“And do you expect a warm reception today?” Waylan asked her.
Ethmira turned and leaned back against the wall. She looked narrowly at the Council as they conversed, a thoughtful frown twisting her lips.
From left to right, there were five elves seated at the table. All of them were dressed in elaborate robes with ornate epaulettes on their shoulders. Their robes varied in color from pale blue to deep green and beneath the bright sunlight streaming in from above them, the Council members looked like separate parts of a living rainbow.
Only one of the members appeared to be young. He sat at the left end of the table, his mane of black hair shining like ebony. His eyes, as black as chips of coal, watched the others as he sat silently, a brooding expression on his narrow face.
The others on the Council were obviously much older. Two other men and two women, all of them with white hair and one, the woman sitting at the center of the table, with a face heavily lined and crisscrossed with wrinkles.
“I see Amelda still leads the Council,” Ethmira observed. “By the Mother, will she ever retire? She's sat in this chamber so long that she's practically a part of the furniture.”
Waylan covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
“I doubt it,” he chortled. “They'll have to carry her out feet first one day, I'm sure. How she manages to get up that endless staircase every day is beyond me. But she does and that, at least, is admirable. Some of her decisions, on the other hand, are not.”
Chase looked at both of them curiously and Ethmira smiled at her expression.
“Amelda is very traditional in her way of thinking,” she explained to Chase. “As Waylan said, she's been on the Council for as long as anyone can remember and in many ways, her beliefs are quite inflexible. Convincing her that Trillfarness may be facing a threat from the evil old gods may be my greatest task today.”
“Can she overrule the other Council members if they decide to back you and she doesn't?” Chase asked nervously.
“No,” Waylan said firmly. “All members have an equal vote. But her opinion carries a lot of weight among them and there are very few who are willing to go against any of her decisions. Except for Malfiess, of course,” he added with a mischievous grin.
“Who's Malfiess?”
“The young elf on the end there,” Ethmira said, nodding at the black-haired councilor. “He was appointed to take my place when I stepped down, one of the few times that the others on the Council overruled Amelda. He is the son of an influential elf in the eastern provinces, you see, and a rather famous scholar for one so young. His father and several other elves of high station backed his attempt to join the Council and the members agreed.”
“Except for Amelda?” Chase asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Exactly. And I don't think that she's ever quite forgiven them for that perceived slight. Certainly she doesn't care for Malfiess very much. But she's quite adapt at hiding her dislike, at least when the Council is in session.”
“Most of the time,” Waylan added, smiling mischievously. “I've heard a few stories of clashes erupting between the two of them. It must drive Amelda to distraction that someone as young as Malfiess sits on the Council and that his vote carries as much weight as hers does. Am I a bad person for saying that fact tickles me?”
He looked at the two women with wide, innocent eyes and it was all that they could do to stop themselves from laughing.
“Don't play the innocent with me, Waylan,” Ethmira told him with a shake of her finger. “I know you too well.”
He sighed dramatically.
“Ah well, it was worth a try at least. Sorry, but I'm sure that Amelda is the one responsible for keeping me waiting these past few days. For a member of the Council, she seems to have little regard for rangers or for our reports. It's quite aggravating.”
“And foolish,” Ethmira said darkly. “We know the pulse of our world better than anyone. Discount a ranger's experience at your peril. That is something that my grandmother always said. And she was right.”
“Perhaps it's just because she's been in her position for so long that she's lost touch with the common people?” Chase suggested.
Both Ethmira and Waylan glanced at her. He nodded thoughtfully.
“Good point. That is certainly a possibility. But whatever the reason for it, if Amelda ignores your warning, Ethmira, and convinces enough of the others to do the same, she will be putting Trillfarness at risk. And that would be unacceptable.”
“Agreed. Well, we'll see soon enough,” she replied as she stared at the group gathered in front of the Council table. “The councilors seem to be concluding their business with the delegation that they are speaking with. We might be the next ones to be granted an audience. Let's wait and see.”
The group of elves bowed to the Council and turned to leave. They were speaking quietly to each other as they walked past Chase and the others. None of them looked very happy.
A tall thin elf who had been standing silently against the wall behind the Council stepped forward at a gesture from Amelda. He was holding a long wooden staff topped with a glowing green gem. His simple robe was pale yellow. Unlike most elves, he had a neat brown beard that matched his short hair and he bore himself with great dignity.
He bent down to listen as Amelda spoke quietly with him and Chase nodded at the two of them.
“Who's he?” she asked Ethmira curiously.
“Ah, Othellan. He is the Speaker of the Council,” she told Chase. “He serves as their voice and holds quite a bit of power. When the councilors pass decisions that impact elven society, it is Othellan who makes those announcements. He also chooses who will and will not gain an audience with the Council. Usually he simply passes along the wishes of Amelda and the others, but sometimes he is the one who decides who should or should not be allowed to speak.”
“And Amelda allows that?” Chase asked dubiously.
“She has little choice. By tradition, the position of Speaker has a certain amount of autonomy. He is separate from the Council and their whims. Apolitical. I'm sure that vexes Amelda on occasion, but she is a traditionalist and would never overrule Othellan. She would consider it bad form.”
