"Please remeber to read the prologue before u read chaper 1" biggrin
Cloud
1
1
Cloud, a boy with curly blond hair dashed into his mother's kitchen,
following close behind him his twin brothers, Gramble and Thorn, and his little
sister Gwin. Forgetting to duck down, his head hit the ceiling, with a thunk he
landed on the floor. His brothers burst out laughing and snorting. "What a
clutes," Gramble stammered and then burst out laughing again. "Oh stop it,"
demanded Gwin, stomping her little foot. "It's not his fault he's bigger then all
us other trolls, he's just special, that's all!" The boys looked at her stunned,
and then again began to laugh. "Thanks anyway Gwin," he whispered.
"Children! Children! Come in here this minute. It's time to celebrate Cloud's
birthday." Orlga, their mother, yelled from the dinning room. With a groan the
twins scrambled out of the kitchen.
Gwin offered Cloud her hand. "Come on Cloud, today you officially part of our
tribe." Slowly he got up making sure not to hit his head again. "There! Your up
now so come on!" She said with excitement. She herself couldn't wait to turn 15
and join the clan.
As they entered the dinning room his father Shaygar entered the hut.
"Hi Cloud and happy birthday!" he said with a smile. "Hi dad," Cloud said stumbling over his words as he turned red. His father almost never smiled, so he was a little
surprised. His father, feeling a little awkward, went over to the bookshelf and got
from on top of it a long wooden box. When he reached Cloud he opened the box. Inside layed the most beautiful hunting knife he'd ever seen. "Now," Shaygar started, "this knife is very old and must never be used for selfish reasons." Cloud's
heart quickened. "Generations of trolls have had it before me, and now..."
Shaygar said leaving an air of dispense, "I give it to you." And with that
said he gave Cloud the hunting knife. With trembling fingers he looked up at
Shaygar. "You don't have to say anything my son, for I know you are a troll of few
words." With a smile he toseled Cloud's hair. "Now go to your mother so that she
can do something to that hair of yours."
* * * * *
Quietly he sat by the fire listening to his mom sing an old lullaby she used to sing to him as a child. With nimble fingers she worked magic on his snarly,
messed-up, mop of hair. Every now and then she would add a bead with the tribe color into the maze of braids she was conjuring up. "Mom," Cloud whispered, "tell me a story."
"A story aye, um, well since your 15 I'll tell you how you really joined our family."
With shock he spun around to look at her. A tear was rolling down her chubby checks. "Turn back around so I can finish your hair Cloud," She said willing no more tears to fall from her eyes. Quietly he obeyed her. "Now, where to begin, oh, I know. It had been a very long night, my little boy had died and your father had stormed out of the hut on me. Being upset as I was I had sat down by the fire and wept. All of a sudden I heard a cry. Outside not far from my door there you layed, small, and wrapped up in that small green blanket you used to carry everywhere with you." Then she went quiet. Everything made since now, why he was taller than the other trolls, why he had blond hair and skin as white as the clouds he was named after. Everything made perfect since now. His mother leaned down and hugged him. "I should have told you Cloud but I was afraid you'd leave me, and
I love you so much." She was crying again, he could feel it.
"It's OK mom, it's OK." He said turning around to comfort her.
With a sigh she finely relaxed. "Now," she said solemnly, "before you leave
be sure to visit old Silvertoe the dwarf, OK." He nodded. Today he was going to
leave into the forest like every 15 year old boy did his age. Whether he ever
returned relied on his wit and courage. Sometimes it toke years for boys to come
back to their clan, others only a couple of days, but most of the time they never
returned home.
* * * * *
With a halt of his feet he stopped in front of Silvertoe's cave door right on the outskirts of the tribe village. With a creak the door opened. From the doorway an old weathered dwarf with silver hair and eyes as gray as the rocks he lived around. "I thought I heard you Cloud." He said waving Cloud forward.
As he entered the cave the crystals around him chimed a welcome. A few blue glowing fairies floated above his head whispering to him gossip and and scattering faerie dust around his hair and face. "That's quite enough now my fairy friends, I've some things to give the lad." Silvertoe said. With a flick of a hand he shooed them away. "Now, follow me to my treasure room Cloud.
As they entered Cloud gasped in wonder at all the treasures around him. Golden statues, mounds of gold and emeralds, weapons of all sorts, lay before him. "Cloud, don't look so stunned, you should now by now dwarfs are greedy creatures and we love to collect all sorts of treasures." With a nod Cloud looked all around him still amazed at what he all saw. "So what would you like to take with you?"Silvertoe asked. "You can take anything you like, but only two things." Scanning the room Cloud's eyes rested on the most beautifully crafted bow he'd ever seen. He walked over to it and picked it up. Delicate designs where engraved into the bow, and it bended so effortlessly. "That's the King's bow, remember stealing it right from under his nose. What a treasure it is. Crafted by the best wood elf in all Athenia." Silvertoe gave a small chuckle. "You may have it, what use is it to an old dwarf who sits around all day anyway. Here's the quiver of arrows that go with it. Inside, light, shimmering, silver arrows rested.
"Thank you," Cloud stammered.
"Your welcome, now come along, I have just a couple more things to give
you."
Soon they entered Silvertoes living room. Scurrying away Silvertoe went over to a pot and lifted out three things. One was a necklace with a small pouch on it, the
second a small purse, and the last a small golden circlet. Silvertoe put the necklace over Clouds neck and handed him the purse. "The necklace has fairy dust
in it, so if you ever get hurt a small pinch can heal your wound. The purse has gold
coins in it because I'm sure you won't be returning home anytime soon. Last but not
least, this." He said handing over the small golden circlet. "It's a sign of royalty Cloud, your mother found it on you when she found you and asked me to give it to you on your 15th birthday, maybe your destiny lays at the castle. I don't know, but it's time to leave now, it's getting late and soon it will be dark, off you go now." He said pushing Cloud toward the door. Fingering the little golden circlet he walked toward the door.
As he left the door he pushed the golden circlet up his right arm where it would
stay for the rest of his life. Smiling he turned around and waved bye to Silvertoe.
"Bye my friend and thank you for everything." Cloud said. With that he headed
into the ever growing darker forest.
"Good luck and safe journey!" Silvertoe yelled after him.
Stay tuned for chapter two, Midnight Forest!
Cloud
I have a real picture of what Cloud should look like but I don't have it scand on the computer yet.
"Sorry it looks a little weird but the tools weren't working right." sweatdrop
