Part Sixty
Beryl carried the basket of freshly laundered clothes across the road, with Kato walking at his side. The old willow Caratathren lived in was just to the left of the Feasting Pavilion. There were quite a few Elves there, stringing garlands and whipping cloths over the wooden tables. The other side of the pavilion was the Lord's impressive four-story residence; it rose from rooms built below grass-covered earth mounds to treetop platforms.
"Should be an excellent feast. You will want to have a nap, Little One. Save your energy for all the eating you will do." Beryl laughed warmly.
"She will be angry with you."
"Yes," Beryl admitted, though he had not told Kato the particulars of his relationship with Caratathren.
"I could find another place to go, for a while. The scenery is beautiful."
Arë and Alqua rushed past with their hearth-share's assigned list of foods to prepare for the feast.
"We will not trouble you, Caerig," Beryl said seriously, "by the time the clothes are hung, you should be done your bath. You can sit by the fire and smoke if you like, or have a snack."
"I wish you luck."
"Thank you," Beryl said graciously. He thought he might need it.
When Beryl had hung the laundry to dry, he climbed up to the second floor and found Caratathren in her chamber, upon the couch. She had been crying, and Beryl thought she must have been, but she was silent when he entered. He sat at the edge of the couch and put a hand to her hair, and then she began crying again.
"I am sorry, Dearest, I truly am. With Dale, I had some notion that he might desire another, but there was that area of doubt, and perhaps I suggested to strongly that he was available...I spoke from my hope for their Vale folk, but what is not to be is not to be."
"I saw it clearly in his eyes. He is absolutely devoted to another." Caratathren lifted her head, "to one who is male. It was not sharing that I should politely fail to mention their trysts; it was the look of being wed! There are Elves who would even prefer a male to me!"
"Now, My Tathren, you are bending the truth. It was never a question of a choice between you and any male. Dale simply already had given his heart to another. I am sorry. I told you, I spoke from that small doubt."
"You always ruin it!"
"Yes, I know. You blame me."
"No, do not say it so! As if you are so jaded and I so melodramatic! I have been almost married more times that I want to know and every time it was some doing of yours that stole my chance at being wed. You did not approve of his house and so I honored you and chose another, but he followed you on some quest to slay demons, said he wished to prove his worth to you and I, and you returned with his body! And I doubted then I would find another, and waited many years, and I finally chose another, but you had wandered off on some quest or study and I kept saying 'Let us wait for my father's blessing, he will return', but you were gone for an age!"
"Dearest, it was only one thousand years, and I had reason to be away, the Heir to Darkness was then making evil in this land, and I had to join those that would stop him!"
"He chose another before we had said our vows."
"I know, I have heard you tell the tale, but Dearest, if he could chose another then he was not for you."
"And then everyone began to see me as somewhat old for marriage and a sad victim of tragedy and they were so polite, but I could feel them mocking me when out of earshot, and so I thought to move west, go to the wood, with some shred of hope that I would find a husband, and I thought I had, but then I learned..."
"He was my grandson through a union that had taken place in the time after your own mother's death and he was too close kin to be a husband to you," Beryl recited, "And then there was the time that I brought your new sister to meet your fiancé and he felt that he loved her more than you and even though she spurned him for your sake, he became heartsick and abandoned life in this land."
"And that was your fault! I moved again, and I moved again, and all the Elves here can sense my age and they think to come to me for advice and to hear my wisdom, but they do not woo me!"
Beryl took his sobbing daughter by the arms. "Dear-heart, you must abandon the past. You must. If you go on like this...I love you! I do not wish to lose you. I understand that these unions you speak of were never consummated, but you did love, and you were loved. You had many happy years and you have had friendships and you did good work, not least of which is this land restoration. Dearest, I grieve for these lost loves of yours as I grieve for my own. I have watched so many lovers depart and die. Do you blame me for your immortal nature? Then please, blame me only for that, for it is not I directly that caused you this pain, but your nature, and circumstance. Why not blame the darkness and evil that kept me from home or stole loves from you? Why not see the good in finding certain suitors were not the sort who would have remained with you more than an age? You pain me, Daughter. I love you dearly, but you wound my heart. Let the past go."
