War of the Races Ch. 33

Sinaan watched, and then gave voice to his Matron's command, "Matron Forelain Faline suggests that we retire to our camp so that we may parley under better conditions. The Champion and Oracles of the goddesses Seline and Gaia are not to me molested in any way, nor their property namely their animals."

Wergthal, chagrined at his utter humiliation, snapped a salute towards Matron Forelain and started giving quick commands to his warriors. The svartalf army started to disappear into the forest and before Wergthal and Gruda left, he gave me and Hlina a murderous glare.

Coella led the way again, but this time we were all in a tight group with svartalf soldiers set as a ring of guards around us. The trek northeast was not far before we were led into a small but bustling army camp. There were nearly a hundred crafters and traders going about their work, and each trader or crafter had at least one or more slaves, all of them animals. The majority of the animals were svyn'dahl, but some of the wealthier traders owned orcs, several different types of canines, cats, and mice.

One thing that was noteworthy was that all of the crafters and traders were women. Another thing was that there was also a large roped off area and within was a small number of dokkalfar and half-dokkalfar women chained to pegs driven into the ground. There were also a few orcs, mostly females, and a few wolves also all female except for the children.

It was just as they were passing by the captives when Hlina saw the female wolves and gasped in horror, "Oh, no! Chenoa!"

Suddenly, Hlina was rushing away, pushing her way through the svartalf guard, leaping over the rope line, and running towards a silver furred she-wolf. The scartalf guards gasped in shock at the sudden outburst and cursed as Hlina rushed past them. Several raised their weapons and turned in pursuit but Sinaan and his lady Matron Forelain and entourage had traveled nearby so as to make conversation during the hike back to their camp, and so, it was a raised hand from Sinaan that halted the guards.

Sinaan gave me a curious, questioning look to which I responded with a 'I don't know what's going on either' expression as I shrugged my shoulders. Turning to Glenna and the others I said, "Stay here, everything will be fine."

Glenna nodded, and then I left and carefully pushed through the Svartalf guards. Once through I made my way to rope lines fencing in the dokkalfar and animal captives. I lifted the rope and knelt to slip beneath it. From there I walked over to Hlina who was hugging and being hugged by the she-wolf and a group of six other adult she-wolves. They all wept and they all tried to talk as one as they shared their stories. As I approached an older she-wolf, thick and broad with age but no less attractive in her blue fur, turned to regard me and shushed the females about her. The old she-wolf regarded me from bright intelligent golden eyes for a long minute before Hlina came out from the group of she-wolves, her hand clasped with Chenoa's.

"Thank you, Prime," The old she-wolf said as she gestured toward Hlina.

"For what," I asked.

"For freeing this one from the curse of the darkness that took her and our men that went with her," The old she-wolf answered.

"It was my honor and quest given to me by Gaia herself," I replied, then looking at Hlina I asked, "Hlina, who is this female to you that you almost brought violence upon you and the rest of us?"

Though I was looking at my mother, I didn't see her as such in this new dokkalfar woman before me. I knew she was my mother, but at the same time she was just a woman. My woman, and a young girl that had just foolishly put everyone's lives at risk. And I wanted to know why!

"Daniel..." Hlina started to say as she gestured towards the silver she-wolf, "This is Chenoa..."

Raising a hand I interrupted with a hiss, "Hlina! Mother! Do not call me that! Daniel Reas is dead. Helena Reas is dead. I am Viridian Vale, and you are Hlina Reas Avasdottir... and besides, that is information we should keep secret!"

Hlina's eyes widened in shock, she shook her head in denial what she had done, and then deflated as she said, "Yes, of course, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

Looking at Chenoa I held out my hand as I greeted her, "Hello Chenoa, I am Viridian Vale. It is an honor to meet you."

Looking back to Hlina I asked again, "So, who is she to you?"

"She is... was... my sister-wive," Hlina answered. Rocking back on my heels in shock Hlina continued quickly, "We haven't had time to talk about my past. In a nutshell my father tried to kill me as a toddler. My mother killed him and then we lived in the mountains for years as exiles in hiding. My mother was out alone bathing when men from our village found Alvas. They raped, and then killed her. Later that night I tracked them down and killed them. After that, I lived by myself until I couldn't take the loneliness anymore, then I left my cave and searched for others until I found the Howling Forde Lupus Den. Wanageeska and Espowyes caught me spying on them. Espowyes took me as his captive and then as his wife. Later, he won Chenoa's heart and hand as a mate."

