by Brad Clark
“It is a half-a-days journey from where we landed which will get us there before nightfall. We will need to keep moving, though, or we will be caught in the dark. The jungle is much more dangerous at night. That is when the predators are most active.”
“Lead on,” Conner said.
Glaerion gave a quick nod and continued, but at a slightly slower pace.
Conner was amazed at the jungle. The foliage was much different than the forests of Karmon or even the open plains of Taran. There were no evergreen trees. Instead, there were a wide variety of trees with large leafs of many shapes. Much of the underbrush were long-leafed ferns, a type of plant he had never seen before. Long vines hung down from the trees. Some of them were barren and looked like ropes hanging from the trees. Most were wrapped tightly around the trees, growing among and between branches.
They came across a path, which Glaerion immediately began following. It led them around trees and across barren streambeds. Soon, the path widened and straightened almost as if it were a road through the trees. Conner was not an expert tracker, but he noticed animal tracks and droppings. It seemed to be too wide for a game trail. Unless, of course, the animals down here were much larger than what lived in the forests of Karmon.
A bird call from within the thick trees of the jungle caused Glaerion to come to a sudden stop. He tipped his head before kneeling down to touch the ground. One of his wry smiles came across his face, but Conner noticed that his eyes sparkled with a different light. Instead of mischief or callous humor, the eyes seemed to be full of excitement and energy.
“Quick,” he said. “Off the path.”
Without waiting for Conner or Elissa, he darted into the trees. Elissa gave Conner a questioning glance. With a shrug, he motioned for them to follow the Elf.
A moment after settling into a small clearing, Elissa asked Glaerion what was going on, but he shushed her. Elissa’s indignation only lasted for a moment before they felt the ground vibrate.
Glaerion’s smile grew wider, and he turned to look down the path.
What Elissa saw caused her let out a sharp shriek, but a quick hand over her mouth kept her silent.
A team of large four-legged beasts came marching down the path towards them. Even Conner felt a tightness in his chest as he saw them. He did not see the animals as they were, but he only saw their enormous size and gray skin. They looked nothing like the Stone Ogres that attacked South Karmon, but their gray skin and plodding demeanor made him think of nothing else.
One of the animals shook its head, its large ears flapping. Then it lifted its head, and its long trunk released a loud trumpeting sound.
“Should we not run?” Conner said as calmly as he could. His eyes could not break away from the long tusks of the first animal. The tip ended in a sharp point that could easily end a man’s life. The first animal was followed by a seemingly endless procession of companions. Some were as big as the first, but many were much smaller including a handful that were barely taller than Elissa.
“And miss the march of the elephants?” Glaerion said.
“Elephants?”
“That is their name in the Commoner language. We, of course, have a more elegant name for them.”
“They are not like the Stone Ogres?”
“Hardly. The are simply large beasts of the land. They are friendly, as long as you don’t provoke them. If you do, then they will swipe those tusks at you, knock you over, and then step on you.”
“Their skin, it looks the same as the Stone Ogres.”
“Looks, maybe. But they are still just flesh and blood. Their hide is thick, protecting them from the sharp thorns of the jungle. But a sword will easily slice it open, although it would take many slices to bring it down. They are incredible beasts, but they are not of the Deceiver. They are of the Creator.”
The first of the elephants reached their position. With slow precision, each lifted a leg up and placed it down, sending a slight vibration through the ground. When a hundred were doing it at once, the ground felt like it was moving. The smallest ran among the legs of the larger, playing as children would do.
“You live in a strange land,” Conner said. “The trees are all different. And the animals, are there other strange creatures like these?”
“Many. When our people first arrived here many thousands of years ago, we, too, were astonished as to what we saw. These are the largest, but certainly not the most dangerous. The beasts here are not at the top of the food chain. Many types of predators roam these jungles and the savannas to the south.”
Elissa quickly glanced around, as if an animal were about to pounce on her from behind.
“The jungle here is mostly free of the most dangerous, especially during the day. At night large cats will hunt here, but it is tough hunting for them. There are many kinds of snakes all around, but like I already said, they are all poisonous and will kill you with their bite.”
“Then why live here, if it so dangerous?”
“Right now we are actually at the edge of the jungle. It continues many hundreds of miles to the east. Our village and our land of exile are but a few miles farther to the west where the jungle turns into rolling hills surrounded by woods more like what you would see in Karmon.”
“A few more miles?”
“Our village is one of exile, and we didn’t want to be easily found.”
Elissa glanced up at the sun that was starting to fall from its apex. “We couldn’t have landed closer to your village?”
Glaerion glanced back, an irritated look on his face. “I already said why. If Captain Gorge would have anchored his ship in the harbor near the village, the elves would have acted in self-defense and would have attacked the ship. It has happened before, and no Humans survived. It is the command of the Elven Council that no Humans will ever find our village.”
“You are sure that we are safe?” Elissa asked.
