His surprise was engulfed by the sensation of her against him. When she slowly pulled away from the kiss she took his hand and walked to the first bedroom door. She never slowed and kept a firm grip on his hand, not allowing him to hesitate. He noticed that the two beds had been pulled together and realized this had all been planned. But Lissette didn’t give him much time to ponder that and the thoughts of conspiracy were quickly rendered insignificant.
Perhaps the night would not be long enough after all.
TWENTY-TWO
He woke the next morning with Lissette curled against his right side, her head on his shoulder. Along with her arm, her long hair spread out across his chest and it draped across her back like a vine. He watched the sunlight bring out the occasional reddish highlights in her hair, and found himself wanting to count them. He was afraid to move, and breathed in her scent; taking shallow breaths and trying not to wake her.
To call the noise at the door a knock did not give it full credit. It was more like the pounding of the police about to break down a door. “Eliana sent me to tell you two rabbits that breakfast was ready before you started in again.” Alan, was a dead man. The thought came to him as quickly as Lissette was startled awake. The awkward time, Daniel thought, morning, this first morning.
“Ow, OW! Eliana what was that for?” Came the cry from the hallway. “I thought it was funny! OW!! Alright, alright the rabbit part could have been a little much. OW!!”
Lissette looked at the door, then at Daniel and gave him a lingering kiss, a big smile and bounced out of bed and began to dress. His murderous thoughts toward Alan were mollified as his eyes watched Lissette. From her glance and smile she didn’t seem to mind his attention a bit.
And there was a possibility that Eliana may be doing far worse to Alan than Daniel had considered.
Alan was missing when Lissette and Daniel emerged from their room. Eliana had a small smile and a twinkle in her eye but said nothing about the night or morning.
Lissette seemed completely nonplussed and was her usual self, if not a bit more cheerful than her normal state of late. Daniel was trying not to turn red, but not succeeding.
The air in the house was filled with the smell of breakfast and the kitchen was filled with typical morning chit chat. The question of ‘how did you sleep?’ was gratefully skipped this time. Eliana told them that Beylvar was waiting for them. Daniel’s eyes widened slightly at the word ‘them’ and Eliana smiled. “Beylvar is an old and wise elf and knows full well that trying to separate you two at this point is a waste of time and energy. Even if he did, Lissette would never let you keep a secret from her - nor should you try. You are a set now - a team,” Eliana closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side in feigned resignation, “and pity to anyone that fails to understand that. Daniel, you still have much to learn and Lissette can teach you. Lissette, Daniel’s ways are very different, choose the best of both worlds. Now go, before Alan recovers enough to be sent to get you.”
Emerging from the porch into the sunshine Lissette stretched catlike. Daniel was frozen at the sight of her. A team, he heard the words in his head and they felt right.
Beylvar was waiting on a bench that sat on the sunny side of the clearing just across from Eliana’s. As they approached he nodded in recognition and pointed to the grass in front of him. They sat looking up at him and waited for the morning’s news. “Word is spreading about your speech to Draskin last night. The split of the mountain elves is no less news, spreading like wildfire. The good news is that many will be willing to join you: human, Halfling, and elf alike. Soon you may have a rabble that will need turning to an army. Have you given this any thought?”
Daniel had not even considered an army and had no idea what to do with one. The look on his face answered his grandfather’s question.
“I thought not. Calden may be the closest thing to a military leader you have, and he is a two edged sword. While he has been fighting humans for a hundred years, most of the humans and halflings that want to join you will be as fearful of him as Alan was. Of course, the change in Alan has been stunning, to say the least, but as others step up in confidence they may show the resentment they have carried their entire lives.”
Daniel’s mind was racing. He didn’t know how to lead an army. He knew some military history, maybe more than most but he was no trained soldier. Anticipating his thoughts, Beylvar continued. “We have sent runners to tell those who come to the woods to bring whatever weapons they may have and provisions. Others have gone to the clans spreading tales of these last days. Inside of a week we may have hundreds here.”
“Grandfather,” Daniel stammered out, “I need help and advice, no, that’s not right. I need a lot more than that. Will you help and can you recommend others?”
“I will always help, son, but remember we know the old ways - which failed. Take some time. You have a few days. Talk this over with your friends and allies and see what comes of that.” Beylvar watched them for a moment and then rose and walked away.
As she sat in the grass beside him, Lissette was watching Daniel’s face and saw the worry in it. She wanted to help but was not sure how. Beylvar had been right. What the elves had tried had failed - miserably. But that desperation had brought her Daniel and she smiled at the silver lining, thin as it was. “What are you thinking?” She asked.
