Chapter Text
Runaan stood in his room, trying to exude as much confidence as possible. He faced a large rounded mirror, pulling various facial expressions and poses, assessing which ones made him look the most intimidating. After all, he had to make sure that he was taken seriously.
Today was a big day. After thirteen long, agonising years, Runaan was finally going to be following in his parents’ footsteps by starting his Moonshadow Assassin training. Though he dared not show it on his face, excitement was bubbling in Runaan’s chest. Ever since he had first learned about their community’s fearless assassins, he knew that this was what he wanted to do. His future was finally beginning.
After deciding he looked utterly ridiculous pulling faces at his mirror, Runaan turned to look outside his bedroom window, gazing upon the Silvergrove. The village sprawled out before him, the ivy-covered marble buildings nestled amongst the trees and undergrowth. The warm light of the sun shone down on the village, a stark contrast to the cool, icy tones of the architecture. Whilst the village truly thrived at night, it was undeniable that there was a certain coziness to it in the daylight. Elves dotted the streets, each heading off to perform their daily tasks. Everyone had a role to play in the village. From assassins to chefs, every elf was important.
As for Runaan’s parents, they were well known among the Moonshadow Elves. As two of the most skilled assassins in the community, they had garnered a sort of prestige for their combat abilities. When they were out and about, Runaan always noticed the admiring looks that his parents recieved; the Moonshadow Assassins were local heroes, tales of their missions and accomplishments spreading like wildfire.
Runaan recognised the high bar that had been set for him, but he was ready to meet it. One day, these elves would look at him the same way they looked at his parents. He would become just as skilled as them, if not more so. Of that, he was certain.
A gentle knock at the door eventually made Runaan turn away from the window. His parents, Tara and Arrats, peered around the door, faces lighting up as they looked at their son. They both wore their assassin uniforms, the dark hues of blue and green fabric standing out in the brightly lit room.
“Oh, Runaan,” Tara cooed, stepping into the bedroom. She strode towards Runaan, affectionately taking his face between her hands, much to his displeasure. “Look at you! All grown up.”
“Mum…” Runaan groaned, moving to gently pry away his mother’s slender hands. Though he appreciated his parents’ love, Runaan had never been a huge fan of their physical affection, finding it more than a bit overbearing.
His father laughed quietly from the doorway, stepping forward a few paces to put an arm around his wife.
“Careful, love. Our boy’s an assassin now. You don’t want to be crossing him,” Arrats teased, recieving an irritated glare from Runaan.
“Are you all ready for your first training session?” his mother asked, quickly looking her son up and down. He was wearing clothing that somewhat resembled his parents’ uniforms, although with much less silver armour. His white hair, which reached halfway down his back, was tied back in a sleek ponytail so that it wouldn’t get in the way of his vision.
Runaan nodded, the tiniest proud smile twisting the corners of his lips.
“I’ve done everything I can to prepare. I even studied, just in case she asks me questions.”
“That’s my boy,” Arrats grinned, reaching to pat his son on the shoulder. Runaan glowed under their proud gazes, warmth creeping beneath his skin.
The three of them went downstairs, where Runaan’s father prepared scrambled crackle bird eggs for breakfast. Together, they sat around the table, Tara and Arrats chatting comfortably whilst Runaan listened, itching to get out of the house. Every moment he spent here was a moment that he could be spending in the forest, training. He wolfed down his eggs and hurried out the door, but not before being caught up in a loving hug from his parents. They waved him off as he marched down the cobbled stone path, barely containing his excitement.
This was it; the start of his future.
“Runaan!”
Runaan had been walking for barely a minute before hearing a voice call his name. He turned and spotted an elf of a similar age to him waving nearby. He paused and waited as the elf ran up to him happily, a bright, goofy grin on their face.
“Good morning, Lain,” Runaan smiled gently at his friend as he approached, waving at him. He and Lain met each other years ago at school, and Runaan would probably consider him to be his best friend, though he would never admit that out loud. Despite the two being so different, they somehow got along brilliantly, Lain’s extrovertedness balancing out Runaan’s sensibility.
“I’m so glad I caught you!” Lain panted, still catching his breath as he smiled up at his friend, his orange eyes bright. “I wanted to wish you luck for your first day of training, and I was worried that you would have already left,” he explained quickly.
Runaan smiled at the sentiment, moving to give Lain’s arm a friendly rub.
“Thank you,” he spoke with genuine appreciation in his voice. He was glad that Lain had taken the time to come and wish him luck for the day; it truly meant a lot. “Would you like to walk with me for a bit?”
“Aye!” Lain nodded, straightening himself up, having caught his breath. The elf quickly started one of his characteristic rambles as the pair set off in the direction of the forest.
“So, Runaan, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about… I think that I have fallen in love!” Lain announced excitedly. Runaan raised an eyebrow in response, slightly dubious.
“Oh, really? Who’s the lucky elf?”
“Tiadrin,” Lain sighed happily, an almost giddy look on his face. “From school, you know her? Around my height, shoulder-length hair, insanely clever, really pretty…”
Runaan paused, before nodding. “I’ll take your word for it,” he said with a small shrug. He didn’t tend to share Lain’s interest in romance; his main focus was on improving himself and becoming stronger. Still, he was happy for his friend.
“Do you think I should ask her out?” Lain looked to Runaan for an answer, his expression suddenly tainted by anxiety. “What if she doesn’t like me? What if she thinks I’m dumb or something?”
