— Chapter Eleven —
Many Meetings
Valanandir opened his eyes slowly. His vision was dark and hazy. He stayed still for a moment, taking in his surroundings. He was lying on his back, and he felt the soft prickle of grass beneath his palms. The air smelled fresh and had the rich scent of turned soil. He realized his skin was tingling. The constant throb of his twisted ankle was gone.
He blinked several times, trying to clear his sight. Shadows overhead sharpened into focus, forming hills and clouds. The sun didn’t seem nearly as bright as it had before, its light pale compared to what he had just experienced. He knew he would never need to cover his eyes to bear the daylight again.
Dimly, he realized he now had the words to name the new phenomena that had appeared in the sky. They had been given to him when he had communed with the Quenya.
The Quenya.
He now knew the orb of light and color was the force that had created the world and everything in it. It had also irrevocably changed him. Besides a new heightened sense of awareness, he also felt a bond keeping him in constant contact with it. Through this bond, he was connected to every living part of the world around him. He looked at the world with new eyes.
When he saw Iadrawyn lying on the ground beside him, his heart nearly leaped from his chest. He was struck by the sudden revelation that everything that had happened to them thus far had been necessary to lead them to this moment. The Quenya had reached out, choosing them as its tools. They were meant to be together. He had never felt so certain of anything in his life. It wasn’t the same as the way Eruvalion had tried to claim her. Valanandir knew she would never belong to him. They simply belonged together.
Although Valanandir knew the prone elf was Iadrawyn, he realized she had been physically changed. Her long, dark hair was now a shimmering gold, and her skin was a pale echo of the same color. He knelt beside her, puzzled. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to rouse her.
Iadrawyn’s head lifted slowly, revealing her face. It was just as beautiful as it had always been, with high cheekbones, a narrow chin and nose, and a soft pair of lips. But her eyes… Beneath the arches of her brows, her eyes were now a pale green rather than the startling deep green they had been before. For a moment, Valanandir was lost in the bottomless knowledge they seemed to hold.
“Valanandir?” She frowned, cocking her head.
Realizing he must be staring, Valanandir blinked and forced himself to focus. “Are you all right?”
He gave her his hand to help her to her feet. He almost uttered a yelp of surprise as their skin made contact. Touching her seemed to heighten his sense of connection.
“Valanandir, you’re… different.” Iadrawyn was looking at him strangely.
“I certainly feel different.”
“Yes, but you also look different. Your skin, your eyes!” She leaned forward to peer at him. “They’re golden!”
Valanandir looked down at his hands to find that his skin was the same hue as Iadrawyn’s. He pulled a lock of hair over his shoulder to inspect it. It had changed from its former silver to a radiant white. He shook his head in disbelief.
“You’ve changed as well,” he said, meaning more than just her appearance.
Iadrawyn inspected her hair and skin in amazement. “I knew I felt different, but this… The Quenya has marked us as its own.”
“Isn’t it incredible?” Malarin’s voice boomed from behind them, reminding Valanandir of her presence. Now there was gold mixed among her blue and silver scales, and her eyes were a pale blue.
“So what do we do now?” Valanandir asked.
Iadrawyn gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
“Well, we found the Quenya, we understand where the lights in the sky came from… What do we do now?”
“You don’t know?” She frowned, looking from him to Malarin, who shook her head.
“What do you think we should do?” Valanandir asked.
“It’s not a matter of what I think we should do,” Iadrawyn said. “The Quenya showed me. Why didn’t it show you?”
Valanandir searched within himself for the answer. It came to him almost immediately. “I think it only enhanced what we already had inside us. You have always had strong intuition, so now you are able to divine the Quenya’s intentions.”
“And what about you?” Iadrawyn asked. “What has been changed?”
The answer seemed obvious to Valanandir, which only confirmed his suspicion. “I have always had strong logic and strategy skills. I believe they are what have been enhanced.”
“You two will make a formidable team,” Malarin said.
“So what did you see?” Valanandir asked Iadrawyn.
Iadrawyn’s eyes unfocused as she gazed into the distance. “We are supposed to stay here with the Quenya. We need to protect it from the creatures of darkness.”
