by Derek Palmer
""You don't need to worry about us, Stian, not now. Maybe not ever. We have seen how you interact with the others and we have been told how important you are if we Alfar want to survive in this world.""
""But there's no love involved?""
As soon as my mouth opened I understood the stupidity of my question. Only that something that I really couldn't read flashed on Leilatha's face. It was so quick that I wasn't at all sure that I hadn't imagined it. At least I hadn't sensed any hidden meaning behind their words which was a very nice exception among their kind.
""I still don't understand how you survived - or how we missed.""
Shalana's interest was genuine, that much was sure. Suddenly I got a feeling that I was at a crossroads. The decision I'd make now would not only affect this trio but everything in the future - and not just my future.
There were no prophecies or premonitions coming to my mind, but still there was that feeling. There were conflicting emotions whirling inside my head: There was my mother's voice saying 'Don't trust the Elves' but there was also the fact that, at the moment, they were the only people helping and supporting me. Then there was the fact that they needed me for their own survival as a species - but they had also tried to kill me! These two persons had tried to kill me.
I shook my head and sat down to the nearby rock before looking back at Shalana.
""I don't really know it myself.""
I took a deep breath and made my decision, putting my backpack and crossbow down before sensing our surroundings and closing my eyes for a moment. Once I opened my eyes again, I took a look at both women.
""Why don't you also sit down while I try to show you something. There shouldn't be anything threatening nearby.""
Once they both were sitting, I smiled at them, feeling a bit insecure.
""I have no idea if this works or not. I know that I've done it twice, but in both cases, there's been a direct threat against my life. Now, please look at me, look at me just in a way you'd look at a target you'd like to hit with your crossbow.""
In a way, I knew what I tried to do. I just had no idea if I was able to do it without being forced. I moved my gaze away from the two women, but instead of closing my eyes I looked down at the ground and concentrated. When I stopped a moment later I felt stupid. Up until the moment I saw Shalana's and Leilatha's faces. The disbelief and something else - fear, maybe. I shrugged.
""I guess that it worked somewhat, right?""
""What... what on Earth was that, Stian?""
""I don't really know, myself. What did it look like?""
It took Shalana a moment to collect her thoughts.
""It was like you were in two places at the same time. Sitting where you are now and two palm widths on your left.""
I nodded.
""I wasn't at all sure that I can do it at will. It's something that the foreign creature did while hunting.""
""But how did you do it? I didn't hear you say anything.""
""Shalana, I don't think that the Old Language is the only way of doing magic. At least, some of your Elders already knew that.""
""But those things are mostly just kid's play, no important magic...""
""I'm quite sure that the creature didn't use the Old Language while cursing me for hurting him.""
Their comment told me what I had already suspected - their magic relied heavily on the Old Language. While a few of them were able to do some mental pulling or pushing, I had a feeling that my abilities with non-verbal magic were already on a totally different level than theirs. Which didn't change the fact that at least Bellcauniel would probably still be able to make me her willing slave with some verbal or non-verbal encouragement. Like, I wasn’t one already.
I wanted to roll my eyes when I saw how the idea gradually sank into their minds: that there could be powerful magic without the Old Language. Even if they weren't able to perform it, at least not much.
""But, how come...?""
""Leilatha, I have no idea. No idea at all. There's much more that I don't know about magic, than what I do know.""
Now they knew - and without doubt many more people would know as soon as we were back at the village. I hoped that Leilatha and Shalana appreciated my sincerity towards them. Once the women seemed a bit more comfortable with the new information, I decided to continue.
""There's one more thing. It's something that I've been aware of much longer, long before I knew anything about the Old Language or magic...""
I took a deep breath before continuing.
""Please, can you tell me how you hunt. Do you have some special strategy?""
They both looked confused and Leilatha shook her head.
""I don't really understand. There are certain spots that we check and a few places where the deer or the other animals go to drink. Why?""
""So you are not aware of the big herd of deer, almost directly west from here? They probably moved there as they escaped a small pack of wolves that is further north from here.""
It was obvious that they had no idea what I was talking about. I shook my head.
""No, I guess not. Somehow I can sense most of the bigger living beings from a distance, especially game. Maybe because I have been hunting all my life.""
After that, I sighed and shook my head a bit.
""There, now you two know my secrets. In a way, I'm now at your mercy.""
That was true and for sure they were able to sense it from my words. Well, maybe it wasn't the whole truth and they weren't the first ones to know about my extra skills, but for sure this was something they didn't expect. It could also be really stupid to reveal my secrets to people who had tried to kill me. The problem was that I knew that I'd need more support than I had now for the things that I needed to do. Especially when I didn't really know what those things were.
