unwanted elves 30 cliffie bonus

 

Unwanted Elves

Chapter 30

 

“THIS WILL STOP,” I shouted, crashing my staff on the floor. The noise amplified by the staff caused all conversation and music to falter and cease. Furious, I turned to Blaithamlwg and Tancyfrwys,

“By all the Gods!” I said, through gritted teeth, “I swear that every time I start to like the elven people, they infuriate me by a display of crass insensitivity that would shock a drunken orc! Is this your idea of fun, to degrade and humiliate anyone you think a lesser being?”

“But she’s only a slave...” Tancyfrwys began.

“Are you such barbarians that you still keep slaves?” I said, incredulously. “The practice was abolished in civilised countries centuries ago.”

“Silvana is opposed to slavery too.” Silavara added. “And I wholeheartedly agree.”

While this had been going on, Chessina had been speaking to the terrified girl, using her charm abilities to persuade her to come to Chessina’s side shrinking the shoes to a proper fit as she did so.

“Don’t worry, little one, my husband is only angry at the elves.”

A gaudily dressed male elf stalked up to me and began to speak,

“You can’t take that goblin, it’s my slave.”

Keeping my temper, with some difficulty, I merely used push to have him fall backwards rather than the Tower’s power to slam him into the wall leaving a red stain.

“Be thankful, you disgusting worm,” I growled, my voice tight with anger, “That the Chamberlain and the Royal Wizard are personal friends of mine, or you would now be a pile of ash on the floor. You stole this girl, I’m stealing her back.”

With this I turned to Blaithamlwg and Tancyfrwys,

“I will discuss this event and its implications back in the tower. We are leaving.”

Chessina had been talking in a quiet voice to the young goblin girl and gently ushered her out of the door accompanied by Silavara. Blaithamlwg opened his mouth to speak and wisely shut it again. I followed Chessina, and Blaithamlwg and Tancyfrwys trailed behind. I heard nothing, but I was sure that much conversation was passing between them via whisper. I was still fuming when we got back to the tower and Tancyfrwys let us in.

“Castamir, you can’t really just take...” Blaithamlwg began. I interrupted, speaking in a low controlled voice that sounded, Chessina told me later, like wind off an iceberg.

“What gives you the right to treat a sentient being like a piece of property? You heard that vile low-life call that child ‘it’, she wasn’t a person to him, just a thing that made degenerates laugh and made him money. If you think he deserves compensation, have the Queen pay it. As she allows such... such crimes to take place, and as far as I am concerned it is a crime.

While I was tempted to just rip up the treaty, I won’t do that as I won’t bring the possibility of war down on all our heads. The treaty will have to be renegotiated as I tell you now, that the co-operation we hoped to have, that’s over. The embassies that were suggested to better understand each other? I understand you well enough now, and I’m not going to sign anything that has elves contaminating our cities with their loathsome ideas. The dwarves are not going to be happy about this at all. I’m not sure what King Thorogar will do, but I doubt you’ll like it. Do the centaurs know that you keep slaves? I’m sure that won’t sit well with them either.”

Here I ran down a bit, having worked off my burst of anger fuelled energy.

“I am taking Sirrit to our rooms,” Said Chessina, “I am going to look after her and see what she needs. Try not to do anything rash Castamir, like burning down the city.”

“Sirrit?” Said Tancyfrwys, looking puzzled.

“That’s the goblin girl’s name, she has one you know.” Chessina added sarcastically. Tancyfrwys had the grace to blush.

“I think you’re being overly concerned...” Blaithamlwg began, then on seeing my expression continued, “But you obviously don’t agree.”

Any further comments by Blaithamlwg were forestalled by Queen Ariannaith coming down the stairs followed by Cyfaill and Silavara.

“I have received a most disturbing report from Silavara, that the treaty will need to be renegotiated.” Ariannaith said, “I understood that the treaty had been finalised and our visitors were being shown around our city. Perhaps someone can explain what can have happened in such a short time to necessitate changing the treaty.”

“Castamir discovered certain things about our society, and ah... he was rather upset about them.” Said Blaithamlwg.

“Your chancellor is a master of litotes, Your Majesty,” I added, “I’m incandescently furious to discover that elves keep slaves.”