“It seems fairly capable of protecting itself,” Valanandir said, thinking of Lystari’s agonizing fate.
“It is dangerous for such a power to be unleashed.” Iadrawyn’s eyes met his. “The only reason it happened this time is because it was predestined. It was time for the Quenya to be discovered and the world to change. Lystari needed to be sacrificed for that to happen.”
“So she was lured here?” Malarin asked.
“Yes, but her greedy nature was her undoing. She could have chosen not to claim the Quenya, but she couldn’t resist. We were summoned to be its new guardians. Now that our world’s transformation is complete, the Quenya has become a passive power.”
“Can that power be manipulated?” Valanandir asked.
Iadrawyn’s eyes flashed. “Don’t make that dangerous assumption. If you tried to force it to do your bidding, the consequences would be dire. But I do believe the power of the Quenya could be channeled if it would benefit Ralvaniar. We serve the Quenya, not the other way around.”
“Wait,” Valanandir said. “If all this was meant to happen for the two of us to meet and be here, that means the elves who sailed with me and died during Nargaz’s attack—my own crew—were sacrificed by the Quenya?” Valanandir’s mind reeled at the thought.
“Yes.”
“That’s crazy!” Valanandir threw his arms in the air. “Is a power like that really something we want to serve?”
“You don’t understand. Yes, their lives were sacrificed for certain events to occur. But it isn’t over for them.”
“What?”
“Now that we have been changed, our lifespan is infinite. In our previous forms, we may have lived for a thousand, perhaps even two thousand years, but we would have died once we had fulfilled our life’s purpose. When that death occurs, an elf’s soul returns to the Quenya to be reborn.”
Valanandir’s jaw dropped. “So my crew, my parents... They have all been reborn?” His voice broke on the last word.
“Perhaps not yet. It might be a very long time before they are needed in this world again. Some souls might spend eternity as part of the Quenya. There is also the issue of the manner of their death.” Iadrawyn sighed.
“What…?” Valanandir shook his head in disbelief. “Explain.”
“Although each of us has our purpose to fulfill, there is always free will. If an elf is killed before their life’s purpose is complete, I am not sure how it affects their life cycle. Their souls may be lost.”
Valanandir shuddered at the thought of his parents’ souls being sentenced to oblivion. He forced himself to ask the painful question plaguing him. “Do you know my parents’ fate? Are they with the Quenya?”
Iadrawyn placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I do not know. However, I suspect they are. If they hadn’t died as they did, you might not have followed in their footsteps. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have been on that ship, and chances are you would have never left your island to meet me and find the Quenya. They died in battle to fulfill this purpose.”
Valanandir tried to take comfort in Iadrawyn’s words. It would take time f
or him to ponder what he had learned. In the meantime, he had more immediate concerns.
“So what, we stay here and protect the Quenya? How can we possibly do that? There are only two of us.”
“Ahem.” Malarin cleared her throat.
“My apologies, three of us.” He made a conciliatory bow in the dragon’s direction. “We already saw those drakhalu on the way here. There are bound to be others who come to investigate.”
Iadrawyn sat on the side of a hill and looked up at him. “You forget that as its servants, we are now able to channel the Quenya. Although we cannot use its power to attack directly, we can use it to do things like manipulate the weather, animals, and nature, and perhaps even create some kind of protection.
“It also won’t be just the three of us for long. Other elves will come, drawn as we were, and soon the word will spread. Those who come will undergo the same transformation we have, and our numbers will grow. Perhaps one day all elves will be Linadar.”
“Linadar.” Valanandir frowned. “Light Elves?”
“Our people have lived apart for too long. It is time for us to unite if we are going to stand against the creatures of darkness,” Iadrawyn said.
Valanandir found himself distracted by an ominous rumble. He looked up to see Malarin sniffing the air.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Someone is here,” she said in a low voice. “Someone familiar…”
Valanandir drew his knife and crept along the shadows of the hills, searching.
“Ah, yes.” Malarin chuckled, startling Valanandir once more. “Now I remember. Daroandir! Show yourself.”
