Redux: Lineage

"Are you having my fucking life?" Annerose asked in sheer disgust after I'd finished pitching the idea to the group. "A four month trip?"

"What's not to like?" I asked with a smile. "Open roads, fresh air, exercise, and a sense of exploration and spiritual growth that we can't get sitting at home for months on end."

"The fact is I can barely manage to spend four minutes on my own with you, nevermind four months!" she barked, turning to the others. "You guys think this is barmy too, right?"

"I love a good road trip, though," Zane grinned.

"And from my reading of the Elven Capital, I've become more than interested to see it," Grael said in a pondering tone.

"So then why can't we just teleport?" Annerose asked.

"Because then you lose the fun of the journey," Zane said in protest. "The best parts of a road trip are the roads you walk and the journey you take."

"See?" I asked, gesturing at the taller man. "He gets it!"

"But we're not going on a hike for the sake of fucking hiking, are we, you mong," she growled. "We're going to fix that sword. Why would we waste four months of our lives wearing our legs down to stumps there and back when we can spend a week doing it at most?"

"I have to agree with Annerose, I'm afraid," Grael nodded. "The idea of the capital appeals to me greatly, but I have no love for the concept of hiking over mountains, rivers, and fields simply to get there."

"You guys are so boring," Zane sighed. "How can you expect to grow and change as people if you ignore the world around you?"

"There's a time for that, and it's not now," Grael said.

"Then how about you guys stay here while Zane and I go by ourselves?" I suggested.

"I'm down for that," Zane shrugged. "Been too long since it's been the two of us roughing it. Last time was... what, Highrise Falls, right?"

"With the zebras, yeah," I nodded, turning back to the other two. "Sound like a plan? You cunts can sit here and be boring while Zane and I go and make use of our lives?"

"I don't like the idea of you two going alone," Grael said, rolling his eyes as he sighed. "I like it about as much as trekking all that way."

"Then don't," I shrugged. "You'll have fun once you're on the road, and you know it."

"Sorry, but no," Annerose said, shaking her head and sitting down on a stool. "Not a fucking chance am I killing myself on this stupid journey."

"Right, stay here then," I said, turning to Grael. "What about you?"

"I... I can't say I like the idea," he said in a tone that told me he was torn between decisions. "But it is my sworn duty to protect you, and I won't let my own personal distaste get in the way of your safety."

"Awesome!" I grinned, then turning back to Annerose. "So I guess you're sitting this one out?"

Annerose stepped forward with a menacing expression, grabbing hold of my shirt and pulling me close, snarling with vicious intent.

"I am not letting you trapse off on some 'wanker walk' for four months to just leave me on my shitting tod," she growled. "I'm sure as shit tagging along... and I'm gonna make you regret every single second you spend on it, you hear me?"

"Calm down, princess," Zane said, petting her on the head. "You make us regret bringing you along every time. If you try to do it anymore, you'll hurt yourself."

"I fucking hate you," Annerose growled, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the rest of the group.

"Great, it's settled then," I nodded. "I'll send word to the servants to get us horses and supplies-"

"-try not to kill this one," Anne interrupted.

"-we can say goodbye to all the people that we care about, and then head off in a few hours," I said.

"Wait, we're going so soon?" Grael asked.

"Of course, no time like the present," I answered. "Why, you got plans?"

"Do the others?" Grael asked. "I don't imagine they'll take too kindly to having to clear their own calendars on a whim because you command it."

"Look, if it gets in the way for anybody else, I'll go by myself," I said. "I don't want anyone missing birthday parties or social events because of me."

"And we've already told you, that's not going to happen," Annerose stated.

"So where does that leave us?" I asked. "I want to go, you're all busy, and have of you don't wanna come."

"Because you refuse to teleport," Grael pointed out. "We'd all be more than happy to go if you'd cast aside your bizarre desire the waste nearly half a year on a back and forth journey."

"I..." I said, folding my arms and glaring at the floor. "I just wanna see the sights, that's all."

"I can't be fucked to waste four months, though," Anne added on.

"Then how about we compromise?" Grael suggested. "We teleport there, do what we need to do, and take the journey back."

"Not a chance," the raven-haired woman stated, as stern as ever. "Two months is way too much time for a job as simple as the one we've got, not to mention it's a trip that we don't need to take. Why are you so set on wasting everyone's time?"

"Because I'm sick to fucking death of teleporting everywhere!" I growled. "I've nearly died because of it, it makes me feel sick to my stomach, and gives me a headache."

"Oh, so because you don't like it, that means we're all supposed to bow our heads and accept your stupid reasons for doing stupid shit, eh?" she demanded.