“I am not sure,” Daniel replied, “I think we need to gather together everyone who has committed to this and hold our own council. Lissette, I am going to go to Calden’s quarters, will you gather the others and have them meet us there?” She nodded, kissed him and was off in one fluid motion.
Daniel watched her for a second admiring the graceful, fluid way she ran and then, laughing at himself, rose and headed to Calden’s. I am definitely in deep here in so many ways. He shook his head as if trying to rattle all the pieces into place and then started to trot across the clearing.
Calden and Argon were sitting on the porch speaking in low tones. Calden nodded as Daniel approached and said, “I wondered when you would get around to us. Since we seem to be second, after Beylvar, I assume you have something on your mind?”
Daniel climbed the two steps and leaned against the door frame facing the two elves. “Beylvar has pointed out some harsh realities we need to address. Lissette is rounding up the others and I would appreciate your thoughts.” Calden and Argon were expressionless as they waited for Daniel to continue. “It is possible we may have an army of men and elves and in-betweens headed for us over the next few days. I am told you have experience in organizing and leading large groups and I could use some help.”
Daniel saw Argon glance at Calden quickly trying to gauge the reaction. Argon was pleased that Daniel had approached Calden this way, but was curious as to Calden’s reaction. The two mountain elves spent the morning discussing possible military operations, and this, he thought, could get very interesting.
“Daniel,” Calden began, “There will be many difficulties turning those who come here into an army. Not the least of which are those who will resent taking orders from me. I appreciate your trust, but one thing must be very clear: You will be their leader. You must make the final decisions and hopefully you will bring ideas from your world that are new and advantageous. I suggest we wait for the others to arrive and you can judge better by their reactions.”
The wait wasn’t long and Lissette was second to last to arrive, ahead of only Alan. From the look on his face he was either still smarting from Eliana or had received a second dose from Lissette. When all had settled and made room for Lissette, who moved to Daniel’s side, he started in. “Thanks for coming everyone. Beylvar has convinced me that word is spreading and soon maybe hundreds will be coming here to join us. The more that gather, the bigger a threat and target we become to the Baron. We will need to organize them into a fighting force, if for no other reason than self-defense. The only one of us with that kind of experience is Calden, and before you react, stop and t
hink and then tell me who would be better.”
The surprised looks on their faces subsided as they were stopped by Daniel’s last request. The porch was quite for a minute stretching to two before the first spoke up. With a boldness that was becoming less and less of a surprise, it was Alan. “We have in this little council, two mountain elves, two lowland elves, two halflings, Barton, our human, and you, Daniel, in a bit of a slot all by yourself. So each of us can speak to our own kind, but Barton, sorry uncle, may be a little light on credibility with any humans who come. I think, emotions aside, Calden is the best choice. But putting nearly a generation of anger and suspicion aside will be no small thing.”
Others nodded in agreement as they thought it all through and then in another surprise Barton spoke up. “No offence taken nephew. Fact is fact, and while the escape from the castle may bring some in, a little more help on the human side wouldn’t be all bad.”
“It is settled then. Calden will take charge of organizing and training whoever arrives. Anyone who cannot stomach us all on equal ground should not have come and can go away just as easily. But,” Daniel added, “the change will be a bigger shock to them then it was to you. Give everyone a chance to get used to the idea before we send them away. Calden, I believe the porch is yours.” Daniel smiled though no one else seemed to know why.
“First,” Calden began, “we need to know who among them has skills: not just fighting but cooking, smithing, fletching and tanning. If we have to fight the baron or anyone else, those who keep us fed and equipped are almost as important as fighters. We need to move them and us to the forest away from this encampment. It will be easier to train and feed them there and provide more safety for this enclave. Thoughts anyone?”
“One suggestion, Calden,” Daniel added, “let’s mix the humans, halflings and elves together as we train them. The sooner they have to work together the better.”
Calden tilted his head slightly and smiled. “A technique from your world?”
Daniel shrugged, “It’s called teambuilding, and sometimes the only way to overcome the barriers is to make the people remove them together.”
Calden smiled, “instead of by clan or race they learn new allegiances by working together. It makes great sense. How has that not been considered before? Maybe we have more here than I thought.
“Daniel, when the Baron hears of us gathering in his forest he cannot help but try and drive us out. He can mobilize much faster than we can train and any of us caught in the open will be slaughtered. Do you have any ideas on slowing him down?”
TWENTY-THREE
Barton, Calden, Lissette, and Daniel sat in Calden’s common room, or ‘the meeting room’ as it was starting to be called. It was late afternoon and they had been discussing options for dealing with the Baron for a while.
During a long pause in the conversation, Calden broke the silence. “Daniel, can you explain why your magic is so different from ours and do you think others can learn?”
Daniel had given the subject a lot of thought, but knew his answers were only guesses.