“As long as you are with me, yes, you will be safe.” Glaerion watched the last of the elephants disappear down the path. “Come, it is time to move on. But, rest assured, as long as we keep moving, we will arrive before nightfall.”
Once Elissa stepped from their hiding place, she looked down the path. “Why did we have to hide from them? They were large, but they seemed so peaceful.”
“True enough, they would not have attacked us, but there was no reason for us to interfere with their lives. That is the Elven way. We coexist with the creatures of the jungle. We do not take over the land and push the inhabitants out. That would be the Human way.”
His sharp words hung in the air as he started walking away down the path.
***
They followed the path that the elephants took until it came out of the jungle. It was an easy walk as the path had been trampled flat over time. As the sun fell, the temperature dropped, too. With a slight breeze in their face, it was almost tolerable.
The jungle continued to their left, to the east and south for as far as they could see. Directly in front of them, and to the west, the land opened up to rolling fields of grass with pockets of tall shade trees. Glaerion led them to their right. At the top of a nearby hill stood four figures outlined by the setting sun.
“The sentries,” Glaerion said.
They continued up the hill and stopped two steps away. All four stood patiently waiting, long daggers tucked into their belts. Each wore their hair long and straight, falling behind their backs.
One of them began to speak in his native tongue, his tone clearly full of anger and emotion. The other three kept their eyes on Conner and Elissa. Their hands hovered close to their daggers.
After a few moments, Glaerion interrupted and began responding with his own angry words. After several minutes of back and forth, the sentry crossed his arms.
“Come,” Glaerion said. “The king awaits.”
He started walking past the sentries and glanced back to make sure Conner and Elissa were right behind him. The sentries each put their hands on the daggers,
but they did not draw them.
“What was that all about?” Conner asked.
“They were informing me that you were not allowed to enter the village. They had been sent here by an elder to prevent you from coming in, under penalty of death.”
“Oh!” Elissa gasped.
“Fortunately for you, I convinced them to let you pass.”
“How’d you do that?” Conner asked.
“I told them you were Hurai.”
“And they believed you? I don’t even look like the Hurai.”
“The word of an Elf holds weight. While a Human must discern truth from lie, an Elf will always speak the truth. Word of your arrival will cause a commotion. Just stay by me and don’t say anything stupid.”
“Can they understand me?”
Glaerion stopped, turned, and glared back at Conner. “I asked you to not say anything stupid. Of course, they can understand you. We speak Elvish because it is a beautiful language that is pleasing to us. Speaking Commoner is like vomiting words. We speak it when we must.”
Glaerion led them down the hill and towards the village. Conner and Elissa walked at his side while the four sentries followed directly behind.
Before they were halfway down the hill, the villagers started coming out of their houses to see Glaerion and the two Humans. They stood quietly in the doorways of their homes, eyes studying them carefully. Most of the windows had curtains and Conner could see smaller faces peek through them. They watched in silence. There were no hushed whispers or snide comments as they walked by.
Even though they were silent, Conner could feel the tension in the air. None of the looks were friendly. Eyes glared at him as he walked past. He tried to smile at those who caught his gaze, but none responded back in kind. After passing several homes and getting the same response, Conner gave up trying to be friendly and kept his gaze forward.
Glaerion suddenly stopped in front of a small house. It was a well-made, pleasant looking wood house with a window in front and long flat pieces of overlapping bark for a roof. The door was closed.
He turned to the sentries and in the sing-song language of the elves, asked them to leave. At first, they refused, but Glaerion’s tone quickly become angry.
As they left, Glaerion said, “The king is expecting to meet with us immediately, and we will go there soon enough.”
“They did not seem happy when they went away.”
“They had orders to escort you to the king and not to leave your side for fear that you might corrupt our people. I have taken full responsibility for you.”
“Well, thank you,” Elissa said with a bright smile.
“Do not thank me, just yet. But it is good that the sentries did not immediately bind you up and drag you to the king.”
“Yes, that is good,” Elissa said. “What is this? Is this your home?”
Glaerion’s lips turned up slightly. “It is.”
“Why are we here?” Conner asked.
A smile spread across Elissa’s face, but she kept her silence. She read the glimmer in Glaerion’s eyes and knew exactly why they had come first to this place.
The door opened, and the perfectly formed face of a female Elf appeared. Her large blue eyes were rimmed by long, dark lashes. Her brown hair was full and wavy, unlike many of the other elves they had seen. Conner stood in stunned silence at the beauty he saw in front of him. Although he continued to be amazed at the beauty of Elissa, there was something deeper, almost magical, about the beauty that he saw before him.
“Hallendrielle,” Glaerion said.
The only flaw to her looks were her tightly sealed lips. Her eyes glanced from Glaerion to Conner and then Elissa.
In a sharp tone, she spoke to Glaerion in her native tongue, asking him who these two were.
In Commoner, Glaerion replied, “This is Queen Elissa from the kingdom of Karmon. This is Conner. They are my companions.”
Her eyes quickly glanced away from Conner and held onto Elissa. She looked her up and down.
