The sun rose quietly over the high tree-tops of Ashor, casting down a pale morning glow through the thin fog that settled north of the Grel'Ahin. The serene quiet of the forest was broken only by the chirping of morning birds, and the faint rustle in the bushes caused by the stirring of morning game. As the sun continued to rise the morning mist dissipated into the warm eastern winds, leaving a refreshed wildnerness, cast beneath a pattern of leaf-like shadows on the thick, trail-crossed underbrush.

"Hurry along now... its already well into morning." The lanky elven male trod down the path between a pair of trees, the trail descending slightly towards a watery shore in the distance. A large black-painted canoe was hefted on his shoulder, a similar colored-paddle in the hand of his other arm.

"'Hurry along now.'" A voice mimicked from behind him, where another elf was running around a bend at a heightened pace with the call. "Maybe if you hadnt insisted we bring your father's canoe we couldve been here earlier." The second elf was similar in build, carrying a matching paddle in his hand.

"Well at least I didnt make you carry it. Now come on, it will take most of the day as it is to get to the lower river." The first elf called back over his shoulder, descending the path with his body turned so as not to fall down the moistened dirt slope.

And the two continued on their quick jaunt in the morning towards the watery bank of the Grel'Ahin on the southern edge of the Ashor forest, nestled between Kisah and the Southern Hills. They reached the waters shortly after and the first eased the canoe in, the black pointed front slicing into the glassy-surface, sending a few small ripples outward that soon turned to larger waves as he hopped in. The second elf jumped in after, and almost in unison they glided their paddles into the waters flanking the ship, and they were off.

The early morning hours passed and they continued to row in silence, it wasnt until about mid-day, when the sun had fully cleared the now distant tree canopy and they had reached the wider-berth of the southern leg of the river, that they began to speak.

"So, do you think he's as tough as the Elder's say?" The elf in the back, maintaining the right side row asked of his companion.

"Who," the first called back, not turning, but keeping his rowing posture, " Big Blue?"

"No the other thing were hunting you dolt." He quipped back, with an underbreath snicker, "Of course Big Blue."

"Well shucks, he is just a pike."

"Yeah.. an undefeated pike." On that note the conversation ceased, and the two resumed their dutiful rowing, the paddles glimmering a bright gold as they rose out of the waters on each stroke, and then disappearing back into the deep blue waters of the river.

----

A middle-aged fisherman glanced up from the campfire quickly. And darted a look at his two companions. Both were sitting on a log near the river's edge, bearing fishing poles. The campfire was a few paces behind them, surrounded in a small grouping of rocks.

"What is it?" Bob, the fisherman inquired, reeling in his pole.

The fisherman shook his head, "Nothing... just got a strange feeling all of
a sudden."

"Someone going after Big Blue?" The last fisherman inquired, casting out his own pole with a broad snap of his wrist. The small golden hook gliding through the air before landing in the waters a way out.

The middle-aged fisherman only nodded, breathing out a quiet sigh after a longer moment, then taking up a bit of kindling to stoke the fire.

Shaking his head and offering a chuckle, "Stupid kids, going to get themselves killed." Bob sighed off the chuckle and cast out his pole after his companion.

----

The duo in the canoe maintained their steady rowing kadence, their canoe gliding through the waters. The forested banks far off on each side, nestled in darkness beneath the thick canopy. Mid-day had come and gone, and the sun was now hanging in the western sky. The angled light causing the trees to cast long shadows over the already dark waters.

"Hey we almost there?" The elf in the back asked, his voice a bit weary.

"Dont tell me your already tired?" Ceasing his rowing a moment he turned and flashed a toothy grin before continuing rowing and turning back forward, "Yeah Im a bit tired too... we should be nearby though."

The second elf furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak again, but didn't, and just resumed rowing. After another couple of minutes he spoke his thoughts, "Shouldnt we be... rested? Incase the rumors are true?"

"Scared -and- Tired, oh if the gang could see you now." The first elves rowing slipped out of rhythm while overcome with laughter. But a sharp nudge to the back got him right back on track.

"Just keep up the rowing... wise guy." The back-sitting partner's face managed smirk, but only a moment before changng to a half-grin.

And so they were again overcame with quiet again as they continued their course down the river. finally reaching a set of rapids overlooking the lower river. The dark blue waters rushed down an angled rapids, then wrapped around a series of small wooded islands, and alcoves, eventually filling to form a small lake-like pool in the far distance. The two eased the canoe up onto the shore near the small rapid and hopped out, stretching and rubbing their shoulders as they surveyed the lower river.

"Somewhere... down there, is old Big Blue." The leader elf plopped down in a patch of browned grass, features lit with now nearly eye-level sun that hung low in the western sky.

"Before the lake I hope." The other added, moving to a place nearby, but leaning against a tree instead of plopping down on the ground.

"Should be." He responded with an affirmative nod. "The texts say in that gully over there." He pointed a lanky hand out towards a small inlet nestled between islands. "And thats where we head. At first light."

