The Solitary Arrow Ch. 17

"I beg forgiveness for disturbing your privacy, lady." The apparent leader said. "Had we known it was you and a companion here, we would have called from below."

Harlen understood only a tithe of these words, they were very rapidly spoken and many were sounds he had not heard before. He turned to Hyandai with questioning eyes.

Hyandai dressed rapidly behind the guards, and Harlen joined her in clothing himself at a quick, worried glance from her.

"You were doing your job, Evendann." Hyandai said. "Forgiveness is given if you think it needed." She turned to Harlen. "I am sorry beloved, but I wanted them to find us, that way they were less likely to take action before thought. Especially with us asleep and allowing them to have the element of surprise, they could well afford to be circumspect."

His eyes were somewhat confused, and a bit worried, as well. "Lady?" Harlen asked. "I am used to the people of my land calling you that. But wouldn't that imply status among your people beyond the uniqueness that my people responded to?"

Hyandai's eyes cast downward. "I suppose it would." She said. "My father was the Lord of Embalis, before my mother died and that station died with her."

It took a long moment for Harlen to absorb this new information. He looked at Hyandai, and at the suddenly deferential soldiers, then back at her.

"You're noble born?" He asked.

Hyandai nodded. "As much as elves have nobility, yes." She said, looking very embarrassed. "Officially, I no longer have a title, save 'lady,' and that only residual of my mother's position. It is more honorific than title of position, I assure you."

They had finished dressing when Hyandai said. "Evendann, please speak in Westron while we are in Master Harlen's presence. I am clad, you may turn about."

The soldiers rotated to face them again, eyeing Harlen rather suspiciously, but not hostilely, like they had when they had first awakened him.

"Yes, Lady Hyandai." Evendann said, giving with one of those curt nodding bows that Harlen could not master.

"Harlen, this is Evendann, an officer of the Guard of Embalis." Hyandai said, indicating the leading elf. "One of our finest warriors, I might add."

The leader granted Harlen one of the little head-bows. "I am pleased to meet you, Master Harlen." He said. "I apologize for my curtness, I was unaware you were here at the will of the lady."

Harlen gave a short bow in return. "No apology needed." Harlen said. "You did what you would normally when finding a human interloping unbidden in your lands."

"However, Lady Hyandai, I must correct one of your statements." Evendann said. "I am no longer a officer of the Guard. I command the Guard."

Hyandai blinked a few times. "Explain please." She said.

Harlen could hear a bit of authority in her voice. She was used to giving minor commands, and seemed reasonably to expect them to be followed.

"Captain Cendiolor defected to the Isolationists two weeks ago, lady." He said. "He took almost half the Guard with him."

A moment passed as Hyandai allowed this new information sink in. "Almost half?" She asked, her eyes full of worry.

Evendann nodded. "I am afraid so, lady." He said. "We fear their attack will fall upon us very soon."

Hyandai packed her blanket and lifted her pack with theEhladrel onto her back, then she donned the mottled green cloak that Harlen had made her. "Then we have need to move to Embalis hastily, no?" She asked.

"Indeed, we do, Lady Hyandai." He said. "The Isolationists may be patrolling these places even this close to Embalis, and some have even ventured nearly within bowshot of the outbuildings.

All of them retraced the long, winding tunnel down through the tree back to the little room in the base and onto the soft loam of the forest floor. With Harlen and Hyandai in the middle, the four elves took up positions two before them and two behind, spreading to a distance of about five paces, making a rude square. Arrayed as that, they began making their way west and south.

Harlen looked at Hyandai. "We need to speak when we can." He said.

Returning his look, Hyandai said. "I know."

They moved along at a brisk pace, the guards setting a fairly rapid gait. All of them wore the expression of the very concerned, and watched the surrounding wood with cautious eyes. Their bows were again in their hands and arrows were knocked. Harlen began to draw an arrow, himself, when Hyandai stayed his hand, her head shaking negatively.

"No, betrothed." She said. "You must not wield arms for now." Her eyes were apologizing pitiably as she spoke. "Humans in the wood may not wield them near elves."

Harlen nodded. "I understand." He said.

The pace was faster than Harlen first imagined, and they soon came over a low rise in the loamy ground and around a particularly largeornthalion; before them lay Embalis. The elves did not break stride and they continued into the small valley.