Caratathren shut her eyes, shivered and wept. "Father, I want to be married. I want to have a child. I am no young impulsive Elf. It is normal and sensible that I have these things. What is wrong with me that I cannot have these things?"
"Nothing, Dear, there is nothing wrong with you. You are beautiful, rarely colored, and wise in most areas, a fine singer, strong and fit for physical contests, and knowledgeable in lore. There is nothing wrong with you."
"Why are you here? I stopped speaking of you to others. You only come home when you need to retrieve some special weapon of piece of armor I have kept, or when you are without a lover of your own."
"And when I visit, you tell me how I have wronged you and pained you for ages. I try to avoid harming you. I do try."
"Yet you can laugh when I cry!"
"Dear, it is only because you do get so dramatic, but you inherited the trait from me, so I cannot really fault you, only laugh at myself when I see you."
Caratathren took a clean handkerchief from the small chest beside her
couch and wiped her face. "I must make some soup," she said,
"For the feast."
Tsuki had taken soup to Fei and seen that he was well in Laurel's care.
Tsuki had earlier seen Dale in passing, and now they had laundry hanging
beneath the Treeweavers' house. Tsuki wished to go to him, but he knew
that he had yet a few more tasks to do before he could allow himself rest
or leisure time.
The horses needed to be tended and Tsuki knew he should be vigilant in their care and bury their dung for Elves were not accustomed to keeping such large domesticated animals and the smells might offend them. Beryl had taken the saddles and much of their gear away for cleaning, leaving the three horses with only rope tethers. Tsuki suspected Beryl had not only done it because the gear needed cleaning, but because he wished to remove the harnesses and saddles from sight.
Tsuki took his time in brushing the horses. He checked their shoes and filled their feedbags with grain and, with Tigh's help, brought a barrel of water to them. Tsuki went to check Snaga as well. He brushed the mare's coat and checked her shoes, but did not disturb the braided mane and tail.
Tsuki needed to clean his swords and sharpen his knife, but thought the task could wait.
Arë and Gwende were at the hearth, when Tsuki came from below, tending the boiling pots and tearing herbs. Tigh had gone out to tend treeweaving projects on site. Lain and Alqua were continuing with the house's remaining daily work, by soaking and trimming strips of wood they had already made and then weaving these into baskets. All these Elves had common coloring; the each had some shade of brown hair. Though the two Vale Elves had pale blue eyes, the others' appeared grey. Tsuki's grey eyes made the Elves look twice at him, to see if they could read his heart in them. They could not.
Dale was lying upon his couch when Tsuki entered. Their delays and the distance they had traveled had put them not very far from the solstice. By some Men's reckoning, it might be counted already as winter, but to the Elves, who observed nature with further distinction, it was yet the season of fading and would not yet be winter until all was cold and dead. The sky that day was leaden and most of the trees bare. What leaves remained were dull and brown and dry.
Dale had been lying upon the couch for some time, awake yet resting; watching the treetops. The chamber was fit with two layers of curtains, and Dale had closed both the inner and outer curtains that faced the common area, but left all the rest open. He had listened to the breeze in the branches and breathed the scent of withering vegetation. Everything had faded in color; it was all shades of brown grey and white.
Tsuki entered and stood against the pale curtains and Dale turned his head. Tsuki seemed to fit in, to blend with the fading colors. He even had a way of seeming one who was storing power for some later use, as plants and animals conserved their energies through a winter. It was his season, Dale thought.
Dale was autumn if he had a season. He burned in the beginning and mellowed the longer one stayed with him. He was a brilliant flash of color before all colors faded. He was one that reveled in his fullness being enjoyed and sometimes, he was one who would cut down all that would serve others by its death.
And there Tsuki came after him, like the rising moon after the deep red glow of sunset. Like the ash that remained when the last fiery ember of a quenched blaze faded.
Seemingly inert, cool and grey, but containing power that could turn a tide or season and see it to its winter.
Dale loved him so. "I want to make love with you," he told Tsuki. "We can go about it as you are inclined, so long as we enjoy each other now, while we can be alone together."
Tsuki removed his clothes where he stood. He had put on his jewelry and had not pulled back his hair. He seemed especially attractive to Dale then, as he lifted the corner of the cover.
