Chapter 14
After a quarter of a mile, Naruto's group came upon an empty glade that had faint paths running through it. As Naruto looked around, he subtly sensed the nature energy around him and was amazed at its concentration.
"Amazing…the ambient natural energy here can rival half of Mount Myoboku's! Perhaps this is where the elves gained their physical and magical superiority of the other races, aside from their rudimentary chakra pathways. Considering Gilderien, perhaps the ambient nature chakra was absorbed into their bodies over the years and gradually strengthened them. Even if they aren't able to free manipulate it, it would give them an unrivaled advantage." As Naruto mused over this theory, he continued to slowly extend his senses over the entire city, sighing in wonder when he felt how in tune the forest and its inhabitants were with each other.
However, when he reached a little further, an enormous signature suddenly lit up in front of his."Just what is that enormous nature chakra signature?"
Before he could further study the huge energy signature, many of the inhabitants of Ellesméra exited out of homes shaped from living trees that were shaped into houses. Such natural looking structures were eye-catching enough, but Naruto and Eragon could not help but stare at the surrounding elves as they revealed themselves, stunned by their almost unnaturally, in comparison, handsome and beautiful looks. Every single elf, whether it be male or female, had unblemished skin, sculpted features and fine hair that rippled down their backs in waves like molten silver, if silver was various colors. Thanks to Jiraiya's training, Naruto was able to tear his gaze away before it became rude, but poor Eragon couldn't help but keep staring.
As they made their way through the city and away from the other elves, Eragon finally managed to regain his bearings. Pointing towards the odd tree-houses, he asked, "How is that done?"
"We sing to the forest in the old tongue and give it our strength to grow in the shape that we desire. All our buildings and tools are made in that manner." Arya replied.
Bringing up the rear, Naruto felt if his eyes widened anymore, they might just pop out from his skull. "So these elves even have a magic similar to the Mokuton. Oh boy, this is just getting better and better. Maybe they're long lost relatives of the Senju?" He mused as they reached the end of the path.
Finally, at the end of the path, they came upon a form steps woven from a cluster of roots that led up to a door that opened by itself as they approached. Upon entering, Naruto and the rest of the group looked around the hall to see twenty-four elf lords and ladies, twelve on each side of an ancient throne of knotted roots, upon which a female elf, garbed in royal red and wearing a golden crown rimmed with lustrous gems, regally sat on. By her left side stood a curved rod with a chased crosspiece, upon which perched a brilliant-white raven, seemingly asleep.
None of the group needed Arya to identify who she was, as only one amongst the many she had informed them of could possibly fit her description.
Queen Islanzadí, the legendary queen of the elves for the past half millennium and as beautiful as the morning sunrise and yet as regal as any king. When the group filed in, with Naruto leaning against the wall in the back while Saphira merely stuck her head in, the raven, who at first had its eyes shut, abruptly cocked its head at Eragon before shrieking out, "Wyrda!". Such an eerie screech caused Eragon to shiver in alarm, but when the raven cast its gaze towards Naruto, nothing came out of its beak. Instead, to everyone's surprise and shock, the eccentric and somewhat insane raven fluttered from its perch to Naruto's shoulder and leaned into his cheek, causing the blond to look amusedly at the raven before petting its head, which only caused the raven to burrow its snowy crown deeper.
Brushing aside her surprise, the queen stood up from her throne. The moment she did, the surrounding elf lords and ladies, Arya, Eragon, and Orik knelt with their heads bowed. Even Saphira from outside, who Naruto knew to be extremely prideful of her race's unsurpassed beauty and strength, also lowered her head towards the elven queen. Only Naruto continued continued to stand in the background, absently noting how the queen's facial features seemed oddly familiar. Slowly, Queen Islanzadí, seemingly not noticing him, merely moved to Arya, placed her hand on Arya's shoulder and said in a rich voice, "Rise." As Arya did so, the queen intensely studied her face as if trying to see into her very being before crying and embracing her.
"O my daughter, I have wronged you!"
The group that traveled to Ellesméra knelt, and in Naruto's case stood, in shocked silence, trying to digest the fact that Arya was the elven princess.
"Oh, this is good, hahaha. You always did have a habit of saving princesses, but this is too much! Even in another nation, you still somehow run into the only elven princess there is. Maybe she'll even fall for you too like all the others! Hahaha, that perverted toad would be so proud of you!" Kurama rumbled with laughter as Naruto just stood there with a tick mark on his face.
"Oi, shut it furball, or else I'm coming in there to tie your tails into knots!"
While Naruto was bantering with his tenant, Queen Islanzadí reconciled with her daughter when the white raven on Naruto's shoulder started cackling.
