Archer of the Lake

by Kelly R. Michaels

  ***

  Dawn came quickly for Caelfel, and she hurried to make it to the college on time. ?She met other beginner students an hour later as they were admitted inside like a sea of excited whispers. ?Their classroom contained a great number of benches, and the rows lined the room lengthwise, facing a center pulpit manned by Sir Kennyratear. ?Caelfel took a seat somewhere in the middle and saw that the left wall was comprised of giant stone columns that exposed the room to the weather outside. ?The gardens outside were wreathed in early morning mist that curled and danced in slow motion above the ground. ?Sir Kennyratear called them to their seats and began his lecture.

  Caelfel expected her classes would deal with the basics of performing magic, but it soon became apparent that Sir Kennyratear's only concern was with ancient elvish history. ?His first topic focused on Ewyn, the ancient mother of elves. ?Her magical powers were passed directly to all of her descendants, to every elf. ?The elf blood was so powerful it was even present in some half-elves. ?Her first generation of children allegedly contained some of the most powerful elves. ?They were famous for conquering the ormr of the Vinus Islands over seven thousand years ago.

  A student raised his hand. ?"What are the ormr?" he asked. ?Caelfel turned around to see who had asked the question and saw Daerad sitting behind her. She turned quickly to face Sir Kennyratear again.

  "The ormr have been extinct since the War of the Firescales. ?There is the occasional relief painting you'll see of them in the college halls, but they can be simply described as great flying serpents with impenetrable, protective shells. ?Otherwise, they are known as dragons."

  A murmur of interest rippled through the students.

  "It has been said that Ewyn received her power from two enormous diamonds. ?These diamonds were both called the Eye of Ewyn. ?One is in Yamalvon. ?The other resides here in the college, the instrument that measured your auras for the entrance exams. ?It used to belong to Amasel and was moved here after the city's destruction. ?Arguably, those two stones are the source of all magic in the world."

  "What were the entrance exams here before the Eye was brought to Sal'Sumarathar?" asked the oldest student among them, the she-elf whose aura was tested first.

  Sir Kennyratear fixed her with a serious stare. ?"The Headmaster would attack each student with a number of spells. ?Their acceptance would depend on how long they could defend themselves." ?Caelfel thought she preferred the Eye of Ewyn method.

  Sir Kennyratear went to continue explaining the original conquering of the Vinius Islands, a feat completed by a mere five elves. ?They were the first generation of children Ewyn bore. ?After the islands were added to make her empire, each of her children went on to found the five major cities of the Fey Forest.

  "Her firstborn she named Yamalvon. ?He led the fight against the ormr and then went on to create our capital. ?Amasel was next and the oldest daughter, followed by her brother Sal'Sumarathar. ?Elewyr founded her city near the Latreille Sea. ?Can anyone harbor a guess to the youngest of the five?"

  Caelfel looked around, knowing of many smaller cities but could only think of four major ones. ?The she-elf from before raised her hand. ?"Rasaen?"

  Sir Kennyratear nodded. ?"Correct. ?Rasaen is not typically viewed as a large city and in life, its namesake was thought of as Ewyn's weakest child. ?Rasean is normally depicted as close to one of his older brothers, usually Sal'Sumarathar, which would account for why they are close together geographically."

  The same she-elf raised her hand again, and Sir Kennyratear addressed her as Garvanna. ?"Why did Ewyn not establish the capital herself? ?What happened to her after the empire was created?" Garvanna asked. ?Caelfel stared at her, realizing this must have been the friend Thoroth spoke of.

  Sir Kennyratear hesitated. ?"Scholars of Honey Water history still debate over your question today, Garvanna. ?Some speculate she decided to settle in the Vinius Islands, although there is no indication of her ever being there. ?There are a great many who believe she gave herself up to fortify the enchantments that protect the Fey Forest. ?This theory continues to say her residual magic seeped into the bowels of the earth and created the goblins. ?Another common legend was that Ewyn stepped into the Latreille Sea to visit her newly conquered land and was swept away by sea foam."

  Sir Kennyratear moved on from Ewyn, detailing how the direct descendants of Ewyn formed the noble house of Families, one for each city. ?Caelfel remembered her mother used to belong to the Family of Sal'Sumarathar before they estranged her over some disagreement.

  Caelfel raised her hand this time, pausing Sir Kennyratear's lesson with her own question. ?"Why did the elves conquer the ormr? ?Why did we attack them in the first place?"

