Elvangar

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “Khadora?” frowned Malid. “Fakara? These names mean nothing to me. Who is Emperor Marak?”

  “He is the leader of Khadora,” explained Eltor. “He thinks that Vand is going to attack him and his neighboring countries. He has asked for help from the elves.”

  “Are these countries on the Island of Motanga?” asked Malid.

  “No,” Eltor shook his head. “When we escaped from Motanga, we sailed to Khadora. It lies to the west of Motanga. We spoke to the ruler there. He was most gracious to us. We promised to carry his message to the queen.”

  “You told this human about Elvangar?” gasped Malid. “Tell me that is not what you just said. You know our laws.”

  “We told him nothing about our homeland,” protested Eltor. “We told him neither the name nor the location of Elvangar, yet it was obvious that we were not human. This man is an honest and generous man. His country is faced with ruin when Vand attacks him, and he believes that Vand will attack us when he is done with Khadora. He wishes to join forces with the elves to defeat the evil.”

  “This is most serious,” Malid shook his head. “Being captured by humans was obviously beyond your ability to protest, but these other humans you have willingly conspired with. That is against our laws. This is a matter that must be taken to the queen. Your sentence for now will remain as I have stated, plus you are banned from setting foot on a ship for a period of five years. This sentence may be severely modified after a review with the queen. Take them away.”

  Soldiers seized Eltor and Caldal. They were taken to the prison and stripped and given prisoner uniforms. The cell door was slammed shut.

  “I am sorry, Caldal,” apologized Eltor. “I know that I made things worse, but I had to deliver the message.”

  “You did no different than I would have done,” consoled Caldal. “They must know of Emperor Marak and his plight. Joining with him is the right thing for the elves to do. I would not worry about it. The message will be delivered to the queen, and that was our goal. They may punish us for delivering it, but it was still the right thing to do. It will work out alright.”

  “Plus we can bring it up every day during the interrogations,” nodded Eltor. “When they discover how great a threat Vand really is, we will be heroes.”

  * * *

  “Is it possible that Vand still exists?” asked the elder Volox. “Do you think these adventurers are making up stories?”

  “They are not fabricating anything,” Malid shook his head. “They may have been fooled by someone else, but those boys were telling the truth. The interrogations over the next few days will tell us much. What bothers me is this Emperor Marak.”

  “Why does he concern you more than Vand?” asked Volox.

  “Because it was obvious that Eltor thought well of him,” explained Malid. “We all know that humans exist, just as they have existed for ages. We are prepared to defend our homeland against them, so rulers like Vand pose no additional threat than they did already.”

  “But humans like Marak carry an additional threat,” nodded Amber, another elder. “One whose sweet talking can convince an elf of his human sincerity is a graver threat than the one who sails to Elvangar with ships loaded with warriors.”

  “Precisely,” nodded Malid. “It was obvious that Eltor was taken in by this man. What are we to do with the women? They are elven, but not of Elvangar. I do not think that we have ever faced this situation before.”

  “They have not broken any laws that we are aware of,” replied Volox. “It is hard for us to do anything but accept them as citizens.”

  “We can’t send them back to where they came from,” Amber pointed out. “That would divulge the location of Elvangar.”

  “No,” agreed Malid, “they must stay at Elvangar forever, but they do not even know our ways. It is like suddenly finding that you have grown children that you never knew about.”

  “I say that we find them homes with families that would be willing to host them,” offered Volox.

  “They are old enough to be on their own,” scowled Amber. “They are not children.”

  “Perhaps not,” countered Volox, “but they are like children in our society. They are going to need someone to teach them our ways. Why not a family that is willing to teach them? Do you have a better idea?”

  “That sounds fine to me,” Malid declared as he sought to end the discussion. “I must report to Queen Alycia about this matter. Why don’t you find them homes, Volox? It is your idea after all.”

