A/N: Hello? Hello?! Anyone there? Why did I only get two reviews? Do you like Hari that much that you hate any chapter without him? Well, this one has got a bit of Hari in it so please review! By the way, I'm back at school now so please excuse me if updates take too long!

evildictionaryninja: You may not miss Hari but it seems other people do!

kuruma's bitches: Nice name! Okay, let me clear it up for you. Verimir is Maltandir's real name. Maltandir's just a title and a nickname. He's hetero and, yes, Leonas is homo. Tell me if anything else is confusing you.

Calasier Avamela

Chapter 14: The Kelvara

Marilla and Arawen, it turned out, were the ones who brought the message. Draco had never noticed their absence. They had slipped away quietly when Draco had been away on the first hunting trip, so they told him, "It was an experiment." Arawen explained, "To see if you were getting any better and if you could manage without us."

"I didn't notice." Draco said, truthfully, "Too much going on."

"Oh, yes." Marilla nodded, looking over at Maederhwen, who was helping Deriyor push the horse into the carriage, "Do you not think it a little suspicious, Draco? That she will not give her name?"

"Maybe she's in danger?" Draco shrugged. He had not given this fact a lot of thought, "Probably hunted by someone."

"But, why, though?" Marilla wondered, leaning in closer, "You do not think that she is a spy for the Drows like I was, do you?"

"No." Draco shook his head, firmly, "No, I most certainly do not!" He had not confided in anyone about Maederhwen being part of the Fanka Gang and did not intend to in the future,

"Why is that?" Marilla asked, puzzled by Draco's certainty,

"Because, she does not act like you did." Draco said, without missing a beat.

They could not continue their conversation since Deriyor called that they were about to leave, "We shall remain here." The sisters said. Draco waved goodbye to them and pulled himself into the caravan. Maederhwen, Gailia and Draco stayed in the back while Deriyor drove the horses. But, it was only one horse this time and not the strong type he had seen driving it before. If fact, Draco doubted whether the small creature had ever pulled a caravan before. Indeed, it went so slowly that it took them about a minute to get past the gate.

Draco made his way to Deriyor and asked why, "We cannot use any of the normal horses," Deriyor answered, "because Elivor has the Kelvara."

"The what?"

"The Kelvara. It is a gift passed down through generations and gives inheritors the ability to transform into an animal. Maederhwen, his sister, had it too."

"What, like Aminagi?"

"Yes," Deriyor nodded, as though giving him half a mark, "but the difference is that having the Kelvara means that you are born with the ability. You cannot gain it through any magical expertise. You can control when you transform with a bit of practice but, if you are under a lot of stress or are feeling particularly unhappy, you can transform without your will."

"Do you have this Kelvara?"

"Oh, yes." Deriyor nodded, proudly, "All of us got it from our mother's side."

"How do you know you have it? Do you just transform by accident when you're young?"

"Yes." Deriyor nodded, "We both found out when we were just children. We were fighting one day, as siblings do. It was over something very silly but, at one point, Elivor suddenly got very scared and started crying. I did not know what I had done but, as I attempted to comfort him, he started to shrink before my eyes. and then, it looked as though he had disappeared altogether. I was about to go and call Mother but I saw something move in the heap of empty clothes. Lo and behold, there was a little black and white kitten underneath all of them."

"He can turn into a cat?" Draco said, surprised. Then, he thought it was not impossible. Elivor was very cat-like when he was hunting,

"Yes. He looked up at me and said 'Brother, have you looked at how big you are'-"

"He spoke?" Draco's eyes widened. Animagi could not speak in their animal forms as far as he was aware. And they transformed with their clothes too,

"Yes. Those with the Kelvara can still talk in their animal forms. So, afterwards, I said to him 'Brother, have you seen how small you are'. He did not know he had transformed until he looked into a pool of water nearby. And neither did I. I had turned into a bear cub. My anger must have peaked and caused me to transform. Different things make us transform without our will. For Elivor, it is sadness. For me, it is anger."

