Grimwood's Daughter

By Jan Strnad

There's an Elf War, and Tirol of Grimwood is looking for help from an enemy clan, who'd already fallen. He recognizes Lon, who comes up at him telling him to kill him, but Tirol asks for him to chat like the cousin's they are. Lon agrees and speaks of the dragons, and how many from their clan had taken deathroot to escape the war. They go to the last stronghold of the elves, Tirol's home, Grimwood Castle.

This is where the final war against Man would occur. No clan is left after Man has conquered them. Tirol's fam and survivors like Lon are all left at his home, but not all get along, so they'd see what happens. Back at Grimwood, Grummuld and Ungt are snooping for treasure, 1 reminding the other it's only about finding it for now, the plan to return for it after beating Man.

With Ungt bashing at a door, a scream breaks the silence of smashing, a couple elves hearing and going off to aid the elvish thieves. When they arrive, the cursed axe cuts the vines which traps Ungt, cutting his arm, before he and the vines fall. The elves state the spirits of Grimwood had been tame this time. Tirol returns and intros Lon to his sis Sharda and her hubby Dosken.

During Tirol's welcoming, Lina his niece, shares a secret with him. Later in the evening, Tirol makes a sober speech regarding whether they only had themselves to blame for their relationship with Man. He notes the many instances of mean spirited mischief to help turn Man against them. What truly hurt the elves is the changelings, since they are magicians and Man.

Lon and Tirol argue whether it's best to retreat, but Tirol gets his way. Lon next stalks Tirol through a secret passage where he rides a ghostly stag, Lon trying to follow, and losing him, stepping on a plant, and setting off the screams of the forest. This brings Tirol back, he bringing Lon to meet his lover, Brii, an elemental guardian to Grimwood Forest. As a daughter of Grimwood, Brii'd decide Lon's fate for ignoring the warning of entering Grimwood.

Lon is happy to see Brii is an Enchantress, but not so much upon receiving his punishment of a broken finger. Lon's careless step had robbed a spirit of its home, but Lon is still petulant as he's asked about how the elves had handled Tirol's offer. He relates how the group wouldn't discuss retreat of any kind, so don't know of Brii's offer to give them land in the forest to farm. Tirol resigns himself to joining the fight, and whilst Lon is welcome to return by stag, Tirol is staying the night.

Next morning, Lon is woken with news of a dragon flying overhead, they having to call for Tirol who is still out. When they sound the horn, though Tirol hears, and readies to leave. Brii urges he return, even if no one follows him as he rides off. Meanwhile, the man riding the dragon drops deathroot onto their battlement, Nol implying they should kill themselves if they wish for mercy.

The archers are prepared right before the dragons fly in. Tirol rushes to get back to Grimwood castle, and he first sees his sis, and Dosken, but they aren't onboard with Brii's offer. So, Tirol decides to protect Lina, but he's too late, her parents giving her deathroot. Tirol remembers Brii's words to him as Man breaches the castle wall.

Lon is fighting on auto from weariness and the endless pouring in of Man. As they fight, the scream in the forest goes off and distracts the warring, men seeing the stag. Nol the Magician starts the war of Man atop his dragon, and when Tirol fights and is knocked out, Lon puts him on the stag to return him to Brii, but now Lon is open for attack. Lon is stabbed through the back as Tirol is brought through the forest, and wakes to Brii stroking his head.

When he learns of Lon's sacrifice, he relates why he had to go and help. She eventually convinces him to ride the stag further to safety with her, instead where the Frost Giants lived. Nol advises the dragon to remember Man's smell due to sensing they'd be opposition 1 day. Nol has 1 last chat with a man who believes Man's time would last forever, Nol noting to his dragon how the man actually seemed to believe his statement, which makes him laugh his ass off. Tirol and Brii overlook a serene valley. Fun little 1 off, there are better ones, the art's fine, though, but it's so short it ends with the feeling of indifference.