Chapter Six: Ravesfel's Account
Tranith Argan: Book 2
With everyone safely together in Elaria, Felanar wants to find Alessa and tell her the news.
It was late morning as Felanar walked along the forest ground. He stopped every small creature he could find along the way, but none had seen Alessa, although one young mouse wasn’t sure but thought that possibly he had. He was still young enough to confuse all females, however, so Felanar viewed his directions with doubt. Still he walked along that way, and practiced his elven training in stealth walking, just for the joy of being back in Elaria among the elves. It was a beautiful day and he felt completely safe and at ease. The outside world seemed far removed with all its problems. Here he could stay and be happy.
As he quietly walked, he was about to give up on the mouse’s directions when he heard a voice in the bushes off to his left. He stepped from the trail to the soft underbrush as he moved toward the sound. The spongy ground muffled even what little sound he had been making, and so he crept along with complete silence, hoping to surprise Alessa. The voice was now louder and he happily realized it was her voice, singing. Felanar peered through the bushes and saw her standing with her back to him. Her long brown hair hung below her shoulder in cascades of gentle curves. She was dressed in a loose, shimmering, pale green garment. As she sang, she moved her arms expressively and her garment glittered as it moved. Seated to her left was the elf he had met as a child, Aren. Aren looked up at Alessa as she sang her song:
“...and on she went through forest fair,
‘neath shaded dell and chestnut trees,
the sharp wind whistled through her hair
Her love was found by frothing brook,
ere daylight faded into night.
He stood there tall with pleasing look,
with splendor in the late day’s light.
She hid her face and did not move,
and watched with sadness at the sight.
He stood there with another love,
and so she lost her way that night.
Though I do not know where or how,
It is a tale often told well,
she walks these woods from then till now,
and wanders yet by tree and dell.”
As Aren was saying to Alessa, “Very well sung, but could you not think of a happier song for me?” Felanar began feeling embarrassed. Realizing that Alessa was singing of love, and doing so with Aren, he suddenly felt very out of place. He realized he was intruding upon a private moment between them. He tried to walk back as silently as he had approached, but with Alessa no longer singing it was not possible. Realizing the presence of someone else, she quickly ran over to where Felanar was walking and exclaimed with delight and surprise, “Felanar!”
Felanar looked at her sheepishly and began to blush. There she was, right before him, as beautiful as he had always remembered her. Her hair hung over her forehead and framed her dark brown eyebrows and greyish eyes. Her lips were fuller and redder than he remembered. She was smiling brightly at the sight of her friend and Felanar found himself speaking.
“It is good to see you again, Alessa. Uh, I felt I was intruding and didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Nonsense!” she replied with a little laugh. “Aren and I were just enjoying the day. You remember Aren, do you not?”
Felanar nodded, and Aren nodded back in greeting to the man.
“What are you doing here, Felanar?” asked Alessa. “I did not hear that you would be visiting. Is Kara here too?” she asked expectantly.
“Yes, Kara is with me. But as for our visit, it was unplanned and sudden, or else I would have sent word to you, I promise. But we can talk about the purpose of my visit later.”
Felanar found himself oddly reluctant to reveal his background in Aren’s presence. He had pictured this being something to share with Alessa alone, and to talk quietly with his childhood friend. The thought of others being involved made him shy.
“And so we shall,” cried Alessa, as she slipped her arm in Felanar’s. “Come! Let us enjoy the forest on such a beautiful day!”
The three of them walked on, chatting about Felanar’s family and catching up on news since his last visit. Most of the news, at any rate. Aren seemed slightly interested in his news, but Alessa obviously cared a lot and asked many questions.
“And Kara? Is she married to one of your villagers yet? I know this to be the custom of your people, to marry young.”
“No, Alessa, Kara is not married, custom or no. Besides, do you really think she would get married and not invite you to the wedding? Truth be told, I doubt she will ever find anyone in the village for her.” In his mind, Felanar added the thought that no one in the village would ever dare think to marry her now. “What about you?”
“What,” cried Alessa, “me married?” She laughed heartily. “Elves do not marry so young. Dalonír has hardly given it a thought and he is older than I.”
“There is nothing to prevent you from marrying whenever you wish, is it not so?” asked Aren with a slight frown.
“No one, I think you mean,” responded Alessa. “There is no one who would prevent me, it is true. Yet opportunity does not imply choice. And my choice is otherwise. At least for now.” So saying, she gave Aren a smile that brightened his countenance visibly.
Felanar felt more uncomfortable at this and was silent, but was soon rescued by Aren.
“I will take my leave, Alessa, Felanar. It was a pleasure to take the day with you, Alessa. It was good to see you again, Felanar. You’ve grown quite a bit since you were last here. You are quite a grown man now.”
