Elfhunter (58 page)

Gaelen and Nelwyn, who were born and bred in the
Greatwood, had seen the advance of evil in their beloved forest,
spreading outward from the Darkmere, with its evil-smelling bogs
full of misshapen, horrid creatures. Gaelen and Nelwyn, as
hunter-scouts, surveyed and guarded the borders of the Elven-realm,
and as such were constantly exposed to the perils of the Darkmere.
So long as they were not disquieted, the others knew they had
little to fear.

Rogond was relieved to see that the closer Gaelen
drew to the Realm of Ri-Aruin, the happier she became. Though she
still seemed subject to occasional chills, she laughed and played
alongside Nelwyn, and she even sang a little.

One starlit night he heard her voice echoing among
the ancient oaks. The great trees sighed and rustled their leaves
almost as though they could hear. The Elves of Tal-sithian, who
were accustomed to beautiful singing, were nevertheless enchanted
by the haunting, soulful notes that seemed to hang in the air,
lingering until the last of their sweetness faded from hearing. No
one made a sound until the song ended. Rogond, who had closed his
eyes in a waking dream, was startled by the sight of Amandir
standing before him as Gaelen’s song ended, and all was silent
again.

"I would speak with you, Tuathan," he said, his eyes
hard in the firelight. Rogond regarded him for a moment, wondering
what the Elf could possibly have to say to him. Rather than
inviting Amandir to sit beside him, Rogond rose somewhat stiffly
and faced him.

"Fine, Amandir. You are free to speak with me if you
wish, but recall that I will hear no evil spoken of Gaelen. So if
that is what you

have come to say, then leave without saying it, for
I will not suffer it in my presence. What have you to say?"

"Only this. Your love for the Wood-elf is admirable,
as is your loyalty. I will not comment on the wisdom of either, but
I would say to you do not be blinded by it, for your lives hang in
the balance." Rogond drew himself up before Amandir, and his grey
eyes narrowed, glinting in the firelight as the Elf continued.

"Stay your wrath, and hear the rest of my tale, for I
do not hold your beloved to blame. She is unwitting in her support
of the enemy, but it makes her no less dangerous. Say nothing of
importance in front of her. The enemy somehow knows what she knows.
I no longer care for my own life, as there is but one purpose
remaining in it, but I would not see you or your friends destroyed.
In fact, I fear for Ri-Aruin and those of the Greatwood. It brings
me no pleasure to tell you these things, for I hold no grudge
against the Wood-elf, but I know her to be an instrument of the
enemy, and therefore I must speak these words, though I earn only
your enmity. You cannot now say that you have not been warned, and
my conscience is clear. I will leave you now to your unhappy
thoughts."

"You will not leave until I have said
my
piece," said Rogond. "I sorrow for your loss and for your pain. I
see a heart that is empty save for grief, and I despair for you. I
once thought that none could be as driven to destroy Gorgon as
Gaelen has been, yet I see my error; your loathing of him is deeper
and more consuming than hers could ever be. She has held onto her
spirit; yours has been lost and overwhelmed by your pain. You are
now just a vessel for grief, Amandir, and it has made you wretched.
I truly sorrow for you. You still have not revealed to me the
nature of this ‘knowledge’ that you possess concerning Gaelen’s
complicity with Gorgon. It’s easy to make such claims, but far more
difficult to support them with evidence and allow the facts to
decide opinion."

To his credit, Amandir allowed Rogond to finish. Then
he bowed his head and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened
them, they were resigned and empty.

"Do you think I care any at all for your opinion of
me? Very well, Tuathan," he sighed. "We shall sit down together,
and I will reveal the evidence to you. Then try to deny it, though
your heart despair."

At that moment, Fima approached them from Rogond’s
left, his hand on his axe-handle.

"And what is the nature of this discussion?" he said.
"I can see that my friend Rogond is disquieted; surely no ill is
being said of Gaelen, as I am certain a wise Elf such as Amandir
would have taken my meaning earlier."

Amandir addressed Rogond, ignoring Fima completely.
"At such time as we are alone and I decide again to enlighten you,
I will. Until then, remember my words and my warning. Share no
secrets with her."

