Disclaimer: This is not the final version as it will be available from the usual e-book sellers and eventually, bookstores. Rather, it should be seen as an (almost) final draft. If you are interested in becoming a beta reader, or you have any comments, suggestions or thoughts that you feel I should consider before publishing please drop me a line using the contact form.
Introduction to Elvenkind
They came to the alchemist’s quarter and Gladiuth led her to the \textit{Ye Olde Shoppe}. It was quite a large building, built from rough grey stone. The shop was on the ground floor, which was slightly raised, with three steps leading up to a large double front door. The door was jammed open with a lump of unidentifiable cast iron. Inside was a second door with multicoloured stained glass. Little bells rung when Gladiuth opened the inner door. Gladiuth swept in and Ala followed, feeling self-conscious in her dirty garb. There was a long counter, behind which lots of shelves filled with thousands of little bottles and containers. It smelt, just a little, of herbs and exotic things. A large black bear was lying on the counter looking at them lazily, putting its head at Ala’s eye height, which was startling. It was a far cry from what she had expected to see.
Gladiuth was unfazed and spoke as if to a shop attendant.
“Hullo Georgina. Are they in?”
Ala looked round, there was no one else in sight. He must be addressing the bear, Ala realised, as she double checked that there really was no one else there.
“Uhm, I take it the bear is a pet?”
“Don’t call her that, she doesn’t like it. She prefers ‘friend’.”
“Sorry, Georgina,” Ala mumbled. It seemed prudent.
The bear sort of groaned. It sounded like mild exasperation to Ala. The bear rolled on its back, almost falling off the counter, and put a paw in the air.
“Upstairs huh? Thanks.”
Ala was rapidly getting the impression she had missed a lot, growing up in Thetwick. Gladiuth led them through a door in the back of the shop. Ala brushed the door frame as she followed, because she was still staring at the bear, which had already gone back to sleep judging by its breathing. The door led to a hallway with wide stairs going up.
“Mother, I have someone here I’d like you to meet,” called Gladiuth.
“Hello child. Why can’t you just call me Yesme, like normal elven children would?”
The voice came from upstairs.
“Sorry mother. Perhaps I’m not a normal elven child?”
A beautiful woman with fine features and earthy skin, brown, slightly curly hair and piercing green eyes appeared at the top of the stairs. Her hair was arranged in a long braid, clearly showing pointed ears. She was wearing a practical, though stylish dark green dress with a sort of leather doublet in a lighter, beige colour over it that accentuated her shape. If she was human you’d think she was in her late twenties, if that. They came up to the landing.
“Don’t I know it. So, you are Alagariel,” she stated.
She came forward, clasped Ala’s hands and kissed her cheek. Yesme looked her over slowly.
“Welcome to my home. Gladiuth has told me a little about you. Do you speak elven?”
Yesme looked at the grime and dust marks that covered Ala’s tabard before she could answer.
“What has he been doing with you? Rolling around in the practice yard with swords no doubt?”
Ala spotted a different sort of appraisal going on behind Yesme’s eyes too. Like she was wondering whether the rolling around might not have been with swords.
Ala quickly replied, in elven, hoping her accent wasn’t too awful, “yes madam. I’m sorry.”
Yesme smiled, also continuing in elven.
“Don’t be. I’m used to it. Come in to the sitting room and sit down. Gladiuth will organise us some refreshments. Maybe you can convince Talathiel to join us too, Glad?”
Ala was ushered into a large cosy room, with overstuffed chairs and many shelves with books and more vials and containers. It had a certain elegance to it too. It wasn’t quite cluttered, though it was getting there. It exuded warmth and comfort. There were piles of books and interesting objects all over. Ala liked it there a lot.
“So I understand I’m the first elf you’ve ever talked to?”
“Yes madam, that’s true. At least, I was very young when I was taken in by humans. It just seemed like I should, seek out… I have… so many questions.”
“Well, for starters, please address me as Yesme. I’ll explain what I can, though I’m not the best example of elven kind, nor the most knowledgeable. I’m one of the few elves who actually grew up completely in human cities, though I’ve moved around a bit in the last three and half centuries.”
“Is that unusual?”
“For a full elf, yes. As you must have experienced the ageing discrepancy can be a strain on relationships with humans. I feel that too, obviously, but I don’t really know any better.”