  Sir Kennyratear smiled at her question, and Caelfel thought that strange. ?"The ormr were here long before the elves. ?They were advanced and powerful. ?Ewyn and her children saw them as a threat that needed to be taken care of."

  Garvanna spoke again, this time without raising her hand. ?"I had heard that the ormr had attacked various evlish settlements and were preparing for war."

  Sir Kennyratear smiled again. ?"It depends on who you ask."

  For the remainder of the day, he had them focusing their auras, instructing them to meditate on protective wards. ?He said that an elf's aura could be enhanced into a shielding mechanism, but the exercise felt boring and pointless to Caelfel. ?The benches were cleared from the room, and all the students sat cross-legged on the floor. ?He wanted them to close their eyes and concentrate but he wouldn't explain what to concentrate on. ?Caelfel felt as if they were all waiting for something so she kept her eyes open, until she saw Sir Kennyratear staring back at her.

  "Eyes closed, Miss Gyssedlues."

  So she did, but she opened them again a moment later when a small explosion erupted behind her. ?To her credit, the rest of the class turned to look as well and saw Daerad flat on his back. ?It soon became apparent that Sir Kennyratear had attacked him.

  "What are you doing?" Daerad demanded, red-faced and scrambling to his feet.

  "Before you learn any magic, you must learn to protect yourself from it. ?Sit down, Master Killelvris."

  Daerad sat, and Sir Kennyratear's eyes scanned the room for another target.

  "Concentrate," he reminded everyone. ?He lifted his hand toward Garvanna, and a wave of red flames billowed from his palm toward her. ?Caelfel flinched when it should have hit the calm she-elf, but Garvanna remained unmoved. ?The flames parted harmlessly around a transparent, gold bubble that appeared around her. ?The gold bubble dissipated when Sir Kennyratear stopped his fire. ?"You have studied magic before, Miss Hunithrae?"

  She nodded. ?"I've been to the College of Yamalvon as well as the college in Amasel, my home before it was destroyed."

  "I am not sure what my class could offer you, as you should be a master now," he said.

  "I have dedicated myself to study every method of magic that I can."

  Sir Kennyratear said no more and turned to the rest of the class. ?"Everyone should try to achieve what Garvanna has done. ?She is able to focus her aura into a palpable defense."

  He continued with his assault on the rest of them, although Caelfel noted his fire didn't truly harm anyone. ?When it was Caelfel's turn, she was unsuccessful at ?blocking his attack and, like many others, was left to rub her smarting face.

  By the time class ended, less than a handful of students had been able to accomplish anything with their auras, and Caelfel was not among them. ?Garvanna remained the only one able to produce a functional shield. ?Sir Kennyratear dismissed class with the promise that there would be more the next day. ?Caelfel felt herself anxious to leave the college grounds but instead found herself following someone to the college library.

  "Garvanna?" she called tentatively before they reached the doors.

  The tall she-elf whirled around instantly, copper hair flying over her shoulder in a frenzied wave. ?Caelfel felt overwhelmed by her demanding presence, though Garvanna said nothing, waiting
with an expectant expression.

  "You are Thoroth's friend," she began, uncertain how to voice her question. ?She wasn't even sure she had one.

  "Yes. ?And who are you?" ?Caelfel wouldn't call her tone impatient, but it definitely did not have a welcoming note.

  "I'm Caelfel. ?I'm also his friend. ?I think he wanted us to meet. ?He told me you would be applying to the college."

  Garvanna smiled, but it did not feel at all kind. ?"Yes, you're the baby."

  "I'm sorry?" Caelfel said, confidence shaken.

  "You're the youngest, I mean. ?You were the last one to be tested by the Eye. ?By the time you started your examination, I was already awake."

  Caelfel wasn't sure how to respond to that so she grappled for a subject change. ?"You studied magic before?"

  "Yes, what of it?"

  "What was your branch of magic?"

  "Branch of magic? ?I make a point to study all fields, but if you're asking for my preference, then that would be Summoning. ?It's not a well traversed field, but there were many more masters of the art that lived in Amasel." ?Garvanna faltered at the mention of her home city.

  Caelfel tried to be sympathizing. "Did you lose your entire family?" she asked softly.

  Garvanna's sharp features turned even sharper. ?"What sort of question is that? ?What do you want?"

  "I'm sorry. ?I just wanted to meet you."

  "I am not inclined to meet anyone who asks insensitive questions about my family," she snapped.

  Caelfel sighed; she rarely got along with moody, temperamental elves. ?"I did not mean to be insensitive."