  Malid left the chamber to visit the queen. The rest of the elders moved off at a leisurely pace. Volox rose and walked to the entry foyer where the girls were being held. He walked into the room and stood silently staring at them for several minutes. Finally, he sat down next to MistyTrail.

  “Which one of you is Mistake?” asked Volox, “and which is MistyTrail?”

  “I am MistyTrail,” the Sakovan replied. “Are Eltor and Caldal alright? I mean do you know what their punishment will be?”

  “The boys are fine,” smiled Volox. “Their punishment for sailing past the Barrier Islands is probably the most lenient that the elders have ever handed out for that offense.”

  “That is wonderful,” smiled MistyTrail. “They really are good men.”

  “You like them, do you?” smiled Volox as he watched the girls nod. “I understand that you two were born someplace other than Elvangar. That presents the elders with a bit of a problem. You are elves, but you do not know our laws and our customs. We have come up with a way to make you feel more at home. You are going to live with an elven family for a time. They will answer all of your questions and see that you know everything that you need to know. It will also allow you a chance to meet some of us while the boys are serving their sentence. Is that agreeable to you?”

  “I think that I would like that,” nodded MistyTrail.

  Mistake frowned and stared at Volox for a moment. His brow creased with concern.

  “You spoke as if you were one of the elders,” Mistake stated. “Is that true?”

  “You are perceptive,” chuckled Volox. “Pardon my manners. I am Volox, an elder of Elvangar. So many people know me that I forget my manners sometimes. I do apologize.”

  “I am pleased to meet you, Volox,” Mistake said as the frown left her face. “MistyTrail and I both thank you for your interest in our welfare. I think both of us living with a family would be good for us.”

  It was Volox’s turn to frown as he realized what Mistake was demanding. While the girls were willing to live with hosts, they demanded to be kept together. That would make his task that much harder.

  “Very well,” the elder nodded. “It is too late today to find you a home. I will take you to my house for the night. Tomorrow we will find a home that will accept both of you.”

  Volox rose and Mistake and MistyTrail did as well. He waved the soldiers away and led the girls out of the building. The walk through the city was pleasant as Volox pointed out buildings and landmarks along the way. The elder stopped in a park-like setting and grabbed a rope hanging alongside an old oak tree. He flipped the rope and a wooden platform slowly descended.

  The platform had no railings, only a sturdy wooden frame created by four posts, one in each corner. Above the cage, the wooden posts curled to meet in the center. A rope leading upward was attached on top of the center. Volox ushered the girls onto the platform. He started pulling on the rope that had been hanging alongside the tree. The platform rose slowly. It was obvious that the old man was having difficulty pulling the platform up. MistyTrail smiled and gently took the rope from Volox.

  “I would think that in any culture,” smiled MistyTrail, “it is permissible for the young to share the burden. Mistake and I can pull the rope.”

  Volox grinned and bowed graciously to the girls.

  “I manage it fine for myself,” he explained, “but I had not thought about the extra weight. Thank you for offering.”

  “It is the least that we could do,�
�� smiled Mistake as she helped pull the elevator up. “You are sharing your home with us.”

  The platform rose smoothly and was aligned with a wooden floor when it reached the top. Volox stepped off and moved away from it.

  “Let me inform my wife that we have guests,” the elder said. “It is best if I do not surprise her too abruptly.”

  Mistake gazed at the beautiful home in the tree while Volox disappeared into it. The structure of the home took advantage of the natural form of the tree and appeared to belong there. Volox returned and ushered the girls into the house. An elderly woman smiled broadly and came over to greet each of the girls.

  “Welcome to our home,” the woman said. “I am Anija. It has been some time since we have had a young one here. I hope you don’t mind sharing a bed? We only have two sleeping rooms.”

  “Not at all,” smiled MistyTrail. “Mistake and I are sisters. My name is MistyTrail. We are grateful for your hospitality.”

  “Sisters,” grinned Anija. “I should have known. You look so much alike. Come help me in the kitchen. I am preparing the evening meal. Which of you is the older?”

