Rising Storm in the Elven Realms

Chapter 1: And So It Begins

The birds stopped singing.The silence echoed down through the empty skies into the deep, green forest below. It spread across the long, winding river that ran eternally through the Elven land, and continued onto the hill-covered plains of a neighboring kingdom.It was this silence that caused a slim, fire-haired Elf to turn her face away from the river to the sky, and listen. She cautiously scanned the riverbank from where she sat. There was no wind, no rustling of leaves. There was only the sound of the rushing river."What is it, Niamh?" her honey-blond companion asked, pulling her hand out of the water, slight concern in her sapphire-blue eyes.The sky began to dim as clouds began to form.Niamh frowned, sniffed, and slowly stood up. She raised a finger to silence the noble elfmaiden beside her.Three dark riders appeared at the top of the far hill, and a threatening rumbling began rolling on behind them. The three figures sat silent and still, swiftly surveying the field, trees, a...