  "And fools often have the best intentions," Garvanna said, smiling coldly.

  Caelfel was at a loss to respond so she merely glared at the she-elf who had probably just called her a fool.

  "Excuse me," Garvanna said, continuing to the library.

  Caelfel left the college, grumbling. ?Her mood had soured so much that she did not feel like visiting Feraan. ?Then Caelfel reminded herself that she had willingly accepted that responsibility so she satisfied herself by entertaining thoughts of putting Garvanna in her place. ?As is so often the case, she thought of the perfect, clever and scathing responses only after the fact.

  "Were you followed?" ?Feraan waited for her on the branch of a tree that guarded the entrance to his home. ?Caelfel had to tilt her head to look up at him.

  "No," she said, though she had not checked. ?She had taken the same route through the abandoned alleyway as she had done the previous day. ?She would remind herself to take a different path tomorrow, one that doubled back to make sure she wasn't being followed.

  Feraan jumped down to greet her. "Aren't you cheerful as ever?"

  She didn't want to be reminded of Garvanna, so she focused on something else entirely. ?"How is your back?"

  He led the way inside for her to examine his wound in his bedroom. Mostly it had not changed, except that it looked puckered up and swollen. ?She told him so, reminding him in a disgruntled tone that she was not a healer.

  "Must I conjure the image again for you again?" he replied.

  "No," she said gruffly.

  Feraan remained absolutely patient with her as he talked her through the lancing, the draining, and finally the cleaning. ?His voice soothed her nerves. ?His reaction to the pain was minimal, and though Caelfel was sure he restrained himself for her sake, she appreciated it.

  It did not take long for her to wrap new bandages around him. ?She stared at her hands as she tied the ends together. ?Feraan slipped his shirt back on.

  "Can you tell me how to use my aura?" she blurted out suddenly.

  He did not give her a strange look like she expected. For that matter, he didn't look at her at all. ?"Problems on your first day?" he assumed.

  "Yes, I can't get my aura to work." ?She followed him to the front room of his house where he sat down and leaned back in his chair.

  "Most people don't accomplish that on their first day."

  "Can you teach me?" she asked.

  "It's not something that someone can teach you. ?You have to learn it on your own."

  "Then what is the point of Sir Kennyratear teaching us?"

  "The college teaches you how to control the aura, not how to call upon it specifically. ?They can prompt you to use it instinctively to protect yourself if you believe you are in danger."

  "Could you help me trigger it?"

  Feraan considered her question. ?"I may be able to do that with my aura. ?It might come as a shock to you, which is why the college no longer employs that method of activating an elf's aura."

  "What sort of shock do you mean?"

  "It varies. ?For some, it can produce a simple, mild shock. ?For others, it could knock them back quite a bit."

  "Can we try it?" Caelfel asked eagerly.

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "It has the possibility of being quite painful for you."

  "But it won't kill me?" she affirmed.

  "You're talking as though I would actually consider this. ?I am sorry but I won't. ?It will come to you in time at the college."

  Caelfel sighed, suddenly finding herself very impatient. ?"How long did it take for you to figure it out?"

  "Not as long as I'm sure it will take you."

  Caelfel frowned. ?"I appreciate your vote of confidence. ?I haven't produced anything with my aura. ?Garvanna could form an entire shield."

  "Garvanna?" he repeated, sounding as if he recognized the name. ?"If you mean Garvanna from Amasel, then you should know she already mastered the use of her aura at Yamalvon."

  "How do you know Garvanna?" Caelfel asked, curiosity piqued.

  "In a way, we grew up together. ?Is she still as pleasant to be around as I remember?" Feraan asked.

  Caelfel folded her arms, not missing his sarcasm. ?"If by 'pleasant' you mean 'insufferable,' then you will be glad to know she hasn't much changed."

  Feraan made a low whistle. ?"I can only imagine what she has done to offend you."

  "She called me a baby and a fool."

  Feraan stood up and began searching through his shelves. ?"Look where the insult came from."

  "She walks around like she knows everything. ?How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

  Feraan turned to face Caelfel, a book in his hands. ?"She is almost as old as I am with the temper of a child. ?There is no wonder why she is still alone."

  "You are older than her and more alone than she is," Caelfel pointed out.

  Feraan's mouth twitched into what Caelfel could only name as a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. ?"Correction. ?I choose to be alone yet I am popular enough for everyone to want me dead."

  "I don't want you dead," Caelfel said quietly.

