Elantion. Valentina Massano
power of ancient magic—the magic surrounding the creation of the first elves Nariel and Fayriss. They proceeded rapidly despite the shifting terrain. The elf’s purposeful steps served as a guide for Kaj. Suddenly, Clarice stopped to listen.
“What?” asked Kaj, surprised.
“Follow me!”
Clarice ran through the vegetation with such agility that Kaj could not keep up; he kept getting caught in branches. Going past the last shrubs, she spotted with great surprise a group of elves that had recently killed four lalks. When Kaj arrived, he was out of breath and exhausted. He tried to recover by resting his hands on his knees.
“They dead?” asked Clarice, checking the bodies.
“Of course!” replied an irritated elf.
Clarice found another collar at the neck of one of the animals. She cut it off, and shoved it in the elf’s face. “These collars are controlling the wolves! You don’t have to kill them!”
“They attacked us and we defended ourselves,” replied another member of the group.
Clarice swore in Elvish. Kaj convinced her that she had to explain herself better. “I believe that by removing the collars from the lalks that wear them, they will return to being simple wolves…” she said.
The elf stared at Clarice, eyes wide. “Incredible!”
“We found out a few days ago,” said Kaj.
The elf looked at him with suspicion. “And who would you be?”
“My name is Kaj,” he replied eagerly, hoping for a nod of acknowledgement.
“You weren’t asked,” said the elf.
Clarice stepped in. “We’re going to Nidath; are you headed there, too?”
The elf shook his head. “No. We don’t even come from the city.”
“Oh…” exclaimed the Vagabond, surprised.
Without another word to Clarice, the group of elves resumed their journey.
The night came quickly, and the rocky wall under which they took refuge was grooved by the climbing ivy which created a soft coating. Some branches drooped downwards, creating a cascade of green that concealed and protected the rocky cranny where they were resting. The moss all around them was lush, its intense green contrasted by the white froth of the stream’s waters.
They lit a nice fire, and Kaj, sitting in front of the elf, observed her frowning face as he tried to eat one of the roots they had collected. Eventually, he tossed the last piece into the fire. Clarice locked eyes with Kaj, and when she realized that he was laughing at the expressions she was making, she herself started to laugh; she wiped her mouth with her hand and took a swig from her flask.
“This area of the forest is the safest. Not even lalks venture beyond the edge of the Old Larches. They are the oldest and full of magic, and they form the border around the innermost area of the forest,” she explained, pointing.
“Where the city is,” Kaj concluded.
“Correct.”
“I’m learning.”
She looked at him with a smile, and the man noticed how deep and beautiful her eyes were, then looked away bashfully. “I saw some bushes earlier. I’m going to check if they have berries,” said Kaj.
The man picked up large, juicy dark blue blueberries and mushrooms. As he returned to the field he observed the forest, and the fact that he was unable to orient himself made him anxious. When he returned, Clarice was looking after the fire.
“I happened on some berries and mushrooms,” he said. “Amazed I managed to find any in the dead of winter.”
The elf turned her gaze to Kaj. The light of the fire made her eyes sparkle.
“Have a taste,” said the man, offering.
Though she knew how they tasted, she ate them with relish. “Thank you.”
“So how long till we reach town?” he asked.
“I don’t know exactly; we’ve made too many detours,” she admitted.
“There’s one thing I still don’t get. Are we going to Nidath just to see the King, or is there some other reason?”
The elf thought for a moment. “The key thing is to talk to the King,” he began. “The rest will come by itself… I think…”
“Count me intrigued!” he quipped.
Clarice grinned. “King Yenven will explain much, and then we will have to decide where to start.”
“To do what?” Kaj asked.
“Whatever we have to do…” she replied, unsure.
“Why don’t you finish the account of your past for me?” asked the man. “You left me hanging in Fenan.”
“The story is short,” she began. ‘They kidnapped me alongside the other children, and locked us in cages in a stable. I managed to open the lock and escape. I went back to the village, and discovered that they were all dead, so I left that place. A family hosted me for a few days, but it was not the place for me, so I left…”
“Where to?” Kaj interrupted her.
“First, I joined a group of smugglers who needed small, fast hands. Then I worked with thieves and mercenaries,” she explained, frowning at the sight of Kaj’s expression.
“Whoa, okay!” he exclaimed. “Smugglers, thieves and mercenaries?”
“Yes, and I was the best,” she replied.
“I don’t doubt it…”
“A few months before the invasion, I left the group I was with and became a Vagabond. I took up jobs that were fairly exacting, but they paid me well…”
“And did you continue after the invasion?” Kaj asked.
“King Yenven had heard of me, and asked me to join the army which sought to contain the invasion. After the defeat, I continued to be a Vagabond, though I still followed the King’s orders.”
“Thanks for telling me,” Kaj said sincerely. “I guess it’s up to me now…”
“We should rest, and take advantage of this night of peace.”
They agreed that Kaj would rest first, and when there were only a few hours left before the crack of dawn, it was Clarice’s turn to immediately collapse and fall into a deep sleep.
Kaj had rested well enough, and was now intent on keeping the fire alive. The winds were cold, and occasionally carried droplets of water from the stream, which evaporated as soon as they touched the burning wood. The man stood up to stretch his legs, and pushed beyond the ivy branches; the stream’s waters flowed energetically, and their burbling was relaxing. Suddenly, he saw them shine in a peculiar way, as if crossed by a flash of light that dissolved not far ahead. He stood still for a moment, then looked up at the stream, and saw it again. He flinched with a start. Stepping forward to try to see it better, the silvery glow about the waters grew stronger and stronger; he stared at the light until, at last, he could no longer keep from covering his eyes. When it started to diminish, he saw a female figure, which was gradually coming into focus.
“Alana?” he asked incredulously.
“Hi, Kaj,” said the apparition.
“How can you be here?” His voice trembled, and his eyes filled with tears; he couldn’t believe it. “Forgive me for what happened! I couldn’t protect you!”
The girl lifted a hand to calm her brother down. “Don’t be hasty, Kaj. Everything happens for a reason,” she said in reassuring tones.
Her voice came from a faraway place, and her figure, evanescent and luminous, created a small whirlpool on the surface of the water that slowly carried the drops of water all around her in an elegant and sinuous dance. He watched her, and thought her beautiful—extremely