unwanted elves 28

 

Unwanted Elves

Chapter 28

 

“Mother?” A chorus of voices, including mine queried.

“Arcana had only just created the Tower, who else do you think she’d get to take charge of it?” The voice continued. “I was fathered by a mortal, yes he’s with Arcana, she’s quite fond of him. There’s going to be a follow on from that, but it’s not my secret to tell.”

“With two Castamirs things are going to get very confusing, so what should we call you?” Chessina enquired.

“Pretty little thing aren’t you, and practical too. Now I could get on my high horse and say that as I had the name first you should all call Castamir, the Youngster, but I suppose that would be unfair as you’re used to him. You can call me... Grandfather Castamir, or if that’s too confusing, or if you’re in a hurry just Grandpa if you must. I don’t know about Grandfather, but I’m probably an ancestor of many of the elves here.” Grandfather Castamir said. I swear he enjoyed the surprise he was causing.

“I don’t understand.” Said Blaithamlwg rather plaintively I thought.

“I know the official narrative is that ‘after performing the first favour the Towermaster came never unto the lands of the elves again’, but that’s rubbish. I did pop into the forest now and again to keep an eye on things, I just never bothered to tell the king and his courtiers as it would have upset them. Besides there were a number of very attractive elf girls who were bored of the available males in the village as it then was. The numbers of elves were quite low at first, and I wanted to prevent inbreeding, well that was my excuse, although I don’t think my mother believed a word of it.”

“You mentioned that we were killing ourselves with stubbornness, what did you mean Grandpa?” Ariannaith asked.

“When I, well actually it was Arcana who created the elves, through me, I knew that the High Fey would siphon life energy from them to sustain themselves. The High Fey could only drain a little energy at a time due to the elves being part human. I assumed that the elves would increase their number by breeding with local humans. I thought it blindingly obvious that with increased human blood the High Fey would get less and less energy until the bastards would starve to death.”

“You’re not very fond of them are you?” I said.

“And the sea is damp.” Replied Grandfather Castamir. “Unfortunately one of the High Fey had given the original elven king the idea that the elves were better and more important than all other mortals so they wouldn’t breed with humans. I’m sure it was the one the elves gave the soubriquet ‘The Trickster’, and they borrowed even that as that’s the title of Ograval, the true Trickster god, Arcana’s brother, my uncle. I won’t use ‘The Trickster’s’ name, even the one the elves call him as he’s a nasty piece of work and I don’t want you, or for that matter me, to come to his attention. I was distracted and had my eye a bit too much on what I shouldn’t, and not enough on what I should. My fault, I’m afraid.”

“You’re a disgusting lecher!” Yelled Tancyfrwys and then subsided and put her arms around Blaithamlwg, who gently stroked her hair and whispered comfortingly to her.

“I dispute the former,” Grandfather Castamir replied, “And so would the girls involved. I happen to take after my mother, who’s a very passionate woman, you ask her husband Emaxtiphrael.”

“Emaxtiphrael is married to Arcana?” I queried.

“Didn’t you know? Oops, my big mouth.” Said Grandfather Castamir.

“Something you should realise, Grandfather Castamir,” Said Silavara, “Is that Tancyfrwys was almost killed by someone she thought of as a lover, although he was only using her. Your rather casual attitude to elven women upset her.”

“Oh I’m not offended and I do sympathise. I’m relieved that Sekemhef has been dealt with and very pleased that you’re alive Tancyfrwys, mother is fond of you.” Grandfather Castamir said. “I’m hoping that, if you can keep the new Queen and Prince Consort alive, elven attitudes to outsiders could change. Now that you know about another of the staff’s capabilities you can call if you need advice and one of us will come to you, if Arcana approves. We’ll talk again later.” With this the blue white glow faded from the staff’s crystal.

 

“That was unexpected.” Said Blaithamlwg, continuing to cuddle Tancyfrwys. That looked as though the pair were sorted, and I was glad as I had come to like both of them.

“I‘ve been thinking,” Said Chessina, “A lot of the nobility of Ezustry are given sinecures to keep them in the capital so that King Beremar can keep an eye on them, as well as keeping them busy enough not to get into mischief, while not causing too many problems, and I believe that things may work in the same fashion here with your nobility, Saillegwyn.”