"And as I've already said, if you don't want to take the trip, don't come along!" I snarled, the two of us nearly screaming in each other's faces at this point.

"Alright, that's enough," Zane sighed, stepping between the two of us and creating some space. "We're not getting anywhere with you two getting ready to tear the other's throat out. Just... calm down a little so we can talk about this properly."

"I've got nothing to talk about," Annerose glowered. "He's being to stupid to listen to reason and too selfish to think about anything other than what he wants."

I glared furiously at her, the sentiment returned just as forcefully before I simply waved the discussion off, turning tail and storming away, angry and frustrated beyond belief.

"I'm not putting up with this," I growled, ready to punch a hole through a wall with how angry I'd gotten over this.

"Yeah, fucking same," Annerose spat, storming off in a different direction. "Cunt."

Her remark fuelled the fires of anger even more, but I was smart enough not to make this a bigger deal than it needed to be. Making any kind of decision to confront her would only further hurt the situation, so cooling off and coming back to it later would be a smart plan. So that was exactly what I did; putting space between myself and the others to prevent this whole thing blowing up.

I took a quick exit from the castle, using a specific route over the main wall and down into the lower parts of the city I often used as a child whenever I wanted to skip out on a certain class. The city itself was bustling and loud, merchants calling to anyone and everyone about their goods, horse and cart being pulled through the city for deliveries, and entertainers worked and sweat for the money tossed into their hats, ranging from fire eaters to musical groups.

I kept my eyes mostly on the floor, only darting up to check if I were about to walk into someone, often catching a glimpse and a smile from a kindly old lady or a pretty young maiden. I paid no mind to those I didn't meet eyes with, finding pleasure in the fact no one appeared to recognise me as a prince of this land, and if they did, they kept it to themselves.

It was something the others couldn't do. Luna and Celestia were recognised instantly, Cadance and Twilight usually blended in with hoods but were quickly noticed if their hair was visible, but me? The darker blue hair was an oddity amongst the crowds of brown and black, but enough people, usually magically talented, had changed their hair to unusual colours or were simply born with different shades to make me stand out, but not identifiable.

Other than that, there was nothing really to grab attention as a royal. I didn't wear a crown, didn't wear any regalia, wasn't of enormous stature like my older relatives, and was clean and well-kept enough to be just another noble. It was a good way for me to live, as I'd be furious with the fact I'd have to gladhand and deal with enormous crowds gathering to bow their heads and worship me.

No, being boring and blending in suited me just fine. I did worry that ability would be disrupted slightly come my coronation, as a ceremony with me at the forefront would probably put my face in the minds of a lot more people than it was now, but I imagined it would soon fade away after a few months.

I shook my head, chasing away the worrisome thoughts and heading through the finance district, making a beeline for the western gate and heading out of the city grounds, disappearing into the treeline very quickly and making my way through the brush beneath the canopy of leaves.

I'd hunted in these woods with Luna a lot as a child, learning the prints and trails left by deer, wolves, sheep, and all other kinds of creatures. It was here I'd learned to build a fire, here I'd learned to bleed, skin, and prepare meat, and it was here I'd learned how to craft a makeshift bow. Though it was moreso a 'how to craft a new bow if yours breaks but you still have the bowstring'. Making a bowstring from regular materials wasn't really super easy out in the woods.

It was why Luna always suggested you carry one with you wherever you went. Just one of those 'essentials' you pack for any kind of journey. I sat down on a stump in a small clearing, hearing the sound of a nearby stream bubbling just out of sight. My anger had long-since melted away from me and my rational mind had returned, but I just wasn't in the mood to return home and I wasn't in the mood to discuss the journey with the others.

I just wanted to sit around and listen to the sounds of nature until I was content. I drew my sword, resting the dark blue blade across my legs and gently drumming my fingers on the cold steel, mind wandering through the trees and over the mountains as I thought about all the experiences I'd had training with Luna. One in particular struck me: an old logging cabin that was deeper, much deeper, into the woods where I'd learned to make a firepit.

It had been over ten years since then, that being a skill I'd learned when I turned seven, so I was curious to see if the cabin was still there. It had been in pretty bad shape when I'd last seen it, with the roof partly-caved in, the door torn off, and there being a floor of leaves and grass after they'd found their way inside the building. I remembered it being pretty big for a logging cabin, but I was much smaller back then. Maybe it was nothing more than a single-bedroom shack?

I wanted to find out, so I made my way there using a route that I'd memorised over ten years ago. Over the breadth of the brook, past two fallen trees that were intertwined by their branches, west of the outcropping of mossy rocks, and then follow the second stream you see south for a good ways before seeing the cabin hiding away just behind the treeline.

