Chapter 4 - A Quest Begins
Chapter 4 - A Quest Begins
The next day came on bright and early for Eliza. Mara awoke her before the sky had even begun to lighten. “Up with the sun Eliza, we’ve no time to delay. The sooner you get out of bed, the sooner you’re on your way home.” In one smooth motion Mara had pulled all of the fine silken blankets off of the girl. “Get dressed and pack up your things. We’re expected down in the Servant’s Hall.”
Eliza groggily wiped the sleep from her eyes and rose up out of bed. The elves had provided her with a large comfortable nightdress to sleep in. She found a large basin filled with warm water sitting on a ledge across from the bed and awkwardly did her best to wash her face and hands in the water. It felt nice after spending almost two full days out in the woods though she would have prefered to take a hot bath. Laying her clothes out on the now bare bed, Eliza realized how ragged her jacket had become. It had several tears and runs all along the sleeves and somehow a hole had formed over the left pocket. She felt a bit embarrassed she’d gone before the King in something so worn. Mama was going to kill her when she returned with a jacket like this. Without any spare clothing, Eliza was forced to put back on what she had worn the day before.
Mara was waiting for her just outside the bedroom door. “All set?” she asked. Eliza nodded. “Alright, follow me.”
Mara brought Eliza to the Servant’s Hall by way of a long spiral staircase. They descended down, below the ground level of the palace, and into a wide open cellar. The hall itself was lit not only by strange blue mushrooms, but also by two large fireplaces set at opposite ends of the hall. The way the warm firelight danced with the pale illumination from the mushrooms gave the whole scene a dreamlike feeling. There were several other elven woman gathered around a large oval table.
“The girls here want to give you some things you might need on your journey,” Mara explained. “They’ve knitted you a new pullover. The elven people really do appreciate what you are doing for them, Eliza.”
The little girl blushed a bright red and tried to hide her face. “Th-thank you,” she managed to get out.
“Do you want to try them on? Make sure they fit you correctly?” One of the short women asked, holding out the knitted wool pullover up to Eliza.
The girl was suddenly reminded of the condition of her jacket. “That would be great, thank you,” she said as she took off her backpack and set it down on the table. Eliza then removed her jacket and folded it beside the backpack before taking the pullover from the elf. She popped her head through the warm poncho-like cloak and marveled at how cozy it was, even though the material felt extremely light weight.
“There’s even a little hood to keep your hair dry if it rains,” the elf explained, pulling up the red hood for Eliza to inspect.
“That’s so cool!” Eliza smiled excitedly. She gave it a quick twirl and the pullover spun out around her. Small tassels decorated the edge and spun out into the air. For some reason it made her feel like a bird, spreading its little wings for the first time.
The cook then entered with a couple of servants bringing breakfast in from the kitchens. The cook carried a sturdy canvas bag with him. It had been stitched with leather pockets and adjustable leather straps to form a light but sturdy backpack. He set it down on the table beside Eliza’s old backpack while the servants set out the meal.
“Thought you might not want to go and get your pretty pack dirty on your journey. We got this messenger’s pack to run orders back and forth from the market, but we’ve never really used it. Thought it might come in handy for you out there on the road,” he said, removing his cap and revealing a bald head.
Eliza picked it up and proceeded to pull and shake the bag, testing it to see if it truly was as sturdy as it appeared. FInally she set it back down and nodded her head. “Yes, this is a very good bag.”
Mara smiled, “I think you meant to thank the cook and maids?”
Eliza nearly jumped in embarrassment. “Oh yes, of course! Thank you all very much! These are excellent gifts. I don’t have much but-” she said, reaching into her leather pouch and producing a handful of cat’s eye marbles. “But I do have these.” She walked around the room placing a marble into each of the elves’ hands. They smiled and held the glass balls up to the fire light.
Mara helped Eliza fit her things into the large canvas bag before handing one of the maids Eliza’s backpack and jacket. “They’ll keep these safe and clean while we are away.” The messenger bag was good, sturdy canvas and fit much more than her small adventurer’s backpack did. Eliza slung it across her shoulder and thanked the elves once more for their hospitality.
After a light breakfast, Mara took her outside to the courtyard where Poro and Eliza’s reindeer were fully equipped and ready for travel. “The King says you are to keep that reindeer for the extent of your journey. We normally don’t name the boys until after their first molting but, since you’ll be riding him, we’ve decided to let you give him a name. So you have something to call him other than ‘hey deer’.”
