Once Melisan had moved on from the parlor where the children were hiding, Luvia, Lanai and Lucas emerged from their lair, and proceeded to play throughout the house. Their favorite game, of course, was avoiding Miss Alaina, the nanny. As they played though, Luvia would see Melisan working, and each time she would pause to watch for just a minute or so, trying to tease the pattern from her movements. Luvia knew something was there, just out of reach, just out of sight. It might be a product of a broken mind, she knew; but it was more than that. It was important for some reason, Luvia knew that as well. Soon after, she was deep into a game with a ball, some straw men, and her siblings. For the rest of that day, Melisan and her patterns slipped from Luvia’s mind.
A few days later, Lucas, Luvia and Lanai were in with their tutor, sweating through the various tense forms of high Eldar. Lucas kept struggling with the glottal stops, making Lanai giggle. Finally, seeing the frustration building in his young pupil, Tutor Hamman stopped him.
“Why don’t we try something different? Do you know why we learn Eldar, even though there are no longer any Elves in the West? Why do I make you learn this difficult, impermeable language with all its contextual rules?”
Lanai piped up, “Because Papa pays you to?” Sniggers from Lucas and Luvia erupted behind their hands.
Hamman gave a patient smile. “No, though that is a good reason for it. We do not torture you with Eldar just because, child. There is a purpose to it. Do you know what it is?”
All three heads shook side to side. “No, Tutor, we don’t,” came from the trio of mouths nearly simultaneously.
“The reasons for it are twofold. One, Eldar is one of the oldest languages, and many of the forms and constructions of its syntax and vocabulary are inherent in our modern tongues. If you understand Eldar, for instance, you can pick out the meanings in Gruish, Jamoni, and our own Frashavian. Second, there is great history involved. Many of the things in the world are named in Eldar, and their purpose given in Eldar. One of the great examples is in the Treaty of Vinitisia, which divided up the nations of the West amongst the various Kings of Men. Arrayed like spokes from the Panai Eloh’im Cuiati…”
Lanai raised her hand, “Oh, I know this one, I know it. It means the Palace of Elves….umm Center?”
Hamman smiled at her, his eyes wrinkling up like parchment in the corners. “Yes, Mistress Lanai, very close. It means the People’s Palace at the Center of All.”
Lanai beamed; her pride at having gotten something right showing in the grin that went from ear to ear. Luvia smiled back at her, justifiably proud of her twin. Lucas looked slightly miffed he had not gotten it first, but they all looked back at Tutor Hamman, waiting for more.
“As I was saying, arrayed like spokes from the Panai Eloh’im Cuiati, there are the roads that act as borders between the Central Kingdoms, each with its own gate and name. As you go around they are Dhaerow Andon, Aluvia Andon, Balundi Andon, Nauri Andon, and Kallo’hi Andon. Luvia, can you tell me what the names are in Frashavian?
Luvia furrowed her little brow, unconsciously twisting her braid as she thought.
“Tutor, I think it is Bad Man Gate, Water Gate, I don’t know Balundi, Fire Gate…and Good Man Gate?”
Tutor Hamman gave a little clap. “Very good, Luvia. There were some words in there that I did not expect you to know. But you did quite well.”
Lanai looked at her sister as if she had grown another head. It had always been Lanai or Lucas that excelled in the Elvish lessons, Luvia usually only spoke up in math. It was quite out of character for Luvy to be the one with the answer.
Hamman turned to the slate behind him, and from one of his many pockets produced a piece of chalk. He drew a pentagonal figure with a line transecting each side, coming together like a five pointed star in the middle. He pointed to each in turn reciting their names, “In Frashavian, they would be as thus, Traitor’s Gate, Water Gate, Balun’s Gate, later on known as Aranai Ando, or King’s Gate. Then you have Fire Gate, and lastly, Hero’s Gate. These are the five gates, leading to the five main roads from the Palace of the Elves. Though now in ruins, at the time, it was the very hub of commerce and travel.”
