by Derek Palmer
When we came in, we had used the main entrance and had headed directly to Elise. Frode had some business outside and Miss Dahl - Hanna - had now adopted the role of a nurse and she kept an eye on the four raped women. I knew I would have two lectures in the afternoon but missing them would be no issue for me. Neither would missing the three on Frjadag. There were things that were much more important than those lectures. Like my women - and Linnea.
Only after she got hurt did I realize how much I really liked - or loved - Linnea. I knew now that I would continue loving her even if we might never have sex with each other. Now I was afraid that we might be losing her. I might have been able to do some physical healing, but her most serious problems weren't physical. Then there was the thing that I was a male - and at the moment she could barely tolerate me in the same room. The three other women had it much better, maybe because in their profession they'd had some violent clients before. I had not said anything, but it was clear that either - or both - of those now dead Trolls had been able to sense which of the women had some magical abilities and therefore they had claimed these four women for themselves. Too late to ask them now.
It had taken some convincing to get Bellcauniel and Hantaliel to follow me to my new home. I guess that only the fact that Elise was a woman and that she had also been abducted by the Trolls was what finally convinced them - not forgetting that there were four women there who had some natural magical abilities. I already knew that there would be a whole lot to explain once we got the chance to do it. Most likely, they would be a bit disappointed because I hadn't been able to find out anything more about those messages that should have been hidden in the University Library. On the other hand, I was much ahead when it came to creating the possible business. Besides, it seemed that now we might have some allies in our battle against the Trolls and their cronies.
Then I made a mistake by making eye-contact with Elise. The look on her face was such that I just lost it. There hadn't been many reasons to be happy in the last few days, and that was probably why my reaction was so strong. By the time I was able to control my laughter again I had three pairs of eyes focused on me.
"I'm sorry, the last few days have been a bit rough... Hantaliel, I think that you're quite safe inside this building. Just how hard it is to remove that mask and put it on again?"
"Not very hard... why?"
Then we heard Elise gasp. "Mask! Of course! Stian, you'll pay for this!"
"I have offered to pay my rent several times, but you haven't accepted any money from me."
"And I never will, not after what happened. You ladies, feel free to use my personal bathroom back there. The water in the basin is no longer warm, but I can ask Mary to bring some more..."
Bellcauniel shook her head. "There's no need. We have managed to clean ourselves with cold water for some time now and I'm sure if the water is even close to the room temperature it will feel warm to us."
Then both the Elven women picked up their bags and went to Elise's bathroom. I had never been there myself, but I had seen from the open door that there was a bathtub and a basin. The floor was tiled, so an occasional drop of water there would not harm the floor any way. As soon as the door closed behind them Elise turned to me, trying to look stern.
"So, they aren't really that old, are they?"
"Oh, they are old. Much older than you or me, even if they might not look it. It gives them quite a different perspective on many things, but they have also been forced to live in isolation for a long time and at the moment they - or we - are fighting for our survival."
I stopped there. "It might be better, if I let Bellcauniel talk to you. There are certain things that aren't really mine to tell. However, I'd hope that sooner rather than later, you'd allow them to see Linnea and the other girls. Even if they aren't really healers they will be much more knowledgeable than I am in giving some mental help to Linnea."
Now it was Elise's turn to look serious and after a moment she shook her head a bit. "Damn, I guess I've been way too used to being in control of things. That recent incident should have been a wake-up call for me, but the surprises just keep on coming. I know that you told me about your other family, but up until this moment it all was something abstract and distant. I feel like spanking you, even if I should just thank you. With all the money and power that I'm supposed to have I almost made the same mistake as my ex-husband. I started thinking of myself as somebody so mighty and important that nothing could really happen to me - even that incident wasn't enough to tell me otherwise, because you and Frode came to our rescue. If those monsters had just declared me too old for them, I'd have found myself in the same corner with the Twins and Reidun..."
Suddenly I found myself next to Elise and holding her and I could feel some warm tears on my shoulder. She didn't really weep, but just held me and the tears just kept on coming. That's how Bellcauniel and Hantaliel found us as they came out of the bathroom. I wasn't sure they had heard Elise and me talking, but I excused myself anyway and went to find Mrs. Ness. I could always ask for some tea and something to eat and escape to the library.
It was some time later when Miss Dahl - Hanna, as I kept reminding myself - came down to the library. She stopped when she saw me and without any further warning the old actress came to me and kissed me on my mouth. I didn't quite know what to do, but at least I didn't run away. After a moment she pulled away and looked at me her eyes shining.