And on the door was graven evermore.
What now became the family lore.
Let us never do but to adore!
"Enough of your incessant riddles, Blagden!" Swiftly berating the insolent bird, Queen Islanzadí turned to Eragon and Saphira and apologized for her behavior. Eragon merely smiled and greeted as Arya taught him. "Islanzadí Dröttning. Atra esterní ono thelduin." He had no doubt that he was supposed to speak first.
Islanzadí's dark eyes widened. "Atra du evarínya ono varda."
"Un atra mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr," replied Eragon, completing the ritual.
Naruto waited as the introductions between the elves, dragon rider, and dwarf were going on while stroking the white raven's head as he turned towards Arya, who had come to his side after her mother began to speak with Eragon. "So Arya, you're a princess? Huh, didn't peg you for one."
"It is a fact I try to keep hidden. An ambassador of the elves has no need for it." Arya lightly confirmed while absently touching the area above her armored left shoulder.
"I see." Glancing at the area she had touched, Naruto realized it be where he had seen an oddly shaped indigo tattoo when she was being escorted to the Varden. He didn't say anymore, sensing that there was more to the story and that now...was not the best time to satisfy his curiosity.
Having greeted the others, Queen Islanzadí finally turned towards Naruto and with a frown, confusion and wariness clear in her eyes. At that instant, the attention of the entire hall fell upon his shoulders. "You must forgive my discourtesy, Naruto Uzumaki. To you, who has played a large role in both aiding my daughter," she paused, savoring the word she hadn't had the opportunity to say for over half a century, "and protecting the Varden from certain destruction, I extend my most heartfelt gratitude." As she slightly tilting her head down towards him, Naruto heard a quick, near nonexistent, gasp of air beside him before it disappeared. Peering from the corner of his eyes, all he saw was Arya, as beautiful and impassive as always.
But years of being a shinobi and Hokage of such shinobi had granted him a keen eye. Beneath that placid lake of emerald was an undercurrent of shock and at her mother's action. She knew how proud she could be, and it touched her heart to know Islanzadí had bowed her proud head for her. Upon seeing this, the corner of Naruto's mouth quirked up before he too, mirrored Eragon's actions. Touching his own lips, he too, inclined his head before speaking softly.
"Islanzadí Dröttning, atra esterní ono thelduin."
Surprise radiated from the elven queen. While it was not unusual, even expected, for Eragon to know and speak the traditional greetings of the elves, she didn't expect for someone like Naruto to also do so. And for him to speak the ancient language so well! He even spoke the words better than Eragon, who had no doubt practiced them many, many times. The only flaw she could detect was a slight and unique accent she had never heard before intertwined within his words. Curiously gazing at Naruto, she completed her part of the greeting.
"Atra du evarínya ono varda."
"Un atra mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr," he finished. The hushed whispers that had once swept the room while their queen spoke with Eragon and Arya once again gained steam as they glanced at the foreigner who also projected an aura of authority like their queen, Islanzadí. With his emotion sensor, the primary emotion Naruto felt from most, if not all the elves, was caution and mild curiosity. Despite all of his seals, the sensitive immortals could no doubt sense the sheer power hiding within his body. Not far from him, he could also feel Arya's shock, no doubt due to how badly he spoke the words just yesterday during practice. Perhaps she even thought he was simply pretending to butcher the greeting.
That wasn't true. He indeed was terrible at the language. All he could say was...
...all hail the shadow clones.
With a much friendlier tone, Queen Islanzadí instinctively continued to speak in the ancient language, only pausing when she noticed the vacant look in Naruto's eyes, realizing that despite his near perfect enunciation he hadn't understood a word she said. An awkward silence pervaded the room before Naruto sheepishly chuckled while rubbing the back of his head.
"Hahaha, my apologies Queen Islanzadí, but my understanding of the ancient language is limited to your greeting as well as a few spells. If you don't believe me," said Naruto before pointing his thumb towards the elf beside him, "you can just ask Arya."
Turning towards Arya, Islanzadí switched back to"Is this true, my daughter? Surely someone who can speak the ancient language so fluently and well cannot have such a shallow understanding as he says."
Contrary to her expectations, Arya immediately confirmed the blond's words. "Yes, other than a few minor spells, Naruto is a complete beginner to our language. In fact, just yesterday, his pronunciation was far worse than Eragon's."
More whispers rushed through the room at her words. Had it been an elf in question, nobody would have found it unusual. But for someone just beginning to learn their language, it was impressive to say the least. Realizing they were getting off topic, Islanzadí quickly diverted the conversation back on course.