"What happened," I asked as my head reeled, for so many reasons, from Hlina's story.

Hlina's shoulders seemed to slump even further as she recounted the last days she was with her clan, "I was contacted and anointed by Gaia, but even before that I was receiving dreams. Dark and terrible dreams..."

"She came to us, the elder she-wolves, for advise about her dreams," The old blue she-wolf interjected, "We advised her to follow her dreams and confront the darkness. We couldn't know that it would be the doom of us all in her doing so."

Hlina nodded as she continued, "Wanageeska, Espowyes, Enyeto, and Ahote accompanied me on my quest to confront the darkness lurking in my dreams. We found its cave. Wanageeska, Espowyes, Enyeto, and Ahote went into the cave first to scout it out and never came back. After a while I went in too. I don't remember anything after that except blurry nightmares."

"The four dark guardians that protected you," I mumbled as the fight just the day before played in my memory. As the fog of remembrance lifted I looked at Hlina and Chenoa and apologized, "I am so sorry for your loss. It was I that killed Wanageeska, Espowyes, Enyeto, and Ahote the same day that I saved you, Hlina, from that dark entity that diseased and enslaved you."

Several of the other she-wolves collapse to the ground with infant children in their arms and cried the mournful wails of grief for the dead. Chenoa also sniffled and turned to Hlina and wept. It was the old blue she-wolf that spoke up, "Thank you, Prime, for freeing our men from the clutches of the evil that ensnared them. In fact the were dead long before you put them to rest. It is good to know though that they have found rest now."

With that the old she-wolf turned back to the remnant of her tribe and tried to comfort them as she could.

"Come, Hlina," I beckoned with a wave of my hand as I looked back at the Glenna and then at Sinaan and Matron Forelain, "We still must parley with our enemy... if we can."

"Daniel..." Hlina started, still clutching Chenoa as if she intended to never let her go, "I mean... Virdy. Please, we can't leave Chenoa here! Like this. With them. A captive!"

I sighed. I could see the pain in Hlina's eyes. In truth, I felt it too. I hated what I was seeing. I ached to change this world, but there was only so much I could do, and what I needed to do had to be done in order. I thought of the forefathers of the United States of America. All those men that had a part in writing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Many of them were slave owners. They hated it. They wanted to free those men and women from their enslavement, but alas they were also bound by their own current laws. They couldn't bind the colonies together and take on such a divisive issue, and so they did the best they could to leave a way open so that the issue could be addressed later after the nation was united. At least, that was my thinking on the subject. And now, here I am, wanting to right the wrongs I see in front of me, but knowing that if I do I may completely destroy any hope of uniting the Kingdoms of Annwyn, Folkvangr, and Thrudheim into one united nation capable of opposing the Council of Five.

Staring into Hlina's dark brown eyes, I took a step forward and gently but firmly removed Hlina's hands from Chenoa's. Her eyes widened in shock, horror, disappointment, and it stung me to my heart. Leaning in I whispered, "There is nothing I can do right now, but I promised I will address this with Sinaan and Matron Forelain. I will free them all if I can. I will try to free Chenoa at the least. But, you must come with me now!"

Finally, Hlina looked past me towards the audience that was watching us. She looked back to me, and then her expression softened as she said, "Okay. Fine. Thank you, Daniel."

I shared another meaningful stare with her, and then I nodded. I took her hand, and we returned to our group within the ring of svartalf guards. Hlina's hand was a vice gripping my hand. Sinaan looked curiously at the captured dokkalfar and animals for a moment longer, and then after a squeeze of her arm from Matron Forlain he continued the procession to a large tent. The tent was the largest in camp but still it was not large enough for Sinaan and Matron Forelain, her honor guard and all of my party as well. In the end we all gathered just outside the tent.

A chair was pulled out for the very pregnant Matron Forelain to sit in. Sinaan stood at her side. Opposite her, another chair was presented for me to sit in. Instead, I offered it to Glenna, and then asked for another chair for Hlina, the two Oracles of Seline and Gaia, and then I stood between them. With a slight bow to Forelain I explained, "Glen'nathel Moonlilly, Oracle of Seline, wife of Summerset and Viridian Vale, will negotiate in our behalf."

