Below the Peak (Sola)

by Juliet Lili

  Calemir paused then hummed again.

  Nara was about to ask him why he was humming when a black bird landed on the window sill. Looking at closely, her eyes widened when it’s silky folded wings extended out from its body. It was no bird in spite having a head of a bird and wings. Below its beak was a thin mouth, its white neck was long and thin like of a human, its chest instead of smooth short spotty feathers, it had shaped like the breast of a man and feet scaly with long claws.

  “What is that creature?” she asked, unable to remove her gaze from its abnormal body. It glanced her way, its large brown eyes seeming to accuse her of staring. Nara focused on Calemir.

  “They are called Pereye,” he said, one hand digging into his trouser pocket.

  “I have never seen them around” she admitted, standing and strolling to him. The creature cocked its head to her when she stood next to Calemir.

  “They are hardly seen because they live inside trees. If you were to climb to the top of a tree, you’d find a hole. That’s their door to their homes” he removed his hand from the pocket. Two cubes of sugar rested on his palm. “another reason is that they are for the most part nocturnal creatures, they hunt at night but do fly during the day if needed or asked nicely” Calemir extended his palm to the Pereye. “they also have a serious sweet tooth. Quite literary as you can see.”

  Yes, she could see that. The thing hammered down on the cubes in smaller pieces with its beak, before gulping down on its precious treats in seconds. It lifted its head toward the prince’s face as if waiting for instruction. Nara watched in fascination as Calemir gave spoke in elvish to the Pereye, and the Pereye nodded then extended its claw feet from the window sill. Calemir pressed the letter on its leg then tied it there with another ribbon. The bird-like human turned, its back to them, its wings spread wide before diving into the night.

  Chapter Forty

  Days went extremely slow as she anxiously waited for a respond from her family. A day turned into two, three to four and into a week. She began to have all types of thoughts when a whole week went without a word. How fast was the creature? Perhaps the creature lost the letter? Maybe it had been injured or worse, killed? She exhaled, clearing her thoughts. She should be grateful she was even able to send word to them. Picking up the hair brush, she worked on combing her hair.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Come in.” she watched the door open through the mirror as she combed her hair.

  Calemir stepped in.

  “I have your letter,” he said, hand reaching in one of the pockets of the maroon militaristic coat he adorned and retrieving a rolled paper sheet. A feeling more than relief spread over her, leaving her knees a little week as she stared at his hand. Nerves chewing a hole in her stomach, Nara rose from the chair and walked toward him, managing to hide her anxiousness. The hem of her skirt swooshed silently around her feet.

  “Thank you,” she said as she took it from his hand. Nara carefully broke the cheap wax seal which bore no engraving of the sort and unrolled the letter. Pulse thrumming in her ears, she read the letter.

  Hello,

  My dear daughter, I fail to find words that can express the feeling we’ve have felt upon receiving your letter. The feeling is beyond relief and happiness. I, your mother and Ingrid are doing well, therefore, worry not. Let us hope fate continue to remain kind to us.

  We love you and miss you dearly,

  Father.

  Nara reread the last line, the words reverberating in her heart. She grasped the paper tightly, knuckles whitening.

  “Is everything fine?” Calemir asked.

  “Yes,” Nara swallowed willing her emotions to calm. “They are fine” she forced a half a smile when his gaze remained to scrutinize her face. Seeming to take her word, he nodded once and left, closing the door behind him.

  She let a trembling sigh, thankful for the privacy. Not trusting her legs, she padded to her bed and sat. Holding the letter in front of her, she read it again and again, eyes full of longing.

  Too short. Nara futilely whished her father had written more; the letter was just too short. Be grateful she told herself, touching the thin necklace on her neck. Sighing again, she tried ironing out the crinkle from the paper with her fingers before moving to the trunk sitting at the bottom of the closet and kept the letter inside it.

  With a slightly heavy heart, Nara trudged downstairs to look for Izza and give her company.

