Under the Light of the World at War: Early Chapter 30

The entire tower seemed to shift into a rush, as men and women ran around gathering supplies. Mama did the same, but all of her stuff was already in place.

She hurried me out of the tower, and back to the stable.

“Mama… Is home okay?”

Mama jerked at my question as we left the tower, and I could feel the tension in her hand. “El’Tela’s keeps the village safe. Your father… He’ll be fine.” She said, but it didn’t sound like she was entirely confident. She probably had the same thoughts I had.

“Right… Yeah, Papa’ll be fine. Right?”

“Yes. He’ll be fine… But I have a job to do, I can’t race back home, it’s too far, and I have to help here.”

We entered the stable. Poor Chocobo, she had barely gotten any rest when Mama came rushing into her stall, and urged the bird back on her feet, as she started putting the packs back onto the bird's saddlebag. Then she turned to look at me, and processed for a moment.

“Okay Dorah, I’m going to need you to stay here tonight. I’ll have a letter sent… Falomin?  Should I… Maybe Mother would be better?” She whispered to herself as she ran a hand across her face.

“I’m coming with you.” I said pre-empting any of that.

“No you are not.”

“I am. I’m a healer, I can make Arcane Arrows to supply you if you need, I can make food and drink, and more importantly, I’m stubborn. I’m not splitting up from you. We’re going to deal with this and then go home.”

“Dorah, you can’t come with me, it's going to be dangerous.”

“I know, which is why you need me! If someone is hurt I can heal them. Can anyone else?”

“I’m not taking you into a battle. Even a skirmish with the Trolls.”

“That’s fine. Chocobo is. I’ll stay with her, and if the Trolls show up I’ll be on her back and running away. I’ve got my sword and shield and my bow.”

“Dorah. I’m not arguing. You are not coming with. I already-”

“I’m not gonna let you run into a fight without me there to heal you.” I said just as firmly, cutting through. “I scared you by getting hurt, well you scared me.”

“It’s too much weight for the Hawkstrider Dorah, we can both fit going at a slow pace, but if something comes up, we need to be able to run.”

“There are other Hawkstriders.” I said instantly the Stable here was pretty big and there were plenty of birds, and some Dragonhawks as well, which I noticed were already being saddled either by rangers, or what looked like stablehands

“Dorah…”

“Rangers!” Mama startled as… Grandpa? That didn’t seem right, anyways, his voice rang out as he entered the stable. “Mount up, and prepare yourself, I’ll scout ahead with the Dragon Hawk group, Hawkstriders, move as swiftly as you can!” He ordered and made to move but stopped, seeing both Mama and I in a stall.

He looked like he wanted to say something for a long time but then caught himself. “Dorah will be safe with your mother. You know that.”

“I know.”

I turned away from Mama and marched to the man, looking up at him. “I’m a healer. I can make Arcane Arrows, and I can make edible Conjured food. If the Trolls are attacking you need every healer you can get for the injured..”

My words earned me a large eyebrow raise, and for a moment I was a bit taken aback. That was Mama. She did the exact same thing in the same way.

Wow. We were related. 

“This is no place for you.”

“I’m a healer, it is.” I breathed in, and summoned up the Light. Holy Light, I need more than just a heal right now, I need to prove that I can’t be ignored! I will go with Mama, and to do that I need to make sure this grumpy old guy understands who I am.

I released the spell, and the stable was filled with light, as it washed over me.

Then I looked him in the eyes. “I’m a healer. A good one. I’ll take a Hawkstrider and be at the back.”

He looked away from me at Mama, and she hesitated, which was all I could ask for. 

“She’s too young.”

“Can she heal?”

“Yes… Yes she can.”

“Then she isn’t wrong, and if it gets bad, she’ll run. I don’t have any more time.” He said, then making to stomp off but he stopped and looked at me again, and then up at Mama. 

“Anu belore dela’na.” He spoke and Mama frowned but nodded then

“Anu belore dela’na.” The sun guides us, important words for High Elves.

Then he was off, and Mama looked at me like she was going to strangle me.

“Get on the Hawkstrider.” She demanded, as she walked to the next stable, and claimed another.

I nodded, hurrying over to climb up onto Chocobo. I struggled a bit, but managed it and settled in place.

Then I realized I had made a mistake.

I’ve never actually ridden a Hawkstrider before by myself. Chocobo was shooting me looks, as I tried to mess with the reins attached to below her beak, and then I urged her on a bit and she walked out of the stables.

“Whoa, whoa, Uh… Hold on? Slow?”

