The Last Elf of Lanis (35 page)

“First and most importantly,” Kellabald said to Arnwylf, “do not regret or spurn your responsibilities. They are the threads which sew your life together.”

“Father,” Arnwylf pleaded. But, Kellabald patted his hand and went on.

“I had many friends in Alfhich when I was a young man and you were but an infant. I would sometimes stay with them, and worry your poor mother. One day, Yulenth said to me, ‘Why do you steal such precious moments from yourself?’ I didn’t know what he was talking about. But the very next day, some of the lads from Alfhich came to take me fishing out on the Mere of Lanis. I would have been gone for days. Yulenth’s words were in my mind and I declined to go with them. The very next day, you caught your first fish, by yourself, in the stream that runs through Bittel. If I had gone with my friends I would have missed that. I would have missed seeing how proud you were in that moment. I would have missed you trying to wrestle that enormous fish from the water, the laughter and merriment when you brought it to your mother. I tell you son, that fish was the most delicious fish I ever ate. Know your responsibilities, son, and honor
them. They are the threads that
hold
your life together.” Kellabald gently lay back on the bed.

Arnwylf buried his face in the bed, holding back his sobs with all his might.

“Wynnfrith,” Kellabald said, holding out his hand.

“Here I am, husband,” Wynnfrith said moving close, taking his hand.

“When I first saw you,” Kellabald smiled, “sixteen years old, brought by your fugitive mother to my little settlement, I knew I would fight the whole world for you. And I have.” They both softly cried on each other’s shoulders.

“Now wife,” Kellabald said, “I must go on before you.”

“No,” Wynnfrith said. “I will not let you go.”

“I am afraid, dear one,” he said, “you will not be able to prevent me.”

“Then I will follow you,” she said.

“Did you not hear anything I said to your son?” Kellabald gently said. “Those words were not only for him. You will have many things to do to help heal our land.” Kellabald coughed a little, and Wynnfrith held his shoulders as he caught his breath.

“Rest now,” Wynnfrith said. “We can talk tomorrow.”

“Clever woman,” Kellabald said. “If only you could trick me into waiting until tomorrow.”

Wynnfrith ran her fingers through Kellabald’s mop of blonde hair, and stared into his soft brown eyes. “Husband,” was all she could say before her tears caught her voice.

“Listen,” Kellabald said, “we have never spoken much of it, but between my lineage of Reia and your direct line to the throne of the Weald, our son unites two nations. You have heavy worries ahead of you. I just wish I could be there to help you.”

“You will be!” Wynnfrith cried. Kellabald patted Wynnfrith’s hand.

“You will be confronted with political vipers,” Kellabald said. “We are all congenial brothers now, in happy victory, but the day after, all will seek your power, and you will be set upon on all sides.” Kellabald rose slightly to look more directly at Wynnfrith.

“When I discovered the nature of my father’s religion,” Kellabald said, “sacrificing children to the monster of Lake Hapaun, I knew I could no longer be his son. I couldn’t stand before the lords of Reia and lie for my father, nor could I tell the truth. You may face such awful decisions. I now know if I had to, I could have condemned my father. I would have told the truth. You may one day have to tell a truth you do not want to tell. In that moment, feel my strength standing beside you. Be fair and be honest, like our greatest leaders. Know that I love you and will be with you in spirit always.”

“My love will be with you, and you alone for all time and all ages,” Wynnfrith said through her sobs.

“My father,” was all Arnwylf could say.

“Let your light, be my last light,” Kellabald said staring at the faces of his wife and son. And, then he died.

Wynnfrith and Arnwylf cried by the body of Kellabald long into the night.

At last, the Archer and the elf entered. “We should take him to Bittel, for his funeral,” the elf quietly said.

“Let him rest there in his home,” the Archer added.

Wynnfrith could only nod her head.

Arnwylf fled into the cold night of the meadowland to cry his bitter tears alone, on the field where his father’s life was taken.