“Stop fretting, Lain.” Runaan rolled his eyes, letting out a slightly exasperated sigh. “Of course she’ll like you. In fact, I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t like you. And besides, if you’re truly in love, surely you have to take a chance?”
Runaan hoped that his reassurance would be enough to calm his friend’s nerves. After all, he himself had had no experience with love. He didn’t know if what he was saying was absolute rubbish or not, let alone whether it would actually be comforting.
Lain paused, considering the words. “I s’pose you’re right… I’ll think about it.” Runaan breathed a small sigh of relief that he had managed to comfort Lain.
For the rest of the walk, Runaan listened to Lain talk about everything from school, to his parents, to his annoying neighbours. Although he only really gave responses in the form of small nods and hums, Runaan listened to and considered every word Lain said. This worked for them - Lain talking about whatever came to mind, Runaan quietly but attentively listening.
By this point, they were nearing the edge of the forest, and Runaan felt his excitement growing with every step. He couldn’t stifle a small grin from turning his lips. Lain stopped talking, noticing that Runaan was too excited to pay attention, and instead resigned to just happily watching his friend. It was rare for Runaan to get this excited about anything, and it warmed Lain’s heart to see him happy.
“Right, you had best be off then, Runaan,” Lain said once they reached the end if the path. He turned to his friend, pride warming his gaze. “Go and show them what you’re made of.”
Lain hesitated for a moment before pulling his friend into a quick hug. “You’re going to do great.”
“Thank you…” Runaan murmured quietly, slowly lifting his arms to return the hug.
Once the two parted ways, Runaan couldn’t stop himself from running to the training area. He knew the route off by heart from years of watching his parents, and now it was finally his turn to fight - his chance.
His excitement only doubled when he heard voices up ahead. Runaan burst into a clearing, filled with young elves, most of which only a few years older than him, training with various blunt wooden weapons. He watched, mesmerised by their movements; the footwork, the lunges, the stabbing.
One of the elves, a tall, muscular woman, noticed his arrival. She quickly put down her wooden blades, dusted herself off, and hurried over to him.
“Ah, hello!” she greeted with a smile. “I’m Kamari, leader of the Moonshadow Assassins. But I’m sure you know that already, aye? You must be Runaan, Tara and Arrats’ boy?” Runaan nodded in response, practically awe-struck by the woman. “Good, good! You’re right on time. Follow me now. Ayla, you’re in charge for the moment!” she called out to a nimble looking elf. “Right this way, Runaan.”
Runaan followed Kamari as she swiftly marched out of the clearing, managing to keep only a few paces behind her.
“Where are we going?” he pestered as he jumped over a log, only to receive a vague ‘you’ll see’ in response.
Suddenly, Kamari came to an abrupt halt, stopping so quickly that Runaan almost ran straight into her. He looked around, utterly unimpressed by the new location. They were in a long, sandy stretch of woodland, surrounded on all sides by tall, thick trees. He opened his mouth to comment, but was silenced by Kamari raising a hand.
“Right, Runaan. Are you ready to train?” She didn’t wait for a response before continuing. “Twenty lengths of this clearing, please.”
Runaan’s enthusiastic nods quickly turned to a look of confusion. “…What?”
“You heard me, kid. Twenty lengths. Assassins need to be fast and have good endurance. This is your first test. I assume you can do it?”
Kamari smirked as Runaan scowled, very clearly unhappy. He wanted to fight, not run up and down a clearing. Anybody with legs can run. But above all else, he wanted to prove himself. And if he had to run to do that, so be it.
The first ten lengths were easy. He kept a fast but steady pace, receiving encouraging shouts from Kamari. But then he began to slow. He underestimated how long the track was, and had started off too fast. Now, he struggled to keep up with the pace he had set for himself. By the twentieth lap, his muscles were aching and he was kicking himself for messing up so badly.
When he returned to Kamari, the woman had an amused look on her face. “Don’t fret, Runaan. Just give it another shot.” Runaan opened his mouth to protest, but was quickly interrupted. “That is, unless you want to give up now.”
Though Runaan’s scowl deepened, he obliged, and restarted the activity. But now, he was achy and annoyed and pushing through on pure determination. It was clear to anybody that he wouldn’t succeed, not today at least, but Kamari wanted to see how far he would push himself. He had a chance to be sensible and quit, and she wanted to see which point he would choose to give up.
Runaan carried on running for an hour, only stopping when his legs physically buckled beneath him. The sun was high in the sky, heat waves radiating down on the clearing. Runaan’s face was beaded with sweat, practically gasping for breath.
“I have to say, Runaan, I’m impressed. You’re a determined boy, I’ll tell you that for nothing,” Kamari whistled, watching the young elf catch his breath. She leaned down to where he was crouched, glaring at her. “But determination will only get you so far. If you can’t get past this first hurdle, I’m afraid you won’t get very far at all.”
Runaan wanted to argue. He wanted to defend himself and his abilities, but found himself too tired to do so. Kamari smiled at him, offering a hand for him to stand up.
“Go and rest up. Come back here tomorrow at noon, and we will try again, aye?”
Reluctantly, Runaan nodded, taking Kamari’s hand and pulling himself up. Tomorrow he would do it, he was sure of it. He would train tonight, and be fully prepared for tomorrow. Then, Kamari would have to let him train properly.
Runaan cursed under his breath as he stormed off, Kamari waving him off from behind. He would show her. Runaan was going to prove himself.