The journey was a good half an hour's walk, that time always being filled by Luna's stories that she'd tell as we walked, tales of her youth and her training to help me feel more comfortable with my difficulties in my own learning, as she'd been the exact same in her youth. I thought back to a specific time, one spring day when we'd come out amidst a thunderstorm, my trainer still dedicated to teach me that day's lesson:

"You're not wearing a cloak?" I'd asked my aunt as I followed behind the larger woman, looking up at her as the rain began to wet her hair.

"And neither are you," she said in a shrugging tone.

"I thought you hated the rain?" I questioned.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked, looking down at me with a puzzled expression.

"I just thought all adults hated rain. Every time it rains anywhere, I always see people like you swearing and complaining about it," I shrugged. "I like the rain. It feels nice."

"I agree. It's a pleasant thing to behold, much moreso than snow or heat," Luna nodded, helping me over large rocks with a grunt.

"Mother hates it," I continued. "Not sure what father thinks of it though. He never seems to complain about anything."

"Probably because he's been taught to deal with everything," Luna pointed out, placing a hand on my back and guiding me to another direction ever so slightly. "A lot of men like him have."

"Were you?" I asked.

"Yes, but much younger than your father was," Luna nodded. "Probably by a sterner teacher, too."

"Were they mean?"

"No... not really. They were moreso tough, didn't baby me like a lot of other trainers did," Luna explained. "He was very direct. Didn't mince words or try to soften his sayings for me."

"Sounds mean," I said with a displeased expression. "Everyone should be nice to each other."

"Mhm," Luna smiled. "It would be nice, wouldn't it? But, as much as I hated it when I first started training with him, I learned to appreciate it once I was older. Mostly because he gave me a very objective view of the world."

"Objective?" I asked, being unfamiliar with the term.

"It means to look at things for the qualities they possess, not whether or not you yourself like those qualities," Luna explained. "A chili pepper is objectively hot, that's because one of the qualities it has is being spicy. You cannot argue with that. However, whether or not you think spiciness is a good thing is a subjective matter, because it's up to you to decide."

"So he taught you... the world has things that make it what they are?" I asked, not really catching on with what she was talking about.

"No, he taught me that each situation has objective qualities," she said, picking up a fallen tree using her super strength and tossing it aside. "An example would be... if you are cold and wet on a training mission, but you are alive, fed, and in no danger of dying, then the situation is objectively good, despite the minor discomfort."

"Oh... I think I get it," I nodded, hopping onto another fallen tree and walking along the trunk, Luna holding an arm out to be ready to catch me if I fell. "So it's like looking at all the good things in a situation instead of the bad?"

"In a way, yes. Objectively, it is going well overall, thus, you are in a good situation," Luna nodded, helping me hop down from the tree once it had gone over a large hole in the ground. "But he also taught me to judge things on an objective matter without letting my emotions or preferences dictate the outcome of my feelings towards it."

"... what?" I asked, that sheer number of large words nearly blowing my head up.

"Sorry, I often forget your age," Luna chuckled, looking down at the path as she thought of a more child-friendly way to say it. "He taught me to view things as good or bad based solely on the qualities it had. Does that make sense?"

"Like a hug is good and a broken bone is bad?" I asked in return. "Whatever you've got, you say it's that?"

"Yes, let's say that. So if I am tired, soaking, and physically exhausted, but I am by a fire, have eaten, and have a safe place to sleep, objectively, that's a..." she offered, wanting me to finish the statement.

"Objectively good thing?"

"Correct. But if I am held captive by the enemy and am being tortured, that's..."

"Objectively bad," I said with a nod. "I think I'm getting this now... always say what things are based on what they are, not how you feel about them."

"Perfect," Luna said with a wide smile. "I don't think I could've worded that better myself."

I was brought out of my memories as a small group of deer brayed in the distance, causing my attention to snap up, realising that I was just outside of the treeline where the cabin was... and there appeared to be a washing line and bucket of water at the edge of the stream. I made my way over to it, noticing that there was indeed a set of clothing hung out to dry. It was all female, being undergarments, a tattered cloak, and a patchwork pair of socks.

I then turned around to look at the cabin, seeing the once-decrepit and run-down building being repaired entirely, the door replaced, the windows fixed, and the roof repaired with new thatching to keep it dry and secure. I guess somebody had bought the property recently and was living in it? Maybe a hunter or a trapper? I took another look at the clothing on the line, noticing that it was a rather small set up, meaning they wouldn't have large amounts of clothing hung up.