"All my youth I heard stories about those women, about their eternal beauty, their eyes that are deeper than the ocean, their hair that is shinier than the glitter of the morning sun. Never, never, could I believe that I might be able to see those creatures, hear them or even touch them. Young man, you have no idea how blessed you are that you have the possibility to do that!"
I put away the history book I had been reading and pulled back and looked at the old actress and smiled. "Hanna, maybe so, maybe - but think about it from my perspective. Women like they are, are much more knowledgeable and experienced than I am, being a young man. How am I supposed to cope with that for a long period of time? Learning to listen; not to what is said, but what is not said. Then all those different looks that they give you and all the different meanings you are supposed to understand."
The older woman smiled back at me, even though the happy feeling didn't quite seem to reach her eyes. "I'm sure that you'll do well - and I'm certain that your friends can help those four women, especially Linnea. I have to admit that I was getting almost desperate there since none of my old tricks seemed to work anymore."
Suddenly I found myself on the Library sofa, holding Miss Dahl who now felt like what she really was: an old woman. However sharp she still was, the truth was that she was an old woman, and the last few days hadn't been all that easy for her. Elise had been offering her some help taking care of the raped women, but the truth was that Hanna had done most of the work. None of us knew how much of her work had been real and how much had been an act - and in reality it didn't matter. The most important thing was that she had helped.
By dinnertime, it was clear that the women had been able to talk with each other, at least somewhat. Maybe I should have been there with them, but I wanted to give them an honest opportunity to 'talk things out'. Or that was what I hoped. However, when 'my ladies' came to dinner they looked to be more or less their normal selves. They just kept their hair arranged so that their ears remained hidden. This way they looked like petite, exquisite women in their mid-twenties - just a bit older than me. Bellcauniel was in a class of her own, but Hantaliel could look good if she wanted to. Normally she just didn't care.
Poor Frode didn't know where to look, but when he noticed that these two women weren't anything like those pretty, upper-class women he had seen in his youth, he managed to act almost normally. Once we had finished the dinner and were waiting for Mrs. Ness to serve dessert, he started telling what he had been able to find out.
"It seems that the church noticed something wrong when it became cle
ar that the Magicians and the Shinies - I mean the City Guardians - were doing business with those Troll-monsters. You know that the priests have always disliked the Magicians - and they support the Royalty."
"Because the Royals have allowed them some benefits in the past." Elise almost snorted when she said that, and I couldn't really blame her. If there was some group that hated women who didn't willingly submit to their men, it was the priests. A funny thing, considering the rumors about some priests and young boys. The Elves were also a monstrosity, according to them. Another good reason for us to lie low.
"True - and in this case they probably don't even have a slight possibility of winning, but anything that distracts and slows down the Shinies should be a good thing."
I shook my head. "Or maybe not. If this is something the current leaders want to do, it may make them even more desperate and violent. They may even hurry things. I hope they don't, but we need to be careful."
It was dark and I had made love to both Bellcauniel and Hantaliel. As we were lying together in the bed in my room, for the first time in a long time, things felt right. Even if they really weren't all that right.
""Just for you to know, Stian. We are okay with your visits to the restaurant. I know that it bothers you.""
""You are right, Bell. It does bother me even if I'm sure that you would have no problem with it. That's just the way I was raised.""
Somehow it felt strangely natural, sort of right, to start speaking the Old Language again. Even though we didn't dare to do it outside this room. I could feel Bellcauniel stretching next to me.
"Oh, this bed feels so good. If I had known what it is like to spend weeks on a horse and sleep on the ground...""
""I told you and I warned you, Bell - and yet you insisted on coming with me.”” Hantaliel reminded her. “”However, I recommend that you do not boast about this, since the girls watching the horses might not like it.""
After that, I asked them about their trip, how had it been and if there had been any problems getting here. Luckily there hadn't, and the rest of the group did not need to sleep outside, since they had found an abandoned barn near the big forest outside Aston that they could use. We had already agreed that my story would wait until morning. They had heard bits and pieces from Elise, but I wanted to tell them everything. No, in order to stay sane, I needed to tell them everything.
After breakfast the following morning, Bellcauniel did her magic - well, not just magic - with those four women and then I found myself walking the streets of Aston with two old ladies. It was like I was there to help two older aunts.
"So much has changed - and yet so much is just like it was. More people, more trash and the smell has become even worse."
"I don't even notice it much anymore."
We had decided that we'd better keep on speaking Anglon as long as we were anywhere where there was even a small possibility that someone might hear us.
"The number of people increases year by year. It's difficult to notice if you visit this place as often as I do. If this continues they'll have problems feeding all these people after a few decades."
Hantaliel stayed mostly silent and observed, but when she said something you could be sure that she would have the facts to support her opinion. I nodded.
