The Warden Legends - Short Stories - Maylarrah

     Maylarrah rolled over gently as she woke. She was damp from the dew but felt rested. She lifted her hand up to rub away the sleep from her eyes. The sun was just barely peaking over the rocks to the east. She opened her eyes and allowed the sounds of nature to sing in her ears. She said a quick prayer of gratitude to Auri-El for the start of another day as was her new custom.

    Upon completing her prayer, the young elf maiden heard an unfamiliar noise. It was a heavy breathing and what sounded like chewing. Maylarrah's heart began to pound a little harder as she rolled over slightly in the direction of the slurping and munching. Fur. Large amounts of fur. Claws held up a massive body of brown fir and a neck that had disappeared into her leather provision bag. "Wow are those claws huge," Maylarrah thought as she turned to locate her restoration staff, thinking for the first time on the pilgrimage that a sword or spear might have been a little more practical in this case. There it was! The staff was leaning about twenty feet away against a rock on the cliff. 

    Maylarrah cursed in elvish as she tensed every muscle in her body. If she was to get the staff, it would have to be quick. She ripped her body off the grass in a single push and rolled to the side of her staff, grabbing it in her hand. 

    The effect on the massive brown bear was expected. His head popped out of the provision bag as fast as the elf had moved. It let out a scary growl at her and charged.

    The Elven pilgrim pushed off the staff to her feet, and dove beside the bear in with staff and arms outstretched, leading into the grass with her staff, and springing to her feet from a roll. She was now in a ready stance knowing the bear would not be far behind.

    The creature dug his feet into the ground, even angrier at her escaping his first attempt. The smell of the young elf caused his mouth to drool. He charged at her again, but stopped only a few feet away, standing to all ten feet of stature. 

    The bear stood over a yard above Maylarrah, and she was tall for an Elf. She watch cautiously as the carnivour attempted to prove its dominance. She was truly impressed. Even in the years she had spent in military service to the crown, she had never encountered a bear so large. She began to mutter and incantation slowly as the top her staff began to glow, how she wished she had a sword.

    The bear dropped to all fours and roared even louder.

    Maylarrah felt the sound echo off her bones and insides. She finished her incantation and struck the staff in the ground. 

    At the bear's feet vines began to grow up around its ancles and arms quicker than the creature could tear at them. It gnawed and bit at the vines. It roared in frustration.

    Maylarrah knew she couldn't run. She began slowly slinking away, knowing the spell may not hold the bear for long. She rounded the rocks and realized she was trapped. She stood atop a cliff with the water some fifty feet below. She edged her way out onto the small ledge.

    The predator came to the edge of the cliff, but stopped at the edge growling at Maylarrah. It began walking slowly out onto the ledge with the Elf woman, deciding it wanted a meal more than safety.

    Maylarrah realized she only had one choice and jumped. The air rushed around her. She saw the water getting closer and closer. She breathed in and held her nose. She sunk deep, but swam to the top quickly and breathed in a deep breath. Gazing upward, the bear roared one more time and then ran off out of sight behind the rocks. Maylarrah was safe.