Talae sat cross-legged in the tall plain grass, her golden hair blending in with the golden blades. But her heart was not lifted by the quiet serenity. But a few months ago, a great tragedy had befallen their village. A Dunlending raiding party had pulled a foul stunt which resulted in the death or capture of almost all the women and children, and many of their horses. Many wondered if the village would even survive a blow like that. And in fact, many had left, choosing to relocate somewhere safer. But a few of the most stubborn and willful stayed. This had included Talae and her father. It has also included a boy named Bregoan and his father. Talae’s mother had died years earlier, she did not know how. So, instead of fleeing to what all thought was safety when the attack came, she had hidden. And so, she had survived. Nearly all those that had tried to flee, did not. Bregoan’s mother and little brother were among those found on the plains.
Having lost her own mother, Talae could understand, in a way, Bregoan’s pain. But, she had been very young when that had happened, and even so, it did not compare to this brutal tragedy.
A sudden rustling broke through her reverie and she spun quickly to see Bregoan creeping through the grass. “Bregoan! There you are. I have been looking for you. A lot of folks have.”
He grunted and sat himself across from her. “You know I’ve been fine.”
“Fine? I don’t know anything about that. Where’ve you been, it’s been days?” Her voice was full of worry and she studied him closely.
“I’ve been… around.”
“Not around here though, I’m guessing?”
“Up toward the foothills, if you must know.”
“The foothills… you know that… what are you trying to do?”
“Calm down. Can you keep a secret?”
She nodded, a little reluctantly. She had a bad feeling she already knew what this was about.
“Well, the @!%# Dunlending are up there. And I scouted one of their camps. I think we can take it out. Get some revenge for …” he stopped turned his face away for a second and coughed over-loudly.
She sighed, wanting to tell him how reckless and foolish this was, but knowing she would only waste her breath. “Did you see any sign of the stolen horses… or anything.” He shook his head, “No. But that’s no matter. Wiping out one of these foul camps will go a long ways toward getting justice.”
“No. That would not help! That kind of revenge can do no good!”
“Who said anything about revenge? It’s just giving the filthy creatures what they deserve.” He spat into the grass.
“Well… what if they’re not bad? What if they’re just a peaceful village trying to survive, like us?”
“Oh believe me. They are evil. To their core. There is no other explanation for …”
“For what? For what they did? Maybe. But they don’t all have to be like that. And we don’t have to be like them.”
“No. You don’t understand. I don’t understand. But there is something wrong with them.” He shook his head the memory from his childhood of his first encounter with a Dunlending springing to mind. “No. They are only fit to be slain.”
Talae flung her arms in disgust, “No. We don’t say that. What ever happened to understanding, to study? You’ve spent years understanding and getting to know all the creatures but now-“
“They are past understanding,” he spat the words out, “even if I could, I wouldn’t want to understand what would make someone slaughter innocent women and children behind the backs of our fighting men.” He rose to feet, his face flushed with anger. “No. They are beyond that. Only fit to be killed.” He repeated the words decidedly and thrust his way through the grass, fists clenched, and knuckles white.
Talae huffed and knit her brows, What had come over him? This was not like him, and it worried her –he was likely to try something foolish. Stubborn – she shook her head, she had to stop him somehow.
