Throughout the night, Dalmar found it uneasy to sleep peacefully as he had grown unaccustomed to the hard ground of the forest after sleeping on the soft sands of the island and plush barley mattress of the inns that he had stayed. After several hours, Dalmar awoke fully and sat up to notice that Sh'lzzt was nowhere to be found. Dalmar stood up and peered through the darkness of the forest attempting to use the light of the moon shining into the glade to guide his sight. Dalmar saw nothing. Dalmar listened intently for any sounds that might give rise to Sh'lzzt's whereabouts. "Moss not to your liking?" said a voice behind him as he turned swiftly to meet its originator. Sh'lzzt stood with bow in hand smiling slightly.
"It doesn't appear as if sleep is for me tonight." Dalmar said. Sh'lzzt looked through the tops of the trees at the moonlight, and then listened to the sounds of the forest around them.
"In that case, let us not waste any time. We should reach the valley by the time the sun is at its zenith." Shl'zzt said as he readied his bow for travel once again by wrapping it around his body. "Come. There is a stream just over the rise there from which we can refresh ourselves" Sh'lzzt said as he pointed to the north end of the glade. Sh'lzzt traversed the glade and slipped into the cover of the forest as Dalmar traveled behind. Within moments, the sounds of a bubbling brook could be heard by both as they crept to the edge, bent down, and scooped the cold water into their hands to drink. Sh'lzzt crouched at his feet as he drank with one hand and loosened his bow about his body. His eyes scanned the other bank of the swiftly moving stream, but found no intruders in sight. Sated, the two stood and walked westward along the bank of the tributary until they found a fallen log and crossed the stream.
Together, the two traveled through the covering of the forest as a single unit, careful not to alert the denizens of their presence. Over time, Dalmar found mimicking parts of Sh'lzzt's gait became slightly easier, and he learned how to move through the forest with a bit more ease. Sh'lzzt seemed pleased that Dalmar learned quickly, and quickened his pace slightly as Dalmar clung to his heels, and soon they had reached the edge of the forest. A steep rise lead down to the edge of the trees, and soon they were on the shores of a large, blue lake of water with a rolling embankment of fog covering its surface. The morning sun was only partially visible through the fog, and this caused the air to become saturated with mist. The treeline wrapped itself around the outer edges of the lake, and as the fog rolled away from the shores edge temporarily, Dalmar spied a boat sunk into the clay of the ground at the water's edge. The boat was wide enough for two men and long enough for about eight to ten men. Its edges were adorned with worn symbols painted with colors of brown and red highlighted with blue. Sh'lzzt trotted over to the boat and hopped into it, grabbing an oar from its belly. "We will need to cross these waters to reach the valley" said Sh'lzzt as he gestured for Dalmar to join him. Begrudgingly, Dalmar stepped cautiously into the boat and promptly sat down, uneasy of the nature of the boat. Dalmar had only been in boats two other times that he remembered, and was unsure of this small vessel. Sh'lzzt however, pushed the craft further away from the shore and masterfully turned the boat around with the oar. Soon, they were on their way across the lake.
At first, Dalmar experienced a bit of uneasiness as the boat rocked back and forth, but was soon clear of any thoughts of the unknown as his mind assured him of Sh'lzzt's abilities to steer the boat. Dalmar's tension lessened, and soon he laid back in the boat eyeing the second oar in the bottom of the boat. Within about thirty minutes, they had reached the other side as the boat struck the opposite shoreline, and the boat's motion halted abruptly. Dalmar jumped onto the dampened shore and pulled the boat onto the shore in a more secure fashion. The fog of the lake had subsided at this point, and Dalmar look across the wide plain set before him and his comrade. The plain seemed to stretch to the horizon, and small patches of water dotted the landscape before him. Situated in the center of the distant plain was several large structures jutting toward the sky appearing as large trees grouped together in curious fashion. Pinpoints of light emanated visibly as circular, fuzzy patches of red, yellow, and orange light in random spots throughout the trees. As a breeze blew across the tops of the plain, Dalmar began to sense the familiar aroma of campfires and meat cooking over open flame. He smiled in anticipation of meeting more elves, and his energies heightened at the very thought. Running past Dalmar on the shore was Sh'lzzt across the plain with speed of a lightning bolt. Dalmar chuckled to himself, and took after Sh'lzzt, but he was unable to keep up with his friend. This didn't bother him so much as it was evident that Sh'lzzt was happy to be home by the way he yelled strange phrases with happy tones into the wide expanse of the plain. Soon, several individuals could be seen racing to meet Sh'lzzt and Dalmar. Dalmar paused a moment to catch his breath as several other male elves met Sh'lzzt at a small pocket of shallow water in the center of the plain. They seemed to greet each other with a wild energy, hugging and patting one another with regularity, each laughing and talking with sincere excitement. Dalmar, catching his breath, ran towards the scene, and was soon upon them.