Luvia looked at the pattern on the wall, thinking of Melisan and her little ditty. How could a broken down maid know of the roads from the Elven Palace? Why did she chant their names? The puzzle of it rolled over and over in Luvia’s mind. She was only awakened from her reverie by a tapping on the window. She looked to her left, and through the thick leaded glass she could see a crow. Through a clear spot in the murky glass, it looked at her, its dark eyes shining brightly. For no reason she could explain, she felt a shiver, and the day seemed to darken.
Tap, tap, tap. The crow pecked at the lead holding the window in place. Tap, tap, tap. Luvia felt something from deep inside come to the surface. She held out her hand, fingers split, with the middle one cocked, and the words came to her. “Autari wanwa Korko, Autari wanwa mor dulin, Autari wanwa Rakinna.”
Tutor Hamman looked startled. He looked from Luvia to the now empty window and back again. “Luvia, what did you say? Did you say what I think you said?”
“I don’t quite know, Tutor. I know I wanted the crow to go away, and they seemed like the right words.”
“Did you say…crow?”
“Yes, Tutor Hamman, there was a big black bird, pecking at the window. For some reason, I wanted it to go away, so I said the words. Did I say them right?”
Tutor Hamman went pale, his skin becoming nearly the same color as the grey in his hair.
“Lessons are over for today, children. Go and…just go. I need to speak with Lord Hondon.” He spoke the last quietly, nearly to himself, as he turned and left the room.
The children all looked at each other. Lucas shrugged, thinking that you could never tell with adults. They acted so strange sometimes. He vowed not to be weird when he grew up. Luvia and Lanai mugged at each other, making bug eyes and grinning at the chance to play, when normally their whole morning would have been taken up with lessons. As they left the room to go execute their plan of pursuing grass house construction for fairies, Luvia looked one last time at the window. No crows, but something not quite a voice, told her they would be back.
The remaining days of the week were hot, stiflingly so. The children retreated from the main house to hide out in the barn lofts at the back of the property, where, with the bay doors open, they could at least catch any little breeze that came by. Luvia and Lanai were busy making little straw men and women, acting out plays, while Lucas sprawled on his back on a nearby bale, head looking out the doorway upside down.
“Hey, Luvy, didn’t you say you had seen a crow?”
“Yes, brother, I did.”
“Hmmm. Why are there no crows around here, do you know?”
Lanai looked over her shoulder at her brother, then back to Luvia, making a face that said what an idiot she thought her brother was sometimes.
“Don’t you ever listen to the histories? Tutor Hamman told us about the crows last season, when we were covering the legends of the Elves,” Lanai responded, her voice full of superiority at having remembered something before Lucas. Her brother, full of his own maturity, always tried to lord over his sisters that he was going to be the man of the house, and that he was the smartest one of the three of them. He was never very mean about it, just convinced of his own dominance.
Lucas spun around on his back, until his head was pointing, still upside down, towards his sisters.
“Well, since you are so smart, Lanai, why don’t you tell me what it is about the crows?” He chucked a straw ball at his sisters, but it fell far short, crashing to the floor and breaking apart, a forgotten little construct.
“Crows used to be white, did you know? They were friends to the Elves, they worked in the Kingdoms, and were messengers and helpers and did stuff. What’s the word Tutor used, Luvy?” Lanai’s faced scrunched with effort of remembrance.
“Familiars? Is that it, Lanny?”
&nbs
p; Lanai’s face brightened, “Yes, familiars, that was it. They helped the Elves with their magic and stuff. They used to sit in on councils and things.”
Lucas’s upside down face garnered an expression of concentration as well, his dark brow furrowed as he realized he did remember the legend.
“That’s right, and then in the War, between the Elves and the Chaos, the crows turned traitor, they spied on the Elves and gave away their plans to the enemy. Was it Bla’duin or Balun who cursed them and made them black once he found out?”
Lanai stuck her tongue out at her brother, “Neither, brother, it was Coi’th’una the queen who did it, after Balun fell at the Battle of Water’s End. She was so mad, she turned them all black to show the world what tricksters they were, and banished them from the lands of Elves, even the ones who stayed loyal, so that they would never again have a chance to be stinkers.”
Luvia’s mind took in the things her siblings had just said. It exploded into a thousand fragments, and then reassembled them into new shapes, faceted creations of thought that cast light into the dark corners of her mind. Many things began to make sense to her, things that had not before. She found herself standing, looking out the open bay, across the land. A quiver ran through her spirit, a shuddering of soul.
