by Livia Lance
* * *
When Lana, Nym and Ilann departed the next morning, their followers had grown significantly. There were now so many elves following the three of them that Lana had stopped trying to count their numbers, but there were well over fifty, of that she was certain.
“We will not pass by a village before nightfall,” Nym warned her. The elf had kept her distance from Lana ever since the evening before. Lana tried not to feel too hurt by this. At least Nym was treating her the same way she always did. It was obvious that Nym didn’t want to discuss her inner turmoil and Lana just had to accept it.
“That’s fine,” she said, smiling. “Truly, I have missed sleeping under the stars. It would be nice to do so again.”
Nym nodded in acceptance and started on the path, Ilann following closely behind leaving Lana more or less alone. She didn’t know when she would be truly alone again, not with so many elves following in her wake, but she at least had a semblance of privacy.
They traveled all day, the wind blowing at their backs as if to urge them on. It smelled like the perfume of the wildflowers that dotted the hills nearby and made Lana want to strike camp right then and there so she wouldn’t have to leave this place.
They eventually put the rolling hills behind them and were greeted with flat plains, carpeted in green as far as the eye could see. There were copses of trees here and there and in the distance a great forest that seemed to have no end.
“What is that place?” she asked Ilann, pointing at the trees.
“That is a spot of much history,” Ilann said, using a hand to shield his eyes as he gazed out at the massive forest. “It was there that the final battle of the First War was waged. The land was torn asunder and the ground watered with the blood of elves and humans alike. When the high priestess healed the land, not only did a forest erupt at the borders but one sprung up there as well. Every type of tree known to elves grows inside it and if a tree flowers, it’s always in bloom. Within is a great orchard of every kind of fruit tree. It’s an extraordinary sight, you should visit there sometime.”
“Yes,” Lana said, smiling. “I would love that.”
Ilann nodded at her and picked up his pace so he could catch up with Nym.
Lana continued walking on her own, her companions ahead of her and the followers behind. This land was so peaceful compared to the human realm. Even during the spring when Loral was full of blossoming flowers and lush greenery, it couldn’t evoke the happiness she felt walking through Eva. Perhaps it was the spirit of the earth which was so much in harmony compared to the lands she came from. Eva already felt more like home to her.
That evening they all camped under the stars. The air was thick and tasted as sweet as any fruit and the stars shone like jewels in the sky. The followers had gathered fallen branches and dead brush so they could start a bonfire in the road so as not to destroy any of the lush green grass. They linked arms and sang, rejoicing in each other and the land. Lana was so taken with the sight, she almost didn’t hear Nym approach her.
“I thought you might be hungry,” she said, passing Lana a bowl with sliced fruit and dry bread.
“Thank you,” Lana told her warmly, accepting the food and taking a bite of a peach slice, savoring its perfectly ripe sweetness.
“They seem so happy,” she said, gesturing at the elves singing around the fire.
Nym watched the singing elves for a time. “Yes, they are happy I think. It has been a long time since anything like this illness has happened to our people. It isn’t easy for us to know that the safeguards which kept us strong and healthy may be failing. It’s especially difficult because children are dying. You give them hope and they rejoice.”
Lana nodded, frowning in thought. “I wonder why I can do this.”
“What do you mean?” Nym asked her.
“I mean,” she responded slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. “Why me? Why not an elf? I’m only a halfling. One would think that a true elf would have this ability, not someone who is only half elven.”
“There is no way to know,” Nym said, smiling at her friend. “Perhaps it’s because you are half human and not because you are half elf. It could be that the combination of human and elf gives you a different sort of way to communicate with the land. The elders may have the answers you seek. Sleep well, my friend. Thelsamel is near.”
With that, Nym strolled back to where Ilann had spread out their bedding and joined him. He put his arm around her, smiling fondly down at his companion.
Lana watched them together. They had become close rather quickly but perhaps that wasn’t such an odd thing. She had no experience in love aside from her relationship with Clay which was certainly far from what anyone would call normal circumstances. Ilann had proven himself to be a kind and courteous man so Lana approved.
She turned her attention back to the singing elves. Nym had called them ‘our people,’ but were they? The elves had accepted Lana as one of them with no issue so far despite her halfling status. It probably didn’t hurt that she seemed to be the only creature able to heal the mysterious illness that was killing the children. Our people, Lana mused. My people. Yes, perhaps it was true. Lana couldn’t go back to the human realm, especially not now that she was needed so badly here in Eva. She might as well forget about the human half of herself and embrace the elves fully. She was one of them now and there was no turning back.
Home
There was a knock at Clay’s door. This was a new development. He had been in solitude for quite a while now and no one yet had come to visit aside from the elves who brought him food, clean clothing or clean bedding, and none of them bothered with knocking.
Clay rose from his bed. “Enter,” he called, curious but alert.
The door opened and an old elf let himself in, giving Clay a warm smile. He had long, silver hair and a strong jaw, an oddity among elves who typically had very narrow faces.
