[Part nine! Links to the other parts are on the right]
After leaving the Meerow's chamber, Redbird pocketed her newly acquired daggers and looked around for her guide. Ariel was standing a few feet away from her, in the small pool of light cast by one of the wall-lanterns. Her face was turned upwards as though in prayer and, perhaps because of the shadow cast on them, her porcelain features appeared melancholy. When she saw Redbird, she moved towards her with quick steps.
"You have not taken long!" she said, an inflection of surprise in her voice. "Did you manage to fulfill the object of your visit?"
Redbird showed the daggers to her and she took one and held it aloft.
"The keeper been generous to you," she said, frowning. "These are of Meerow craftsmanship. The blades will never grow dull and you will never miss your target when you throw them. Keep them carefully."
She handed the dagger back to Redbird and began walking away from the Hoards.
"It wasn't that hard to convince him to give me a weapon, to be honest," said Redbird conversationally, falling into step with her. "The way you were talking I thought it would be extremely difficult."
Ariel looked down at her companion with a slight smile. "When Eohin went to the Hoards to get his first weapon from him," she said, "He was found lying outside the chamber two days later with both arms and three ribs broken. When Nirulin made the attempt, he escaped without physical harm, but it took him seven visits to get Selwyn to agree to give him a weapon, and eight more to find one that suited him."
"Golly!" said Redbird, surprised that Selwyn, who had been so forbearing with her, had treated the elf-princes who obviously warranted more consideration so roughly.
"Meerows have ever had a weakness for humans," said Lady Ariel, "In that you were fortunate."
"How old are the princes, Lady Ariel?" asked Redbird.
"Very, very young," said Lady Ariel, with a sigh. "Too young, some think, to assume the throne. They turned eighty-nine this summer."
"They're twins, then?" asked Redbird, surprised and wondering, if the elves considered ninety young, what they thought of her. "But Eohin said that he was the first-born!"
"He spoke truly," said Lady Ariel, "He was born thirty seconds before his brother."
"And when did their parents die?" asked Redbird, with her customarily devastating bluntness.
Ariel's face hardened and Redbird squirmed. She had forgotten that Ariel was the Queen's sister. She was about to retract the question when Ariel spoke her answer, in a voice so soft that she had to strain to catch the words.
"The King and Queen of Faelen passed to the other world when their sons were but a decade old," said Ariel. "They set off on a journey to the lands of Murochen, where dwell the elves of the sea, from which they did not return. A day before the journey took place my sister came to me in great distress, because of a vision she had had that some misfortune would befall them on their way. She was unable to persuade the King to remain at Faelen, but she left her sons with me, and gave me many instructions as to what to do when they grew older."
"I thought little of her fears and supposed that in a short while we should laugh over them together. But it was not to be. In a few days, she and her husband were brought back to Faelen in a golden casket, lying still and cold beside each other in the final sleep."
Redbird wanted to know how they had died but she did not want to grieve Ariel further with unhappy memories. She asked instead where they were headed next.
"We will go now to the armoury to find you some suitable raiment that you may wear when you venture forth from Faelen," said Ariel. "And then to the kitchens for your dinner, which the cooks have been hard at work preparing, unused as they are to human fare."
"Oh, there's no need to take so much trouble over me," said Redbird, alarmed. "I can eat elf-food just fine. I did it on the journey here."
They had reached the surface again, and were once more walking in the heart of the mountain-city. Redbird would have said more, but she thought it impolite to mention how little she liked the elf notion of cuisine.
"What is this?" asked Ariel, frowning at Redbird. "You ate elf-food on the journey?"
"Yes, Estwyn gave it to me," said Redbird. "So, honestly there's no need to-"
Ariel heard no more of her discourse. She had turned to a passing elf and commanded him in a sharp voice to send Estwyn, the messenger of the North Riding, to her immediately. She said no more till he arrived, but stood motionless with a deep frown line between her eyes that made Redbird think she was displeased.
When Estwyn had arrived and bowed to them both, Ariel asked him sternly: "Talya Winona tells me you gave her our fare when you conveyed her to Faelen. Is this true?"
"It is, Ariel Winona," said Estwyn, and Redbird could not blame the elf for looking pale. "I would not have done so unless I was forced to, but there was no food whatever to be had beyond Aidel. The devastation of the land has progressed further than we had calculated."
"It's true," said Redbird, eager to rescue Estywn from Ariel's wrath. "Nothing grew there at all- I would have starved if he hadn't given me the elf-food."
She soon regretted this interjection for Ariel turned her icy glare towards her now.