"Yes, join me here, where it is warm. Let me feel you."
Tsuki said nothing, but put his hands to Dale's body and kissed his throat.
"Oh, do not say anything at all, just show me what you want. Touch me and show me what you want of me."
Tsuki could have spoken, for he loved Dale and desired him very much, but he understood that Dale knew this, even before Tsuki might show him or speak of it. Anything he did to Dale simply reinforced the sentiment; Tsuki put it as strongly as he could.
Loriol came to the Treeweavers' after working during the morning. The sky was somewhat overcast, but he could see the Sun was just past its peek for the day. He swung a sack from his shoulder as he came to the top of the ladder. "Hello, Loriol, did they send you to bring the game we are to cook for the feast, or are you just here for your visit?" Gwende asked.
The other three also looked up from their work. The all thought Loriol charming and he was handsome among Wood Elves, with jet-black hair and silvery-grey eyes. Gwende, of course, only had eyes for her husband, but she knew Loriol was admired by many young Elves. He and Denelas were often companions of the Lord, when he was about and that insured that they became seen and known.
Lain smiled, then looked toward Dale's chamber, then looked again to Loriol.
Loriol stepped toward the hearth and opened the sack. "I was assigned to come today, but there is no reason I cannot visit, though I have been asked to help with repairs to a roof at the Greenrivers' hearth-share this afternoon, and later I am to help load the feasting pavilion. I hear rumor it will rain."
Gwende looked into the sack. "A good number of game hens. Will you be so good as to hang them for me?"
Loriol politely agreed. He was somewhat familiar with their home, though he lived in the house of Carver and Carpenter. He took up a rod tied with cord and hung the loops at the free end of the cords to particular branches above. He then put each hen on the block, took up the small hatchet and removed the heads. The hens were then tied to the suspended wooden rod to bleed out into a basin below.
Loriol washed his hands at the stand they used for such things. The wastewater ran down a chute into a sack lined with leaves to filter through and water the tree they lived in. The sack and leaves would be removed at some point and burned as fuel to heat wash water.
"Are you very busy today, doing your part for the festival and your usual work as well?" Loriol asked softly. He meant the question for them all, though he looked to Lain. Loriol was not an Elf that had mastered a particular craft, but the sort who might perform any task satisfactorily with a moment of instruction. He was one other Elves in the settlement sent for when they needed an extra pair of hands. Some days he was very busy, and others, not busy at all.
"If the guests we have taken in make no requests of us, there is only the cooking," Lain said. "If we fall behind on making baskets we can work more diligently at it another day, though, if Tigh sends for me, one of us, rather, we will have to go."
"It is not a very busy season for treeweavers, I think."
"There is work to do all through the year, even when the trees seem not to grow, but it may be different forms of work," Lain said.
"May I see you alone, Lain?"
"Yes," Lain said smiling. He wiped his hands on his pants and got up from the floor.
"Lain," Gwende called quietly as he had been about to lead Loriol to his private chamber. "We have much work to do today."
"I would not be so long as to inconvenience you," Lain replied. He took Loriol into his room then. He kept the inner curtains closed and these were translucent, so that light came in, but the view of the interior was obscured from without. As soon as Lain had passed through the curtain he felt Loriol's arms about him.
"I hoped that you would see me today, especially after this morning," Lain whispered.
Loriol stepped around Lain to face him. "It was not too much for you? Bathing together?"
"It was nice. It did not even seem like taking a bath..."
Loriol smiled. He remembered when he had chosen the one he would first share himself with, and he had become bathing partner to that Elf. It had taken a few baths to become accustomed to being naked and close to his lover but also in a public setting.
"But, I meant...when we saw Dale. I have been wanting to...to just be able to hold you like this."
Loriol drew Lain to him and kissed his face. "I have not forgotten what we learned of Dale, or how it felt to bathe with you. I think I almost kissed you there, before everyone.
"Lor." Lain pressed his lips to Loriol's, and then he allowed his lips to part. In a moment, they were upon his couch and clutching at each other's clothing.
At first, Loriol had only dallying at the Treeweavers' so long as at other houses. There was often some older male Elf who wished to impart some more advice to him or give him some reward for his hard work that day, or else there was some younger female Elf who wished to learn his likes and dislikes and look on him a while longer.
