To the humble Elders,
I have been informed about your website and was asked, nay, instructed to join your circle so that I can work on and improve my writings. I ask that I may join the ranks of your grand establishment. In keeping with tradition, I am enclosing a story as part of my application. Many thanks for your review.
Leif The Bunny.
Leif and the Sun's Tear
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It was a quiet morning in the village. The sun was just coming up on the horizon and highlighting the forest to the east. This was no normal morning for Leif. Today was the day that he ventured into the forest in search of the lost monastery. The prosperity of the village depended on the recovery of a valuable artifact, the Sun's Tear. It is said that the Tear was made of pure gold and that all plants within miles would prosper and remain healthy, free from disease.
After a quick meal, Leif left his hut with nothing more than a backpack, a sword, and a dagger. His belt pouch was empty save two small silver coins. In this village, that was a lot of money. The once thriving village was ruined by the plague on its crops. People were left starving. Those with food were few and generally hounded by the less fortunate.
The road out of town was bleak. A few people had already set up along the road to beg. Having only two silvers to his name, Leif could barely afford to give away his money in the event that he was unsuccessful. Pulling the hood over his ears, he continued on, trying to avoid contact with those begging.
The journey from the village towards the woods showed why there was so much suffering. The crops were dismal. Nothing grew in the fields but some wheat, and it was sparsely available in the fields. Not even a good carrot to be had anywhere near the town.
It was midday by the time Leif reached the tree line of the forest. A stream crept out of the woods and flowed into a pond just south of the road. The day was already hot, and walking in the direct sunlight wasn't helping. Pulling the hood back off of his ears, Leif ventured into the woods. Entering the woods had an almost cooling effect on the bunny. It was a much welcome change. The small stream that passed along the road offered cool, clean water for drinking. Having been parched from the journey to the woods, this was a quickly taken advantage of.
After a short rest, Leif pressed on. The woods were quiet, offering tranquility. An occasional chirp from a bird could be heard or the chattering from a squirrel. The path lead on, deeper into the woods. Leif followed the path until the stream veered away. Stopping to look at his surroundings, he knew that the stream was his path. At least, that's what the Oracle had told him. With a quick break for more water, Leif pressed on, following the stream. The woods in this area were densely packed, and the greens were luxurious. If ever there truly were a Sylvan Forest, this surely would be it.
As nightfall approached, Leif decided it was probably best to stop. Not having a blanket or tent would normally be an issue, but the days were warm and the nights never seemed to get chilly. Looking around for a suitable site, Leif combed through the area. Once a suitable place was found, preparations were needed. There were wolves in the area, so a campfire was necessary. In addition, all that energy spent hiking meant that food was a necessity as well. Leif dropped his pack and started searching for food. Wood would be much easier to gather, as it was abundant here.
Foraging around, Leif was able to get some blueberries, herbs, and a few roots. The roots would go good in a stew. Gathering wood was an easy task. There was plenty of dry wood to be had in this part of the woods. Making it back to camp, there was one last thing to be done, building a fire. Opening his backpack, Leif removed a pot and a piece of flint. Using the dagger, he shaved the bark off of several branches and then built a small fire. Once the fire was started, he placed a ring of rocks around the burning pile and ventured off to fill his pot in the stream.
He spent the time preparing dinner and humming to himself. Leif wasn't known for his singing abilities, and it was best not to sing even in the privacy of the woods. The last thing he needed was to scare himself with his singing. After night fell, Leif tried to do some stargazing, but the canopy of the forest was just too thick. That meant it was the fire and humming to entertain for the night.
Leif stayed up for a while recalling the story he received from the Oracle. It was told that in the days before written history, the village was very prosperous. It was a center for folks through out the lands to come and trade for food and song. The village thrived on the trade and became the envy of others. One night, a thief strolled into the village hoping to make a profit. He had heard about the Sun's Tear and decided what better prize. Quickly, he made off with the golden artifact and ventured on. Knowing that he would be pursued, he made it to the woods and entered a monastery begging for sanctuary. Before his time was up, he passed away from an illness. As the monks didn't know who to send his belongings to, so they divided the goods up and gave them away. The Tear wasn't among his possessions though. The thief was smart and hid the artifact. In the centuries that passed, the monastery was reclaimed by the forest, forgotten in the ages, much like the Sun's Tear.
