Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 31

She did so and she saw the House Silvertree symbol appear. He put the tube away and she smiled at him and nodded. Then mouths the words, 'Thank you.'

He mounted up as his father's body was loaded into the funeral wagon which had glass sides. They stepped away from the wagon.

The Grand Cleric nodded to Eldar. Eldar yelled out, "Blades!" The sound of swords being drawn and the church being saluted. "Forward!"

They left the church and wound their way through the market to the Palace District viewing area. The area that was used as Heliar was a diplomat in service to the Queen. They pulled up to where the wagon was even with the walkway, out to the viewing area.

He had circled to monitor the approach, "Halt!"

The wagon was square with the walkway. He went back to the front and centered his horse. "Blades!" As swords were sheathed. "Dismount!" He looked at the groom's, "The 3 horses in the middle here, are the only ones needing to be held. Hold the Carriage horses until it is empty and the driver tells you to move away. Jarron, be sure to move back into the center. We will box in your horse."

He nodded. "Honor Guard, walk your horses forward." They walked up in the order in which they arrived then formed a line for the family with his apprentices and Master Yetto behind them. The Gray Blades in guard positions around the viewing area on the opposite side of where they stood. The Queen looked at him, "I am sorry about your father, he would have been impressed with his honor guard."

Eldar nodded to her, "Four Moon Blades and everyone we both worked with, Your Majesty."

She smiled at him and the King and Queen walked off. A few House Patrons walked around and gave condolences including the Patron to House Goldensong. Who simply said, "We know your pain. Be well."

Eldar nodded at him. He was also visited by all of the other Blade holders and their families.

Once the viewing crowds passed through, which took a few hours, the rest of House Silvertree gathered on the head side of Heliar's body. Far enough away for traffic to move through. The Grand Cleric stepped forward with 6 other clerics.

Eldar stepped out and addressed the family, "His sons decided that our father receive a wizard's funeral instead of being interred. The family crypt will be sealed until further notice and heavily warded. The reason for these steps lies in the manner in which he died. He was killed by a necromancer.

The last guard to see him alive saw an ashen form fall away but there were no casters left standing. The one man who had a sword near him was a traitor to the human King. His sword was not magical. This means the possibility exists that this necromancer escaped. His quarters revealed he was researching to become a lich.

As such to ensure his body is not desecrated it will be burned to ash and buried on the Silvertree estates in a ceremony following these events. I invite my selected guests, honor guard, and the Elders of House Silvertree, with the first and second eldest to attend this ceremony. With your spouses of course. Any caster who can cast fireball should step forward if they wish to participate in this endeavor."

They had 18 casters who cast fireball twice into the center of the area while the six clerics contained the blast to the body. They then compacted the ash into a small square. They slid the held contents inside of a sealed box and handed it to Eldar.

He placed it in his bag and they headed for the horses. "Mount...Forward."

They rode back to House Silvertree and straight into the garden.

Eldar looked at Annette, "I want you to use your telekinesis from your sword to open the box and then use it to spread the ashes in that hole. I will hold a wall of force over it to keep the ashes from traveling away." She nodded at him. She did her telekinesis.

Annette popped open the box and spread the ashes out evenly using the box. He kept the wind from spreading the ashes. He looked at the Honor Guard, "Start putting dirt on top of the wall of force. They did as he asked. He released it and the dirt fell over the ash. He reached in and pulled out the box from the center and filled in the hole. He looked at the group that had gathered.

"The other day I had the gardener reworking the layout of this garden. I was disappointed in the lack of trees. One, in particular, was missing." He reached into a pouch and pulled out a seed. He buried it in the middle of his grave. "Doc, create water over this area and then bless the water, would you?"

He nodded as the water fell onto the dirt and he blessed it. "There was a 3-feet deep hole, 4-feet wide. When this tree finishes growing it will be 40-feet wide. The tree that was missing for three millennia was a Silvertree. One of the things that this tree will do is double the growth rate of all the surrounding trees. In 40 years, this tree will launch seeds. 4 are to be captured. 2 will be planted deeper in the garden, the 3rd will replace this tree as it is removed. The 4th will be a gift to the Royal Palace.

The rest of the seeds will be carried on the wind and will grow where they fall. This is a Silvertree, it is also a tree of change. You will notice the surrounding trees, 2 for each of the 8 elders who will be on the council. One for the current council and one for the future council. These seeds are being used to reclaim almost 200 square miles of plains that once were Elven forests.

We are working with the wood elves to bring in saplings and these seeds will be planted in groups. In 40 years. The next set of seeds will be collected and even more of them spread over that area. It is my Duchy, so I am naming it the Silvertree Woods in honor of my father. Anytime the Kingdom has a plague, disease, or catastrophe happens. Something that takes out a section of elven forest.

We will send some of these seeds to regrow the damaged areas. The lady everyone is wondering who she is Victria. Formerly Storm Cloud, by royal decree she is the last recognized wife of my father. She is carrying his twin sons and had planned to marry, but my father died in service to the Elven People. Before anyone says this is unusual, I will point out that a precedent was set over 7,000 years ago.

For a woman to allow her unborn children to not only carry the father's name but at that time to keep the House name from dying. That house was House Silvertree. None of you would be here as a Silvertree if not for the Royal family's intervention. The Moon Blade I carry would have become a dead blade. The reason this catastrophe almost happened was the Silvertree determination to protect the elven people during the war.

That devastated this family. One of her children went on to claim the blade. Here we are over 7-millennium later doing the same for my father. This tree, the work I did to prevent the human Kingdom from collapsing into chaos after this attack, and this action for this lady. All are a homage to my father and the Silvertree family legacy.

I leave tomorrow to try and get more answers on this necromancer. The day before the human King's funeral and the Queen's planned attendance. I thank you all for attending and seeing the more compassionate side of me for a change."

The crowd broke up and several came to Victria and welcomed her to the family. Eldar looked at her, "My father's room is sealed until after my return from the human Kingdom then my brother and I will go through his belongings to find his will. We have already agreed that anything left to his sons or the 2 of us by name we would work to split for each of his sons.

Including the unborn sons, who will receive the inheritance. I will ascertain what his holdings are. Half of that will go to you while the other half is split between my brother and me. Unless he called for a specific change in his will. It is my understanding that he last modified his will after my wedding."

She smiled at him, "After you got rid of his witch of a wife, but yes. That is why the Queen did not have it in hand as she previously held his will. Your father admired what you were doing. Both to the house and for the Elven people. He said your mother would have been proud to see what her son has done for the people."

Jarron walked over, "Your father would have loved this approach to his funeral. Your mother, more so. Besides, he hated crypts." Eldar chuckled as he continued. "Now his ashes sit on a foot of horse dung to fertilize the tree growing and consuming his ashes. The Silvertree was an outstanding idea."