Arë and Alqua had distracted him in such a way, cooked for him and sang for him, and often Lain had come to join them. Loriol had then made a point of visiting their home, even if they had no work for him. He often brought gifts to their household. Many days he had visited with Lain, and Arë and Alqua. Then, one day, Loriol found himself asking Lain if they might be alone. He had thought the answer might be yes, when he asked, as he had come to know Lain in his many visits.
There had been that singular time, and then a second time, and then several times in a week and now Loriol felt bad if he went a day without visiting the house and finding time to be alone with Lain. He had shared himself with others before and he had felt somewhat attached, but he had never wanted so much just to see that person.
"Lor, I want you so. There is something I would like to share with you, if you are willing. We have not done it before, you and I."
"Anything." Loriol kissed Lain again upon the mouth.
"I asked someone about it. I did not tell them your name of course, and it was embarrassing to go to them, but I know that I am young and lacking in certain knowledge. I knew you would answer me honestly, but I did not wish to ask you, because I wished to...to do more for you. I wish to share all of myself with you, Loriol. I obtained this sensual oil that will make the union more pleasurable for us both. Would you share all of yourself with me?"
"Can you not feel my desire for you?"
"I can, but would you accept mine?"
"Yes, Lain, I would, but I feel I must say something to you." Loriol then rose to sit on the couch near Lain.
"If you must, I will listen, of course."
"I told you that I had shared myself with another before, one who lived here with us still. I spoke to that Elf recently and they happened to mention that they had noticed I spent a lot of time in this house. I said honestly that I had become friendly with you, but of course, I did not mention how we shared. Then this Elf said to me, in a strange tone, that left me confused as to whether the statement was related to that before or not, that Arë and Alqua were beautiful Elves. Then, I had a sense that this Elf who spoke greatly wanted to know something, which he knew was improper to ask. I felt that he wanted me to explain why I was so often here. I believe he assumed that I shared myself with you, or spoke to test this suspicion, and when he mentioned your housemates, he wanted to know if you were so frustrated by them that you demanded frequent visits, or if I perhaps was interested in one of them as a bride and chose you out of convenience, frustrated that I was not yet married."
"It seems to me this conversation was strange, but one who has spent time with you in the past can become curious when they see you spend time with others. Perhaps he expressed some form of jealousy. It would not be wrong if you were interested in one of them. Is that not why Elves are encouraged to seek companionship from others of their same gender when they are yet young and unmarried? It is considered a very wrong thing for Elves to conceive children outside of marriage."
"That is because two who are married perform an act of will at the moment of conception that insures their child's immortality. It is said, this purposeful act is part of the Creator's design, so that no Elf may be forced to bear immortal children to one who would take them by force or deception. Two Elves who are not prepared to perform this sacred rite should never risk accidentally conceiving a child."
"Yes, my brother explained such things to me. I know very much about females now, but I suppose, if he wished me to know males, I was to do it on my own."
"I am not interested in your housemates."
"Neither am I."
Loriol took Lain's nearest hand in his. "I know that you are my true friend, Lain, and so you will not despise me, whatever must happen. Please tell me, what I mean to say is...I have shared myself with another before and it did not feel like this for me. I enjoyed their touch very much and sometimes I longed for one in particular, but...I think of you every day. I dream of you. I long for you when I am unable to visit. After that first time we kissed, it was difficult to let so many days pass before the next was offered. I struggled to keep from rushing you to experience too much. Yet, I had to see you every day these past couple weeks. Now, you offer yourself to me completely and I want nothing more except...except for you to be well. Lain, I am not certain what I feel for you is within bounds of normal sharing. I known not what this is. If you suspect my feelings for you are too intense, I beg you, stop now and ask no more of me. I would die if I hurt you, yet I feel unable to fight these urges without knowing your disapproval. This is strange timing. Is the Moon full? I feel swept up as if by some strong current. We witness those things with Dale, we bathed together, and then my former partner spoke strangely to me, and you make this offer..."
"I love you also, Loriol."
"What do you say?"
Lain smiled and squeezed Loriol's hand. "I know that I am not old enough to make a binding vow, but I do love you. I know that you must love me. All the things you say, they are just how I feel about you, and these are things others who are to marry describe."