A shadow detached itself from one of the hills. It was an elf. His chestnut hair hung in braided cables down his back. Even for an elf untouched by the Quenya, his skin was dark. He had aquiline features and his frame was wiry muscle. In addition to his pack, he wore a round shield strapped on his back. The scabbard of a sword hung at his waist. His silver eyes widened at the sight of them.
“I should have known better than to try to sneak up on a dragon.” He spoke in a low tenor. Valanandir held his knife steady and gave him a questioning look.
“Peace, I mean you no harm.” The stranger raised his empty hands.
“This is Daroandir,” Malarin said. “He is no enemy, although he is far from home.”
“I felt something stir from the earth several nights ago in this direction,” Daroandir said. “I went above ground to investigate. The rest of my people were too fearful. I saw the strange lights and wondered. I decided to journey closer to see what had happened. Then I saw you flying in the same direction, which only piqued my curiosity. What is that pulling sensation? Do you feel it?”
Valanandir shook himself. The elf’s low voice was compelling.
“You are an Earth Elf.” Iadrawyn’s voice broke the silence.
“And you are both unlike any elves I have ever seen…” The newcomer took in Valanandir and Iadrawyn’s appearance for the first time. “Even you, my friend. Something has changed.” He took a long look at Malarin.
“Excuse me, but how does an elf who lives underground become friends with a dragon?” Valanandir asked.
Daroandir paused before speaking. “When I was a child, my parents were slain in battle by the dark creatures. After that, I was raised by my sister until she, too, was slain. Although I did not follow in their footsteps to become a warrior, I do share their love for wandering and exploring. I found myself high in the Hamad Sinta range one day when I stumbled across a strange dragon, who seemed to be tracking my progress.” He gave Malarin a pointed look.
“Well, you have to admit, not many of your kind come above ground, never mind up into the mountains. You can’t blame me for being curious.” The dragon’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Once she knew I wasn’t there to try to slay her, and I realized she wasn’t going to eat me, we became friends.” Daroandir gave a wry smile. “Over the years we have often crossed paths in our wanderings.”
“So you live apart from your people?” Iadrawyn asked.
“I return to my home in the ground from time to time. My people have grown accustomed to my ways.”
Malarin snorted. “Don’t be modest. The Earth Elves look the other way because Daroandir is the most skilled metalsmith of his kind. They don’t dare cast him out.”
Daroandir shrugged in response. “I’m sure that doesn’t hurt.”
Valanandir was about to ask to see the other elf’s sword when he noticed Iadrawyn had gone still, her eyes sweeping the hills. He went to her side.
“What is it?” he whispered.
“Someone is here.”
“Daroandir, did you come alone?” Valanandir forced a casual tone.
“Of course. I always travel alone.” The Earth Elf’s expression was open and guileless.
Malarin rolled her eyes. “We know you’re out there,” she called. “You might as well show yourself.”
Several long moments of silence passed. Valanandir gripped his knife, dropping into a crouch at Iadrawyn’s side. Iadrawyn appeared curious, but unconcerned. Daroandir unsheathed his sword and unslung his shield, fitting it on his arm.
A shadow appeared from behind one of the hills, moving with deliberate caution. It pulled away from the sloping shelter to reveal a tall, lean elf woman, who was unmistakably a Wild Elf. Her red hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back in a wild profusion of curls and braids, twined with bits of leather and fur. Her doeskin tunic and breeches clung to her wiry form. Startling eyes the color of new leaves peered at them with suspicion from an angular face painted with green and brown whorls that reminded Valanandir of vines. She held her spear in a defensive position, crouched and ready. Her eyes widened at the sight of Malarin, but she displayed no signs of fear.
“Shall we fight one at a time, or do you plan to attack me all at once?” The stranger broke the silence, her voice ringing with challenge.
Malarin gave a snort of derision. Valanandir noticed Daroandir’s lips twitching, as though he were trying not to smile.
Iadrawyn stepped forward, unarmed. The Wild Elf turned to face her with her spear. Valanandir bit back words of caution, trying to determine whether he could protect Iadrawyn if the strange elf attacked. Although he trusted Iadrawyn to know what she was doing, there was no telling how the newcomer would react.
