by Mussie Haile
Siem was annoyed at being interrupted.
“What did you think I was going to say?” Siem asked.
“Introduce yourself. Am I wrong?” Meko asked cocking her brow inquisitively.
Siem quietened. She was boiling inside, but she hid it well.
“Now, if you are ready,” Meko said, cocking her brow, and gesturing for the both of them to follow her.
“Lead the way,” Siem said.
Meko turned and went into the arched pathway.
As they walked into the pathway, a little behind Meko, they were hit by the soft fragrance of fresh flowers. Their hearts beat slower, their countenances grew lighter. The pathway broke into a small glade, with a grove in the middle. The grove was hollow in between walls of vegetation. Flowers budded and bloomed everywhere.
“In there,” Meko said, pointing into the entrance to the grove.
Eldana and Siem began to go in when Meko stopped them.
“She will see you first.” She said, starting at Siem. “You, Eldana will wait out here with me.”
Siem looked at Eldana in a questioning manner, but Eldana nodded.
Siem nodded and sighed. “Here goes.” She said, walking into the grove.
Fraweyni lounged on a hammock made from vines. Her eyes flicked towards the entrance when she noticed some movement. With her mind, Fraweyni unwove the vines and controlled them to let her down slowly.
“Welcome, Siem,” Fraweyni said, a slight smile on her face.
Under Fraweyni’s gaze, Siem felt a compelling urge to prostrate. The elf was beautiful. More beautiful than anything she had ever seen. Her eyes were like little radiant balls of gold, her features slim and perfect. Her hair was woven into a ponytail, which she let curve out to the front of her shoulder. Her smile was scintillating.
And then Siem knew. This was the elf’s true form. The elves hid their true forms from the rest of the world, choosing to morph themselves into other shapes instead. And it was for good reason. With this level of beauty in the constant display, men, the humans especially would run mad with lust and desire. And though, an attack on the elves was often considered nothing but foolhardy, the Toas had seen enough to know that nothing stopped the humans – besides an impressive display of determination and strength – when they set their minds to covet something.
Siem’s words had been snuffed out, together with her breath.
Fraweyni gave a knowing smile. She was pleased whenever her beauty was able to produce reactions like Siem’s before her.
“I trust you are feeling yourself?” the Elf Queen asked Siem.
She shook her head, bringing herself together.
“Yes, I am.” She replied. “There is only the problem of a missing time I cannot account for.”
Fraweyni smiled. “Why don’t you take a seat.”
With the flick of her fingers, branches grew rapidly from the surrounding trees, and petals from the flowers above fell – a lot of them in a flurry until they formed a cushion on the seat.
Siem smiled. “You all seem perfectly comfortable here, in the Ciroc,” she observed.
“Well, the elves are creatures of nature after all. And though we have had to put up with the rest of the world, since the reign of Camin and Lowus, the recent outbursts of chaos have led us to seek better homes, ones we can easily defend for ourselves. We believe things will only get worse.”
Siem nodded.
“But you can change that, can’t you?” Fraweyni asked. “You, Eldana, Hermon, and the rest of your group.”
Siem looked at Fraweyni, trying to discern if she could trust her. Fraweyni stared back. Siem decided that she would have to trust, their love for privacy, their tendency of non-involvement, and their pride as a race.
“We are trying to,” she replied slowly.
“It is nice to see a group of people trying to create a path for themselves other than that which the gods have selected for them. It is a wonderful attempt, but one that is often fraught with tragedy.”
“We entertain the possibility of that in our hearts. However, nothing can ever be done if there is no hope or optimism.”
“Hmmm” Fraweyni mused. “Optimism.”
“Tell me about your childhood, Siem,” Fraweyni said suddenly.
Siem was a bit taken aback by the sudden change of events. She did not know what the elf was aiming at, but she did know that she was supposed to display a level of courtesy. She was their guest after all. Siem started small, from the first memories of her childhood, in a small town in Tonar, and her father, whose face she could scarcely remember.
“What about your mother?” Fraweyni asked suddenly, cutting Siem’s story short.
“What?” Siem asked, a look of surprise and suspicion crawling into her face.
“What about your mother. Any memory of her?” Fraweyni asked.
“No,” Siem replied warily. “I have no recollection of her. My father told me she died before I was born. Any reason why you are asking these questions?”
Fraweyni primmed her lips.
“Your mother was or is clearly an elf,” she said.
“Yes. I remember my father telling me that on a few occasions.”
But I always wondered why any elf would leave her child behind. The elves are too proud a people to do that. They prize family.”
“Well, I would not say what your mother did what was right, if indeed she left you, and is still alive, but I can say I understand her a bit.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. You see, my people frown at relations between them and humans, not to mention, falling in love with them as your mother did.” Fraweyni waited for Siem’s response, which came back hot and quick.
“Yeah? Well, I guess that is why the world is the way it is. Chaotic, You and your people do not involve yourselves in anything, and so you all have to rely on the life of one girl to ensure the world exists in balance and order. But why should I care? The elves are dignified immortals. Their minds and magic are strong enough to protect themselves, and as long as they stay safe, will survive the chaos, while the rest of the world goes up in flames.”