"You can turn into a bear?" It was easier to imagine Deriyor as a bear. He had such brute strength, "Oh, is that why you have this horse? You might trample Elivor if you don't take care."

"Indeed." Deriyor nodded, "If he has transformed, he will be a lot harder to find. He has used this ability to run away many times. The longest he was gone was about six months and that was when he discovered Maederhwen had died. Remember, we are searching for a black cat with a white face and white front paws."

Draco peered out onto the earth road. It would be easy to pick out a dark shape against the light brown earth but, once it got dark, it would be very difficult. And it would be very easy for a cat to hide in bushes or even up a tree. He had a look up at the overhanging branches hopefully but no dark shapes materialised upon them,

"What about Maederhwen?" Maederhwen asked, from behind them, "What did she turn into?"

"The same as Elivor." Deriyor suddenly looked downcast, "You see, Maederhwen was not only Elivor's sister. She was his twin sister. Exactly alike to one another."

"I thought you said that she was older than him." Draco found it very easy to remember what elves said rather than humans,

"Older, yes. By ten minutes."

So, the journey went on. Every hour, they would leave the caravan and disperse to search for him. But, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Draco thought he caught sight of a dark shape on a tree but it only turned out to be a Fork Squirrel (a squirrel with a forked tail). They stopped at a market town to buy some food for a picnic. While there, Maederhwen bought a small piece of dried fish (a rare find since elves seemed to eat no meat) which she wrapped in her cloak and secured her shirt. She did not take it out all through the meal. When asked about it by Gailia, she simply smiled and said,

"I have never met a cat who did not like fish."

After the meal, Deriyor hauled himself up to the driver's seat one more time, "There is one more place he may be. We shall go there before we give up." So, they went on. The fish Maederhwen was hiding started to smell as it got dark so Draco spent most of his time in the driver's seat with Deriyor. There was not much point trying to look for Elivor in the dark so he simply chatted unconcernedly with Deriyor while they trundled on.

Presently, a light appeared in the distance and something solid appeared in the distance. To Draco, it looked a little like a cathedral with its pointed roof and statue upon the point. Then, the horses' hooves clopped loudly against the smooth path lined with pale white lamps on top of gold poles. The white marble beneath them was shimmering and spotless in the dim light. Maederhwen peeked out too, staring in wonder at the building ahead.

It was made of pure marble and the decorations shone golden. A pair of large black owls stood as sentries on either side of the door, contrasting with the bright and beautiful building. A statue on top of the roof was painted to look so lifelike that she might have been swept away by the wind, "Garthiel." Deriyor said, noticing Draco looking, "The beautiful deity of death."

"Death?" Draco repeated. How could anything so beautiful signify death? Suddenly, all the white and gold reminded him of Numeranor and he realised what this place was,

"This place is her temple and it is also a place of rest for the dead. For those who can afford it." He added, casting a significant glance at all the gold around them, "Maederhwen was buried here. Her gravesite is one of Elivor's haunts but he could be anywhere." Draco was secretly glad of the marble. The white stone would make it easier to pick out a black cat, "We must go different ways. Be back at the caravan when the bells toll."

He stopped the caravan in the courtyard, "This is where the poorer people are buried. You see?" Draco flinched when he realised that names were carved upon the long flagstones (that looked very like gravestones). He couldn't help but mutter in Elvish whenever he stepped on one,

"Sorry. Sorry."

When they got inside the cathedral-like temple with many rows of Elves bowed to a larger version of Garthiel, Deriyor began to organize them, speaking in Elvish but Draco knew enough to get the gist, "Mother, search in the courtyards. Maederhwen, search in the vaults below. Draco, search within the vaults on this floor. I shall search in this place."

They split up. Maederhwen took the door leading down to the vaults below. She knew where it was for she had been here. This was the place where the richest elves that were second only to royalty were buried. They were hidden away with more privacy in separate rooms in marble coffins carved with a picture of the dead elf. This was more of a convenience for their relatives rather than the dead. Or, that was how Maederhwen had seen it.

