FicWad

Onoric wandered in to the town and looked about. Devlin and the new baby were to stay here in the town and Onoric had agreed to work with the local Guild. He'd been training as a ranger since his birth, his people were nature based.
He rarely venture back to the elves after meeting the barbarian as they had fallen in love and after a short career in adventuring she had become pregnant. He had loved the idea even though he was still very young himself. Though a half-breed was rarely viewed to be born of love he had heard of it himself and had accepted that it was fate.
He wandered through and found the house they had arranged and letting himself in the door heard the familiar sounds of the baby. She didn't cry often either and Oni would happily spend the night watching over her. At six months old she was already looking more and more like her mother. Oni found it amusing that even with the ears and eyes of his own ancestry she displayed her mothers qualities.
"You're home! Oh good." Devlin came out. "Evelyn wants feeding and I really need to rest and bathe."
"No problem." Oni smiled getting up on his toes to give her a quick kiss. "I got signed up with the Guild. They may have work quite shortly. I think it's well paid too as they don't seem to take a massive cut."
"That's good."


Three months later he was out scouting with the party assigned. They were to investigate the reports of an orc raiding party. Onoric was sat in the tree just outside the town and waiting for signs. They had been out two hours. It was a nice simple job for a simple creature and that was all he needed. He stretched and shadowed the fighter below him.
All hell broke loose shortly afterwards. He and the other scout heard movement in the trees and Onoric motioned towards it. The men brought weapons and shields out ready and then with a sound similar to thunder a band of orc raiders burst through the tree line. From his vantage-point the elf let several arrows fly taking some down before they got in to view of the fighters.
What they did not plan for was the hobgoblin onslaught. Onoric protected as many of the party as he could as they tried to avoid the oncoming group of raiders. There were eight of them against about forty of the orcs and hobogblins. Onoric already had his blood to blame for his hatred of orcs and as they got close to the town he ran after them.
The orcs burst into the town laying waste to homes and businesses. The hobgoblins picked off anything they missed as the small population scattered into the surrounding trees and areas. Onoric's heart was thumping heavily in his chest as he hadn't seen Devlin at all.
The situation did not improve when the towns men and the guild had fought off as much as they could and the remaining orcs and three hobgoblins staggered out back to the forest. Onoric and his friends gathered all the people they could together before he ran to the house. He was hoping that his worst fears were going to be proved wrong.
The village was a mess of burning homes and blood from those that had been caught. He pushed the door open already feeling sick with worry and keeping the bow in his hand he walked silently through to the back of the garden where the door hung on its hinges.
Devlin was crouched over what he guessed to be Evelyn and for a moment his spirit lifted as he saw her, but it was not to be. He stumbled towards her and gently touched her. She had been killed by a large blow to her head. He moved her gently and looked at the bundle she was hiding.
Evelyn had not been killed but she was very ill. The chance of her living looked minimal to the ranger who gently picked her up. She had bruises and cuts all over her body and Onoric wanted nothing more than to run after the beasts and hunt them down but it would be selfish. Whatever he wanted could not come in to the equation; his child needed him more.
He walked out in to the market place with Evelyn half conscious after picking up Devlin's bastard sword. Tears streamed down the young elf's face but he knew where he had to go. Handing over his own sword to the guilds master he walked out without another word. He walked to the elves slowly and carefully watching every step making sure he kept his daughter as safe as he could.
"Mellanomin lost child." One of the elves said as he walked in. "What happened?"
"Orcs and hobgoblin raiders. Please... you have to save her." He begged. "I..."
"It's okay Oni come on." He led him to the healing tree. The elves gathered around.
"We can save her Oni but she may not wish to live. The bond with the mother is always strong." The old wise-man told him.
"She has too." He whispered leaning down to kiss her forehead and handing her over. "She's her mother's girl. No barbarian ever gave in easily. She fought to keep her alive."


When Onoric left a month later it was with the young girl staying with his own mother. Onorics parents had agreed to take her and care for her. Onoric sadly found looking at her painful as she reminded him of the pain. It wasn't that he didn't love her more that he knew he had let her down by being unable to protect her.
"Are you sure this is what you want Oni?" His mother handed over the bow and looked at him worriedly. He had said hardly anything in months not that he was the most talkative at any rate.
"Mother, you told me we need time to heal. It's true but my way is not to lament for a decade. It will serve me and Evelyn no good. She is better off this way I assure you." He smiled gently for the first time. "I could trust no other with her life like I trust yours."
"Well I am grateful for that much." She smiled warmly.
"I plan to get this melancholy out of my system by taking to the road for a while. I don't know how long but there may be a guild in the city that would take my services. I will kill every orc and hobgoblin I find if I have to but I need to get this out of my system. Whilst I feel this way I am no use to anyone."
"Do what you must my baby but come home." She handed him the large sword. She had watched him learning to use it in the forest and had known he could not rest.
"I have to learn to live without her. I cannot do that here." He said reaching and passing her Devlin's necklace. "I have to come home. My baby is here." He kissed her cheek. "And of course all those I love." He turned only once to look back as Evelyn's little hand was waved at Oni by his father on the way out. "I need to seek forgiveness." He said to no one as he headed back on to the road.