Silverclaw

The Elder's Council

 Oakfall strode ahead of them, and Anya let her eyes bore into his back. Darian watched her a moment, then gave her a quick smile.

 'Anya. Dievra gave me this for you. She said it would help you feel better.' He held out a clear crystal bottle, filled with a pale blue liquid shot through with silver. Anya glanced up at him, then accepted the bottle. Removing the top, she drank the liquid. Instantly, she gasped, and Oakfall stiffened, as something ran through her. It was like there had been a hole somewhere, and the potion had stopped it up. Instantly she felt her Silver filling her up once more, and she sighed in relief.

 'I didn't even realise that was even happening, Darian. What caused it, do you know?'

 'I don't, but I have my suspicions. The Council know, though, or Dievra wouldn't have given it to me for you. We knew something was going on, if only because of how grumpy and tired you always seemed.'

 Anya nodded. Turning her gaze forward, she found Oakfall staring back at her, hatred glimmering in his eyes. Anya sighed. She knew what had happened, but decided not to say anything until they reached the Clearing where the Council held court.

 Twelve large trees loomed ahead, bigger than any others in the forest, with a path running between the roots to the centre of the clearing just beyond. Sunlight filtered through the trees' branches, lighting up the while flowers that grew in abundance there.

 The trees were unusual not just because of their height, but also because they weren't the pines that could be found everywhere else in the forest. No, these trees were oaks, older, larger, and more powerful than any other Anya had ever seen.

 Anya had first been called here the day she had started her lessons, and had soon befriended one of the Elders, an Elven Lady called Dievra, and the two often spoke together in the evenings, discussing anything that came to mind about that day's events, be it a flower that Dievra had sung from the earth or a new sword stroke Anya had learned in training.

 Following the path into the clearing, Anya carefully stepped between the flowers to the centre of the clearing, where Glenfell stood waiting for them. Anya smiled at him, and he smiled back. Turning, Anya let her gaze roam over the trees, taking in the thrones that had been sung from the wood with Silver, and the elves that sat in them. Seeing Dievra, she smiled, and bowed.

 'Honoured Elder, I owe you thanks for the potion you sent me. I have not felt such vitality since before my lessons began last year.'

 The Elders' faces turned even more grim at this, but Dievra still smiled at her.

 'I am glad, Princess Silverfur, that you feel better already. However, at the same time, it merely confirms our suspicions about why you were in such a state in the first place.' She stood, walking down along the root in front of her.

 Dressed in a pale yellow robe, Dievra was tall and slim, like all elves were, with golden brown eyes and hair to match. Silver earrings hung from the points of her ears, and a matching silver necklace hung around her neck.

 Anya reached up to the silver musical note that hung about her own neck on a chain that Dievra herself had given her. 'I'm sorry, but what do you mean...? That almost sounds as if someone... was...'

 'Stealing your Silver, yes, Princess Silverfur. It is the singular worst crime that any of our kind can commit. And yet, it has happened to you. The question is, why?' Dievra's gaze was focused on Oakfall as she spoke, and he sniffed.

 'It is not my fault if the girl is careless with her Silver, Dievra. I am not her nursemaid.'

 'No, but you are her teacher, Oakfall.' That was Okril, one of the Elf Lords, and his face was twisted with fury. 'For a teacher to steal his student's Silver is even more appalling than if it had been a pair of total strangers!'

 Angry rumbles of agreement came from the other Council members, and Dievra raised an elegant hand. 'Brothers. Sisters. Please, calm yourselves. This is why we are here, to rectify this problem and to punish the perpetrator.'

 'I am your King! You would not dare! Bad enough that you think you can order my presence, even worse that you think you can pass judgement on me!'

 'You forget, Oakfall, that we gave you your throne in the first place. And we are not the ones who have passed judgement on you at all. She of the Silver Isle did.'

 Oakfall's face went white. Already pale skinned, he went from being pale to pure white in seconds. Anya watched, curious as to what could have caused the change. A breeze caught her hair, and something made her look between the trees out towards the lake, where the island Dievra had spoken of lay. Anya had asked, but no one would tell her who lived on the island, which just made her want to know even more. Princess pressed lightly against her leg.

 Are you all right? The things that they're saying, is that why you've been so unhappy lately?

 I'm fine, Princess. I wonder who Dievra is talking about?

 I don't know, Anya, but she's got Oakfall scared.

 Princess was right, Oakfall was scared. He was trembling with fear, the emotion rolling off of him in waves that swamped Anya. With a shock, she realised he was trying to get at her Silver again, and she hissed in anger.

 'Stop it! You can't have my Silver, Oakfall, now or ever!' Her sword, ever present on her hip, was suddenly in her hand, and she infused it with her Silver, using it to cut through the tendrils he was attacking her with.

 Oakfall gasped. 'Where did you learn that?! You should not have been able to do such a thing!'

 Dievra gave a small smile. 'She learned from me. It did not take long for me to see that you were deliberately holding Princess Silverfur back, Oakfall, so I took her under my wing. She is a very apt student, even for a human. She is a genius, able to create her own spells with ease. She just did not have the energy to use them before.'

 Oakfall yelled in anger. 'You dared to interfere?! I should kill you here and n-AAAGGHHHH!!!!' Anya's spell hit him in the back when he went for Dievra, a simple fireball, but effective in its use. He whirled to find Anya standing there, sword in one hand and another fireball in the other, eyebrows drawn together in an angry scowl.

 'I invoke my right, here before the Council, as a visiting student of the Snow Leopard Halls, to take my vengeance upon he that has wronged me. I ask permission to challenge Oakfall, King of the Elves, to a duel of swords!'

 Dievra looked around at each Council member, and each inclined their head in turn. 'Your request is granted, Princess Silverfur. Although, at this moment, I think the name Silverclaw suits you more.'