She looked at the rangers and smiled again.
“But that is not your concern. The Council will be meeting at noon, as usual, if that is why you are here, Commander. You may want to refresh yourselves and rest before then. The inn is always open and Deakon will no doubt be pleased to welcome you both.”
“Ah, Deakon. I haven't seen him in quite some time,” Ethmira replied with a grin. “He does know how to give travelers a warm welcome.”
The two rangers thanked the keeper for her time and Ethmira led the way out of the glade. There was a well worn path that cut through the forest and they followed it as it wound around the boles of the huge trees rising hundreds of feet above them.
“When were you in Alderthal last?” Chase asked Ethmira as she followed her.
“Over a year ago. Once I stepped down from the Council, I spent some time visiting friends that I hadn't seen in a long time,” Ethmira replied. “And I went back to the scene of the last battle where Simon O'Toole, the paladin Liliana Travnikov and I faced the primal brown dragon. I don't know why, really. Perhaps to remind myself that our society is more vulnerable to evil than many of our people seem to realize. Or maybe it was to relive the glory of that battle. It may seem like a shocking thing for an elf to admit, but our triumph that day, thanks to Simon's wisdom and power, was the high point of my life. If not for that victory, Trillfarness would have been lost, drowned in the putrid acid of the brown dragons and given to their masters, the dark gods. We changed the course of history that day, and I am proud of the small role that I played in that change.”
“I have read of it,” Chase told her as they approached a break in the trees. “I can't even imagine such a battle. To fight a primal dragon? It's like something out of the legends from ancient times.”
Ethmira glanced over her shoulder and grinned at Chase.
“I know. Perhaps that is why I needed to go back, to remind myself that it had actually happened. I didn't know at the time that Salfrena would ask me to lead the battle against the coming darkness, but now, at least, I know for certain that it can be beaten.”
“I hope so,” Chase said softly.
The path led them out of the forest. They were standing on the edge of a valley that dropped away steeply a few yards away. Below them, glowing under the light of the rising sun, was a glittering collection of buildings scattered like jewels around three towering spires that rose a hundred feet from the valley floor. A serpentine river flowing through the town and flashed and danced in the sunlight. Alderthal.
Chapter 4
The two women found a trail leading down into the valley and began to descend its serpentine twists and turns. The slopes were covered with tall grass undulating like green waves in the winds sweeping along the valley.
The distant buildings of Alderthal were multi-colored and beautifully constructed, some of them several stories high. The three spires on the far side of the town were built, not of wood, but of white stone. They loomed over the valley. All three towers were slender at their bases and then widened as they reached their peaks. These towers were called the Three Hearts. They were considered by the elves to be the most important buildings on Trillfarness.
One tower was the headquarters of the Council of Elders. One was the training college for the planet's keepers. And the last tower was reserved for the use of the scryers. These three pillars of elven society bound every elf together. They had existed for millennia and gave the elves a sense of permanence, a beacon of strength that they had relied upon since the earliest days of their civilization.
“Have you been to Alderthal before?” Ethmira asked Chase as they slowly wound their way down into the valley.
“When I was very young,” Chase replied. She gave the spires a quick glance. “My parents thought that I should see the Three Hearts once in my lifetime. I remember that the journey took many days. Our small town was a long way from the nearest keeper and so we joined a caravan instead and traveled with several dozen others to get here.”
She watched her footing as she reached back into her memories.
“It was very exciting,” she continued, smiling fondly as she spoke. “I met many other children and we got to ride in wagons pulled by cervus'. Terribly impressive to a young child.”
Ethmira laughed as she looked back at her companion.
“Yes, I imagine it would be. What did your parents do for a living?”
“They were farmers. We grew many crops, mostly grains and vegetables. It was a simple life, but I loved it. My parents taught me the value of hard work and the sense of accomplishment that you got when you harvested the results of that labor.”
“Ah, now I understand where you got your determination and work ethic,” Ethmira told her. “Farmers are the backbone of our society. So where are your parents now? Still working the fields? They must be proud that their daughter became a ranger and now works to help all of our people.”
Chase followed her silently for a moment as they approached the floor of the valley. Ethmira slowed down and then stopped and turned around.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yes,” Chase replied with a slight catch in her voice. Her expression was unreadable. “My parents died in the invasion of the brown dragons. My entire village was razed to the ground and the soil there is still poisoned by their accursed bile. Many of our neighbors died as well.”
She lightly rubbed her bow with her fingertips.
“I was far away on assignment and I couldn't get back home in time to protect them,” she added grimly. “I wasn't there when they needed me most.”
Ethmira stared at her companion. Chase was dry-eyed as she looked past her at the distant spires.
“You couldn't have saved them, my friend,” Ethmira told her gently. “I know that is small comfort, but it's true. I fought the primal, remember. The brown dragons were overwhelmingly powerful monsters and our people were not prepared for them.”
She reached out and gave Chase's arm a quick squeeze.
“But the next time that evil invades our world, we will be ready. We have to be. And you can be a part of that, if you so choose.”