Matron Forelain made a quick hand gesture and Sinaan interpreted, "Matron Forelain, High Seat of House Faline, eighth House of Idavollr and in line to the Governorship of Annwyn, sixteenth House of Svartalfheim and in line to the throne, bids you welcome to our war camp, Glen'nathel Moonlilly, Oracle of Seline, and to you Hlina Alvasdottir, Oracle of Gaia."

"Thank you for the invitation to join you in your camp," Glenna returned in a honeyed yet very neutral and diplomatic voice, "and thank you again for agreeing to parley with us."

Forelain nodded her head accepting our thanks, then she signed and Sinaan translated, "I must be blunt. I do not see a road around the impasse, not even a small trail. It was given to us by our Queen and our High Priestess as a holy duty to plunder and raze Valeheim. This order is indisputable, from the goddess Arachne herself. However, now, you come before me, the living embodiments of two goddesses, and say that our mission is a fraud! What am I to believe?"

Hlina had no idea what was transpiring, so she reclined back in her chair and watched Glenna. The moonlight white woman's overly bountiful breasts bounced and jiggled on full display for everyone, and yet, it didn't perturb her in the least. Of course, Hlina's breasts, in fact most of her body was fully naked. She wasn't uneasy exactly, but then, she didn't have so many penetrating eyes staring at her like Glenna did. How the woman summoned such confidence with her breasts and sexual parts on full display Hlina didn't know.

Glenna pursed her lips as she thought over Matron Forelain's words, then she responded, "You should believe us. Think about it. How many hands have your orders passed through? Who's to say the orders you received are in fact the orders given by Arachne? However, in front of you now are the Oracles, the living embodiments of Seline and Gaia."

Forelain appeared to contemplate Glenna words, and then she responded, "Okay, should I accept the circumstances of this meeting and believe you are who you say you are, what is it you desire to accomplish here and where is the benefit to us?"

"You should believe us," Glenna replied, firmly confident, "For, if you do not believe us then the next personages you must contend with will be two wrathful goddesses. As for advantage or profit, all I can offer you and the other Svartalf military force is your lives. As you saw earlier by Hlina's display of earth magic, we are very capable of defending ourselves and destroying your army if we wished to. But, that is not what we want nor why we were sent to intercept you."

"Threats are never a good way to begin negotiations," Forelain signed in lightning fast hand movements illustrating her anger though her face remained calm.

Glenna nodded, acknowledging the truth of Forelain's statement before she replied, "Agreed, though I did not mean my last statement as a threat, I understand your feelings. However, your entire military force is a threat to me and my people. You come to our lands seeking hostilities, therefore I speak of our ability to defend ourselves, our land, and our property not as a threat but as a statement of fact. We will defend ourselves."

Forelain sat there across from us with one hand idly rubbing her belly as she mulled over Glenna's words. The silence stretched out uncomfortably until finally she signed, "You are confident in your power just as we are confident in our numbers and skill. However, pursuing hostilities will only move us toward a conclusion that is costly and final. I am more interested in what you alluded to earlier. The missing Oracle of Arachne, and this investigation into the church for a subversive element? Tell me more about this."

Glenna nodded and then began to explain everything she knew which wasn't much. That there was a subversive element within the temples, of not only those that worship Seline, but within all of the temples of all of the gods, and at the highest levels, and that Glenna was tasked with finding these groups and proving their subversion. However, her first step in the investigation was to stop the svartalf army from attacking the Valelands. From there, she was to allow herself to be taken back to the home of the svartalf army so that she may find the Oracle of Arachne.

"So the Oracle of Arachne is in Idavollr," Sinaan intoned in response to Forelain signing.

"Of that, I am not certain," Glenna replied with a shake of her head, "I was only directed to start in Idavollr."

The area fell silent as everyone absorbed the implications of Glenna's words. Finally, after what felt like an excruciatingly long silence Forelain began to waggle her fingers in response.

"I will lend my support to your cause, meager though it might be," Sinaan translated, "Truly, my support may prove to be a hindrance as betrayal from within my own house has led to rebellion against the general of this army that comes against you."