Ala nodded, “it’s not nice, losing people all the time.”
“No. It isn’t. I suppose in my case there have always been at least a few elves around too, which perhaps alleviates things a little. I imagine you must have lacked that?”
“No other elves… or even half-elves for most of my life. I long thought I was a half elf and it seems no one in Thetwick was well enough travelled to tell me any different.”
“You thought you were a half-elf? That’s a new one. How did that come about?”
“The Westmarch isn’t the most open minded of communities. When I arrived I think I was somewhere between four and six decades old. My adoptive mother reasoned that the people of the town would feel less threatened by someone who was at least half human.”
“That isn’t an unreasonable thought. But she didn’t even tell you?”
“To be honest, I think it was all a misunderstanding. It simply never occurred to anyone that it was possible that I didn’t know I was an elf.”
Yesme smiled again, “what a way to go through a century. That must have been confusing, eventually.”
“Perhaps a little. I did meet an actual half elf, but to be honest for a long time I thought it the difference in our rate of ageing was probably because our parents were obviously of different subspecies. She didn’t know her elven father either, so she knew as little as I did.”
“Well, I can certainly imagine you must have many questions. My older sister has lived among elves mostly, it’s why I asked Gladiuth to see if she’ll come down. She’s a little stormy. Water elf, you know. They can be like that. You, are in fact the first fire elf I’ve ever met.”
“Truly? Are fire elves that rare?”
“I was born some time after the land of Fire fell. I’m told a great many died around that time. Talathiel does have some experience with your kind. But she’s all but certain there are other surviving fire elves, somewhere if that’s some consolation.”
“It’s certainly… heartening.”
“Tala’s substantially older than I am. It may be a while till she makes her appearance, please, ask me what you will, I’ll try and answer as best I can.”
“Thank you. I suppose my biggest question is quite predictable. I have no idea who my parents were, or if they’re alive. Is there some way to find out about the lineages of the fire elves? Is there some way of finding out if there might have been a missing child around two centuries ago?”
“I’ll have to admit, that is puzzling to me. Elves don’t have many children, so what children are born are all the more precious. Fire Elves were always the least numerous, even before the fall of Fire, so if anything they are the most careful with their offspring. After what happened in Fire, your sort of elves has become so scarce that you may be the first of your kind to visit Iurrak in centuries. I think there’s many humans who doubt fire elves ever existed.”
“I think most of them have forgotten about it, to be honest.”
“Short memories, humans. Now, if there was anyone alive who knew of your existence, or had heard about the survival of an elven child in the Westmarch, well, I would have expected someone… several someones in fact, to come looking. It’s quite mysterious, actually.”
Yesme looked pensive, frowning, like she was thinking about how that was possible.
“I don’t know. The whole town thought I was a half-elf. Unless the elves check every mention of a half-elf, I don’t suppose they would have had a reason to come looking in Thetwick. I don’t think anyone ever came to check on Alissa’s parentage either. I don’t know if her father even knew that her mother became pregnant.”
“It’s as reasonable an explanation as any. Half-elves are certainly more of a grey area, which is sad all on its own.”
“Not really part of any one people. Still though, thinking I was a half-elf it certainly made me think at least a part of me belonged among humans. Now I suppose I still feel that way. But… is there a book perhaps, a history of the fire-elves which I could look over? Maybe some sort of work that describes lineages, like heralds do for nobles?”
“There are such works of course, particularly concerning Fire Elves I would imagine. Not that I have anything like that here. You will probably have to visit Amahle, in the Kingdom of Water. Metal would probably be even better, but its awfully far away.”
“My friend mentioned Amahle. I think I’d like to visit it, when the whole business with the inheritance is settled.”
“Humans don’t have much of an insight into elven history, as you may have noticed. Our culture is somewhat homogeneous to them. Monolithic even. Our timescales certainly don’t help. To them we seem rather unchanging. Understandable I suppose, when the last things that elves consider important happened during one’s grandfather’s grandfathers days it makes sense for humans to consider such events ancient and often irrelevant history. An example is the calendars. Has anyone ever explained the difference?”
“Elves have a different calendar?”
