by Derek Palmer
Our discussions lasted long into the night. Even though we consumed several bottles of wine, none of us really got drunk that night. In a way, nothing much changed, except the awareness that there really might be somewhere to go to escape and start anew, and possibly rebuild their society. Maybe. Possibly. If only there were more suitable people to find. If we could only move away without being noticed. If. But instead of a continuous state of insecurity we now had a target and some hope. Maybe. We all knew that unless something really changed in this Kingdom, the peace inside this valley would end someday. Most likely only a few years from now.
That evening started discussions that lasted several days and, once again, these women managed to surprise me. Maybe because of their longevity, these women are very capable of spending their days in several relaxing ways, but once they become focused, they can achieve quite a lot in a very short time. Plans were made and rejected. New plans were then made, re-made and corrected until there finally was something that might work. Finally, there was an outline of a plan that might work - or it might work if the weak point of the plan could succeed. Meaning me, since, besides Hantaliel, there weren't so many of them who could manage themselves outside this valley.
If I had been learning things at a hurried pace before, it was at least doubled now; including all the possible finer aspects of magic, which only they could teach me. Only now I learned how they responded to the threat the Magicians presented. It was like tickling with a feather or poking with a finger when somebody tried to hit you with his fist with all he had. This far they had been successful - and lucky.
""To tell the truth, Stian, most of us have never been that powerful with magic. Only Ceveneth or some others could match natural Mages with force - and none of us natural users can match a Magician who has loaded himself full of magic with some of their nasty powders or potions. When they tried to get rid of us back then, with brute force, we just got lucky. Very lucky, since of all the possible destinations, their strike fell back on themselves. Twice. Since then, they have been afraid to use magic or other force against us.""
Immianthe smiled a bit sadly when she explained that to me.
""If it happened twice, there's always a possibility that it wasn't a coincidence.""
Immianthe shrugged when I said that.
""Of course. It’s too bad that our library does not contain any books about magic and none of us has ever really studied it. It is as natural as breathing to us and why should you study breathing unless you are a medical examiner or you want to study biology. We Alfar very seldom have any specialties when it comes to magic, but we are capable of learning more in almost any area of magic. If we are simply interested in doing it.""
Since there were nowadays several cats in this valley, you could really notice some similarities. Not that I would ever dare to mention that to the women in my family - or to the other women. Well, I may have said something like that a few times.
Now we all were busy learning, since we were sure that the peaceful times here at the New Sanctuary, were about to end. Most likely quite soon, since the Humans were in much more of a hurry than the Elves because of their shorter lifespan. The leaders wanted something to happen while they could see it. So that they would get the credit for it. In a way, I was very much able to understand that, since I didn't really yet believe that I would live longer than any other people. Not yet. Maybe I would after one hundred years or so, but not just yet. Even if I didn't look any older than I had looked when I first came here.
However, there was still one thing the Elves didn't tell me much about. That was what had happened soon after the catastrophic event that brought them here, to this world. Nor did they tell me a lot about what had caused the conflict between the races. Nothing specific. It was as though that had never really happened.
The summer was again here and our extended family - Fainauriel, Bellcauniel, Hantaliel and me - had asked Mylaela and Caladwen for dinner... or I had. It hadn't been an easy task to make the women think of it as their idea, but it had luckily turned out that way. I guessed that I had also learned to be sneaky, if needed. We were enjoying our sweet wine with our dessert when I started The Discussion.
""Before the end of the summer I need to leave and move to the capital city so that I can start my studies at the University. In order to go on with our plan, and for us to survive, I need to do that - and not just because I'm the only one who can easily do that. We cannot stay in this valley forever, and we need to start acting. But before I leave I hope that you could to tell me about those dark decades.""
None of them gave anything away. I guess that's how you are when you have practiced secrecy for decades; or, in their case, for centuries. I still had issues while thinking about that - and of course, I had no issues while I was with Fainauriel or Bellcauniel.
""Are you sure, Stian? Knowing about those things may permanently change the way you think.""
I could almost imagine that there was a hint of worry in Mylaela's voice. Maybe there was, maybe there wasn't. It didn't matter, since I wasn't going to play games. At least there hadn't been any magical pushing or tug of war regarding me for a long time.
""Maybe - or maybe not. Had I acted according to what I was taught, I would have never sought sanctuary here in the first place. Look, I can already guess that it was something bad, probably very bad, and it includes you Alfar, the Ugly People, the Magicians and the Guardians - not forgetting the natural Human Mages who came with you. My guess would be that something happened that made you and the Ugly People betray those natural Mages who were abducted with you. Whatever it was - a promise from the Magicians, Royals or somebody else - it now seems clear that they have no plan to keep it.""
