Ereollynda C3.2
Updated: Aug 31
I've put a small TW in here for bodily harm/light gore. The section is marked with dividers if you'd rather not want those details.
After their first endeavor, Ereollynda and Nelius thrived.
Following Axel’s morning lessons, they disappeared into Olvia’s wilderness almost every afternoon. The mountainous terrain and healthy forest offered the perfect obstacle course. They could run, jump, and explore everything the mountain range had to offer. Over the weeks, the snowy peaks began to melt in the warming sun, and the land opened up even more. By the time buds sprouted on trees, Ereollynda and Nelius trekked the woods as one being. They ventured all the way out just before the Karanda Ridge. When Ereollynda wasn’t off on her heilang, it meant Lynne caught her before she could scurry off. The valkyrie noticed her lack of formal training, and chose to start there. She introduced her student to eight basic forms. Ereollynda was instructed to practice these forms until she could block all of Lynne’s attacks when they sparred.
“Going forward, your title will be known as tamer ,” Lynne said after first teaching Ereollynda these forms. The townsfolk of Olvia began to introduce themselves after seeing her so frequently. People’s faces started to become familiar. Even Nelius had a few young excited fans. Ereollynda continued to settle nicely into her small home, finally feeling a part of a community.
The new found peace didn’t last too long after the final frost. Ereollynda swept the front one evening, finishing the nightly chores, when a commotion rose over one of the streets. The crowd came closer, lit by torch fire, and a man came sprinting from the rest.
“Axel! Axel!” He screamed breathlessly. In a moment, she stood in the door frame with a look of bewilderment.
“It’s- It’s old man Welcker! They- The masked owls- got to him at the border-” The words came between heavy breaths. The mage immediately went to work.
“Ereollynda! Prepare the exam room. Quickly!” She instructed. Without another word, her apprentice disappeared inside. She threw the curtain back and began the setup. A fresh linen over the long bench. An assembly of tools, bandages, and antiseptics were placed orderly on the adjacent table. Axel had gone on to meet the convoy transporting the injured. It’d taken a good fight to fend off old man Welcker, who many considered a pillar of the community. He’d lived in Olvia longer than any other resident. He had children, grandchildren, and a great- grandchild on the way. A few had risked their lives in order for the chance to save him. Now, they all hobbled towards Axel with half the town.
“Explain at once!” The healer came to them running.
When she saw the carnage, her heart dropped. Old man Welcker lay on a makeshift cot, completely bloodied and unconscious. Ripped clothing covered the deep wound to his eye, making his face unrecognizable. A tight scrap of leather did its best to stop the bleeding of his severed left leg. The cut had been crude and needed medical attention right away. He became the primary concern. Axel listened as they continued to her shop. Welcker walked in the evenings, especially with the weather improving after the winter. He’d been out on the farther path to take in the setting sun and emerging stars, when disaster suddenly hit. When the townsfolk came to aid his screams, he’d already been in the fight of his life, being dragged away into the growing night. When it came down to his life or his leg… The choice was clear.
They moved the cot swiftly inside and moved him onto the prepared table. Ereollynda shuffled out of the way, her eyes filled with horror. Just months before, she’d risked coming here through these creatures’ territory. Suddenly, she was thankful they’d blocked her previous employers from traveling. Axel began shouting orders to the villagers able to fit inside the room. The storefront overflowed with people. The yelling shifted to concerned murmuring. Outside, the remaining townsfolk were informed of what happened. People comforted the family in various stages of grief and anger. Ereollynda remembered them. Old man Welcker greeted her in the evenings when she and Nelius passed by. His family stopped by for herbs almost weekly. A sadness overcame her as she watched the family anguish. Then, she felt a presence approaching. The crowd parted for Lynne’s path. She remained silent, and people hushed as she passed. Without hindrance, she strode through the storefront, and into the exam room. The valkyrie took in the bloody scene without speaking a word. She watched her friend work frivolously on the old man, who looked just a few knocks from death. Lynne reappeared in the doorway only a few moments later. Ereollynda could feel her master’s energy pouring off her. The tamer shivered as the icy hot sensation prickled her skin. She almost didn’t speak as Lynne walked by, but she wanted to help.
“Master, please let me-”
“No.”
“But I-”
“You are not ready!” The valkyrie snapped. Ereollynda remained silent, looking down at the dirt path. She knew her master wouldn’t speak untrue, and the words stung. Lynne sighed. She had no time to debate this further.
“Your spirit is in the right place. But please. Remain here and aid Axel. I will return,” she said in a softer tone. Before any more protest, the valkyrie vanished into the shadows of Olvia. Ereollynda remained at the edge of the commotion happening around the shop. Nelius emerged from the direction of their home. He butt his head against her arm with a soft whine. The tamer comforted her heilang with a few pets and soft words. The longer she stood with her thoughts, Ereollynda felt her confidence rising.
“We can take on some stupid owls,” she said aloud in a lowered tone. Nelius appeared to agree with a loud sneeze. She mounted her heilang and they turned towards the darkness. Disregarding her master’s commands, the pair took off into the Oliva wilderness, determined to make a difference.
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