Unwanted Elves
Chapter 13
“Look down there Castamir, is that a path?” Exclaimed Chessina.
“It looks like one,” I replied, slowing the rug and banking into a curve to remain near the spot. “I wonder if that might be the route from the Elven trade enclave to their capital city. I had a look at some maps in the royal collection, thanks to King Thorogar, and the road looks to be coming from roughly the right area.”
“Could we follow the road directly to the city?” Chessina asked.
“Perhaps, but I don’t think we ought to.” I replied. “There could well be spells of misdirection and confusion placed on the road. Besides, I’d rather not approach the city from an obvious direction. I’m certain it would be guarded. Elves are even more paranoid than wizards.”
“Should we go down and investigate, Castamir?” Enquired Silavara. “I would like to speak with the forest again in any case.”
“A good idea.” I agreed.
Spotting a small clearing near to the road, I brought the rug in to land. The clearing was dominated by the remains of a large fallen tree, the reason for its existence. The ground was covered with a profusion of plants, while here and there small saplings grew. The tree must have died from eld or disease, as there was no hollow left by the root ball of an intact tree brought down by some other cause. Insects flitted around, and I thought I caught flashes of movement and rustles in the undergrowth as birds and small animals retreated before the interlopers.
“I’m going to communicate with the whole forest, not just the trees.” Said Silavara, sitting down, “it won’t take nearly as long.” She added with a wry smile.
“We’ll have a look at the path.” I said, and Chessina and I moved towards it, cautiously. As we got closer, I began to feel a little muddled, and not quite sure what I needed to do. I thought I saw archways made of trees with their branches intertwined to form the crown of the arch. Through the archways I could see other forested places in, I presumed, the Great Forest. One arch in particular seemed very inviting, and the other side of it I could see two paths diverging, the left one conveying a sense of foreboding, the right seemed benign and deeply attractive.
“Castamir,” said Chessina sharply, “I think we’re being attacked by a confusion spell. I’m somewhat resistant to that and charms, thanks to Arcana. Move back the way we came, away from the road.”
With clear instructions, and Chessina taking my arm, I moved back to the clearing. Almost immediately, my head cleared.
“Thanks, love.” I smiled gratitude at her. Silavara rose and came over to us.
“Can you tell me what happened,” Chessina enquired, looking at me intently. “Did you see anything?”
“I saw archways made of trees, that attracted me.” I replied, “I could see different wooded places through them as though they were gate spells. One of them was particularly attractive, seeming to emanate from that large tree over there.” I pointed out a tree, not far away on our side of the road.
“Thank you Castamir, I would be interested to examine that tree.” Silavara declared firmly. She approached the tree and the muttering indicated she was casting her own spells. Ulula flew around the tree but didn’t perch in it. Presently she took up her accustomed place on Silavara’s shoulder. Silavara then placed her hand on the bark of the tree and concentrated. Shortly she turned to us.
“The spells on most of the trees I am familiar with.” Silavara said. “They would take you elsewhere in the forest, doubtless, given the peculiar elven sense of humour, to somewhere unpleasant and potentially dangerous. This last tree, the elm, has a spell that has been warped somehow and is very unpleasant. By the feel, I believe the warping might be demonic in origin.”
“By the behaviour of the demon sensing amulet I think you are right, Silavara.” Said Chessina holding up her pendant.
“I think we should examine the path more closely. I’ll cast lesser spheres of protection on each of us. That should hopefully negate the effect, particularly for you Chessina.” I said proceeding to do so.
We approached the path again, I had my staff in hand and began to cast those analytica spells I knew.
“I wish I was as proficient with analytica spells as Dragovar,” I remarked wistfully, “but there is a confusion spell laid on the path. It seems to vary in potency directly with intelligence, animals being pretty much immune.”
“Pennover would have been fine then, even before you turned him into an ass.” Chessina quipped.
“There also seems to be a conditional part to the spell. It will affect all beings except some.” I said, trying to understand the findings of my spells.
“I wonder if the spell is designed not to affect elves?” Asked Chessina.
“I’m sure you have it, love.” I replied.
“What about the half-elven merchants? Might they be less affected?” Chessina continued.
“I very much doubt that. I reckon those merchants would be given some device that would negate the confusion.” I said. “That way the elves could restrict how many half-elves could get to their city.”
“Lovely people.” Remarked Chessina.
“We knew that already.” I replied.
We moved closer to the road to get a better look at the surface. “There aren’t any plants or fungi growing here,” I said, “I detected spells that prevent growth of the same.”
“The surface seems to be just earth,” Chessina observed, “there don’t seem to be any holes or scuff marks there.”
