할람시랄로 가는 여정

우리 중 고작 예순다섯 명만이 할람시랄에 도착했다. 일부는 포기했다. 다른 일부, 특히 어린 아이들은 병에 걸렸다. 도적단이 우리를 쫓았다. 어머니를 뵐 낯이 없었지만, 음식을 훔쳐야 했다. 어떤 아이가 빵조각 때문에 나에게 싸움을 걸었다. 며칠 후, 그 아이의 다리는 말을 듣지 않았고, 나는 아이를 업고 수 마일을 걸었다. 아이는 내 품 안에서 부들부들 떨며 죽었다.

나에게도 한때 주인이 있었다. 그는 마법사였고, 나를 때리지도 않았으며 좋은 음식을 먹여 주었다. 심지어 내게 회계를 맡기기 위해 글 읽는 법을 가르쳐 주기도 했다. 하지만 그는 시험해 보고 싶은 이론이나 주문이 생길 때마다, 다른 하인들을 시켜 나를 기둥에 묶고는, 단검을 꺼내 내 피부에 박아넣고는 했다. 나는 너무나 두려웠다. 그럴 때마다 죽을지도 모른다고 생각했다. 하지만 보통은 기절하는 데 그쳤고, 그들은 내 상처를 싸맨 뒤 다시 일어설 힘이 생길 때까지 침대에 눕혀 두고는 했다. 다른 노예들은 내 상태를 보기 위해 몰래 찾아오기도 했다. 주인이 다시 피를 필요로 하기 전까지 충분히 회복시키려는 것이다. 이것이 내가 가진 것 없이 누더기만 걸치고도 볼 도르마에서 데일스까지 도망치기로 한 이유이다.

이것이 바로 출발할 때 백 명 하고도 다섯 명의 엘프가 모였던 이유이다. 이것이 바로 우리가 이 마을에 도착했을 때, 내가 무릎을 꿇고 엎드려 눈물 흘린 이유이다. 이곳은 우리의 새로운 고향이자 새로운 터전이었다.

—페렐던의 페코르 수사에게 전해진, 할람시랄로의 여정을 묘사한 익명의 기록, 기원전 140년

 

The Long Walk to Halamshiral

 

Only sixty-five of our group made it to Halamshiral. Some gave up. Some sickened, especially the little ones. Bandits stalked us. My mother forgive me, I had to steal food. A child fought me for extra scraps of bread. A few days later, I carried her for miles after her legs gave out. She died shivering in my arms.

 

I used to have a master, a mage. He fed me well, never beat me, even taught me how to read so I could do his accounts. But if he had a theory or a spell he wanted to test out, he'd get out his daggers, have the other servants tie me to a post, and carve furrows into my skin. I was so afraid. Every time, I was sure I would die. But at worst I'd collapse, get bandaged up, and lie in bed too weak to move for days. The other slaves visited me in secret to survey the damage. I'd heal just enough before he needed blood again. That is why I traveled from Vol Dorma to the Dales with nothing but rags on my back.

 

That is why there were one hundred and five of us when we set out, all elven. That is why I fell to my knees and wept when we crossed through the gates of my new home, a village for my people.

 

—Anonymous account of the Long Walk, as told to Brother Pekor of Ferelden, circa -140 Ancient