Glaerion cleared his throat and said, “It is good to see you.” He stepped forward, took one of her hands and leaned forward to kiss his wife on the cheek. Then he darted into the house.
Hallendrielle pushed the door wider and stepped aside to give Conner and Elissa room to pass. Her eyes had softened some. “Please, come into my house. You are welcome here.”
Elissa stepped through the doorway first, and Conner followed. They looked around at the simple furnishings. The small house was divided into three rooms. One room appeared to be the kitchen. A curtain was pulled across a doorway that led to the bedroom. The other room contained a small plush chair and a couch. Conner thought the furnishings were a bit odd for a house in the middle of the jungle, as they appeared finely made.
Glaerion was in the middle of the room, rubbing sweaty palms on his shirt. “The king has called the council together. I must go meet with them. I will take Conner, but I think Queen Elissa would feel more comfortable here.”
“Should I not go?” Elissa asked.
“You have had a long journey, and the discussions we will have will be contentious and quite vocal. It will not be the place for women for some time.”
“I am Queen,” Elissa shot back. “I think I should be able to handle cranky old men.”
Hallendrielle stepped forward. “These are not just cranky old men. They are Elves who have held thousands of years of anger inside of them.” She looked up at Glaerion before continuing. “It will take time for them to get used to Humans in their presence. Plus, your attire is a bit casual for a meeting with the Elven Council.”
Elissa glanced down at her manly clothes and blushed.
“Come, Conner,” Glaerion said. “We cannot let the king wait any longer.” He stepped up to Hallendrielle and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. Without another word, he marched out, Conner in tow. As he passed through the door, Conner glanced back at Elissa a gave her a quick wave.
Elissa watched them leave, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and alone. She turned back to Hallendrielle, who was touching her cheek where Glaerion had kissed her. Tears rimmed her eyes.
“What is it?” Elissa asked.
“It’s been so long since he did that.”
“Kissed you?”
“Yes. And twice. He’s different. I can see it in his eyes. The anger that has driven him for so many years is gone.” She quickly wiped her eyes to clear away the tears. “The men will talk for hours and get nowhere. They will argue and bicker until they are worn out, and then they will argue some more. It will likely be morning before we hear from them again. Your clothes may have been comfortable on your travels, but they are not befitting of a queen. We must draw you a hot bath and find you a proper gown.”
“Thank you,” Elissa said. “You are so kind.”
Hellendrielle smiled back.
“Even though I am Human,” Elissa added softly.
“Hatred has not done our people well. I was watching while Glaerion walked with you down the hill. From that far away I could see that there was something different. He allowed you and your friend to walk behind him, which is something no Elf would consider doing. He invited you into our home when he could have just taken you to the king. And he left you with me. Alone. That tells me he trusts you. Something happened in your land that changed him. How could I not be kind to the people that would do that.”
Elissa blushed and didn't know what else to say.
“There is a bathhouse on the other side of the village. Come, let’s get you cleaned up. I think this Conner friend of yours would like to see you freshly washed and in a pleasing gown.”
Chapter Six
“What was that about?” Conner asked.
Glaerion lead them through the village, which had emptied of curious onlookers. The arrival of the humans had lost its luster, so the elves returned to their daily activities.
“What are you talking about?” Glaerion snapped back.
“I’ve never seen
you so flustered and nervous.”
Glaerion muttered to himself under his breath. Then he said to Conner, “I would stop worrying about me and start worrying about the Elven Council. You must be convincing in your words, but you cannot be insulting. If you come across too strong, then they will not listen to you.”
“Too strong? What does that mean?”
Glaerion stopped and let out a long sigh. “I do not know. They have, we all have, a preconceived notion of Humans. It comes from our history and our memories. We have held it in our heads for so long we do not know if it is really the truth. But we think it is. I get it. I was just like them only a few months ago, and it took time for me to stop hating you, much less like you. We don't have that kind of time. But at least you are Hurai. That will help us.”
“How will that help?”
“Because the Hurai are immune to most magic, they cannot be spell casters. The council won't be sitting in their chairs wondering if you are about to cast a spell at them.”
“I’m not really sure what to say or what to do.”
“Just be yourself. Answer their questions honestly and speak from the heart. They will see through anything else.”
Glaerion continued walking. Conner fell into step beside him.
“Where are we meeting? In the trees?”
With a stone face, Glaerion shook his head. “The Great Hall is beneath the trees. It was built long before we arrived by a race of people that no longer exists. As old as we are, these people were much older.”
They left the open clearing where most of the village’s buildings were located. They continued through the trees, passing houses that were well hidden in the underbrush. In silence, they continued walking until they came upon a well-worn path. It seemed to just start in the middle of the forest and continue on for as far as they could see. It was only wide enough for one of them to walk. Glaerion led, and Conner followed.
They trail made a wide sweeping turn and stopped at a large stone structure. Stairs led down into the darkness underneath the stone. Moss and vines had grown up and around the stone. Conner looked at it closer and saw carvings etched into the stone.