[Chapter 7 - Palma Non Sine Pulvere : Dare to Try]

Morning came and went. I woke up, got dressed and headed downstairs. I ate in silence and for the most part things were rather eventful. My mother hadn't shown and Louse and Aela tended their respective duties. I have the feeling they are the ones who carried me home yesterday but they didn't say anything and I didn't ask. Ever since I woke up both my mind and body feel like they just ran a marathon. After I finished breakfast the only thing I wanted was more sleep. I slowly began heading to my room when I heard a firm voice behind me.

"Elwen" I turned to see my mother. Contrast to her usual elegant and flowing appearance she seemed very…battle ready. Her hair was tied back with several different braid patterns neatly arranged. She wore light leather armor and had a sword made of silver at her hip. On her chest was a matching wand tucked into a leather sheath, at its base was a white stone with blue edges that seemed to have a slight glow.

"Prepare yourself"

She tossed a pile at my feet that made a variety of thuds and clinks as it hit the wood. In the pile was leather armor with metal plates on the chest pieces. "Prepare with haste. We leave in 10, expect to be gone for a month or so.". She then left as abruptly as she arrived. Slowly I grabbed the leather armor and continued to my room. Shortly after I emerged wearing the gear and looked around. The house was empty and the air was still, after looking around a few corners I headed outside to find Louse and Aela preparing two horses with saddles and packs. Nearby stood my mother chatting with Aela, when she noticed me she began to approach and Aela resumed packing.

"Good, you look like a proper fighter Elly" she smiled "First we will head back to the hill and determine your magic class as well as make sure you have a first experience using skills. I'll explain the rest on the way.". She then walked back to the two black horses and as she did Aela backed away slowly and nodded as my mother swiftly and cleanly mounted the horse.

I took a deep breath in and let out a hard exhale feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety at what lay ahead.

"Understood mother"

I followed after her and approached the second horse. Louse bowed and smiled at me before taking a step back. Usually he would assist me but I guess that time has passed. I stretched to place my foot in the stirrup before doing a staggered hop and grabbing onto the horn of the leather saddle as I pulled myself up struggling slightly to slide my other leg over the horse. After a couple of attempts my leg cleared and I sat properly atop the horse.

Simultaneously Louse and Aela bowed and with an upbeat tone "Have a safe journey"

As they did my mother clicked her tongue and the horses began heading to the path in the trees that lead to the grasslands. As my horse began moving forward I gripped the rains and felt a smile form on my face. After a few minutes my mother began to speak. "The rest of my story."

"W-what" I said confused. In my defense it had been silent up until this point with a tenseness in the air I didn't have the confidence to break.

"The rest of my story of why we live alone, of the ring."

"Oh, yes, please" I stared at the purple cloak that covered the back of her head as we rode.

"The Ring of Loki and your father indirectly caused the death of 8 of 10 of the Elven high council, one of which was the current head of the Vinswaine family and my mother, your grandmother, Lady Iris Vinswaine."

My heart sank. To know so little about my father and now to hear this. I practically know 2 things about him and they completely contrast. One thing says he was a hero who defeated a calamity class monster and the other says he got 8 Elves killed. I simply swallowed my spit and kept my focus on the back of my mothers head as she spoke.

"After we defeated the monster your father was the one who retrieved the ring. He then turned it over to one of the assault commanders who in turn turned over the ring to the council when we returned. When one of the council members removed the ring in front of the small remnant that remained of the original army and inspected it, I realized I recognized the ring he held up. A golden band that housed a white stone with blue edges." She raised her hand to her chest "It was the ring I had given your father. The stone doubles the power of any light skills used. There was only one like it and when it was mined it split into two pieces. One was placed in the ring and the other in my wand. As I often used light based enchantments to aid him I thought it was the perfect gift. Once we were alone I couldn't hold back. I burst into tears and yelled at him that he betrayed me and the Elves but he insisted it was for our family. On our journey to the battIe I had discovered I was pregnant with you, your father had secretly overheard me discuss it with one of my attendents but he pretended not to know. He probably knew there was no use in trying to persuade me not to fight, and he would have been correct. So out in his blind greed of wanting our child to have an untold opportunity he secretly swapped the two rings. For a moment it even looked like he was going to get away with it as well.".

She grew silent "But one night while he was out drinking he overheard rumors of a man covered in strange symbols asking about the ring. I don't know what compelled him to do so but he decided to go to the royal hall where the council was convening that night and investigate or something. The only testaments of what happened next came from the 2 surviving members of the original council. Allegedly a strange man covered in symbols appeared demanding the ring. When angrily questioned by a council member on his arrival he proceeded to instantly slaughtered 3 council members and seized the box containing the ring. Soon after he declared it a fake and began attacking the council one after another demanding the real ring and killing them when they couldn't provide it. At some point your father arrived and engaged him. While the man brutalized him the two remaining council members escaped. In the end the royal hall was completely destroyed in a cluster of attacks. The man vanished and the devastation was so absolute no remains of any deceased were found, your father included. The two survivors testified and as a result your father was blamed due to him being the one who retrived the ring. Though dead he was branded a terrorist and I as his wife was exiled. Given the sitaution the remaining council labeled the ring as either destroyed or stolen during the battle and carried on. "

My mothers horse vegan to slow, soon we were side by side. She looked me in the eyes with an absolute seriousness "Elwen, I know you are young and this is a lot for you. What is coming will be hard and painful. There will be times where you want to quit but you must not. A day may come where that man returns in search of the ring. You must grow strong, strong enough to survive him, strong enough to rise above the hate of the Elves for your father, and strong enough to proect what it is hold dear. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head yes. It was all I could do. I was at a loss for words and I couldn't say how I felt. There were a hundred emotions flowing over me right now and even I couldn't pick one out. So instead, I simply nodded.

"Good" As she nodded back in understanding the trees cleared and she pulled her rains causing her horse to come to a stop and in turn I did the same. We both dismounted and walked a little through the clearing to a hill. She turned and faced me "Clear your mind, focus your intent to cast magic and the tool to do so will appear."

I held my hand out and followed her instruction, soon the rune on my hand began to release a warm feeling and in my grasp clear as day was a wand made from obsidian.

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As I gripped the wand reading the text I felt my hand begin to shake and I gulped tightly. My mother stared at me with a serious expression. "Well, what base class did you get"

"All of them" I said blankly, still reading the text in front of me.

"What?!"my mother said with shock in her voice "Show me"

I nodded and focused on the wand in my hand. As the text disappeared I took a deep breath and prepared to use my first skill. I felt the mana gather in my chest and move into my hand as I opened my mouth to speak.

"FIREBALL!"