unwanted elves 25

 

Unwanted Elves

Chapter 25

 

I was shifting the rain from the lower trunk to the canopy when I was grabbed from behind. I turned blazing with fury to see a gaudily dressed elf screaming at me in a panic.

“You servant!” He screeched, “Get up the tree and fetch my jewellery!” I was speechless for a moment and he wasn’t happy about my hesitation and slapped me hard across the face. I couldn’t afford to waste time on this panicked fool and so used push to get him away from me and gave him asses ears for good measure. He screamed at the, fairly mild, pain of the transformation and seemed to completely lose control at this. He beat his fists and heels on the ground as toddlers are wont to do, or so I am informed not having had anything to do with toddlers. The fool was yelling,

“Get my jewellery, get it, get it, I order you!”

Not wishing to be disturbed by the shouting I used a cantrip to make him blow bubbles when he spoke. By this time the commotion had attracted the attention of Blaithamlwg who beckoned to some royal guard to take the elf away. They must have arrived while Silavara and I were somewhat preoccupied. I mustered my concentration and regained control of my share of the rain hoping that moron had not distracted me sufficiently to allow flames to spread to other trees. I looked carefully and this didn’t seem to be the case.

 

The rain continued to fall and Silavara and I directed it onto the areas of the canopy that were burning most fiercely and gradually these reduced in size and began to go out. I was dimly aware that a small crowd had gathered. I risked a quick glance and saw that the Queen was still there and had been rejoined by Blaithamlwg who stood slightly behind and to one side of her. They were both wearing cloaks which I presumed had been brought by others as neither cloak matched the clothes the pair were wearing. A little way away a small group of women hovered, who were wearing cloaks that did match their other garments, I presumed ladies-in-waiting. There were a number of other elves who twittered about vaguely muttering, I thought, about how dreadful it all was, and how something needed to be done. They did not look as gaudy as they did in the throne room, being thoroughly saturated and covered in smuts I noticed in satisfaction.

 

I have no recollection of how long we fought the fire but eventually it was over. The rain still fell, gently now and the top part of the Royal Tree was a blackened ruin. The burnt wood steaming gently as the raindrops pattered down on it. I felt great relief not just that the fire was out, but I no longer had to carry the weight of the rainclouds, although that had been reducing as they discharged their burden of rain. I could see that Silavara seemed free of her burden similarly. We gave each other a tired smile and I turned to see that the crowd had increased. A sudden chill smote through my veins, Chessina, where was she? She and Tancyfrwys had set out to follow Sekemhef while Silavara and I were distracted. I almost gave into panic like that annoying elf, but I remembered that Chessina had been included in the voices of the wind spell.

“Chessina, where are you, are you alright?” I spoke, trying desperately, and not very successfully, to keep my voice steady.

“I’m quite all right, Castamir and so is Tancyfrwys.” The sound of my beloved’s voice at that moment was one of the most wonderful things I have ever heard. “I’ll be with you soon, and explain everything. Did you get the fire out?”

“Yes eventually; you might have noticed the slight fall of rain recently. Silavara and I had to take somewhat drastic steps to put out the fire.” I said, relief flooding me so that I felt somewhat light headed.

“The tree was mortally wounded however.” Silavara interjected, “Oh, and the king is dead. Castamir rescued the queen who is upset about the tree but not noticeably about the king.”

 

Shortly thereafter, Tancyfrwys and Chessina came into view. Being away from the downpour they weren’t wet and although Tancyfrwys may have had one or two smuts, Chessina was immaculate as always. My attention was diverted from my beloved by a procession of bundles apparently floating close to the ground. Obviously they were being carried by invisible servants. The lead bundle was our rug of travel and the others were the rest of our goods. I felt like rushing to Chessina and embracing her, but resisted as although I no longer feared Tancyfrwys or Blaithamlwg, I didn’t want other elves to realise how much I cared for her, as it could still put her at risk.

The two ladies walked up to the Queen, Tancyfrwys curtseying and Chessina making her elegant little gesture. She looked up at the Queen and stated firmly,

“Your Majesty, you look completely done in. We need to get you to where you can rest. I’m sure Tancyfrwys will offer you the hospitality of her tower.”

“It’s not really fit for a Queen...” Tancyfrwys began, but was interrupted by Chessina placing a hand on her arm.

“Don’t worry Tancyfrwys dear, I’ll help you sort it out.”