“Easy.” Mama was there on another Hawkstrider and reached out to press back on Chocobo’s head to ease her. “Dorah.”

“I’ll get this. Don’t let me slow us. Let’s go.” I demanded, the other riders were already rushing away.

Okay Dorah. Mama nodded. “Like this.” She showed me grabbing the reins. And then swishing them and her hawkstrider took off.

Okay just… Do that. I swished the reins and nearly fell off as Chocobo picked up speed.

[Skill Learned: Riding: Hawkstrider]

….

Oh! Nice!

[Riding: Hawkstrider 1/10]

Okay! I could do this, just grind it while I follow Mama.

I held the reins and flicked it which was the right-ish way, and Chocobo quickly raced to catch up.

—--

It was a brutal pace, the hawkstriders racing as Dragonhawks had rushed ahead. I ended up making myself useful very early on. Holy Light on the Hawkstriders kept them running with lighter breaks than we normally would have to take, so the looks I had received as we set off from the other Rangers, had disappeared once I proved I could be helpful.

Which was good, cause Mama had nearly snapped and sent me back a few times.

She was anxious and didn’t like that we were heading towards the Trolls instead of away from them.

Yeah me neither honestly, but… I wasn’t going to be split away from Mama right as everything kicked off… If this was truly the Troll Wars, things were about to get really bad really quickly.

Racing through the forest, I didn’t really pick up on much of what was going on./

The Leader of the Hawkstriders had some method to communicate with Grandpa-Captain.

But I wasn’t quite sure how, and the communications weren’t shared with me.

We shifted directions a few times, sometimes going off the roads entirely.

We camped only lightly, a few hours to rest the mounts and then we were off again. It was brutal, but thankfully my healing kept me going until finally we came around a small turn in the forest path, and there was a village. 

Dragonhawks rested on a few locations, but more than that it just… It was empty.

The five Dragonhawks that had raced ahead, and their riders were the only people around, well other than the bodies.

Two trolls were laying in the dirt, obviously very dead, but otherwise it was just… Quiet.

At the back of the hawkstrider pack I didn’t hear anything at first, but there was a lot of conversation as Mama pointed at me to stay, leaving me with the other hawkstriders as the rangers dismounted and joined up with the Captain.

I watched, not sure what was going on but honestly, it almost felt like that was for the best. 

No one looked happy.

Either way, I did as ordered until I saw it. One of the Dragonhawks was injured, and so was one of the Rangers. I clicked my tongue and urged Chocobo forward. Circling around the gathering of Rangers as they spoke and walked up to the man first. 

“How bad is the injury?” I asked, trying to sound professional, and he gave me a look, his eyebrow raised. 

“I’m fine.”

“You were bleeding at least somewhat, how bad?” I asked again, looking at the bandages around his arm that were leaking red.

“It’s a scratch, then it only need a little healing, hold still.” I ordered, earning a look, and I started casting, gathering Holy Light in my hands, it wasn’t the strongest conviction, but arguing with the man had honed me a little.

I dropped the Holy Light and he blinked, reaching up to touch the bandages before just removing them. Showing a cut through his leathers. Blood coated his skin a bit, but there was no longer a wound under it.

“Huh. Alright, thanks kid.”

“Healer. Don’t call me kid after taking care of you. Whose Dragonhawk is that?” I asked, pointing at the injured Dragonhawk sitting on the ground and looking unhappy with some bandages around its tail.

“Mine. They tried to ambush me from the building, got us both.” He admitted, irritated, and I urged Chocobo over and with a few hisses from the Dragonhawk, I cast a second Holy Light, causing the hawk to tilt his head this way and that as if trying to understand what had just happened.

“Good.” Grandpa-Captain said as he broke from the group. “We need to move again. Can he fly?” He asked, more towards his rider than me.

“A little healing pain won’t keep him down.”

“Good. Good work.” He said looking at me this time. I just nodded, but soon we were once again moving again. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it felt like a failure.

The village was still empty as we all took off again.

—--

It was another half day’s ride, to reach the next village. This one at least wasn’t empty, but…

“Dorah! Come!” The order was instant when we got close enough. Grandpa-Captain waved me over and I rushed over because even I could see what was going on.

Injuries. Not ours, but the villagers.

Mama raced alongside me, not willing to let me go alone, but as I reached the Pagoda everyone had been gathered at, I looked over barely ten High Elves that weren’t part of our group, most of them injured, and most seriously.