She smiled crookedly as she watched Amelda talking to the Speaker. The councilor looked irritated.
“And right now it looks like she is not getting her way with him.”
“I love it,” Waylan muttered, his eyes bright with amusement.
“Be nice, Waylan,” Ethmira told him.
He smiled silently but said nothing more.
Finally, Othellan stepped back from Amelda. He turned and walked around the table until he stood in front of the Council. He raised his staff and pounded it once against the floor. The boom echoed through the chamber, silencing the murmur of conversation from the elves who were waiting along the walls near the entrance.
“The Council of Elders is ready to receive the next petitioner,” the Speaker said, his deep voice resonating around the room. “Step forward, Commander Ethmira. The Council welcomes you back to Alderthal.”
Ethmira gave Waylan a little smile and he winked back. Then she tapped Chase on the arm.
“Let's go,” she whispered.
Both of them walked across the room and stood in front of the Speaker. Othellan bowed to them and then smiled broadly at Ethmira.
“Welcome back, Commander,” he said quietly. “Please be cautious. Amelda is not in a very receptive mood right now.”
“Thank you, Othellan. I'll keep that in mind. And it is good to see you again.”
“You honor me.”
Othellan turned smartly and returned to his position behind the Council table. Ethmira nodded to each councilor in turn and all of them returned her greeting. Malfiess actually smiled at her and cocked his head in Amelda's direction, a clear gesture of warning.
Both Ethmira and Amelda finally faced each other. They nodded in unison and the older woman glanced briefly at Chase.
“Good afte
rnoon, Ethmira,” she said stiffly. “It is good to see you again.”
“Good afternoon, Elder,” Ethmira replied with a cool smile. “You're looking well.”
Amelda snorted softly and then seemed to loosen up a bit. She smiled wanly and looked down at her heavily veined hands.
“As well as an old elf can, I suppose,” she mused. “I was surprised when we were told you wanted to speak with us. The last I'd heard, you were off in the wilds somewhere, trying to reconnect with nature or clear your mind or something.”
“Something like that, yes. But my companion here,” she gestured at Chase, “was sent by my grandmother to bring me back from the deep woods. It was Salfrena who sent me to seek an audience with the Council.”
Amelda seemed to thaw even more at the mention of Salfrena.
“Did she now? And how is my old friend? We've missed her on the Council, you know. Her advice is still of great value and her occasional letters are always filled with wise insights.”
Chase glanced at Ethmira and saw her clench her fists and set her jaw. It seemed that Ethmira had assumed the Council was aware of Salfrena's death. Apparently they were not.
“My grandmother has passed, Elder,” Ethmira said sadly. “Her last wish was that I come to Alderthal and speak with you all. And so I am here.”
All five councilors reacted with shock at the news of Salfrena's death. Amelda became even paler, while Malfiess gasped and squeezed the arms of his chair hard enough for them to squeak in protest. The other Council members seemed to be speechless.
“Passed, you say?” Amelda said faintly. “I had no idea that she was so ill. You have my condolences, my dear, for your loss. This is a heavy blow to all of us.”
“Thank you, Elder. I agree. The passing of my grandmother, especially now, is a terrible loss.”
Amelda frowned.
“Especially now? What do you mean by that?”
Ethmira looked past the councilors, collecting her thoughts.
“My grandmother wanted me to share her wishes with you all,” she said, speaking slowly. “Because of the attacks on Earth against both the humans and the dwarves, attacks that I know you are aware of, Salfrena believed that we would soon be under assault as well. And so she asked me to meet with the Council to offer my services in the defense of Trillfarness. She thought that my experience fighting the brown dragons here on our world, and battling the forces of darkness on the Earth itself, gave me some insight into how we might respond to a hostile incursion.”
She smiled briefly at the Council.
“I do not seek high office, as you all know. I never have. I left this chamber because I felt that my talents might be better used elsewhere. But my grandmother felt that I should answer the call to protect our people against the evil that she was certain would soon threaten them. That is why I am here.”
“Well said,” Malfiess murmured.
“Yes, well, I am sure that your heart is in the right place, Ethmira,” Amelda said stiffly. “As was Salfrena's. And the Council is aware of the assaults on the humans and the dwarves on Earth, of course. However, while I mean no offense to my old friend's memory, her belief that Trillfarness is in danger was perhaps a little...premature. We have seen no evidence of any threats coming from the realm of Earth. In fact, our world is more peaceful and prosperous now than it has been in many years.”
She leaned forward in her seat and stared piercingly at Ethmira.
“What exactly did Salfrena want you to do? Organize a planet-wide defense? Lead our forces into battle? To what end? There is no danger to defend against!”
Chase glanced at Ethmira, whose face had gone pale. Her jaw was clenched and she gazed at Amelda coldly.
“My grandmother wanted me to serve, Elder,” Ethmira stated evenly. “As she had served throughout her life. She was wise, as you know. Do you really believe that her wisdom failed her at the end? Do you? If that is the case, then all I can say is that you did not know her as well as you may think you did.”
“How dare you,” Amelda hissed. “Salfrena and I were friends long before you were born. I knew her as well as I would have known a member of my own family.”