Dalmar's heavy footsteps caused the water standing in the plain to splash causing loud noises to ring out through the air as he approached the elves standing at the edge of the shallows. Suddenly, the larger of the five elves changed his tone and began barking wildly at Sh'lzzt startling Dalmar as he slowed his gait. Rejoice had turned into argument. "Sh'lzzt, you know it's forbidden to lead a man to the valley!" cried the tall, tan-skinned elf.
"What was I supposed to do, Eravon? Leave him as food for wolves? You, at least know, that is not our way either!" Sh'lzzt fired back at Eravon.
"You didn't have to lead him here, Sh'lzzt. What do you think will happen if other men find this place? In time, more men will come, and we will be forced to defend our home like we have so many times before. You've spent so much time around them that you even begin to reason like them. Pathetic!" Eravon's eyebrows had lowered greatly as he shot Dalmar a look and turned toward the settlement. Together the five elves ran back to the three gigantic trees rising to the horizon, disappearing into its branches. Sh'lzzt turned towards Dalmar.
"What was that about?" Dalmar asked smartly.
"I'm afraid I may have taken you too far, Dalmar. But don't worry. They won't immediately turn you away. Many elves follow the old ways of our people. Don't let them bother you. Come, let's get something to eat and some rest." Sh'lzzt patted Dalmar on his shoulder once again as he took off for the outermost tree. Dalmar paused staring at the three large trees grand as small mountains rising from the earth. Now, fully in their presence, he saw what grandeur they held as they rose like gargantuan monoliths to reach the clouds. Their canopies covered the sky with brilliant green, seemingly-sentient, masses of life sweeping the cobwebs from the clouds like a gigantic broom. In each of the monstrous branches of the tree were situated tiny homes filled with elves living inside their trunks from where emanated the sounds of children and community, each modeled together in harmony. Dalmar's eyes widened as he marveled at this exquisite sight, and he wondered how it all came to be for this certainly seemed to represent some sort of symbiosis of natural and aberrant forces. Dalmar's mind snapped back to Sh'lzzt dashing towards one of the trees, and he took off after him as Sh'lzzt waited for Dalmar to catch up. Within moments, Sh'lzzt had climbed a series of ropes and walkways to a wide branch, and Sh'lzzt paused at an opening in the trunk, inhaled, and walked through the tarp covering the opening.
As Dalmar stepped cautiously through the opening of the tree, he saw Sh'lzzt and four elves inside. As Sh'lzzt embraced his mother, her eyes fell on Dalmar entering her home and she gasped. "Sh'lzzt! Hunh vah tiest?" The older elf at the large, circular central table stood up and grasped his sword dangling at his side, his eyes filled with intent.
"Father! No!" Sh'lzzt yelled, pausing slightly to calm his own tone. "He is a friend."
"He is a man, Sh'lzzt. You have no right to bring him here!" Sh'lzzt's father said sharply.
"Father, he is one man, hardly a threat to anyone. He was attacked by wolves at Felondra and Malchius' home near Jiopha. He needed help. Is that not our way?" Sh'lzzt's voice contained a plea for his father's understanding as he paused for his father's response. Sh'lzzt's mother moved cautiously around the room, placing her arms around the two younger elves as she ushered them into another room.
