Half-Dragon
Chapter 3: Laurana's Answers
Keaira, Gilthas, and Silvan walked silently through the forests of Qualinesti. Gilthas had a feeling that his mother would know something about it. Gilthas looked at his apparently younger cousin, and sighed. He had absolutely no idea what her father had meant by saying 'sprout silver wings.' But perhaps his mother knew.
Lauranthasala was sitting in her garden, looking at the concealed entrance that had been used by Tas at the beginning of the War of Souls. She saw movement through the entrance. To her relief, her son stepped through. He was followed by another elflord, and a hooded young elf—female, most likely.
"Gilthas," she cried.
"I'm here, Mother."
"Who are your friends?" she asked, suddenly remembering the other elves.
"This is my cousin, Silvanoshei, Speaker of the Stars." Silvan bowed slightly.
Laurana bowed in response. "I greet you, Speaker," she said quietly and respectfully.
"I greet you, Princess Lauranthasala," Silvan responded.
"And who is your other friend?" Laurana asked, gesturing to the girl.
"This is Keaira, Speaker of the Moons, Queen of the Kaganesti," Gilthas said quietly.
Keaira removed her hood, and met Laurana stare for stare.
Laurana gasped. "You're the very image of—but it can't be. It just can't!"
"Lady?" Keaira asked, looking concerned.
"I'm all right. You're just so much like—what's your father's name, child?"
"My father was Gilthanas, elflord of the Qualinesti."
"Was?"
"He died a few weeks ago, Lady."
"Oh," Laurana said, looking very much upset. "He was my brother."
"I know."
"And you are…"
"Your niece, lady."
"Then I greet you—Keaira, was it?"
"Yes, aunt."
"Then, I greet you, Keaira."
"Mother," Gilthas cut in.
"What is it, Gilthas?"
"We need your help."
"With what?"
"Her father told her to contact us—Silvan and I—and to 'sprout silver wings.' Do you have any idea as to what he meant?"
"Hmmm…I don't know. Wait a minute…"
"What, Mother?" Gilthas was almost as eager as his cousin.
"That wouldn't work…she would have had to have been born…When were you born, Keaira?"
"Just after the War of the Lance, lady."
"But you look so young…then again…"
"Do you have any idea what Father meant by telling me to sprout silver wings?" Keaira looked very eager.
"Well…during the War of the Lance, he fell in love with a Kaganesti woman. Well, we thought she was a Kaganesti. Her name was Silvart—no, Silvara."
"You say you thought she was a Kaganesti," Silvan said slowly. "What do you mean?"
"She was a dragon. A silver dragon."
Gilthas and Silvan were shocked. "A—a dragon? Are you serious??" Silvan asked.
"Very serious, Silvanoshei," Laurana whispered.
"But—but how could a dragon look like a Kaganesti? Forgive me, lady, but it just seems absurd!"
"We would have thought so, too. But Silvara was a dragon, and dragons can change their shapes."
"They can?" Gilthas asked.
"They can."
"So, would Keaira be able to shape-shift?" Silvan asked.
"We don't even know if Silvara is—or was—her mother. Is your mother still alive, Keaira?"
"She disappeared around the time of the Chaos War, lady."
"Then she could still be alive!" Laurana said, getting almost as excited as the young elven rulers. "Do you know where she disappeared to?"
"Somewhere near Neraka, I believe, lady."
They discussed plans for a few moments, and then decided that Gilthas, Keaira, and Silvan would go to the mountains in search of Silvara, in an attempt to find out if she was Keaira's mother. Laurana would stay behind and serve as regent for the Qualinesti, and attempt to arrange to be regent for the Silvanesti as well. She offered to serve as regent for the Kaganesti, but Keaira told her flatly that the Kaganesti needed no such thing.
They left at dawn.
Chapter 3: Laurana's Answers
Keaira, Gilthas, and Silvan walked silently through the forests of Qualinesti. Gilthas had a feeling that his mother would know something about it. Gilthas looked at his apparently younger cousin, and sighed. He had absolutely no idea what her father had meant by saying 'sprout silver wings.' But perhaps his mother knew.
Lauranthasala was sitting in her garden, looking at the concealed entrance that had been used by Tas at the beginning of the War of Souls. She saw movement through the entrance. To her relief, her son stepped through. He was followed by another elflord, and a hooded young elf—female, most likely.
"Gilthas," she cried.
"I'm here, Mother."
"Who are your friends?" she asked, suddenly remembering the other elves.
"This is my cousin, Silvanoshei, Speaker of the Stars." Silvan bowed slightly.
Laurana bowed in response. "I greet you, Speaker," she said quietly and respectfully.
"I greet you, Princess Lauranthasala," Silvan responded.
"And who is your other friend?" Laurana asked, gesturing to the girl.
"This is Keaira, Speaker of the Moons, Queen of the Kaganesti," Gilthas said quietly.
Keaira removed her hood, and met Laurana stare for stare.
Laurana gasped. "You're the very image of—but it can't be. It just can't!"
"Lady?" Keaira asked, looking concerned.
"I'm all right. You're just so much like—what's your father's name, child?"
"My father was Gilthanas, elflord of the Qualinesti."
"Was?"
"He died a few weeks ago, Lady."
"Oh," Laurana said, looking very much upset. "He was my brother."
"I know."
"And you are…"
"Your niece, lady."
"Then I greet you—Keaira, was it?"
"Yes, aunt."
"Then, I greet you, Keaira."
"Mother," Gilthas cut in.
"What is it, Gilthas?"
"We need your help."
"With what?"
"Her father told her to contact us—Silvan and I—and to 'sprout silver wings.' Do you have any idea as to what he meant?"
"Hmmm…I don't know. Wait a minute…"
"What, Mother?" Gilthas was almost as eager as his cousin.
"That wouldn't work…she would have had to have been born…When were you born, Keaira?"
"Just after the War of the Lance, lady."
"But you look so young…then again…"
"Do you have any idea what Father meant by telling me to sprout silver wings?" Keaira looked very eager.
"Well…during the War of the Lance, he fell in love with a Kaganesti woman. Well, we thought she was a Kaganesti. Her name was Silvart—no, Silvara."
"You say you thought she was a Kaganesti," Silvan said slowly. "What do you mean?"
"She was a dragon. A silver dragon."
Gilthas and Silvan were shocked. "A—a dragon? Are you serious??" Silvan asked.
"Very serious, Silvanoshei," Laurana whispered.
"But—but how could a dragon look like a Kaganesti? Forgive me, lady, but it just seems absurd!"
"We would have thought so, too. But Silvara was a dragon, and dragons can change their shapes."
"They can?" Gilthas asked.
"They can."
"So, would Keaira be able to shape-shift?" Silvan asked.
"We don't even know if Silvara is—or was—her mother. Is your mother still alive, Keaira?"
"She disappeared around the time of the Chaos War, lady."
"Then she could still be alive!" Laurana said, getting almost as excited as the young elven rulers. "Do you know where she disappeared to?"
"Somewhere near Neraka, I believe, lady."
They discussed plans for a few moments, and then decided that Gilthas, Keaira, and Silvan would go to the mountains in search of Silvara, in an attempt to find out if she was Keaira's mother. Laurana would stay behind and serve as regent for the Qualinesti, and attempt to arrange to be regent for the Silvanesti as well. She offered to serve as regent for the Kaganesti, but Keaira told her flatly that the Kaganesti needed no such thing.
They left at dawn.