by J B Forest
“We will need more than a united Elven Domain if the worst has happened.”
The two rode silently, lost in their own thoughts about the enormity of their situation if Unseelie Fae were involved. “So how do you think we will be received by our Ljosan brethren?” asked Laosx.
“I think it depends on how far-fetched they think our story is. I wonder if their elders have had the same problems.”
“Well I would not wish that on anyone but it would make our task a little easier.” Both of them realized that although there were no open hostilities between the two realms, the balance could be easily tipped with the slightest misunderstanding.
Connak pulled his mount to a stop. “I can see the outlines of a Ljosan outpost down in the valley.” Laosx sat up and scanned the horizon; his friend’s eyesight was extremely keen as were all of his senses for that matter. Connak had only recently agreed to attend training under the tutelage of a mage at the Universtat to better hone his senses. He resisted for years, thinking that if he fully developed those abilities it would change him in ways that produced unwanted outcomes. During their youth, they had a bad experience with a classmate who was unable to handle the responsibility of wielding such power. Connak never wanted to turn into that kind of elf. Laosx was finally able to convince his friend that one: he was a fundamentally good elf who would not be tempted by the lure of power and two: with training from the proper tutor, developing his natural skills could only be an advantage. Laosx introduced Connak to his colleague at the Universtat and after a few meetings, he agreed to begin lessons. He was already seeing results. “We should meet the first of the outpost sentries in a few hours then,” responded Laosx.
Connak surveyed their surroundings. The forest was alive with the sounds of nature. The ground was covered with thick green grass. The smells were so different from those of the Svartan realm. He was more accustomed to an earthy smell, the floor of their beloved forest was dark and rich. Here, everything was green and spots of brightly colored flowers could be seen growing wild where the sun shone through the trees. Flowers were very rare in his world, only the heartiest of plants could survive in the dense woodland. He loved his home, there was untold beauty in the rich, dark tones to the trees and plants and the smell gave the feeling of oneness with the earth. The air was cool and felt soothing to the skin, especially after a hard day of sword practice with the other members of the High Council guard. His senses felt something totally different here. There was almost a light-hearted feeling in the air. But Connak sensed it could be misleading. The one thing that he did not like about this new environment was the oppressive heat. He could not imagine how the Ljosar lived with this every day. He could hear the sounds of a stream running in the distance and suddenly had the desire to douse himself in the cool waters and get relief from the heat. He knew that his friend would thank him as well. He reached over and gave his friend a slight punch and with a mischievous smile turned his mount and said, “Follow me, I have an idea.”
“Where are you going, the path to the outpost is behind us? We will lose time.” Connak only picked up the pace and Laosx resigned himself to follow. Laosx trusted his friend with his life; he was always the one to make sound decisions. He smiled to himself as he followed along, he was supposedly the serious scholar and he was when enveloped in the world on the Universtat. But outside of the academic environment, Laosx felt and sometimes acted with his heart. Many times in their youth he rushed into situations full of emotions rather than stopping to think things through. Connak on the other hand was always the practical one. “So where exactly are we going. It does not seem prudent to veer from our path so close to our destination.”
“I suddenly felt the need to take a swim.”
“You want to go swimming here? There is nothing but grass and trees and wildflowers and of course that awful burning sun!!”
“I heard water running in a stream, it cannot be far away and I know that you will enjoy its comfort as much or more than I will.”
“Aahh, you are extending your senses, the mage would be very pleased that you are practicing. You really heard water running, amazing. It would be a nice break.”
“I also began to think that it might be better to reach the outpost during the day freshly attired than to arrive dusty and saddle weary from the journey. We will only be meeting the sentries but I am sure that our first impression on them will be spread throughout the Ljosan realm.”
“We will either be tagged as celebrities or villains well before we reach Cidrean palace.”
They travelled about fifteen minutes more before Connak sat up with a start and prodded his mount to move faster. “It is there, just beyond the cluster of ferns,” shouted Connak.
“I take your word for it.”
They hobbled the horses in a place where they could have plenty to eat and drink without moving around. They didn’t want to risk the possibility of the horses being spooked by sounds they weren’t accustomed to. They raced to the steam, clothes and all. The water was delightfully cool and felt like a gift from the heavens after the long ride in the heat. There was sufficient cover from the trees that Laosx was shaded from direct exposure to the sun.
It would take a while for them to acclimate to the much warmer temperatures and frequent exposure to the sun. Laosx found some soapstone in the stream bed to use to clean their clothes. Connak donned a fresh pair of breaches, grabbed a bag and went out to search for food. He returned with an assortment of berries, nuts and mushrooms.
Laosx made tea from their existing supplies while Connak wrapped the pieces of mushroom and the shelled nuts in giant fern leaves. He placed these on stand made of wet bark erected over a fire to roast. The berries were ripe and sweet. After the pair had their fill of mushrooms and nuts, they settled down for the evening and discussed their plans for approaching the Ljosan outpost the next morning.