"That's probably one reason they are hurrying to start the war. In their eyes, it might offer them some way to solve this problem for a long time - without actually solving the problem."
After that, we spent some time just walking and watching all the sellers and booths that just emerged every morning but Sunnudag. In a way they were like mushrooms in the forest in autumn. Last evening there was nothing, but in the morning they are there again. Forest. I missed the forest.
"A part of me misses this - not the smell or the big crowds, but the booths and the happy people. There were places like this at Elonia, where all kinds of people traded their stuff and talked with each other..." The sadness in Bellcauniel's voice was unmistakable even in Anglon. I stroked her hand and tried to smile reassuringly. She shook her head a bit before speaking again.
"There's a place North of Aston, maybe one day and a half away. In Elonia, there was a beautiful peninsula, not very big one. A suitable place to arrange a meeting for young people, kids, to get to know each other. So that they would learn about other races, their differences, similarities and there was a plan to organize that event every year..."
Bellcauniel shook her head. "We all were so young and idealistic back then. Now, Stian, get us back to your room. I need some more loving and after that you must tell everything that has happened to you. I know something that Elise told me, but I need to hear everything from you."
Once again I had to remind myself that, even if my losses had felt enormous, they were nothing when compared to those of these women. I took the hands of these old ladies into mine and started heading back to my new home.
""So, this far you have found six persons with some magic skills, most of them women.""
I was able to tell that Bellcauniel was teasing me. It was late afternoon and we had spent almost all the time in my room where I had told the women about things that had happened to me. I had told them - almost - everything. Everything but my new gift. The gift from the alien creature.
""Seven, but that one woman killed herself before I could say anything to her.""
By now I was able to think about Linnea's aunt without feeling guilty about her death. After all, she could have helped Linnea, but instead she just used her while trying to make things better for herself.
""Yes, her... she was an herbalist, wasn't she?""
""Yes and she had somebody named Vander she cared about and who was killed.""
""Vander? Are you sure about that name?""
""Yes, I remember how she said that name and the way she talked about my eyes... That my eyes were like my mother's.""
""If he was Vander, then she must have been... Stian, that woman was your aunt and back then, her name was Keerla.""
I should have felt shocked, but I just couldn't. Too much had already happened. My own aunt killed herself in front of me because she had betrayed her own sister - my mother. It was like a scene from one of Miss Dahl's plays. Yes, there were also several play manuscripts in the house library and I had read them.
""Too bad she killed herself. There would have been several questions I would have liked to ask her..."" I sighed. ""On the other hand, what could I have done with her after that? For sure she couldn't have been trusted. Which reminds me, there's one more thing you'd need to know.""
Bellcauniel stopped me with her finger. ""Let me begin. Most of the elders thought that you shouldn't be told, but after what's happened here, I think that you deserve to know. There were two more attempts to abduct one of us by some Human groups. Neither of those attempts was successful, but Sabariel got hurt quite badly. Luckily she will recover. During the second attempt, Leilatha and Shalana managed to catch one of those four men alive and, once he was cured enough, Mylaela and Immianthe questioned him. We are quite sure that he told us everything he knew.""
I heard Bellcauniel sigh. ""I just want to say to you, Stian... you shouldn't feel too much guilt about what you have done. You can be sure that those people have done worse and they have no plans of stopping.""
I kissed the woman next to me. She already knew me way too well, which was no wonder since she had been the one to calm me down once I had had one of those nightmares. Then I took a deep breath and told them about my newfound gift - or curse.
The problem, especially with the older Elven women, is that their faces can be almost unreadable if they want to be that way. On the other hand, in this case it probably was better than any other possibility, since I was prepared to stop and run away at any moment. I had no idea where I would have run or what I would have done after that. I was just ready to do that. When I was finished I waited for some reaction, not really knowing what it would be.
""You mean that once your magical power h
ad increased you managed to gain some of the techniques that foreign creature passed to you?""
Surprisingly it was Hantaliel who asked that question. I nodded. ""Or - I don't really know - but that's how it feels to me. I have no idea if it makes any sense to you.""
""In fact, it makes perfect sense to me. You know that I'm not all that powerful with magic and there are things I'll never be able to do. However, I can probably create the slimmest and most transparent magic strings of all of us. Besides that, I'm able to move and manipulate them in a way the others can only dream about. To us it seems that with natural magic there's some protective system that allows you to use only the magic that you can handle. Only when you became more powerful, those things became available to you... and when it comes to passing your knowledge to another magic user..."
Hantaliel took a deep breath and looked thoughtful. ""I think we'll need to make sure of that from Caladwen, but I'm quite certain that something like that was at least known in Elonia.""