Dalawig's Beginning

My beginnings...they seem so long ago though in the end it's only been a couple of years at the most. They seem so far away now. Something out of a dream and yet I know it is real, I remember each detail so vividly.

Dala grabs a basket of apple bits mixed with grain and brings them out to the horses standing in front of the door to his house. "Good morning Crawan," he murmurs as he pets the shaggy horse next to him. "Good morning to you as well Bera," he continues as he moves to give the lighter colored mare a pat on the shoulder once she comes over. "I'm glad you both are back safely with pa and my brother," he starts before pausing and laughing as Crawan shakes his head and gives a stamp of his hoof, "Alright, I will let you eat. I have chores to finish as it is." He gives each a pat with a thin hand before heading towards the door to his house. The red-haired lad grabs a bucket of fresh vegetables and fruits from the market before opening the door and stepping into the house. A white dog greets him and he pats the animal softly. "Pa, I am back from the market," he calls out as he brings the bucket to the table in the center of the room.

I remember each detail as I look back on everything that happened. The smells of the morning, the taste of the air.

Dala finally removes his hat and slips it onto a hook by the door after moving from the table. Dalon, his hound, sits next to it waiting as he grabs some dishes and begins to set them out. "Dalon, go wake up pa!", he tells the wolfhound as he turns to grab a pot of warm oat mash. It wasn't much but they were farmers outside of Cliving in Rohan. You did what you could with what you had. His eyes drift to his lute by the door to his room and he hums thoughtfully before shaking his head. "I can sing in the mead hall later. I'm sure the Reeve will have another interesting tale or maybe pa will." He bounces a bit at the idea and looks towards where Dala is. "Told you to wake pa!" he scolds as he begins to take the steps two at a time. "Pa", he calls out. "I have gotten a meal cooked for us." He makes it to the top of the steps and pushes open to the door, his face falling a paling as soon as he looks in.

I remember it feeling like my heart stopped along with everything around me. The feeling of fear and loss of there before I even put thought to the words to describe it.  

 Dala stumbles forward towards his father's slumped form before falling to his knees next to him, his hands shaking as he reaches out and grabs the man's shoulders. He pulls him back against him to look at his face. "Pa?", he calls out in shock. "Pa wake up! Pa!" Blood begins to stain his tunic as his shoulders shake. Tears begin to come from his eyes as he holds the body close. "Pa! I need you to wake up..." he continues before looking to the floor, the puddle of blood beginning to drip through the floorboards down to the first floor. He slowly gets to his feet before staggering forward and down the stairs, almost tripping as the house moving past in a blur. He opens the door, "Guards! Someone call the guards! "

I remember the guards coming and the dog barking. It all went blank for a moment after that before I remember sitting on the grass, staring at the door as shouts sounded from inside. 

As the guards rushed into the house Dal collapsed outside the door, tears still falling. He looks at his hands and notices the blood on them from his father's body. Shouts sounded inside as more guards were called causing him to turn his head before he lets his head fall against his knees. He felt numb. Everything felt very numb. He wanted to throw up....or scream. A snort sounds and he lifts his head to the spotted horse that was sniffing the ground in front of him. He rubs at his eyes as he looks again, "Shoo. Go. You shouldn't be here." The horse pins his ears before shaking his mane out and stepping forward. He begins to sniff at Dala's boots as the man huffs. When Dal finally notices the foggy eyes of the steed his attention gets taken by a guard. - "Lad we need to talk to you. We have questions." - Dal stands shakily and nods. "What do you need to ask?", he questions. - The guard looks to him, "Where was he fighting last?" - Dal tries to rub his eyes while the guard gives him a pitying glance. The stallion moves over and places his neck on Dala's shoulder before lifting his head again. More tears fall, "Pa and my brother were riding with a company near Fangorn forest. When the king ordered that we needed to stop fighting the orcs they came back." - The guard hums and walks off as he calls over his shoulder, "Where is your brother?" Dal swallows, his voice coming out in a hoarse croak, "I do not know." 