"While I thank you for saving my daughter and the resistance, I have to wonder, who are you stranger? Other than your name, appearance and a cursory list of your powers, my daughter has not reported anything else. For centuries, we elves have walked the earth and, although we have isolated ourselves from the matters of mortals, your name does not have roots in any race we know of."
While Queen Islanzadí had not personally seen or even heard from her daughter, other than a meager handful of moments, for the past half century, she knew two things of her personality. One, that Arya would never rest until she at least knew the general background of an anomaly as powerful as Naruto, especially when said anomaly saved her life. And two, no matter the differences between them, she was loyal to her kind to a fault and would never hide information of a potential threat. So either, Arya truly found the man in front of her as no threat, or...
...she was forced into silence. And if it was the latter... Islanzadí's eyes narrowed as suspicion, so easy to succumb to these days, began to cloud her earlier gratitude. Soon, the tension in the air thickened to the point where Naruto swore he could cut through it with a kunai. Fortunately, her question was not one he was particularly secretive about.
It's not as if anyone in Alagaesia was capable breaking through the barrier surrounding the Elemental Nations.
Before relaying the same answer he told leaders of the Varden, Naruto shot a small, but grateful look and nod to his left, slightly surprised that Arya hadn't mentioned his origins. From what Eragon had taught him about the ancient language, any serious oath Arya, or any elf in Alagaesia, made would be done in that language due to its binding properties. Yet, for her to keep her word despite her status of ambassador and only swearing in the common language , it spoke volumes of her character.
Upon hearing the blond's words and then his theory of the elves' origins, disbelief could be seen in Queen Islanzadí's and her council's eyes as she slowly strode back to her throne. Once again regaining her seat, a small frown appeared, not entirely believing him as was her nature.
While she contemplated his words, a male elven lord with hair black as night steadily stood up. Tilting his head down, "Naruto-finiarel, like my queen, I Däthedr, lord of Sílthrim, want to thank you for saving our princess, Arya Svit-kona. But I must ask," dark hazel orbs flashed, "why should we trust you when you did not let Gilderien-elda into your mind?"
On the side, Arya also looked curiously at Naruto. Despite passing through the borders of the elven forest for decades, never had she seen the ancient elder deign to touch anyone, never mind touch fists with a human for over a minute. However, she sighed in disappointment at Naruto's cryptic answer.
"There are other ways to communicate than mere words and minds, Lord Däthedr. And I can assure you, if you ask Gilderien-san, he will speak on behalf of me."
Staring into the elven lord's discerning gaze, the corner of Naruto's eyes twitched when he felt the lightest of presences skirt along the perimeter of his mind. This time, however, he made sure to shroud Kurama's presence and increase his mental defenses as he would against a Yamanaka. The only thing Däthedr could feel from the stranger before him was an impenetrable wall of some sort of energy, but most of all the unshakeable conviction and confidence emanating behind that barrier. And while slightly dissatisfied he couldn't further observe the fascinating blond's mind, he knew it would be rude and foolish of him to do so, if Gilderien himself dared do so.
Shutting his dark eyes, Däthedr mirrored his queen as he gracefully sat down. "No need. While I am obviously not as old as Gilderien-elda, we are friends. Nothing could have forced their way into our home with him guarding its borders, only death could. And should such a thing have happened, the entire Du Weldenvarden would have wept for our loss."
Dusting away the nonexistent dust from her magnificent robes, Islanzadí strode towards her daughter's side and declared, "Naruto-finiarel has convinced me of his benign intentions and will thus may stay here in Ellesméra," she glanced about the room before settling down on Naruto and Arya. "It would be a shame for someone so gifted in the ancient language to come to an end here. And so I have decided, my daughter shall see to your instruction of the words and its intricacies."
"Now, our guests wait tired on their feet, and we have spoken of evil things for far too long. I will not have this occasion marred by lingering on past injuries." And then as she suddenly brightly smiled continued, "My daughter has returned, a dragon and her Rider have appeared, and I will see us celebrate in the proper fashion! Blagden!" She indicated for the white raven to come back, which he did although with extreme reluctance that was visible to all.
"Now what Arya?" Naruto asked.
"That is an indication of the incoming festivities for the return of her daughter, and the return of the dragon riders...as well as the return of our distant brethren." Arya responded.
"Sounds like fun. Wonder if they have ramen?" Naruto said as they watched, with Orik, Eragon, and Saphira, a team of elves prepare the feast from setting up the table and preparing the food.
Notes
Mokuton – Wood Release
Atra esterní ono thelduin- Let good fortune rule over you
Atra du evarínya ono varda – Let the stars watch over you
Un atra mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr – Peace live in your heart
Finiarel - an honorific suffix for a young man of great promise, attached with a hyphen.
Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya – May we be warded from listeners