Chapter Five: Reunion Amid a Mystery
Tranith Argan: Book 2
Kara and the elves have rescued Felanar from the autarch’s men, though at great loss to the elves.
Felanar, Kara and the remaining Erenár carried their fallen comrades to the coast. Having been alerted to the call of their horn, the ship had sailed to this spot and was waiting for them. All boarded and the ship sailed east toward Elaria.
After he had seen to his crew, Narón came down below to where Felanar and Kara were talking animatedly about events of the past two days. Narón paused on the top step, watched the two of them, and saw how much affection they had for each other. Kara’s concern for her brother had given way to intense relief at having him back safe. Felanar seemed no less glad to see his sister, and was as proud as could be of her exploits.
“May I join thee?” asked Narón, as he walked silently down the last step and approached the others. “I would hear thy story, Felanar, if thou would share thy company.”
Felanar smiled warmly and gestured for Narón to sit down next to Kara on the bed.
“You are most welcome to join us, Narón. Were it not for you, I would not be alive. Twice now you have rescued me and I’ll not soon forget it.”
“Then forget not thy sister, for without her determination thou would never have been found,” said Narón with a nod toward Kara. She responded with a nod of her own, and a smile.
“I know it well, Narón,” responded Felanar solemnly. “I do not know where such determination came from but I’m grateful to have such a sister.”
Suddenly embarrassed by this attention, Kara blushed and looked from her brother to the elf, both of whom were staring at her in admiration. She decided to bring things back to the original subject.
“You’re just in time,” she said to the elf. “He’s just told me about the saarks and how you saved him. He was about to tell me of the dragon attack.”
“After the elves destroyed the saarks,” said Felanar, continuing his story, “I felt completely safe. Kara, you should have seen the way they fought! I’ve never seen such warriors. Elves are constantly surprising me with their hidden abilities.”
Narón laughed at this. “We make no secret of our skills. Who knows not of the fighting Erenár?”
“I did not know,” said Kara.
“Nor did I,” added Felanar. “To be honest, Narón, we hear hardly anything at all of the Erenár among our people. They are all just elves to us, and mysterious at that. Our people know little of Findára and Erenár and even less of their skills. We, Kara and I, know now, however and I’ll not be picking a fight with you soon.”
The elf nodded with a smile. “Our ways have been secretive, it is true. It seems our exploits are not as widely known as I would have thought. Alas, we seek not the company of others, and that is our loss, I think, as I look at thee.”
Felanar continued, “As I was saying, I felt completely safe among Narón’s crew. I asked him to take me to Elaria to join you all. That’s where I guessed you would go after we were separated. We had just begun to sail when the dragon appeared. I don’t mind telling you, Kara, my heart was filled with dread at the sight. It was out of the cooking pot and into the fire, as they say.
“At least I was among elves, I thought, so perhaps there was safety in this. Indeed at first it seemed to go well, for Narón spoke to it (“him”, interrupted Narón) – him, and it, that is, he, spoke back to Narón. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but it confirmed my suspicion that dragons have intelligence. The conversation was all too short, however, for suddenly the dragon flew right at me! The elves scrambled to my side but the dragon brushed them aside with its wings. Kara, I could smell the smoke as he approached! It was overwhelming.
“While he dealt with the elves, I ran for the hatch to escape below, little knowing what I was doing. I just ran below ahead of his swooping claws. This seemed to anger him and I could hear him attacking the side of the ship and breathing fire.”
“Aye, it was so,” said Narón. “If he couldn’t fit down the hatch, he was determined to make a new hatch of his own to get to thee. ‘Why do you attack us?’ we cried out. ‘It is not you I seek’ is all he would say. And then Felanar ran back up on deck.”
“What! cried Kara. “Why did you do that?”
“To save the ship, Kara. The dragon was going to destroy it if I stayed below. So I thought the only thing to do was to confront it as I did the other dragon. Maybe the direct confrontation would work again as before. I ran over to the side of the ship where the dragon was and I was about to raise my arms in defiance when he suddenly swooped over and grabbed my clothes with his claws. At once I was aloft and the ship was far below. I felt the wind rushing by as he flew off. Then his tail wrapped around my body and carried me up to his back. There was a level place in the small of his back where he placed me. I had to hang on to a ridge on his back; we were by then too high for me to jump off. All I could do was hold on until we reached wherever it was he was taking me.
“Yes, Kara, I felt as scared as your eyes look at this moment. His body was hot to the touch. It burned my hands slightly if I held on in any one spot too long. I had to keep shifting around. As I did so, I felt the power of those wings and limbs! I could feel his muscles ripple as he flew. His body was covered in thick, coarse scales. Impenetrable they seemed to me. With his strength and scales, I can’t imagine an arrow piercing him.”