Another quick glance at the cabin didn't show me any traps, equipment for making traps, nor were their any pelts, drying racks, tanning racks, or dead animals lying in the back of it. Curiosity was peaked by the woman living alone in the woods, stories of witches and sorceresses running back and forth through my mind, before shaking my head to clear it all away. A witch or a sorceress could easily find lodgings better than a tiny little shack like this.

"Do you often stand around staring at other people's underwear or am I just an exception?" I heard a female voice ask from behind me.

I whirled around, my heart leaping into my throat as my hand lashed for the sword over my back, before my eyes settled on the woman before me. She was a taller example of her gender, being around five feet and eight or nine inches, wearing a raggedy brown dress, made from hemp by the looks of it, with a simple rope tie around the waist to keep it nice and fitted, tattered fingerless gloves that stretched up to her elbows, leaving a small gap between her chewed up sleeves and the end of the hand coverings, and a pair of worn leather boots.

Normally, I kept on guard with strangers, even if they didn't appear threatening, but it was the contrast between the woman's clothing and the rest of her physical appearance that put me even more on edge. Her hair was a bright, near-platinum blonde, running down to the small of her back in perfectly-maintained and cleaned locks. Her eyes were a bright, azure blue, with long, thick eyelashes.

I looked down at her arms and the rest of her body, a curvaceous figure showing that she was well-fed and nourished plenty, and not fighting for scraps of bread like the poor attire would suggested she had. The perfect hair and well-fed appearance were contradictory enough, but the smoothness of her flawless, alabaster skin mixed in with the pearl-white, perfectly straight teeth went a wing and a prayer beyond into proving that this was a woman of noble birth masquerading as a commoner.

"Blink, dearie," she said in a light, airy voice as she walked past me, grabbing the tattered cloak off the washing line and pulling it over her body, pulling a hood up low over her fringe and attempting to hide her face as best as possible. "Or you'll make your eyes sore."

"Right... I'm guessing the cabin is yours?" I asked, looking at the fixed lodge.

"For now," she nodded.

"You're renting?" I asked.

"Someone owns it?" she asked, placing a finger to her lip and showing off beautiful, expensive nails. "I hadn't a clue. I should probably apologise for using it then, shouldn't I?"

"Did you fix it yourself?" I questioned.

"We did," she nodded.

"We"? I asked in confusion.

"The forest," she said, gesturing to the greenery around us. "I asked for help and the forest answered. Specifically those two gents over there-"

She pointed a finger at two large oak trees with their branches almost curled around each other.

"Lovely boys, honestly, a pleasure to work with," she said with a smile, placing a hand to her cheek and staring dreamily at them. "Oh, and the girls gave us a fastening or two when she needed it."

Normally, I'd assume this woman was insane and leave her to it. But there was a specific set of people that did often 'talk' to the trees, often referring to them as 'he' and 'she', talking about them as people with preferences, desires, and interests of their own. To people out this far west, it was the ravings of a madwoman. But to me, someone who'd been trained to deal with all manner of mystic beings, this was telltale behaviour.

"Alright then, Miss, would you mind telling me why one of the Elder Folk is wandering this far away from the Emerald Forests?" I asked, looking her up and down as her smile fell from her face, replaced with a much more serious one.

"A smart one, are we?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I must say, I'm impressed. I never expected boys your age to even know what the Emerald Forests were, nevermind how to recognise their inhabitants."

"I'm not most boys my age," I shrugged.

The Elder Folk was another name for the High Elves, or the Light Elves, or the Treeborn, or any of the other hundreds of names their kind had come to inherit over the tens of thousands of years they had been around. They and their cousins, the dark elves, were often said to be the first humanoid species that inhabited these lands, existing alongside dragons and, strangely enough, eagles, as the first three races.

They were an immortal race, not being considered mature until their hundredth year, and were some of the most naturally-powerful magic users that walked this world, rivalled only by the dragons, and surpassed only by the Alicorn. They were a reclusive race, not being too fond of contact with others and certainly not fans of war, so as the other races were added to this world, they did not stand their ground when humans, Alicorn, Nekomata, and many others started to spread out from their place of origin, retreating to the confines of the enormous Emerald Forest and not really being heard from since then.

The rest of the world knew very little about how the High Elves operated, only hearing about their inner workings from Elves on journeys or ones that had left the Emerald Forests for good. They often spoke of the monarchy, a ruler had sat atop their throne for eight thousand years at this point, they spoke of their unique form of magic, and they spoke of their architecture and writings.