""Holy Mother Earth! No wonder you are a good hunter, then.""
""I have to admit that it may give me some advantage.""
I couldn't help smiling a bit while saying that, since it was very true. I had never had to really struggle to find game - and of course there was that trick for the rabbits.
""Was that how you were able to avoid the guards when you first came here?""
Shalana's tone was all serious when she asked that question. Remembering the outcome of our first meeting took the smile from my face quickly.
""No - I didn't use that at all. I didn't really avoid meeting anybody, I just walked down the path.""
I could see that they didn't fully believe me. I shook my head a bit.
""Look, the thing is that neither you Alfar nor the Ugly People are really visible to me, but totally opposite. The way to notice you people is to look at something that isn't there...""
I groaned in frustration and raised my hands in the air since this wasn't at all going like I had planned. As though I had really planned something besides trying to get friendly.
""I cannot really explain it. It's like trying to touch or reach for something and there's an empty place instead of something...""
I dropped my hands and looked at those two women, not daring to sense them any other way than just looking at them. I had just tried to sound as honest as I could - which had been easy since I hadn't lied. Damn, I really don't know how to lie while using the Old Language. I really didn't believe that Bellcauniel would teach me that.
After a moment, Shalana shook her head and looked first down and then at Leilatha and me.
""Now I understand why some of those Elders are so afraid of you, Stian. If you had just tried to convince us that fucking you is the most natural thing to do we'd probably be doing it already - and both of us have sworn to each other that we'd rather die than let any man ravish us. Shit.""
She shook her head and looked down again and then Leilatha put her hand over Shalana's. Well, that explained something, but it also raised some new questions. I shook my head for maybe the hundredth time that day.
""Leilatha, Shalana - I'm sorry if I made you fe
el uneasy. That wasn't my intention, not at all.""
""Stian, please stop. Just stop. We believe you.""
I sat there, dumbfounded, looking at those two women in front of me. Shalana turned to me.
""Stian, we believe you. There's absolutely no way anyone could lie while talking like that. The point is that it's a bit too much for us to think that way about a man, even you. Maybe we'll come around with time, but right now - please be at least a bit the bastard we thought you were? Please?""
It took me some time to understand what they were meaning. It wasn't just me who was a bastard - all males were. My plan to be nice to them had worked almost too well - so well that they couldn't stand it. Just how fucking complicated this could be! I lifted my hands up into air and let them down again letting out a sigh. I had just had enough.
""Oh well, I can certainly do that. Shit, I just thought that coming here would give some protection against the bad apples inside the Guardians and give me some time to learn more about myself and magic. I didn't really understand that half of you Alfar hate my guts and even the nicer ones seem totally unable to talk without one or two or more hidden agendas. Since doing that just isn't what I'm used to doing, I just tried to be honest. But if you want me to be asshole, I can probably do that. Mother Earth, I saw enough of those people in my old home village.""
As I snapped at them, all the frustration and anger I had been feeling was probably quite evident in my outburst. I almost waited for the women to pick up their crossbows while I just waited there. Shit, I had hoped that I might be able to make things at least a little bit better with these two women and with that, gradually with the whole society. Now that target seemed quite distant, if possible at all.
""Okay, Stian.""
""'Okay,' what?""
""That it's okay with us two. Now, you said that you are able to sense a herd of deer. Can you tell when we might reach them, if we have a short lunch break now?""
I don't know what kind of look was on my face when I looked back at Leilatha, but my head was spinning so fast that it took me some time to understand the question, and even more to figure out an answer.
""We should be able to see them well before dark.""
""Good.""
--
Chapter 4
All three of us were carrying a deer on our shoulders when we returned to the village. Besides that, we had several rabbits in the backpacks. It was clear to me that no serious hunting had been ongoing in this valley for some time. The problem with that was if the herds became too big, the animals might starve and get sick. Too big a herd also invited more carnivores. Personally, I had no problems with the wolves - as long as they feared me. If the wolf packs became too big they also might forget their initial fear and come close the human habitat, which wasn't a good thing.
I had been talking about those things with Leilatha and Shalana during our hunting trip. In a way they were good hunters, but they were somewhat surprised about my idea of the 'big picture' - that we, as hunters, might and should help nature to maintain a balance between the herbivores and carnivores in the area. Of course we couldn't influence the weather, but at least we might be able to help nature through the extremes. Even if the extremes here - in this valley - seemed quite tame when compared to what could happen behind those mountains.
