Chapter Sixty-one

Shadow of the Past

The two guards led us down the western trail, and then a smaller trail that branched off of it, heading north. That trail led to a small encampment. Yurt-like tents were built in nearly a perfect circle, breaking only where the trail came into the small clearing. There was a fire pit in the center of them, with tables in between.

There were some other elves eating eggs and meat at the tables. A fire burned in the pit, though it was not popping and crackling as most fires do. Of course, someone there was bound to have a way to make a non-consuming fire.

Sephra jumped back at one point, and an ethereal hand poked her in the eye. Jörgen chuckled under his breath. Muirios pulled Melima aside. "What's been going on? Where have you been?"

I let them have their privacy, but Jörgen shouted at them after a minute. "Oi, Melima! Me and Ari are going to the bar, we'll see you later!"

They walked over to a group of guards. Ari'yasa in front. "Hello, boys. Where can a girl get a drink around here?"

They welcomed them over, and a couple of the guards brought out several types of drinks. They were having a good time, and making a little bit of a ruckus. They got along so well, the two types of elves. I hadn't expected that. I'd expected two different camps that just tolerated each other to protect the Tree. It did my heart good to see that unity was possible, it wasn't just my parents.

Every now and then a wood elf sitting by the fire would snap his fingers at them, and the guards would straighten up for a little bit. He was dressed in all black, twirling a dagger in his hand. He didn't look at them whenever he snapped, but he didn't have to.

A female high elf came out of a tent, holding a large warhammer that looked too big for her. Keothi talked to her, and they examined each other's weapons. Melima looked at them during her conversation with her brother, then threw some money on the table. "My money's on Keothi!"

Muirios chuckled and threw some money on the table too. He was quieter, and I couldn't hear all of what he said, but he was facing me and I could read his lips. "Eh, I would take that bet. Thuria is one of the fiercest competitors, other than Nieven himself. She is one of the fiercest fighters out here."

Thuria motioned to an area behind the tents with battle dummies, an archery range, and an area with a battle arena. Keothi looked at me with longing eyes. "Can we?"

I laughed and waved him off to fight. It could get interesting. E'ran led me to an empty table so we could talk in peace. "Where is your father? Where is he now?"

"Uh, actually, I'm not entirely sure where he is, because our hometown got attacked. But he assured me he'd be safe," I said quickly.

His eyes went wide. "Under attack? From what?"

"From goblins."

"Oh, yes." He relaxed a little. "Yes, I remember hearing about the Orc horde and goblins invading the Human lands. Was that near your hometown?"

"Yes. Actually, they were directly attacking our hometown right about the time I left, when I was called away to join a group, and we ended up finding out what was going on with the Tree, and..."

"Indeed." He looked at me with a combination of sadness and amazement. "Tell me about yourself. Where, where— You are so different." His eyes then found my amulet. "You follow the Platinum Dragon."

"Ah, yeah, I do. That's kind of been a recent development, but yes."

"Interesting, interesting." He smiled.

"I noticed your armor insignia as well," I said.

"Ah, yes." He looked down at it and followed parts of the engraving with his finger.

Now was as good a time as ever, and I'd better mention it before I started asking too many questions. "My father told me that I should tell you to stand for all."

"And never falter... Your father told you this?" He had a surprised tone to his voice.

"He did."

He smirked a little bit. "That was something your father and I created between us once when we were sent out. Every once in a while, when things get rough or bad around here, we sometimes go out on missions to capture a threat that's nearby. And we always wanted a way to tell when someone came back who they really were, and we used this as a way to know for sure that it really was us."

My hunch was right then, it was a security phrase. I was glad I hadn't used it earlier. Being part of the White Guard sounded so amazing, I wished my father had told me about it before, when I was growing up. E'ran continued, "So, what can I help you with?"

"Um, part of my concern about being here, since I am from Lystran, is I don't know politics in the area, I don't know what happened to my father, I don't know if you know what happened to him, but I actually know very little about either of my parents' lives before they came to Lystran."