“They cannot be pierced by anything of man,” interrupted Narón. “Only an elf could fashion a weapon to penetrate such skin.”
“I believe you, Narón. So there I was, helpless but to hang on and be carried who knows where. From the sun, I could tell I was being carried west. This confused me, for I felt sure I was being carried to Shanaar. That’s where the saarks had been taking me anyway, or so I guessed, and I didn’t see why the dragon would take me anywhere else.”
“Draigú work not with the Dark One,” said Narón. “Or such has always been their way. We live in evil days if such is their habit now.”
“As I said, he didn’t seem to be taking me to Shanaar. I tried to talk to him as we flew. I put myself in the mind of a dragon, and tried to imitate the way I had heard the elves speak to him on the boat. ‘Why are you taking me?’ I asked, but there was no response. By now the western lands could be seen below and I think I saw Elaria, or what must be it. It looked so green and peaceful that my heart ached. Here I was on this burning beast and there below me lay that beautiful land.
“The dragon’s body was less hot now and I could comfortably hold on in one spot. I was exhausted and as the hours went by I fell into a fitful sleep, at least for a few minutes at a time. I would always jump back awake and hang on even tighter, for fear of dropping off the side of the beast.”
“Thou would have been caught by the Draigú if thou had fallen,” said Narón.
“Perhaps so, but it still felt very unsafe. Hours of darkness now passed, with the only light being the dim glow of the dragon’s mouth ahead and the moon above. Now I was glad for the warmth of his body, for the night air chilled me. I huddled as best I could and waited for dawn, drifting in and out of sleep. When dawn came, Elaria was long gone and now there was only sea below us again. Soon we turned southward and fell lower in the sky. The coast approached and it was clear we were going to land.”
“We must have been right behind you then,” said Kara, looking over at Narón. “By this morning, we had also passed Elaria as we headed toward Dragon Island.”
“Yea, Kara, we flew as only Erenár can when the errand is urgent,” Narón confirmed. “If the Draigú fly not with haste, Erenár can almost keep up.”
“He didn’t seem to be in haste,” said Felanar. “Almost leisurely seemed our flight. As if he had only to reach our destination by a set time. That is how it turned out, of course, for when we landed along the coast there was a band of men waiting for me. The dragon landed on the beach and reached around with his tail to lift me off his back. I was stiff and sore from the travel. The men quickly came over, grabbed me, and held me down. I was not in a position to do much in any case, and I didn’t resist. I had little knowledge of this land, or its peoples, apart from my general studies. They were, I guessed, Hiríkk Jakkír, though what they would want of me is a mystery. What am I to the autarch? Even if he knew my real identity, what would it matter to him? All of this went through my mind as I watched the men talk to the dragon. They seemed to be thanking him, I would say.”
Felanar sighed and took a long drink from a nearby flask. He gave Kara a serious look. “Something odd happened next. You remember what I told you about that dragon on the lake, and how we stared at each other. The same thing happened here on the beach. When the men had finished talking to the dragon, he turned his head to see me. For a moment I stared into his eyes, not more than a few feet away. All this time, it was the first chance either of us had to see the face of the other. His face looked larger and rounder than the one on the lake, but his eyes had the same intelligence. I found myself mesmerized by his eyes, and then he jumped backwards! Kara, he had the same panic-stricken look I saw with the lake dragon. Suddenly he let out a roar and flew off to the north. Once again I seemed to have scared off a dragon, for reasons I cannot understand.”
“Ah, I see,” said Narón, “that explains the reaction of the Draigú when he encountered us again. He seemed apologetic, as if he regretted what he had done. Tell me, Felanar, what power does thou have over the dragons?”
“I wish I knew, Narón. Twice now a dragon has been scared away after staring at my face. I am beginning to wonder if I am immune to their attacks now. Did the first dragon tell the others about me? I cannot say, for I have no idea.”
“It happened to me too,” said Kara, as she explained what had happened to her when she faced the same dragon on Narón’s ship. “The same startled reaction as you describe, Felanar. What does it mean?”
“To you as well?” said Felanar. “Now the mystery deepens. Even the elves do not know the answer here.”
“What did the Hiríkk Jakkír think of this?” asked Kara.
“It surprised them, Kara. They looked at me quizzically for a moment, as if wondering if I had some power over dragons they should know about. But the dragon flew off and orders were given to march. My wits were coming back to me and I realized that if I could escape I could march back east until I came to Elaria. I may even have run into a band of Findáran knights, for I held my elven horn still. As we marched I made my plan. We stopped every few hours to rest and eat. When we stopped, two bands of men would climb the nearby ridges to see if any danger approached. That would be the best time to make my escape, when their numbers were lower.