There were a select few outsiders permitted to journey inside the Emerald Forests, Alicorn being one of them, and mostly the Dark Elf ambassadors sent to seek word of their cousins every few hundred years. The Dark Elves, despite popular belief, weren't an evil race, nor were they aggressive or vicious. They were simply High Elves with a different skin colour and a different form of magic. Instead of singing like the High Elves did, the Dark Elves would chant, usually in large numbers, to create larger spells.

The Dark Elves were also much more competent fighters than their lighter cousins, preferring to guard their territory and be very hostile to outsiders that chose to carry weapons across their borders. While not a warrior society, combat was a large focus in their teachings, the art and magic of war also being heavily praised, but they were never warmongers. I'd met a few of them throughout my life during their rare visits to our capital, but had never spent enough time with one to learn anything personal.

"That I can tell," she said, poking me gently in the shoulder. "You're an Alicorn, no? Funny... I thought you'd be taller."

"Thanks," I said in an annoyed tone, gently moving her finger away with a hand. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Is there a law in your country that prevents a poor little Elf from wandering by herself?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, but there is one about unlawful residence on a person's property," I said, jabbing a thumb at the cabin, still able to see the light of lit candles burning in the window. "And since this forest is in Equestria and owned by the Royal Family as a result... you're in my house."

The Elf looked at me with a bemused expression, her eyes dragging back and forth between myself, the cabin, and back again before she asked me another question in a lower tone.

"Are you serious?" she said in a gravelly voice. "You're really going to haul me off to jail because I fixed and temporarily moved into a cabin nobody's used in eighty years?"

I was silent for a long moment, keeping my eyes focused on the cabin, keeping my face as stern as possible before simply turning back to her and shrugging with a bored expression.

"I'm fucking with you. Stay here for as long as you want. I just wanna know why you're here," I said, placing my hands on my hips and looking at her. "That'll count as rent, if you want?"

"Oh thank goodness," she said with a sigh. "The last 'landlord' I 'rented' property from demanded a rather uncouth payment for my time in his lodgings."

"Did he want to cum on your ears?" I asked in a flat tone.

"How did you know-" she began in an astounded manner.

"I hear its a common thing with Elvish women," I said, waving the topic away with a hand. "So, story time, please?"

"As you insist, dearie," she said, clearing her throat and putting on a 'storytime' voice. "As an Elf that has spent many a year wrapped in the loving embrace of the Emerald Forests, my mind began to yearn for the knowledge of the outside world. I wanted to see human cities, wanted to taste Nekomata food, and wanted to swim in the lakes of Alicorn history."

"And are you enjoying it?" I asked her.

"Thoroughly," she nodded, her smile soon disappearing as she began ranting. "Apart from the disgusting state of most of the settlements, the outright racist attitudes some people have towards my kind, the constant beration from human and Nekomata women for daring to be attractive, and the seemingly non-stop sexual harassment I face from men and women alike for their desire to fornicate with my ears."

"It is a shithole, I will agree," I nodded, crossing my arms and chuckling quietly. "But what about the lakes of Alicorn history? Were those nice?"

"Probably the nicest places I've seen," she nodded. "Mostly because the lakes and surrounding areas are completely abandoned and fish don't really tend to ask to lick chocolate off your thighs."

"Somebody's clearly avoided the Feral Coasts and the mermaid population then," I whistled.

"The what?" she asked.

"The Feral Coasts are the surrounding areas of an enormous series of islands that are the homeland of the mermaid species," I answered. "And mermaids are actually the worst water-born monster in existence. Y'see, a Siren will lure you to your death, drown you, and then eat you. A few minutes of discomfort, and then you're dead. A mermaid? They're about as rapey as dolphins are. They'll grab you, drag you to a beach, and molest you for days on end until you die of thirst."

The Elf looked at me with a blank expression, a light of understanding behind her eyes, before she seemingly doused it with a look of confusion.

"Huh," she stated. "So much for a race of sea-faring, singing beauties."

"The tales are often nicer than the truths," I shrugged. "So where are you off to next on your journey once you've finished illegally inhabiting my lands?"

"Home, I'm afraid," she shrugged. "My time and patience with this world has worn more than thin in this outing, and I long to return to the comfort of my own home."

"Well, I wish you luck on your journey," I said with a nod of my head, turning around and deciding I'd spent enough time putting off the discussion with my friends.

"Say, you'd be Richter, wouldn't you?" she asked me as I went to cross the stream.

"Yeah," I nodded, looking over my shoulder. "What's your name?"

"Sellaweyr," she answered with a smile. "If you're ever in the Emerald Forests, be sure to ask for me. I wouldn't mind having another chat with you in the future."

"Right, I'll remember that," I nodded. "See you around, Sellaweyr."