Chapter Twenty Two

Partings and Plans

The small stand of trees was dry and black, and the empty branches of the massive elms swayed and danced with the gusting breezes of the approaching winter. The Archer tamped down the earth of Kellabald’s burial mound. The people of Reia did not burn their dead. The earth was fresh and dry. Next to a large oak, Kellabald’s grave would lay in the summer shade of Bittel.

Wynnfrith sat nearby on the edge of the meadowland, staring out at the dry, dead grasses. She watched Ronenth slowly walking with Frea near the place where they were freed by the Archer’s arrows.

Arnwylf sat under a tree by himself. He would not speak with anyone. Conniker curled at his feet, sulking, too.

Halldora came and sat next to Wynnfrith. They put their arms around each other. Both had lost their husbands, fathers to their children.

Nearby, Yulenth and Alrhett sat with Solienth whose wound was expected to heal.

The elf stood next to the Archer. She touched his shoulder and pointed. “There,” she said, “that was the tree in which you pinned my cloak with your arrow. Look there is still a hole, here.”

“And I was in the one just beyond,” the Archer said pointing. They smiled to each other.

Alrhett rose.

“Come everybody,” she said. The group gathered by Kellabald’s grave.

“I will begin,” Alrhett said. “He was a good son by marriage. I knew right away he was the one for my daughter. He was an honest and true man. I loved him as if he were my son.”

“When I came here,” Yulenth said, “he welcomed me without hesitation, even though it became apparent I knew Alrhett from her former life as Queen of the Weald. He wasn’t impressed by titles or ranks. He saw into your soul and knew who you were. I think it’s why the Mattear Gram rested so easily in his hands.”

“He was like a second father to me,” was all Frea could say before she was overcome by emotion.

“He was a good friend, and a person my husband instantly trusted,” Halldora said. “That meant a lot to me, coming from Ethgeow with its intrigue and assassinations. We came here for protection and it was freely given. I will never forget that.”

“His leadership was truly inspiring,” the Archer said. “I don’t think any other man could have united the human armies in battle. We lost a great man at the Battle of the Eastern Meadowlands.”

“I liked him,” was all the elf said, but all understood this was indeed very high praise from an elf.

Bittel was quiet. The only sound was the whispering of the wind through the bare trees.

A rustling in the grass made all eyes turn.

“There is someone here who wishes to pay his respects,” the elf said.

An enormous boar stepped out of the grass, and snorted.

“You have come a long way, friend,” Alrhett said.

The Great Boar of the Western Meadowland knelt and bowed his head at Kellabald’s grave. Conniker and the Boar exchanged a look. Then, the boar turned and disappeared back into the meadow.

The wind whispered its song of coming winter, snow and cold. The group stood shivering, staring down at the mound of earth.

“I miss my husband,” Wynnfrith said. “I know this new feeling will now be with me always. I wish I could recreate his whole life, every smile, and every funny thing he said, in words for you somehow. He was strong, and brave, and simple. Strangers felt at ease around him for his trustworthiness.” Then, Wynnfrith was choked with her own tears and could not continue.

All waited patiently for Arnwylf to lastly speak. Finally he cleared his throat.

“I will avenge my father,” Arnwylf said with dark eyes. “I will retrieve the sword. I will kill Apghilis, Ravensdred, and Deifol Hroth, and sorry will be any man or garond who stands in my way.”

The wind calmed at these angry words. No one had any thoughts of comfort or appeasement for Arnwylf.

With that silence, Arnwylf rose, he kissed his mother, whistled for Conniker, mounted Boldson, and rode north with his white wolf loping by his side.

Frea collapsed into sobs, as Ronenth softly stroked her hair.

“You didn’t try to stop him,” Halldora gently said to Wynnfrith.

“Perhaps I want what he wants,” she coldly said, then buried her face in Halldora’s shoulder with sobs.

“I will go with him!” Ronenth announced and started for his horse named Quickly.