Her small feet made little noise on the marble staircase. It was amazing how much of it was used in one building, Do they not have better ways to spend their money? She thought, as she reached the basement. It was surprisingly well lit, as was everything here. The doors were gilt with gold and whitewashed. The names of the people they held were written on the doors in golden lettering, The best houses are built for the dead. There were few elves in the corridor and she earned a few stares for her short hair and men's' clothing. She, however, took no notice. She had once walked a street naked so she was used to people staring her.

There was no particular order of people but she found the one she was looking for quickly. The name Maederhwen Moorefield was clearly written on a door that was ajar, He is in here or has been in here. She was glad that she was so small at this point since she could slip into the room without opening the door any further. The tomb was white marble, just like all others, with a long-haired elf dancing upon the top. This, she supposed, was Maederhwen. She moved a little closer to have a good look at the image.

Suddenly, something dark and small darted out in front of her. A black cat glared up at her with aquamarine eyes, its white face and front paws visible in the well lit chamber. Its back was arched, its fur standing on end and its mouth open in a hiss. Maederhwen looked down at it for a moment and then, let her face relax,

"Ah, what a cute cat you are." The cat closed his mouth and it looked comically confused. Repressing the urge to laugh, Maederhwen lowered herself and pulled the fish from her shirt, "Here, kitty. Have this. I got it this afternoon." The cat eyed it warily. This time, she could not contain a laugh, "I haven't poisoned it!" After edging forward bit by bit, the cat gave in and sniffed it. After deciding that it was fit to eat, the cat took the corner of the fish in its mouth and marched around the tomb to eat it in peace.

Now the guard had left its post, Maederhwen strode over to the tomb and peered at the elf carved there. She had a bright smile upon her face and her clothes flowed around her. She looked as though she had been frozen in marble while dancing in an archway of a gate. Her hair was long and splayed all around her like an overlarge halo. Her eyes were slanted so, if her hair had not been in her face, she might have been the exact image of Elivor, So, she is his twin.

She strode around the tomb and saw the cat had nearly finished the fish. It hadn't noticed her looking at the tomb, "Was that good?" She asked, grinning. The cat looked up and eyed her suspiciously. Maederhwen giggled, "Look at you, staring at me like you think I'm your worst enemy." She patted the top of the tomb, making the cat hiss again, "I have the same name as this elf buried here. Or, I am called that name anyway. I am looking for her twin brother, Elivor."

The cat relaxed a little, as though something it had been worried about turned out to be nothing. Maederhwen straightened and looked down at the tomb again, "I think they look very alike. Their faces are exactly the same." The cat made a noise of surprise, "Well, I am only looking at an image of her so I cannot be sure." She turned back to the cat, "He carries her sword, you know."

The cat gave another louder noise of surprise, "Yes, it is true. Look." She reached down her shirt again and pulled out a thin sword, "This is what he carries all the time. I first noticed when I saw it close up during a hunt with him. You see?" She drew it out of its sheath and showed the cat the blade, "The difference between male soldiers' swords and female soldiers' swords is that female soldiers' swords are slightly thinner and longer. Male soldiers' swords also have serrated edges while this one is smooth."

She smiled and put the sword back in its sheath, "He must have gone looking for it when she died. That was why he was missing for six months. When he found it, he thought 'this sword was wielded by my sister and, in my sister's name, I shall carry it forth'. Something like that, anyway. Maybe he went to seek revenge after that. That was why he was gone so long." The cat was looking up at her with rapt interest, taking in every word she said, "Of course," She added, with a small smile at the cat, "that is just my guesswork. It could be something else for all I know. It is something that happens between siblings, friends and Niennas."

She then tossed the sword onto the floor. The cat immediately streaked to it, "Well, he might come here so I'd better leave these for him." She pulled out a long cloak from her empty quiver of arrows and Elivor's hat, "See you." She turned and walked from the room.