“In the meantime I tried to find out more about my captors, see if I could reason with them perhaps. But they said nothing as we marched, and they wouldn’t respond to my questions. They were very efficient and professional.”
“That they are,” said Narón. “Highly do they deem military structure. If you are not a soldier in the Tri-Cities, you are of no importance.”
“It was probably a foolish plan on my part, with fifty against one. Nevertheless, when our next rest came, and the bands of men separated, I determined that this was my chance. As they made food ready by a fire they set up, I wrestled away from my guards and ran back up the valley. I had the benefit of surprise and the speed of the desperate, but it was of little good against such soldiers. It wasn’t long before they caught up to me. I struggled with the first one that caught me and got his sword from its belt. I managed to slay two of their number before they overpowered me and dragged me back to the camp. This time they tied my arms and they told me that if I tried to escape it would mean my death.”
“We saw the evidence of your struggle,” said Kara. “It gave us great hope that it meant you were alive, but I worried that they would treat you harshly for the attempt.”
“They beat me, Kara, but nothing worse. I do not think they meant it about killing me. I do not know why, but I’m sure they meant to keep me alive and well. And that is the whole account. The rest you know for it wasn’t too much longer that you found and rescued me.”
“Thy story is as mysterious as thy identity, Felanar” said Narón. “Much gladness I have at thy rescue, and much sadness at the fallen comrades we have brought back with us. This is a night for reflection and questions. Tomorrow we shall be in Elaria and may get some answers. I would speak with Llarand on this matter. For now, may thee both get a rest such as you have not had in several days. I will wake thee when we reach Elaria.”
So saying, Narón walked back up the stairs, leaving Felanar and Kara alone. They talked quietly for a little longer, then Kara went over to her bed, and the two of them fell into a deep sleep. Kara’s was restful and sound, but Felanar’s sleep was troubled. He fell into a dream where he was holding onto the back of the dragon as it carried him into an enormous, dark cave. Darkness fell around him and then he found himself standing on the stone floor able to see nothing. Suddenly little flames lit up all around him, reaching high up toward the ceiling. Hundreds of these flames lined the walls and he felt completely exposed and naked. He swooned into the darkness and fell to the ground. Felanar woke up at this point and saw that it was still dark. Kara slept peacefully on her bed. Felanar drifted back to sleep and didn’t wake again until morning.
By morning the ship had docked on the northern coast of Elaria, just east of Irulara and the nearest point to Llarand’s home in Lloréna Forest. All went ashore, with most of the crew preparing the bodies of their slain comrades for their burial. Before Narón accompanied Felanar and Kara into the forest, he led his crew in the elven burial ceremony. Brother and sister watched as the elves gathered up branches and leaves and began to fashion a raft on the shore. When they had built the basic structure, they began to gather flowers and to lay them all along the edges of the raft. The bodies were then carefully placed upon the raft. Kara noticed with wonder that the faces of the dead elves uniformly displayed grace and peacefulness. One still had his eyes open and Kara saw that the inner fire had gone out. All she saw now was lifelessness. Seeing this, Kara broke down in tears over the loss signified by the darkened light. As saddened as she had been before, this sight – this loss for the world – deeply moved her. Felanar came over to his sister and put his arm around her to comfort her. He, too, was moved by the sight of these noble elves lying lifeless. The two of them slowly backed away and the ceremony continued.
Narón spoke briefly in the elven tongue. Then he reached down and cupped some seawater in his hands. Over each dead body he sprinkled some of the water. Then he chanted another elven phrase as the other elves pushed the raft out into the sea until it was far from land. When it was just barely visible, the raft, as it was designed to do, began to sink slowly into the sea, carrying the bodies of the water elves to their natural home. The elves on shore bowed their heads until the raft was no more. Felanar and Kara also bowed their heads in sympathy.
The remaining crew returned to the ship, but Narón led Felanar and Kara into the forest. A brief hike brought them to Llarand’s tree and soon they were high above the ground and standing in the great hall before Llarand and Heléste.
Narón stepped forward first and bowed low before Llarand. “I bring thee greetings of the Erenár, my lord.”
“The Findára return the greetings, Narón,” said Llarand. “My heart is warmed by your sight. You are most welcome here and we ask that you stay and enjoy our hospitality for a long time.”
Llarand turned toward Felanar and stared at him with his dark brown eyes under bushy white eyebrows. He wore the same glistening white garment that Felanar remembered from his first meeting with the elf lord. Heléste looked the same as she always did, with a warm and friendly face. She smiled at Felanar and Kara and they smiled back.
