The doors opened\ninto a small room, little more than an antechamber. Its corners were trees,\nthicker than the Dark Elf that led Ilrin was around, standing tall and straight.\nThe walls were not made of vines, but of wood, grown to flow seamlessly from\none tree to the next. The floor upon which they walked was grown into a curious\npattern, as if to suggest flowing water. As Ilrin looked at it, she was almost\nsure it could move. The small room was lit with a soft green glow, and,\nsearching for the source of the light, Ilrin found her gaze drawn to the trees\nin the corners. Rising along them in a spiraling pattern were thin leaves,\nwhich seemed to glow with light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilrin had never\nseen such marvelous enchanting. She took a step closer to one of the trees,\nintending to examine a leaf closer, but the Dark Elf moved swiftly across the\nroom, to the far doors, and she hastened to follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the doors\nwere opened, Ilrin\u2019s eyes widened in surprise. She had expected Eltuthar\u2019s\nsanctuary to be a place shrouded in darkness, full of black magic and evil\nweapons. What met her eyes was as far from that as water is from wood. The\nflowing pattern of the floor continued, leading her eyes to a gigantic tree, its\nlarge roots, which splayed out from it for several feet, finally spreading and\nmelting seamlessly into the floor. The tree\u2019s trunk was wide enough for five\nelves to easily stand in, if not more. The same curious glowing leaves dotted\nits bark, lending their light to the scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The floor was\nopen, with the tree in the center. Only four rooms, one in each corner, stood\nupon it. More, smaller trees flowed from the corners of the rooms, so that\nnowhere was there a sharp angle. Everything flowed smoothly into everything\nelse, and very few exactly straight lines were to be seen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilrin had\nstopped in wonder, gazing at the ceiling, which vaulted high overhead, flowing\nas did the floor, though with a different pattern, and was surprised when she looked\ndown to see the Dark Elf nearly half way across the room. She hastened to catch\nup, but not before the door to the closest room opened, and another elf came\nout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilrin had never\nseen him before. Like Ilrin\u2019s guide, he wore the black leather of Eltuthar, but\nhis face was kind and young. He stared at Ilrin for a moment, and then,\nrecollecting himself, passed her, heading for the tree. Ilrin followed him at a\ndistance, since he went in the same direction as her guide, and saw that one\nside of the tree was open to reveal a vast winding staircase within. More of\nthe glowing leaves dotted the inside of the trunk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the elf rose\nout of sight, Ilrin turned her attention back to her guide. Surprisingly, she\nfound him smiling at her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou find\nEltuthar\u2019s work interesting?\u201d he said. It was more of a statement than a\nquestion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilrin nodded.\nAny fear she had felt of Eltuthar and his Dark Elves was rapidly slipping away\nin this place. Surely Eltuthar, whom she had been taught was power-obsessed and\nfull of dark magic, could not have done this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if he had\nread her thoughts, the Dark Elf said, \u201cEltuthar formed this place when he was\nfirst exiled from Eld\u2019rin. For him, it was a simple matter. But come. If you\nbring word from Felnir, you must see him immediately.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Felnir\u2019s name\nreleased Ilrin\u2019s mind from the spell of the building. She looked back down at\nthe Dark Elf and nodded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dark Elf, in\nreply, took a few short steps to the wall, and pulled open a pair of\ndouble-doors which rested there, growing from two trees like everything else.\nThey slid open silently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instantly, the\npeace and quiet of the interior of the building was shattered. Wind ripped\nthrough the doors, and a fierce howling, as of a great storm, met Ilrin\u2019s ears.\nThrough the door, she could see a lone figure with his back to her, his hands\noutstretched to what seemed to be a vast expanse of dark cloud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wondering,\ntrying to shield her face from the biting wind, she walked slowly forward. She\ncouldn\u2019t see properly until she had walked through the doors onto the balcony\nthat expanded out from it. The Dark Elf exited after her, and closed the door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilrin had seen\nseveral astonishing things in the past two weeks, quite enough for a long\nwhile, but what she saw now was greater than any of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All feeling seemed\nto leave her, along with all thought. The only thing that existed, both inside\nand out, was what she saw and heard. Her jaw dropped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before her\nspread the small