A Paladin's War Ch. 09

"Relax," she said soothingly, placing a hand on his chest. "He is with me." As an afterthought, she added, "He may not be best pleased with me, if the melda is anything to go by." Henley's eyebrows climbed upward, and Induin and Liaren exchanged a glance.

When Noah pulled up sharply before the group on the hilltop, his brown eyes were blazing, his bushy beard seeming to bristle. His gaze bored into Elaina as if the others didn't exist. "What are you bloody on about, charging off like that?" he demanded hotly. His dun gelding snorted and pawed at the ground, reflecting his rider's mood. "You didn't even hear me calling after you! The Dwarves are wondering whether to expect attack!"

Elaina felt a stab of guilt. So excited to see Henley again was she, she hadn't considered anything else. Still, he should have felt her emotions well enough to know she was not in danger. She didn't point it out right now; there was no point embarrassing him in front of everyone.

"I am sorry, my heart," she told him earnestly. "I felt Henley's vala and all other things were pushed from my mind. I should have said something."

The rangy hunter opened his mouth to say more, then took himself in hand visibly. Now appearing somewhat mollified, his gaze softened. "Forgive me," he said as he dismounted smoothly. "I should have trusted your judgement. I accept whatever penance you decide I require." He stood there by his horse obediently, awaiting her response.

Elaina wanted to laugh out loud. The man was like quicksilver! Outraged one minute, and the next as meek as a puppy. Well, on the surface, anyway. His emotions told a different story. Why he was presenting this face of humble obedience right now was beyond her, but she made no more of it. She certainly made sure not to laugh at him; his pride could be prickly, at times. Next to her, Henley was knuckling a thick black moustache furiously. If he laughed, her elbow would be in his ribs; as much as she loved Henley, she would protect her meldin from shame, if she could.

Aros! I don't remember a meldin being this much work! Still, she loved him, and would not be without him. "We'll talk about penance later," she told Noah. Then, in a sly tone, she added, "In private."

The bearded man smiled first, then flushed a deep crimson. "As you say, Elaina," he said before bowing formally.

"You must be Noah," Henley said kindly, stepping forward and offering his forearm.

Noah clasped it and nodded. "And you are Henley," he replied. "I have heard much about you."

Ah, that explains the meekness, Elaina thought as her eyes flicked between the two men. Noah wanted to make a good first impression on another arohim. He was going much too far with it, but it was endearing of him to try.

Next, she introduced Induin and Liaren, who both offered Noah warm kisses, which he seemed both surprised and pleased about. When he offered an arm to Solovir, however, the Elf merely inclined his head fractionally in return, leaving Noah standing there with his arm out.

"Well," Henley said into the suddenly awkward silence. "Now that introductions are done, shall we head into the camp?"

"What about the Dwarves?" Elaina asked. "Shouldn't we wait?"

"A greeting party left not long ago," the big Paladin replied, "From the Dwarves who are already here. The main force will be met by them any time now." Something in Henley's tone made Elaina wonder if everything was well, but he vaulted into Thunder's saddle before she could ask. "Come," he said with a smile. "I will show you the Elvish camp."

Elaina mounted and followed him down to the base of the low hill, where more mounts waited for the Elves, all without saddles of course, for Elves rode bareback. They headed southwest at a quick trot, angling for the forest, and barely half an hour later, Elaina breathed in the familiar smell of the Emerin, her old home. It looked as she remembered as they crossed the threshold into the wood proper, the elms and oaks and pines ancient and tall, gnarled roots snaking through the soil beneath the horses' hooves, making the animals pick their way carefully.

Elaina almost fell out of her saddle when she saw a slender elm branch bend its way out of Henley's path. She blinked several times. Was she imagining things? When it happened again, she knew her eyes weren't lying. Nobody else seemed to notice or care, Henley included. "What in the Seven Circles?" she blurted at Henley's back.

He turned in his saddle to eye her quizzically. "Are you alright, Elaina?"

"Those branches moved out of your path!" She threw out a hand as yet another - a drooping oak limb as thick as her arm - curled away from him as if pushed by an invisible hand.

He looked at the branch, then simply said, "Oh. That. That happens sometimes, now." He offered nothing more in explanation, as if that should be enough.

