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by: Anonymous 
Chapter 1 - The Satyrs Chapter 2 - The Elders Epilog Kala paced back and forth out front the elder's council room, her blue cape flowing after her. Behind the doors were representatives of the towns and villages which surrounded Whitestorm. Any minute she was to go through the doors and inform them of Whitestorm's plan of action, but she was stalling, waiting for word from the council of elders before she made any decision on what to do next. "Hope is all we have now." she said to the messenger with her. "We must get in contact with the council immediately and find out what is taking so long. Go, follow the paths the elders took into the forest to the satyr's war council and bring back any word they send on the situation. If the elders can not....", and she paused, "Let us not think of that. Go quickly and bring back any word you can." With her were her two advisors. One who thought to attack now, while the other favored a defensive stance in hopes that the satyr's would not attack. She continued to pace back and forth before the door. The first advisor spoke, "We must attack the satyr's while they regroup. Once they have refortified their positions we can not possibly win, even with all of Atheria on our side. Most towns can not feed themselves much less support an army. Attacking now is our best chance." "I will not attack the satyrs without word from the elders", she turned around quickly and pointed to the elder's council doors, "nor will I go through those doors and ask the others to do just that." She paused and faced towards the door as she had repeated yet again what she had been saying for the past hours. Doubt was beginning to set in even if she would not admit it but I was not an apprentice scholar and I had seen this doubt before. "Leader", spoke the first again, "This is not a matter of attacking an innocent people. Even within the satyr ranks there is discontenting. I have word from some of our very best spies that within the satyr forces lie a faction dedicated to annihilation of Whitestorm. They will stop at nothing to see that goal come true." "To attack without word from the council would be a sin against all Whitestorm stands for, and you know that." was her only reply. Kala continued pacing back and forth, faster with each step. Once, maybe twice she approached the council doors and stood almost as though she were ready to go through them, but she always held back, waiting for a message from the elders. Finally after minutes which very well could have been hours she turned to me and said, "Scribe..." But just then a bloodied messenger broke through the entrance and approached Kala. His face was covered in blood, most of which appeared to be his own as part of his arm was missing and he bleed profusely on the ground. "There was no time to prepare a defense and two of the elders were killed, but one did run into the woods as if guided by Peace but I then lost sight. The attackers jumped the wagon and slaughtered us all. I was left for dead and waited until they left before daring to return here." Barely able to talk and spitting up blood the messenger continued, "Only the last good elder was seen alive, it does not look well for us." And with those words he fell lifeless to the ground. "I did not even have the time to bring a cleric to his side." Kala said kneeling beside him. She stood up and looked towards her advisors. It was now the second who spoke, "This is not a time for worship, the cleric could not have helped. This attack could very easily have been the work of the faction my equal spoke of earlier. With the council of elders killed we would be dysfunctional and they could easily overrun the city." "But you are right leader, this is not the time to attack." he continued, "It is not the time to prepare for their attack. We must strengthen the walls and have the forces positioned to protect the city walls." Grasping on the only straw she had, Kala spoke again. "There is still one good elder left. If he can get to the satyr council I believe this war can be prevented. Moving the forces to protect Whitestorm would serve no purpose as the other towns would be left vulnerable with no defense. Already farmers and travelers are slaughtered by the satyrs, no one is safe if they are not behind the walls of their city. I will not surrender those lives for the lives of those within these walls." "Then we will attack", spoke the first advisor once again. "We will wait and give the elder a chance to make peace." was her reply. And once again we waited. From behind the council doors we could hear the same arguments but much louder even if muffled by the door itself. War was soon to break out in the council chambers as well as the battlefield if unity was not brought soon, and Kala was the only one who could bring that unity, but she would not enter the room until she gave the elders every possible chance to prevent this war from happening. Silence fell in the waiting room where we stood as Kala resumed her pacing before the door. And arguing continued on the other side of it. Then after a few moments cries of shock echoed through the city and the voices on the other side of the door changed. At first it sounded as though the town itself was being attacked but that was not so. A moment later the cause of the outside commotion, and for the silence behind the door became apparent as a messenger burst through the outer doors and kneeled Kala. Kala held the cape in her hands for a moment, then let it drop to the ground as she turned and faced the door yet again. She drew her sword as she spoke, "The last of the elders has been killed, and we are now at war." Raising her sword high above her head she swung it down, breaking the lock on the council doors and flinging them wide open.
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