  “We don’t know,” answered Mistake. “We did not grow up together. It is only recently that we found each other.”

  “Oh that is sad,” Anija replied. “Sisters should grow up together. One of you slice up the carrots. The other can boil some water.”

  MistyTrail pulled a knife and began slicing the carrots. She looked around the kitchen and nodded in appreciation. It was one of the nicest kitchens that she had ever seen. It was hard to imagine that it was in a tree. It even had a real stove of its own.

  “Your home is beautiful,” remarked MistyTrail. “Does it sway at all when the wind blows?”

  “Oh no,” chuckled Anija. “We are in the lower part of the tree. It would take quite a gale to make this place sway.”

  Mistake and MistyTrail continued to help as directed by Anija. When they were all done, the girls carried the meal into the eating room. MistyTrail noticed that the table was set for five. She frowned in confusion. At that moment there was a knock on the door. Volox walked to the door and opened it. A tall muscular elf with an array of weapons hanging from his clothes stood in the doorway. Volox embraced the man and ushered him in.

  “This is our son, Tamar,” introduced the elder. “He is a high officer in the army. We are quite proud of him. Tamar, the one on the left is Mistake, and the other is MistyTrail.”

  “Strange names for elves,” Tamar commented as he nodded at each of them. “Am I interrupting?”

  “Not at all,” smiled Anija. “Your father probably forgot that you were coming over tonight, but I didn’t. There is plenty for all of us. Sit.”

  Tamar nodded and stripped off most of his weapons. He walked around the table and embraced his mother before sitting down.

  “Are these the two foreigners that arrived today?” asked Tamar as they started eating.

  “We do not discuss such things at home,” scolded Volox, “but yes. I was hoping that you might test them for weapons. I could not help but notice how strong they appear to be. Will you do it?”

  “As long as I can find the time,” nodded Tamar, “but you know that I have little of it. The queen has been quite demanding lately. I understand that she just ordered a doubling of the guards. I do not know where I will find the men.”

  “Well,” nodded Volox, “do what you can. We need to find the girls a place to stay tomorrow. I will let you know where they end up.”

  “Why not let them stay here?” asked Tamar. “You have my sleeping room available, and I know that mother would love the company.”

  “That is what I tried to tell him earlier,” interjected Anija. “They are fine young girls. They are very polite and helpful. I would enjoy having them around.”

  “I am not sure that it would look right,” frowned Volox. “I am an elder. Some would say that the girls are getting special treatment. That is not the best way for them to start their new life in Elvangar.”

  MistyTrail was smiling at the comments, but Mistake’s face held a heavy frown.

  “We are never going to be allowed to leave Elvangar again, are we?” she asked.

  “Why ever would you want to leave?” asked Volox. “Elvangar is the sweetest place in the world.”

  “That is an elder’s way of saying no,” translated Tamar. “Secrecy is the most important defense of Elvangar. No one is allowed to leave.”

  Chapter 18

  Queen Alycia

  Queen Alycia approached the long table and stared down at the map. Her fine brown hair flowed down her back past her waist. It swayed like tall grain in a gentle breeze every time the queen moved. The queen’s face was the image of elven perfection, large brown eyes, high cheekbones, a slightly pointed nose, and perfectly formed lips. Her pointed ears rose through her fine hair.

  “Remember that this is from their memory,” Malid said as he tapped the map, “although we believe it to be highly accurate. The one called Eltor appears to have a good memory where maps are concerned. He is now working with the charters to produce a map of Motanga.”

  “And you think this map truly depicts the land of legends?” asked the queen.

  “Angragar is right here,” pointed the Head Elder. “I have taken the liberty of checking the ancient scrolls to find the old sailing routes to Angragar. They match the location fairly well.”

  “This troubles me greatly, Malid,” sighed the queen. “Dealing with the humans in Angragar cost our people greatly the last time. There is no way that I will allow that to happen again. You must learn all that Eltor and Caldal told the humans. We have to know how much this Emperor Marak knows of Elvangar.”

