It wasn’t hard for Thad to see and understand the fear in the woman’s eyes. Thad smiled gently and reached down lifting the child to her feet. “Your name is Lillian?” Thad asked gently.
Lillian started to tremble as she nodded her head. The woman who was still on her knees lifted her head slightly her lips quivering. “Lillian I really need to talk to the person who is in charge.”
“I will see to it my Lord,” the female elf said, her face slightly pale. Thad nodded his head to her and she quickly stood and walked off every so often looking over her shoulder at him and the small elven child.
Once the elf was gone Thad looked down at the small child and smiled brightly. “Would you be so gracious as to show me to a nice place to wait?” Thad asked, holding out his hand.
“Yes, My Lord,” Lillian said meekly as she took his hand and led him to the same room where he had met with the previous head of the Reinwood family.
Thad took a seat at one of the normal chairs and then turned to Lillian. “I haven’t had a chance to eat this morning. Do you think it would be possible to get some food and maybe a tart or two from the kitchen?” Thad asked, giving the little child a sly wink. Lillian nodded her head than darted off.
Thad wasn’t sure which one would return first; the young child with his food, or the female elf with the new house head. He didn’t have to wait long to find out as the little girl came running back followed by three other elves who carried large trays of meat, cheese, bread, and tarts. As soon as the silver platters were placed on the table the elves turned to leave. “Lillian, hold on for a moment,” Thad said loudly, stopping the girl in mid stride and getting concerned looks from the other elves. Thad gave them a smile and waved his hand dismissing them.
Thad reached over and picked up one of the fresh tarts and took a bite. The taste of fresh raspberries filled his mouth along with the crispiness of the pastry bread. Whoever was the new head of the house must be favorable to sweets if such things were already made and on hand. Thad picked up another tart and held it out toward the child. “Would you like to have a tart Lillian?”
Lillian looked at him wearily but took the offered tart, quickly biting into it. Thad was so engrossed in watching Lillian that he never noticed his other guests enter the room until the female elf cleared her throat. “May I introduce her Ladyship Salina Reinwood?”
Like most elves Salina had deep emerald eyes and long flowing silver hair. The only thing that stood out from any of the other elves he had seen was that she barely stood six feet high, and it was that fact that instantly made Thad like her.
“My Lady,” Thad said, bowing slightly.
Salina gave a small smile and returned his bow dipping just a bit further. “My Lord, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?”
“Well, when I heard I was the new lord of Reinwood I figured I might as well meet the person who would be looking after the affairs of my house,” Thad replied politely.
Salina leaned over and whispered something to the Elven maid, who quickly bowed and disappeared. Seeing Thad’s confused look Salina gave him a bright smile. “I thought you might wish to know more about your own house so I have sent Elena to retrieve some documents from my study,” She said in explanation. “Do you mind if I join you while we wait?”
Thad waved his hand to the seat next to him. Salina took the seat, patting Lillian lightly on the head as she passed. The little girl looked up and Thad noticed none of the fear in her eyes that he had noticed in the other servants on his last visit.
“Before we get down to business what would you prefer to be called? Master Reinwood might seem odd to you so I thought it would be easier on both of us if we got this little matter out of the way. As for myself I would be delighted if you would simply call me Salina.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble I would prefer to be called Thad,” he replied, smiling. “I must admit you are not quite what I expected when I knocked on the door.”
Salina laughed musically. “I can understand, but unlike my cousin I haven’t forgotten that not long ago we were barely above the lesser elves. A few hundred years ago my cousin started producing much sought after sundries and elevated us into the top forty houses. Never liked the elf much, he tended to look down on the rest of the family, and anyone else who he thought was below him.”
The maid returned carrying a large stack of parchment as well as a thick leather-bound book. Salina pushed the silver platters aside and spread the parchments over the table. “Our artisans work on the north side of the island though my cousin sold a few of the better ones off to raise his position over the years. We have deals with a few human ship captains that carry our wares into the other lands and in return they bring us things that are hard to find.”
Thad looked over the papers but the numbers meant little to him. If he was planning to live in the elven city the rest of his life it might have held some meaning but Thad couldn’t see beyond his trip to Rane. “What I really wanted to know was who you would chose to send with me on my journey, as well as to make sure the servants were well taken care of. I see now that my fears on that end were misplaced, and I am glad of it.”
“Yes, your journey,” Salina said, sighing. “I received news of that yesterday evening shortly after I arrived at the estate. I would be able to better choose people to send with you if I knew just what you would need them for.”
Thad picked up another random sheet of parchment and gave it a quick glance as he contemplated what to tell Salina. “I will be traveling through hostile territory to track down certain people. It will be dangerous, extremely so. I will need people who can fight, and who can also move around undetected.”
Salina’s eyes took on a cold glint as Thad spoke. “I see,” she replied, folding her hands in front of her, resting her diminutive chin on them. “Any elf is at home in the woods, but I am guessing that you will need people who can move around the stone jungle.”