“Slaves? I don’t understand, please explain Chancellor Blaithamlwg.” Said Ariannaith.

“There are a few slaves in the city, Your Majesty,” Said Blaithamlwg, “It’s an old practice that has mostly died out, but we came across one in the city, and Castamir... disapproved most strongly.”

“We came across a goblin girl who was humiliated by being made to dance in huge unwieldy shoes so that her stumbling would amuse the... patrons of a certain establishment. If the elf forcing her to dance did so by maltreating her, he will be punished either by you, or by me, and I’m feeling irritated and inventive.”

“I am shocked beyond measure by this news Blaithamlwg,” Ariannaith said, “I want you to investigate this and take appropriate action. Please keep me fully informed. I will prepare a decree abolishing slavery forthwith.”

“Yes Your Majesty.” Blaithamlwg said. At this Ariannaith and Cyfaill retired again.

 

“Castamir,” Tancyfrwys began diffidently, “A little while ago you said that Blaithamlwg and I are your friends. Is that still true?”

“Yes, it is, we are still friends, I’ve got to know and like you.” I replied, “However I was shocked and hurt that you could say “she’s only a slave” without apparently thinking. Most people who know elves dislike you for your automatic assumption that you are superior to all other thinking beings and they are of no account whatsoever, so whatever happens to them is irrelevant. Not that humans are innocent of such things, particularly our nobility.”

“What about the treaty?” Asked Blaithamlwg, “Do you want to cancel the embassies and stop co-operation?”

“Now that I know that the Queen is abolishing slavery, no.” I said, “But I do ask that ambassadors are chosen with the greatest of care, as a poor choice could be disastrous. By the way, do you have any indentured servants? I ask, as that is sometimes used as a form of restitution when one person has harmed another, that they work to recompense the injured party. At least this is done in the Kingdom of Ezustry.”

“Yes, there are quite a few and ah...” Blaithamlwg began, and then faltered.

“And you are going to tell me that the practice is being abused?” I said. “Unfortunately this can happen all too easily.”

“I belive that some elves, particularly of the higher classes, falsely accuse half-elves of some transgression so they can have indentured servants.” Said Blaithamlwg. “I’m afraid I’ve rather turned a blind eye to many things that I really ought to have taken notice of. The coming of you and your companions Castamir, has shaken me up from the comfortable rut that I’ve been in.”

“I too have been brought to re-evaluate many things, Castamir.” Tancyfrwys began, “I’m very glad to still be friends. I shall miss you when you return, as I realise that I don’t actually have any friends, just acquaintances.”

“There is nothing to stop you visiting,” I replied, “Besides, I think you do have one very close friend.” I looked pointedly at Blaithamlwg as I said this, and both he and Tancyfrwys blushed.

At this point Chessina and Silavara came downstairs.

“How is Sirrit?” I asked.

“She is sleeping after a good cry,” Chessina replied, “We’ve bedded her down in Silavara’s room with Ulula watching her. We let her talk for a bit, and then Silavara helped her to drop off with a gentle version of the sleep spell.”

“It’s fortunate that I speak the tongue of Goblins, as her elvish is not very fluent. She hasn’t been here very long.” Said Silavara.

“How did she come to be here?” I asked.

“She got lost when her people were moving from one long term camp to another.” Silavara replied, “Like the centaurs the Goblins move periodically when food supplies run low in one area. Sirrit wandered about and was then caught by an elven patrol. Rather than kill her, they brought her into the city where she was sold as a slave.”

“Does she know where her people are, so we can return her?” I said.

“Unfortunately, there is a problem.” Chessina said, “Sirrit’s people won’t have her back, as they assume she has been used by the elves.”

Blaithamlwg and Tancyfrwys looked rather uncomfortable at this.

“Was she?” I asked flatly.

“Fortunately, no.” Replied Silavara, “But her people won’t believe that.”

“Oh well,” I remarked, “The Tower is very large, finding room for her won’t be a problem.”

“Your generosity does you credit Castamir,” Said Silavara, “But her place is with me. Not only do I speak her language, but I... I have a feeling about this, and I have learned to trust my feelings. Besides Ulula likes her.”