Elaina frowned at him. Well, at his back, for he'd turned away again to face where he was going. "How?" She opened her vala enough to feel his emotions and got her second shock. He was awash with something very close to embarrassment, but underneath was pride, and affection. In fact, if she didn't know him better, she would say he was feeling shy.

While she was sorting through all this, Induin rode up next to her, her crystalline blue eyes twinkling. "He has a new friend," she said with a wink.

On Elaina's other side, Liaren appeared. "A very special new friend," she added with another wink. Up ahead, Smythe cleared his throat loudly, letting them know he was listening. Elaina was more bemused than ever, now.

"He has been granted a most auspicious honour," Solovir said suddenly from the rear. He had a way of speaking that almost made you feel he was talking down to you, but Elaina got the sense he talked like that to everyone.

"And what honour is that?" she asked the Elf carefully, not sure what answer to expect. What on earth could it be?

"That is for Henley arohim to divulge," Solovir replied stoically. "If he chooses."

"And if he doesn't choose," Induin whispered conspiratorially, "We'll tell you!"

This time it was Solovir who cleared his throat, and Induin blushed. Mouthing the word 'sorry' to Elaina, she fell back a little. Riding abreast was not easy in a forest like this, anyway. With Henley appearing content to keep his secrets, Elaina resolved to save her questions for a later time and rode on in silence. Being back in the Emerin certainly was a pleasant change after the endless grey stone of Dun'Arghol, no matter how beautiful the vast halls of the palace, or the buildings finely wrought from the mountainside by deft and clever hands.

Here was a land untouched by the hand of Man, Dwarf or even Elf, left to thrive for thousands of years, growing wild and untamed, home to a myriad of birds and beasts, many of whom she had called friend in her long years here. It was almost a shame when Smythe led them into a large clearing - once a farmer's fields - occupied by rows of marquees in greens and browns that blended with the surrounding forest.

Everywhere she looked were Eryn'elda, some garbed for battle in tight breeches and tunics in forest colours, others in the flowing, diaphanous robes of attendants or workers. Warrior or worker, they moved with a flowing grace that made it seem as if their feet barely touched the ground.

Behind her, Noah stared around in wonder as they rode through the wide spaces between marquees, his eyes widening when he saw a statuesque Elf woman wearing a lasselath, a twisting of green vines that wound around her body sinuously, only just barely covering her most private areas. She strolled by confidently, her body moving in a way that drew the eye to her generous curves, especially the bounce in her generous breasts.

"What's the matter, Noah?" Liaren asked when she glanced back at him. She and her sister were once again riding abreast just behind Elaina. "Have you not seen a lasselath before?"

Noah jerked his gaze away from the woman and looked at Liaren. "A... What?"

"A lasselath," Induin said as she twisted round in her saddle, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She frowned at Noah, then at Liaren. "I think he is lost for words, sister."

Elaina's lips curved in a smile; she had missed the way the twins liked to poke fun. "I did keep mine," she said casually. "Perhaps I will put it on later." She punctuated that with a quick glance at Noah, who met her eyes briefly before pulling them away. She chuckled; she'd seen the glimmer of anticipation in his gaze at the thought of her wearing such a thing, as well as having felt it in him. She would enjoy showing him, when the time came.

"I think we all should," Liaren stated to no one in particular. "I enjoy the way it caresses my skin in the most delicious ways."

Induin piped up with something much the same, then both women burst out laughing when they saw Noah's face. Laughing with them, Elaina leaned in close to Noah. "They're like this with everyone, my love. Be easy."

He gave her a grateful nod. "I am still growing used to the... openness of your people," he said quietly. She sensed that awkward uncertainty in him again, but not as strongly as when she'd first melded with him. "It is odd. I find it both refreshing and... confronting."

Elaina respected his honesty. It was hard for most people to admit their weaknesses. "You will adjust," she assured him. "Besides, I think the rewards far outweigh the drawbacks, yes?" She said that last with a knowing grin and a raised eyebrow, which made him chuckle deeply.

"I would be a fool to say otherwise," he replied, regaining some of his confidence. He nodded toward the backs of Induin and Liaren just ahead. "Your Elvish friends are cheeky, but I like them."

"Looks like we don't need the lasselath," Liaren suddenly said to her sister, loud enough for Noah to hear. "He already likes us."