“Then honor the memory of that friendship.”
The Elder turned in her seat to stare at Malfiess incredulously. He returned her look calmly.
“You knew Salfrena well, you say,” he continued. “Do you truly believe that she would send her granddaughter, the hero of the war against the brown dragons, here to the Council for no reason? That would be absurd. No, it is much more likely that Salfrena saw signs that perhaps we on the Council have not and interpreted them correctly using her many years of experience. We all know Ethmira and we know that she would not have returned here without good reason. Let that knowledge guide you, Amelda, and do not jump to conclusions.”
Malfiess held Amelda's gaze until she turned away to look back at Ethmira. The Elder slowly sat back in her chair and sighed. She shook her head and smiled thinly.
“Perhaps Malfiess is correct,” she said reluctantly. “Elves are not a war-like people. We never have been. To face the prospect of another conflict with the dark gods is not something that any of us would like to contemplate. But it is my duty as a member of the Council to weigh all of the evidence when something like this is brought before us. So tell me, Ethmira, is there anything more to this belief that we are in danger than just the attacks on the humans and the dwarves? Anything at all?”
Ethmira also released the tension that had been building up inside of her. She hesitated and then looked behind her.
“Waylan, would you join us please?”
The ranger stepped away from the wall and walked forward. Amelda looked at him with a frown, but she remained silent.
“Please tell the Council the reason that you wanted to speak with them,” Ethmira encouraged him. “It may provide some evidence that we are already being influenced by dark forces.”
He looked surprised by her statement.
“Is that what's been going on?” he asked. “Is that why the ley lines are unstable?”
“It may be,” Ethmira replied. “If you cut off our access to the energy that lies at the heart of our planet, that would weaken us tremendously, don't you think?”
“By the Mother, that never even occurred to me!”
“Would either of you like to explain what you are talking about?” Amelda snapped. “What's all this about the ley lines?”
Waylan bowed to her and the Council.
“It is why I was sent to meet with you, Elder,” he said. “Our connection to the ley energy may be in jeopardy.”
Chapter 6
Waylan explained his mission to the Council, speaking clearly and without emotion. When he was finished, Ethmira added to his tale, telling Amelda and the other councilors about the trouble she and Chase had when they'd tried to take a portal to Alderthal.
After listening intently to both rangers, the Council members began speaking quietly amongst themselves. The three rangers returned to stand against the wall near the entrance and Waylan spoke to Ethmira quietly.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak,” he said gratefully. “I just hope that they were really listening. But at least now I can return to my college knowing that my message has been passed on.”
“You're welcome, Waylan,” Ethmira replied softly. “But they should have heard you out days ago. Amelda's recalcitrance is disturbing. I found her to be rather inflexible and hard-headed back when I sat on the Council, but she seems to have gotten much worse since I left. I cannot understand why though. You'd think that the safety of the planet would come first, no matter what. I'm worried that perhaps her advancing age is affecting her judgment.”
“So am I,” he replied with a cautious look toward Amelda. “But don't let her hear that. Even our people change when they become very old and Amelda isn't much younger than your grandmother was, you know. Perhaps it is changing her personality? I have no way to tell. I don't
know her personally as you do.”
Chase listened silently and watched the Council deliberate at the same time. After hearing both Ethmira and Waylan speak, she couldn't understand why the councilors were even debating. It was obvious that something was wrong on Trillfarness. Wasn't it the job of Amelda and the others to protect their people and their world? Were they so insulated from real life that they couldn't see their duty clearly?
“You're looking disappointed for some reason,” Ethmira murmured to her. “What's wrong?”
Chase looked at her, feeling a little embarrassed that her emotions were so easy to read from her expression.
“It's them,” she whispered, nodding at the councilors. “They sit at the pinnacle of elven society, their every decision supposedly guided by their wish to care for our people. And yet, look at them. Bickering about protecting the very planet that we live on. Even if you and Waylan are wrong in your interpretation of the signs, what does it matter? Shouldn't they act anyway, even if it turns out to be a false alarm? Surely it would be better to overreact than not act at all?”
Both Ethmira and Waylan smiled at her reply.
“You are right, Chase,” Waylan replied. “But common sense, it seems, is in short supply in this chamber lately. I fear that the Council has lost touch with our people. They sit in this tower day after day and become more and more removed from the rest of us. But if they do choose not to act in this instance, I for one will not stand idly by and allow our world to suffer for it.”
“But what can we do?” Chase asked him. “The Council guides elven society. Without that guidance...”
“Ah, but you see? You have put your finger on it,” Waylan said, cutting her off. “They guide our people. They do not rule them. We are not like the dwarves, bowing to a king or a queen. We operate as a unified whole because of the interconnection between us and our world. We obey the Council's rulings out of respect and tradition, nothing more. If they rule against us today, I will return home and spread the word among the rangers about the possible danger that may be threatening Trillfarness. Hopefully you and Ethmira will do the same. If we have to, we will save the planet in spite of the Council's wishes. It will be a sad day if that has to happen, but perhaps that is what it will come to.”
The Fall of the Elves Page 7