plateau she had seen from the path. Its grassy expanse was\nperfectly flat, and ringed by large stones. The side opposite her was devoid of\nobstructions, and offered an incredible view of the Great Forest, facing in the\ndirection of Eld\u2019rin, which was hidden from view by the trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sight,\nalone, would have been quite breathtaking; however, it was not what drew\nIlrin\u2019s eyes. Neither were the two elves that stood before her, both facing the\nforest, one with his arms outstretched, the other watching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What she saw was\nthe cloud. Black and billowing, the thickest storm cloud she had ever seen stretched\nfrom end to end of the Great Forest, quite possibly covering well over half of\nit. Thunder rumbled within it, and lightning, strangely red, leapt from its\nspires and columns. Though the black cloud itself was moving, churning tumultuously,\nthough in a mesmerizing sort of way, its borders remained fixed. It neither\ngrew nor shrank. It was as if something held it in place, shaping its every\naction. Ilrin couldn\u2019t understand where the cloud had come from; it had been\nperfectly clear as she ascended the path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then her\neyes fell on the two elves before her. Neither had seen her, but still stood,\nsurveying the cloud. Neither seemed likely to be Eltuthar. One was tall and\nstraight, but he wore a sweeping robe which billowed and snapped in the deafening\nwind. He, however, was merely observing the storm. The other elf was far too\nyoung to be Eltuthar. Ilrin could tell, though she couldn\u2019t see his face, that\nhe must be about her age. His hands were outstretched to the heavens, as though\nhe were casting a great spell. For a moment, Ilrin thought that he must be\ncontrolling the storm, but then discarded the idea as preposterous. None but\nEltuthar could do such a deed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAel,\u201d called\nthe Dark Elf from Ilrin\u2019s side, making her jump. His voice was strangely audible\nthrough the raging wind, and the tall elf turned, his gaze coming upon Ilrin\ninstantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face, Ilrin\nsaw, was lined, but kind, though at the moment it looked at her with a frown.\nHis robes were black, with a tinge of green, though no red symbol was upon his\nchest. His hair was a steely shade of gray, and swept back from his head almost\nto his shoulders. He looked at Ilrin with a questioning glance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dark Elf stepped\nfrom the balcony and whispered in the elf\u2019s ear. As he did so, the elf\u2019s thick eyebrows\nrose imperceptibly. Behind him, the storm continued to rage, and the other elf\ndid not turn around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a moment,\nthe elf raised his voice and spoke. \u201cDilmir,\u201d he said, his voice oddly clear in\nthe wind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilrin instantly\nlooked around, wondering if Dilmir was behind her, but she saw no one save for\nthe young elf. And then the truth hit her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slowly, as if it\nwere being sucked from the air, the storm began to dissipate. The cloud neither\nshrank nor grew, but simply began to fade. The lightning and thunder quickly\nceased, and soon nothing was left but a faint wisp of white cloud, which\nquickly vanished as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dilmir lowered\nhis hands and turned. His eyes immediately latched onto Ilrin\u2019s. Ilrin, without\nconscious thought, took a step backwards, and then instantly wished she hadn\u2019t.\nDilmir\u2019s expression did not change in the least, though he looked at her oddly,\nas if he were trying to decide something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The older elf,\nnoticing Dilmir\u2019s look, said, \u201cYou know this girl, Dilmir?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dilmir didn\u2019t\nchange his position or look away, but merely replied in a masked voice, \u201cYes.\nShe was my friend at Eld\u2019rin.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elf turned\nback to Ilrin, but she remained looking at Dilmir. What had he meant, she was<\/em> his friend? <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well,\u201d\nsaid the elf, glancing between Ilrin and Dilmir. \u201cYou may follow me.\u201d He walked\npast Ilrin and opened the doors, motioning for her to enter first. She turned\nslowly, reluctant to look away from Dilmir, though his look still conveyed\nnothing to her. She turned at last, and went in through the door, conscious\nthat Dilmir had followed her, though at a distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The old elf\nentered after him and closed the door, advancing across the floor rapidly to\nlead Ilrin. He passed the giant tree, and crossed to one of the far rooms,\nopening the door with the palm of his hand. It slid open at his touch, vines\nsnaking away, and he offered his hand to where it had been, signaling Ilrin to\ngo in first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She stepped\ncautiously across the threshold, scared of disturbing the delicate