Chase looked at her and nodded.
“I intend to be. Thank you, Ethmira, for giving me the opportunity to do so. I couldn't save my parents, but I will do what I can to save our people.”
“We both will. Come now, let's meet with the Council and see what they plan to do going forward.”
The town was laid out neatly around the bases of the three spires. Pathways lined with colorful interlocking stones wound past neat homes and small shops. The elves did not use paper money. Instead, coins were stamped with the Council's symbol, three concentric rings, and minted out of copper, silver, gold and platinum. While the dwarves were known for their mining skills, elves mined metals as well, but only to use for their currency and their armor.
As Ethmira and Chase approached Alderthal, they were stopped briefly by a squad of armored elves stationed at the boundary of the town. The warriors were wearing leather armor reinforced with thin plates of tungsten. The six elves were led by a very tall woman whose features would have been beautiful if they weren't marred by a ragged scar across one cheek. Like her squad, she was armed with a longsword and a shield and her head was covered with a gleaming helmet.
“Welcome to Alderthal,” she called out to the two rangers. “Step forward and state your business here.”
Ethmira smiled as she approached the warriors. Their leader's eyes widened as she recognized one of the visitors.
“Commander!” she exclaimed. “You've returned. It is good to see you again.”
“Good morning, Captain Gallia,” Ethmira replied warmly. “I am pleased to see you as well. I did not realize that you were still the leader of Alderthal's guardians.”
Chase stood silently behind Ethmira and watched the warriors, gauging their mood. She could see that all of them were obviously excited by the appearance of a former member of the Council
and she was relieved by their reaction. Chase hadn't been sure what Ethmira's decision to step down would have meant to the elves close to the center of power. Would they have been angered by such a move? Disdainful? It appeared not, at least not these warriors. She hoped that the Council itself would feel the same way.
“I had not planned to continue working in my position,” Gallia told Ethmira candidly. “But several members of the Council personally requested that I stay on for a few more years and I acceded to those requests.”
“You did not wish to remain as the captain of the guardians?” Ethmira asked in surprise.
Gallia smiled, the scar on her cheek twisting her expression strangely.
“I did, but my husband and I had been planning to have children and I had already served for a decade. But we decided together that my duty should come first before our own personal desires and so we have put off having a family for the time being.”
“I admire your dedication, Captain,” Ethmira told her. “And to answer your initial question, my companion and I are here to meet with the Council. I know that it will be several hours before they are in session, so I thought that we would stop by Deakon's inn and refresh ourselves. We've traveled far and are tired and hungry.”
“Ah, of course. If you'd like, I can send a message to the Council and let them know that you will be appearing before them later today.”
“Thank you, Captain. I would appreciate that.”
“Not at all. Please go ahead and get some rest, Commander. You and your companion are very welcome to Alderthal.”
The squad stepped aside and Ethmira thanked them all as she led Chase past them. The pair stepped on to a bright white stone path and entered Alderthal.
“That was an interesting reception,” Chase said as she looked around the town curiously. “The guards seemed pleased to see you.”
The small, neat homes they were passing were painted with many bright colors and all of them had flowers planted along both sides of their doors. Many of them were two stories high, very unusual for elven houses.
“I know. I must admit that I was surprised by that as well,” Ethmira told her. “The Council was not very happy when I stepped down. Several of them took my decision personally, which was absurd. It had nothing to do with them or with the Council as a whole. I was always honored to serve, but I felt that someone more experienced or more dedicated to the job should take my place. I yearned for the wilds. I felt the call of the deep woods. You know what I mean, Chase. As rangers, a part of us is always restless when surrounded by walls. We are constrained by barriers and locked gates, not reassured by them.”
Chase nodded and smiled at the statement.
“Well said,” she replied. “I know exactly what you mean. That is partly why I left my parents' farm. I wanted more out of life than to just work the fields and grow crops. Not that their work was meaningless or unimportant, of course. Far from it. It just wasn't something that I was drawn to. The pulse of nature, the mysteries of the ancient forests, that is what I wanted in my life.”
She sighed and Ethmira looked back at her inquisitively.
“Sorry,” Chase said with a wry grin. “My parents honored my choice, may the Mother bless them, but they never really understood it. How could they? They were tied to the soil by blood and bone, something that I never was.”
“We are tied to it as well, my friend,” Ethmira reminded her. “But we are connected to all of our world, not just small pieces of it. Maybe that is the main difference between rangers and the rest of elven society.”
Chase nodded thoughtfully.
“You may have put your finger on it,” she agreed. “All of Trillfarness is in our charge. Not parts of it, but the entire planet. Huh. I've never really looked at it that way.”
“Well, let's put away our philosophical discussion for now,” Ethmira said with a smile. “That is Deakon's inn just ahead. Let's go inside and find a comfortable place to sit down. I must admit that I could use some rest before we face the Council this afternoon.”
The inn was an amazing three floors high and built of rugged granite and bleached wood. There were large windows on every level and thin ribbons of smoke rose from several chimneys.
