by Livia Lance
“I’m the forest, young one,” she told Lana warmly. She seemed to have decided that Lana wasn’t a threat to her. “Come child, walk with me.”
She realized suddenly that her feet were now free and breathed a sigh of relief. Having no other choice, she walked with the woman, Priestess, through the trees.
“I saw you enter,” she said to Lana. “You and your friend, the troubled one. I don’t always notice when someone enters my domain but the moment you set foot inside, I was aware. I had to see what made you special. Perhaps, if we walk for a time, I will learn more.”
“Are you going to let me go free?” Lana asked her. She was afraid but it sounded like this spirit, if that’s what it was, had a kindness about her.
“I suppose we shall see,” Priestess said cryptically. “Tell me of your story.”
Sighing, Lana tucked her staff under her arm and thought back. How much about her did this woman want to know? She supposed she would have to start at the beginning. Lana spoke of her childhood as a princess in Loral, her captivity. She spoke of her rescue by Clay and then meeting Nym on the road. She spoke of their travels and Clay’s abandonment.
“I will see him again,” she told the woman fiercely. “I will see him and he will answer my questions.” Her teeth were gritted and her knuckles white on the staff.
“You have rage but it’s tangled up with love,” Priestess told her, as if she wasn’t already aware of this. Lana nodded but looked straight ahead, still so angry that she didn’t trust herself to speak.
“I once loved as you do. I loved with all of my heart and it was the end of me…” She trailed off, a sad look in her eyes. “It was love for my people, you see. The only thing in the world that I cared for was my brethren. I would die - I did die - to keep them safe.”
Lana froze. She suddenly understood who this creature was.
“You are the high priestess,” Lana said in awe.
“Yes,” Priestess smiled warmly at her. “It was my last act, the only way I could protect my people. I plunged Ollyth into the ground and healed the land. This forest sprang up to defend the elves but it wasn’t the staff that was magical, nor the trees. It was my spirit that performed these miracles and my spirit that inhabited this forest so I could watch over my people for all time.”
She sighed and stopped walking, gazing around her. “I grow so tired, princess,” she said in a quiet voice. “I have watched them for so long, countless years. Countless…” A silver tear slipped down her cheek and Lana wanted to put a comforting arm around the woman but she was too much in awe to dare touch her.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Lana asked, unsure of what she could possibly do for this creature but she felt so sad for the woman, she had to make the offer.
“That is kind of you,” Priestess said, smiling and wiping away the single tear. It dropped from her finger and a sapling sprang up from the ground where the tear fell. “Things are changing for the elves, I can feel it in the air. I grow weak and soon may not be able to protect them any longer. You must tell the elders, they must know that my protection wanes…” She paused, looking at Lana thoughtfully.
“I will give you a word, young one. I can feel that it’s you who must know this word and the time to pass it on has come,” she told her intently, stepping towards Lana until their faces were inches apart. Looking this deeply into her eyes, Lana felt mesmerized.
“Do not speak this word of power until you feel that all hope is lost for the elven people. There will be no turning back, do you understand?”
“What is the word, Priestess? I will hold it in my heart, I promise.” Lana told her with absolute sincerity.
“It’s my name,” Priestess said, standing straight, her light shining brighter than ever. “It’s a word that was lost when I became one with nature. Speaking it will spark a series of events that you will not be able to turn back from. Use it only when you absolutely must.”
She leaned forward and put her silver mouth to Lana’s ear and breathed a single word, so softly that Lana couldn’t hear her. Panicked, she turned to the woman.
“I didn’t hear you!” she exclaimed, horrified.
Priestess was already fading from view but Lana was able to make out that she was smiling sadly.
“Yes, you did, child,” she told Lana softly. “You will know the word when it’s time…”
And just like that, she vanished and Lana was alone again.
* * *
Nym woke, feeling stiff from sleep. She stretched in her blankets and turned her head to where Lana should have been. But she wasn’t there. Suddenly panicked, Nym leapt to her feet, turning wildly, looking for the woman she had sworn to keep safe.
“Lana!” she called, “Lana!”
She heard a sound from behind her and spun, ready to attack and on high alert. Then she relaxed, seeing that it was Lana walking through the trees to meet her.
“Lana, you shouldn’t have left. This forest can twist itself and it could have kept you lost until you starved!” She rushed to her companion, wanting to throw her arms around her but holding herself back at the last second. Things had changed and she was no longer worthy of touching the woman. She stopped short and bowed her head slightly.
Lana placed her hand on Nym’s chin and lifted her face.
“Look at me, Nym,” she said softly. “You must meet my gaze again. We cannot undo the past but we must be friends. Clay told you to keep his reasons from me and I don’t like it, but I know that you are an honorable woman and I wouldn’t wish for you to break your word.” She leaned forward and kissed Nym on the forehead then stepped back.
Nym swayed on the spot, overcome with the knowledge of her betrayal, desperate to relieve the burden of that knowledge but she held it back. Just barely. Lana would know one day the vile thing she had done to Jacob, but it wouldn’t be this day. She met Lana’s eyes and nodded.