“That is correct, Chessina.” Said Saillegwyn.

“In that case,” My wife continued, “We should give the people, and particularly the nobility, something to concentrate on, so they forget to be annoyed at Ariannaith and Cyfaill. I think you should build a palace to replace the Royal Tree that Sekemhef destroyed.”

“Build a palace?” Said Blaithamlwg in surprise, “But the Royal Tree has been the site of the Court for many lifetimes.”

“It would take a similar amount of time to grow a new tree and warp it into similar shapes to the old tree.” Remarked Silavara, “Although I would strongly suggest that you not try. Silvana wouldn’t like it.”

“And I don’t think the current occupants of another tree would be terribly happy if you took over their tree.” I added.

“How would we build it?” Said Blaithamlwg, still confused. Surrounded by a city of trees, the concept of artificial buildings must be very strange to elves.

“You could build in stone.” Said Chessina, “This tower is built of stone, so elves must know how to do so, or you could build in timber.”

“Timber, do you mean dead wood?” Queried Saillegwyn.

“Why not, everyone else does.” Chessina replied, “Besides, with a palace that has been built, not grown, people won’t think you bucolic and rustic.”

“B.. b... bucolic!” Said Blaithamlwg, his voice rising.

“Perhaps that’s not quite the right word, my elvish isn’t perfect. Perhaps unsophisticated is better.” Said Chessina.  “You don’t build something new, you take something that already exists and is a thing in itself, and change it into something it isn’t. Like a poor peasant child wrapping a root vegetable in a piece of cloth and calling it a doll, rather than taking the cloth and sewing it to make it become a doll.”

I had wondered why Chessina had spent a couple of evenings in the Tower sewing industriously to make a rag doll. When I ventured that Elizelle was a little young for such a thing, she told me that she had almost wept when she saw one of the children in the village doing just that. It transpired that the family were the poorest in Fair Pastures as the father spent more time in the tavern than in the fields. Chessina also explained that when she had seen the sly look on the father’s face on seeing the doll, she used charm to make him want to vomit.  When he had finished, Chessina told him that if the doll disappeared she would make him sick until he had vomited up his toenails. Not that she could of course, but he didn’t know that. Something else I would need to look into when we returned.

Chessina continued talking,

“The tree dwellings have been here for so long that in some ways you don’t even notice them. Building a palace will give the people something new to focus on whether they like it or not, and not everybody will like it. Hopefully any resentment will be directed towards the building not the royal couple. This will give Ariannaith and Cyfaill time to become a fixture and start to enact the changes that are necessary. For those that do agree with it, should help to foster a sense of community. Incidentally Tancyfrwys, do you have any magics knocking about the tower that would give the royal couple some magical protection. We would loan ours to them, but we want to return with them as they are gifts from a dear friend.”

“I’m sure that I can find something for them.” Tancyfrwys said. “Until recently, I would have been outraged to think that such would be necessary within elven lands, but I have had my eyes opened somewhat.”

“I, and I hope Silavara will help in preparing the ground for the palace,” I said, glancing at Silavara, who nodded agreement. “This will both give us a reason to stay here and help keep Ariannaith and Cyfaill safe, and show that we are both taking an interest in the future of the elven lands, which I hope might give pause to anyone thinking of assassination.”

“That is a rather uncomfortable thought to consider.” Ventured Cyfaill.

“But an unfortunate possibility, your Royal Highness.” Replied Blaithamlwg.

“Please Blaithamlwg, Cyfaill informally.” The young Consort said.

 

“I would like please to change the subject.” Said Ariannaith, “I appreciate that you are all trying to keep us both alive, but the palace, good idea though it be, isn’t the most important issue here. War almost came about due to a border dispute and this needs to be settled. After that, I would like to have time, with my husband to take stock of things.”

“You are quite right Your Majesty,” I said, rising to bow, the others rising and giving courtesies to Queen Ariannaith. I spoke formally acknowledging what was a mild rebuke. “That must take precedence. Tancyfrwys do you have a map of the area?”