“That could be the reason there is a summoning spell laid in the enchantment. I think that earth is slowly summoned from the surroundings to maintain the surface of the road. See,” I pointed, “there are ruts and holes at the side of the road. That must be where the material is taken from.”
“Castamir, Chessina.” Silavara spoke softly behind us. “Someone’s coming down the road, the forest creatures warned me.”
“Don’t come too close to the road, Silavara,” I warned, “it’s protected by confusion spells.”
“The creatures told me they don’t like it, so I took care.” Silavara gave a gentle smile and continued, “Priestesses are cautious.”
As we walked back to the clearing Chessina asked, “Do you have any idea who is coming?”
“Two legs and four legs, I was told.” Silavara replied. “I interpret that as half-elves and packhorses.”
“I can conceal us from their view,” Silavara continued, “Any observers will see a dull part of the forest that contains nothing they are interested in.”
“Will you try and read their minds, Castamir, although I know you hate doing so.” Chessina looked at me with a sympathetic expression.
“No, I’ll cast something that should make them rather loquacious,” I replied, “If I use the tower to boost the spells, they’ll loquace like they’ve never loquaced before.”
How could I understand what the traders might say under the spell when my Elvish is poor? Do keep up; I said my written Elvish was poor. Harmon had taught me enough spoken Elvish to know when I was being insulted, or at least guess it, when the insults were buried in layers of the extraneous tenses elves seem to find necessary. And before we left the tower I had enhanced my knowledge with a spell, transferring books with known translations to my mind. I remembered how shocked I had been during this process when Chessina walked in on me, and started reading the Elven script out in Abyssal.
To cut a long story short, there appeared to be certain relationships between the two in written and grammatical form, even if linguistic drift had caused a difference in pronunciation. Oh really! Linguistic drift is the natural change of any living language as it acquires more vocabulary, loses archaic words, and the pronunciation shifts. It’s possible to determine by looking at old poetry, what words used to rhyme which do not do so any more... if you are interested, which most of you aren’t. Anyway, this meant that being able in Abyssal meant that reading Elvish became a whole lot easier, and if my spoken Elvish was distinctly accented, at least I could understand, and would pick up the accent as I went along. And spells would help with that, too.
I had been able to pass the language on to Silavara as well, in a rough and ready way, and she informed me that the trees would help her learn more.
I heard the thump of the horses’ hooves on the path before I could see the group. After a short while they came into view, three riders each leading two pack horses. The riders were all wearing clothing of various shades of green and brown, which changed colour as they moved near different backgrounds. Their hoods were thrown back showing the riders’ faces. As soon as all were in sight, I cast tattle tongues that caused the recipients to babble whatever was uppermost in their minds.
“I’m not looking forward to getting to the city, Anwillyn.” Said the one on the leading horse. Now the riders were closer I could see from their varied complexions and hair colour that, as surmised, they were half elves. All the ‘pure blood’ elves I had ever met were pale of skin, with blond hair and blue eyes.
“Nor am I, Eurwaith,” said the one next in line, “especially as we’ll have to tell that misbegotten swine Prydythaur that the black fire-opals he was expecting didn’t arrive.”
“I’ve heard it said that they are gems of ill omen.” The last rider joined in the conversation. “Wonder what they want them for?”
“They, Peraith,” said Anwillyn, “who do you mean by they?”
“Prydythaur and Tancyfrwys. I’ve heard they’re thick as thieves.” Replied Peraith. “Rumour is Prydythaur is bedding her.”
“Bedding the royal wizard?” Interjected Eurwaith, “are you sure? I thought he was engaged to crown princess Ariannaith.”
“I doubt that would bother Prydythaur, the cold-hearted bastard.” Said Peraith. “He gives me the creeps.”
“I hope he believes us when we tell him what the dwarf merchant said.” Said Anwillyn, sounding worried.
“My apologies, but the recently mined black fire-opals weren’t up to the quality the noble elves deserve. That part of the vein was somewhat fractured and we couldn’t possibly provide poor quality gems to our customers.” Eurwaith remarked, “Wasn’t that what the head merchant said.”
I grinned at that. King Thorogar had succeeded in stopping the shipment. I hoped that would put a crimp in things.
“I wonder what princess Ariannaith sees in Prydythaur that she wants to marry him.” Mused Anwillyn.
“I’m not sure if she does,” replied Peraith, “by all accounts the king and queen are more keen on the match than she is.”
“I noticed that the Princess was often there to meet the caravan when Cyfaill was around, and they had difficulties keeping their eyes off each other.” Said Anwillyn.