The other nodded, pursing his lips as he watched his partner, then he cast his eyes back to the north. He again opened his mouth to speak, but didnt, gaze lingering on the distance, the area of Kisah, then to the floor, where he lowered himself down.

"What is it?" The leader looked over his shoulder at his friend crouched in the shade of a tree, knees pulled in to his chest.

"What if we..." He paused, searching for a way to say it. "What if we die?"

The other shoke his head, "Its best not to think of those things."

"But..."

"...then we died as many others." He cut in, then turned back towards the spot of their next day's journey. "But think if we succeed." A proud glint occupied his eyes as he spoke, wetting his lips in anticipation, "We will have done something none have done before. We'll be heros. Legends!"

His normally vocal partner said nothing, merely shaking his head.

"Come on. Dont tell me your having second thoughts?"

He shook his head, but the gesture was lost on his partner who wasnt watching, gaze still fixed in the direction of their homes. "Just seems different. Talking about it... joking about 'Bringing down Big Blue' and now actually being out here."

"Well Im going with or without you. This is my... our chance for greatness. Father will never chide me for not joining the Quinthellean acadamy again." He stood from the spot and walked towards a bit of underbrush near the tree his partner sat beneath. He unfastened his long cloak and laid it out like a blanket, then rested on his side atop it. "Im getting some sleep. As should you." He paused, and glanced back to the canoe, "if your going to leave dont take the canoe. Ill need it to haul back Blue's body."

"Goodnight..." The words were no more then a whisper and he too laid out his cloak, but sat awake on it for several hours, before sleep finally caught him sometime in the night.

----

The morning was different in the Southern portion of the Grel'Ahin. The fog was thicker, more mysterious, the trees smaller, yet thicker, the darkness lingered in the Southern Grel'Ahin, and the winds whispered of voices long-past.

It was here the three fishermen toiled, day in and day out, for countless years. Their elven blood enduring their lives, giving them the chance to spread the tales of Big Blue to all who journey to their island. But their commaradorie, and their lives in the Grel'Ahin had akined their senses, and the whispers ringed with them the voices of the fallen, those seeking glory with the death of the Legendary fish. Those who were now dead.

"They are nearer now." The self-appointed campfire keeper stated to his fisherman friends. They were both working in seeming unison to set their hooks with a few worms. The younger ignored his elder, and continued to cast out his pole. Bob, as he was called for ages past turned to humor him.

"Come on... its not like others havent succumb to the same fate as these two. Whats your interest in these?" He smirked and chuckled and turn and cast his pole out into the water.

"I dont know," The middle-aged man claimed... "They are different." He sighed and stared into the campfire. The others casting their poles regardless.

----

"Hey." The older elf prodded his companion, "Hey wake up. Its time to go."

"huh.. mm-what huh?" The other sat up quickly, and shrugged off his tire-stricken features. "Morning already?"

"Yeah. Its time to go. Sun's almost over the trees." He fastened his cloak at the neck and gathered up his paddle, using it somewhat like a walking stick in his short stride over to the canoe. The other followed, slightly sluggishly. "Im glad you stayed around. I dont know if I could do it without you."

"Hey what can I say... your my friend after all." He hopped into the back of the canoe and the other took the front, and they began the well-practiced launch off the shore, shattering the pristine, glassy river surface in their course outwards.

The morning bode silence, and the eerieness of the southern river seemed to claim their souls. The two rowed along almost entraced by mysterious and fog-laden islands of the lower section of the Grel'Ahin. The birds chirped more exotically, and the waters splashed at a different chord, it seemed truely a different land. The further they descended, the less of the sky was visible, til only a short peremiter was visible in the cloudy fog around them, the banks on either side just barely perceptible.

They rowed throughout the morning, and by the time they reached the outskirts of their chosen gulley the fog had burned off somewhat, but a faint layer lingered, carried by the whisper-like wind. As they neared the inlet, they slowed their pace. The glimmering of their paddles dulled with the decreased sunlight.

"Keep an eye out... and ready your spear." The self-appointed leader called over his shoulder, resting a hand at his belt, where several dagger hilts protruded.

The only words spoken, yet they were obeyed, the elf in the back pulled his spear from his his back, ceasing his rowing and standing as trained, setting the paddle in the side-panel of the boat. His gaze sweeped the waters, pristine and calm til the tip of their canoe cut through like a knife.

They maintained this course heading towards the center of the inlet, where there the waters began to churn.

"There!" The elf in the back pointed to a spot in the water, where a dark figure darted beneath the surface. "Its Big Blue!"

On que the lead elf set his paddle aside and rose in the canoe, widening his stance to keep from capsizing. He grabbed a trio of throwing daggers from his belt and stood at the ready. He turned over his shoulder and nodded at his partner, "This is it. Do as we practiced." He turned back and stared at the spot, where the large figure under the surface seemed to cease at their approach. As practiced, the elf in the back launched a small rock from his belt into the water, resulting in an alarming splash, from which the beast leaped.