"Good will is our way, Sh'lzzt, but not at the expense of ourselves. He cannot stay here." the older elf said with stern address.
"Listen, if it's any consolation, I can leave. It's not my intent to upset anyone." Dalmar said in an attempt to settle the air of the room.
"The damage is likely already done..." Sh'lzzt's father paused as if trying to find a name for Dalmar. "I don't even know your name...who are you?"
"His name is Dalmar, father." Sh'lzzt answered.
"Dalmar, as I have no doubt you are of nature befitting the friendship of my son, others will not see it the same way. Therefore, you must leave in the morning. You can stay no longer. Be advised, however, do not wander. Sh'lzzt, you will lead him to the other side of the plains in the morning." Sh'lzzt's father snapped his blade back in its scabbard with the last word, and sat back down at the table. Sh'lzzt's mother looked at her husband as she walked over to the pot filled with boiling food.
"You must be hungry after that journey from Jiopha. Come. Eat." the tall, slender elven woman said as she dished out several portions of vegetables and meat from the stewing pot. In all, she prepared four meals for each of them, and joined them at the table. Dalmar was starving though he had not noticed until he took the first bite. The elves seemed to frown at the ravenous nature that Dalmar devoured the food. Dalmar wiped his face with the sleeve of his arm and looked at his hosts. Embarrassed, he excused himself. While they were indeed polite, this did nothing to cause Dalmar to feel less out of place, and a strange sort of loneliness crept into his mind. Neither one of them seemed to want to initiate conversation with him. This made Dalmar uneasy, but he felt it rude if he left so soon after partaking of their hospitality. "What news do you bring us of Felondra and Malchius, Sh'lzzt?" the woman said to Sh'lzzt.
"Felondra and Malchius are dead, mother. Killed in a fire that devoured their home." Sh'lzzt said sadly.
"No! By who?" his mother cried as Sh'lzzt's father shot Dalmar a look of contempt.
"I don't know, Mother. When Dalmar and myself reached the smoldering farm, all that were left were wolves and pigs. I found some horse tracks leading to the main roadway, but nothing about them told whether or not they were from Jiopha." Sh'lzzt paused as he noticed his father's accusing stare at Dalmar. "Dalmar was unfortunate enough to find the wolves before I did, so if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, father, nothing could be further from the truth", Sh'lzzt added.
"I didn't say anything, Sh'lzzt. I was just thinking, however, how is it that the wolves were not afraid of the fire?" the older elven man said with a sneaky sort of confidence.
"The fire was not ablaze when we got there. The house's flames had long been extinguished by the time I reached the remains of Felondra and Malchius' home. What do you think? Do you think Dalmar trained the wolves to light fires to farmhouses and raid their homes?" Sh'lzzt grew frustrated with his father's undue inquisitiveness. Dalmar sensed this and decided he should let them speak alone for it was evident that his presence caused some sort of disruption.
"Thank you for a lovely dinner. If you don't mind, I'm going to get some air." Dalmar summoned all the politeness he could muster as to not cause the conversation to escalate further. Dalmar could tell that Sh'lzzt's father was not fond of him, but he didn't understand whether it was because he wasn't an elf or that he thought he had been the cause of Felondra and Malchius' death. Either way, it seemed prudent that he should try to alleviate some tension and step outside.
"Sh'lzzt, why don't you join your friend. Your mother and I need to have words." Sh'lzzt's father said. Sh'lzzt and Dalmar each nodded to the two elder elves, but for different reasons, and then stepped outside. The air was cool, and the sky was clear. The beauty of the evening plain soon helped Dalmar to forget where he was and the tension of the conversations inside the small abode. Little was said between Sh'lzzt while they were out there, each devoured by their own thoughts and disappointments. It was there, standing at the edge of the large branch overlooking the grassy plain and watching the winds below race across the chaff of the tall grass that Dalmar realized his time in the Valley of the Kroo would be brief. He, too, began to understand that his time was best kept short here, perhaps as the elves understood or perhaps because his own quest beckoned his continuation. Whatever the reason, he would be off the next morning as agreed.