"Well, the last conversation I had with your father was that he told me about a girl that he had fallen in love with, but that it was forbidden, and of course as the White Guard, we are forbidden, at least while we are of the Guard, from taking families. And it was the next night that he disappeared."

His face turned sad again. "I hope whoever he found was worth it. Though obviously you are here, so some worth came out of it."

"I'm curious if there were any others among the wood elves that went missing around the same time?" I asked.

"Well, I mean, we don't get a lot of news here. We get some major things, as our families come here to see us, and as we take time ourselves to go see our families. But I know I remember hearing something from Tiriana about someone in her family leaving around the same time. I did not connect them at the time, though now, as I think about it, those would coincide."

I didn't recognize the name he mentioned, though I figured it was that druid I'd seen at the Tree. E'ran saw the puzzlement in my face. "Oh, Tiriana is one of the druids, you saw her with the curled staff with the gem."

"I was wondering. She looks just like my mother." Was Tiriana my aunt?

"Your mother is a Lussanen?"

"My mother is Meldalós Lussanen"

He stammered for just a second. "Indeed. Much has changed in the last, probably almost fifty years now. The Lussanen family is no longer, shall we say, in command of the wood elves. The royal family has, as far as I know, in a way stepped down, because of whatever happened, and a council was set up, temporarily, though it has gone on for a number of years now, and seems to be working.

"I know a number of the Elven families would like to see the Lussanens back on the throne. They were a kind and generous family. They kept the peace and culture alive and well in the wood elves. Though I myself would love to one day visit the wood elf capital, the situation does not help it right now."

"Yeah... I'm hoping we can help things not be so tense." I'd have to process all that later, E'ran didn't know much about it.

"I hope so. Well, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I'm just wondering how you think that some of my family on the High Elven side, the Nosgarthas, would react to me, obviously being both high and wood elf."

"Well, being that you from the outside look more like a wood elf, other than your ears, there are definitely going to be mixed reactions. One of the, at least the elders of the family are more strict to the old ways, though some of the younger of the family may be more inclined to be open to it. Though I would say just to tread... Tread cautiously. We of the White Guard are more open and trusting, just 'cause we work with each other, but it's something that we're going to have to work on. That I wish more people would work on."

"Me as well," I laughed.

"But being of the blood of both, you may have some advantages here and there. But at the same time some disadvantages."

I nodded. "I've been a little bit frightened for my safety as I've been traveling around Fenraas."

"Why are you frightened for your safety?"

"Just because I don't know how people would react to me. I don't know if I'd be seen as some type of abomination, or just a curiosity, but I didn't want to risk it."

"Well, initially I'd definitely say you're a curiosity, but you will get mixed reactions, definitely. I don't think that anyone will necessarily just try and kill you outright just because of who you are. But there have been few, though far between, marriages and offspring of mixed wood and high elf. So just be safe, be on your guard, but I think you should be okay. Just be wary if you head to Felspring. If you are traveling with, what was her name...? Melima, the Moonfeathers, you should be safe enough with the royal family if you are in their care and their trust. Just stay with them, don't wander off."

"I appreciate that, thank you." I didn't need to fear for my safety, I was glad to know that. And there might be others like me around. I just hadn't understood how things were among the elves.

Wait, that's what Bahamut had been trying to tell me! Fear is a lack of understanding. What more wasn't I understanding? "Are you a cleric, or a paladin? Or..."

"I am a cleric, of the Platinum Dragon. I have been for many years. Nearly... Oof. Probably getting close to two-hundred years now. A long time."

"That is a long time. Yeah, I just recently became a cleric for the Platinum Dragon as well." I didn't really feel like telling him just how recently that had happened. Not right then.

"I see you carry the symbol."

"I do, I'm still very much learning about him. Like I said, it was a really recent development. It's actually only been in the last couple of weeks that I've come to trust him."

"You seem troubled by this. Why?"

"I just have a history with dragons. So, when I was learning about him..." How much should I tell E'ran? "...and he appeared to me, it was a little bit frightening at first."

"He has appeared to you? That is impressive for someone so young."

My voice was higher. "I'm still trying to figure it all out. But he's told me that I need to help with this whole situation with the Tree."

