The red robes of Legisi hung from his perch hiding his legs, almost as if he had none. His brow protruded further than a normal elf, as if his mother mated with a dwarf. Which is impossible because he was also very tall, tall even by Elven standards. Friendly wasn't the word you could use with Legisi, professional is the closest you could come without stepping the boundary to just rude.
"Lunakin, you are dining with Lord Eldarish this evening. Your dress has been dusted, in normal circumstances I would have said tailored, but it has been tailored for quite some time. Waiting for you to grace us with your presence."
Halren leaned in the doorway, his form the last eight months somehow renewed. The great shock of meeting the Elven king maybe, or perhaps the visions of what's to come that Thalion showed him when he asked to leave Helmroni. Visions in which he told Alverna he saw. But not what of. His torso was no longer bulbous, but in fact as tight as steel. His dirty moustache now a flowing blackened beard, shot with slivers of silver. Cleansed. In the river of Dremold. Where Elves bathe.
"Why don't you give the girl some slack aye? It's not her fault that she was in a coma."
Legisi waved him off. "Actually Halren it is. Would she have paced the charger Master Teller so kindly bestowed to the two of you."
Before Halren could rebuttal Legisi waved him out of the door and stood.
"Lunakin, Ferin himself has seen a fate that can not pass. A terrible fate brought on by his blood and the hearts of men. To fight this fate he has selected but a few. Together these few will play roles that just might tip the weave of destiny and maintain the balance."
Alverna's eyes gleamed like gems. "Ferin has chosen.. Me?"
Legisi nodded as if he were annoyed. "For lack of a better word yes. You are a champion of Ferinion. Rather you will become a champion. The light of mankind. The lunakin. But first, you must dress for dinner."
Legisi stood and exited, where an Elven tailor and his apprentice rushed in to take his place.
"My my child, stand please! Please! We have much to do."
The apprentice yanked Alverna upright from her bedside. The old Elf measuring her every curve and crevice. When the tape touched her breast she slapped his hand.
"Why are you measuring?! Legisi said the dress was tailored."
The Elf sneered. "The armor?"
Alverna raised her brow.
"What armor? What's going on?"
"The armor for the rite of passage my child! Pay attention!"
The apprentice repeated the Tailor
"Attention! Pay attention!"
"That is enough of you two, now out!"
Thalion grabbed them by their scruffs and pulled them from Alverna, shutting the door. Handing her a package.
"I apologize for that. This is your dress. We will see you at dinner, the maidens will guide you when you are ready. You are sitting on Eldarish's left at the grand table."
"Wait! That old Elf, he said he was measuring me for armor. Something about a rite of passage?"
Thalion frowned.
"He shouldn't have said that, Eldarish will announce tonight and then, you will understand. It's nothing to fear."
With an added smile Thalion turned and exited. Alverna was momentarily alone with her thoughts.
"I hope not."
___
The dinner hall of Helmronli was enormous. The entire kingdom met every day at last light to feast. Large wild paints and mustangs trotted back and forth merrily on the sheer surface of the stone floor, occasionally a froth of chargers carrying Elven guards, decorated in white gold chain mail and the finest of helms. Would patrol on by. At the far eastern end of the Great hall sat the grand table. On the far end and the heading. Facing back upon the room of Elves, was Eldarish, his wife Twiln to his right, and to The left sat Alverna's empty chair.
The maiden who was in Alverna's charge, was the size of a human child. Though from her voice and knowledgeable architectual explanation of the Elven structures. She could've been at least forty. And possibly was. Her name was Yhivi and she insisted that it was customary for a maiden to dress her master. But after much argument, Yhivi concieded.
Alverna's dress was white lace, with forest green trim around the neck, which rode high to the jaw line. The base was embroidered in gold and just hovered above the floor making the wearer look weightless. The nicest thing Alverna ever remembered wearing was this. But she was out of time to admire in the mirror. Yhivi interrupted.
"Lunakin, My Lady we are terribly late."