The next morning came early for Dalmar as the sun had not even fully enveloped the horizon and the moon had not began its daily slumber below the edge of the world's end. He was met by Sh'lzzt on the branch outside his familial home there in the gigantic tree's body along with five other elves that seemed about the same age of Sh'lzzt. Dalmar recognized Eravon who seemed to watch Dalmar's every move and question his every intention. Dalmar did not trust Eravon and did as much as he could to avoid any sort of address with Eravon. Eravon kept his bow in his hands unlike the rest of the younger elven warriors that accompanied the party of persons heading towards the edge of the plain to the north. Little was said, and the mood was quite dismal. Dalmar resisted the urge to begin talking to avoid any sort of unnecessary tongue-lashing. When the party reached a point in the plain, Sh'lzzt stopped and turned towards the other elves.
"Leave us, we will go on from here alone." Sh'lzzt said to the other elves.
"You all may go back if you want, but I, Eravon, will stand here until I am satisfied" said Eravon condescendingly.
"Damnit, Eravon! Have we not done everything that was asked of us? Are we not here? There is no glory, no honor in blind hatred and a willingness to remain ignorant!" Sh'lzzt snapped at Eravon.
"It is you who remain ignorant, Sh'lzzt! Every time you come across a puppy in the wild, you bring it home to nurse it back to help. When will you learn that the traditions of our people are there for a reason?" Unnerved, the other elves began to walk backwards slowly as the tension of the scene grew between Sh'lzzt and Eravon. Dalmar felt uneasy as well.
"Go on, get out of here!" Sh'lzzt barked at the other elves as they sprinted across the plain. "As for you, Eravon, fine, continue to whine in the comfort of your bitch's belly. Perhaps, one day, your mother's teat will sate you, but these two puppies are going to become wolves, my dear pup." Sh'lzzt stepped closer to Eravon and raised his chin above that of Eravon's lowered stare. Dalmar watched the tense situation closely. "Leave us, Eravon, go back to your bitch's teat." Sh'lzzt stepped back to meet Dalmar's stance, and together they turned to make their way to the edge of the norther treeline. Sh'lzzt exhaled deeply, but Dalmar, though relieved that the scene had ended, heard the sounds of footsteps behind them. Turning quickly, Dalmar saw that Eravon had drawn his sword and begun to rush the two of them. The fire in Eravon's eye was like a rabid animal, red with hatred and hunger. Dalmar yelled out to Sh'lzzt as he pushed his friend aside. Slicing through the air that once was filled with his friend's body, Eravon's blade flew with a mighty stroke. Sh'lzzt fell to the ground with the mighty push of his strong friend. Dalmar didn't realize the degree of strength he used to push his friend. Eravon lunged at Dalmar, still on his feet, as Dalmar jumped to avoid the elf's impaling. Sh'lzzt sprang to his feet, and rushed his body into the back of Eravon's body causing the raging warrior to lose his balance and landing on the ground with the thud. Dalmar, thinking back to his bout with Varsa in Undhkiel, raised his fist to strike Eravon as he lay on the ground. Eravon was far more agile and quick than Varsa, however, and countered with a sweeping of Dalmar's legs in a flash. Dalmar's body hit the hard ground before Dalmar could prepare himself, and his breath left his body suddenly. Sh'lzzt, having drawn his sword, and stood to meet Eravon, had Eravon's attention now.