Ethmira opened the heavy oaken door and walked inside with Chase on her heels. The younger ranger looked around the main room curiously as they entered. She had not stayed at many inns but she knew that Ethmira certainly had, so she waited to see what her companion would do.
The main room took up almost the entire first level of the building. Sunlight streamed in through the windows on the eastern side of the inn. Ahead of the two rangers there were sturdy wooden tables covered with clean white tablecloths. Each table had a vase set in the middle with fresh flowers in them, adding a sweet scent to the air in the room.
Beyond the tables and chairs was a long bar built along the far wall. It was a misconception that elves drank nothing but wine. They did love ale, just not as much as the dwarves did, and mead made from honey was a favorite beverage among them. On shelves behind the bar were many bottles of the golden liquid, as well as tall bottles of wine. Elegant fluted glasses hung from a rack below the shelving, reflecting the sunlight in glittering rows.
There were several elves sitting at a few tables and all of them looked up as Ethmira and Chase walked in. Most were dressed in the brown robes commonly worn by scribes or minor officials, but there was also one leather-clad elf who was eating some fruit who froze when he saw Ethmira, a pear halfway to his mouth. He dropped the piece of fruit on to his plate and stood up, a wide smile on his face.
“Well, well, this is a surprise,” he exclaimed as he walked forward. “How good to see you again, Commander. It has been too long.”
The elf was very tall and thin. His black hair was long and tied back, exposing his pointed ears. His dark blue eyes were wide and looked at both women keenly.
“Waylan! You're the last person that I expected to see in Alderthal at this time of year,” Ethmira replied as she clasped hands with him. “What could have possibly dragged you away from the college before high summer?”
She turned to Chase with a smile.
“Chase, this is Waylan Istafel, the head of the college of rangers in Dharka. You didn't attend that one, did you? Waylan, may I introduce my friend, Chase.”
“A pleasure,” Waylan said as he shook her hand.
“The pleasure is mine,” Chase replied with a smile. “No, I was trained at the Chollian college, in the west. A small institution, but the teachers there were exceptional.”
“Ah, Chollian,” Waylan said with a nod. “I know it well. The senior instructors are very talented. So Ethmira,” he continued as he looked at her. “What brings you back to Alderthal? I thought that you were done with dusty office work and shuffling papers?”
“I am,” she replied with a laugh. “We rangers are not administrators, even if we labor in schools as you do. We are meant to walk freely under the open sky, not spend our days huddled beneath roofs pouring over old tomes. At least, that is how I felt when I left the Council.”
“Well said. And I agree. Come, join me at my table. Let's talk. You both look like you could use some refreshment.”
The three of them sat down together and a grizzled old elf hurried over from behind the bar.
“Commander Ethmira,” he said as he bowed. “How overjoyed I am to see you in my establishment again. The days have been duller and the nights darker since you left Alderthal.”
Waylan snorted and Ethmira rolled her eyes at the extravagant welcome. Chase hid a smile behind her hand.
“Hello Deakon,” Ethmira replied. “It's good to see you again too. I had no idea that my leaving the Council had left you so devastated.”
“Oh, you have no idea, dear lady,” Deakon said dramatically. “I was inconsolable when you left. It was like losing a member of my own family, honestly.”
Deakon was quite short and stout. He was completely bald and his head was sprinkl
ed with liver spots. His pointed ears stuck out on both sides of his head and they flapped like wings whenever he moved. His watery gray eyes and large nose made him look more like a gnome than an elf. He was well known for his flowery speech, but his inn was almost legendary in elven society for its fine food, excellent service and well-stocked wine cellar. Deakon seemed to remember every person who had ever stayed at his inn, and greeted each returning customer like they were old friends.
“I am flattered, Deakon,” Ethmira told him. “Thank you for your concern. May I introduce Chase? A fellow ranger, as you can see. We've traveled quite far and we are eager to enjoy your famous cuisine.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Deakon exclaimed as he smiled at Chase. “A chance to serve another ranger. You have made my life complete. Welcome to my humble inn. Please allow me to offer you some of our humble fare.”
“Um, thank you,” Chase said, feeling a little overwhelmed. “That would be...lovely.”
Deakon beamed and rushed off, calling out orders as he swept through a narrow door next to the bar.
Chase stared after him and then looked at the others.
“Is he always so...”
“Enthusiastic?” Waylan said dryly. “Yes, always. But Deakon has a good heart and he serves excellent food. And he does truly care about his customers. This inn has been open for well over a hundred years and its fame is directly due to Deakon's hard work and dedication. His family is as determined to serve the inn's clientele as he is, you know. You rarely see them though. They are usually in the back working in the kitchen or upstairs cleaning the rooms.”
Deakon quickly returned carrying a tray. He served the three rangers steaming cups of aromatic sweet tea and freshly baked bread. He also set down a crock of butter and a jar of pure honey and then hurried back into the kitchen.
Chase sipped the hot tea and closed her eyes, savoring its warmth.
The Fall of the Elves Page 5