“Yes, of course,” she said, using all of the skills she had learned from the elders to hide her true feelings. “Lana, we should go. We have much ground to cover still and Eva is a large place.”
Lana nodded and began walking. Nym watched her, curious. The princess had a new aura about her, one of peace and tranquility. She had been so fierce and so angry before, what had changed?
“Lana, where did you go?” she asked. “Did you wake early and get lost from me?”
“I guess I did,” Lana said simply but Nym felt like there were things she wasn’t saying. Something in the way she wouldn’t meet her eyes, the lightness of her tone. Well, Nym had secrets of her own so she wouldn’t press her on it. She would just have to keep a closer watch on her friend from here on out.
They had walked for only a few minutes when suddenly a break in the forest ahead showed sunlight. Nym stopped in shock. They should have hours more to go before they left the forest. Lana didn’t turn back to see what had stopped Nym, she simply walked forward toward the light. Shaking her head and thanking the forest for such a swift journey, Nym trotted to catch up and together they broke free of the trees. Odd things could happen in these woods.
Before them stretched the lush and verdant grounds of Eva. Rolling green hills dotted with trees, flowers blooming all around them and the sweet scent of life.
“Welcome home, princess,” Nym said warmly, looking over to see her friend’s reaction to her first sight of Eva.
There were tears rolling down Lana’s cheeks when she turned to regard Nym. Saying nothing, she held out a hand and Nym took it. Together, they began walking down the road that would lead to Thelsamel and the beginning of Lana’s new life.
Music of the Land
Eva was extraordinary. Nym and Clay had told Lana stories about the land but nothing they said had prepared her for what she would find there. The land in the human realm was mostly quiet and what voice it had was muted and tired. In Eva, it was as if the trees, grass and air were all singing in a constant chorus of life and vitality.
“Is it always like this?�
� she had asked Nym, putting a hand to her head to try and steady herself. The sound of joy from the earth was a little overwhelming.
“Yes,” Nym said, smiling at her. “The land rejoices. You get used to it, I promise. It’s always a little distracting at first for elves who have spent some time in the human lands, but it will become quieter.”
The sweet symphony combined with the lush landscape to create an atmosphere that evoked feelings of contentment and peace. Lana couldn’t resist straying from their path to visit a copse of trees or a cluster of wildflowers. Once, they took a detour to bathe in a hot spring that Nym said she visited whenever she traveled. It was blissful and so much better than the last bath Lana had taken, back in Coalfell. She felt as though the water hadn’t only cleansed her skin, but her spirit as well.
Once the women had journeyed further into Eva, they began to see other travelers. These elves would greet them with hearty hugs as if they were old, long lost friends. Lana was taken aback by their open affection for complete strangers, but not Nym. She seemed to take it all in stride, embracing them one by one and even taking the time to share some news.
The elves were very curious about Lana. Apparently, half elves weren’t very common and there were always a lot of questions for her. Some of the young men were looking at her appraisingly and Lana would find herself blushing and trying to hurry Nym away. It was uncomfortable being an exotic creature in an unfamiliar land.
As they drew nearer to civilization, Lana and Nym never had to spend the night camping outside. Every home was open to them and all of the elves welcomed them with delight. The elven people didn’t live as humans did, in homes constructed of lumber and stone. Instead, they either lived in open areas with woven cloth to serve as a roof and walls or they dug into the earth and lived underground. The latter would take the excess dirt and turn it into flower beds or gardens. In this way, they maintained the harmony of nature. It was extraordinary.
One evening, the women happened upon a small village. These elves preferred living in the open and there were colorful awnings scattered around. Men and women roamed here and there tending to their daily chores. Some elf children were chasing each other while an older woman watched. Lana and Nym were greeted warmly by an elderly elf who introduced herself as Layla. She hugged each of them in turn and exclaimed over Lana’s halfling status. This was a common occurrence and Lana was no longer so put off by it. Instead, she accepted the woman’s compliments demurely and answered whatever questions she had.
Something wasn’t quite right here, though. One of the tents had a lot of activity and the elves there seemed upset.
“What is wrong with them?” Lana asked her, pointing at the tent in question. Layla looked over her shoulder and then back at Lana, a frown creasing her face. She looked down and shook her head.
“Young one, there is sickness,” she said sadly.
“No!” Nym exclaimed in horror, putting a hand on Layla’s shoulder. “How can that be?”
Lana frowned at them both, confused. It sounded as if sickness was an unheard of thing.
“We don’t know,” Layla responded. “Perhaps the land has forsaken us. The children have been falling ill and some have died. We don’t know what causes it but the grown elves seem to be immune so you two should be safe here.”
Lana immediately began walking toward the tent. After a moment, Nym followed her.
“What do you think to do, Lana?” Nym asked her curiously. “If the land has forsaken these elves for whatever reason, there is nothing that can be done. It’s nature’s way.”
“I don’t know anything about the land forsaking anyone. I merely feel a need to visit with these children. We may be able to offer them some comfort.”
“Of course,” Nym responded, looking at Lana compassionately. “Maybe we can.”