Chapter 2 - Present Day – Southwest Louisiana
Taylor was exhausted and hot. She had just completed a fifteen-mile training run and all she wanted was to douse herself in a pool of water. She couldn’t believe that the temperatures were already in the 90s, it was only 9am. But this was Southwest Louisiana and even in October the temperatures could be brutal. She was training for a January marathon and the long Saturday morning runs were an essential part of her regimen. Long runs in the heat and humidity of the region were something that her body hadn’t yet adjusted to. Although this was where she grew up, she had only recently returned to accept a position as Assistant Professor at the local university.
The East Coast had become her home, first during her undergraduate years at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and then for graduate school and the completion of her doctoral program after taking a two-year fellowship in Vancouver. The thought of life in Vancouver brought a smile to her face. The beautiful, cosmopolitan city, the mild temperatures, Stanley Park, Chinatown, the vistas along the Sea to Sky Highway, and most of all Whistler – her favorite ski destination. Even the rainy season that was typical on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia was fine with her. The blast of heat from the car as she opened the door brought her back to reality. She had searched for jobs on the East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest to no avail. Her search for a suitable position was constrained by the fact that her area of expertise was extremely narrow. Taylor was the recent recipient in a Ph.D. in mythological sciences.
Her world, at least for the last six years, was ensconced in faeries, elves, sprites, and other such creatures with legendary origins in the British Isles and Scandinavia. So, when one of her professors at GW mentioned that he heard from a colleague of a school in Louisiana planning to add a new mythology course to its curriculum, she immediately forwarded her credentials. Little did she know that she would be returning to her hometown to live and work. She had grown accustomed to life in major metropolitan areas. This was definitely a long way from the big city, but it was her first real job and at twenty-seven, it was probably well past time
to start contributing to adult society. Of course, her parents were happy to have her close to home. She loved them dearly but hoped their close proximity wouldn’t smoother her.
So here she was, running in the sweltering heat of southwest Louisiana. Summers in Washington, DC were hot, but by October, fall had arrived and you needed long sleeves on your morning runs. This was definitely an adjustment, but Taylor was determined to make the best of it. People ran marathons and other long distances down here the same as everywhere else. You just had to be prepared both mentally and physically. She quickly took off the singlet she wore to run, toweled off and changed into a dry t-shirt. She had found a website for a local running club, but decided to train on her own. Maybe she would contact them after all, if only to find out the best running routes in the area.
She peeled off her socks and slid into her comfortable flip flops for the drive home. She placed the damp and discarded clothing in her trunk. This made her remember when she first started running how her tops and socks were soaking wet at the end of a long summer run. They were so wet that you could wring out the water. Then she discovered dri-fit clothing, fabrics designed to wick away the moisture from your body, unlike cotton. She only wore ‘technical’ clothing to workout ever since. Of course, it’s pricier than cotton but well worth the cost. Besides, great bargains can be found on technical gear during the expositions before all of the major races as well as on-line. She took another swig of water from the extra bottle that she kept on ice in the car, placed a towel on the car seat to protect the leather from sweat, put the car in gear and headed home.
One small pleasure of living in the south was that she could drive longer with her convertible top down in the car. By this time of year on the east coast, the top would be permanently in place until late April at least. Here she would probably be able to enjoy some days with the top down well into December or January if the weather cooperated. She could remember Christmases as a child when it was warm enough to ride bikes outside without a coat.
Having a sports car had been Taylor’s dream for many years, having one with a convertible top was an added bonus. She drove a well-used Honda Civic all through her college years. That little car served her well during all four seasons on the east coast and survived the journey across the United States and into Canada. She was able to save money from the stipend she received while on fellowship in Vancouver and the earnings from various graduate assistant positions at GW. As a graduation present to herself, she bought a shiny new Infiniti G-37 Coupe, manual transmission, all-wheel drive, convertible. Not only did she get a thrill from driving ‘her baby’, but loved the looks that she received from other drivers as she cruised by them, especially the guys.
Her cell phone began to vibrate as she drove along. The car’s bluetooth automatically kicked in and she pressed the ‘answer’ button on the steering wheel. “Hi stranger whatcha doing?” the deep male voice on the phone boomed. Taylor smiled, “David, what a nice surprise. How are you?”
“I just got home from the gym and decided to find out how things were going with my favorite Assistant Professor of English.” David and Taylor had been close friends throughout graduate school. They met as undergraduates but quickly developed a bond as graduate students. The number of people crazy enough to pursue a doctoral degree in mythological sciences was very small. As a result, they tended to stick together as students and maintain those relationships throughout their careers. David’s area of specialization was the more traditional Greek and Roman mythology. Even he teased Taylor at times about being the lone believer in Fae and Elven culture. He had recently accepted a position in Philadelphia as an Assistant Professor in the English Department the University of Pennsylvania to help fill the void left by a retiring senior professor. Neither had had much of a chance to keep in touch during the transition to new locations and jobs. It was great to hear Taylor’s voice, she sounded happy. “I’m good,” he replied. “How are you adjusting to life in the south again? It’s got to be so different from here. How’s it going with your folks and the new job?”