“I think the difference in my magic boils down to two things,” he replied. “First, I have been taught a level of the understanding of things that I cannot quickly teach you. Studying atoms and elements and the molecular components of things will take time we don’t have. Second, the music I think of as normal is much faster and in many ways more intricate than the chants you use for spells. In my world with devices like TV and video games, our brains are developing to handle much more visual information.
Somehow my ability to see the smaller parts in my head makes it possible for me to make things you cannot. Also, I know of materials, like the polycarbonate in Mickey, that you have no knowledge of. So I think that teaching you my music may be the quickest way to ramp up what we can do.”
“Agreed,” Barton said, “But I suggest we bring Alan in here and see if he has any of his father’s abilities. He was very musical.”
Daniel nodded his acquiescence and they sent for Alan. He was eager to be involved in whatever involved Daniel’s magic and had a broad human grin on his face as he entered.
The elves and halflings formed the traditional circle and Daniel wondered if the circle added or was just habit. “OK, I am going to try and teach you the differences between your chants and my music. In my world, chants are usually found in tribal or ancestral music. We still have them but most have words associated with them. I think the chants you do build power and get everyone working together. The leader of the circle needs to direct the power to getting something done. Is that right?”
The group glanced at one another for a second before Calden spoke. “I think that is correct, Daniel, but I think no one here has been in such a power circle. They are difficult and uncommon.”
Daniel nodded his understanding, “So I think the chants are simple so that it is easier for people to work together. Lissette, do they have choirs here?”
Lissette paused searching her memory, “I don’t know that word, what is it?”
“It is a large group of people singing together, usually in church, if I remember from music history it hasn’t been done here yet.” Daniel literally scratched his head trying to figure out how to explain this. “It doesn’t matter,” he said finally, “I have an idea.
Where I am from it is very common for people to sing together – sometimes two or four or sometimes fifty or more. They practice almost every day so everyone does his or her part exactly at the right time. It is very easy to start listening to those around you and get off rhythm. We will start with something easy to see how well everyone can hold their own part. It goes like this: Row, row, row, your boat….”
It was a half an hour before they could easily stay together. Daniel began to wonder how many other childhood games and rhymes were actually training for something else.
Their faces are so serious, Daniel thought, maybe I should have started with ninety-nine bottles of beer.
There focus and attention got them from rowing to rock and roll in another hour. Daniel was having a lot of trouble keeping a straight face with his impromptu history of music. “I think we are ready to try a little magic,” Daniel said, “Everyone knows the tune for the pushing spell, right?” The heads all nodded. “Ok, then you are going to work together on the push and Alan will see that empty chair next to Calden pushed against the wall. Alan, This tune is similar to one by a group of musicians named the Doors – it doesn’t matter why they were called that right now. So as everyone gets to this point in the tune you think ‘Push, Push, Push and see the chair move toward the wall in your mind.
Lissette, you start the tune and it will help to tap your foot like I showed you to keep the pace up. Everyone else join in when you can. Alan, when everybody gets to the part we practiced, you sing ‘Push, Push, Push’ and imagine pushing that chair. Everybody ready?”
The heads nodded solemnly and all looked to Lissette to begin the tune of pushing but at a more of what Daniel called a Latin pace.
In hindsight, after the chair exploded against the wall, Daniel considered holding further practices outside.
After several hours they had made substantial progress in several areas. Daniel learned many more magical tunes, as he now thought of them, and the others had picked up modern music fairly quickly. Daniel had hoped that the session might yield new tunes he could use but most seemed to concern the practical day-to-day tasks of growing food and enhancing things they might make.
A few small practice sessions had shown they could do things faster, but the magic only worked for them when knowing the structure of something wasn’t important. They could generate power, but could not see objects at the right level to create them.
On the way back to their room (as Daniel and Lissette now thought of it) at Eliana’s, Daniel was torn. He was eager to get back to some privacy with Lissette but he had an idea he couldn’t shake.
“Lissette, can I get you to help me
with something before we go back?”
“It’s really not quite dark enough for my taste,” she said with a mischievous grin.
Daniel stutter stepped, and laughed. “Everything I can think of to say only adds more innuendo.”
“What is innuendo?” she asked, now accustomed to the constant vocabulary lessons.
“It means everything now seems to remind me of sex,” he said with chagrin.
“Good,” she said with mischievousness moving from her grin to her voice.
“You really are making this har- not easy,” he struggled to say, “Would you be upset if we try a little magic before we go back?” Lissette shot him a smile that did not help his concentration. “That, too,” he said, “but first, something that you haven’t seen before.” He winced as the words came out, realizing his error too late to prevent her giggles.
Elves- the Book of Daniel Page 21