That night, Leif had a vision. In his vision, he saw the Sun's Tear. It was brilliant and shone brightly. Several ghostly figures gestured at Leif to come forth and take the Tear. As he approached, the dream ended and he woke up. It was just like the dreams he had been having for the past year now. It was only last month that he had discovered what it meant. The fire was just embers now. Being awake, he decided to start the fire back up. Though not overly chilly, there was a bit of nip in the air. Half in a daze, Leif was able to get the fire started. For some reason, his thoughts wanted to his lost friend. She had passed away so many years ago, but the memories were still vivid.
Leif starred into the fire. "Is this why I never left the village? Because I know that you are still with me?"
He bowed his head, knowing there would be no answer. It was a shame that the village didn't have the resources to brew anymore. A beer would be nice right about now. Mead would have been welcomed as well, but that was a rare find in the village. Time carried on and eventually, Leif made it back to sleep.
The next morning, Leif felt refreshed. There was still a little leftover stew, but the berries were all gone. Restarting the fire, he ventured into the woods for more berries. Hopefully the stew would be warm when he came back.
After finishing breakfast, Leif packed up and put out the fire. It was time to continue on. Following the stream, Leif counted the beaver ponds along the way. There was no significance to the task; it just helped him pass the time.
Several hours after leaving camp, Leif reached the hilly portion of the forest. They weren't true hills mind you, just small mounds. The Oracle said that they were the burial mounds of kings long forgotten. Leif's fur rose up and an eerie feeling fell over him. Nothing like letting your mind believe in old ghost stories.
Spending the rest of the day, Leif searched through the area looking for the monastery. When he finally found it, he noticed why it had been so hard to find. It was so covered in vines that the stonework had rotted away. Most of what was visible was green. He quickly ventured into the place, looking for the main building. None of the buildings, if you could call them that now, had doors or were distinguishable. This meant that the search was going to be tedious. Rather than worry about that, Leif decided it would be best to continue the search in the morning. He quickly picked a campsite in one of the ruins and went off to forage for more food.
He hadn't eaten this good in years. Dinner was very satisfying. It appears that the monastery once grew carrots, as they were wild in this area. Roasted carrots were a favorite of Leif. It gave him something to do during the night hours.
That night, the vision returned and once again, he woke up before getting the picture that he knew he needed. Once again, Leif rebuilt the fire and passed out from exhaustion. It wasn't much of a life, but it was all Leif knew anymore. Every morning though, he woke up like he had a restful sleep, so he wasn't too concerned.
This morning wasn't different. After a quick breakfast of raw carrots, Leif started his search. Going from building to building, Leif finally found the main building. There was a temple just beyond the main doors. The wood had been long since reclaimed by the forest. What was left of the stonework was crumbling from the weather. It looks like anything priceless was robbed. This means that the search was going to be even harder.
Searching through the building, Leif was able to find the stairs descending down into the cellar. It was dark, but there was enough light to see for a bit. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Leif was forced to finally pull out a torch from his backpack. Lighting the torch didn't help much, it seemed that the shadows absorbed the light making it harder to see.
Venturing from room to room, Leif was barely able to make out the purposes of each. Whatever the function of the rooms, a thorough search didn't provide a clue. When he reached the end of the main hallway, he starred at the last portal. "Please give me a clue,” he muttered while passing through. Just then, his vision appeared. Leif stopped and looked. The room was immaculate. There was a solid table of gold inlayed oak. A crowd of people gestured him on. Leif obliged them and slowly wandered forward. Reaching the table, Leif was able to touch the Tear. Just then, his vision ended. He was back in the room. There was nothing there.
After a heavy sigh, Leif searched the room. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was missing something. Scanning the room again, a glowing figure from his vision gestured to him again. Wait, Leif was awake. Could this be happening? Leif followed anyways. The figure pointed towards the corner. Brushing away the dirt, Leif uncovered a hidden compartment. At last, progress. Opening the cover to the compartment, Leif saw a satchel. Slowly lifting the satchel out, he sat down on the floor and placed the satchel in his lap.
He closed his eyes and offered up a prayer. Not that it would do any good; Leif had given up his beliefs a long time ago. It just seemed to comfort him. Finally, his eyes opened. The lock on the satchel was well rusted, but the leather was dried and cracked from long neglect. It was easy to open. Contained in the bag was the object he sought, the Sun's Tear. In addition, it looks like the thief left some money in the bag. This would be given to the village as well. There were too many poor that needed his help.
That night, Leif returned to his first campsite and had some more carrots. He had recovered enough to take back and share with the less fortunate. For the first night in over a year, he was able to sleep all the way through with out waking up. The next morning, Leif skipped breakfast and made a brisk pace back to the village. With renewed hope, he made good time. The village was saved and after a week of the Sun's Tear being restored to its place, the crops flourished once again.