Jumping down, I started casting, focusing on the most injured as I dropped a strong Holy Light on one man, who was looking like a ghost. He was so pale from Blood Loss, Bandages all along his side.

Then I moved through. Each elf was just a snapshot of agony, or terror as I healed them one by one.

Whatever had happened here was bad.

Evocation to regain Mana so I could keep dropping strong heals, I didn’t stop until my insides hurt from healing, and all of the injured were no longer injured, at least physically.

Losing an arm, or an eye wasn’t something I could fix.

Then Mama was there hugging me tight from behind and pulling me away.

We stopped under what used to be a cafe along the main road, the chairs were mostly knocked over along with the tables. The chairs were comfortable, pretty wooden things that probably took forever to carve. 

Now most of them were broken.

“Dorah… I shouldn’t have let you come.” Mama whispered, reaching up and wiping at my eyes, and it was only then that I realized I was crying.

“No… I was able to help them.” I said, my voice feeling faint.

I’d never seen so many terrible injuries in one place, and the horror of it, I realized was that these were the survivors.

Ten. The village was pretty big. It was quiet outside our group and that small set of injured…

Where were the rest?

“We’re moving!” The call came out, and Mama looked up, already rising. I followed more because I wasn’t sure what else to do.

We got back on the Hawkstriders, and the Dragonhawks took off. The leader of the Hawkstriders spurring off, and then we were gone.

—--

“Dorah?”

“I’m almost done.” I said, my voice strained, another village, another dozen survivors. This time I had heard what happened.

Twenty Trolls, hitting the village, killing and… Kidnapping the rest. 

The ones left behind were the ones too injured to survive in the Trolls eyes. At least that’s what I heard as the Rangers spoke.

My throat was dry, despite drinking water to be able to sustain the healing. I knew what would happen to the people taken.

Sacrificed, and probably… Eaten.

The full horror of it was hitting me, but I was striving to focus on what I needed to do. Holy Light was saving lives, even if the Rangers couldn’t stick around to protect the villagers afterwards… It was horrible to hear them ask where the rest of their family was.

It filled me with an utter loathing for myself. I wish I could have done something to stop this.

Anything. It felt like despite knowing I couldn’t that I’d failed, that I should have been training more to be ready.

“Come on Dorah, we need to go.” Mama said, the other Rangers were already packing up to move on.

I didn’t know how many more villages had been hit. I breathed in and cast another Holy Light on the man, the wound in his chest, the tomahawk had gone right through.

He’d gotten lucky it missed his heart, and he had managed to survive laying in the mud and blood.

Heal him! I demanded of myself, forcing the mana to flow, and this time the wound finally, fully closed.

“Thank you.” He whispered, the pain shocking in his voice, and all I could do was nod, as I rose up and hurried to follow.

There were more injured. 

—---

We had stopped for the night at a village. This one had managed well. The bend of twenty trolls, all of them warriors, had started their attack but they had a Magister here, and his magic had devastated the Trolls.

There were still injuries, but it felt like the village had survived.

“You comfy?”

“Yes.” I lied as Mama looked me over. The bed was comfortable, but I didn’t feel very comfy right now.

“It’s okay Dorah, it’s all over now. The warbands lost enough they won’t be able to attack us anymore. We’ll go back to the Tower in the morning, and then go home, okay?’

“This isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.” I whispered, but Mama, instead of listening, just curled over on the bed and pulled me close.

My tears were running again. Stupid tears! Cried into her chest, unable to stop the feeling running through me.

We didn’t even know if home had been attacked. 

So many people had been killed, and the Trolls were awful. I’d only arrived after any remaining trolls had been killed, but it was still terrible to see the destruction, the death.

The fact they couldn’t even take the dead or dying with them, was because they didn’t have enough Trolls to do it. They were snatching everyone they could, and it wasn’t going to stop.

I can’t imagine what those taken people were going through.

“Just rest, the sun will rise in the morning, and it will be better by then.” Mama whispered, and I just nodded, even though I knew it wouldn’t.

I jolted suddenly as a whistle rang out, and Mama sat up.

“No.” She said unable to stop herself. 

“Up up! We’re moving out!” The call went up, and Mama looked stricken there for a moment.

Another village had been attacked.

I rose up, wiping my eyes and grabbing my gear.

“Dorah, just go back to sleep-”

“People will be hurt, and I can heal them. You don't have any other healers… If I go, it’ll suck. I’ll want to cry for days or weeks. If I stay, I’ll never forgive myself for the rest of my life.” I told her firmly, and Mama melted, sympathy oozing out of her face, but she bit her lip and breathed in and out.