“Luvy, what are you doing?” asked Lanai.
“I…it makes sense. I understand. She needs help. She needs help,” Lanai muttered, nearly under her breath.
“Who does? Who needs help, Luvia?” Lucas asked his sister as he rolled over onto his belly.
“Melisan.” With that uttered, Luvia turned away from her brother and sister, and jumped off the loft, into the hay below, leaving a pair of confused siblings behind her.
Luvia came pelting around the edge of the house, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she thrust open the front door. Melisan was there, her head cocked as though she were listening to something far distant.
“I know, Melisan, I know!” Luvia cried when she saw the broken maid, her mind racing with all the things to try to say to her.
“Know what, Miss Luvia? Know what?” Melisan looked at her, eyes slightly glazed, her expression bemused.
“I know about the crows. You are keeping them from our lands, aren’t you? You are doing magic, with your sweeping and moving of things. You set a pattern that helps keep them at bay, don’t you?”
“The pattern, yes, must keep the pattern. It is very bad if we do not keep the pattern. No birds to look out the window, mustn’t give them eyes. Must keep things neat so they cannot come in, must keep it all in order, must keep the lines of force….” Melisan’s eyes glazed slightly further as she appeared to lose her temporary focus on the young girl in front of her.
“Yes, she has been doing that for us for most of her life.” The deep voice behind Luvia startled her to the point where she jumped.
“By the Tree, you scared me, Papa.” Luvia put her hand to her chest, feeling the heart inside thumping away.
“I am sorry, little one, I did not mean to, I was coming to talk to Melisan and noticed you there.” Her father, his robes of office still on, smiled at her. His bushy beard and eyebrows often gave him an appearance of stern countenance, but for his “Trio of L” as he called his children, Lord Hondon’s grin would escape its hirsute bonds. With a heavy step he came further into the room. Melisan noticed him, and proceeded to bow, dropping to her knees.
Lord Hondon walked over to Melisan, rested his hand upon the head of the maid who knelt before him.
“Rise, Melisan D’ar Utha. Your subservience is not warranted.” Melisan rose to her feet, hands clasped together, one inside the other, awaiting her Lord’s pleasure. Luvia’s father turned towards her, and though most of his smile was gone, there was a look to his eye that seemed to be a mixture of pride and concern.
“Tutor Hamman tells me you have been doing well in Eldar, my daughter; possibly, better than any of us expected.” Lord Hondon’s deep voice rolled around the room, echoing slightly in the chamber of the foyer.
“Yes, Papa, I am learning. Papa, are the crows coming?”
“That is part of what I was coming to talk to Melisan about when I overheard your conversation with her. To find out what approaches us.” The last trace of his jovial smile was gone, his heavy brow furrowed with concern.
He turned back to Melisan. He ran his thumb gently across her brow, his voice so soft Luvia could barely hear him as he said, “Kuile, tinu’an Balun. Kuile, il Korkoi ier sinome.”
Luvia translated in her mind, “Awake, daughter of Balun, awake. The Crows are coming.”
Melisan’s face seemed to shift, her features, while still the same, seemed to change before Luvia’s eyes, almost as though they had been slightly unfocused before, but now were in diamond sharp clarity. She looked up at Lord Hondon with an expression Luvia had never seen before on the maid’s face, one of malice.
Luvia took a step back, shrinking against the wall.
With a deep and heavy tone, a voice issued from the little servant, one very different from that which normally uttered from her small throat. “Lord Hondon, why have you summoned me? I wish to return to my rest…”
“Crows have been seen, Mistress, they have been witnessed by blood of mine.” Lord Hondon’s voice was low, almost submissive.
Luvia had never seen her father thus; to her he had always been the Lord, the dominant force in every relationship he had. More than anything before, this disturbed Luvia; helping her comprehension of the depth of what was before her.
Melisan’s face twisted in a sneer of arrogance. “Impossible.”
Luvia could not help herself, it was nearly a compulsion as she barked in response, “I am the Daughter of the Hondon; do you think I would lie?” Her tiny foot stamped in counterpoint. Luvia was shocked at herself; she never spoke to an adult like that. What was wrong with her? Her father looked at her with a similar expression of surprise.