"Well, if he trusts you, and your father trusted you with our secret, I trust you."

He smiled. "You remind me so much of your father. He always talked of dragons, of going and hunting dragons..." Father? Dragons? Why didn't he ever talk about it? After all the studying I did! And E'ran was okay with this as a follower of Bahamut? He was probably hunting chromatic dragons.

"He always wanted to go off into the forest and just go hunt." Father liked going out in the forest too? I always thought I'd gotten that from Mother as a wood elf.

"Interestingly enough, our friend over there..." he pointed to the wood elf in black that was snapping at the other guards. "...used to refer to your father as, uh, Shadow."

My breath left me for a moment. "What?"

"He used to refer to him as a shadow, because he would go out into the trees, and disappear into the canopy with his bow. And though our friend over here, our roguish friend could hide, he always seemed to be able to get the jump on him, and our rogue friend never really quite liked him as much as he should have."

So many thoughts going on at once, I was having a hard time processing everything he was saying. Shadow? He couldn't, could he? How? "What... What weapons— Was my father an archer as well?"

"Yes, he was a ranger. That's why when your father disappeared they went to your family line and found another archer to take his place that had been closely trained, and they spent a number of years training Kalos to come and take his place. Though Kalos is nowhere near the ranger that your father was."

An archer? A ranger? And one of the best? Why didn't he ever teach me? Well, maybe he did... "I had no idea, he..." I took a deep breath. "...he never talked about it. I don't know why."

"I'm guessing it was hard for him to leave. It was his life to be here, he loved being a White Guard, but the love of another kept him."

"How long ago was it that he disappeared?

"Um, it would have been... about ninety, ninety-five years ago. Something like that. Nearly a century. It's been so long since I've seen him."

"That's a little bit longer than I would have thought, but it makes sense." How long before I was born had I expected they'd left? Soon before? Much longer?

"Or at least, that's when he disappeared and left. Where he went after he left, I don't know. Well, I guess you know. He ended up going to Lystran!"

He glanced around. "Well, I'd better get back, I am supposed to be on duty. Unless there is something else that you needed."

"Um, not right now. I think my brain is kind of full right now. Thank you."

"Well, if you hang around here— Are you going to stay around here for a while? Or will you be moving quickly?"

"I don't know how quickly we'll be moving, probably fairly quickly, but we need to regroup and decide what we're doing now that we've been here."

"Indeed. Well, if you stay around a little while you can talk with Kalos and meet him, and see a relative of sorts."

"Yeah, I guess I have two here."

"Well, in a way you kind of have more than that. If you are a Lussanen as well you will want to meet Tiriana as well."

"Yeah." Unless there was another high elf there that was a cousin, it sounded like E'ran and my father had a relationship like brothers. Did he consider me as family? I'd accept that.

"Well, I'd better be off." He stood and straightened his armor before walking back to the Tree.

I'd just hoped to get a better idea of my standing in the Elven communities, but I got much more than I bargained for. My father was a ranger. What traits did I get from my mother then? I never thought of my father as a woods-loving man, other than his woodworking. Were Shadow and my father really the same person? But Shadow was Human! How would he have disguised himself? How did he get his trance in, but still pretended to need the rest humans did? Well, I mostly knew where to find Shadow now.

That meant it was my father that saved my life. How did he keep it together, while pretending to be a disinterested party? I had been so badly wounded! I almost died! I would have died, had it not been for him. It wasn't a stranger that nursed me back to health, it was my own father! Well, maybe it was a stranger, it was a part of my father I had no idea existed until now, if it really was him.

How had he found me? Had he followed me into the forest? Was he already disguised? How often did he do that? Were there other times he saved me, and I never even knew I was in danger?

And then the Lussanens, my family, no longer ruled? And it was my mother's fault? Would it make it worse or help resolve things if I showed up? If things changed because my mother left, had she been next in line for the throne? Was that why things changed, was there no longer an heir? Did that mean I would be in line for the throne?

So many questions. I'd have to wait for my family members to get off duty to learn more.