Dear? I thought, rescuing Tancyfrwys from Sekemhef’s toils had really altered Chessina’s opinion of the Royal Wizard. Chessina radiated smugness so I assumed she had dealt with Sekemhef in one way or another. Glancing around at the scene she issued orders like a general.

“Blaithamlwg, these people,” Chessina said, indicating the crowd, “Are either in shock or busybodies. You need to disperse the latter and get the former housed somewhere while they recover.”

“I’m not sure where I could put them, this is all unprecedented.” He replied.

“There are public places, for eating, drinking and entertainment.” Chessina continued, “Bed them down there temporarily, or have some of the noble layabouts offer these distressed people hospitality. You’re the Chamberlain Blaithamlwg, get chamberlaining.”

Blaithamlwg opened his mouth to protest, thought better of it, and moved off mustering his minions.

 

Chessina and Tancyfrwys set off towards the tower of wizardry, both helping the queen, who did seem to be in shock. The queen’s ladies-in-waiting started to follow but Chessina turned to them and said,

“We can deal with the Queen, and there are matters of state to discuss, which you are not privy to. Go and help the Chamberlain.”

One of the ladies opened her mouth to protest, but Tancyfrwys shook her head slightly and gestured the women to leave. Silavara and I followed on at the rear after the invisible servants faithfully following Chessina. We were both walking rather slowly as combating the fire was extremely tiring.

“Thank you for your help Silavara, I couldn’t have done that alone.” I said.

“I don’t think either of us could have done that alone.” She replied. “I found it tiring directing that force, but I’m sure both the Circle and the Tower had much more to give.”

“It was enlightening at how well the two worked together, and sobering to think, judging by those indications, that combining forces is what Arcana and Silvana both want.” I said, “And I worry about what problems in the future we may have to face that would need such a remedy.”

“You’re a pessimist, Castamir.” Silavara said.

“You noticed.” I replied.

 

It wasn’t far to Tancyfrwys’ tower, but I felt every step. When we got there, Tancyfrwys was pouring tea, real tea judging by the smell, for the Queen who was sat in an armchair. Chessina was nowhere to be seen, so I presumed she had whirled off to prepare quarters for the Queen. Chessina always whirled when she was in a fixing frame of mind. I could see she had already been busy here, as there was now an extra sofa making two sofas and two armchairs. Silavara sank gratefully into the vacant armchair, and I did likewise on the new sofa. I would permanence it later, but for the present I was too tired. Knowing the way Chessina thought, one of the sofas was for Tancyfrwys and Blaithamlwg and the other was for Chessina and me. After drinking one hot cup of tea, poured by Tancyfrwys. I began to feel a little better.

Shortly Chessina came down the stairs, and almost simultaneously, there came the sound of a bell. At this Tancyfrwys looked up, muttered and then as she gestured, the door to the tower opened and Blaithamlwg walked in.

 

“What is happening about the people displaced from the Royal Tower, Blaithamlwg?” The Queen asked.

“Arrangements are under way, Your Majesty. The people won’t be housed as they are used to, but they will be housed.” He replied.

“Your Majesty, would you like to hear what has happened now, or after you have rested?” Chessina asked.

“I would like to hear now, if you don’t mind. If I know, I think I might be able to sleep after retiring.” The Queen replied.

“I will begin, if I may, your Majesty,” I said, “As the part Silavara and I played is quickly told. Prydythaur had left behind various magics that he was loath to part with. He sent a charmed unfortunate to retrieve them but we intercepted him. Prydythaur then came himself not knowing he had been followed through the forest. We intended to trap him in his apartment when he came to collect the magics but he summoned a piece of a substance called abyssal fire which cannot be extinguished. I managed to banish it back to the abyss, but by that time the royal tree was well alight. After your rescue, Silavara and I managed, eventually, to put out the fire.”

“And unfortunately, the tree was mortally wounded; it is dead.” Silavara stated with finality.

“Was it not possible to save the tree?” The Queen asked, incredulously.

“No Majesty,” Said Silavara, “For I had already released the tree’s spirit from the spell causing its unnatural life span as it begged me to do.”

“Why would it do that?” The Queen asked in genuine puzzlement.

“If I tell you that the tree told me that the pain of the burning was a clean pain compared to the pain of the warping and mutilation it was suffering, perhaps you might understand. It got its revenge on the king before it died. I’m not sure if the king expired by being pierced by branches which then caught fire, or if he died from inhaling smoke. Either way the tree was very glad.”