“No. In fact the human calendar is the elven calendar. The only difference is how we use it. To the humans, the year is 994. To us, well, its 19994.”
“Elves add nineteen thousand years? That’s what the ’19th millennium’ at the bottom of official parchments is all about?”
Yesme nodded.
“I’ve been brought up to say the humans ignore it. The exciting thing of course is what happens when the millennium rolls around? But I digress. Oh one thing that may be of interest, considering your name. Do you know what happened in year zero?”
“Wait a moment… is that… then… the first year of the reign of ancient Alagariel? Truly?”
“Yes. That’s right. My but you’re quick. All the more interesting with a Fire Elf named Alagariel sitting in my drawing room. Anyway, books. While I don’t own any works that specifically concern fire elves, I do have some more general titles, if you’d like to read them.”
“I would like that,” mumbled Ala, still distracted by the revelation about the calendar.
“Now, I will explain what I can, a short primer at least. The five kinds of elves always lived in a kind of symbiosis, an alliance that we called the Five Nations, up until recently. Recently in elven terms being half a millennium.”
“I think only elves could call that recent.”
“You see what I mean about the human perspective? To a human, the situation as it is seems normal, it has been that way for perhaps fifteen of their generations. To us, it’s a recent change, something that my parents were a part of. Something that my sister was alive for. Now, come, let’s sit.”
Ala sat in one of the big seats, upholstered in red leather with lots of stuffing. She sank down into it, it was very comfortable. She loved this place. Yesme continued her story.
“Only now do we really see groups of wood elves living mostly without other kinds mixed in, and the same goes for the other elven kinds. There has been a slow tendency for the sub species gravitate towards one another. As I understand it, the fire elves were traditionally the leaders of the elves, by virtue of their nature.”
“Their nature? What do you mean.”
“Brightness. Warmth. Light. Like fire, mesmerising in times, you know… when you look a flame, you can be captured by it, only watching it dance as time disappears. The warmth of the hearth that the community gathers around. While at the same time, the danger that is inherent in fire too. The potential to run wild and destroy. That’s what Fire Elves are like.”
Ala couldn’t imagine that described her. The intensity with which Yesme said it however made it clear that she was convinced that it was true.
“But… that’s…. we’re not really like that, I’m not like that. It’s just an idea isn’t it?”
“Oh my. So young… so… have you seen yourself? Human society has a massive shortage of mirrors of any quality, I know… but… well, until this afternoon I might have thought it just an idea too. Since you walked in however, I now fully understand. I… had not expected the effect to be so… profound.”
It was true. Ala had never really seen herself well. There were some very poor mirrors in Thetwick and she’d seen her own warped reflection in water many times of course.
“We didn’t really have many decent mirrors in Thetwick.”
“Come here then, I have one.”
Yesme led her through the hall to what was clearly her bed chamber. It was the same sort of style as the sitting room with a large four poster bed that was piled high with pillows and quilts. In the corner stood a full length mirror. Ala couldn’t imagine what it might be worth. Yesme gestured for her to look.
She wasn’t really surprised by what she saw, after all she knew what she looked like. She thought about the way Yesme had described Fire Elves. She just saw herself, in more detail than ever. Yet… there was something she couldn’t place. Was that something all those things Yesme had described?
“You see?”
“I don’t know? I’m just me. Well, I’ve never had such a good look at me, I think. I’m not sure I completely get it.”
Yesme smiled. “I should have known. There is another thing they say about Fire and Fire Elves. Fire is not self-aware, it just is and does, moving with inevitability and complete confidence. I’m not sure if that’s completely true, but your reaction made me think of it. Come along now, let’s get back to the sitting room. Perhaps, Tala will have finally deigned to come down.”
When they were both seated there again, Yesme continued her explanation.
“Now, where were we? Oh yes, Fire Elves’ role in elven society. I learned they always made a conscious effort to keep the elves mingling, to keep things…. changing. Until the last elven high king, Anfos, was driven out by demons or some other unnameables around a five hundred years ago.”
“Demons?”
“A catch all term for… powerful supernatural entities that… well, I suppose one could say, have different priorities than is customary from… what we consider normal.”
“What would normal be?”
“Life, love, the pursuit of happiness? I don’t really know exactly, but whatever a demon is, if they even really exist, their goals diverge significantly from what the Vatan’s sentient species would term as important.”