The village consisted of a few low, open-structured buildings built around the bases ofornthalion trees larger than any Harlen had seen yet. As he looked, he could see platforms and catwalks among the tree branches, far above. The woodwork was incredibly detailed, and it was obvious that skilled artisans had worked their craft over most every inch of the structures. They looked almost as much grown as built, seeming to merge directly into the living wood of the tree. He would have many questions for Hyandai about the architecture alone. Geometric shapes, and natural forms were patterned everywhere, leaves, zig-zags, interlocking woven patterns reminescent of Coghlandish knotwork, and even some herringbone patterns, beloved of his own people. Most of the wood was dark, nearly black, which Harlen took to be ornthal wood.

Patches of bright flowers and other colorful plants, including ground-covering shrubs with blue and red leaves covered the idle corners of the valley, and there was a brook bisecting the town, and crossed by several small, elegantly crafted footbridges.

The sunlight penetrated here more brightly than in the deep wood. There were fewer lesser trees about, theornthalions were the only trees that seemed to not be cultivated for a specific purpose within the village. The sudden brightness was rather taxing to Harlen's dimness-adjusted eyes.

There seemed to be almost no straight lines anywhere, either in the overall design of neither the buildings nor the decoration upon them. Colors were bright, as well, and extravagant.

Elven folk moved about the village, a few dozen of them that Harlen could see. As the six came out of the wood and descended the valley's slope and walked onto a faint path of fine gravel. The folk of the village began to notice them, and several stopped what they were doing to watch the group emerging from the wilds.

"It is now your turn to be the one gaped at, Harlen." Hyandai said with a bit of a smile. "This far into Windir, few humans are seen, if any. And those are Windy Islanders, when they are seen at all."

The expressions on the elven faces about him ranged from distant curiosity to near hostility. Only a discouraging few of the people were openly friendly, smiling at the sight of a man in their village after all those long years.

With an effort, Harlen kept his head high and his eyes forward. He would not bow his head and humble his race. Somehow, he knew that would be a mistake.

The look on Hyandai's face was one of pride as she watched him stand before the intense scrutiny coming from all quarters as they marched toward the center of the village. Harlen towered over everyone around him, and his massive shoulders simply amplified that effect.

Harlen's first assessment was somewhat off, however, as the village was larger than he had thought, the mists had hidden fully half of it. Now, neared the village's center, he saw larger, and more ornately decorated structures about. They seemed to be moving directly toward an especially large one.

"The Ruling Hall." Hyandai whispered into his ear. "Where the Lord and Lady of Embalis will be awaiting. He is Ircandann, and she Melewen. They are good and just persons, Harlen, and wise."

Harlen nodded, his eyes watching all about them, observing the dozens of elves gathering as they approached the large building with all the columns around its periphery. It seemed to have no walls, simply a large roof. As they neared, he saw large curtains that were folded to the inner sides of the columns, which could unfurl to cover the sides to form a more sealed building.

Among the people they passed, he could hear snippets of conversation in elven, of which only a little could be understood by the man. He did hear, several times the words 'Westron,' 'betrothed,' and 'large.' He reached up and touched the long braid that rested beside his face; he often forgot it was there, marking him as a taken man to elven folk.

His eyes went to Hyandai, still walking quietly beside him. She was matching his step; a further indicator that they were together, along with the long braid of his hair in hers, which she wore beside her own face. Harlen was curious about one thing, though, and tried to take her hand. She took it, and held to him firmly, giving him an encouraging smile.

The low murmur increased slightly at that, but not much. It was obvious they were together already, and the handholding was simply a more tactile reminder for Harlen that she was with him and he with her.

A sudden realization came to him about the elven ladies he saw about. They had sharper, more angular faces than Hyandai, some much more so. They were beautiful, he realized, but they were more alien to him than she, unfathomable, unreachable, and unknowable. He looked at his betrothed again, she was more round-featured, and much more lovely in his eyes.

She caught his glance and looked back, her expression somewhat inquisitive.

"You're so beautiful." Harlen said. "I love you."

She smiled broadly, her entire face glowing with pleasure at his words. "And I love you, my handsome lover." She replied, her eyes suddenly full of warmth, where before they had been rather set and somewhat cold, or perhaps simply thoughtful and reserved.