Eliza looked her reindeer over carefully and seriously pondered over what to call the beast. A name should not only be a reflection of an animal’s innate spirit, but also reflect what the creature means to you, as it’s partner. “Red,” she decided. Red, the reindeer, had bright red fur. Eliza was not the best at naming animals, she decided.
The two travelling companions soon had their mounts saddled and their bags packed for the journey ahead. Most of the court had gathered to see them off. Even the King himself watched from a balcony overlooking the square. He waved a handkerchief in the air as a farewell. Finally a squad of soldiers filed out of the barracks across the square. They gave the festivities a sobering effect as they split into two groups, their armor glistening in the early morning sunlight. The soldiers lined up on either side of the gate, long curving swords drawn, shields held to their chests. They looked straight ahead as Mara steered Poro forward. The deer did not seem to mind walking right between the two groups of armed guards. It made Eliza just a bit nervous though, the way the elves’ swords seemed to cut even the sunbeams as they glistened.
Eliza kept Red close to Poro as they passed through the guards. As they approached the palace gate the two elves at the back of the procession barked out orders. In unison, all of the soldiers turned to face the gate and began to trot forward, legs lifted high in dress march. They walked Eliza and Mara all the way down the winding road of the capital city. When the last soldiers had passed through the city gates, they stopped, turned, and watched the woman leave, saluting them as they passed. Mara returned the gesture and Eliza did her best to do the same.
Once they had left their escort, Mara urged Poro into a faster trot and Red naturally followed after, keeping pace with the older reindeer. Eliza was glad she did not have to do much to guide the younger reindeer: Red seemed to follow Poro on instinct. They made good time down the wide stony road as it wound its way around the huge tree trunks of the forest and away from the city. Eliza noticed the how the stones that paved the thoroughfare seemed to have set themselves there rather than placed in any sort of organized manner. It reminded her of the chaotic buildings in the capitol.
“Do you elves build anything? It all looks rather, well, grown,” Eliza asked as she watched another long flat piece of stone set alongside several smaller ones. They were pressed together so tightly she doubted even a blade of grass could have grown between them.
“Quiet now Eliza,” Mara said raising her hands to cut off the girl’s question. “I need to think up a plan to get us past the Wardens. If we continue down the Old Road like this, we’re sure to be overtaken by the King’s Emissaries. It’s a four day ride from the capitol to the Greenwall. We’ve got the head start but the emissaries will ride light and fast and will switch their mounts rather than rest them. But if we stray from the road, our journey grows more difficult and still we might get to the Greenwall only to be turned away by the Wardens.”
“Why do we need to get to this green wall before the King’s emissaries?” Eliza asked, not fully grasping the situation.
“Because the emissaries will tell the Wardens to be on the look out for the First Ranger and a young girl and that I’m supposed to turn you over to them. That stubborn Lord Vakt would never defy the King’s will and let me go with you. So, how do we get outside the forest without raising the alarm?”
“Easy, we run faster than the alarm,” Eliza said with a small laugh and a smile. Mara turned around in the saddle and let out a chuckle of her own seeing the girl look so proud of her wit.
“Fine then,” Mara said tightening Poro’s reins and leaning forward in her saddle. “Then it’s a race! Into the Wylds!” And with that she brought Poro up to a gallop. Eliza followed closely after on Red, laughing as the nimble deer bounded up and over a crest in the road. As the way sloped back down and dipped out of sight of the horizon, Mara turned Poro sharply off into the underbrush. Their pace slowed little as they whipped around bush and trees, leaving the Old Road far, far behind.
As the day grew later Eliza began to notice the trees growing smaller, shorter. The forest began to look more unkempt with each passing patch of bramble. The brush along the sides of the path grew thicker as more sunlight was able to penetrate the tops of the trees. Everything around her began to feel more wild and less cultivated as it had in the heart of the forest. This part of the woods had no builders and no gardeners.
“Are we getting near the edge of the forest?” Eliza asked. They had been riding in silence for sometime.
“Not quite. We’ve entered the Wylds. Few creatures of any intelligence call this part of the woods home. It’s younger, wilder. Untamed and untouched,” Mara said, slowing down and allowing Red to trot up alongside Poro. “I imagine we’ll be able to spy the stars tonight. It always feels strange coming out this far. I feel a bit nervous being so open to the sky.” Mara looked up as if someone was watching them high up in the clouds.