"And this food agreed with your system?" she asked. "You were able to stomach it?"
"I survived on nothing else for five days," said Redbird.
"Well," said Ariel, relaxing slightly. "It appears there is more to this human than meets the eye. Since no harm was done to Talya Winona, Estwyn, you are pardoned for your negligence."
"Thank you, Ariel Winona," said Estywn, bowing deeply.
Ariel began walking again and Redbird, occupied with thinking on all the things she had seen and heard since she had reached Faelen, said no more till they reached the armoury. Here she was given, in addition to her daggers, an elven knife and sword, both prodigiously slim, light and elegant. Then, they addressed the problem of Redbird's clothing.
"It has been difficult to find anything suitable for you," said Ariel, "because you are so small."
"I'm sorry," said Redbird humbly.
"That is a fault you cannot remedy," said Ariel, severely. "However, we were also given the additional burden of finding pieces of clothing for an exceptionally clumsy person. It has been a difficult task selecting apparel over which even you are not likely to stumble."
An elven attendant came forward with some clothes which Ariel held up, one by one, to show Redbird. First, she held up a fine shirt of a deep grey.
"This is a tunic. It has been woven with enchanted thread to make it strong and durable- this will protect you almost as well as a coat of mail."
She lifted a pair of black leggings.
"These are leggings you may wear with the tunic, as we thought it best not to give you a skirt."
Next she showed Redbird a pair of stout black boots, with silver buckles and fastenings.
"We have also crafted for you these leather boots, over which we cast the same enchantment as that on the tunic. A crocodile might snap at these boots, and your leg will remain attached to your body. You see that we have made them quite long, these will extend till your thighs, to protect you as much as possible."
Then Ariel pulled out a cloak made of some indescribably soft material, of the same velvet blue as the night sky.
"I wove this for you myself," she said, "This cloak will shield you from the eyes of those who may wish to do you harm, and protect you from the weather. It will keep you cool in the sun and dry in the rain. It is a hooded tunic, so that you may protect your head as well as the rest of your body."
Redbird took the items Ariel handed to her, awed and humbled by the generosity of the elves. She had never in her life owned anything so valuable.
"Thank you," she said, "I hope I can repay you for these wonderful things some day."
"You may repay us by doing your best to help the princes on their quest," said Ariel. "Your dealings with Selwyn convince me that you have much wisdom hidden in your small frame- I hope you will lend this wisdom to the young princes."
Redbird was slightly alarmed at being esteemed so highly- a novel experience for her, but she said nothing except to assure Ariel that her every faculty was entirely at the service of the elves.
Redbird's new possessions were handed over to an elven woman and then she and Ariel made their way to Ariel's dining hall, where Nirulin and Eohin were already seated. Redbird did not know what Ariel had said to them to cause them to treat her so politely, but they showed her by cold silences and passive hostility that they still did not regard her as a proper companion for their quest.
"So," said Redbird, in between courses. "Where exactly do we have to go to find the star?"
Nirulin and Eohin exchanged looks, but Ariel merely said, calmly, "No one knows exactly where it may be found, not even those who wear the Shaisya. All the princes are given to guide them is a rhyme, handed down over the centuries to the sons of the elven King. It goes like this:
Seek, you seekers, for the star that is fallen,
Where the waves crash upon the craggy shore.
And there, in a cave, the true King of Faelen,
Shall meet his destiny, and seek no more.
But if the seekers cannot, for all their searching,
Find the star that fell in the days of yore,
All hope must be lost, all pride turn to weeping,
And in defeat each must esteem his brother more."
Redbird frowned, puzzled. "What does that last line mean?"
"A question many have asked before you," said Ariel. "We think it is a plea from the old elven kings to urge us to remain united even if the crown is not found. However, there has never yet been a quest that ended in failure, and so that we have never been forced to obey them."
Redbird said nothing, but in her heart she was thinking that it would be just her luck if this was the one quest that failed. And, judging from the despondent looks on the faces of the elven princes, they were thinking the same thing.
Redbird remained one more day in Faelen, and was given much advice and counsel from Lady Ariel during this time, a gift which she treasured greatly and locked away in her mind. Then, as the dawn was breaking on her third day in the mountain city, she, and a great company of elves, climbed to the surface to greet the new day and send the princes off on the Quest of Kings.
The solemnity of the farewell was slightly ruined by Redbird being unable to get on her horse, a fiery elven charger four times her size, without assistance from Ariel. Then, as a thousand elves waved their goodbyes with cries of hope and encourageent, she and the elven princes set out from Faelen and followed the guiding rays of the rising sun towards, Redbird hoped, the fallen star.