“I’m proud of you. My Light. Come on.” She gathered herself and we got dressed.

We’d sleep when we could.

—---

I slept fitfully in the saddle, not exactly a comfortable ride, but we made it to the village, and it wasn’t a good one.

The Trolls had attacked during the night.

Now the sun was rising, and Mama hadn’t been right. It wasn't better now that the sun was up.

I healed the few we found, but it wasn’t good.

And I think the realization of something really being wrong was striking. Grandpa-Captain was keeping up a stern demeanor, but some of the others were looking… Shocked. As the realization set in.

This wasn’t just a small Troll Warband, there were simply too many attacks.

I felt tired, and I knew it was only going to get worse.

“Captain.” I looked up, the voices had been rising up slowly over the last ten minutes. It was obvious the Rangers were starting to feel overwhelmed. “We need to call the Convocation. We can’t stop this!”

The voice of the Ranger woman, the energetic one, went up, and there weren't any arguments. 

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard the Rangers say they needed to call for more help, but it was the first time it was to the highest levels of the Government, and no one argued.

Just waited.

I stared at the group of rangers, my feet in the dirt road beside Chocobo as I fed her, the village we were in too quiet. And the smell of blood and gore was in the air. I just watched as the Rangers surrounded their Captain, my Grandfather, and aired their concerns.

He nodded. 

“I already have.” He spoke simply, and there was a breath of relief from everyone, even Mama looked relieved. “We are Rangers. We all agreed to do what we could to protect our home. Normally our resolve is not tested. It is easy to stick to our word in the easy days. When the sun is warm, and a walk through the woods pleasant. Today is not that day.”

He looked over everyone, as I patted Chocobo. Too tired to even want to walk into the throng of people, or head to Mama’s side.

“I hear you, my Rangers. We are all tired, and we are all horrified and disgusted at what we have seen done to our people. But we hold the edges of our homes against these threats. Silvermoon, the Convocation, and the King will react. Until then we stem the tide.”

His speech worked, it had everyone looking proud as they stood taller, still tired, and disheartened, but willing to try again.

I just patted Chocobo. There were more people to heal. So I would heal.

—--

Another village, it was quiet as we rode in. The Dragonhawks were resting around the place, obviously as exhausted as their riders, who were all surrounding Grandpa-Captain. 

They were all looking over a map as we rode up, something was up though because they were not looking pleased.

“Heloena! Get over here!” He called and the leader of the Hawk striders jumped off and rushed over. Checking the map.

I shifted to the injured. The sound of pain was becoming something like a signal to me, telling me where I needed to go. The home had become a hospital, dozens of injured laying around, and the only other healer, a medic Ranger was inside doing what he could.

He nodded to me and instantly started pointing out the most injured.

Holy Light, Holy Light, Holy Light.

That was all that I was for a while. A Holy Light dispenser.

Then I heard it.

The shout, a roar, and then noise.

“Oh no.” The Medic whispered, rushing out the door grabbing his bow as he did.

I finished my cast, and rushed to the door.

Battle. Trolls were everywhere, attacking and striking.

I hesitated, for a long moment, not sure what to do, before remembering standing there helped no one.

Drawing my Bow I charged an Arcane Arrow, and fired, the bolt slamming into a Troll that had just knocked one of the rangers onto his back, Tomahawk held high. It was off, I’d been aiming for his chest, but it hit his side, and speared through earning a guttural cry of pain.

He shifted to look at me. Eyes glaring, tusks shifting into an inhuman howl, but before he could anything more another and another arrow hit him, and the Troll dropped.

I shifted to healing, Gathering power, and dropping Holy Light on the Ranger the Troll had knocked over.

A few seconds later the Ranger was back on his feet, and grabbing his bow to fight more.

Then a horn blew.

The Rangers reacted, racing to gather up and get on their mounts.

Then Mama was there. “Move!” She demanded and I did. My feet pounding as we raced across the town, Trolls everywhere. I focused on trying to cast more healing seeing injuries everywhere, but only got one more cast on a Ranger with an axe in his back that had fallen, he rose up, screaming his voice ragged, but he rose to his feet and ran to a Hawkstrider.

Mama grabbed me and threw me onto Chocobo’s back, and then we were moving. Rushing away.

Running.

And I realized…

We were missing people.

We were leaving behind the injured I had just healed.

But there was no time to do anything but hold on as Chocobo ran, the howls of Trolls behind us far too many to properly register.