“So, did you come up with a plan?”
“Yes. Mostly. I believe luck is in our favor. The wardens aren’t necessarily known for being the most insightful of our kind. They can stop a rampaging bear with one punch but may not be able to count more than the fingers on their hands. Hopefully they won’t ask us to many questions when we arrive at the border tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Eliza asked.
“Yes, we’ve ridden all day and the reindeer could use a rest. Not to mention tonight we should build a fire and enjoy some warm food. Once we leave the safety of the trees we may have few chances to cook.”
It wasn’t long before they came upon a clearing wide enough to set up camp. This one too, Eliza noticed, had a strange outcropping of dark grey stone, towering towards the sky. The stones, however, had bits of moss and lichen growing across their surface. Mara told Eliza to unload the reindeer while she gathered wood and started the campfire. The reindeer’s packs were heavy which made undoing the buckles on their straps difficult. Eventually though she was able to get them unpacked and the two deer happily wandered off towards the edge of the clearing to enjoy a supper of grass and shrubs.
By the time Eliza had set down all of their gear by the large stones, Mara reappeared with two large bundles of wood under each arm. “Foraging is much easier in the Wylds,” she said with a smile. “There’s probably no one within a half-day’s ride of this clearing so I found all of this just laying on the ground! Can you build a fire? I saw a berry bush just past those trees over there that would go well with our supper.”
“Grandpa says I’m not allowed to play with matches until I’m older.”
Mara tossed the girl a small pouch made of rough cotton. “Well then, you get to go fill that up with blackberries while I start cooking dinner.”
Eliza caught the little bag and shrugged, she didn’t mind going to pick berries. In fact, after spending nearly all day in the saddle, she was kind of happy for the chance to stretch her legs. She headed off into the forest in the direction Mara had directed her.
Where the Hinterlands had been overgrown by ferns and abundant vegetation, the Wylds seemed sparse. This was young wood, full of life and teaming with noises. All around Eliza things hummed and purred and cried out. She had to pick her way through carefully though, here and there were scattered large patches of briars and bramble.
Somewhere above her head a raven called out and Eliza’s eyes shot upwards, looking for the source. Suddenly there was a bright flash and a loud pop! The noise startled Eliza and caused her to fall backwards in fright. She landed painfully on her backside and scrunched up her face in pain. “Ouch! Whoever did that is going to be real sorry!” she called out into the Wyld. Eliza looked around for the culprit but only saw the raven, staring down at her, its head tilted sideways. She looked for any kind of a firework or other such trap, but saw nothing. Only a large green nut roughly the size of a pingpong ball lay crushed where she’d stepped on it. Eliza looked around and noticed more lay on the ground all around her. It wasn’t long before she found the berry bush and began to fill her small pouch.
“Caw!” the large black bird called. It hopped a little further down the tree branch where it sat. It eyed another green nut where it hung down by the branch. The raven gave the stem a few quick jabs with it’s beak and the nut plummeted down toward the earth. It landed with another white flash and another loud bang!
“Wait, it’s these things making all that noise?” Eliza said, picking one up from the ground. She looked it over in her hand. It reminded her of a very round walnut, divided into two halves with a hard wooden seam running around its moss colored exterior. She flung the thing at the tree trunk and it too exploded in a flash. Eliza laughed at herself. “It’s just these weird nuts! Hmm, I wonder...” She pulled out her slingshot and placed another nut into the sling. Taking aim at a tree some feet away, she let the nut fly. It smacked into the tree and popped loudly. “Excellent,” Eliza said with a smile. She bent down and filled her pockets with as many as the green nuts as she could find before heading back to camp.
By the time Eliza arrived at camp, Mara had the fire burning bright. She used two of the larger sticks to create a spit and above the fire sat two lovely looking pieces of meat turning amber over the flames. The smells made Eliza’s tummy rumble.
“What took you so long?” Mara asked.
“I found these.” Eliza set down the berry basket beside the elf and reached into her pocket. She produced one of the green nuts and held it out before Mara for the woman to inspect.
