Many folk of Aldenea believe the elves to be one with nature and animals. They see them as devine beings who, with their flawless appearances and superhuman strength's and abilities, are a race to be admired. The elves are well known to keep themselves to themselves and rarely venture from their home in the north, Ullenor, a city built within the Ullenori Forest.
Since the Great War ended only a select number of elves have left the walls of the great city. These elves had been chosen by the High Elf, who is the equivalent of a king or queen, and charged with the task of ferrying one of the two remaining dragon eggs in existence. The other placed in the hands of men.
Once a year, for almost a century, an exchange of the last two eggs is held.
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A stiff wind howled in the night, blowing the cloak tails of the four hooded figures upon their steeds. They were two days in to their journey to the rendezvous with the humans in the south and the weather had been rather unforgiving. Although the downpour from the previous night had eased, a restless wind continued to blast through the Ullenori forest.
They trotted carefully in to the darkness, the path in front of them lit only by the candlelight lanterns they carried. The elf city, Ullenor lay well behind them, now just a distant memory. Amongst the small party was Elwen, an elf of royal blood. His pointed ears were hid underneath the hood of his cloak. His build is slim but strong and an air of elegance surrounded him. A powerful looking sword, with gold trimmings and a red stone on it's hilt, was hung over his back. He lifted his head and sniffed the cold air and an unusual scent wafted across his nostrils. This was his first venture outside of the walls of Ullenor, so he figured it was inevitable that he would come across many scents that seemed new and unusual to him. Nevertheless, he checked the bag attached to the saddle and secured it a little tighter, the object inside safe and protected.
"Stay together.", came a voice from behind Elwen. It was the voice of Fainor, the eldest and the leader of the group. His long white hair just about visible underneath his hood. Elwen wondered if he had noticed the unusual scent too. The others obeyed Fainor's orders and formed a tighter pack.
The faint sound of the Ullenori Falls could be heard. This was the only sound that broke the silence of the forest, except for the occasional whinnying from their steeds or the hoot of an owl. Elwen had heard and read of the Ullenori Forest and the vast array of living creatures that inhabited it. Yet, for the last two days he'd merely seen anything other than a small doe. He didn't mention his concerns to Fainor or the the others, in fear of being considered frightened or troubled of being so far from Ullenor. Infact, he had been looking forward to being part of the ferrying party, ever since his father, High Elf Rhyeagan, chose him. Yet, he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried of the task in hand.
This would be his first meeting with a human after all. Although, he wasn't scared about this prospect. He knew that the elves had sharper abilities and senses than the humans and they would be no match for Elwen and his companions. Still, he couldn't shake the odd feeling stirring inside of him.
The four horses with their riders cantered along the trail, careful not stray too far from each other. A clearing was visible up ahead.
"We should rest.", said the familiar voice of Fainor. Elwen was pleased to hear this, for they had not stopped for the whole two days, except to water their steeds at a small lake.
"Do we continue our journey at sunrise, Fainor?", asked Elwen as he tied his white horse to a nearby tree.
"We do,", replied Fainor. "So rest well, brother. We have only but a few hours."
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