The trees Swayed in the gentle breeze of the morning wind. The air had a chill, the common moorland chill. Song birds start their songs amongst the branches. The drilling of wood and scuttling squeals. The waves of branches jiggled in the wind. The gloom of the woods gave it a mysterious aura. Dead leaves were mashed to the ground. The damp forest floor was full of fungi and insects. Deers leap at the slightest of sounds, their young move away from the Doe’s protection. A lone Sow and her piglets forage for food. Howling in some distant part of the woods were made by a pact of wolfs, hunting for prey. One fifteen year old sits on a green, moss covered rock, drawing the wonders of these woods.

The Boy had a green shirt of wool and brown breeches. A leather belt was strapped around his waist and he also wore a pair of black leather shoes. A satchel hung at his belt with a dagger. The boy had a charcoal pencil and a leather bond notebook where he kept his drawings of wildlife. On his hand, lay a scar which origins may have been from a burn of some sort. The height of the boy was average, and he had short black hair with brown eyes.

Deers were eating the growth of the forest while wood peckers were drilling their way though trees of Ash. Many types of birds could be seen or heard in the forest. They were fishing, nestling their young and taking to the air for food. Wolfs were on the hunt, you could tell just by the howls that they made. A wolf’s howl is the sound of danger to its prey, and a sweetener to the pact members. Gildas (the boy I mentioned earlier) noticed these elements of life and had the passion to draw them in his little black leather bound notebook.

This fifteen year old boy lived in a small village named Pebblestone, which is located on Pebble Moor near the western border of Gordon and Ornishma. Gildas lived with his father, Renskar. Renskar is Pebblestone’s carpenter. Gildas helps out his Dad but looks forward to Thursdays and Fridays when he can go out to the forest and explore its secrets and draw them down. In free time or by arranged meetings, Gildas sees his friends on occasions, there are two who are closer to him then any other in the village.

Head strong, a prowess that none can beat and a bit naive, Godric works with his father in the smithy. In the Blacksmiths Inn, his Mother works as innkeeper where once Godric and his Dad have finished their shift in the smithy, they come and help. Godric is quite the foxy person and due to this he has become an infamous character among the villagers, though he is also very dedicated to his work at the smithy.

Kindling at heart, sympathetic and a great inner strength, Elwine is respected by her peers among the community. Her Mother is an herbalist whose remedies heal the villagers especially when times are hard. After her father joined the Gordoian army, she has gone out to the moors and forest to collect the ingredients needed (occasionally with Godric when he has the free time). She tends to meet with Gildas in the forest but due to their call of duty they have to get to the parting quicker than one would like. Once home, Elwine, her Mother and her sister (Ursha and Rendastar) sit to a mouthwatering carrot soup that Rendastar cooked.

The setting sun was upon Pebblestone, a wide orange blotch riding down the horizon along the landscape. Its getting to dusk already thought Gildas, who needed to be back before. In quick succession, the boy took a retreat from the Oak and Ash woods.

In the latter part of the day, he had met up with Elwine; she was searching for some Red Elder in which her mother was running low, Gildas happened to be by the spot at the time. Since there were other plants for Elwine to pick, they had to make it brief. After saying she would meet him at Brawlful Tor, at sunset near the edge of the woods, Elwine left. Soon after, Godric came and Gildas told him the latter. Now they were off to the apex of the Tor.

Drawing up from the Northern edge, came a speeding Elwine. “She comes at last “huffed Godric.

“A cloud is upon her, it’s not like Elwine to be late.” Frowned a questionable Gildas. “And to see her running up a Tor, something’s amiss”

As Elwine reached the apex, Godric and Gildas got up from the rocks they were sat upon. They came face to face at the Northern slope where Elwine huffed and puffed, taking in the Oxygen around her radius. Red Checked, She said “WE NEED TO GO NOW!”

“Hold on, what?” replied Godric in utter confusion

“WE NEED TO GO NOW!”

Gildas calmly said “Explain, just take a deep breath and explain “

Elwine started to breathe lighter and huffed “I met up with my father out on the moor...”

“Oh how was he...”

“Shut up and let her explain, she wouldn’t be in this state if it was just a nice reunion!”

“Sorry”

“And it wasn’t either, Orcs are heading to Pebblestone! Yes, that is why my father is here, because the Orcs are here in Pebblestone! After he has told the whole of Pebblestone, we are to met them in RiverSide Inn”

“Mother, Father, NOOOOOO!”

Tugging at Godric’s shirt, Gildas yanked him back. “Don’t you have any wits about you, don’t you have any ears, we must go to Riverside”

Elwine started slapping Godric hard across the face “Snap out of it, “

Godric well beaten shouted “Ok ok ok I will go I will go”

“Now Let’s Go!”

Southwards they ran, down Brawful Tor and across the moor. Running on rough moorland is no easy feat. It was growing dark when they reached the Pebble River at the edge of the moor. Slowing down to a fast paced walk, they started to catch their breath back. They followed the river south.

A small fishing community south of Pebble Moor along the Pebble River was Riverside. To the north, overlooking the Village was a Hill. As the night crept in like a wolf upon a farm, the three moved upon the overlook. The river flowed down the hill with great ease towards the lights of the buildings below. The river came to the left of Riverside and beyond in distance unseen was where the river curved to the right to meet with Pebble Lake.

They came down the hill towards Riverside with haste. They went past fields and reached Riverside when Godric asked “Right, where’s the inn then?”

“How about we look around?” replied Gildas looking around “Riverside isn’t big.”

“How about down here?” wondered Elwine

“Ok, let’s have a look down here.” Answered Gildas

The houses were small and had stinking dirt holes around the back of the houses. Shady characters were around dark corners and there were drunken men doing all sorts of childish beavers’. They came across a sign saying ‘Riverside inn’ in black mouldy writing on a brown wooden board hanging above a door. The three went in, quite uneasily.

Loud Childish laughter and clashing of metal could be heard amongst the thong of sounds. People walking that way this way and the other way, going to and thro. The smell of spiced mead were a scent that wafted though the room, wine was another. A group of Musicians were playing by the bar with their instruments which were a lyre, fiddle, drum and flute. The music had a strong but cheerful tune to it. Godric was almost at home here due to his help with the inn back at Pebblestone, and Elwine was quite familiar with this type of atmosphere.

As time went on Gildas felt more disturbed, he had a feeling that somebody was watching them, on the far table in the dark corner to the right, lurking in the shadows, keeping a keen eye on them.