  His smile faltered, and Feraan broke her gaze to look at the book in his hands. ?"Read this and you'll have a better understanding of what Sir Kennyratear wants you to do," he said, handing it to her.

  "What is it?" she asked.

  "A book," he told her, prompting Caelfel to roll her eyes at him.

  She prepared to leave, and Feraan reminded her again to make sure she wasn't being followed. ?Caelfel waved off his concerns though she did wonder who would be following her. ?She elected to take a different route home and glanced frequently over her shoulder the entire way. ?By the time she reached home, the sky had turned a fiery color. ?Her mother was there to greet her before she even stepped through the door.

  "Where have you been?" Sylaera asked. ?Her tone did not suggest suspicion, so Caelfel forced her shoulders to relax.

  "I was at the college. ?Where is Father?" she asked mildly.

  Sylaera stepped slightly to the side to let her daughter to pass. ?"He went to visit your teacher Sir Kennyratear."

  "That's right. ?They are friends," Caelfel said, forcing a casual tone. ?She threw a last glance over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

  "Don't look so nervous. ?I'm sure your classes are going fine," Sylaera said, inaccurately gues
sing the source of Caelfel's anxiety. ?"Besides, someone came to visit you."

  Caelfel looked around and only then noticed Thoroth standing in the room. ?He had called on her yesterday too, she remembered. ?Her mouth went dry, and Caelfel found she could not greet him.

  "Caelfel," he said, greeting her instead. ?"How are things?"

  Sylaera left the room, but Caelfel did not feel more at ease with the healer. ?She knew he was wanting to ask about Feraan and she was not sure if she could lie about what happened.

  "Fine," Caelfel finally answered at length. ?"Things are fine. ?I was accepted at the college and I have met Garvanna."

  At the mention of his friend, Thoroth became distracted. ?"Did you? ?She never said anything."

  Caelfel seized the subject change. ?"I suspect she wouldn't have. ?She is not very pleasant company to keep."

  "She does have trouble making new friends," Thoroth agreed reluctantly.

  "I wasn't under the impression she wanted new friends. ?She made it rather clear she wasn't interested in fools or babies," Caelfel snapped.

  Thoroth sighed in a way that made Caelfel think this wasn't abnormal behavior for Garvanna. ?"I'm sorry if she offended you, but don't be cross with me. ?There's something I wanted to ask you."

  Caelfel turned her back and left for the garden. ?Thoroth kept up with her, waiting until they were outside before addressing his concerns.

  "Where is Feraan?" he asked.

  She slowly lowered herself onto a bench, the same one she had kept the wounded Feraan on. ?Her eyes fell on the book in her lap, and she hoped Thoroth would not recognize it as Feraan's. ?"I think you know where he is," she hedged carefully.

  "Is he alive?" Thoroth tried again. ?Caelfel detected a tone of panic in the healer's voice.

  "I don't see how he would be. ?No one would save him, and I definitely didn't have the ability or knowledge to save him."

  "After you left my house, where did you take him? ?Did you perform any death rites?"

  "I don't know how to perform a death rite."

  "Where did you take him?" Thoroth repeated harshly.

  "I took him home."

  "You took him here?" Thoroth asked.

  "I took Feraan to his home."

  Thoroth's eyes widened. ?"How do you know where that is?"

  Caelfel's throat tightened, and she clenched her jaw. ?"Why are you asking me about Feraan?"

  He sighed. ?"The Council is doing an investigation. ?He was reported dead, and then they couldn't find his body. ?They started asking all the healers."

  Caelfel felt a wave of panic freeze her entire body. ?Out of the healers, Awen Baeltylar and Thoroth knew who had Feraan. ?Tahlmus, who was on the council, had seen Caelfel with Feraan's body. ?"What did you tell them?" Caelfel asked in a hollow voice.

  "It was only the Chief Executor-"

  "Who?"

  "Markis Rilynnzea. ?He was Feraan's hunting partner that day. ?He reported Feraan as dead."

  "What did you tell him?" Caelfel repeated.

  "I said nothing about you."

  "What did you say about Feraan?"

  Thoroth shook his head. ?"I need to know what you did with him. ?I have to turn in the body to the Council."

  "What did you tell him?" Caelfel asked. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest. ?She looked around for a spy or an eavesdropper in the garden. ?She saw none, but still her stomach rolled with a sick feeling.

  "I told him that I had taken care of the body that someone had left on my doorstep. ?I assume he is dead now, killed by poison?"