enchantments\nshe saw everywhere, but the old elf came in after her, circled a large table,\nand sat heavily in a chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The chair,\noddly, though it grew out of the floor, moved when he touched it, sliding\nsmoothly closer to the table. Ilrin heard a soft rustling behind her, and knew\nthat Dilmir had entered as well, closing the door behind him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The elf motioned\nto a chair across from him, and Ilrin sat down, Dilmir leaning against the one\nof the trees that held the door, straight and alert, though his face was\nimpassive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have been told\nyou bring me word from Felnir,\u201d said the elf, leaning his elbows on the table\nand watching Ilrin. Unlike any other elf Ilrin had met, he did not mask his\nfeatures. His voice was kind, and reassured her in his presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin started.\n\u201cYou \u2013 You\u2019re Eltuthar?\u201d she said. She had thought Eltuthar the Black would be\na weather-beaten warrior, not this venerable elf staring at her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The elf,\nhowever, nodded. \u201cThat is my name,\u201d he said. \u201cMay I inquire as to yours?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIlrin,\u201d said\nIlrin, her voice sounding small in the big room. She could not believe that she\nwas talking with the most dangerous elf ever known, even if he was sitting calmly\nin what appeared to be a study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well,\u201d\nsaid Eltuthar, leaning back. \u201cNow what is this that you bring me, Ilrin?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin glanced up\nat Dilmir. Slowly, he walked to the head of the table, and sat in a chair,\nwatching her, as did Eltuthar, though Ilrin felt somehow that he wasn\u2019t looking\nat her. She turned back to Eltuthar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve been sent\nby Felnir to warn you that the elves mean to attack you,\u201d she said in a rush. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She could\npractically feel Dilmir tense in his chair, but Eltuthar merely frowned. \u201cSo\nsoon?\u201d she heard him whisper to himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow did he find\nout?\u201d he asked, aloud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t,\u201d\nsaid Ilrin. Her voice suddenly faltered as she realized what she was saying. \u201cI\n\u2013 I did. He told me to warn you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eltuthar raised\nhis eyes to Ilrin\u2019s and searched them for a moment. Ilrin met his gaze, though\nshe would have liked much better to look away. \u201cHow soon?\u201d he whispered, after\na moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI \u2013 I don\u2019t\nknow,\u201d said Ilrin, her voice still quavering. \u201cThey could be coming right now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eltuthar sat back\nin his chair, suddenly looking much older. \u201cI wonder\u2026\u201d he mused to himself in a\nquiet voice. However, appearing to reach a decision, he shook his head,\nmuttering, \u201cNo, far too soon for that.\u201d Rising suddenly, he turned to Dilmir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDilmir,\u201d he\nsaid, \u201cshow Ilrin a room where she can rest; she is doubtless tired from her\njourney. Also have her weapons returned to her, she means us no harm.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir nodded\nand rose, beckoning to Ilrin silently to follow him. Ilrin rose as well,\nlooking uncertainly between Dilmir and Eltuthar, then went through the door\nwhich Dilmir held open for her. He closed it behind her, and led her to the great\ntree. She thought he might speak now that they were alone, but he said nothing,\nand silently led her up the spiral stairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a moment, Ilrin\nfound herself being led down a silent hall, past a row of closed doors. Dilmir\nwent by them all, until he came to one at a corner. Here, he placed his palm on\nthe vines, causing them to unfurl to reveal a dark room, a little larger than\nIlrin\u2019s bedroom. Dilmir placed his hand on the inside wall, and more of the\ncurious leaves lit within the room, shedding their light on it. He then\nsilently offered the room to Ilrin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin stepped\ninside, glancing about the walls, which were covered with yet another pattern\nof flowing water, and then turned to Dilmir. He had been about to leave,\nclosing the door behind him, but she stopped him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDilmir,\u201d she\nsaid, unable to bear his strange silence any longer. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir turned,\nbut said nothing. He simply looked at her quietly. \u201cNothing,\u201d he said after a\nmoment. His voice was masked, as was his face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin found the change\nin him disconcerting. He had never been good at hiding things, especially from\nher. \u201cWhat did you mean?\u201d she asked, \u201cearlier, when you said I was your\nfriend?