Family
Family is warm nights spent by the hearth, filled with stories and song. Family is mother and son lovingly braiding each other's hair. Family is a father reading the history of his people to his young son, perched upon his lap. Family is an unconditional love, one that is hard pressed to be broken.
Then, family becomes three young elves, naive and innocent, tears glimmering in their eyes. Family becomes a fight for survival. Family becomes hope for a new life.
But family turns to strangers. Family turns to the unknown few who still live. Family turns to unnamed elves, wandering about with looks of sadness and fear. Family turns to one. Family turns to no one.
Home
Home is gleaming white, marble towers. Home is walls that stand tall to protect it's citizens. Home is the white and blues of the heavenly arch. Home is a garden, where once a toy horse would run through the sweet smelling grass and flowers. Home is peace and warm meals at an elaborate, carved table.
Then home becomes a refuge. Home becomes an uncomfortable bed, in an uncomfortable house. Home becomes unframiliar. Home becomes a bay, where one could easily hop on a ship and sail far away.
But both homes turns to ash. Home turns to death and destruction. Home turns to fire and pain. Home turns to one elf, running for his life in the madness and commotion. Home turns to sleeping hidden in caves and trees. Home turns to nothing.
Life
Life is waking up in the mornings to a warm glass of tea and fresh fruit for breakfast. Life is spending hours in lessons, learning languages and history. Life is groaning about having to go to weapons training when one would wish to sit in the gardens reading ancient tales.
Then, life becomes settling into a new routine. Life becomes living with your two older cousins. Life becomes working hard to survive. Life becomes spending hours under the sun, training in the art of the bow.
But life turns to barely making it out of the slaughter. Life turns to seeing your last living family being cut down without a care. Life turns to running for your life. Life turns to wandering the lands, looking once more for a home. Life turns to meaningless nothing.
Fear
Fear is not being able to do anything as your mother and father fight valiantly for their home. Fear is watching them lose their lives to the fould creatures of the enemy. Fear is being rushed away from the city without getting the chance to say goodbye.
Then fear becomes being wakened in the night by screams that shall never fade. Fear becomes being dragged out of bed by your cousin, being told to grab only what you can and to run. Fear becomes watching an oath destroy your only remaining family and home. Fear becomes wandering into the new age, not knowing how to survive on your own.
But fear turns to watching your new family and friends, joyous in their celebrations. Fear turns to wondering when fate will next destroy your newfound happiness. Fear turns to wondering who will attack your home now. Fear turns to losing the ones you love to enemy, just as you lost your family before.
Wine
Wine is something that would be given in small sips at family meals. Wine is something that would be spit out with an exclamation of 'ew!' Wine is what brings your family together on cold, winter nights. Wine is bonding with each other over descriptions of each other's days.
Then wine becomes a luxury, one that you can not afford. Wine becomes something that you scoff at, for it muddles your senses. Wine becomes a melancholy memory. Wine becomes absent in your mind.
But wine turns to an addiction. Wine turns to the only thing that keeps you going. Wine turns to several glasses a day. Wine turns to drowning your memories. Wine turns to drinking so that you do not have to talk about your problems. Wine turns to a big problem, one that you can no longer fix.
Friend
Friends are young children, laughing and running about the city with glee. Friends are sneaking silly notes between each other in lessons. Friends are whispering about the silly gossip children tend to go on about.
Then friends become your loyal steed, the only one who will not desert you. Friends becomes riding across the shores of Lindon, sharing an apple or two and time spent gazing at the sea. Friends become something you dare not ask for again, lest they be torn away.
But friends turn to quiet conversations over a cup of tea, hidden away in an inn far from the places you've ever known. Friends turns to kind words and a helping hand to turn to for advice. Friends turns to new adventures. Friends turns to gratefulness, that you are not alone.