He bowed to them and walked off. Felanar felt himself blush at Aren’s words, implying that he was still just a child compared to Aren. In fact, Felanar had no idea of Aren’s true age. He was a knight of the Findáran Order, so he couldn’t be too young.
“Do not mind Aren. He is confident in himself and thus thinks more of himself than of others. It is not personal, for he hardly knows you.” Alessa had correctly perceived Felanar’s discomfort.
“He seems condescending to me,” said Felanar. “Many of the elves seem so, although none so much as the Erenár. However, even here I sometimes find an attitude of superiority. It is the one thing about elves I find annoying.”
“I do not blame you, Felanar. I would find it so, if I were in your position. This attitude carries back to our early days, back in the First Era. We were all alone in the world then, save for the animals. The world was ours and everything in it. We cared for the land and looked after the animals, and all was in harmony. It isn’t easy for some of our people to hear the tales of those days and to see how little of the world remains ours today. It breaks our hearts to see the land mistreated by others. That attitude can seem arrogant, and at times it is arrogant.”
“You do not share this arrogance, Alessa. Why is that? Why have you always been so kind to me?” Felanar had stopped walking and he turned to Alessa as she asked this.
She looked at him, her eyes twinkling deep in their sea-grey endlessness. “Maybe it is my youth but I do not share the views of the older elves, Felanar. We cannot live in the past for it no longer exists. For good or ill, we share this world with others and we must show the way of respect and kindness that we would wish for ourselves.”
“But you showed me such respect, even as an insignificant boy!”
“Were you insignificant? It seemed not so to me. You were a child of intelligence and wonder. You showed manners and respect. You asked questions and showed a desire to learn our ways. You cared for your sister and looked out for her interests. I would call none of that insignificant.” She smiled at him warmly.
Felanar smiled back at her and, if it hadn’t been clear to him before, he knew in that moment that he loved her. His heart was full of emotion as he tried to think of how to share his news with this elf princess he loved. Finally, he just began to speak with whatever words he could grasp.
“Alessa, about my visit, I said it wasn’t planned. Would you like to know why I’m here?”
“Yes, Felanar, I was wondering, though I can see in your eyes something is troubling you. Has anything bad happened to you?”
Felanar stared at her eyes and peered at the inner light that burned within. He wondered how perceptive she actually was.
“Alessa, stare into my eyes. Look closely and tell me if you can tell me who I am.”
Alessa pondered this request for a moment and then began to stare deeply into his eyes. Felanar stood there, unblinking, as these most perceptive of eyes peered into his very soul. There was silence broken only by their breaths and a distant birdsong. Even the breeze seemed to stop and time stood still. To Alessa, it was as if generations of men flew past her gaze and she perceived, without thought, the whole history of man in Felanar’s eyes. She saw power and grandeur, heartache and sorrow . . . The spell was broken and she was staring at Felanar alone. She hesitated briefly and then spoke.
“I perceive something different, it is true. You have in your soul a strong hint of men and their ways. You do not seem Low Man to me, but High. I’ve not heard this is the way of your village, but it is what I see. I had not noticed this until now.”
“Then you now see well, and more keenly than any in my village ever did, or even those from Tranith Argan I met in my training.” Felanar paused for a moment and then plunged ahead. “Alessa, I have recently been told by Ravesfel that I am the rightful heir of the throne of Tranith Argan. My parents were killed when I was but an infant and my village parents are not my own. Kara, too, is from the royal line. We just found out ahead of the enemy and we have hurried here for sanctuary to escape death.”
Alessa said nothing in reply to this blurted revelation. She tilted her head slightly, as if to perceive Felanar differently, and then looked again into Felanar’s eyes. Again she perceived untold generations and this time she understood their meaning.
“Alas, I was not perceptive enough to unlock the meaning of what I saw. Indeed, I see you are king, Felanar, and I marvel that this is so.” She stepped back and took Felanar in, as if for the first time. She smiled again as he smiled at her.
“Not so insignificant a boy after all, it would seem,” she said laughing.
“No, Alessa, not so insignificant after all, though neither of us knew it at the time. For that, I will always hold you in high regard, for you showed me honor out of your heart.”
Alessa laughed again as an idea came to her, and said, “Kara! I must see Kara, too! She is a princess like me!”
Alessa linked her arm with his and the two of them continued walking back to the tree home as they spoke.
“I caution you,” Felanar said laughing, “not to stress Kara’s royal nature too excessively. She will take offense if you treat her any differently.”
Alessa looked at him sincerely. “Have I treated you any differently, Felanar?”
“No,” he replied thoughtfully, “no, you haven’t. In fact, you are the first not to. Bren could hardly stand straight after he heard the news, he was so anxious to keep bowing down to me.”