The tent was very large and enclosed on all sides, perhaps to contain the virus that was killing children. There were several pallets on the ground and three of them contained young elves in various levels of distress. One girl near the entrance simply appeared to be sleeping, her cheeks rosy and a thin sheen of sweat on her brow. Another one was doubled up in pain, weeping quietly while an elf woman tried to console him. The third was so still and quiet, Lana thought that he may have died and no one had noticed yet. She went to him first.
Kneeling next to the small body, Lana placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He was cool to the touch but she could detect the slightest rise and fall of his chest. She left her hand were it was, feeling a deep sense of despair for this poor child.
Suddenly, she felt a change within the boy. There was a flicker of… something. She almost drew her hand back in surprise but some instinct kept her still. She focused.
There it was again, a feeling, an awareness. It was like when she listened to the trees. She could feel what this little boy was feeling. He was sad and alone. He was tired. The young fellow was searching for something, a thing that had always been there and was now gone.
Lana looked up at one of the elves who were tending to the sick children and beckoned her over. The woman approached and looked down sadly at the boy under Lana’s palm.
“That one is lost to us,” she told Lana softly. “When they begin to cool, there is nothing to be done.”
“Have you been able to treat any of them? Do any survive this?” Lana asked.
The woman merely shook her head and began to turn away.
“What medicines have you tried? Do you have anything that can bring down the fevers? Ease the pain?” Lana felt frantic, she was desperate to find a way to heal these poor children.
The woman looked over her shoulder at Nym quizzically. Nym gestured for her to return to her duties and turned to Lana.
“We have no medicines here,” she said softly. “The land provides. It’s an old saying but it’s also the way of the elves. We don’t become ill. Our wounds heal quickly. This sickness is… unheard of.” She seemed very shaken.
“The land is not providing, Nym. Look at him,” she gestured to the small form of the little elf under her hand who was desperately clinging to life.
Nym stood, looking down despairingly at Lana and the child. She silently shook her head and walked away. Lana knew she should follow her, this child was not her responsibility, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave his side. He had no one to care for him. The other elves had already decided he was hopeless, but Lana couldn’t let him die alone. She settled down and took his hand, listening to the voice of his spirit while tears slipped down her cheeks.
“You are not alone, little one,” Lana whispered. She stretched out next to the boy, wrapping her arms around him as she waited for him to die.
* * *
Someone was stroking her hair. Slowly, Lana opened her eyes and found a small face looking down at her curiously. Blinking her eyes, and slightly alarmed, she tried to remember where she was or how she got there. Lana sat up and glanced around.
She was still in the tent with the sick children and the little boy who had been so sick the day before was sitting up, staring at her.
“You’re pretty,” he said shyly. “You have pretty hair.”
Lana gasped in shock. He was alive! How could that be? He had seemed so close to death. She took his face in her hands and he giggled.
“You’re okay?” she asked him. The boy blinked a few times in confusion and then frowned.
“I’m hungry,” he said and Lana sighed in relief.
“Then let’s go find you something to eat, okay?” She took him by the hand and together they left the tent. They walked over to the communal dining area where there were already a handful of elves seated on cushions scattered around the ground with blankets instead of tables.
Lana spotted Nym chatting animatedly with a handsome young male elf and thought perhaps she shouldn’t intrude but Nym caught sight of her and waved them over. Nym introduced her to the man, Ilann, and he leaned over to embrace her in greeting. Then Nym’s ga
ze fell on the boy who was trying to hide behind Lana and her eyes widened in shock.
“Child,” she exclaimed. “You live!”
The young boy ran a hand through his brown hair, seeming very uncomfortable.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said shyly.
Nym looked at Lana and then at the boy, at a complete loss for words. Layla had spotted them and hurried over quickly, throwing herself down next to the boy and drawing him into her arms.
“Josiah, how are you feeling?” she asked him softly, her voice full of emotion.
The boy was completely overwhelmed by the amount of attention he was getting and looked at Lana in a panic. She smiled and nodded encouragingly at him.
“What happened?” Layla asked Lana intently. “How is he well? What did you do?”
“I… don’t really know,” Lana responded hesitantly. “I simply laid down with him and held him because I didn’t want the poor thing to die alone. I guess I fell asleep and when I woke, he was sitting up next to me.”
The boy smiled at her and then at Layla.
“She was in my dreams, grandma,” he said, as if there was nothing extraordinary about that statement. “We found the music together.”
“The music?” Layla asked him, her brow furrowing in confusion.
“Yes, the music,” he said, looking at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You know, the trees and the grass. The music. I couldn’t hear it anymore and then I started to feel bad. I went to sleep and then I dreamed about her and she showed me how to find the music. I can hear it again.”
He beamed at Lana and then grabbed a piece of bread and started eating as if he was starving.
Layla looked at her grandson and then at Lana, tears in her eyes.
“You brought him back to us,” she said in awe. “You brought him back.”
Suddenly, she flung her arms around Lana, weeping in earnest and Lana patted her back, shooting a confused look at Nym who was staring at her with wide eyes. Something had happened, something significant and Lana had no idea what it was.