The History of Alliliel
Part I
The little elfgirl looked up from her books.
"Father, must I spend all day in study? There’s a festival today in Kelethin, Savinae wanted me to go with her."
Elligor, carrying boxes of dusty scrolls was in no mood for Alliliel’s pouting today. "Child, I will here none of your complaining today. You’ve put your studies off long enough for this week. If you spent more time studying and less time complaining, perhaps the day would not pass so slowly for you."
He set the boxes down next to his writing desk and busied himself with sorting the contents onto the desk.
Alliliel was quiet for a minute. She looked down at the book. Her father wouldn’t let her go out at all anymore, with the examinations coming so soon. The last thing she wanted was to be surrounded with dusty old scrolls when there were gentle breezes and laughing elf children outside in the courtyard.
The last time Savinae had taken her to Kelethin they got into all kinds of trouble and it ended when Alliliel accidentally knocked Merchant Alunae’s loom off the platform and it crashed into the forest below. She had never seen her father so angry and her he had forbidden her from leaving Felwithe for a month, much less to go anyplace with Savinae.
"Father, I’ve spent all day here. Can’t I go outside, even for a little while? Even if I can’t go to Kelethin I’ll just shrivel up and die if I can’t get a look at the Faydark today. It must be glorious outside with this fine weather."
Elligor put down the spell gems, and was very quiet for a minute. Alliliel knew immediately that she had pushed too far. He leaned in close to the elfgirl and spoke almost in a whisper.
"If you want to throw your life away gazing at the sky when you are on your own, so be it. But while you are in my house, you will obey my rules. I have spent a fortune on tutors for you. Your mother has taken twice as many research commissions this year just to pay their fees. You will study and you will pass the examination. Do you have any idea how many favors I have called in to make sure you were selected? Thousands apply, only one hundred are examined and only thirty or so are selected. If you fail in this, child, you will be the first one in this House’s history. And then I will suppose I will have to pay a huge dowry to marry you off since you won’t be able to support yourself."
Elligor stood up.
"Now if you wish to whine, do so, but I will not hear it."
The points on Alliliel’s ears were burning red when Elligor slowly walked out of the room and slammed the door.
The tears gently hit the table until she stood up and flung the scrolls down on the floor.
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Elligor held Alliliel’s hand as they walked down the river to South Felwithe.
"Tell me child, the seven rules of evocation."
"Yes father. The fires within are the fires without, the focus of mind is the focus of hand, the sight of the eye is..."
"Bah! It’s the sight of eye, not the sight of the eye! The Keepers of the Art will expect you to know the rules without error or doubt."
"Yes father."
As they walked over the bridge into the magically elevated structure, a well-dressed Keeper came out to meet them.
"Elligor! Where have you been, my old friend? We’ve been missing you at the conclaves!"
The two elves embraced for a moment.
"Ah well, Kinzam, I’ve been schooling my young one, getting her ready for today. She’ll be a formidable Keeper when you are through with her."
The old wizard looked at the elfgirl with a raised eyebrow.
"Will she, now? Elligor’s footsteps are not small ones to follow in, young lady. Are you up to the task? Hrmm?"
Not sure how to take the old man, Alliliel paused for a moment and wondered if she was already being tested.
"Well, Sir, my father wants me to be a great wizard like the rest of my house. It’s my honor to serve my house." Alliliel looked at the raised eyebrow on the old Wizard, and then, not knowing what to do, she made a small bow.
"Do not confuse me with the royalty, young elfroot. Ha! Come inside, the Masters and Keepers await." Turning to Elligor, he continued, "Elligor, Doreya has some research commissions available, for Allieya and you, if you are looking for work."
Elligor smiled. "Of course, Kinzam. I’m always out for business!" And he turned away, heading up the stone hallway.
The old wizard looked down at the young elfgirl. "Well child, no need to give answers your father wants to hear now. Don’t fib to the Keepers, they’ll know. It’s one of their powers. Ha!"
Taking the young girl by the hand, he led her up to the Council of the Keepers of the Arts, made ready for the examination of applicants for the position of Student-Adept.
Alliliel looked behind her, but her father had already left.
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Elligor's hands were trembling as he held the Pronouncement of Decision. His was red, from the points on his ears to the veins in his neck.
"For thousands of years this house has been premier over all others in Wizardry. There has never been a generation without another Keeper, and it comes to an end with you? Who are YOU to put an end to a thousand years of history? Who are YOU to decide the future of this line? Impudent girl!"
Elligor threw down the Pronouncement and stormed out, slamming the door on the way.
Allieya stood, looking at her daughter. "Alli, your father takes this all very personally. But if you didn't want to be a Keeper, you should have told him. You failed on purpose, didn’t you?"
"I'm sorry Mother. I tried, I really tried to tell him, but he would never hear of it. I thought maybe that if I failed the test he would let it go. I... I'm so ashamed."
Alliliel felt her face go red, and she turned away and ran of out of the house and down the street.
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Alli ran the streets of Felwithe, until she became tired. Wandering into North Felwithe, she headed down some steps past a large stone door. She had never been here before.
A small carved stone hallway opened up into a large open space with adamant tiles below and a high arched ceiling above. The air was cool and a slight breeze blew in from the windows above. Pillars larger than Alli’s body reached to the ceiling like alabaster fingers.
Looking at the intricate carvings on the ceiling, she took a misstep and tumbled to the ground. Her ankle twisted around badly as she fell and she let out a yelp.
Sitting up, holding her ankle with both hands, the little girl began to cry as her ankle turned from pale to very red and purple. She didn’t know this place or if anyone would come for her.
As she lay on the ground in the wide-open room, crying, she suddenly heard a door open and two elves came in, talking. Thinking they would be mad if she was discovered, Alli tried to crawl into a corner to evade them but when she tried to turn around her foot touched the ground and a stab of pain shot through the left side of her body, and she cried out.
The two elves sprang down the cavernous room and found Alli crying on the floor.
"Oh Yeolarn, she’s hurt!" cried the lady, as the man knelt down next to her.
"Tis a minor injury I see. It’s of no consequence to fix. Here child, all is already better, is it not?" as the man moved his hands over the bruise, it faded away, leaving no trace. With a small smile, he looked up with a gentle twinkle in his eye.
"Yes, it’s. Better, thank you! Are you a magician?"
The old elf laughed. "Tunare forbid! I’m a Cleric, child. Haven’t you been to the temple and seen us?"
"No sir. We don’t go to temple."
"Elves these days! What do you believe in, then, hmm?"
"My father doesn’t believe in much of anything, except being a wizard. My mother is the same way, but she’s an enchanter."
"Well, then allow me to introduce myself, young lady. I am Yeolarn Bronzeleaf, Cleric of Tunare, and this is Tunare’s house! Be welcome, as Tunare is the elfmother, and welcomes all the little ones to her home." Yeolarn smiled at the young elfgirl.
"I don’t ever come to this part of town. I live in South Felwithe near the Keepers."
"Child, I’ve introduced myself, now wouldn’t it be proper manners to introduce yourself?" he chided her.
Alliliel felt her cheeks go flush.
"Oh I’m sorry, I’m Alliliel. My father is Elligor and my mother is Allieya."
"Pleased to meet you Alliliel! Now let me take you home. And don’t be afraid to come visit the temple anytime you like. All Tunare’s children are always welcome."
"Yes sir!" she said, as she took his hand and he led her out of the building and down into the streets.