“Our hearts have joy in your visit, Felanar and Kara,” said Llarand. “It would seem you have had some adventure in reaching us, or so Ravesfel tells us.”
“Ravesfel!” cried Felanar. “Have you seen him?”
“Oh yes, he has been here, for almost a day, worrying, having arrived in great haste.”
“And with good reason, I might add,” cried a voice from behind them. “What with tasks going wrong and people turning up missing, and dragons and armies and dangers at every turn.”
Ravesfel quickly walked over to Felanar and gave him a strong hug. His old face dissolved from anxiety to joy as he held onto the young man. He looked at Kara standing next to them and smiled warmly. “It’s good to see you both looking well,” he said.
“How did you get here?” asked Kara joyfully.
“By ship, of course. I was lucky, for I caught a favorable wind and was able to sail right up the straits and into Melanaré. Saved me much time in travel, but none in worry. I hoped to catch you along the route but I never saw a trace of your flight. I stopped in Upton before crossing, feeling sure you would have stopped there. However, no one had seen any sign of your boat. When I got here yesterday and heard of the news of the dragon, I grew alarmed. Still, all that talk is for a bottle and an evening by the fire. You are safe and with a story to tell when there is time to tell it.”
“Yes, Ravesfel my friend, we are safe thanks to you,” said Felanar. “You urged us to leave Brindledown immediately, and it seems we left just in time.”
“Indeed,” said Ravesfel, “it was only just in time. But let us talk about it later, with dinner, for there is much to tell and much to learn. Llarand, we ask you for hospitality and for sanctuary.”
“You are welcome to both, Ravesfel, for as long as you may need it. We will discuss much at dinner tonight. For now, Felanar and Kara, you will be glad to know that your parents and Bren are fine.”
“I was just going to ask about this, Llarand,” said Felanar. “Are they here?”
“No,” said Heléste, “but word has arrived ahead of them. They are on their way, accompanied by a band of knights. They should arrive in time for dinner.”
Kara let out an audible sigh of relief. “Then all has worked out in the end.”
Ravesfel nodded slowly. “All has worked out so far, yes. But as to what awaits us in the end, time will tell.”
“I will stay for the meal, Llarand,” said Narón, “for I wish to learn more about these two. Then I will return to my ship and my crew. Our losses were great and my heart is heavy and I wish to return to our beloved sea as soon as I may.”
“You are free to come and go throughout Elaria,” said Llarand. “As is true of all Erenár, even if they do not wish to take up the offer frequently. Come, though, rest before dinner, all of you. You have had an arduous journey and now is the time for rest and peace.”
With that, the company adjourned to different rooms in the tree, to relax and talk quietly. Felanar, though, walked over to Llarand and Heléste, wishing to speak to them about a matter close to his heart.
“Where is Alessa?” he asked, and then quickly added, “and Dalonír, of course.”
Llarand answered, “Dalonír is among those who escort your parents. I sent him myself when I got the word.”
Felanar bowed and said, “You do us great honor by this, but I’m afraid he may not get along with my father. An elf who teases men may find his match with a stubborn man who distrusts elves. Still, there is much he will have to learn in this land, and treating elves with respect will be one of them. I ask your forbearance with my father.”
“And you shall have it,” said Heléste quietly, “even if he is not your true father after all.”
“So you knew?” asked Felanar.
“Yes, Felanar, we have always known,” she answered. “There is little in this world that is not known by Llarand and myself, and Ravesfel often seeks our counsel. Did you not notice with what respect we treated you as a child?”
“Yes, lady, I felt gratitude at your respect and kindness to me, even at first. Does this mean that Alessa knew as well?”
“Ah, Alessa,” said Llarand. “No, neither she nor Dalonír knew, though I dare say he knows now, as he escorts your parents to us. Alessa, on the other hand, still does not know, nor that you were in any danger. We only heard yesterday of this news of your flight and capture. Alessa and Aren have been about the land for two days now and will have known nothing of this. It will be news to her that you have arrived here, or that you were even on your way.”
“Is she far?” asked Felanar. “I mean, is there someone I could ask to show me where she is? She was a great friend to me as a child and I long to see her again and thank her for what she meant to me.”
“I do not know where she may be found,” said Heléste, “but I’m sure if you ask the animals they will tell you.” She smiled, knowing of Felanar’s ability in animal talk.
Thanking them, Felanar hurried down to the ground to find Alessa, leaving Llarand and Heléste to smile at each other at this youthful boy now grown yet still showing the same impetuous spirit.