“Oh! You found some Blixt Nuts,” Mara smiled and handed the green sphere back to Eliza. “We used to play with these all the time as kids. Throwing them down from trees and just generally trying to surprise each other. Looks like you found quite a few. You’d better not be up to any mischief.”
“Well, I can shoot them out of my slingshot pretty good. I figured if any bandits try to get the better of us while we ride towards the giants, I can stun them with these while you poke them with that spear of yours.”
Mara laughed loudly at the brave little girl. “I’m glad you didn’t get the drop on me back at the Hedgehogs, Eliza! You’ll be one fierce warrior one day! For now though, why don’t we eat?”
Sure enough, Mara was right. The stars began to twinkle into existence in the night sky above them. As they ate their meal, they let the fire dwindle down in order to see the sky better. When they had finished the food, Mara and Eliza climbed up atop the monoliths and stared up at a midnight blue sky covered in white and red and green and orange stars, all twinkling and all absolutely beautiful.
From where they sat, up above most of the younger trees, Eliza could hear singing on the night breeze. It was faint at first, as if a single solitary performer sang out into the darkness but as the song went on, more and more voices joined in until the whole forest seemed to be singing the lonely dirge. Almost absent mindedly, Mara took up the tune and hummed a few bars.
“What’s that?” Eliza asked.
“Hmm?”
“The song you’re singing, what is it? Who’s song is it?”
“It’s the Wardens on the Greenwall. Every night they sing out their song for the Prince, in the hopes that one day he might hear it and come home.”
“That’s very sad.”
“It’s a very sad song,” Mara answered somberly. They sat there together in silence, listening to the watchers’ sad song for quite some time.
Eventually the fire had burned itself down to embers and Mara climbed down from the stones to tend to it. Eliza was not sleepy yet, even though the hour had grown late. She climbed down after the elf. Back on the ground, Eliza noticed the two reindeers had curled themselves up just beyond the firelight and were snoring away quietly.
“Would you tell me a story?” the young girl asked.
“A story? I don’t think I really know any of those,” Mara responded, poking the fire and adding more wood, bringing it back to life.
“It doesn’t have to be a good one. Maybe you could just tell me about the Prince?”
“The Prince? What would you want to know?”
“I don’t know, you’re the one who knew him, right Mara? What was he like? How am I supposed to negotiate his freedom if I know nothing about him?” Eliza asked, exasperated.
Mara looked over at Eliza, a single eyebrow raised. “You’re very wise for one so small...”
“I know.” Eliza replied taking a seat and pulling her legs up under her poncho.
“Alright, well then I had better begin before the Prince or I were even born. Make yourself comfortable Eliza, and listen close. I don’t want to tell this story more than once.”
“It all began shortly after the dwarves settled in the valley alongside the fjord. They had not yet founded their town, back then it was only a trading post built on a hill overlooking their wooden harbor. In those days the giants stayed on their mountain, unless their chieftains called a moot, and King Farfar was a young man only recently crowned.
“A year or so into his reign, the elven nobles knew Farfar would soon take a bride and each wanted to win his favor. Throughout the realm they sent runners looking for the most beautiful, the most charming, the most intelligent denizens of the forest. All were brought to the Sylvan Court and all were politely dismissed by the young elven king. This went on from summer to summer.
“One day in late spring an emissary from the dwarves arrived at the palace and sought an audience with King Farfar. ‘My lord,’ the dwarf said on bended knee, ‘Our governor has sent me to inform your court of giant activity. They are building some sort of structure atop their mountain and several of our scouts has seen their tribes heading up into the lands of the Mountain tribe, but none have returned. We believe they are preparing for war.’
“The elves cried out at this news. The realm had been at peace for generations! Why would the giants seek to break that truce? ‘To unite the giant tribes, the mountain chieftain must be a wise and powerful ruler,’ King Farfar shouted, quieting his people. ‘Friend dwarf, would your people allow us to host a meeting with the Giants in your little village?’
“‘We would be honored, your Highness. But we are but traders and trappers. Our village is little more than tents behind a wooden palisade,’ the dwarf answered.
“‘If you will send our intentions to the mountain, I will have my artisans and craftsman dispatched to your village. As payment for your assistance, the elves will build you a fine meeting hall and docks, to better service your trades. And one year from today, our three peoples will meet under your roof and see that peace remains the state of affairs for this realm.’