It probably was too much to say that we were friends now, but at least we got along - and all of us were looking at the possibility of another hunting trip together. If somebody had asked me what had happened and why we had started getting along better after my meltdown, I would not have been able to explain it. Maybe I just needed to accept that I really didn't understand the female species. Well, I could see that those women who were responsible for making the food for all of us were almost ecstatic because of what we brought them. They usually had enough meat, but there was only so much you could do with chicken and lamb. Almost immediately they started asking if we could do something about the wild boars that caused a whole lot of trouble to the plantation. As I had never hunted them, I didn't dare promise anything - except to think about it seriously. I had heard - during my trip with the Guardians - that those animals were dangerous and difficult to hunt.
""So, the hunting trip went okay?""
I was again in our rooms with Fainauriel and Bellcauniel, eating some fresh bread and drinking some tea - after thoroughly washing and changing clothes and a few 'yes, dears'. Obeying them made my life sometimes much easier - and we all did stink a bit. During the hunting trip I had developed some sort of an easy truce between my companions and myself - to the level that we bathed together in the stream, next to each other. The same happened now in the village, and I was sure that there had been at least a few raised eyebrows. Well, those were the only things that rose in that occasion. Just to be on the safe side I used plenty of water that was quite cold. They were good-looking young women, after all.
""Yes, it did. In several ways, I guess.""
""Most likely it was a success since none of you even has a black eye.""
It took me a moment understand that Bellcauniel wasn't joking.
""Then we probably should consider it as a great success, I believe.""
I wasn't joking, either.
It wasn't that I would become a fully accepted resident of the village after that trip - but it helped a lot. I wasn't yet in completely good shape, but I was getting better and I was quite willing to do some wood chopping whenever possible - and of course there were more hunting trips, since the amount of game in the valley easily allowed that. We even managed to catch three wild boars that had been troubling the people who took care of the plantation - and I had to admit that those animals caused some shivers, even to me. We had been careful and made sure that each one of us had two crossbows ready, but still, the third boar had almost managed to surprise us. We three promised each other that if there's a next time with those animals we'll be even more careful. However, the amount of fresh meat we brought in that day made the cooks extremely happy.
After that, I spent some time discussing with them the ways to prepare the wild boar for food - especially how to make sure that it would always be properly cooked.
The autumn was clearly there when we were on another hunting trip; this time we used horses and headed almost directly towards the northern part of the valley. Closer to the Trolls - the Ugly People.
Even though we were nearing the Southward equinox, the autumn weather was quite warm and pleasurable - at least to me. Having four horses - or three ponies and Luna - with us would mean that we'd be able to carry some more meat for the winter. I was almost certain that the winter here wouldn't feel like a real winter to me. Yes, it would snow at some point, and the trees would lose their leaves, but most likely there wouldn't be several moons with a permanent snow cover.
""Tell me, is there any real connection between your valley and the next one, the one North of yours?""
""You mean between us and the Ugly People?""
""Well, yes.""
The disgust in Leilatha's tone was easily recognized, but I ignored it since I now knew that there were times when she couldn't really hide her real feelings. Besides Trolls, she hated Guardians - a lot. Even if I had been helping them, I wasn't counted as one, not anymore.
""There's a narrow pass that stays accessible throughout a year. However, it's very seldom used and when there's some official meeting, the delegation usually leaves their valley through their eastern pass and goes around the mountains. It's a longer way but I've heard that the way through this Northern pass on their side is quite a hard one. Despite that, we always have some guards watching the pass. Why?""
I hesitated for a moment. I knew that we were still quite a ride away from the pass, but there was a distant feeling I couldn't fully ignore. Or the feeling was that I didn't sense that much from the direction of the pass, even if I had a feeling that I should. I wasn't able to sense game - or Elves. Which in the case of Elves was okay, but somehow it felt wrong. There wa
s too much of nothing. No game, nothing. I shook my head.
""I don't know, it might be nothing... However, can you tell me how many of you are usually there, guarding the pass?""
""Not so many, from three to five. I don't really know. There hasn't been much activity in that area.""
Suddenly I felt sick, very sick.
""I have a feeling that something is wrong, very wrong. I cannot sense anything from the area, but there's way too much of that nothing. That may sound silly, but that's how I sense it.""
""You mean the Ugly People?""
""I'm afraid so.""
""Shouldn't be. There's an agreement between the races, the Guardians and the Magicians...""
""Like, the Ugly People have agreed not to take young girls, The Guardians are just protecting people and Magicians don't mess with dimensions? Right.""