After leaving the Meerow's chamber, Redbird pocketed her newly acquired daggers and looked around for her guide. Ariel was standing a few feet away from her, in the small pool of light cast by one of the wall-lanterns. Her face was turned upwards as though in prayer and, perhaps because of the shadow cast on them, her porcelain features appeared melancholy. When she saw Redbird, she moved towards her with quick steps.
"You have not taken long!" she said, an inflection of surprise in her voice. "Did you manage to fulfill the object of your visit?"
Redbird showed the daggers to her and she took one and held it aloft.
"The keeper been generous to you," she said, frowning. "These are of Meerow craftsmanship. The blades will never grow dull and you will never miss your target when you throw them. Keep them carefully."
She handed the dagger back to Redbird and began walking away from the Hoards.
"It wasn't that hard to convince him to give me a weapon, to be honest," said Redbird conversationally, falling into step with her. "The way you were talking I thought it would be extremely difficult."
Ariel looked down at her companion with a slight smile. "When Eohin went to the Hoards to get his first weapon from him," she said, "He was found lying outside the chamber two days later with both arms and three ribs broken. When Nirulin made the attempt, he escaped without physical harm, but it took him seven visits to get Selwyn to agree to give him a weapon, and eight more to find one that suited him."
"Golly!" said Redbird, surprised that Selwyn, who had been so forbearing with her, had treated the elf-princes who obviously warranted more consideration so roughly.
"Meerows have ever had a weakness for humans," said Lady Ariel, "In that you were fortunate."
"How old are the princes, Lady Ariel?" asked Redbird.
"Very, very young," said Lady Ariel, with a sigh. "Too young, some think, to assume the throne. They turned eighty-nine this summer."
"They're twins, then?" asked Redbird, surprised and wondering, if the elves considered ninety young, what they thought of her. "But Eohin said that he was the first-born!"
"He spoke truly," said Lady Ariel, "He was born thirty seconds before his brother."
"And when did their parents die?" asked Redbird, with her customarily devastating bluntness.
Ariel's face hardened and Redbird squirmed. She had forgotten that Ariel was the Queen's sister. She was about to retract the question when Ariel spoke her answer, in a voice so soft that she had to strain to catch the words.
"The King and Queen of Faelen passed to the other world when their sons were but a decade old," said Ariel. "They set off on a journey to the lands of Murochen, where dwell the elves of the sea, from which they did not return. A day before the journey took place my sister came to me in great distress, because of a vision she had had that some misfortune would befall them on their way. She was unable to persuade the King to remain at Faelen, but she left her sons with me, and gave me many instructions as to what to do when they grew older."
"I thought little of her fears and supposed that in a short while we should laugh over them together. But it was not to be. In a few days, she and her husband were brought back to Faelen in a golden casket, lying still and cold beside each other in the final sleep."
Redbird wanted to know how they had died but she did not want to grieve Ariel further with unhappy memories. She asked instead where they were headed next.
"We will go now to the armoury to find you some suitable raiment that you may wear when you venture forth from Faelen," said Ariel. "And then to the kitchens for your dinner, which the cooks have been hard at work preparing, unused as they are to human fare."
"Oh, there's no need to take so much trouble over me," said Redbird, alarmed. "I can eat elf-food just fine. I did it on the journey here."
They had reached the surface again, and were once more walking in the heart of the mountain-city. Redbird would have said more, but she thought it impolite to mention how little she liked the elf notion of cuisine.
"What is this?" asked Ariel, frowning at Redbird. "You ate elf-food on the journey?"
"Yes, Estwyn gave it to me," said Redbird. "So, honestly there's no need to-"
Ariel heard no more of her discourse. She had turned to a passing elf and commanded him in a sharp voice to send Estwyn, the messenger of the North Riding, to her immediately. She said no more till he arrived, but stood motionless with a deep frown line between her eyes that made Redbird think she was displeased.
When Estwyn had arrived and bowed to them both, Ariel asked him sternly: "Talya Winona tells me you gave her our fare when you conveyed her to Faelen. Is this true?"
"It is, Ariel Winona," said Estwyn, and Redbird could not blame the elf for looking pale. "I would not have done so unless I was forced to, but there was no food whatever to be had beyond Aidel. The devastation of the land has progressed further than we had calculated."
"It's true," said Redbird, eager to rescue Estywn from Ariel's wrath. "Nothing grew there at all- I would have starved if he hadn't given me the elf-food."
She soon regretted this interjection for Ariel turned her icy glare towards her now.
"And this food agreed with your system?" she asked. "You were able to stomach it?"