“Yes.” She replied, getting up to fetch it. She soon returned with a large roll of parchment which she spread on the floor, there being no large table in the room. I hadn’t seen a need for one so hadn’t bothered to create one. The map, which was beautifully drawn, showed the large area of the elven lands.

“This area is the extent of our lands, and you can see here, where the humans have encroached.” Said Tancyfrwys, pointing to the human settlements that the elves had removed so violently.

At this point my staff’s crystal glowed blue white again and Grandfather Castamir’s voice sounded again.

“What complete rubbish!” He said, “The elven lands are only a fraction of this area.”

“Back so soon?” Said Tancyfrwys, waspishly.

“Yes, did you miss me?” Grandfather Castamir said, in a cheeky tone of voice.

“No!” Replied Tancyfrwys shortly.

“I am wounded,” Grandfather Castamir exclaimed, “Wounded to the quick. Anyway, moving on. Back in the day, the High Fey were wandering about in the territory near to the Tower and the Stone Circle drawn by the considerable magical energy in the locality. They were trying to concoct physical bodies and making a complete mess of the entire affair.”

“Wait a minute,” Said Blaithamlwg, with some heat. “The Towermaster was given land on which to build a tower in gratitude for the First Favour.”

“You’ve been misinformed, I’m afraid.” Grandfather Castamir stated bluntly. “The Tower was already here when the High Fey turned up from who knows where.”

The elves and centaurs were taken aback by this revelation.

“Mother was quite upset and she wasn’t the only one when they arrived with their moon, without a by your leave.” Continued Grandfather Castamir. “After lengthy, and excessively tedious negotiations, the High Fey agreed that the newly formed elves would occupy an area further north. This area.” So saying, the crystal focussed the light into a tiny point which lightly burned a line around an area which included the elven city and the Enclave. It was a small fraction of the area the elves had claimed for a very long time. The elves were stunned and the rest of us taken aback at this revelation.

“I have a suggestion to make.” Said Evashawn. “If you determine an area into which humans may settle, far away from the elven lands, the area in between should belong to neither, but be available for anyone to occupy provided that they live off the bounty of the forest, felling no trees to clear land for agriculture.”

“I like this idea,” Said Silavara, “And I am certain that my goddess would approve.”

“I too think this an excellent idea.” I said. I thought it no coincidence that the people most likely to thrive there would be the centaurs. I knew that some few humans would be able to do so, and I hoped that many elves would do so too. I thought that living in the forest might prove a lot more wholesome than the rather stultifying city. I doubted if any of the elven nobility would care to do so even were they able. Rather more of the half-elves might be successful.

“I like the idea.” Said Ariannaith. “What are your opinions?”

She asked, turning to the other elves.

“I am in favour, at least in principle.” Said Blaithamlwg. “The population has grown since the boundaries were drawn. If we are to maintain ourselves we need a reasonable area to hunt in, and sufficient plants to gather.”

“If I may interrupt here a moment,” I said, “If there were less tensions due to agreed borders, you could trade for food from dwarves and humans. With more contact there would hopefully be less mistrust.” Getting elves to import food from outside would also make them vulnerable to having the supply disrupted making them less likely to embark on expansionist adventures. I didn’t think I’d enlighten the elves to this insight, even though some were becoming friends. Future elven governments might not be so pleasant.

“I do think the idea has merit.” Said Tancyfrwys, “I may not like... most humans, but I like war less. Unfortunately Sekemhef escalated what should have been a minor dispute into all out war for his own purposes. The exact border can be negotiated I’m sure.”

“I like the idea.” Said Cyfaill. “I know that many half-elves would jump at the chance. They would have done so already but it was made clear that the Elven Court didn’t want half-elves settling outside their oversight and control.”

“The king would have been utterly opposed,” Said Saillegwyn. “Which alone would make me receptive to the idea. I do think it could work, and would certainly make war less likely which must be a good thing.”

“In that case, I as Queen ask you all to confer and work out the precise details.” Said Ariannaith. “In the mean time I have matters of great importance to discuss with my husband.”

“What are they?” Asked Blaithamlwg, slightly impatiently.

“Our honeymoon.” Ariannaith replied bluntly.