Forelain paused in her signing to allow for a response. It was in this silence that Sinaan added, "The general is my elder sister Aalyn Abendroth. She is a good soldier, and yet, she is no fool. If we aid you, the greatest obstacle will be keeping Aalyn from attacking all of us before we are able to explain the circumstances of the mutiny. Then, there is convincing Aalyn that the grand campaign we were sent on was a lie... a subversion of the will of the goddess. I'm afraid the latter will be even harder than the former."

I nodded, accepting the reality of the challenge before us. Turning my head to look at Hlina she looked like she had no idea what was going on. Swiveling my head, I turned to Glenna who was nodding her understanding of the circumstances. I had left negotiations to Glenna, so I remained silent and waited patiently for her response.

"Time and unforeseen events befall us all," Glenna replied stoically, "The measure of our character is not by the adversities we overcome, but rather, in how we overcome them."

"Well said," Forelain signed and was translated by Sinaan. Then, Forelain sighed and continued. Sinaan interpreted, "Unfortunately, my House armsmen have taken wives for themselves from the priestesses of Arachne, from the camp followers, and most unfortunately I think some are defeated arms-women from other Houses. That being the case, I am loath to having them march against Aalyn."

"What do you intend to do then," Glenna asked?

Forelain's expression firmed before she answered, "I will be sending my armsmen back to Idavollr directly. I was too late to stop the mutiny. All of my armsmen will be wanted. I can not let them die for my son's arrogant stupidity. Given the circumstances, if I confront Aalyn with a military force at my back, she will attack. Better that we approach her as a delegation."

Glenna nodded but Hlina hissed in dismay and this reminded everyone of her earlier dismay at seeing the captives. Especially the wolves. Glenna examined Hlina for a long silent moment and then she turned back to Forelain and asked, "What is to happen to the captives?"

Forelain contemplated Glenna, then Hlina, then she regarded me. Her expression was unreadable. Likely, she saw our interest, but more surprising to her was our concern. Primes were not supposed to be concerned about mere animals. They were livestock, domestic or wild, but nothing more. Forelain wasn't surprised though, at least, that is, she didn't express any of she was. Hlina's spectacle upon seeing Chenoa had no doubt prepared Forelain and had her wondering when the topic of the captive animals was going to come up. Now it was here.

"Do... to recent events within my house," Forelain began cautiously, "The captives will be taken with us. Be at ease, they will be well cared for."

"No!" Hlina shrieked.

"What of the dokkalfar? Surely you don't mean to..." Glenna asked in surprise.

"Yes," Forelain signed in a quick angry gesture while glaring directly at Hlina before swiveling her head to take in Glenna too, "I do mean to."

"Then," Glenna replied, her expression grim, "We require reparations. We were the first to request parley. Your armsmen attacked. We could have dispatched your entire army, but we did not. Partly it was because of your timely arrival and asking to parley, but more importantly it was because we do not want war. We want peace and prosperity for both our peoples. Therefore, as restitution for your attack we ask for the canis-alfari Chenoa and her offspring."

Forelain's expression was at first shocked, and then it changed to indignation, and by the end of Glenna's request she was smoldering contemplation. She turned hard glares towards me, and then finally settled on Hlina before she responded, "This thing you request is a hard thing to do. It threatens our peace and cooperation, and still you would insist upon this... reparation?"

Hlina's glare was as hot as Forelain's, but it was Glenna that responded, "Yes. It shouldn't be so controversial. It is only an animal after all."

"Why," Sinaan asked in response to Forelain's hand gestures, "Help me understand before I make my decision. Why would you jeopardize peace and alliance for an... animal?"

"Because she is my family!" Hlina sputtered heatedly, "I grew up separated from my people. I was alone. Chenoa. The Howling Forde Lupus Pack. Those animals! Took me in. They sheltered me. They gave me a family when I had none!"

Forelain's eyes were wide open. Obviously she wasn't used to being spoken to so adamantly. She didn't respond immediately. She searched Hlina's eyes and face, and then she examined me and Glenna. I was beginning to think the worst. That this parley was going to dissolve into conflict. I took the moment to search Forelain's eyes and expression, then I looked to Sinaan, to Sulabha, Ra'Shaal, and Fjallindae. They all looked stoic. Resigned to whatever their Matron's decision was going to be.