  Caelfel looked straight through Thoroth. ?This Markis hadn't spoken to the Council. ?Otherwise, he would have come to her first. ?Meanwhile, Thoroth claimed her actions as his own, an act Caelfel could not fathom. For that matter, Markis could be following him at that very moment. ?"I need you to leave," Caelfel told him quietly.

  Thoroth appeared stunned, almost hurt. ?"What about the body?"

  "I don't have anything to give you."

  "Markis could arrest me, Caelfel." ?Thoroth's panic returned

  "Then tell them it was me. ?They'll find out soon enough."

  Horror flashed through his face. ?"What have you done?"

  She sighed, thinking perhaps Feraan's previous paranoia was not misplaced. ?"I tried saving his life," she informed Thoroth slowly.

  "You tried saving Feraan's life?" he hissed. ?"You must have seen the Royal Decree I was given. ?I saw you taking it."

  "I did see. ?Now you must leave."

  Thoroth's shoulders sagged. ?"Caelfel, I don't think you realize-"

  "I know what I'm doing, Thoroth."

  The healer sighed, and it was a sound of defeat. ?"I hope that is true. ?Please, if you need anything, find me."

  He left, but Caelfel did not see him to the door. ?She remained where she was in the dark garden. ?The sun had vanished below the horizon during Thoroth's visit, but Caelfel continued staring into the distance, as if expecting someone to be hidden and watching her. ?She was at a loss for what to do next. ?Perhaps Markis had followed Thoroth to her home and he was watching her now.

  Whether or not she was being watched, Caelfel did not have many options. ?She could warn Feraan, but that would be careless if someone was following or investigating his death. ?It would risk leading Markis or anyone else right to Feraan. ?Otherwise, Caelfel could wait through the night until something happened.

  And so she did, locking herself in her bedroom until morning.

  4. Feraan's Dream

  Feraan rarely dreamed, so when he did, he was quite conscious of it. ?The forest around him was too bright and too blue for the late hour. ?The air was too sweet and the creatures too silent.

  And there was music, elven on a human instrument. ?It was a combination he had not heard in centuries. ?Trees did not play such music.

  And an orb of bright blue light danced around the trees. ?Its light fluctuated with the music, dimming then shining brightly with each rise and fall of the dynamics. ?As Feraan drew closer, the light assumed the shape of a miniature she-elf, only a few inches tall. ?The identity of the apparition was easy to discern, as he had seen her just that day.

  The figure of light moved further into the trees, bidding for him to follow, and as the way of dreamrealms, he had no choice but to obey, entranced by her alluring dance. ?She floated around the trunks of trees and through the low-hanging branches. ?Feraan followed and listened as the music swelled with voices chanting ancient phrases of sorrow and weeping. ?Voices cut across the composition in long phrases that added to the melancholy. ?They were the mournful sounds of a lament.

  As the volume of the music increased, so did the height of the she-elf apparition until she retained her normal height. ?She broke past the treeline and turned around on the surface of a lake. ?Feraan stood motionless on the shore and watched as the intricacies of her movements matched the growing complexity of the melody. ?Then he felt an urge, a slight urge to join her in this dance and since it was a dream, he gave in to it before he could allow himself a chance to resist.

  The music grew louder, and Feraan found himself dancing with a ghostly, transparent version of the one who had saved him from the forest.

  There is a great evil brewing in your forest.

  The Blind Seer's warning echoed faintly in his mind. ?Feraan focused on the faint features of the face before him. ?Caelfel couldn't be the evil Sibylla spoke of.

  They continued their dance, and he lifted her by the waist at the appropriate rise in the music. ?Feraan gave little thought to the impossibility of walking on the water. ?It was a dream after all.

  Bring the one responsible.

  A bellowing bass cut across the tragic composition, and she twisted out of his grasp to the lake's center. ?She started spinning, slowly at first then faster and faster until she was a glowing blur. ?Feraan was stunned motionless. ?He wanted to call out to the Blind Seer that spoke in his head, but he was too enamored by the specter before him.

  "Who is respo
nsible?" he asked in a muted voice.

  Caelfel continued spinning. ?He caught a glimpse of her arms lifting above her head and a bow materializing in her hands. ?At the penultimate moment, she stopped moving and fired a single, translucent arrow that flew through his chest.

  The music stopped, and silence followed. ?Feraan looked down to see a red stain spreading on his chest.

  "Who are you?" he asked.

  She merely smiled.

  He knew who she was. ?The Archer of the Lake.