Author's note:
This is a 'story within a story' as part of my re-write of Galion the Grey. Thought I'd throw it up there for you folks to enjoy. The setting is that Galion is re-telling a story from a really old book, and so it has to have a sort of 'fire and brimstone' type of feel to it. Lots of thee and thou, you get the idea. Enjoy!
RR
-oo-
Many years ago, the elvhen peoples lived in solitude amongst the wild creatures of Arlathan. This was the noon tide of the elvhen, the peak of their prosperity. Life was long and for the most part, carefree. Elves enjoyed the benefits of immortality, spending many years in crafting wondrous halls from living rock and plants. The rulers of the elves, a council of their wisest hahren, guided the people and gently steered the course of the race.
The creators of the elvhen were pleased by their peoples' offerings, which came in good time and measure. One of the pantheon, however, was disheartened as he seldom had offerings on the grand scale as his peers. This was Falon'din, the guide of the Dead.
Falon'din voiced his lament to Elgar'nan, who spoke, saying "this counsel I offer thee, friend of the dead. Mishap and mayhem can cause more of the children to enter your ranks, but know that we stewards of the elvhen have spent many ages in crafting thus, and would not see it brought undone for the vanity of one of us."
Falon'din was wroth but masked his face, making it impassive. Taking his leave of Elgar'nan, he went north to the white peak which overlooked the sea, and dwelt there for many months. In this time his only friend and counsel was Fen'harel, the dread wolf. It came to pass that during one of his stays with Falon'din, Fen'harel was followed at a distance by Anaris, who heard their speech and thought : "such injustice I can not conscience. Falon'din has had his appetite whetted for too long, while his fellows grow fat and lazy. I will surprise him, and his favour will bring me back to the pantheon". And with that, Anaris devised a cunning plague with which to break the elvhen people and bring souls to Falon'din. He set loose the pestilence on a full moon, and his plague came to be known as the lunar curse.
Such a spontaneous burst of suffering soon became a torrent of death. The creators could not rest as all they could hear was the wailing of the people. The hahrens cried aloud "what have we done to deserve this? We have obeyed thee in all things". The wailing became a mourning, and the mourners turned to anger, and the anger was directed at the creators. sonn none of the elvhen worshipped any of the creators, and strife was commonplace.
Elgar'nan summoned Falon'din, and he was violent to the friend of the dead. But Falon'din was made strong by the number of dead, and Elgar'nan could not make him cower. Falon'din knew that this pestilence as not of his making, and he spoke to Elgar'nan : "this evil is not of my hand. For the last months I have been at the white mountain, and only Fen'harel has seen me".
Elgar'nan knew that Fen'harel walked both sides of the line drawn against the pantheon, and that Anaris, the god of pestilence, could have followed him. He frowned and told Falon'din, who said "then it is over. Only the elvhen can harm one of the Pantheon, and they are too soft."
But Elgar'nan grinned and said "not all. Look, this youth, if aided by each of us, could restore what we have known". Falon'din looked to where Elgar'nan was pointing, and saw the elvhen youth who was named Tarak, which is protector in the ancient language. "He is aptly named" said Falon'din. The youth was tall and strong, and was a cunning hunter. Elgar'nan appeared to the youth as he slumbered, and offered him a challenge - to defeat Anaris. He would need to travel to the white mountain and there he would be trained by the very creators themselves.
When the youth woke, he found a suit of armour and a fine longbow with quiver there. The armour would make the wearer silent as the grave, and resist the cold of the mountains. The longbow was very light to draw, but fired arrows which could pierce stone, and the quiver never emptied.
Tarak took his gifts and journeyed for a year to the northeast, finally reaching the mountain. During his journey, Sylaise and Andruil schooled him in the art of healing and herbs, and the skill of the hunt. Falon'din met him at the base of the mount, and while they ascended, he guided him in the use of shadows, and taught him how to fade from sight. When he reached the peak, he beheld Elgar'nan, who was cloaked in sunlight. Tarak's eyes were bathed in radiance, and they became white. Elgar'nan and Mythal trained him for nine years, and he learned much, and quickly. He mastered many forms of magic, and soon the time came for him to challenge Anaris. Ten years of pestilence had hurt the elvhen people greatly, and Anaris was gleeful and haughty. When Tarak challenged him, he laughed "what sport is this? Some mere elvhen come to put me in my place? You will learn your own place, creature!" But Tarak did not budge, and Anaris tried to cripple his challenger with magic. Tarak made a fresh breeze heave across the mountaintop, and the pestilent cloud was blown aside. They fought with both magic and weapons. Arrow and mace and sword all echoed across the defile where they clashed. In the end Tarak had wrought four great wounds on Anaris, and had suffered nothing save small scratches. Anaris crashed to his knees, and cried "enough! Enough! You have the victory you sought, elf. I will take my plague and begone". Tarak was pleased, and did say "that is not enough. I also would have your knowledge of poisons and the like, to prevent this malady from happening again".
Anaris did submit, and relayed all that he knew of toxins and their crafting. He removed the lunar curse which he had put on the people, but he did in in such a way that only when Tarak was present did it truly vanish. The creators were pleased, and many did grin as the elvhen people recovered from the pestilence. Elgar'nan instructed Tarak with the writing of blood, and gave the markings for the creators to him. It came to be that when Tarak did stop at a place, he would instruct the people in the markings, and they would turn back to worship. The vallaslin was taken up as a testament of faith.
Tarak served his people for many years to come, and took on students to share what he had learned from the creators. They in turn shared the knowledge and it spread quickly. Tarak wrote four great tomes which were the sum of his learning, as well as tales to share and lessons to observe. Anaris was banished beyond the veil soon after, and has become one of the forgotten ones - those beings who sought to undo all that the creators wrought.