Alessa smiled. “Kingships of men do not impress me, Felanar. I have never known a king of men before, though I’ve studied your history. But what is a king to me, a daughter of a king? Have I not seen that what matters is the person and not the title? You are Felanar, a friend, and will always be thus. I am happy for your turn of fortune, for you never seemed to me to be content with life as a fisherman. I hope you find your new life fulfilling and rewarding. But come, tell me of this threat of death you referred to.”
“I was attacked by saarks, and a dragon, and by westerners. Each one seemed intent on taking me one direction or another, for whatever master they served, and for whatever purpose they had. Vélakk is behind it all, I have no doubt.”
Alessa cried out in alarm, “Do not speak the name of the evil one in this land! We do not like to hear such a dark name in such a bright place.” She said nothing for a moment until the troubled look slowly dissipated from her face. “However, the motive is clear enough for such a one as that. You would be a threat to him.”
“Yes,” replied Felanar, “that is what Ravesfel said and why he urged us to flee. I tell you, Alessa, never have I felt safer than when I am here. I think I could withstand any force as long as I am on this island.”
Alessa thought long before speaking and then did so with lowered voice. “Any force? Perhaps yes, and perhaps no. Our power is not what it once was, and our time is fading from view in the world. Nevertheless, this will be the safest place for you, at any rate. Here you will find friends and allies who will prove to be of great value.”
“That is my great hope, Alessa, and if your attitude is any omen, I know I will find strength enough here to accomplish anything!”
With that, they arrived back at the massive tree and climbed up to the top. To Felanar’s delight, he found Chafrar and Sera waiting for him with Kara and Bren. Dalonír had escorted them up the land and had arrived only a few minutes before. Felanar rushed over to the only parents he had ever known and hugged them warmly. Sera broke down in tears as she had earlier done upon seeing Kara. Chafrar seemed very emotional as well, and they both seemed tired from travel and worry. However, their overriding emotion now was joy.
Dalonír greeted Felanar warmly, more warmly than Felanar could ever remember. He also gave Felanar an odd look, perhaps of curiosity. Apparently he had been told the news.
Kara had been filling in the parents on what had occurred since they separated. Sera could hardly believe the dangers both had undergone and was stunned to hear of Kara’s battle prowess. As they all sat together before dinner was served, they filled in the details of their travels. Chafrar, Sera, and Bren had sailed west after Kara left. They had had an uneventful journey until they reached the western shore. There Bren called for elven escort and it soon arrived, with Dalonír joining them shortly thereafter. As Chafrar told the story, it was clear that Dalonír had tried his usual style of teasing with him. It was also clear that Chafrar would have none of it. Evidently the journey north had been one long discussion on the merits of elves versus men.
“I truly meant no harm, Felanar,” said Dalonír. “You know yourself how I am and how I treated you. I am a fair-minded elf, but I am an elf above all. Even for a king, you have to admit this gives me the advantage.”
“Advantage in arrogance, it would seem,” growled Chafrar.
“There! You see what I’ve had to put up with? The entire time we rode together he kept insisting that men were better.”
Felanar smiled and said, “So it was with me at first, father. He teased me constantly until Alessa set him straight.” Dalonír glanced at Alessa who ignored him. “But you have to admit, Elaria is a wonderful place, is it not?”
“It is beautiful,” said Sera with respect, trying to set the example for her provincial husband. “It is everything Kara told me it would be. The lushness of the land, the sounds . . .”
“You honor us with your words, Sera,” said Alessa.
“Well, I’m honored to be here with all of you. Felanar and Kara have told me so much of you all, and I feel as if I’m in a dream.”
Dinner was ready and they went in. The great table had Llarand at the far head with Heléste to his right. Opposite Heléste sat Narón. Sera was directed to sit next to Heléste and Chafrar next to her. Dalonír sat to Narón’s left and Alessa next to Dalonír. Then came Kara and Felanar, with Bren opposite Felanar. Ravesfel sat at the other end.
As the first course was brought out by two elf servers, the conversation turned to Ravesfel.
“Ravesfel,” began Felanar, “we have heard of our adventures, but not of yours. Tell us what became of you that night you left the house. We worried about you but Bren assured us you would be all right.”
The old man finished pouring himself some elven drink and took a long draught.
“Delicious! Excellent as always, Llarand.” The elf nodded agreeably. “Ah, so what happened to me, you wonder? Yes, I can imagine you must have worried, for I should have been back later that day. Indeed, I would have been back had it not been for what the Llaráin told me in the woods.”
He took a bite of his food and another drink and then continued. “I told you I had to find out some news, so I took off that night into the Heatherwood in search of a band of elves that lives in the region. It didn’t take long for me to get their attention and in the moonlight I suddenly saw a group of twenty Findára appear from behind the trees. Aril was their leader; I believe you know him, Llarand?”
Llarand nodded.
“Yes, well, I explained I needed news of the region. Had they noticed anything out of the ordinary? Any trouble brewing from the enemy. ‘It is even so, Ravesfel,’ said Aril. ‘We have heard of movement of armies headed down the valley from the north.’ ‘Armies?’ I asked. ‘Whose armies?’ ‘Armies of the Dark One,’ they replied.