And before Alverna knew it, she was stepping forward to bow and take her seat next to the King of the Forest and appearently. Her god father.
Eldarish stood at her bow and smiled, reaching out with two fingers to lift her head softly. "My dear Lunakin. Never bow to me I consider you a dear friend."
Alverna apologized a million times that dinner, breaking customs and not understanding Elven etiquette. Eldarish just admired her and waved her apologies off. Telling her. "It's fine Lunakin, you will learn."
The meal was grand. Fish and lobster, the finest roasted acorns and walnuts. Apple brandy was a familiar taste but the Oaken wine and sour maple mint cakes were not. Various breads came and went as the meal rotated every hour. Sour dough, Rye, Cornmeal and raisin. Alverna aquired a new favorite that night. Poisonberry bread. Purple and moist. At her expression, Eldarish had requested the cooks divulge the recipe to her but she declined, embarrassed.
To Alverna's right sat Thalion and beyond him Halren. Who had been sharing dirty jokes in Thalion's ear. Corrupting the poor sage and sending him into fits of laughter. Eldarish's wife spent the majority of the dinner asking about Alverna's mother. When Alverna told her that she never knew her mother. Twiln adopted a catch phrase. Every few words of Alverna's adventure would be followed by. "Oh Lunakin, you poor girl." And a set of nods all the way down the table. Alverna thought this to be very annoying. Legisi sat quietly and ate his meal without once acknowledging Alverna. Diagnal from him. (Legisi to Twiln's left.)
What must have been three rotations into the dinner processions, Eldarish stood.
"It is time."
When the king stood, the entire hall grew quiet. All the way to the back, beyond sight. Even the horses held their clatter of hooves. Without command. And so Eldarish spoke.
"My fellow Elves and friends of Elves. My dear steeds of noble and high, My wondrous friends in the trees above and the wind in our valley amongst the forest. We give thanks. For the blood of our dear friend Aluine Wyvern has returned. In his wonderous daughter. Lunakin."
The crowd erupted, Thalion and Halren breaking into applause. (Halren still with a lobster tail in his mouth.)
Eldarish continued;
"Tonight we dine finely, as we always have. However tonight there is also much to discuss."
The crowd grew silent.
Eldarish put his nimble hand against the table and leaned forward, his green eyes scanning over the audience. Legisi stood up straight and smoothed his crimson robe. Thanious and Halren fixed more on Alverna than Eldarish.
After a moment the Elf king straightened and put his hands behind his back. This was the first time but not the last time that Alverna would witness the always smiling king stern his expression.
"My fellow citizens of Helmronli, friends and allies. Steeds and councilmen."
Eldarish looked toward Twiln who nodded her approval of what he was about to say.
"Word has come to us that the Shadow Council has invoked war upon Highroth."
The hall burst into chatter, even the patrols were bantering out of order. Alverna's eyes widened and she looked toward Thalion and Halren. "Didn't you say Renzel was in the north?" Thalion looked at his plate, face grey with dread. Halren nodded. Alverna felt her entire being crumble.
'Renzel.. What have you gotten involved in.'
Eldarish raised his hand and the crowd drew quiet once more.
"The king of the North, has not requested any aid. No word has come from Highroth of the situation. However, there is a more pressing matter to attend to."
Eldarish stepped to his left and gave Alverna a forced smile, extending his hand to her.
"Please stand with me, my dear."
Alverna took Eldarish's hand and stood slowly. The crowd burst into whispers again. This made Eldarish scowl.
"Silence!"
The hall snapped quiet.
"The Black magi order has set the lands to war again, a century of peace has been broken. No matter who is to blame, it must be addressed. But the wood Elves of Helmronli do not meet in battle unless our aid is sought."
The crowd remained still, the steeds even focusing on Eldarish.
"However, we have recieved word from Ferinion. The kingdom under the marsh. It appears a strand of fate threatens to destroy us all."
The crowd gasped in unison, Eldarish continued.