  “The boys have said that they told the humans nothing,” replied Malid. “I tend to believe them. Besides, if they knew the location of Elvangar, we would have found their ships off the coast by now. Surely they would reconnoiter Elvangar before attacking it.”

  “I do not expect the humans to immediately attack us,” retorted Queen Alycia. “First they will come with offers of friendship, then trade, and finally conquest. Our history tells us so. We will not be fooled again.”

  “The offer of friendship has already been extended,” replied Malid. “Emperor Marak sent a message with the boys. He wishes elven help in defeating Vand’s armies. He has stated that Vand will surely attack Elvangar when he is through with the humans.”

  “Then the only hope for the humans is to defeat Vand,” declared Queen Alycia. “There will be no elven help for them. If Vand does turn to Elvangar after defeating the humans, he will be weak and vulnerable. I would rather fight him in a war to the finish than be deceived by humans one more time.”

  “What if Vand turns towards us first?” asked the Head Elder.

  Queen Alycia moved away from the table and walked to the railing. She leaned on the railing and gazed down at the city of Morada. Her eyes followed the citizens below as they moved about the city on errands. Slowly her gaze drifted to the harbor and the Gates of Elvangar in the distance.

  “The one thing that would surely make Vand strike out at the elves,” she said over her shoulder, “is if the elves had already aligned with the humans to defeat him. I will not give him that excuse. Elvangar was rebuilt to be defended, and defended it will be. Our armies will not march on foreign soil. That is my last word on this subject. Do you understand?”

  “Perfectly,” Malid frowned as he bowed low to the queen’s back. “There is one other item, if I may?”

  “Speak,” replied the queen.

  “The two foreign girls have requested an audience with you,” stated Malid. “What shall I tell them?”

  “The foreign girls?” snapped Queen Alycia. “Who do they think they are? They are not even part of Elvangar, and they think they have the right to speak to the queen?”

  “They do not know our ways,” shrugged Malid with a frown. “They are being tutored by Tamar. Perhaps he led them to believe that they could
speak to you. He does so himself quite often.”

  “Tamar is a leader of our army,” the queen said, spinning around to face the elder. “As such he has the right to bypass the elders in time of emergency.”

  “In times of an emergency that is true,” retorted the elder, “but such is not the case right now.”

  “A time of emergency is when I declare it,” countered Queen Alycia. “My fears about the humans are strong enough reasons to abandon protocol. Tamar will continue to report to me daily until I decide otherwise.”

  “As you wish,” frowned Malid.

  “Why is Tamar wasting his time with those foreigners?” the queen asked. “He has much more pressing business to take care of.”

  “He spends an hour every day with them,” Malid reported. “I understand that the girls are quite talented in many ways. Their archery skills were practically nonexistent when they arrived. Now they perform as well as seasoned troops. And that is only one area of their improvement.”

  “I will not have Tamar wasting his time on them,” replied the queen, her voice rising in anger. “Inform him immediately that the lessons are to stop. There are more important tasks awaiting his time.”

  “It shall be done,” bowed the Head Elder as he backed his way out of the queen’s presence.

  * * *

  Mistake and MistyTrail dashed across the park-like grass and raced for the rope alongside the old oak tree. Tamar raced from the opposite direction. Mistake grabbed the rope and swung on it just as Tamar’s hand reached for it.

  “Too late again,” laughed Mistake. “You will never beat me home.”

  “I even took a shortcut unknown to you,” laughed Tamar. “Even MistyTrail would have beaten me to the rope. I must be getting old.”

  “I would have had to push Mistake out of the way,” laughed MistyTrail. “That would not have been very sisterly.”

  “Old?” Mistake frowned as she let go of the rope. “You can’t be much older than us.”

  “Probably not,” smiled Tamar, “although I must have a few years on you. It is hard to tell without knowing your ages, but I left boyhood some time ago. Let’s get washed up for the meal. Mother would not be pleased if we arrived at the table as we are.”