  Three pairs of eyes greeted her the moment she walked in the dining room. The room fell silent as she had a stare down with the three elves standing over the table with what to be appeared to be a large brown sheet spread on it. A map? It looked like a map from where she was standing. Both Finn and Leena were garbed in the blood red military uniform and armed. Finn who had his hands holding unto the table straightened putting one hand on his hip. “I haven’t seen you in a while, how are you?” he asked in Nyr.

  “I’m fine” she responded. “and you?”

  Finn’s expression turned wistful for a second before he gave an easy smile. “I am alive, it can’t get better than this.” Nara gave him a tight smile in response. Glancing at the other female in the room, Nara noted Leena was engrossed in the map, paying no attention to her at all. However, the man next to her watched her with an unshakable gaze. What’s with the stare? She hmphed, noting the miniscule furrow of his brow as he took in her attire. Nara was wearing one of the beautiful dresses the queen gifted her paired with sandals. Among the beautiful clothes she had been gifted, the blue floral dress with knitted red roses on the flowy hem was the simplest. She made a scowling face at him. His lips quirked slightly at the corners in response as if finding her funny. A little irked, Nara resisted the urge to stick her tongue out and ended asking him instead. “Have you seen Izza?”

  Before he could reply, Izza sauntered into the room with a tray in her hands. “I was going to call you,” Izza told her as she placed the tray of breakfast at the far end of the table.

  “I saved you the trouble,” Nara said, striding past Calemir to take a sit. Izza took a step back, allowing her to push the chair back. “the dress fits you well. You look beautiful” Izza said behind her as Nara tucked herself closer to the table. Nara’s face adopted a light pink color. “Thank you.”

  With that, Izza excused herself from the room, leaving her and the three warrior elves alone in the chamber. Nara ate her bread silently as the elves resumed discussing in their own language, pointing to some areas on the map. Taking a sip of the herbal tea, she pondered what was going on seeing the way Calemir’s features turned grim and cursed under his breath. Looking at him over the rim of the cup pressed on her mouth, Calemir gestured to a particular place on the map repeatedly and growled to what sounded like here in elvish. His two comrades nodded. Feeling a little nosy, she lowered her cup to the table and asked. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “Yes,” he replied without turning his head. What’s new? She mused. He was barely at home, always off to somewhere. He hadn’t been home the last three nights, not that it mattered to her. He’d just returned this morning, and by the looks of their preparedness, they were going to leave not shortly after. If she gave the effort, she could count the number of days he stayed in. She felt a tinge of envy. At least he had something to do whereas she had to think of something before being smothered by dullness. The tedium of yesterday was the reason she was wearing a dress. With absolutely nothing to do, she had decided to try the clothes she had been gifted by the queen last afternoon. That alone should be enough to convey the level of boredom she experienced.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, curious.

  “Ontophen.”

  She chewed on the name for a moment, before recalling it as a major city Izza had mentioned at one time when they were talking. The name was also one of the three houses including Gwainor and Amulg.

  “To do what?” she asked again, interrupting what he was saying to the other two elves. From his side profile, she no
ted him puckering his lips in annoyance. He finally cocked his head in her direction. “If you are thinking of tagging along, the answer is no.”

  Although that wasn’t in her mind in the first place, his refusal had her stomach sinking a little.

  “I wasn’t thinking of that” she retorted.

  His eyes lingered on her face, his inscrutable expression taking a thoughtful appearance for a moment. “I know you can look after yourself well, but I want to you to be careful the next several days I won’t be here. It is best you don’t go for your rides.”

  “What’s going on?” she asked, brows furrowing.

  “You just do what I say,” Calemir said instead, his cryptic expression back in place. The fine hair on her skin erected with unease.

  “You are not in danger,” he spoke, sensing her trepidation. “I just want you to be cautious. Matter of fact, do whatever but don’t go too far from the house or return home late. This order doesn’t apply only to you, everyone else in town has been notified in case you need reassurance.”

  “Are we under attack?” Nara asked.