“You will do no such thing!” Solienth exclaimed as he grabbed Ronenth by his tunic. Solienth began to topple, being unsteady because of the wound to his leg. Yulenth caught him.

“He needs to do what he needs to do, alone,” Yulenth soberly said as the Glafs supported each other.

“But-“ Ronenth began.

“Are you a Glaf?” Solienth snapped.

“Of course,” he answered.

“Have you learned nothing from us?” Yulenth sharply said. Then Ronenth was quiet because he knew they were right.

“Will no one stop him!” Frea cried, and crumpled to the earth of Bittel.

“Hush, daughter,” Halldora said stooping to hug Frea. “All the human armies will look after him. He will return to us. Won’t he?” Halldora looked to Wynnfrith, who stared back blankly with uncertainty.

“We need to go to the Weald,” Yulenth said. “If there are garonds in the woods, they must be driven out immediately.”

“I agree,” Alrhett quietly said.

“And there is Rogar Li to rebuild,” Solienth said with encouragement. “Why, my old cottage in the Weald is probably in shambles.”

“You will not stay to rebuild Bittel?” Halldora softly asked Wynnfrith.

“There is too much pain for me here now,” Wynnfrith said with tears. “I will go with my mother to the Weald.”

“Then I will go with you,” Halldora said with a smile. “It will build strong bonds between the Weald and the Northern Kingdom of Man if they seek their queen among the wealdkin.”

The group stood silently as the afternoon brightly brought a little warmth.

“We’d best go while the sun shines,” Yulenth said.

Then, they said their good-byes. Yulenth, and Alrhett mounted Gladsir. Solienth mounted Sweetfoot with Wynnfrith and Halldora. Ronenth and Frea mounted Quickly and then they rode east, leaving the Archer and the elf standing alone in Bittel.

The Archer and the elf stood silently looking out across the Eastern Meadowland. Then, the elf turned.

“Someone is coming,” she said. The elf drew her moon sword. The Archer nocked an arrow of Yenolah.

“Hello!?” A familiar voice called. Caerlund came crashing through the grass, followed by a full platoon of fifty soldiers. “I hoped to find you still here. Was that young Arnwylf I saw riding north, alone?”

“Yes,” the Archer answered.

“Well,” Caerlund said, a little perplexed, and then gathered himself. “I hoped to find our young elf.” Then Caerlund was unsure if he should continue. “Is this his grave?”” he quietly asked.

“This is the final resting place of Kellabald,” the elf simply said.

Caerlund removed his helmet, and knelt. And, all his soldiers did the same. “He was a great man,” Caerlund reverently said. Then, he rose, and turned to the elf. “We’ve word from the Messenger Guild that this Deifol Hroth fellow is trying to get into Lanis Rhyl Landemiriam. I thought you should know. And, I thought you might want to help.”

The elf’s face momentarily turned red. “Help?” She said. “Help? I will scatter his ashes upon the five corners of Wealdland if he enters my sacred city.”

All were momentarily stunned by this rare outburst of emotion from the elf.

“I will be by your side,” the Archer said. “I now believe the arrows of Yenolah were made specifically for him.”

“You only have four left,” the elf said.

“And one still needs a new shaft,” he replied with a frown.

“Oh, no,” the elf suddenly said.

“What?” The Archer asked.

“I know how the Lord of Lightning moved the Wanderer. He did it with an elvish device.”

“That must mean he has already, somehow, found a way into your city,” Caerlund urgently said. “We must march all day and night to Lanis Rhyl Landemiriam, and stop him. If he crashes that moon down onto the earth, we are all done for, I reckon.” Caerlund exhaled an urgent, exasperated sigh.

The elf turned to the Archer with a smile. “I suppose if we are to fight together we should know each other’s names,” she said with a laugh. “My full name in elvish is Iounelle Treelaughter Wendralorn. My family name being Wendralo
rn, Treelaughter is my life
name, but you should call me Iounelle.”

“That’s quite a beautiful name,” the Archer said. Then, the Archer leaned forward to tell the elf his name.

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