Salina leaned in and lowered her voice to a light whisper. “While we prefer to humiliate our enemies, every great house trains certain people for darker purposes. We never speak of these people out loud and they are never seen but they exist. As our house has risen in stature, the number of these individuals has also increased. Only a handful are fully trained but I will send as many as I can with you. Other than that I will select the better of our hunters, though I will lament their loss.”
“Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated,” Thad said, standing.
“I see it is time for you to leave already,” Salina said as a sad smile graced her lovely face. “I should be happy that you will be headed into danger, as your death would elevate me to the head of the house, but I cannot make myself see it that way. Humans live such short lives even the great mages only lived a fraction of our lifetime. I am still young and a few hundred or even a thousand years waiting would not harm me, so I can say this without reserve. I wish you only the best Thad, and I hope that one day these halls will once again be graced by your presence.”
“And you were worried about the visit,” Thad told his staff as he walked down the street toward the next noble house.
It was not what I had expected, but that does not mean there was opportunity for misadventure was not there.
“If someone truly wants you dead they will try no matter where you are. I will not hide in my room like a scared child just to live a day longer,” Thad replied bitterly.
No you seem bent on rushing around like a pig not knowing it’s headed to slaughter. I would be happy if you simply kept a shield up when you were out, and maybe prepare a few things before we leave the small protection the elves have afforded us.
“You might be right,” Thad agreed.
There is no might be to it, I am right and we both know you know it.
Thad’s face took on a look of hardness as a small invisible shield surrounded him. He wasn’t sure how many friends he had among the elves but he was planning to find out. He needed supplies an
d a lot of them. He still had a good supply of gems and gold coins in his magical pouch hanging on his side but all of his enchanted items had been left on the ship.
Thad picked up his pace headed to meet the higher nobles houses. On the morrow he had the rite and the day after, if all went according to plan, he would be leaving the island. He had a lot of work to do and his time was running short.
Thad made his way to the largest house he could find and rapped on the door. He waited not knowing who owned the house wondering how his unannounced visit would be received.
The door was opened by a well-dressed elven maiden with long flowing copper hair. Thad’s eyes went straight to her ears and noticed they had not been clipped. “You must be the young human mage who has come to visit our fair city. I have heard much of you from my husband,” She said, her voice light and warming. “Listen to me prattle on. Do come in.”
Thad followed the copper-haired maiden into a large sitting room. “I regret to inform you my husband has already left for the council. If you have the time, I would be more than happy to entertain you, at least for a short while.”
Thad took a seat on a richly decorated divan next to elf. “It would be a great honor.”
“I know you did not come to simply talk, people seldom do. So before we enjoy each other’s company, why don’t we get the tedious part of the meeting over with? Just why have you come to call on the house of Grovewood.”
Thad was by no means world wise but it was impossible to miss what she was offering. He had no real urge to accept her offer but he needed her and her house’s help and for that he would do whatever needed. “I was hoping you and the house of Grovewood could help me. I am in need of materials to work with as well as certain types of people to help me,” Thad replied cryptically.
The woman sighed. “Unlike my husband I do not enjoy mincing words and political maneuvering. Please just say what you need directly so there are fewer chances for misunderstandings.”
Thad nearly laughed at her direct nature. “I need metal, wood, and gems for enchanting, and I need them as quickly as possible. When I leave I will need people of a darker nature, people who know how to hunt and kill if need be.”
The elf maiden rang a small bell much like the one Emeriss used so Thad was not surprised when another elf came running into the room. She spoke shortly with the elf then he quickly disappeared. “I can accommodate your need for the materials easily and maybe more than that. The men will depend on my husband but I will do my best to impress upon him the need to accede to your request.”
The two talked for a great while about all manner of things. The elf maiden was particularly interested in his homeland of Farlan and the fact it was in the sole power of females. After his third cup of tea a large troupe of elves started bringing in all manner of items; large crates of pure ore, gems of all sizes, and objects that Thad had never seen before.
“This should be more than enough metal, gems, and wood for whatever you are planning. The rest are magical items of our household. They sit in a vault to be displayed whenever it is opportune. I doubt any of us including my husband would miss if a few were to be misplaced.”
Thad started looking through the large pile of enchanted items. He found that if he focused, he could get a feel to what they did without having to be told, though it took a considerable about of time on the more complex enchantments. After what seemed like hours Thad picked out five of the items that looked as if they would be the most helpful in his journey.
Thad set the five chosen objects on the table in front of the elven maiden. She looked over them, lightly running her fingertips over the objects. “Very interesting choices; a set of rings that allows the wearers to talk to each other over long distances, a bracelet that increases one’s stamina, a ring that turns into a sword, an earring that makes others more agreeable to the wearer, and finally an earring that lets one hear farther.”
Thad shrugged his shoulders, “I figured they would be the most help in the future.”