"We cannot marry each other."
"Lor, I do not know why we who are male love each other, or what will come in the future, I only know that now I want to be with you every moment I can and that I wish for you to be happy."
Loriol felt as if some airy finger had plucked his heart as if a harp string and now his heart hummed and sang within his chest. He lay again with Lain upon the couch and kissed him. He said then, "My Love, it would not be fair to keep you when there is work to be done. Allow me a few more kisses and then promise you will meet me later. After the feast, come out into the wood with me, and there I will make love with you and afterward lay in slumber at your side."
"I have never slept with one that was not kin to me."
"I have, but I know it will be more precious with you."
"I want nothing more than to sleep with you tonight, except that you allow me more than a few kisses now, Lain said.
"The young are insatiable."
"Not true, Loriol, you regularly leave me sated."
When Loriol took his leave of Lain, only Gwende was still nearby at work. Loriol bowed and then went to the ladder. As he reached it, he came to a place upon the platform where he had a view of Dale's chamber. Dale winked at Loriol as he turned to climb down. Loriol was puzzled by the curious gesture and wondered whether Dale had caught some speck of dirt in his eye or sent some queer Mannish signal.
Dale then laughed, turned back into his chamber, and seemed to go to his couch; Loriol no longer had a view of the interior as he descended the ladder.
Loriol walked past Tsuki's open, empty chamber, on his way to his next assignment, and wondered where the apprentice Wizard might be.
Within the Silver Wood, away from the Elven homes, a Blue Wizard appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and surprised the camp of the Rómendar, as he had named their kind. "Master," both Lords of their people acknowledged and dropped to their knees, but Forhrondo dropped hesitantly.
"Bring Setsugekka," the Wizard said. The Eldest, as they called themselves in their own language knew of two Wizards that wore blue robes and they referred to this one as The Sea in their language when it was necessary to distinguish him from the other, as his robes seemed to them the color of deep waters. Like other Wizards, he appeared an aged Man, but he could have easily been distinguished from those in the west, for his bald head, Middle Kingdom style robes, and gilded fingernails, in this, he went against tradition of the Order in placing personal distinction above secrecy.
The young priestess came, escorted by silver-haired Annavala. She played with the ruined crystal. The Sea beckoned with a wave of his hand. He looked then into Setsugekka's uncommon grey eyes. He could sense her purity. The Sea frowned slightly. There had been no change in her all the time she toyed with the crystal. He had found it damaged and assumed it worthless, but when she had asked for it, he had hoped she was drawn to it by some remaining power he could not detect. He had hoped it had not been rendered useless, as he first concluded, but now he was assured his initial findings had been correct and it had only been foolish hope to want to see the girl corrupted. He did not really wish his Priestess tainted; she was very useful.
"You killed two Elves," The Sea said as he pet Setsugekka's hair. There seemed something different about the girl, but he could not think what it was at the moment, and he had business with the others. They had gone against his orders.
"Master," Forhrondo said, rising, but then also bowing. "The Elves will think their kin slain by the abominations, if they find them."
"They have already found them."
Forhrondo was surprised that the Wizard knew this, but tried not to show fear. "Master, the Elves came upon some of my scouts as they spied upon the abominations. It was only two Elves."
The Sea grew impatient. It was not entirely the fault of the Rómendar. He feared the Halfling was beginning to resist compulsion. He should have come directly to him by the roads, but somehow, he had not. Now much time had passed and he found strength to resist the spell. He had also not anticipated Orcs crossing back to the east of the river. Their plans were not foiled, but their window of opportunity closed rapidly.
"I will develop some strategy against these Orcs, for now, draw your people further into the Wood. Be cautious. The more of you in one area, the more chance another Elf will see you."
"The Elves here do not see through our camouflage," Khyarhrondo said.
"That is because they are all young and not expecting such deceits, in this time of peace. Your artful painting does not render you invisible, not to Elves, and especially not to the Orcs."
"Abominations," Forhrondo spat.
"If the Halfling has not moved on in two more days I will send Cinsley and our special agents in to bring him away from these Elves. Until then, remain concealed. If you must kill to remain secret, do make certain the bodies are not recovered this time!"
"Yes, Master!" the Rómendar said.