“And so the dwarf left and returned to his little village. The governor sent messengers to the mountain and the elves arrived with wagon fulls of wood from their forest. They built the dwarves fine docks and an elegant meeting hall.
“The giants took notice of the elves favor towards the dwarves and were suspicious. They worried that the dwarves might favor the elves in negotiations since they had built them a harbor. So their ruler sent out artisans of their own with sleds of crafted stone and shining crystals. They built the dwarves homes of stone and replaced their wooden palisades with strong rock walls. By the time a year had passed, the dwarves had a permanent village in the valley overlooking a busy harbor where dwarven ships brought new settlers and fresh supplies. A fine feast was prepared as the people of the town awaited their guests.
“Soon the elves descended from the forest and the giants from their mountain, both parties making their way to the dwarven town. As both parties arrived at the stone square in the center of the town in front of the wood meeting hall, even the sea breeze seemed to quiet. ‘Hail giants! I am King Farfar of Alfheim, master of the Sylvan Court, ruler of the elves and King of the forest. Where is your leader?’ The giants made no move to step forward making the elves uneasy. The situation was growing tense as a white bird fluttered down from the sky. It landed a few feet from King Farfar and inspected the young elf. The giants knelt before the bird.
“The King looked about confused. ‘Surely you don’t think this bird...’ he began.
“‘They do not think to be lead by a bird, they are lead by a Queen,’ came a haughty and teasing voice from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at once. In a bright flash of light the bird’s black beak began to grow long and fracture and its wings swept upwards, growing longer and larger. A woman now stood before the King with jet black hair and a flowing white gown made of pearlescent feathers. ‘Queen Ulda, my dear. Resident of Jotunheim, owner of the Crystal Palace, and these strapping fellows are my giants.’ She held out a thin, pale hand towards the King. He quickly recovered his graces and gently kissed the woman’s hand. She smiled gracefully at King Farfar and bowed, twisting her shoulders and bending at the waist, revealing a bright red crown atop her black hair. Her appearance gave the King the impression of a swan or crane.
“‘Well then, the dwarves are kind enough to host our little peace talk, perhaps we shouldn’t keep them outside waiting. Shall we head on in?’
“Over the course of several days the giants and the elves and the dwarves and even a few delegates from smaller groups discussed what they wanted and how best to compromise so that while everyone may not have been happy with the outcome, everyone was at least satisfied. At night though, the papers and quills were put away and the drums and flutes brought out. They’d dance and feast and sing long into the night before waking up in the morning and starting discussions all over again.
“It was during these nights of banqueting that Queen Ulda and King Farfar began to get to know each other better. Ulda was unlike anyone the King had ever met before. She was from a far away land and had found herself here by accident. The woman had made her way up over the mountains and had found the mountain giants huddling together in caves just below the summit. She’d used her magic and their strength to build a home for everyone atop the mountain. As word spread among the tribes, more and more giants made their way to the mountain until the city of Jotunheim spread out across the ice and snow.
“By the end of the peace talks, the two had fallen in love. During the seasons that followed, both the King of the Elves and the Queen of the Giants made many trips to visit each other’s courts. The journeys became so regular in fact, that the dwarves built a great stone bridge spanning the fjord to make crossing easier. And a year after the initial peace talks, when everyone travelled back to the dwarven village they now called Kholm, it was not only to celebrate the peace, but also that the Queen was with child.”
“But what does that story have to do with the Prince?” Eliza asked sleepily. By the time Mara had finished her story the stars had come out bright and shining. The warmth of the fire and a good meal had made Eliza sleepy.
“The child was the Prince.” Mara said stirring the embers of the fire.
“But wait, if their baby is the Prince, then that means the Sorceress Queen is his Mom! The Prince was kidnapped by his mother?” Eliza couldn’t believe no one had thought to mention this fact before hand. It seemed to her that the Prince living with his mother complicated her mission quite a bit.
“Yes, when she left the court, she was supposed to allow the Prince to return every other year but he never came home.” Only the sound of the crackling fire filled the little clearing and the orange light danced off the emerald leaves that wrapped around the smooth stone monoliths. “Go to sleep Eliza, we’ve a long day of riding ahead of us.”
“Ok, good night...” the girl said, curling up on her sleeping pallet. She wanted to hear more about the Prince, but could tell Mara was in no mood to continue the story. It wasn’t long before she fell into a deep sleep.