Fima growled deep in his throat at Amandir’s
retreating back. Rogond sighed. Fima was one of his dearest
friends, but his appearance had indeed been untimely. There was
nothing to do for it now, though.

Fima muttered under his breath: "The idiot probably
thinks I do not understand his tongue. How little he appreciates my
abilities! I hope it continues, as he will say something to truly
provoke me one day, and then I shall have an excuse."

Rogond was tired of enmity. "Stop it, Fima," he said,
eliciting a confused look from the dwarf. "At present, I don’t wish
to discuss Amandir or even acknowledge that he exists, if it is the
same to you." "Well said!" Fima enthused, lapsing back into the
common tongue. "Let us take some rest ‘ere dawn comes. I don’t
think the nightingale will favor us again tonight. What a beautiful
song she sings. It was good to hear her again; it means her spirits
are lifted.

Will you go and find her now?"

Rogond considered. "No, Fima, I believe from the
sound of it that she is keeping the watch in the trees tonight. I
cannot rest sitting in tree tops, though I might wish it. I shall
stay on the ground, for I am weary. Goodnight, my stalwart friend."
Rogond sat down beside Thorndil at the base of a large oak tree and
closed his eyes, and Fima moved to join them.

Neither Rogond nor his friend the dwarf truly rested
that evening, as Rogond was troubled with thoughts of what Amandir
would reveal to him, while Fima was troubled with thoughts of
Dardis’ mirror and what they would all do should Nelwyn’s vision
prove true.

Later, as Fima slept, he found himself caught in the
grip of a nightmare in which he had to apologize to Amandir over
and over, but try as he might to speak the Elven-tongue, the words
just would not come to him. The dream-Amandir laughed as the
normally eloquent Fima was forced to use the common tongue, and
even this was halting and awkward, to his extreme humiliation.

They reached the borders of Ri-Aruin’s Realm four
days later. Another day and they would be escorted into the halls
of the King. Gaelen and Nelwyn were joyful but anxious, as they
would indeed have a long and involved tale to tell Ri-Aruin when
they finally found themselves in his presence. The two She-elves
greeted the hunter- scouts who met their party as long lost friends
(which, in fact, they were) and they spent the remaining travel
time catching up on news.

There were many in the Greatwood, it seemed, who were
anxiously awaiting their return, including the kin of Talrodin and
Halrodin. Wellyn had somehow fallen out of favor with his father,
though none knew why. This was somewhat distressing to the people
of the Greatwood, as the King normally got on very well with his
eldest son and heir. Gaelen shook her head as she rode. It would
surely be an interesting reunion. Impatient and anxious, she rode
out ahead.

As soon as she drew near to the Elven-hold, Gaelen
saw a familiar figure standing tall upon the hilltop, his cloak
unfurled behind him, his dark hair lifting in the wind. Gaelen knew
him at once, and her heart leapt. She spurred Siva forward,
galloping with all speed toward him, calling his name and waving.
Wellyn broke into a wide grin and leaped down from his perch,
striding out to meet her, and as the guards stood aside to let the
mare pass, Gaelen dismounted and ran to him. They embraced joyfully
and long, true friends reunited at last. In recent memory Gaelen
had not been nearly as happy to see anyone as she was to see
Wellyn.

She buried her face in his tunic and breathed in his
familiar scent, comforted by the warmth and strength of his arms
and the gentle, clear sound of his voice. She really was home,
Wellyn was really here, and she was surrounded by all that she knew
and loved. In those few moments, weariness and despair seemed to
fall away to be replaced with hope.

Wellyn had been somewhat alarmed at the sight of her,
but he kept it hidden. Gaelen was lean, hard, and travel-worn. She
had aged; though her face was as young as ever, her eyes betrayed
her. They shone with an almost desperate brightness, as though
determined now to be happy after months of hardship and grief. She
shivered slightly in his embrace.

The rest of the Company, including Rogond, arrived a
few minutes later. Gaelen and Wellyn were now talking with one
another in excited voices, as Gaelen promised to tell him of her
adventures.

"Yes, Gaelen, remember you must keep nothing from me.
You vowed to share all of your tales upon your return, and if I am
any judge there will be too much to reveal in one night. We shall
have several enjoyable nights in the telling…I look forward to it
more than you can know."