As Dalmar regained his breath, he could hear the clangs of sword against sword as Eravon and Sh'lzzt fought on the edge of the plains. Dalmar slowly rose to his feet, careful to pick his point of entry and to not get in the way of any of their sword strikes. Dalmar reached into his bag where the two divine daggers were held, and grabbed the first one that his hand came across with barely a thought. His heart beat against his chest as his mind scrambled for a way to help his friend. Eravon was stronger, and this soon became apparent despite the fact that Sh'lzzt was quicker. Sh'lzzt was tiring, and Eravon took the advantage with a heavy, two-handed blow towards Sh'lzzt, knocking Sh'lzzt to the ground. Eravon raced over to Sh'lzzt grabbing his foe's sword and flinging it away. Sh'lzzt face turned to one of fear - something Dalmar had yet to see in Sh'lzzt. Reacting, Dalmar grabbed his dagger by the blade, throwing it with a strong flick of his wrist. As the dagger struck home, Eravon's back suddenly arched at the dagger sunk to the hilt into Eravon's brain. The force of Eravon's last moment of surprise rocked his body backwards, and his lifeless body fell silently hit the ground.
Dalmar and Sh'lzzt sat for a moment breathing, Sh'lzzt's eyes still afire from the skirmish. As each of them looked at each other, they turned their heads in the direction of the other elves to see if either of them had noticed the fight. To their surprise, the entire affair had gone unnoticed. "Come, we've got to get out of here. When Eravon doesn't come back, they will send out a party to look for him and me" Sh'lzzt said quickly. Dalmar rushed over to the corpse of Eravon and retrieved his dagger. Dalmar's line of sight grazed over the glint of Eravon's elven blade. Dalmar needed a blade badly as he had lost his own, and he picked it up, scabbard and all. Tieing the sword around his waist, he and Sh'lzzt scrambled for the cover of the forest. As the darkness of the foliage hid them from the morning sun, they peered back over the plain towards the settlement. The scene was clear as they slipped further into the trees with reckless abandon. "Quickly, Dalmar! I know a place we can hide; it's one I used when I was a kid to hide from my mother and father" Sh'lzzt exclaimed. Dalmar dare not question Sh'lzzt. It certainly wasn't his intention to fight an entire force of elves, and it seemed reasonable to lay as low as possible.
After a few minutes, each of the hapless warriors had reached the edge of a large stream of water that emptied into a small pond. "Can you swim?" Said Sh'lzzt devilishly smilng at Dalmar.
"Umm, yeah...." Dalmar replied, feeling a bit of deja vu overcome him. Sh'lzzt took a deep breath and dove under the surface of the water. Dalmar followed into the cold, leaf covered water after Sh'lzzt. Once underneath the pond's surface, Dalmar followed Sh'lzzt into a small, hidden pocket of earth that was dry and large enough for about four people. Strewn along the floor of the tiny cavern were several domestic implements, scrolls, and food items. Dalmar breathed a sigh of relief once they had settled, A small sliver of light lit the tiny cavern from above through the surface of the tiny hillside, and made for a cozy little scene as Dalmar began to relax a bit.
"We should sit here for today until tomorrow. There's a bit of food in that tiny keg there that should do us just fine. I've kept this place for years, and it remains dry and safe." said Sh'lzzt. Dalmar understood, though it was certainly not the way that he had planned to spend his day. He looked over the elven blade he had captured from the scene. It's engraved runic symbols struck Dalmar as both beautiful and strange. Cautioning against Eravon's blade, Sh'lzzt said, "You'll want to get rid of that soon. It will only serve to identify you as someone who has killed elves. Once more, it will tell them who you killed and where to find them."
"At the first chance, I will get another sword, provided a good one is available." Dalmar said. This seemed to satisfy Sh'lzzt for now, and Dalmar believed himself of pure intent. After all, he wanted to have two swords as he felt more comfortable with a second blade. But he still wanted a bow, too, and he would place more value on a bow at this point.
"I'm going to go scout the area. Stay here. There's no sense in losing both of us should one of us get caught." said Sh'lzzt. Dalmar nodded as Sh'lzzt slipped back into the water and into the open pond. Dalmar, picked up one of the scrolls and looked at its parchment. He couldn't read anything on the page, and he fumbled through a couple remaining pieces of parchment laying about the small cavern. Dalmar was bored. He had eaten, he was alone, and nothing could he read. He had to stay here out of pure principle. Dalmar sighed again, and leaned back against the cavern and waited for his friend. Within an hour or so, Dalmar had bored himself to sleep.
Invino Veritas
7/31/11
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