at it trying my best to look intimidating, Letting out another laugh it let go of my throat sending me crashing to the ground. Not even my heightened senses were enough to make me land on my feet and I hit my shoulder hard. The creature kicked me until I rolled over on my back, then it bent down over me and I caught a glimps of shiny obsidion teeth. " Answer me Little elf".

Takign in gulps of air I spit into it's face and scrambled away from it and pulling a dagger from my belt that had somehow remained there despite how I had been tossed around. " This is hardly a world" I said gritting my teeth against the pain of my wounds. " This is a burning pit of fire that you haven't even given a name. One day" I said stepping farther away from it. " that will change, and you will no longer get to rule this place."

The creature laughed again, his laugh was quite irritating and stepped closer to me again. " What's the point of a name little elf" he said. " Names are pointless and have no meaning."

I bared my teeth at it revealing my sharp canines and pointing the dagger at his chest. " If names didn't have meanings then why would you make the world forget the name that it once possessed".

The creatures black eye's widened and stepped forward again quikly knocking the dagger from my hand and grabbing the front of my cloak. Ignoring my screams he pulled me forward until our faces were inches apart. " This world.. NEVER .. never ever had a name. Not ever". It envisioned the word never. I turned my face away as his rotten breath wafted into my face. Then I stopped my brain clicking, wait why was it denying the fact that the world once had a name.

I turned to look at it. " Yes it did" I said slowly. " I was alive back when the name was still there. It's name was...." The creature covered my mouth looking around in panic.

It had just opened it's mouth to speak again when a large white arrow flew through the air and buried itself into the creatures back. It let out an inhuman screech and let go of my cloak, as soon as I was free I turned and dashed away glancing behind me only once. Standing in a tree was a figure wearing white. It gave me a little wave then jumped backwards disappearing into the tree's. I too ran into the cover of the tree's listening for whatever was sure to be presuing me, strangly my ears picked up no sound but my own.

Confused I let my gait slow to a walk. Looking around i heard and smelled nothing. Then suddenly a smell came from my left filling my heart with relief. Turning I ran in the direction of the sent ignoring how much energy I was using.

I burst into a clearing to find several figures in white cloaks surrounding my brother watching him with apprehension. I ignored them as they pointed there bow and arrows in my dirrection and ran to my brother wrapping him in a hug. he grabbed ahold of me giving me a shocked look. " Your alright" He said hugging me tightly as if he hadn't seen me in years. " Your alright".

When he let go I gave him a big smile before turning to the cloaked figures. " Thank you for helping me" I said softly unsure if that was the correct thing to say.

One of them hissed and stepped forward. " Are you the elf who remembers". The voice was female and was filled with apprehension and perhaps a little bit of aggression.

Another one stepped forward forcing the female to lower her arrow. " This is the one. She is the one that claimed to know the name of our world." He turned away from the female and took down his hood revealing a handsome face and sandy blonde hair. He extended his hand in my direction. " What is your name female" he asked gruffly.

" Vanora" I said apprehensively reaching out to shake his hand. " And this is Valinor my brother" Valinor as if on cue stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder.

The male laughed stepping back and away from me. " Is it true you remember the name of the old world"

Frowning I looked back at my brother who nodded slightly then gestured to the males ears. They were pointed, he could be trusted. So gathering up my courage I said. " Yes, I do. But why does it matter".

The male stepped forward towards me. " Because if you know it then we can end the reign of the shadow stalkers" He said referring to what most beings called the creatures that had chased us. "You could save the whole world."