“This was worse than I expected. Evidently the Dark One was finished with spying and decided to settle the issue with force. I thanked Aril and told him to give any aid he could to the people of Brindledown. He questioned me about this, and wanted to know why Brindledown. I told him the enemy had fear of one who would come from the town and he might crush the entire town in order to achieve his aim. Aril promised he would provide aid, and we parted.”
“I turned north, hoping to get a clear picture of what was coming against us. If they were more than a day away we would be safe, for I was sure that Bren would see to it that you left on time. If they were closer, I didn’t know what I would do. So on I went as the sun rose in the sky. I headed for the mountains, thinking I could reach the southernmost outpost and get more news or even spot the armies marching in the distance. It was so, for as I reached the base of the mountain I saw the armies marching south. It was a garrison from Shanaar, and a large one at that. Evidently they had sailed south and landed at an uninhabited point north of Brookhollow. They were crossing land so as to avoid confrontation until they reached Brindledown. I knew I had to get back in a hurry.
“By now it was getting dark and I traveled through the night. When I reached Brindledown at sunrise I thought I was too late. Another group of soldiers had already arrived! I feared for your safety but when I got to your home I was relieved to see you had left. I turned my attention to Alak but before I could do so a dragon appeared. It became clear that the dragon was working with the armies from Shanaar and that their goal now was to level the town. The dragon was causing great damage to the houses and the soldiers were terrorizing the townsfolk.”
“Where was Aril?” asked Llarand with concern.
“Unbeknownst to me at the time, he had taken his band to the north to meet the other soldiers. This was the group he had heard about and he never heard about the second group that was now attacking the town. The elves did well and the first garrison will never report back to Shanaar. However, it was up to me to do something back at Brindledown.”
“We saw you,” said Kara excitedly, “or at least we assumed it was you. We saw a great white flame leap up from the ground. Was that you?”
Ravesfel seemed embarrassed by the question and he didn’t answer right away. He looked at Kara and at Felanar and then looked down as if trying to think of the words to say. Llarand came to his rescue.
“He is hesitant to answer, not out of modesty, I would say, but more out of shame. Yes, Kara, that was Ravesfel you saw as a white flame. Ravesfel as he truly is, but is forbidden to become in this world.”
Ravesfel looked up and nodded. “I overstepped my bounds and did what I must not do. In that, I acted like the Evil One, even if it was only for a moment.” He seemed contrite.
“I don’t understand,” said Felanar. “How is it wrong for him to defend an innocent town? If he has such power, why can he not use it for good?”
“Because it never stays just for good,” said Ravesfel quietly. “Sooner or later such power turns to evil and that is why it was forbidden to our order to use such power even when great necessity is upon us, save only in self-defense. After all, the Evil One was not always thus. Even he sought to use his power for good at first, and see where it has brought him in the end. No, it was wrong of me to resort to such measures, and I have been regretful ever since.”
“Do not regret the outcome. You saved the town, and for that we are grateful,” said Felanar. “When I saw that flame, I thought of our first meeting. How terrified I was at meeting a High Man. If only I had known your true nature, I would have fainted dead away.”
Ravesfel laughed at this and his mood was restored. Dinner was enjoyed and soon the table broke up and everyone prepared for bed. Dalonír and Bren went off to talk, as did Llarand and Heléste with Ravesfel.
“Well, I won’t tell this to just anyone, for they are an arrogant lot, but I don’t mind saying that was a fine meal.” Chafrar patted his stomach as he addressed Sera and Felanar as the three of them sat in a corner.
Narón and Kara walked over to the ropes.
“I must be back to my ship,” he said, “but I am glad to have heard thy story in full. I no longer wonder at thee, but I respect thee fully now.”
“Thank you, Narón, and thank you again for saving my brother’s life. I will never forget the kindness you showed us, and at great loss to yourself.”
Narón’s eyes lowered as he thought of his dead crew members. “It is even so in times of war, Kara, and we begrudge the loss not. I fear many more will leave this world before the Dark One is gone.”
“It may be so, Narón. In fact, it will be so, I’m afraid. I don’t know what our future holds, but I perceive much death and suffering ere my brother takes the throne. Only with support and help from allies will he have any chance at all. That is why I honor you so much.”
“The honor was mine, Kara. I hope to meet thee again someday.” With that he bowed low before Kara. She bowed in return and held out her hand. He took it and squeezed hers. Then he lowered himself silently to the ground as Kara climbed up a level to where a bed was waiting for her. Quickly getting ready for bed, she felt herself more tired than she had ever felt. She also felt more secure than any time since they left home. She lay in bed, feeling at home and at peace. As she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was of the Erenár and of Narón.