“You don’t think thy exist?”
“No I think they probably do. Whether they are really involved in what happened with Fire? I don’t know. I’m not clear on the details and it was quite a time before I was born. No one seems to be clear on the details in fact, like its some big secret.”
“A secret? Why is that?”
“I’m afraid the vagaries of elven politics are probably almost as opaque to me as they are to you. The High King of the Elves had an important role in elven society, mythical even.”
“The Fire Elves are somehow connected to this myth?”
“The elven myth is that we are the protectors of the world, courtesy of a Queen the humans call Alagariel in their faerytales. It goes on to state that while there is a High King or Queen, the world is safe from invasion by demons or the great darkness or whatever it is that no one seems to be able to clearly define. Whatever bad things might happen without a High King or Queen, it clearly hasn’t happened during the last five centuries, so I suppose we have to wonder whether it was ever true – unless such disasters play out on an elven timescale rather than a human one of course.”
“So there hasn’t been a Fire Elven High King or Queen of five hundred years?”
“That’s right. Thing is, in elven terms I’m not exactly old and well, having spent so much time among humans, I’m not especially up to date on the way the whole Five Nations thing is meant to function when it’s working properly. So I wish my sister would make an appearance.”
“You’ve already been able to tell me so many things I had absolutely no idea of,” said Ala.
Yesme glanced at the door again, “Talathiel must be having one of her days. Gladiuth is obviously having trouble convincing her to come down, or they would have been here by now. Or perhaps they’re just having one of their customary disagreements. You may have to make do with me. I would have expected her to be curious about you. So, what do you want to know first?”
“There are so many things… I suppose history is as good a place to start as any. Everything you’ve just described, what does that do for today’s elves? How do they live?”
Ala was fascinated by the story and really wanted the she-elf to continue.
“Fragmented, is probably the best one-word description. Historically, there were five elven realms. Predictably there was Fire, Wood, Water, Earth and Metal. Each is a Kingdom. The first among equals was always Fire and traditionally, the High King or Queen has always been the King or Queen of Fire. Fire elves were thus always the elven high monarchs. The elven realms were ruled by noble families of each elven kind, but it doesn’t mean that their nation was populated predominantly by elves of that type. Even the royal families contain a mix of elves from different sub species, but the peers of the four realms other than fire are always of the elven kind sub race corresponding to their nation. There are even elven princes, dukes and whatnot other than the rulers of each elven land, but as in Iurrak and Selinus, whose systems were modelled on the elven one, they are not peers of the elven monarchy. Are you following?”
Ala nodded, she was fascinated by all this history of the people she had never known. Yesme continued her explanation.
“Each elven land has always contained a mix of all the elven sub species. That said, as I understand it, the fire elves were always the least numerous elven kind, so they were a minority even in the land of Fire. To preserve unity, there was much travel between the realms. Peers would visit each other’s realms for years at a time. That has decreased dramatically since the death of the High King. Fire has formally been ruled in name by a steward, who is in fact a Metal Elf, some Count or something I think it was. He has his residence in the Kingdom of Metal. I think the stewardship exists only in the form of a hereditary title to be honest. In this manner, the fragmentation continues to increase. I think no one has heard anything about Fire from the official steward in centuries. It’s more of ceremonial thing now I imagine. Perhaps it’s a fashionable thing at the King of Metal’s court. Metal elves have a bit of a thing for fashion. That’s speculation though. There’s nothing for him to do anyway as he can’t actually enter Fire. There is no ambassador from Fire to the King of Iurrak at Erythrae either at the moment, though I believe the other elven realms do maintain relations.”
“So, are there no fire elves in any of the other elven realms any more? Where did they all go?”
“Again, understand that they were always the least numerous by far. If there are any outside the Land of Fire, they are living secluded lives though they probably are in the other elven realms. I know many disappeared trying to defend or reclaim Fire five centuries ago. I have heard of people meeting fire elves in the remaining realms. To be honest though, I can’t imagine that there’s more than a handful left and they are clearly avoiding mainstream society. Even mainstream elven society. I should mention that that’s not entirely out of character for elves in general. The older they are, the more they like to be left to their own devices, my dear sister upstairs being a case in point. At least that’s always how it seems to me. You almost never just run into an eight or nine hundred year old elf, but they really are about. They just keep to themselves.”