Gaelen smiled. "And I shall look forward to the
telling. How I have missed you! Wait until I show you my skill with
the longbow. I have been practicing!" She drew the weapon from over
her shoulder to show him. It was beautifully made, and he was
appreciative.

"Ah, Gaelen. You are ever hopeful of besting me. Yet
I must tell you that I have also been training since you left us,
and you have little chance, though I am impressed that you are
strong enough to pull this bow. Tomorrow we shall see!"

Gaelen laughed as Nelwyn, Galador, Rogond, and the
remainder of the Company drew nigh. Wellyn took his leave, stating
that he wanted to inform Ri-Aruin of their arrival.

"I will see you at the feast tonight, Gaelen. You
shall sit at the King’s table, at my right hand." He shot a look at
Rogond, his eyes telling a different tale from his smiling face. "I
see the Tuathan followed you across the mountains. It is to his
credit that he survived the crossing; you must have aided him
greatly. I am relieved to see that he is still with you."

Gaelen looked over at Rogond and winked. "Oh, he
burdened us but little, my friend. We only had to save him once or
twice."

Rogond smiled, but his heart was troubled. He had not
been aware of Gaelen’s deep affection for Wellyn, whose enmity
toward him was obvious. Rogond had noticed that Wellyn would not
address him directly, and he imagined Ri-Aruin’s attitude would
probably be even worse. At least Gaelen seemed not to notice. She
and Nelwyn were happy and excited as they spoke of the feast to
come, and of their plans to reunite with their other friends.
Gaelen took Rogond’s arm, her familiar spirited nature in full
force once again, and went forward with him.

The horses were taken to the stables, and the
travelers were escorted to chambers where they could rest and
refresh themselves until called before the King. Gaelen came to
fetch Rogond, explaining that Ri-Aruin had requested an audience
with him as well. He quickly made himself presentable, and they
proceeded to the King’s private audience-chamber, where Nelwyn and
Galador were already waiting.

They would not have the time for the full telling of
the tale until the following day, when the King would also hear
from the Elves of Tal-sithian. Nevertheless, Ri-Aruin wanted to
hear from them as soon as they arrived. He greeted the Company with
a grave countenance, and listened in silence as they began.

Afterward, Gaelen bowed before the King and spoke in
a small, quiet voice: "We have returned as promised, my lord, and
we seek the aid of the Elves of the Greatwood, for this is an enemy
that will require the strength of many to be defeated. That is our
purpose and that of our companions. The Elves of Tal-sithian were
sent by the Lady of the Lake to see us safely home. Yet they have
said they will remain and aid us in our quest to rid the world of
this abhorrent creature. Please, my lord, will you aid us?"

She raised her eyes to meet his, and though her
posture still indicated submission, her spirit burned in her
bright, unflinching gaze. Ri-Aruin smiled in spite of himself. She
and Nelwyn had done him credit, by the sound of things. He could
not help liking them, though their news was grave and their request
somewhat bold. When he spoke, his voice was stern, but gentle.

"I cannot answer, Gaelen, until I have heard all you
and your companions have to tell. But we recognize the need to
defeat this enemy, and will not turn our backs on that need. Take
heart."

He dismissed them soon after, bidding them take their
rest so that they might feast long and merrily. "The four of you
shall sit at my table tonight. You have done honor to the folk of
the Greatwood.

Now, rest and forget your cares, for you are safely
in our realm. Tomorrow we shall speak more of your adventures and
of your plans. Enjoy the full measure of our hospitality until
then," he said, looking at Rogond in particular.

The Ranger saw no enmity in Ri-Aruin’s glance, to his
relief. Perhaps the King had realized that Rogond was an ally, or
perhaps he had simply grown accustomed to the idea of him. Either
way, Rogond thought, the acceptance of Ri-Aruin would make his stay
in the Greatwood much less stressful. Of Wellyn, Rogond was far
less certain, but he was content for now to deal with one problem
at a time. Tonight he would feast with Gaelen and his friends, and
he would not worry about the security of his heart’s desire before
this tall Prince of the Realm. At least, not until tomorrow.