Now they were looking at me and even if it was well hidden, I was able to notice the look Mylaela gave the other women and their denial. Then, Mylaela just sighed.
""What did your mother really tell you, Stian? Directly or in those stories you have mentioned.""
I was able to tell that Mylaela would have liked to pull the truth out of me but she knew better. Forcing me to tell the truth would just cause me a serious headache and that in turn would make me antsy. Or directly angry.
""Nothing, absolutely nothing about what happened back then. However, she pointed out that I should never, never trust you 'Pretty Faces' - but she hated the Magicians even more, much more. The Ugly People she also considered untrustworthy and she probably never really acknowledged all those Guardians as the great protectors they claim to be. However, she told me fairy tales about adventures and some good people, some even with some special skills. Lately I have been wondering if all those really were fairy tales at all.""
""Too bad you haven't written all those stories down, Stian.""
I guess I should have expected that from Caladwen and a small smile came to my lips.
""Most likely I would not remember half of them, even if I tried. They just come into my mind when something similar happens in real life.""
Over the last years Caladwen had flourished when we had purchased new books and she had access to all this new information - written in Anglon. The real problem was that there was no way to print books here, and all the teaching of the written Old Language had to be done by hand. It hadn't been a problem before, but when those young girls wanted to start to read, it might be. I knew that there were a few women working on the issue, making block letters from hard wood. Metal would be better, but there was no way we could get those letters made for us. Besides, my friends didn't want to reveal any more of the Old Language to outsiders than absolutely necessary. Even though the Magicians couldn't really use it much.
""If you say so, Stian. Still, I would have liked you to write those down.""
I just nodded at her, but then I turned back to Mylaela. Maybe she wasn't the person who knew best what had happened, but the decision to tell me had to come from her. All the women here knew it and I knew it. Caladwen probably knew everything that had been written down, but
she wouldn't say a thing without permission. Besides, I was sure that many of the things weren't written down. Finally, Mylaela sighed.
""If you already have figured out that much, why do you want to know more? Mistakes, even some very serious mistakes were made, and bad things happened back then. Isn't that enough?""
I looked back at her.
""The next thing you are going to say is that you all have to live with those memories, right? However, could it be that you aren't the only ones who have to live with those memories? If there is such possibility, I'd need to be prepared for it. Knowing about what happened back then might make my mission out there much easier. After all, we all know that we all - you, the little girls, me... and preferably some other people - need to escape this valley if we want to survive. Here I count myself together with you as a natural magic user. We have a plan, but I may need to convince some other people, too.""
Reading between the lines. The art these women had mastered. Now I had said a lot and even more was there between the lines. Or how can you read between the lines if you are only speaking? Or is it listening between the lines - or sentences? Arrgh! That habit could still cause me headaches.
The silence that followed my questions wasn't that long, and at the end Mylaela nodded a little.
""Very well, Stian, you have a good reason. The sad truth is that the people may have good reasons for not trusting us; even if now, they probably trust their fellow Humans even less.""
It was my turn to nod. When Hantaliel had read my mother's comment about where to go for information when in Aston, she had immediately warned me. She had no idea what exactly had happened, but there were stories about how some parts of Aston had been 'cleaned' - or that the Guardians and the Magicians had tried to clean those areas. Most likely it had not gone as planned since nobody wanted to talk about it. But those certain quarters of Aston didn't really exist anymore.
After listening to Mylaela and Caladwen I had to admit that Mylaela had had it right. Knowing more about what had happened back then did really change my way of thinking; and, together with the knowledge, came the anger. The Anger.
However, my anger wasn't directed towards the Elves, as they had feared. Or, maybe just a bit of it was directed towards them. Most of it was directed at the Magicians, those of them who were power-hungry and merciless. The problem was that all those who had been responsible for that old betrayal had been dead for a long time. However, considering what had been happening lately, their values and habits had not changed at all.
Then there were the Guardians. I had already learned that there were good Guardians and not-so-good Guardians. It seemed that those not-so-good ones happily rode on the reputation of the good ones while they really were playing their own power games with the Magicians. Of course, none of this was openly spoken since the Royals were the visible leaders of the Kingdom. Those rich and beautiful people living inside their own bubble (when they weren't offering some mercy bits to orphaned children or widowed women). Maybe they weren't really that bad. Maybe they believed that they were really doing some good things. For sure, they weren't the ones who really had the power.
In a way, it was just as it had been told in my mother's fairy tales; except that the Elves had also been lied to and betrayed, even if they weren't all that innocent, either. At the time, they had believed - or wanted to believe - in the promises made to them. As a result, the natural Mages who had come with them had been left behind, at the mercy of the Magicians and the Guardians. Now, afterwards, it was clear that the idea had been to break whatever connection there had been between those three groups and turn them against each other, if possible. It appeared that the plan of the Magicians had worked out almost perfectly.