Fraweyni watched Siem effuse with anger until she stopped.
“Come with me.” She told her when she was done fuming.
Fraweyni got up and walked out of the grove. Siem followed closely behind. They walked out and found Eldana sitting at the massive roots of an oak tree, with her back against its trunk. She was throwing rocks absentmindedly at the tree opposite her. Meko was a little to her side, singing to a flying squirrel that had fallen off the tree and broken an arm.
Eldana got to her feet. Fraweyni attracted by her sudden motion, looked her way.
“Ah, Eldana.” She said with an apologetic smile. “I had been under the impression that my talk with Siem would be swift, and then I would see you immediately. There is something I need to show her, and while you are free to retire, and wait till I call upon you.”
Eldana puffed air out of her mouth in a bored expression.
“I have been doing nothing anyways, other than watch Meko there sing to a squirrel.”
Fraweyni laughed, and Eldana and Siem looked at her with surprise and then smiled. Fraweyni’s laughter was melodious. Like a chronicle of happier times, and happier things.
“Meko did you hear what Eldana said? You are bad for the company. You should improve on that.”
Meko who had just finished singing to the squirrel set it on the root of a nearby tree and watched it scamper up and into the safety of the branches of the tree.
Eldana stepped into pace with Siem, as Fraweyni led their little procession.
“The elves are an annoying bunch,” Siem muttered to her.
Eldana smiled. “You see,” she said, “they are not all beauty.”
“Oh, I concur,” Siem breathed.
Frawey
ni led them to a huge tree, with a trunk the size of three trees, and with very thick branches. The Queen got close to the tree and stopped.
“I am sure none of you are familiar with The Purge,” she said.
“What purge?” Siem responded.
“I thought as much,” Fraweyni replied wearily. “We did not want that appearing on history books. You see, millennia ago, in the times of old magic, the elves lived openly. Even tried to contribute the little we could into the affairs of Toas. But we were not like the others, the humans, or the rest of the magicians. We and the orcs had existed long before you all came along. And so, whether we liked it or not, we had a god-like impression wherever we went. We do not know if it was fear, or envy, or both, but the elves were unsuspectingly set on. These are the number of my people who never joined the stars.”
As she spoke, etchings began to appear on the tree. They grew gradually, from nothing till they glowed like embers in full emphasis.
Eldana was wide-eyed with shock.
“Are these…?” she started to ask.
“Names. Yes.” Meko supplied.
Siem was perplexed. The etchings were everywhere on the tree, from the trunk even to its branches.
“These are all the killings that instigated our move into the Ciroc,” Fraweyni said.
The sorrow in her voice was so evident, it pulled at both of their hearts.
“So many lay on the ground, their blood rich with their life. I had to hear their soundless cries, feel their regret that they would never join their kin in the stars. We buried all of the fallen elves here, all who had fallen by some horrible magic, and all their bodies birthed this tree, a monument and a testament that they once existed. They are trapped in the lightless place, in limbo. They are lost and cannot shine. The number of bodies we put in the ground still weigh our hearts down to this day.”
The silence stretched as they stood at the foot of the tree, with its body glowering with etchings until Fraweyni broke it.
“Perhaps you can see why we do not involve ourselves in the affairs of the world. It is the only way we survive. We left Kleas because some of us began to be killed. Without cause, without provocation.”
Siem felt a pang of remorse for how she had addressed Fraweyni earlier. But that was the beginning of the chaos. No one could control it, it just started slowly within everyone.
Fraweyni turned and gazed at both.
“I do not care if you understand why we must not involve ourselves.” She told them. “This is not meant to garner pity for ourselves. You know enough already, to know that the elves detest pity. I just want you to know that we are not the picture of self-involvement, piety, selfishness, and lack of empathy that world has painted.”
Fraweyni smiled, and her face brightened. It was almost like the sorrow that had been on her face moments ago was never there. The etchings on the tree began to disappear, until the bark was just normal brown, and webbed with cracks of age.
“I think I will speak to you both. We do not have all the time, I am afraid,” the Queen said.
“Meko?” She called.
Meko appeared in a moment, and her expression grew grave when she saw the great tree behind them.
“O, please dry those eyes, my child,” Fraweyni said.
“Yes, mother,” Meko said, wiping her sleeves across her eyes.
“Kochob says he needs your help.” She told Meko. “He says he is at the training ground.”
Meko nodded and left.
“Meko’s brother was among the count of the slain in Kleas before we fled,” Fraweyni said when Meko was gone. “I do not know how they were able to discern our true nature. We had disguised ourselves as humans.”
“The slayers must have had magicians among them.” Eldana supplied.
“That is what we think,” Fraweyni replied. “Poor girl. I do not know if she will ever trust your kind again.”
Eldana and Siem’s hearts were filled with sympathy for Meko.
“We should seat,” Fraweyni suggested.
She flicked her fingers, and vines sprouted from the ground and wove into sturdy chairs. Fraweyni sat and gazed at Eldana and Siem.