Even after her footsteps had faded, the cat still stared after her at the door. Then, after a moment's silent contemplation, the cat enlarged. The fur receded and the paws morphed into hands and feet. Elivor sat naked upon the marble floor for a moment, clothed in nothing but his skin and hair. After about a minute of astonished silence, he reached out and took the discarded objects from the floor.

The bells tolled through the silence, which was the signal that the temple was closing. As one, the elves within began to make their way out. Draco, Gailia, Deriyor and Maederhwen found each other among the crowd as soon as they were outside, "Any luck?"

There was a general shaking of heads and 'no's among them. Deriyor sighed and ran a hand through his hair wearily, "There is no point pursuing him through the night. Would we had Father with us. He is an expert at tracking all manner of things. Come, back to our caravan." The disappointed party trouped back to the caravan that was half hidden behind the throng of people. When they got there, however, they got a major surprise.

Someone was already sitting there when they arrived. They could see him silhouetted even from outside. Deriyor held out a hand, cautious, and made his way forward. This action made Draco feel worried about an ambush. His good luck in Valivial so far could not last. However, Deriyor let out a peal of laughter when he opened the tent flap, "Eli!"

Gailia hurried over to it and swept up into the caravan. By the time Maederhwen and Draco arrived, she had her arms around her son, speaking in relieved Elvish. Elivor looked as though he had not even noticed her there. He seemed distracted and kept his eyes to the floor. His hands were keeping the cloak he was wearing wrapped tightly around him. He could have been trying to keep out the cold except it was new spring and he was clothed in nothing else, except his usual hat. Draco wondered whether that hat could be taken off at all and whether it was permanently stuck there.

Maederhwen settled herself opposite him without fear and, every now and again, Elivor would glance up at her. Except for those time, he kept staring silently at the floor, ignoring all questions posed to him. This was irritating to Deriyor who wanted to know where he had been and kept asking him over and over again. Draco could understand most of the questions posed to Elivor now.

The visit to Garthiel's temple had been very rewarding for Draco. Not because he was interested in the architecture but because he could test himself on Elvish language. He had learned surprisingly much with Gailia as a teacher. Now, he felt even more confident in this world and that he was now a part of it, not just a visitor. This was now where he belonged.

It was only when Gailia lit a lantern that Draco realised something, "Maederhwen, you're bigger."

For she was. Her legs were longer, her limbs more defined (or her legs were since she was wearing tight breeches) and the frailty of a young girl was fading from her. She looked down, as though she hadn't noticed. When she looked surprised, Gailia looked her over and nodded,

"Yes, the Regression is definitely losing its hold over you. You never can tell how long it will take. It could happen in an instant, it could take ten years, but you are already beginning to grow back into your old self."

"What makes you grow back?" Maederhwen asked and, seeing Gailia's expression, sheepishly added, "I never paid much attention to my tutors."

"It depends. More often than not, it is doing the opposite of what you did previously. The Regression has benefited many people and helped them learn the error of their ways."

"So," Maederhwen said, slowly, "hypothetically speaking, if a Regressed elf had disobeyed their parents nearly all their life and caused nothing but trouble before but starting helping others after Regressing, they would start growing back?"

"I have never heard of that happening," Gailia said, slowly, "but that could work, yes. Why?" She leaned in closer, "Were you a troublemaker?"

"I cannot say, lady." She shook her head, "I cannot return to my old life."

"Speaking of it is the first step towards recovery."

"No." Maederhwen shook her head again, "I cannot say."

Draco frowned. It had certainly sounded like that was her case from the way she said it. Maederhwen joined Elivor in silence all the way through the rest of the trip. It was past midnight by the time they reached Maltandir's house. Arawen and Marilla had both dozed off on a couch together, looking as though they had been waiting for them to come back all day. Maederhwen ran up the stairs to her room without a backward glance while Elivor sat on the windowsill, staring out of the window, deep in thought.