Forgetting the fact that now the Magicians are generally loathed by the Elves and the natural Mages - if there are any of them left... forgetting also those few that had decided to side with the Magicians... there had been rumors that those traitors did exist. Nobody here knew for sure, but if I should enter the capital city, that was something to consider. No, when I went there, I needed to be extremely careful.
Hearing about the past had not really changed the way I felt towards to the people I loved; and not much how I felt about the others. Still, knowing and guessing were two different things, at least they seemed to honestly regret their actions nowadays. Besides, according to what I had heard, there had been serious issues between the races in their old world, too. So, opening old wounds and dividing those three groups hadn't been all that difficult.
From what I was doing I knew that I was a bit distressed. I had Tariel purring in my lap when I moved my fingers through her fur, which was both soft and coarse. I could almost feel the tension moving through my fingers into Tariel. She didn't mind, totally opposite. I smiled when I looked at the cat who had adopted me - as well as adopting tens of Elven women. Right now she was being spoiled rotten, being the queen of her kind here, but in the future there might be some competition. Before I really noticed, I was smiling a bit.
Cats - and the reasons to have cats - had been almost totally unknown to the Elves since, for some reason, there had been only few domestic cats in their home world of Elonia. When they had seen the number of rodents Tariel had single-tailed killed, they suddenly got very interested and more than a few kittens had also been brought to this valley from our sales trips. When I had mentioned their ability to nullify magic, some of the Elves had gotten very interested; but, as far as I knew, nobody was really any wiser about that, yet. However, that didn't stop the women from petting the kittens and spoiling the cats with some nice pieces of meat.
Another thing the Elves didn't know too much about, was the geography of this world. They had been feared because of their ability to do magic, but they had also been pampered because of their supposed superior knowledge of magic. The Mages had not fully known that the Old Language was a real language. To them it had been a way to do magical things by shouting some gibberish while being affected by some secret drugs. There were some ancient legends in both Elven and Jotunn lore about a world that had broken into pieces as a result of spreading the knowledge around - and there was no way to put that one world together again. That might be the explanation about magic here. Or not. There probably was no way to find that out - nor was it that important. What was important was geography and trade, a new safe haven; and, if we could not be fully self-supporting, we would need some trade partners we could trust. We'd probably better to be as self-supporting as we could.
I had learned quite a lot more about magic from the Elves - but the process was much more complicated than any of us had believed. How do you teach something that is natural to you, something that comes with the language you learn as a child?
I did learn several things, however. I learned that the tug-of-war that's possible between magic users at a very close distance is considered absolutely rude - even if it was a good way to estimate the raw magic power of the other person. The problem was that it also gave away your own abilities. So, that was no-no. Another thing were the strings. You could move objects with strings, yes - and at the same time you gave away your ability to use magic to another Mage who, of course, was equally able to see them. Yes, those women had found my old alarm system quite funny. I didn't laugh quite as much.
However, if I ever needed to defend myself against a Magician, my best tools would be that magical poking and those magic strings. Either of those methods might disturb a power user just enough. I hoped that it would be enough, since to me, it was like defending yourself with a slingshot against a person with a big bronze cannon. I was determined to hit the person aiming the cannon. Easy.
Those magical sparkles were totally another thing. The women were fascinated about the possibilities those little sparkles might offer - and not only in hunting. I had seen the look in the eyes of the older women when they had heard how I had used those sparkles to affect the thinking of my fellow Guardians. They spent quite some time with me learning to create
those, with different effects. The point was that they needed to be created a bit differently if you wanted non-magical Human people to be able to absorb them. It was much easier for me - probably because I was a Human. After getting the idea came also sadness - I guess that we all figured out that things might have gone better if the Elves could have changed the way people saw them... or maybe not. Quite a lot of time had passed and people - we Humans - quite soon forget what has happened in the past. I could not help wondering if I would be more like the Elves when I'd become older - and if I would, would it be a good or a bad thing?
There had been a moment when I had mentioned to Bellcauniel about the strings I had cleaned from my old home she had just shrugged - and smiled.
""Remember, Stian, we didn't know what to expect and some of us were desperate. However, I may have added some of those before we left - remembering the trick you did to me.""
Well, I couldn't really stay angry at her. Not for long.
I knew that I needed to go, study and find out more - but when the morning to leave finally came, I suddenly wasn't all that anxious to leave. I had a home. I had women whom I loved and who loved me. I had my children. My little girls. I was happy here. Yet we all knew that the safe feeling was a lie, an illusion that was going to end. Still, I didn't rush to get up while still lying in the bed between Bellcauniel and Fainauriel.