“You were right when you mentioned that the Ciroc is an apt home for us. Indeed, it is. This place was our home once, till we migrated into the city, and had to live in constant disguise. Now we are free. And we intend to defend this place. We were not expecting to be discovered any time soon. So, imagine our surprise when one of your friends was spotted by our sentries wandering within our borders.”
Siem wanted to tell Fraweyni that Mikko was not wandering. He had been found within their borders because he sought to empty his bladder. But she kept her cool.
“We could have easily killed him.” Fraweyni continued.
“That is the penalty for violating your borders?” Eldana asked incredulously.
Fraweyni smiled coldly. “When you have suffered losses as we have, nothing is too drastic to ensure your safety,” she said. “Anyways, I decided not to. We did not know what he was doing so deep in the Ciroc, and if he was alone. If he was acting alone, we were safe. But some of us had fears that a team had been dispatched to locate our whereabouts. If that happened, we would have to be forced to fight. And with the coming chaos, there would be inevitable losses on both sides. It would not be a bad thing if our number remained the way it was, you know. For the sake of clarification, I had him taken, not before I dazed him of course.”
“Dazed?” Siem asked.
“Yes,” Fraweyni replied. “The same thing I did to you two, and the free warrior, when you came looking, and the same thing I did to Hermon. Apprehension is easier that way, especially with magicians.”
“So, what next?” Siem was intrigued. “You dazed us, and had us taken in.”
“Correct,” Fraweyni said with a nod. Like a teacher nodding satisfactorily to the answer one of their students gave correctly to their question. “When you had been brought in, I had Kochob interrogate you.”
“Interrogate?” Eldana asked, a scowl of confusion on her face. “I have no recollection of being interrogated.”
“Same here.” Her counterpart seconded.
“Was this done when we were still in your daze?” Eldana asked.
“No,” Fraweyni replied. “It was done when you were asleep, heavily under the soporific effects of the Linthaea.”
“You have that here?” Eldana asked.
To find a healthy Linthaea herb was rare. Most of the Linthaea in Toas were sickly.
“Yes,” Fraweyni replied. “You will be amazed at how great they flourish around us.”
“If we were asleep,” Eldana started, “how were you able to interrogate us?”
“With a telepath,” Fraweyni stated. “He goes by the name of Kochob. He is the best telepath among us.”
“That is how you got to know about my mother,” Siem said accusingly.
Fraweyni nodded.
“If you have scoured through our minds, that means you know everything about us,” Eldana said.
“I am afraid that is how it seems, Eldana,” Fraweyni said. “However, you should know that as a race that values privacy, your secrets, thoughts, and past are safe.”
“Great. That is supposed to make me feel better.” Siem said heavily.
“I cannot say that I am sorry for what has been done.” Fraweyni began. “But I wish that you understand that we had to make sure of your identities, ascertain why you were this deep in the Ciroc, and determine if you were a threat to us.”
“We understand,” Eldana said.
Siem nodded, but it still annoyed her nonetheless. Maybe it was because Fraweyni knew so much about her, but she knew nothing about Fraweyni besides what was already in the book of races.
“So, are we..?” Siem started, her eyes on Fraweyni.
�
��Are you what?” Fraweyni questioned.
“A threat?”
“I think the fact that you two sit here, alive and unbound, should speak for itself.”
Siem quietened and leaned into her chair.
“The elves have outlived an era of chaos before, the battle of the first hour, when all who could do magic faced those who they considered the face of the gods,” Fraweyni told them. “We can do that again. That was one of the reasons we moved into Ciroc. But there is something about you three.”
“Three?” Eldana questioned.
“Yourself, Siem, and Hermon, of course,” Fraweyni replied.
“Oh,” Eldana said.
“You are more like siblings in many ways. You are young, have seen but little of the world yet, but still have more experience than an average human in his entire life span. But more intriguing than your youth is the similar desire you harbor. The will to redefine yourselves. To not be described by the seeming ills fate has latched onto you. That is impressive. Such a level of hope and optimism you display is rarely seen. Some might even call it dreamy.”
“Dreamy.” Eldana scoffed.
“You are the being of Balance and Chaos,” Fraweyni said gently. “The child marked by chaos. You were raised to revere Camin and Lowus, and you started to dislike the idea that you were being reared for slaughter. Somehow, you become self-aware and escape. Then the world begins to descend into chaos. Because the amount of energy that is supposed to go from you to Camin and Lowus, so they could keep chaos at bay, is still within you. The world is crumbling. Chaos is returning. People have died because of your decision. To think that all you have to do for the world to have calm and peace is to sacrifice your life, and yet you run, in search of another path. Would that not be termed as selfishness?”
Eldana grew sad, and sorrowful as Fraweyni’s words settled. She knew there was truth to what Fraweyni said.
All this is my fault, she told herself. The displacements, the deaths, even Meko’s brother, all my fault.
“And you forsook your destined path, for a path that none of you yet know. What better way to define a dream?”
Siem noticed Eldana begin to sink into herself, and placed a palm on her hand and squeezed comfortingly.