One of the guards looked back and gave a quick smile, a tacit approval of their romance, Harlen realized. Not all elves were hostile to the intermingling of humans and elves.

The six began climbing the steps at the front of the huge building. A small crowd was gathering at their approach, though they waited quietly at the foot of the stairs. The soldiers stopped at the top, and spread apart, opening a way for the couple. The guard who had smiled at Harlen and Hyandai looked him in the eye again.

"Luck be with you." He whispered, giving Harlen a little head-bow.

The chamber formed inside the building was huge, almost two hundred paces deep and a hundred wide. Their soft soled boots made little noise on the white marble floor beneath them, and the ornate painting and woodcarving of the roof reflected in the floor, forming a almost dazzling illusion of walking on glass over a massive deep valley.

Harlen looked ahead and saw a raised dais, only one step, with two large carven thrones atop it. Two figures were seated on the thrones, and a half-dozen more elves standing about those two. Harlen knew a royal throne when he saw it, and knew he was about to be in for a lot of very stressful conversation.

They approached to within ten paces and Hyandai stopped. Harlen was watching her closely, so he stopped, as well. She lowered herself to one knee, with the other leg out almost straight. She bowed until her body was pressed to that leg. Harlen was not at all sure he could quite do that particular bow, but tried his best, managing something reasonably close.

Hyandai suppressed a giggle. "Not bad." She whispered. "You are too stiff."

The man seated upon one throne was elderly looking, or at least as elderly as any elf he had seen, which was not very. They both seemed to be about forty to his eyes, with some light graying at their temples, and the lady's hair showing white streaks among her dark brown tresses. He had no doubt that they were much, much older.

Their silvern eyes bored into the couple before them. "Hyandai." Ircandann said, nodding his head as she rose back to her feet. "You have company, despite the edict." He intoned; his voice was rich and had many sub-harmonics to it. Harlen found it sounded almost elven, even though he was speaking Westron. "I trust you have good reason for the violation?"

Hyandai nodded. "Lord Ircandann, without this man's assistance, I would be now dead." She said. "I would share Eleean's fate." She lowered her head, as did all the elves in by the thrones.

Harlen lowered his, as well, out of respect for their ways, and for Eleean.

She pulled her long cloak aside, revealing theEhladrel behind her shoulder. She removed it from the protective leather case, holding it out before her. "I have retrieved theEhladrel of my clan." She said. The eyes of the assembled elves grew wide upon sighting of this heirloom, including the lord and lady, but only for a short moment.

"This too was only achieved with the assistance of my betrothed, Harlen of Morrovale." She said, almost formally. Harlen noted the working of 'betrothed' into that statement. She was making it clear that they were joined.

The lord made a gesture with his hand, and one of the elves around him walked forward and gently took theEhladrel and case from her. He slipped it back into the case, bowing to Hyandai as he did so. He returned to Ircandann's side and stood silently again.

Ircandann made another gesture, and all the others left the area, walking quickly toward the back of the building, and soon moving out of earshot.

"Harlen, I thank you, in the name of all elvenkind for your assistance in this matter." He said, his eyes regarding the human, measuring him against unknown, and perhaps unknowable criterion. "However, you find us in dark times, man of Morrovale. We stand at the doorstep of war, a war like none have seen in many millennia in Feldare."

"We would welcome you to our land and homes gladly, at any other time." Ircandann said, coming to the meaningful part of the statement. "But with what is about to befall, we cannot be certain of anyone."

The look of alarm growing on Hyandai's face quickly made Harlen nervous. She licked her lips and, only with great effort, held her tongue. She cast a wary glance at Harlen; her eyes seemed apologetic.

"We understand you are betrothed, Hyandai, and we would not stand in the way of matters personal." The elven lord said. "But Master Harlen cannot remain among us."

Hyandai leaped at the lull in his words. "Then we will leave immediately, my lord." She said; her voice higher pitched than normal, and full of anxiety. "I have delivered theEhladrel to you and the quest is finished."

A sympathetic smile came over the Lady Melewen's face. "Hyandai, you know that you cannot go." She said.

Alarms went off in Harlen's head. They were going to send him home, and Hyandai was not going to be allowed to go with him! He took a single step forward.

"Wait a minute." Harlen said, both the elven nobles turned to him, a slight look of surprise on their faces. "Neither Hyandai goes with I, or me stay."

