White Bark

Chapter 7

Rovir smokes his long pipe, leaning out the window into the rain. He scratches his patchy beard and readjusts his hat whenever he leans further forward. He shivers in the cold, but his missus refuses to let him smoke his pipe with the kids in the house. In the black of night, he sees a mare trot aimlessly in the rain up the road to his farm. It is only when the mare comes close enough does he see the rider on the back, leaning forward, covered completely by a muddy black cloak, and something long shimmers in his hand.

"You lost?" he calls out in his gravelly voice. "Hello? Are ya deaf?"

Tamsa comes out into the living room. "Who're you talking to?" she asks.

"Tis a rider out there."

"What's he doin'?"

"Nothing, his head is buried in his mare's mane."

The farmer's wife opens the door and looks at the so called rider.

"He's bloody unconscious, ya idiot! Go help him!"

The farmer puts down his long pipe and rushes out into the rain, muttering curses under his breath.

"Sir?" he calls out as he gets closer. "Sir?"

There is no response. Rovir gets closer and shakes the rider's shoulder, he falls to the ground. Rovir looks back at his wife who is scolding him from the doorway. His daughters behind her trying to see what is happening.

"Young'uns! Go take the mare to the stables." He calls out.

The girls run out into the rain enthusiastically with a small lantern to light their way. They take the horse's reins and lead out the back of the house, to the stables. Rovir rolls the unconscious man over.

"Sir?" he says again.

He sees the face of a young man and the ears of an elf.

"Tis an elf!" he calls out to his wife.

"So? He needs help, bring 'im in!"

The farmer, with great effort drags the young elf into the house and into the light. His boots, pants, shirt, gloves, jacket and cloak are all black, and covered in mud and blood. He's clutching onto a bloody sword of dwarfish make.

"He's injured." Tamsa says as she examines the elf. "Go get the witch!"

"At this time of night, she's not likely to be awake."

"Then wake her, he'll bleed out otherwise."

Rovir against his own wishes rushes out of the house once more and down to the village, the opposite side of where the rider came from. The two girls come back from putting his horse in the stable and look at the elf with excitement, him being the only one they've ever seen. With help from her daughters Tamsa gets the elf into a bed and takes all of his clothes off, save his underwear. Tamsa barely manages to take the sword from his iron grip, even when he is unconscious. The elf has a large stab wound through his right shoulder, an arrow with the shaft broken off stuck in his thigh and various other bruises and cuts. Tamsa looked at the young, muscular elf's various scars, she could tell the ones on his back were from a whip but couldn't help but wonder what could cause scars such as the ones on the elf's hands. Rovir had arrived with the witch finally. The witch demanded utter privacy and worked until the suns had rose. Rovir, Tamsa and their daughters heard many sounds and saw many lights that could only be possible through magic. Rovir went to sleep grumpy, since he didn't even want to help the elf in the first place, Tamsa and her daughters stayed up all night however. Tamsa worrying for the mysterious elf and the children wanting to see magic in action. The family heard the elf's screams from the bedroom, not knowing whether the witch was causing them, the man's wounds or his dreams.