 

oOo

 

We spent a rather unsettled night, unfortunately not a pleasurable one as neither Chessina nor I found sleeping easy, worrying what new festering pustule might be revealed on the underside of elven society. After breakfast for which the royal family joined us, we all set out for the site of the palace both to see how the construction was progressing and for the Queen to deliver another speech. There were many people working at the site, doing things with scaffolding, ropes, pulleys and blocks of stone. No, I don’t really know what they were doing, my father was a plumber not a mason, and I didn’t have time to learn much about plumbing as he died when I was quite young.

There were at least as many spectators as workers, proving the aphorism that many people love work, as they could stand and watch it for hours. There was quite a stir when the crowd discovered that Queen Ariannaith had arrived. Blaithamlwg stood forward and announced in a magically amplified voice courtesy of his staff of office,

“Her Majesty Queen Ariannaith will address you all. Please give heed as soon as any stonework is made safe.”

After a brief flurry among the masons, the people turned towards the Queen with nothing more than a few faint mutterings to break the quiet. I felt a faint surge of magic as Tancyfrwys enhanced Ariannaith’s voice similarly to Blaithamlwg’s staff,

“My people, it has come to my attention that some few among you still practice the detestable evil of slavery, holding thinking beings as property. This practice will cease forthwith, and any slaves are to be surrendered to Chancellor Blaithamlwg immediately. If any seek to conceal a slave or to harm or abandon them they will feel our severe displeasure. Likewise we wish all indentured servants to present themselves to the Chancellor with a full explanation of their circumstances of indenture. If any seek to prevent the servants complying with our instructions or if the indentures were not in all ways proper, they too will feel our displeasure.

These things, while troubling to us, do not in any way diminish the pride of my husband and I in the way so many of you are working so industriously on the palace building. You have our grateful thanks.”

The crowd cheered the Queen without, as far as I could tell, any magical encouragement. This boded well for the future of the elves.

The Queen and the rest of the royal family turned to return to the tower, and while waiting for them to precede us we were approached by a cloaked figure. He pulled back his deep hood and was apparently an elf in all but colouring, being dark haired, almost blue black in colour and his eyes were smoke blue, and was dressed rather soberly for an elf, his cloak was dark grey and his tunic was in shades of grey while his hose and boots were black. There was something familiar about his walk, but I couldn’t place him. He bowed to us and spoke,

“Towermaster Castamir, Apprentice Chessina, I wonder if you recall me?”

I thought I recognised his voice, and my slightly unsure,

“Corrund?” Was echoed by Chessina’s confident,

“Corrund! What are you doing here?”

“Following the wishes of my Lord Emaxtiphrael.” Corrund replied.

“I confess I was very surprised to see you here, I didn’t know you could leave the Place of Waiting.” I said.

“My Lord Emaxtiphrael is very powerful.” He replied.

“I’m glad to see you,” Said Chessina, happily, “We never had a chance to thank you for your help in regaining my soul from the Place of Waiting, from its demonic guardian, and subsequently  banishing Fishface.”

“I merely did what was required. My Lord Emaxtiphrael was very pleased by the rescuing of your soul. I understand that you are much in favour with Arcana Lady of Mysteries.” Corrund continued.

“It always pays a married man to keep his wife happy.” I added, smiling at Chessina.

“What do you know of this?” Corrund asked, somewhat perturbed.

“Castamir, the first Towermaster, told us.” I answered.

“He is... over garrulous.” Said Corrund, with some irritation.

“Corrund, when I asked what you are doing here, you weren’t very specific.” Chessina said, “We need to know with more precision your intentions, as we’ve just managed to stop a war and get the elves to start behaving like civilised beings. We don’t want them stirred up again.”

“I have two tasks that My Lord Emaxtiphrael wishes performed.” Corrund replied, “The first, and most important, is for you to introduce me to the Queen Mother. My Lord Emaxtiphrael was most emphatic that my precise nature not be revealed. Do not worry, He does not wish further turmoil amongst the elves, and is very pleased at the result of your efforts.”

“And the second task?” I asked, keeping from my voice my disquietude at being further embroiled in the machinations of the Gods.

“Is to be dealt with after the first task.” Said Corrund with finality.