"The eight foot elongated beast has enormous flecked scales, a huge bucket like mouth that could swallow down anything, even a grown elf. Its snout looks like the biggest shovel ever made and as it begins to move closer, the exaggerated stories from Herb seem to be a little more realistic.Big Blue, the Legendary Pike..." The quote from the tales in reference echoed in their heads, and every account was true. The scales marred with the wounds from sailors past.

The beast arced through the air in his jump and began to dive back towards the water.

"Now!" The lead elf called, launching the daggers into the beasts back. With the volley launched the back elf lept forward off the canoe into the water, stabbing his spear outward in a modest thrust against the strong scaled side of Big Blue. The attacks seemed to have little effect, and the monstrous fish soared back underwater, the waves from his reentry knocking the canoe over, and sending the first elf into the water with his partner.

No sooner was he under the water then he launched his vicous maw back outwards at the pair. Acting quickly the spear-wielding elf grappled up onto the fishes back, using the lodged daggers as grips. His partner swimming up under and launching another volley at its exposed underside. Blood began to run from the fish's wounds, but it fought on, using its elongated body to smash down on the swimming elf's shoulder, knocking him down underneat.

"Die stupid fish!" The shyer, younger elf perched himself atop the fish's back and gripped his spear with both hands, stabbing downward with a lightning quick strike into the fish's head. But it was no use, the spear punctured the skin, but snapped, remaining lodged, but doing apparently no damage. With quick reflexes he pulled out one of the daggers from the beast's scales, and stabbed downwards in a few more thunderous strikes.

Meanwhile his partner struggled beneath the water, using his last long-knife in a futile attempt to fend off Big Blue's enraged wrath.

"Go! Get out of here! Its no-" he was cut off as the monstrous pike thwaped down his forked tail like a whip on the older elf, sending him under the water.

The elf perched on Big Blue's back braced as the fish flailed in its fighting attempt, then lept off into the waters nearby. But midway through the air, the fish jumped back out of the water ramming the elf's hip and side with a powerful blow of his head. A loud crack followed by a groan echoed on the foggy air as he flew through the air, landing nearby on a muddy bank.

With one out of the way, the pike turned his fury on the elf struggling to get out from under the water. Dipping his head under, Big Blue scooped up the elf atop his strong maw, and tossed him into the air. Arcing back under the water, the pike prepared for another leap out as the elf began to fall back to the water.

With the water glistening off his scale Big Blue began his jump out, but half-way into the air, a large golden hook caught his upper lip and tugged him back towards the water, and with the momentum he splashed down on his back. Attached to the hook was a strong line.... which led back to a trio of fishermen, all doing their best to hold the rod.

"GET OUT OF THERE KID!" The middle-aged fisherman yelled. His call was heeded and the elf began to paddle to the shore. With him out of the way, Bob readied his bow and launched several arrows at Big Blue's exposed stomach. The others maintained the line, working at reeling in the eight foot long, and almost half that wide, fish.

The elf meanwhile tended to his comrade, who now bore a wicked bruise on his hip and side. Placing him in the safety of the underbrush, he turned back towards the water, throwing his last dagger out at the face of Big Blue. It stuck securely in his head, causing the pike to lie motionless a moment before beginning his flailing against the large hook that stuck to its lip.

The two continued to pull it in as Bob shot arrows, but just as they had it nearly on the shore the line snapped...

With a roaring splash the pike flailed on the shallow bank and then disappeared into the water. His dark figure fading into the depths before finally vanishing from view. The three fishermen sighed and plopped down on the bank, glancing across the bloodied water where the elf tended to his unconcious friend's wounds.

Big Blue had escaped... to fight another day.

----

Night settled over the small island in the Grel'Ahin. The only light cast outward by the small campfire whose flames danced quietly in the river-winds. The three fishermen worked at cooking the days catches, while the a pair of elves slept nearby.

"Think we did the right thing saving them?" Bob glanced over at the two, then back, "They are different then most who come to challenge... but not much."

The middle-aged fisherman shook his head, "It was the right thing. Hopefully they will spread word of the futility of challenging the river and the pike..."

For the first time the youngest fisherman spoke, "Or maybe allowing those who have faced the wrath of the Grel'Ahin and failed, to return will rile those seeking to challenge the legend... and..." he shrugged, "things will never end. I hope you know that."

The middle-aged man shook his head, "Perhaps its time we left."

Bob shook his head, "No... we've always watched the River." He looked from the two, "Perhaps one-day one will beat Blue... then we can leave."

Bob sighed, but nodded, as did the others... and soon talk shifted to other things, and they continued cooking.

----

And so ends the tale of the elves that challenged the legend of Big Blue... they had failed, but had been saved. And with them went the tale of his power, which spread on through the years, inspiring the courageous, and frightening the meek. The tale of those who challenged the soul of the Grel'Ahin, the legendary pike; the old Big Blue. Even though they had failed, they had succeeded, they had returned from battle with the pike... stronger and wiser.

----