They felt they had to blame him. He wasn't there and he had been outspoken about things in the past. How could he though? Why would he? It didn't make sense, it never made sense. 

After a long round of questions about his brother from another guard Dala finally manages out his burning question. "S-sir...is this your horse?" The guard raises a brow. "No. He is likely one of the three year old stallions brought in last night. Talk to the stable owner near the fountain in the middle of the village. He would know more."  Dal nods as his hand moves to lightly pet the horse. "Let's go ask him then. He probably won't be too happy you got out." The horse snorts and bumps the back of his shoulder with his large muzzle. The horse was a distraction, a reason for him to find somewhere to cry or scream. The Rohirric man shakes his head as he begins to walk towards the village square, the sound of heavy hoof beats behind him telling him that he was indeed being followed without so much as a halter or lead. - As Dal approaches the stables a large man walks out. "Ah, you found Alfsáwol (Wise soul roughly). I was wondering where he had gone off to." - The Rohirric teen shrugs. "He came to me. He must have heard me shouting and came over to investigate. " His hand goes back to the horse's nose as the stable owner nods. "Well lad put him in the stall for now and I'll talk to the Reeve. I know you wanted to ride with the Reeve's own company of men when you were younger. You used to have that wood sword and you and Eowl would play for days without end trying to each be the best King's guard." Dal laughs a bit at the mention of the stable master's son as he leads the stallion to a stall though it was a hollow sound and felt like a lie"I never really did give up. Eowl just happened to grow taller and bigger. He is a good soldier now because of it."  Rain begins to fall as clouds cover the sun. The stallion pauses and looks blindly towards the sky for a few moments. Dala looks at the doors before looking back at the stable owner. "I thought blind horses were weeded out as soon as it was caught that they were." It was an off-hand comment to give his mind something else to think about. The stable master shakes his head. "If the horse spooks easy there is a need for it but even then some farmers will take them to be plow horses. Alfsáwol wasn't blind when he was turned out at a year old.

I wanted this distraction. A storm was coming and I wanted to find a place to sit when the rains came down. I couldn't be in my home until the guards were done and I did not want to be stuck with the questions of others. Every part of me hurt at once. 

On the way back from the stables a guard stops Dal. "The Reeve wants to speak with you. I suggest changing into some formal attire before you do" the guard says in a gruff tone.  Dala gives him a brisk nod and moves off to his house. His hand hovers above the handle before he finally pushes it open slowly. The man swallows the lump in his throat and moves forward with his eyes closed, his feet carrying him to his room where he moves to a chest near his bed. He opens it and grabs an old tunic. "Just as green as every other on in Rohan," he murmurs as he pulls it on. He slips the belts for it on and gets a shoulder guard in place. His boots come next and then his bracers over his sleeves and gloves. A woven ribbon falls to the ground and he pauses. A memory of his mother comes to mind and his chest tightens as he bends to grab it. He only had a few memories of her. She always wore her hair up in a style she tied with ribbons she had made. Now his pa would finally be with her. Dal swallows back a sob and takes a deep breath to keep the tears from falling as his hands work the ribbon into a half bun in his own hair. He squares his shoulders and moves towards the mead hall. The reeve sat on his chair as Dal entered. The young man bowed before moving forward. "Sir, you wished to speak with me?"  The reeve sits a bit straighter as the light from the windows was cast on him. "I have heard the news of your father. We will look for your brother but my concern is with you. You did not apprentice last spring to anyone. As such you do not have a trade yet. My daughters and I agree that it would be best for you to stay with one of the noble families until you have gained a trade." Dala moves to speak, his arms raising before he stops and bows again instead, "Yes m'lord." The words felt like a lie. He didn't have a choice. Everything was being turned upside down and the feeling of tightness was returning to his chest. The reeve continues, "As an apology, I give you the rights to the spotted stallion one of my guards saw you with earlier. I feel he will do you well." The young man bows again out of instinct even though he wanted to scream. Everything was being torn down around him.

Every bit of comfort I was used to was gone in a snap of one's fingers. Every new word was a twist of a blade in my gut. Everything was wrong, a dream of terror I wanted to wake up from.