The silence that revelation caused was broken by Chessina.

“After we discovered the fire and its cause, Blaithamlwg, Tancyfrwys and I started evacuating the tree. I don’t think I have ever come across such blithering nincompoops before; even the nobility in the royal palace in Adalsburg seem more capable of rational thought. Half of the buffoons wouldn’t believe the tree could possibly be on fire, and the other half were determined to carry as many of their possessions with them as possible. Most of these actually tried to carry more of their possessions than was possible. I thought it best to partly split up, Blaithamlwg went by himself, while I stuck close to Tancyfrwys. I had a feeling, which turned out to be correct.”

“What happened?” I asked, worrying despite Chessina’s smugness, that something had gone wrong.

“Patience, Castamir,” Said Chessina, reprovingly. “Let me tell it in my own way.”

“Sorry dear.” I replied. I was more disturbed than I would like to admit. I knew from experience that Chessina wouldn’t be hurried, except in an emergency when she acted with great promptness.

“I thought that the denizens of the Royal Tree would be used to obeying Blaithamlwg as he is Chamberlain and they wouldn’t be a nuisance. Was I right?”

“Yes Chessina you were,” Replied Blaithamlwg, who was sitting on the other sofa next to Tancyfrwys. Judging by the glances they were shooting at each other, the romance that Chessina had encouraged seemed to be bearing fruit. “I managed to chivvy out the twittering fools and encourage them to save their lives.”

The Queen looked startled at this description, and Blaithamlwg continued, “I’m sorry Majesty, but since I have come to know Chessina, Priestess Silavara and Towermaster Castamir, I look at our nobility through very different eyes.”

“I thought you would be able to persuade people,” Said Chessina, “Tancyfrwys tried persuasion at first, but those idiots kept asking stupid questions instead of trying to save their lives. We then tried browbeating them which had some success, but I finally lost patience with some of the recalcitrant morons and charmed them to leave. Almost as soon as we had left the tree ourselves and I caught a glimpse of Castamir and Silavara calling the rain, Tancyfrwys stiffened and I sensed that she had been charmed again.”

“How did that happen?” I asked puzzled, “I thought you had broken Sekemhef’s control of Tancyfrwys.”

“So did I.” Chessina said ruefully, “But it is possible for someone very skilled to put a deep link in the mind of someone they have charmed which can be activated by a command word sent through the link.” Here Chessina looked at Tancyfrwys from her position next to me on the sofa she had recently summoned. A position I thoroughly approved of I might add. “I’m sorry dear, I should have checked that there was no such link after Sekemhef tried to kill you and, as I thought, his charm dissolved.”

Tancyfrwys smiled reassuringly at Chessina then said. “All I knew at that moment was that I desperately wanted to go to the Tower of Wizardry and let Sekemhef in. I could think of nothing else. Then Chessina took my hands, looked into my eyes and then I felt the control dissipate, the anchor point of the link vanish, and the control was gone. I could think for myself again. Then she asked me if I would be very brave and go to the tower pretending to be still under control. Chessina said she would follow behind me and trap Sekemhef once and for all.”

“And Tancyfrwys was very brave and said yes.” Said Chessina. “I then altered my clothing and hair so that I looked like an elf at first glance and followed her at a short distance to the tower. As we got closer I could see waiting with barely concealed impatience what appeared to be a nondescript elf. What jarred this picture somewhat, was the yellow butterfly sitting on the top of the doorframe near the elf’s head, and Ulula perched on a projection jutting from the tower.”

“I sent off Ulula, my owl to keep an eye on things.” Said Silavara.

“I did notice her,” Chessina continued, “Sekemhef was so desperate to get into the tower, that he paid me no attention. I cast eavesdrop and I heard him mutter ‘open the door, open the door you stupid cow, I need to get the Book’. He was so preoccupied, he didn’t notice me as I quickly ran up behind him. I then said, in ancient Agerakian, ‘Hello Sekemhef’, he turned around speechless, and then I drew him into the soul trapping mirror.” As she spoke, Chessina withdrew a cloth bundle from a pocket in her robes and unwrapped it, revealing the device I knew so well, from when we had rescued Chessina’s soul from the Place of Waiting. Chessina held the mirror up and announced,

“And here is Sekemhef.” A handsome and petulant face scowled from the mirror.