“If you’re right that would explain why the orders came down that Cyfaill was never to come to the city again, and that his amulet had to be surrendered on pain of pain.” Said Eurwaith.
“Those orders came from very high up didn’t they?” Asked Anwillyn.
“I think so.” Eurwaith said bitterly. “Typical full-bloods. We deal with outsiders to keep them in luxuries and get spat upon almost literally as thanks.”
The three half-elves and their pack horses had now passed out of earshot.
“That was extremely interesting,” Chessina remarked.
“Wasn’t it.” I agreed. “I don’t think anything more we’d get would be worth the risk of following them. The spell will end in a while, and they won’t think that anything is amiss.”
“My goddess can only protect us as she had, if we are relatively immobile.” Silavara added.
“I’d like to push on quickly, as I want to circle around the elven city and approach it from the west, not the south east that I think is the direction that the road enters the city.” I said. The others nodded and once again the rug lifted into the sky over the vast green ocean of the Great Forest.
“Castamir,” began Chessina, “Those elves didn’t seem like the ones you’ve described to me in the past. They didn’t feel cold and distant. If it weren’t for the shape of their faces and the pointed ears I’d take them for humans.”
“They were half-elves love, and the first I have come across.” I replied. “I never met any when I visited the elven city with Harmon as they are forbidden to come there. All the elves I met were cold and distant and they made no secret of their hatred and detestation of humans. Although I only met those of the upper classes, so what ‘ordinary’ elves are like I really don’t know. Harmon apologised for taking me on the trip as I had nightmares when we returned. He had been worried about what I might get up to in the tower without him there to supervise. Still, I’m glad I went, as I know what to expect.”
We made two more stops for Silavara to check directions, before we approached the city from the west.
I wish I could provide a decent description of the forest, but I always fall short. From above, it’s an ocean of varied shades of green; down on the forest floor it’s not all that different from other forests. It’s difficult to see very far due to the trees. They tended to be very large here, except in clearings so the range of vision is greater, but there is a sense of vastness that the forest subtly communicates. The impression that I had of the Great Forest, with Priestess Oakheart near, was rather friendly. As we got closer to where she was sure the elven city was located, the feeling became... less friendly. Alright, it became downright hostile.
We had not flown long when I noticed that the variant greens of the tree leaves were making some kind of a pattern.
“Am I seeing things, Silavara? I could swear I can see a kind of pattern in the leaf shades.”
“No, you aren’t seeing things Castamir. I think you should land now,” Silavara said, gently touching my shoulder, “we’re getting quite close to the city. I can feel the trees’ distress directly now, not conveyed via another tree.”
“The trees are distressed?” Queried Chessina puzzled, “I thought the elves were supposed to be in harmony with nature not damaging it.”
“That is what they claim.” Said Silavara with, I thought, a touch of bitterness. “The reality is somewhat different. Dwarves and humans cut down trees, but the more sensible groups can be guided to plant new ones in their place. This not only provides more trees for the future, it follows the cycle of birth, death and new growth that greatly pleases my goddess Silvana. The elves warp trees and other living things into shapes that elves find pleasing and use spells to extend the lives of the trees. This pleases neither my goddess nor the trees themselves.”
I could feel Silavara’s anger and distress, and I let my guard down.
The sudden whirring of wings shocked and startled me as a number of small birds hurtled out of a thicket. I turned and saw two elves with drawn bows. They appeared as disturbed as I was as they had focussed on the birds rather than firing at us. As the elves turned back to us, I recited a phrase inscribed in the compact with the original towermaster. The elves froze in place unable to move a voluntary muscle. No, of course I’m not going to write it down. Someone might get the stupid idea of going to the Great Forest and relying on it to protect them from the elves.
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t warn you beforehand Castamir,” said Silavara, “but I only sensed them at the last moment. I had to beseech Silvana my goddess, for aid rather rapidly.”
“I’m very grateful, to her and to you.” I replied. Chessina nodded wordlessly, she seemed as shocked as I. Just when I should have been being cautious, I hadn’t been. Within the city I must be paranoid. Incidentally this is why you don’t risk going near the elves in the Great Forest. You’re unlikely to have a nature priestess with you, who is even more dangerous in woods than elves are. I relieved the pair of their bows and used whisper to ask Chessina,
“Can you make them a little more tractable?”
“Yes.” Chessina replied. I could tell how stressed she was from her laconic reply. I felt little indication of a spell, as it was an innate ability of Chessina’s new body.
“Lady and gentleman,” I said, in my accented elvish, “Kindly lead us to the city. I am the Towermaster, so please do nothing foolish.”