Not a bad try. Hyandai thought, smiling with pride in her man.

"Master Harlen." Lord Ircandann said. "You must understand our position. We are about to go to war, civil war. There is no form of battle so grievous as brother taking up arms against brother. Or friend against friend." The elven noble gave him a long, hard look. "As you certainly know."

"Hyandai is our finest tactician." Lady Melewen said, picking up Ircandann's line of speech without pause. "Though she has never led troops into battle, she is our strategic advisor for the upcoming war, whether she likes or no. We feared we would be facing this foe without her able knowledge and are gladdened that this is not so. Again, we are most thankful."

"However." Ircandann said. "We cannot have you here when this event befalls. Your mere presence would just drive them into that much more of a frenzy."

Harlen sneered. "The people who wish to kill you would wish to kill you deader?" He asked.

A narrow smile formed on the noble's mouth. "Harlen, while I understand your frustration." He said. "The separation will only last the duration of the coming conflict."

Tears were forming in Hyandai's eyes. "My lord, please." She said. "I will be worth nothing to you, strategically, or otherwise, if you send Harlen away, or will not let me go. I have done more than my fair share of the effort, risking my very life, alone in the wilds beyond Windir. Only by fortuitous luck did I happen to come upon a man both able and willing to aid me, and give my heart to his keeping."

"Hyandai!" Lord Ircandann said, rather sharply. "You will accept the needs of your people!"

She bowed her head, the tears now falling. "Yes my lord." She said, her voice both broken and humbled.

Harlen felt rage and anger well up in himself. His fists clenched tightly and he set his jaw. The new hostility in his eyes was very evident and, naturally, the elven nobles saw it, quite clearly.

"Still your anger, Harlen." Ircandann said, raising a placid hand. "It will serve no purpose. This decision is immutable and final." He gestured with two fingers and the courtesans approached from the distant quarter of the building they had retreated to.

"Nemanth." Ircandann said. "Arrange for a honor guard to escort Master Harlen to the border, with all haste. A mounted squad." He turned to Harlen. "You can ride, yes?"

Harlen nodded. "I have some experience with horses, Lord Ircandann," He said, through gritted teeth.

The nobleman nodded. "I give you one hour." He said, and they all rose, the entire retinue and the two nobles, and left the couple.

Hyandai sobbed as she fell into his arms. "I cannot believe they are doing this!" She cried. "My chest feels like it will crush inward upon my heart and fell me. It hurts so badly."

Harlen comforted her as best he could, though he was likewise quite distraught, his own chest tight and painful. "I can." He said. "You said there are three factions. I just met the Monarchists."

She nodded. "Truly." She said. "Still, to send away the man who helped bring back their only hope." She glared off to where the nobles and their retinue stood near the back corner of the building. "It is a foolish move, and me grieving for my betrothed will serve their needs poorly."

Harlen took hold of Hyandai's shoulders and looked at her. "No." He said. "You cannot do this half-heartedly, even if you are under duress." He kissed her brow. "You have to win this battle, else you may not live through it, and then I will loose you."

She wiped tears from her cheeks. "I should give my best?" She asked.

"Better than your best." Harlen replied. "Give them victory." He forced himself to smile. "Then we can be together again."

She nodded. "Very well, betrothed." She said. "I will give them victory, if it is in my power."

"Make it be." Harlen murmured into her hair as he pulled her close to him.

Tears flowed down her cheeks and she sobbed into his chest for a long while. Her hands clasped the cloth of his tunic and released over and over. After a very long moment, she looked up at him, her eyes resigned and lost.

"If Wendy comes back from the hills before I return." She said. "Keep her company. You have both my blessing and my encouragement. She is a good woman."

Harlen shook his head. "I thought that it was never to be one of us alone." He said.

She smiled up at him. "That is a rule for her, SHE is not to seek us alone." Hyandai explained. "If we wish it, we can do so, especially with the other's blessing, which you now have." Tears were still waiting to fall, but she had stopped them for now. "You both seem to like one another, and you should enjoy the other's company in my absence." Her eyes grew more deeply green for a moment. "I shall 'catch up' when I return, trust me." She said, her voice darker and huskier than normal. "Then you will both be my personal playthings until I am sated."