"I survived on nothing else for five days," said Redbird.
"Well," said Ariel, relaxing slightly. "It appears there is more to this human than meets the eye. Since no harm was done to Talya Winona, Estwyn, you are pardoned for your negligence."
"Thank you, Ariel Winona," said Estywn, bowing deeply.
Ariel began walking again and Redbird, occupied with thinking on all the things she had seen and heard since she had reached Faelen, said no more till they reached the armoury. Here she was given, in addition to her daggers, an elven knife and sword, both prodigiously slim, light and elegant. Then, they addressed the problem of Redbird's clothing.
"It has been difficult to find anything suitable for you," said Ariel, "because you are so small."
"I'm sorry," said Redbird humbly.
"That is a fault you cannot remedy," said Ariel, severely. "However, we were also given the additional burden of finding pieces of clothing for an exceptionally clumsy person. It has been a difficult task selecting apparel over which even you are not likely to stumble."
An elven attendant came forward with some clothes which Ariel held up, one by one, to show Redbird. First, she held up a fine shirt of a deep grey.
"This is a tunic. It has been woven with enchanted thread to make it strong and durable- this will protect you almost as well as a coat of mail."
She lifted a pair of black leggings.
"These are leggings you may wear with the tunic, as we thought it best not to give you a skirt."
Next she showed Redbird a pair of stout black boots, with silver buckles and fastenings.
"We have also crafted for you these leather boots, over which we cast the same enchantment as that on the tunic. A crocodile might snap at these boots, and your leg will remain attached to your body. You see that we have made them quite long, these will extend till your thighs, to protect you as much as possible."
Then Ariel pulled out a cloak made of some indescribably soft material, of the same velvet blue as the night sky.
"I wove this for you myself," she said, "This cloak will shield you from the eyes of those who may wish to do you harm, and protect you from the weather. It will keep you cool in the sun and dry in the rain. It is a hooded tunic, so that you may protect your head as well as the rest of your body."
Redbird took the items Ariel handed to her, awed and humbled by the generosity of the elves. She had never in her life owned anything so valuable.
"Thank you," she said, "I hope I can repay you for these wonderful things some day."
"You may repay us by doing your best to help the princes on their quest," said Ariel. "Your dealings with Selwyn convince me that you have much wisdom hidden in your small frame- I hope you will lend this wisdom to the young princes."
Redbird was slightly alarmed at being esteemed so highly- a novel experience for her, but she said nothing except to assure Ariel that her every faculty was entirely at the service of the elves.
Redbird's new possessions were handed over to an elven woman and then she and Ariel made their way to Ariel's dining hall, where Nirulin and Eohin were already seated. Redbird did not know what Ariel had said to them to cause them to treat her so politely, but they showed her by cold silences and passive hostility that they still did not regard her as a proper companion for their quest.
"So," said Redbird, in between courses. "Where exactly do we have to go to find the star?"
Nirulin and Eohin exchanged looks, but Ariel merely said, calmly, "No one knows exactly where it may be found, not even those who wear the Shaisya. All the princes are given to guide them is a rhyme, handed down over the centuries to the sons of the elven King. It goes like this:
Seek, you seekers, for the star that is fallen,
Where the waves crash upon the craggy shore.
And there, in a cave, the true King of Faelen,
Shall meet his destiny, and seek no more.
But if the seekers cannot, for all their searching,
Find the star that fell in the days of yore,
All hope must be lost, all pride turn to weeping,
And in defeat each must esteem his brother more."
Redbird frowned, puzzled. "What does that last line mean?"
"A question many have asked before you," said Ariel. "We think it is a plea from the old elven kings to urge us to remain united even if the crown is not found. However, there has never yet been a quest that ended in failure, and so that we have never been forced to obey them."
Redbird said nothing, but in her heart she was thinking that it would be just her luck if this was the one quest that failed. And, judging from the despondent looks on the faces of the elven princes, they were thinking the same thing.
Redbird remained one more day in Faelen, and was given much advice and counsel from Lady Ariel during this time, a gift which she treasured greatly and locked away in her mind. Then, as the dawn was breaking on her third day in the mountain city, she, and a great company of elves, climbed to the surface to greet the new day and send the princes off on the Quest of Kings.
The solemnity of the farewell was slightly ruined by Redbird being unable to get on her horse, a fiery elven charger four times her size, without assistance from Ariel. Then, as a thousand elves waved their goodbyes with cries of hope and encourageent, she and the elven princes set out from Faelen and followed the guiding rays of the rising sun towards, Redbird hoped, the fallen star.
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