Melisan’s face turned towards her. The expression was searching, intelligent, and angry all at the same time. “Little Lordling, I do not care what you think you saw, it is impossible.”
“Why? I saw the crow. I said the words to make it go away. They came from the Gods I think, they were words I did not know, and yet they came to me. Scared me.” Luvia crossed her arms defensively.
“What words did you speak, Little Lordling? What could you have said to make the spies of chaos, the traitors of Eloh’im’aia go away?” Melisan’s hands waved dismissively in Luvia’s face.
“Autari wanwa Korko, Autari wanwa mor dulin, Autari wanwa Rakinna.”
The spirit that was within Melisan screeched, “You spoke those words, you dared to command with the words of the King?”
Luvia backed away a step from the creature before her. Lord Hondon protectively stepped between them.
“Yes, Mistress Balun, she did speak those words. The Blood runs true in my line, and has come to fruit in my Luvia. Now, my patience runs thin. I tell you again, with all the weight of my Word. The crows come. Where stand the Wards?”
Melisan stood, staring deep into Lord Hondon’s eyes. For just a moment, the expression on her face changed again. “Lord, she is scared, she is very scared.” The words escaped as though torn from her.
“Silence, wench.” The arrogant facial change that was the Daughter of Balun came back to the tiny maid’s features. With a grim mien, she responded. “I will check the Wards, I will seek the presence, though I see no point in it. If I can no longer maintain them, there is nothing and no one who can take my place. It will mean war has come again to your land, Lord of Hondon.”
With a spin on her heel, she turned away from the Lord, and stepped to the door, heading outside. Luvia and Lord Hondon followed her. The guards outside looked startled at the sudden opening of the entrance, but eased back at a gesture from their Lord.
Melisan’s hands stretched out, her fingers spread wide, except the middle, which pointed back at her palms; she began to chant, “Annon templa’ohta. A
nnon templari Korkom, Annon templani Aranai Balun’ai. Annon templa’ohta. Annon templari Korkom, Annon templani Arani Balun’ai.”
Luvia could not follow every word, yet she could feel the meanings flow through her, she knew that the Daughter of Balun was calling to the Gates, calling to the War Magic, seeking answers.
In response, there was a sound. The sound of a thousand trees shedding their leaves, of Titans’ breathing, of the wind’s death throes, of a million shivers down the spine, and of Luvia’s heart beating in her ears; it was the sound of wings, hundreds of thousands of wings.
Before them rose a blackness, an ebony wave of fury that stretched as far as Luvia could turn her head. The stippled discoloration of the universe rose above the tree line, tiny specks of darkness binding together, to create a miasma of stygian, winged anger.
Melisan’s body stood, arms still outstretched, but wavering, her spirit failing her in the face of what was before them. Luvia could feel the fear, the denial of the possibility that she had been wrong emanating from the woman whose body was not much taller than the much younger girl. From her fingers, glowed lines of force that began to shined with a brilliant white, an intense light that sought to drive away the avian wave that was about to wash over them.
Lord Hondon turned to his guards, crying, “Run, go get everyone in the barracks, run! Run now!”
Luvia could barely hear her father, despite his loud, booming voice, her mind distracted by sensations running through her body. She could feel…everything. The weight of the crows pressing upon the Wards, their energies flowing through the tiny servant’s body as the daughter of Balun tried to keep them up. Luvia could feel the heartbeat of every single crow in front of her, and the life of every being within the house behind her, including her siblings. Small face slack, she swayed slightly as the tidal forces of magic moved around her in a coruscate current, their hypnotic pattern occupying every last bit of her mind.
As the daughter struggled, Luvia saw it, the worm of failure, running through the Wards; the spiritual rot weakening the guardian magic. The pride, the arrogance, the lack of compassion for their enemies that had left them vulnerable to this assault, it was visible to the young girl’s eyes. As Balun’s daughter failed, and began to crumple under the weight of what she was attempting to do, Luvia comprehended what was expected of her, what the Gods wanted of her. What they had always wanted, since time immemorial, they wanted…sacrifice.
Fractured Fairy Tales Page 5