“Hello, young man,” he said, bowing his head only very slightly in greeting. “I’m Elder Braithe. Would you talk to me for a time?”
Clay looked at the man suspiciously, then nodded to the table and chairs across the room. He made his way over and sat silently, staring at the man as he settled himself into the chair across from him. There was a period of silence as Clay waited for the man to speak his mind.
“Clay,” Braithe said, leaning forward and folding his arms on the table. “The elders have been discussing your situation. Some of them are ready to throw you in prison and let you rot. Some others, like myself, wish to learn more about what caused you to give your mission to another elf, ignoring our command to keep it secret, before we hand down a sentence.”
Clay narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.
“Will you tell me what you intend to do with Lana?” he asked the elder. Lana’s fate was his main concern, not his imprisonment. He’d deal with that later.
Braithe sighed heavily and looked at Clay sadly. “Young man, that is not your business. You were sent to take the princess and bring her back, speaking to no one of what you were sent to do. You have done neither of those things. You must explain yourself.”
Clay stood up and walked a few steps away, examining the wall. If he had to look at Braithe any longer he was afraid he might punch him. This was infuriating. He sighed, realizing that he might as well give the elders some information if only to prolong his sentencing.
“I took the girl, as instructed. Along the way, we met up with an elven woman named Nym. I needed horses and she had two. She claimed she was coming to Thelsamel and I decided the best course of action to return as quickly as possible was to join with her. Along the way, she became very close with Lana and I believed that she would keep Lana’s identity secret and protect her with her life.”
Clay turned to see how Braithe was taking this information. The old man was looking at him and frowning in disapproval.
“While I commend you for doing what you could to return qu
ickly,” he said, “I don’t approve of you entrusting this mission to another elf. Furthermore, you have not explained why you left them in the first place.”
“I…” Clay trailed off, thinking furiously. He couldn’t tell the man that he had grown to love Lana. That might put her in more danger than she was already in. “The princess is a kind girl and half elven. She was happy to leave the castle and has given me no cause to think she was any danger to us. I was concerned that you elders might harm her or imprison her. I think she would be happy to live among the elves and I simply wanted to ensure that she was coming here to a place that would accept her rather than punish her for her birth.”
Sighing heavily, Braithe pushed back from the table and stood then made his way to the door. He paused, looking over his shoulder at Clay.
“Our intentions are none of your concern. You were ordered to perform a duty and you failed in that duty most spectacularly. Your motivations may have been kind but that does not matter. You have betrayed your mission and you cannot be trusted.”
Braithe then turned on his heel and left, pausing just outside the door to speak quietly to the guards. Once he was gone, they entered the room, each seizing Clay by an arm. He knew better than to fight this, it would be pointless. He was alone in the palace and no elf would try to save him. He would go to the dungeons and be held in captivity for the rest of his life.
I’m sorry, Lana, he thought miserably. I tried.
* * *
The group of elves continued traveling toward Thelsamel, stopping at villages so Lana could heal the sick and they could restore their provisions. It was the same everywhere they went, sick children and desperate adults. Nym was concerned for her friend. She knew Lana was troubled over her ability to heal the elves and worried about how she was changing and why. Nym worried about that, as well. It was unlike anything she had heard of, except for the ancient legends of the high priestess.
She did all she could to support Lana as they traveled, speaking with her frequently, offering advice when she had any to give. She had to work hard to master her own feelings about Lana because what she needed was a friend, not another follower. It was difficult not to stare at her in wonder, though. Lana truly had no idea what an extraordinary creature she was becoming.
Since they’d left the forest border, Nym had noticed that her friend wasn’t just experiencing spiritual awakenings. Lana was undergoing physical changes as well. Nym hadn’t told her yet, but Lana looked far more like an elf now than she did a human. Before, the differences were minor but noticeable to any elf. Her eyes were more tilted and it seemed like her face had narrowed, losing some of the human roundness.
What was most striking, however, was the sense of her. Elves could sense their own kind and know them immediately for what they were. Nym had always sensed Lana as having elven blood, but it was somewhat muted. Now, she could sense her far more than any other elf. In fact, Lana seemed to shine like a beacon and Nym could have picked her out from a crowd of elves even with her eyes closed.
She chose to keep this to herself and warned Ilann not to mention it, as well. Lana was going through enough trying to understand what was happening. Pointing out the physical changes would only add to her worries. Nym knew that the elves that had been following the longest would have also noticed the change but instead of making them fearful, it made them more reverent, so it was unlikely they would speak of it.
Nym was walking ahead of everyone, holding Ilann’s hand. It seemed strange to her in a way. When she began her mission, she had never expected to meet someone like Ilann. The elf man had been a complete surprise. When they talked in that first village, he’d been charming and funny. They shared a love of elven stories and legends. Spending that first night with him was meant to be a pleasant diversion and she’d been a little surprised when he asked to travel with them. Nym had thought perhaps she was only a pleasant diversion for him, as well.