  “Far from it, it’s just precaution” he replied.

  “Okay” Nara agreed, still frowning and feeling even more alarmed that the whole town was under some curfew order.

  Turning his focus back to the duo on his side, Finn muttered something to him. Nodding, Calemir pulled the end of the map and rolled it. Once again, he faced her, the folded sheet in his hand. “Please take this to my study” he lifted the map.

  “Oh alright” Nara stood and walked toward him.

  “Until then” his voice was low, a whisper as if he just wanted only her to hear as she took the map from him.

  “Be safe” she murmured, knowing it was a farewell and deep down whatever he was heading towards to, was dangerous.

  And with that, the three elves departed.

  Could it be the rebels? Nara pondered as she made her way upstairs to the study room. Stepping inside the room, she glanced around, finding a spot where she could put the map. The room was neat and organized, nothing out of its place. After a long minute, she gave up on deciding which appropriate place to put them a map and decided to leave it on the table. Nagged by curiosity Nara opened the map over the table. She ran her fingers over the detailed, labeled features of the mountains and forest, valleys, major cities and its smaller towns, and roads. Her attention glued at Ontophen, hoping if she stared at the city long enough it would tell her something.

  Nada. Nothing.

  Sighing, she rolled the map back and left it there and went to find Izza.

  “I must leave early today,” Izza said in Nyr, strands of her hair caressing her face. Nara and Izza were sitting under the red tree, enjoying the afternoon.

  I understand the prince told me” Nara pushed a strand behind her ear and asked. “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Not entirely, my son told me things are not right in Ontophen.”

  Nara blinked, shocked. “You have a son?”

  “I have two sons” her tone was filled with pride and affection.

  “Huh” Nara muttered, still shocked at this revelation. “why have you not talked about them until today?”

  The elf mother shrugged, “There’s never been a reason to talk about them.”

  Wanting to know more, Nara asked. “Are your sons serving in the military?”

  “Only my eldest son, the other one is still young and have little interest in it.”

  Resting her head against the tree, Nara peered at the sky. “How old are you Izza?”

  “I’ve served the royal family most of my life, watch prince Calemir grow. He is almost the same age as my first child. So, just know I’m old enough” Izza replied, toying with a leaf in her hand.

  Nara didn’t know how old Calemir was but the thought he had witnessed the Dark war, which was over two centuries ago, he must be old. Older than she suspected. And to imagine Izza was old enough to be his mother, that said something about her age. When one looked at the elf beside her, it was incomprehensible to imagine the lady who appeared not more than five years older than her to be hundreds of years old. Questions of their immortality floated in her head.

  “How do you live?” Nara asked, finding it hard to apprehend such kind of life. “I mean to live for so many years, does not life get dull? Isn’t it a burden to always need to find meaning in one existence when you have seen everything and done it all?”

  “You are right to have those kinds of questions when you see your kind always seem to be fighting against time to fulfill goals and dreams before the body gives out.” Izza began.

  “But when one as lived long as I have or most of the elves, you learn not to anticipate time but the events and activities it brings. What I mean is time is the least of our concern. People and everything else is what matters most. With that, it is not very hard to find meaning in life.” Izza paused, then added, voice cryptic. “You’d be surprised by the events time reveals.”

  Nara nodded reflecting how different their concept of time was. Time to her kind was a precious commodity not be spent carelessly.

  Chapter Forty- One

  Ontophen

  “Who is providing weapons to the rebels?” Calemir asked the three militants standing before him. He had just arrived in the city after two days of riding and had gone straight to the command post and summoned the three men. Focusing his eyes on the one standing near the table, he questioned. “Is it you Brasson?”

  “No.” there was no hesitation in Brasson’s reply.

  “Are you in a way involved with this betrayal?”

  “I would kill myself than aid them,” Brasson said.

  Truth. There was no prickle of fear or guilt on Calemir’s skin. Calemir shifted his attention to Síron, standing at the right side of Brasson. Calemir needed not to ask, Síron spoke first. “I swear on Faethurin it is not me.”