“Were you summoned here?” Iadrawyn asked. The other elf nodded. “Then we mean you no harm. Please, see for yourself. What you seek is right over there.” She stepped aside and indicated the direction of the Quenya.
The other elf gave her a measuring look before lowering her spear. Valanandir let out the breath he had been holding. The stranger turned to face him and Daroandir.
“What about them?”
Iadrawyn gave the two male elves and Malarin a pointed look, indicating with a jerk of her narrow chin they should move aside. Valanandir and the others obeyed. Malarin watched the strange elf with narrowed eyes.
The redhead looked past them at the glowing presence behind them. Her features softened with yearning. With one last look toward the rest of them, she took a step toward the Quenya.
“Daroandir.” Iadrawyn’s soft voice was startling in the silence. “You have also been summoned. Relinquish your sword and discover what has brought you here.”
The Earth Elf handed Valanandir his sword with a solemn nod before joining the stranger. She looked at him for a moment, as though assessing whether he was still a threat. She eventually gave him a nod and began to move forward, her spear still held ready for attack.
Side by side, they approached the Quenya. The Wild Elf’s spear arm lowered as she drew closer. The weapon slipped from her fingers to the ground, forgotten, as she knelt and leaned forward to reach into the hole in the earth. Daroandir knelt beside her, drawn by the same invisible pull. Both elves closed their eyes and their faces went slack. As the moments passed, their expressions became rapt and their bodies trembled.
V
alanandir watched, fascinated to see what he had already experienced from a new perspective. He spared a glace to look over at Iadrawyn. Her eyes were also closed and she wore a beatific expression. Even though she was not even close to touching the Quenya, she was somehow communing with it. Malarin watched, clearly as interested as he was.
His gaze was drawn back to the increasing light coming from the Quenya’s direction. He turned to watch the two elves, who were enveloped in a shimmering glow. It increased in intensity until Valanandir’s eyes watered and he had to look away. A soundless chime echoed the length of his body before the light faded.
Daroandir and the Wild Elf stood, blinking. They turned to face each other in wonder. Valanandir stepped forward to see their transformation. Iadrawyn joined him.
Both now had the same golden skin as Valanandir and Iadrawyn. Daroandir’s hair was a matching, dark golden hue. His eyes had changed to a paler shade of the same color. The elf woman’s eyes were a pale green. Her flaming red locks had been tempered to a red-gold.
Although only moments had passed, Valanandir knew it had felt like an eternity for them. He watched them closely to see their reactions. Daroandir looked at the world as though seeing it for the first time. He made a bow to both Iadrawyn and Valanandir.
“Thank you for sharing this with us. It was… Words cannot describe it.” His eyes shone with wonder. “If you will let me, I would like to stay here and serve in whatever way I can. I believe you are both meant to be the leaders of this endeavor.”
In the background, Malarin rumbled her approval. Valanandir looked to Iadrawyn for guidance.
“Of course, you are welcome to stay with us. We would be honored.” Iadrawyn smiled.
The strange elf woman had retrieved her spear from where she had dropped it. She eyed them with a mixture of suspicion and awe. Daroandir turned to face her.
“What is your name? We have shared what I suspect will be the most remarkable experience of our lives, and I feel strange not knowing.” His voice was gentle, and he appeared genuinely curious.
A flicker of confusion crossed the Wild Elf’s features before she schooled her expression back to its wary mask.
“Lodariel.”
“Lodariel.” Daroandir echoed the name to himself before fixing her with his earnest, golden gaze. “Won’t you stay? I do not know your story, but I would be honored to learn it. I suspect the Quenya brought you here for a reason as well.”
For a moment, she softened. “It has.”
“So will you stay?” Iadrawyn asked.
Lodariel looked at each of them in turn before letting out a sigh. “I will.”
Iadrawyn smiled once more. “Thank you.”
Lodariel gave them one last glare as she gripped her spear. “I would have beaten you, you know. You are the only one I’m not sure about.” She indicated Malarin. “It would have been a good fight though. I have never fought a dragon.”
Malarin let out a rumbling laugh. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I quite like her.”
Light Chasers (The World of Lasniniar Book 0) Page 23