The History of Alliliel
Part II
"And so when you walk the sands of the Desert of Ro, know then that it was not always so. It was the mightiest and oldest forest of the age. Takish-Hiz stood there, with halls of gold and pillars of the whitest marble. Our woodland cousins built such a city in the roof of the forest, that it was truly a wonder to see. For the rest of the world, it was the Age of Blood, but for us, little elfroot, it was an age of joy. Tunare openly walked in the Elddar forest, and sang songs to her elvish children. The world was with us and we lived in peace. At least, until that demon Solusek Ro."
Yeolarn stopped and looked out the window. The pine scent from the Faydark was heavy in the afternoon sun. The breeze picked up and he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Alliliel sat cross-legged on the floor, looking up at him with wide eyes, waiting to hear the rest. Yeolarn looked almost asleep and he did not stir for a time.
Alliliel looked down and fiddled with the end of her ponytail. Now that she was getting older, she was allowed to wear her hair in proper fashion for an elf lady, with bangs in the front and a single, long tail at the back.
"Master Yeolarn, are you there?" she asked, wondering if perhaps he had fallen asleep.
"Do you not hear it? Tunare speaks to us. The rivers are her tears, and the winds, are her songs. Attend these lessons, child."
Alliliel, not knowing what to do when Master Yeolarn went on his impromptu mystical meditations, sat quietly and looked at the floor.
"You don’t hear it, do you?" he said quietly.
"It’s just a breeze, Master. I don’t see anything magical about it."
"You are too young to have such veils over your eyes, child. Tunare help us!" Yeolarn closed his eyes again and delighted in the summer winds over his face.
------
Alliliel walked home slowly, thinking about Master Yeolarn. She felt somehow that she was disappointing him, but she knew not why.
She looked up at the clock tower near the lake and it was well past time for the evening meal. Her heart suddenly began to beat wildly and she went flush. She dropped the stick she had been playing with and began to run home in a panic.
----
She rushed in the door and stopped short. She did not know that father had invited company for dinner. An older elvish couple and a young elfboy were all speaking quietly with Elligor and Allieya around the table. When the door closed with a crash, everyone looked up at the heavily breathing elfgirl with her hair and dress all in a flutter.
"So, the wandering elfgirl finally returns to the nest, hmm?" said Elligor with a forced smile, but fire was in his eyes.
Alliliel put her hands together and put her head down. "I’m sorry Father, I lost all track of time."
Elligor turned towards his guests. "She’s been spending time at the Temple, with those rattle-shaking frauds, the Clerics. They wouldn’t know magic if it came up in the dark and bit them like a rabid orc!"
The visiting elves all laughed cordially and Allieya got up from the table.
"Come, girl, let’s get you presentable for our guests here. We invited Eadiana and Gardon at the spur of the moment, so it’s not your fault, child. Off with you to your room, and let’s find something nice for you to put on."
Alliliel sensed that this was not some ordinary dinner with some friends by the way her father was acting. She had expected him to commence with a verbal barrage the moment she came in, but he was oddly subdued and had a frozen smile on his face.
Allieya put her hands on her daughter’s shoulder and walked her into her room.
When the door closed, Allieya went straight to Alliliel’s closet and began looking at her dresses.
"Not this one, it’s too old. This one I think is too small..."
"Mother, what’s going on? Who are these people and why is father acting so strangely?"
"Child, we have some exciting news. Your father has made some inquiries and several of the old houses have responded quite favorably! We will be having many families as guests this week and next, and after that, you shall soon be betrothed to one their scions! Our blood is strong in the Keeper’s arts and some of the merchant houses and tradesman houses have been desirous of breeding children worthy of the Keepers. The particular family we have today has many wizards and they want to keep their blood strong." Allieya beamed a smile as she picked out a light blue skirt and a matching wraparound top, a classic elvish ensemble.
Alliliel stood with her mouth open and eyes wide while her mother quickly looked the dress over for any imperfections.
"Mother, I think I shall faint dead away if you are serious."
Allieya laid the skirt and top out on the bed and reached into her small belt pouch for some earrings and rings.
"I made these especially for you, Alli. When you put them on, your inner light shall burn twice as bright, and the elvish boy outside shall be quite taken with you I expect! We may not have to have two whole weeks of interviews or negotiations on dowry and such."
She offered the rings and earrings to the elfgirl, who was shaking her head, as if she was under some malady that thickened her senses.
Alliliel tried to speak, but in her panic and shock, all that came out of her throat was a slight gurgling sound.
"You’ll never win the heart of a boy that way. Here let me help you!"
Allieya busied herself with dressing and grooming Alliliel for a proper introduction to her suitor of the day.
-----
Eadiana looked at her boy, Fillimon, and smiled.
"Tell them the story of how you saved that wood elf girl from those orcs, Filli!"
"Oh mother, it was nothing of note. A gaggle of our woodland cousins, young elfgirls, were playing in the Faydark and got a little too close to that hideous Crushbone Citadel and a wandering orc, seemingly spawning right from the darkness, came upon them. I, of course, was nearby and heard their cries. I roasted the orc nicely with my spells I had just earned."
Fillimon smiled and Elligor clapped loudly.
"Well done! Well done, young adept! You must come by my office sometime and we can discuss evocation theory. I have some new and fascinating insights I have gleaned from the research materials Allieya brought back from Freeport."
Fillimon continued, "It was something to see, the fires coming forth from my hands and that orc trying to get away! I felt blessed of Solusek Ro that day, I can tell you!"
The crash of the chair to the floor was very loud and everyone stopped and stared at Alliliel, standing there with a look of shock on her face.
"Solusek Ro? That demon who destroyed our ancestral lands? The one who made us outcast from the lands that Tunare made ready for us? You are a demon, Fillimon! I will not marry you, I will not even speak with you, you filthy son of a Teir’Dal whore! Have you no knowledge of Elvish history? You are a disgusting braggart and a disgrace to all elves everywhere! Feh, I spit on Solusek Ro. Any follower of his is worse than a minion of Innoruuk."
Elligor’s face twisted into a rage. "Listen to me now, child, you insult these guests I have brought here and then you..."
Alliliel threw her spoon down onto the floor. "And you who would try to sell me off like a sickly pony! I have had enough! If you wanted a wizard as a child, then adopt this one for all I care! I don’t want to see any of you any more!"
Without thinking of what to do next, Alliliel ran out the door, down the steps and disappeared into the busy streets of Felwithe.
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