  “Where are all these questions coming from? Is there a problem?” the third man, Eluon interjected. Calemir glanced at the brown-haired elf, with one hand casually poised on the sword by his side and carrying a perplexed expression.

  “Why don’t you enlighten me Eluon on the matter,” Calemir said coolly as he stared at him. Alarm flashed in the man’s eyes for a miniscule second and was covered quickly by disconcertion. “I don’t know what it is your speaking of your Highness.”

  “Yes, you know” Calemir insisted. For the last several weeks, he had been receiving reports about arms smuggling. Some weapons that were made in Amulg, a city that was responsible for arm mass production for most of the places in the kingdom, suddenly disappeared in the way of transportation to other towns. Men who were tasked with the duty of transporting the weapons had been ambushed. Among the victims, one had said the attackers were rebels, but he had also seen a man in armory concealed under a dark cloak. The witness was sure of it after Calemir had interrogated him if he was telling the truth. Further probing and digging, Calemir had found out there were indeed several men conspiring with the rebels. One of the traitor’s happened to be Eluon.

  Eluon’s shook his head, a note of tremble in his voice as he denied. “I honestly do not know.”

  “Then swear in on Faethurin you know nothing and have not been aiding the rebels” Calemir dared him. All four men knew the consequences of declaring a lie on Faethurin. Death. A slow agonizing death that could take days, weeks, months, years. You get the jest. And there was no cure, not even the strongest healer or elixir could restore him.

  Síron and Barron turned their watchful eyes on their captain. Calemir waited patiently as Eluon swallowed, glanced at him and to the other two elves. “You cannot be serious to suggest I’m in league with those rebels?” he muttered the last word with uttermost disgust.

  Calemir’s face turned serious, giving up on the charade. In a sudden burst of movement, Calemir had his grip tight on Eluon’s neck. “Why?” one word charged with disappointment and anger.

  “Is that right?” Síron aske
d, shock evident his voice.

  “Believe me” Eluon chocked, his hand on Calemir’s, trying to ease the vice grip he had on him.

  “You’re lying” Brasson accused, his posture drawing tight.

  “Are you planning an overthrow? Who else is involved?” Calemir demanded, his fingers squeezing harder until his captive gasped for air.

  “Prince Calemir I heard you are here”, a familiar voice started in a pretentious tone before trailing to silence. “What is this?’’ Lord Ivlisar asked, taking in the scene.

  “I am falsely accused” Eluon squeaked eagerly.

  “Of what?”

  “Of…” Eluon wheezed, his face red to the likes of a ripe tomato.

  “Speak up” the lord reproached, not understanding a lick of what he had just mumbled. Clucking, the lord looked at Calemir who was yet to acknowledge his presence. “By gods, release him so he can speak properly.”

  The lord’s eyes bored at the prince, burning an imaginary hole in his skull when the prince didn’t do what he had just said. Prince or not, he was high lord, for thousands of years over the nubile. He deserved to be respected. “The law demands a fair trial be given to the accused before being sentenced.”

  “The law doesn’t apply to the one who has committed treason” Calemir retorted.

  “The court of Ontophen is yet to determine his wrongdoings. By the law even you, your Highness cannot interfere until the man is proven guilty” the lord said smugly. Jaw ticking, Calemir uncurled his fingers from the traitor, taking a step back, he ordered the lord. “You are a high lord, a member of the court, ask him now if he is not aiding the rebels.”

  The lord’s head jerked back slightly, stunned. “It cannot be true, captain Eluon would never do such a thing.” he dismissed.

  “Then ask him, properly as it is done in court,” Calemir said, his patience running out. Calemir kept a keen eye on the lord as the lord’s eyes narrowed at Eluon. “Swear to Faethurin you are innocent from what prince Calemir accuses you of,” Calemir nearly rolled his eyes at the pettiness. “and you are not supporting the rebels in any way.”