“They sort of retire from the world?”
Yesme nodded and looked sad at the way Ala described it, her eyes a little red after her last words. She quickly continued, “you know, it makes me sad. Even to me with my life among humankind, Fire Elves were something just a little larger than life… having met you I see why elves feel that way and that sensation has only been reinforced. Just looking at you fills me with a kind of warmth, like… like a new dawn. Earth elves are supposed to be all sober and down to earth… but just listen to me babbling. I’m actually a little taken aback by the effect you’re having on me.”
Ala blushed a little but couldn’t help smiling. “I suppose there are worse effects to have on people…”
Yesme smiled at that and looked up as stumbling could be heard from above.
“Finally,” she said.
Gladiuth returned, with a tray of drinks in tall containers that were made of very thin crystal, another incredible luxury. He was followed by an elven woman with strikingly exotic features. She was as beautiful as her sister, as seemed to be the norm among elves. Somehow you could sense that she was older, perhaps by some minuscule marks and ever so slight lines in her face, except there weren’t any. An incredibly well preserved fifty or sixty human years would be the most anyone would dare ascribe to her, insofar as you could make such judgements of anyone with such dramatic features. Her skin was pale, like the froth on the seas, her eyes were sea green, and her hair was turquoise blue. It was almost eerie. Ala rose as she entered. The water elf came to her, clasped her hands and kissed her cheek. She lingered with her hands over Ala’s for what seemed like a long time. Her voice somehow made Ala think of crashing waves.
“An honour, Lady Alagariel. I am Talathiel Bahar. I trust my Yesme is being a gracious host?”
“Very much so, thank you.”
Gladiuth handed her a drink first, then Talathiel, his mother and then took one himself before falling into a couch.
“So it’s true. I checked with aunt Talathiel too.”
“What is, Gladiuth?” Yesme asked.
“Alagariel is a noble. She didn’t really know if she was or not.”
“You should really know such things, Gladiuth,” scolded Talathiel.
“Well please forgive me for not remembering the customary peerage of an elven sub species no one has encountered in more than five centuries, auntie?”
Talathiel spoke, “You’re such an impertinent child. Must be the human in you. Anyway, in the customs of our people, all fire elves are nobles. At least, I’ve never heard of Fire elven line that wasn’t and they were never numerous. They are the leaders, giving direction, that is the tradition. The current mess being a case in point, I suppose. Is nobility important to you, Lady Alagariel?”
Talathiel was direct it seemed. She had said the last bit with a note of disapproval. Ala was concerned what the she-elf might think of her. It was the first time in a while that she had cared what anyone thought of her.
“Well, I don’t have to worry about bearing arms any more then. That’s certainly of practical use where I grew up… and when travelling in Taladaria. I’m not sure I understand the rest of the underlying thinking in the concept of nobility… I suppose I can understand someone’s actions being deserving of distinction, but being born to it seems an odd concept.”
Talathiel smiled. She seemed satisfied with Ala’s answer… Ala pressed on, feeling she had voiced her opinion on the matter well enough.
“May I inquire, what did you mean when you described the current situation as a mess, Mistress Talathiel?”
“I mean that the elves are leaderless, without direction, and have been for five centuries. To my great chagrin, it seems we are in need of some noble Fire Elves to show us direction. Ironic, isn’t it? I don’t even really approve of the concept of monarchy, yet I find myself wishing for Fire Elven leadership. It’s paradoxical.”
Talathiel paused for a moment, as if it were an admission she was loathe to make, before continuing.
“How can we help you, Lady Alagariel? Gladiuth told me that you were wholly raised among humans. You must have missed out on an unimaginable amount of elven history, culture and of course lore. I don’t think we can catch up in one quiet Seventh afternoon, but perhaps we can make a start.”
“That would be very kind of all of you.”
Yesme spoke again, “perhaps it would be helpful if you tell us a little about yourself, to start with?”
“Very well. I have vague memories. I was raised by elves for perhaps my first forty to sixty years, I think. I have no idea exactly how long. I speak elven, somehow. I can read it too. I shudder at how much of a human accent I must have.”