Thad was tired when he finally returned to his own chambers. He had visited a few more of the elven lord’s houses but none of them had been as entertaining as his first two, though he was sure they would increase his chances of getting more beneficial aid. Lady Grovewood had his supplies delivered and now they sat in his room awaiting his attention.
Thad walked over to a small package on the desk and opened it to find the enchanted items. He picked up the two silver rings and put one on his right hand and the other in his coin pouch. Thad put the bracelet that had a nicely carved tiger etched into it on his left wrist. The two earrings looked like teardrops though one had a small ruby while the other had an emerald. Thad winced slightly as he pushed the cold metal into his earlobes. Lastly, Thad put on the ring that had a small dagger engraved on its band.
Thad strapped on his sword as well as his midnight cloak and leather armor he had gotten from Sae-Thae. Once everything was in position Thad took up his staff and stood in front of a large mirror that stood in the corner of the room. It had been the first time in a long time since he had seen himself in a mirror and he hardly recognized his reflection. His eyes looked hard and his face had lost its youthful look. Overall, Thad looked like someone who was accustomed to the darker places of the world. In that moment looking at himself Thad realized he was no longer the young boy who had been chained and sent to the slave market.
CHAPTER IX
The day of the rite Thad was woken early by the elf who had been assigned as his personal server at the Emeriss estate. After the previous experiences with meeting gods, Thad decided on a light meal.
Unlike with the dwarves and vathari, the elves threw a large celebration for the event. The fanfare reminded Thad of the Harvest Festival thrown in most villages after the last bushel of wheat was reaped from the ground.
Emeriss had tried to get Thad to wear a gaudy outfit for the event but Thad had refused, opting for his normal outfit. Thad had grown accustomed to the strange cut of the Vathari garment and the weight of his weapons seemed to soothe his mind.
Thad now awaited in a small room near the center of the council building. When he was finally led into the joining room Thad found himself staring at the trunk of the massive tree he had seen from outside on his first trip to the council building.
Thad was led to the center of the trunk where silver and gold runes glowed. As he stepped closer to the tree the runes began to pulse almost as if they had a life of their own. Closing his eyes Thad stepped into and through the tree’s surface.
Opening his eyes Thad found himself in a large open grove filled with trees and flowers of every kind. Resting in the center of the grove on a bed of deep red and green flowers was a man. Like his children the man had long flowing sliver hair but his skin was a light tan, not golden, and his ears were rounded like any other man.
Upon seeing Thad the god simply gave him a wry smile and waved for him to take a seat on the ground next to him. Thad started to speak but he was hushed by the god who then pointed to a small flower a few feet away. Thad watched the silky red flower as a white butterfly landed on it. After a few seconds the butterfly was done with its business and took flight once again fluttering off into the distance.
“Now child, why have you come to my grove?” The god asked in a relaxing tone.
“The same reason any child of man comes to your grove. I have come for your blessing. That is if you see me worthy to receive it,” Thad replied, choosing his words carefully.
The god looked Thad over carefully. “I can see you have a fair amount of talent with the area of nature but it is not great. You must understand my blessings are not withheld by personal views of good or bad but on what the person can handle. The stronger the blessing the more control it takes and if you are not skilled enough it will quickly turn from a blessing into a curse.”
Thad thought over the god’s words, and found more than a hint of truth in them. The other two blessings he received could be deadly if he misu
sed them. “That is why you are a god and I am a man. I will believe in your supreme knowledge in picking what is best.”
The god looked at Thad earnestly then began to laugh. “I may be considered a god but I am far from all knowing. Once I was nothing more than a powerful human who as a child sat beside his mother in a garden not much different than the one we sit in now.” The god’s eyes took on a wistful look as he talked. “If I was truly an all knowing and powerful god I wouldn’t have to watch my children die at the hands of butchers.”
For the first time Thad contemplated what it would truly mean to be immortal. What would it be like to have to live centuries while those you care about wither and die? The elves lived thousands of years but to a god, it must be no more than a blink of an eye.
The god carefully picked one of the flowers and held it in his hand. “I know of your quest, and I wish to help you as much as I can.” The god twirled the flower in his hand and slowly pulled one of its petals. “Many of my children will be going with you, and I know most of them will never see their homeland again.”
Thad watched as the small flower petal took on multicolored look of mother of pearl. “The only blessing that I can think of that will not only suit you and your task is not a grand one.” Thad felt a sharp burning on his chest as the god spoke. The searing pain was not something one could get used to no matter how many times he felt it. “It is really a simple thing. My blessing will allow you to talk to nature.”
Thad pulled at his leather armor as his chest continued to burn. By time the pain subsided Thad had most the straps to his armor off. Pulling at the front of his armor and tunic Thad looked down at his new mark. The mark was much larger than any of his others, covering nearly his entire chest. To Thad it looked like small leaves of a rose bush that seemed to grow from the center of his ribcage.
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