"In the age of Ferin and Thanious, the dwarves still ruled these lands, as the dwarves were master craftsman, they spent their days scarring the lands, taking the metals and gems as far as the badlands and then on to the border of the world. As you all know, Elven kind lacked the knowledge we now possess and the Elves of old were a peaceful folk. The Dwarves however were warmongering. So my father's father Edwalah struck a bargain to keep the dwarves from plundering the lands of the forest and the lands of our cousins in crook spire mountain, of course you all know of the king of the peak and High Elves, Stailien."
The crowd listened intently, as if Eldarish was telling a child a bedtime story.
"Edwalah promised the dwarves the finest gem anyone could offer, the spirit of the world. Of course Edwalah did not possess this, That gem was kept already, by a great creature known as the Ricculter. So Edwalah had his people join him in prayers to their ancestors, to slay the creature. However it wasn't the elders who replied. It was Thanious Lazarus. Thanious agreed to save the Elves on one condition. They craft him a great staff, and inlay shavings of the spirit he brought back into it. The Elven king agreed. But when Thanious returned, he took the staff and kept the gem. Ferin Lazarus could not watch his brother leave the elves to perish. So with all of his mana spark. The great mage of the north drove the dwarven armies back from the badlands and far north, above our worlds end, to the land known as the Further. Years passed and Thanious never emerged, Ferin then planted the great Elder tree with the power left from the slain Ricculter. This ensured that noone would ever again weild a staff that wasn't chosen for them by the gaurdian itself."
Alverna stood and watched the crowd nod in understanding, however lost she was.
"Ferinion has sent us word that a great power lies somewhere far away, beyond our sight and beyond the reach of news. It is possible that it may be the spirit of the world. The consensus on this is that the shadow council has known of this for some time. Commiting vile acts to attempt discovery of it's location."
Alverna gasped,
'So that's why Gurvon ordered the village of healers slain.'
"We know only to comply with Ferinion's wishes, protect the one known as Alverna Wyvern, keep her here under guard, As was our debt to Ferin and now is our debt to his kingdom of decendants. But we must know more...to ensure the safety of our land and the security that history will not repeat itself. However, unless brought forth willingly to the gates. Noone of blood other than Ferin's can gain entry, the only mortal being who may enter is the light of mankind. This is why I believe that Aluine Wyvern's blood has returned. Because she is the light. She is Lunakin."
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Alverna was absolutely speechless. Eldarish smiled at her and then raised two fingers. Hushing the uproar.
"To confirm Lunakin is worthy of such passage, she must commit a sacrament. In five days time. The Harvest moon will fall on Helmroni. In that momemt we are permitted entry into the hall of souls. If lunakin is what I believe she is. The elders will present themselves to her, Where upon the blessing of king Eldawah's spirit. Lunakin will be provided an item of Eldwalah's choosing to help her I'm this time of great need. Should she fail.. Lunakin will be shunned from Helmroni and her blood will no longer hold the vow we gave her father.."
The crowd erupted and Eldarish took his seat. Facing Alverna he smiled.
"Fear not, I know you are just what I say. Halren has been promised a blood vow. Should you pass the sacrament and finish your journey. He will accompany you."
Alverna's stomach churned but Halren and Thalion were eating, merrily unaffected.
"I dont know what to say, my lord."
Eldarish shook his head.
"Thalion will accompany you as well. He's an adept bowman, as well as a master swordsman. His life has been assigned to only continue, should you survive."
Thalion bowed while keeping his seat.
"Lunakin I vow unto you that we will make the treck to Ferinion and find your friends."
Halren nodded, "Aye Alver- erm. Lunakin, we'll find Master Teller and Master Mock. It's your destiny."
Eldarish grinned at the camaraderie and addressed Alverna.
"You still have long before you can begin. Should you come through this rite of passage. The Elves will train you in a combat of your choice, for no less than a year."
Alverna smiled. "I already care for all of this land and these people so deeply, I'm worried about Renzel. But I promise Lord Eldarish. I am in no hurry to leave here."
Thalion nodded, "I concur."
Halren drove his mouth full of sweet potatoe's. "Aye."