“You don’t actually. Surprisingly. It is an accent I’m not familiar with though,” Gladiuth said.
Talathiel spoke, clearly piqued that he didn’t recognise it.
“It’s a Fire accent, Gladiuth. You’re such a boor. Quite an… archaic and proper one. The King’s elven is how I’ve heard that accent referred to. Actually, Alagariel is the one without the accent. It’s the rest of us here who speak like peasants. That’s what elven originally sounded like. I’ve met a very old Fire Elven priestess who spoke just the same way. Jerynne Feux is her name, Lady of… Greaneglowe I think… which was inside the Kingdom of Fire. She was an impressive creature. Spends her time in Metal, I think.”
Ala was pleased that her accent was tolerable though she was a little perplexed by Talathiel analysis. She would have been mortified to not be able to speak her own tongue properly in front of these majestic people. She was unreasonably happy she didn’t have to worry about that. Having a first hand account of another fire elf besides herself was the icing on top.
“I suppose what I could really use is some advice. I have a matter to take care of in Thetwick, perhaps Gladiuth mentioned it. My adoptive uncle left me his belongings and the will was contested by the Constable. The man is corrupt. I’m not terribly bothered about the wealth but Bernard left me his ancestral home and I would be tarnishing his memory if I didn’t handle this matter properly, according to his wishes. It’s why I came, to take the matter to the Duke’s Court tomorrow. If things go as planned, the Constable will be exposed and the Duke will probably have to take some action. If the ruling is in my favour in any way, I suppose I will have to go back to Thetwick to place Bernard’s estate in someone’s care. After that, I suppose I can do what I want. I was thinking of trying to find out what happened to my parents. It’s more than a century ago. Unless there were any nonhuman guardsmen in the patrol that brought me to Thetwick, I doubt there’s anyone left to talk to.”
“The Duke keeps the records of his ancestors. A patrol should be a matter of the military record. It’s possible there’s something in the Duke’s library. It’s worth checking,” said Gladiuth.
“That’s a fine idea. I will ask the Duke for permission. After that, I would assume such a search would lead me to visit an elven realm, whether I find anything or not. There’s more chance there might be an elf who remembers something than a human.”
“You should show them your sword.”
“Neither of us are fascinated by blades like you are, Glad,” interjected Yesme.
“Show them,” he repeated.
She drew the blade, holding it the way she had for Gladiuth to look at. Both the elven woman stared at it for a moment before Talathiel spoke.
“Well. That speaks for itself. I’ve never seen one that complex. Where did you get it?”
Ala explained all she knew about it.
“You can wield it comfortably? It protects you and may even kill those who attempt to disarm you?”
“Yes, that seems right.”
“I’d say it almost impossible that the previous owner of that blade was not a family member of yours, probably a close relative. I understand that that doesn’t spell much good for the chances of your parents both being alive but I feel its still important for you to understand that that sword must have belonged to a close family member. I don’t know much about swords, but I do know a thing or two about magic and that is how these things work – the blade will be strongest for those in the direct line, assuming they are true of course. This one is violently powerful even now, despite what it has been through. I can sense its power.”
The news made Ala sad of course. She’d always had a hope that one or both of her parents still lived, but that now seemed less likely.
“It’s a clue. It does make me apprehensive about where the search will lead me.”
“That is understandable. That blade was not relinquished by its last rightful owner willingly, I’m afraid,” said Talathiel, shaking her head.
They talked for a while longer, Ala picking up a great deal of knowledge about her people. A lot of things she hadn’t understood about elven kind were in their place when it was time to leave. She was fairly skipping again by the time they she had said her goodbyes headed back up to the Castle. Talathiel and Yesme asked her to come by again soon.
“Thank you for taking me to meet your family Gladiuth. It was wonderful.” She said as they walked back up the hill.
“It really is my pleasure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Talathiel so animated. They were quite excited to meet you too. My mother said that Fire elves create a sense of anticipation. I’m beginning to see that, though I don’t really understand why or how. Things happen around you. Perhaps that’s what Myrthe sees too.”
In her joy, she had even forgotten to raise her hood. It was only at the castle gate the reason for all the staring dawned on her.
If you wish to receive the weekly installment to this story in your inbox, please subscribe to the newsletter below.