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWeren\u2019t you?\u201d\nasked Dilmir, his face blank, though his voice carried a faint tone of surprise.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAm I not\nstill?\u201d asked Ilrin softly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir continued\nto look at her for a space, then shut the door and stepped fully inside. \u201cI\nthought you would no longer want to be my friend,\u201d he said, \u201cnot after what I\ndid, not now that you know who I truly am.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDilmir,\u201d said\nIlrin, \u201cI heard Aldir talking with a mage just yesterday. He set you up. He\nwanted you to react.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy?\u201d asked\nDilmir, truly surprised now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe council\ndecided that you were too powerful to remain in Eld\u2019rin,\u201d said Ilrin, allowing\na hint of bitterness to enter her voice. \u201cThey employed Aldir to give them a\nreason to banish you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir\u2019s face,\nwhich had looked almost hopeful a moment before, fell. \u201cAnd they were right,\nweren\u2019t they?\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not the\npoint,\u201d said Ilrin, beginning to feel exasperated. \u201cI don\u2019t care how powerful\nyou are or who you\u2019re related to. The point is that Aldir forced you to use your\npower.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Only one line of\nthis seemed to have been heard by Dilmir. \u201cYou don\u2019t care how powerful I am?\u201d\nhe said, ignoring Ilrin\u2019s last words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d\nsaid Ilrin, her line of thinking temporarily thrown into disarray by his\nquestion. \u201cI\u2019ve known you were powerful for seven years, of course it doesn\u2019t\nmatter to me. As for Eltuthar, you can\u2019t change that, and your relatives don\u2019t\nchange you, no matter who they are.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was as if\nDilmir\u2019s mask fell away. In an instant, a smile had crossed onto his face, and\nthe Dilmir that Ilrin had always known was back, as though no change had taken\nplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo the council\nhas been against me this entire time,\u201d he said musingly, unable to wipe the\nsmile from his face. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t they banish me when I attacked Cyprien? I\nshowed my power then.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin only had\nto think for a moment to come up with the answer. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t banish you,\u201d\nshe said. \u201cYou had just been attacked by Alfimir. Everything you did you could\nhave claimed as done in self defense. They couldn\u2019t have banished you for that.\nBesides, they had Alfimir to deal with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir nodded\nslowly, his brow furrowed, the grin still on his face, though it had nothing to\ndo with his words. \u201cThen I can\u2019t go back,\u201d he said slowly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy would you\nwant to?\u201d asked Ilrin, surprised. \u201cNo one there ever treated you kindly, except\nfor your aunt.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir glanced\nup at her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd me, I suppose,\u201d\nadded Ilrin, under his gaze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir looked\nback down. \u201cAll I\u2019ve ever wanted was to be a normal elf,\u201d he said, the smile finally\ngone. \u201cJust to go to Eld\u2019rin, train, make friends, maybe become a mage, just\nlike anyone else.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin bent her\nknees, half squatting so that she could look up into Dilmir\u2019s face. \u201cYou aren\u2019t\na normal elf, Dilmir,\u201d she said, rising as he looked up. \u201cThere aren\u2019t any\nnormal elves. They\u2019re all different; they all have something that makes them\nspecial to the people that care about them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir looked at\nIlrin for nearly a full ten seconds, and then, slowly, a wide smile began to\nspread across his face once again. \u201cYou always could keep me going,\u201d he said,\n\u201ckeep me trying to make the elves see sense.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what\nfriends are for,\u201d said Ilrin, finally smiling as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir opened\nthe door and turned to leave. \u201cGet some rest, Ilrin,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ll need it\ntomorrow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin turned to\nthe elegantly grown bed on one side of the room as Dilmir closed the door, realizing\nquite suddenly just how tired she was. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The doors opened into a small room, little more than an antechamber. Its corners were trees, thicker than the Dark Elf that led Ilrin was around, standing tall and straight. The walls were not made of vines, but of wood, grown to flow seamlessly from one tree to the next. The floor upon which they … Continue reading Chapter Twenty-Two – The Work of Eltuthar<\/span>