“Will you slow down? You rattled off about ten questions just now. I guess it has been a long time since we talked. There’s so much to tell. My folks are fine, the job is great and the faculty and students alike have accepted me. I think some of my students think I’m a little weird to know so much about elves and faeries, but others think it’s cool. I might have the beginnings of a cult following on my hands.” Taylor responded, a little embarrassed by the thought of the devoted look that one of her students always wore during class. “Things are a lot slower here, and of course there aren’t a lot of choices of things to do and you know I don’t do the club scene, although I haven’t even found that yet. And David, the heat is so oppressive. I just finished a fifteen-mile run and I’m just drained, I can’t wait to get home and jump into the shower. Maybe I’ll take a dip in the pool at the apartment complex. How are things in Philly?”
“I see you’re still training for marathons. Everything is going well. I’m sharing the course workload with the woman who moved into the tenured slot in the department. She’s teaching all of the courses to the upper classmen and grad students while I get the freshmen and sophomores, lucky me. I’m subletting a row house a few blocks from campus so I don’t have to worry about parking; it’s a nightmare trying to find affordable parking on campus on an assistant professor’s salary. I even found a rowing club with reasonable dues to join. So here I am in the city of Brotherly Love rowing on the famous Schuylkill River, what more could a guy ask for?”
“That’s great that you found a crew to row with, I haven’t even looked into the possibility of joining a rowing club here. I’ve been so focused on preparing for this warm weather marathon. Although I heard that one year in the late 1990s the temperatures were in the 30s on race day, wouldn’t that be nice. You know how I love cold weather running.”
“Hey Taylor, sorry I can’t talk any longer, I have a workshop to attend on campus and I’m running late now. I just wanted to hear your voice and make sure that you were doing okay. Let’s do a better job of staying touch okay? Bye now.”
The line was already disconnected by the time she replied with her own ‘goodbye’. David was notorious for running late to appointments. He was a good friend and she missed his company. Their relationship had never gone further than being close friends. Both felt that they were too much alike and thus would aggravate each other too much to be a successful couple. They were more like brother and sister and Taylor hadn’t realized how much she had come to rely on David for everyday companionship until she moved away. Hearing his voice was comforting but it also put her in a melancholy mood. She wondered if maybe they should have tried to get together as a couple. And then she quickly remembered some of his annoying habits that she only tolerated because they weren’t a couple and of course she had her own set of annoying traits. She was probably the most ‘anal retentive’ person that she knew about certain things and that drove David up the walls. As friends, they could speak freely about those quirky habits but they both felt that as a couple, things would have been different.
She missed his company sorely, especially in this new town with no real friends to speak of. She had her parents of course and their friends, but she wasn’t always in the mood to hang out with the folks. Getting together with David would be next to impossible during this first crucial semester for both of them. But maybe it wasn’t too early to plan something during the semester break. Ski season was quickly approaching in northern climates and both David and Taylor loved to ski. A week at Whistler or Heavenly in Lake Tahoe would be perfect. She would have to mention this to him the next time they spoke. She fell into a reverie of fresh powder, long ski runs, steaming Irish coffee on the deck après ski and snow everywhere. She was ready to pack up and go now. A gust of hot air brought her back to reality as a large truck passed by in the adjacent lane. A short distance later, she turned into the parking lot of her apartment complex with though
ts of a cool shower.
Chapter 3 - Elven Lands -- Ljosar Realm
Something was amiss, she could sense it. Not that she had any extrasensory talents the way a select group in her realm did, but still she could feel that something different was going on. Aleesia agreed to a double shift of sentry duty at the Ljosan outpost as a favor to a friend who was not feeling well after a night of too much celebration. She was tired from her usual shift but did not mind the opportunity to spend time alone in the forest. She loved soaking in the smells and sounds of nature, observing wildlife and basking in the warmth of the sun. She was carefully protected with a generous amount of aloe ointment, a potion passed down through the ages in her family to protect their skin from the intense rays of the sun. Armed with the aloe and the tinted spectacles used by sentries and others who were exposed to the direct sunlight for extended periods of time to protect the eyes, Aleesia carried out her responsibilities without any discomfort.
She decided to venture farther out from her normal patrols around the outpost to see if she could settle her senses. The trees and foliage were spectacular and riding in solitude had a calming effect in and of itself. Her bow was attached to the front of the pack on her mount’s right side for quick access. Her quiver, full of freshly made arrows was slung over her back. Aleesia had returned from Cidrean palace only the week before as the proud recipient of the Medal of Honor for winning first place in the realm’s premier archery tournament. She had bested some of the finest archers in the realm to earn the coveted prize. Her talents were well known and respected among colleagues and competitors alike.