"What a shame," Induin replied. "I was looking forward to showing mine off."

"As was I," Liaren agreed. "But never mind. Perhaps we'll just go naked instead."

This time, Noah just shook his head and grinned ruefully.

"Ease off!" Elaina urged them mirthfully. "He is still new to this. You'll give him a fit if you keep this up."

The banter continued for a little while, Noah soon finding his feet and responding in kind, which entertained the twins immensely. When the group reached the marquee in the centre of the big camp - the largest by a long margin - Henley dismounted and handed his reins to a lithe, handsome Elf with piercing dark eyes. The ring of warriors around the tent - all with bows held before them at the same precise angle, arrows loosely fitted to bowstrings but ready to be drawn in the blink of an eye - parted to allow Henley entry without a word. There was a practised feel to it, as if he visited regularly. Elaina didn't need to ask to know who was inside; she could already feel their power, and had felt it before.

Once within the walls of the huge marquee, she smiled, for it reminded her of Ildernass. The elegant and flowing lines of the polished wood furnishings, the attendants in long, diaphanous robes gliding back and forth, all a picture of otherworldly beauty and grace. Delicately-shaped lanterns hung from the ceiling, emitting soft, warm light, and off to one side a woman sat on a low stool that looked to have grown from the ground, a harp between her lush thighs. She plucked a soothing melody from the strings, one that made Elaina think of home, though she'd never heard it before.

Most of all, her eyes were pulled to the two figures in the centre of the tent, a man and woman rising from where they'd been sitting in a circular area littered with carpets and cushions. He was tall - head and shoulders taller than Henley - and broad of shoulder, while she was a head shorter and so voluptuous Elaina wouldn't have believed it if not for knowing it true.

Both wore only a lasselath in red-gold, the colouring different from the greens and browns she'd seen on other Elves. His wound about his body in thumb-thick tendrils around his arms, legs and waist, and around his temples, the delicate leaves on his brow making it seem a natural crown. A broader leaf covered his privates. A much broader leaf.

Her lasselath was a much briefer affair, the vines thin and graceful, leaving the vast majority of her creamy skin bare except for three gold leaves that afforded only the barest covering of the peaks of her resplendent breasts and the space at the apex of her lush thighs.

Lord Andil and Lady Elessir made as magnificent an impression as they had upon her first meeting with them. Aros, it felt like years since that day, yet it had only been months. As one, Induin, Liaren and Henley went to one knee, right hand pressed to the floor. Elaina was only a fraction slower due to her being so entranced by the lord and lady. Behind her, Noah figured out quickly enough what to do, while Solovir remained standing. Was he being rude? Or was his station such that he was not required to show respect as others did?

"Please Elaina arohim," Andil said in a smooth, deep voice as he approached. He moved with powerful grace, the muscles of his broad thighs drawing her eyes. She swallowed, and her heart picked up speed. She had forgotten how devastatingly attractive he was. Not just physically, but the sheer depth of his self-assurance, the way he held himself as if there was no force in the world that could shift him aside. "Stand. All of you, please."

Induin and Liaren rose smoothly and moved aside with Henley. Andil regarded Elaina with a penetrating blue stare as she stood, though his firm lips were curved warmly. With some effort, she schooled the responses flaring in her body under the assault of masculinity. Years of intense training had made her into a finely tuned instrument of feeling and love and passion, all of which she could suppress or ignite at will, but fire and fury, Andil made it hard to keep control.

"Lord Andil," she said in an only slightly breathy voice. "Your presence warms my heart."

"And yours mine," he returned, inclining his head deeply, his long, shimmering black tresses shifting on his shoulders. "I am pleased to see you still live."

Me too, she thought wryly as she smiled at the taller man. She found herself thinking about what that broad, smooth chest felt like and almost blushed. Gods, she was acting like a girl of sixteen!

Elessir moved up next to Andil and beamed as she inclined her head in the same way. "Elaina vanima," she greeted in crystalline tones. "I have much anticipated your return." She folded Elaina into an embrace, her soft body warm and welcoming. "I sense you have endured much since our last meeting."