The night waned on and Elivor was not the only one who was sleepless. The dungeons of Ariador were silent but for the steady footfalls of the guards. The few prisoners were asleep by now. All but one. The Prince lay upon the hard bed in nothing but a long white robe embroidered with a few golden runes, what all prisoners of Ariador wore. He could not sleep.

Ithilio, does it so please you to keep me from my sleep? Have all the deities united against me? He slid off the bed and undid his robe down to his waist, baring his pale back to the small window, Come, deity of air. Send your wildest winds and lash me until I bleed. I have not been lashed and so desire it. But the breeze remained soft and gentle upon his bare skin,

They will not outright punish me but deny what I desire. Such as I did to Draco. He did up his shirt again and looked out of the tiny window. One could barely see past the grass but he couldn't help but look, What does Draco do now? The potion works so that he cannot love another. Does he grieve over me? He slumped upon the bed again, Marilla said that he cried himself to sleep. Does he sleep with tears upon his face now?

He closed his eyes but not in an effort to sleep. He knew that it would come to him, Harivosl has long left this land. Eitel is coming. Draco would love to see this place in spring...as perhaps his last sight of this world...He had been mulling over the ultimatum his mother had given him. Should he requite Draco's love but run the risk of hurting him again in a rage? Or remove Draco's love altogether, never to return, and condemn himself to a lifetime of being loveless?

It is what you deserve, said the same voice in his head that told him to imprison himself, You do not deserve love and happiness. You have caused so much misery that it is only fair for you to suffer all your life too. You will marry only for money and producing an heir. You are Calasier Avamela and this is what you are destined to this life.

He buried his face in his pillow in an effort to prevent tears. He did not want Draco to suffer anymore but, with every day of imprisonment, his love of Draco increased, paining him even more. He could not bare to think of the life he would have after he lost him.

His sad thoughts were punctured by the sound of the door opening. Surprised, he raised his head from the pillow and looked around. The door opened and closed, letting in a figure. His father stood there, smiling sadly at the state of his son, "Uteire." Hari slowly stood, wondering what his father wanted now after only a few days of imprisonment,

"Sit down, Hari." As Hari sank down obediently, the King moved over to him and pulled his face up. After a moment's critical examination, he sighed, "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I have made my choice." Hari would not move from this place until a month had passed,

"Marilla and Arawen visited today. They say Draco is doing very well." He smiled at Hari's sudden interest as soon as Draco was mentioned, "He is learning much about the elven world. I do not know why you did not teach him this before." Hari did not answer. He did not know either. Had he taught Draco something of Valivial, he might not have been in so much danger, Leaving a baby who cannot even walk in a dragon's den is not as criminal as this. He bowed his head in shame. His father patted his shoulder,

"Never mind. Listen, Hari. I want to talk to you about the choice your mother gave you." His smile faltered a little and placed his hands on his son's head. The moonlight made his hair shine dark blue, "We want Draco to be happy in this world but we want you to be happy too. We really want you to have a Nienna. We don't know why you are so reluctant to love someone but, now you have found someone you love, you need to hold onto them. Your mother never liked me at first, you know. She hated me but I held on. I kept trying to get her to like me and, in the end, I got what I wanted."

"You never had to deceive Athara, though." Hari sighed, "You are not as terrible as I."

"We don't like having to lie to Draco. I have to admit, I like him too. He'd make a fine Nienna for you. As time goes on, he'll become Elven like me. He will never die." Hari was still silent, "Draco is a good person deep down. He's not at all like I thought a son of Lucius Malfoy's would be like." Still silence, "We don't want to see you unhappy, son. If you let Draco go now, you will never know happiness for the rest of your life. I will never be happy until you are. If Draco is the one to give you happiness, then I would let him be deceived. Both of you shall be content and we will have peace of mind when we pass the crowns to you."

Hari raised his head. His eyes were full of tears, "Do I not also have your love?"

"You have my love, Uteire." Still crying, he buried his face into his father's stomach, embracing him tightly to vainly conceal his tears.

A/N: Aw, how cute. Please review!