They’d grown closer as they traveled and she had enjoyed herself fully. Nym was never one to hold herself back from experiences and Ilann was no exception. He had proven to be a kind man and energetic in the best possible ways. It was difficult to find any privacy surrounded as they were by so many of their brethren, but they managed when they could. Nym was very aware of how close they were to Thelsamel, and, knowing how things would change for her once they reached the city, she took every opportunity to enjoy herself. Ilann didn’t seem to mind.
The day finally came when she could clearly see Thelsamel in the distance. The city was her home within Eva and the sight of it nearly broke her heart. On the one hand, it was a relief to finally reach their destination, but on the other, she knew that Lana would soon learn the truth about her and she could hardly bear it. Nym was constantly trying to figure out how to explain herself to Lana, to make her understand that she had only been following orders when she took Jacob’s life. How much it had hurt her to do so.
It was useless, she knew. There were no good excuses for her actions. Doing the elders’ bidding would mean nothing to Lana. She hadn’t been raised by them and it hadn’t been drilled into her daily that she must always follow orders, no matter what. She would never be able to understand. Only another elf that worked for them could know.
She was standing at the crest of a hill with Ilann and Lana, looking at the towering forest palace in the distance, when one of the elf followers hurried up to them. She was a younger elf, perhaps sixteen, with curly red hair and a spray of freckles across her face. She fell to her knees before Lana, weeping.
“Stand, please!” Lana exclaimed, obviously unhappy with this show of reverence. “What in the world is the matter?”
The young woman straightened but continued weeping. “It’s Jase, my lady,” she said. The followers had taken to calling her by that title because they couldn’t bring themselves to use her name. “He’s sick, please come see to him!” And with that, the young woman turned and fled, looking occasionally back to see if they were following.
Lana took off after her and the crowd parted easily, Nym and Ilann close behind. Eventually, they found a cluster of elves surrounding the body of a young male elf on the ground. He was obviously in a great deal of pain. Lana knelt and put a hand on him and he went still. After a time, she looked up and addressed the girl.
“He will be well,” she told her, calmly. “Don’t fret.”
Lana stood and walked away, not hurrying. Nym followed her and when they were far enough away that other elves couldn’t hear, Lana stopped and stared off in the distance.
“Nym, that was a man, not a child,” she said quietly.
Nym understood the significance of what she was saying. This boy had been young but not nearly as young as the children who had been falling ill. He was closer to an adult. She felt a stab of panic. The sickness had spread.
“We must go, quickly,” Lana said, turning to face them. “We cannot delay reaching Thelsamel and warning the elders. This situation is dire.” And with that, she turned and began running toward the palace, not looking back to see if anyone was following.
Nym watched Lana for a moment, her tall figure silhouetted against the sky, that curious staff in hand, her presence shining in Nym’s mind like the sun breaking through the clouds.
She looked up at Ilann and he looked at her. Nym’s concern was mirrored in his eyes and he slowly leaned down and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer to the earth to shelter all elves and protect them from this terrible fate. Nym took Ilann’s hand and they hurried after Lana, jogging to catch up. The followers weren’t far behind and a quiet had fallen over them all. A quiet that spoke of fear and dread.
* * *
Thelsamel was a bustling elven city. An entire forest had grown, the trees twisted this way and that, in order to form the buildings. The Great Tree rose from the center of the palace, towering over the city, its top lost in the clouds. The stories said that the Great Tree was the source of all life in Eva and Nym was relieved to
see that it was still doing well. She could feel its presence, all peace and tranquility.
Elves were everywhere tending to their daily business. Some shopkeepers stood outside offering various goods for trade. There were far more palace guards around than Nym had ever remembered seeing before and that was concerning. She also spied some elves hurrying away with a stretcher between them, carrying a small form covered in a blanket.
“It’s here, too,” she said sadly. “I had hoped…”
“There is no safe place,” Lana told her flatly. Nym could see how angry her friend was after seeing that little form under the blankets.
Wasting no time, Lana marched directly to the palace entrance and stood in front of the guards as if she was waiting for them to escort her inside. Nym hurried to stand behind her, Ilann in her wake.
“I’m Nym, the elders are expecting me,” she told them. “I come with urgent news that they must hear right away. They are also expecting this woman, Lana.” She nodded her head toward her friend.
The guards immediately parted to allow them through. Nym turned Ilann.
“Would you please stay here with the followers?” she asked him. “You are not expected by the elders and Lana and I will have much to explain. It may be some time before we can send for you.”
“Of course,” he said warmly, putting a hand on her arm affectionately. Then, he turned and started gathering the crowd around him.
Nym led Lana through the corridors, not stopping to speak to anyone. When they reached the central chamber, she finally paused. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she pushed open the doors and entered.
There was a scattering of elves inside the chamber, most of them scribes or messengers. Nym saw a face she recognized and she waved him over.
“Sen, please send for the elders, we must speak with them immediately.” He directed a curious look at Lana but turned to do as she asked.