To her surprise, Elaina felt a sudden surge of emotion well up inside her, emotions she'd been suppressing until there was time to process them. Worry for Aran, the disturbing visions, sharing Noah's grief at the loss of his parents and sister, almost losing him at Vesovar, so soon after melding him. Almost losing Burin to Maharad. How many times was the fate of the world going to rest on the edge of a coin? One by one, her fears and worries surfaced, filling the dam inside her until it burst, and then she was weeping, right there on Lady Elessir's shoulder.

Some time passed - she wasn't sure how long - and when she finally lifted her head, the others were all gone, leaving just her and Elessir standing there. "I am sorry," she said to the Lady of Ildernass as she gently pulled away. "I had not realised I had all that in me."

Elessir's emerald eyes sparkled as she smiled knowingly. "Your burdens are many, eruchen, and you carry them well, but I think you have earned a respite." She gestured further into the marquee, where the others were all seated comfortably on the carpets, sipping wine and chatting quietly.

Elaina wanted to argue, to say there was no time for rest when so much had to be done, but the words wouldn't form on her tongue. There was just something so comforting about Elessir, so welcoming, a safe place to lay her head for a time. Just a little while, maybe. There would not be much more to accomplish here until the Dwarves had arranged a meeting, anyway. Just a little while, for tonight.

Two hours later, after a few cups of wine and a delicious meal of finely sliced venison and fragrantly spiced fruits, Elaina was feeling much better. Around her, the others were all talking amiably. Even Noah, who was not quite squirming under the gentle intensity of Elessir's gaze as she politely enquired about him. Seated beside her, Henley was deep in discussion with Andil, Induin and Liaren. They were talking about a 'Treemother,' whatever that was.

Solovir sat off to one side, apparently absorbed in his own thoughts as he sipped at his wine, though Elaina was convinced he was aware of every conversation. Soothing music continued to play, though the harpist had been replaced by a flautist, a beautiful, slender woman who coaxed notes from the silver flute that danced in the ears like dragonflies on a pond.

"You have certainly chosen a remarkable meldin," Elessir said to Elaina, bringing her attention away from the music.

"You do me too much honour," Noah replied, making an attempt at sounding formal. "I am not worthy."

"You are more worthy than you know," Elessir told him before Elaina could. Elaina smiled, Noah just cleared his throat. He'd been doing that a lot, lately.

From the corner of her eye, Elaina saw Solovir tilt his head slightly, as if listening for something. She gave it no mind and continued talking with Noah and Elessir until the white-haired Elf stood sharply, erect and alert.

"Something is wrong." His words cut off conversation like a knife, and all heads turned to the Alda'rendi.

Elaina opened her mouth to ask what, but the keening cry of a Dwarvish battle horn floated through the camp. Were the Dwarves being attacked? Who would attack an army of that size? An icy feeling gripped her stomach. Not being attacked. Preparing to attack! Her eyes found Henley's, and she saw the same question in them.

"Treachery?" Andil demanded of Solovir as he rose smoothly.

Solovir swung his head. "I do not know, but the forest is restless, Andil. The oaks quiver and the elms groan. They fear the axes and fires. I must go." At that, he dashed from the marquee, his face grim.

"Burin would not have betrayed us," Elaina said quickly. "Something must have happened." Another keening wail. It made her want to shiver.

Andil nodded. "We place our faith in you, arohim, but I must prepare my people for the worst." He strode away, calling for Tarien.

Elessir came and took a hand each of Induin and Liaren. "Come, my children. You must be taken to a place of safety." The twins shot a look at Henley and Elaina but went along after getting quick nods from the arohim.

That left just Noah, who looked ready to chew nails. "Edda," was all he said. His sister was with the Dwarven camp.

"Henley and I are going," she explained to him quickly. "But we must run. You will not keep up. Remain here until we return." He opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut again. He knew how fast she could move when required.

"Be safe," he said before turning and striding from the marquee.

"What are we about to do?" Henley said under his breath. She felt him opening his vala. To her eyes, a bright golden glow surrounded him.

"What we must," Elaina replied, praying to Aros that Burin had not had a sudden change of heart. A second later, two figures flashed away from the marquee and through the camp, each stride covering ten paces or more. Any Elves in their path made sounds of alarmed surprise as the two arohim blew past them. One or two of the older Elves were able to follow the speeding Paladins with their keen eyes, though few possessed the ability.