What Is Done

Chapter 16 - Through The Deep, Dark Valley

We left when we had scheduled, after March ended, before I could make Jericho any angrier with my lingering. Jericho's ninety-seventh birthday isn't really worth describing in my opinion. It wasn't any different than Khaleesi or my birthday parties. Grand, exciting, tiresome and dull are all words you could use to describe it depending on who you asked. He is three years away from adulthood now.

Sellion, Essaerae and I made light conversation as we rode the horses through the country.

"I always thought the Fodder for the Elder Gods celebration was...strange," Essaerae said as we were leaving Havaña. The topic was started when Sellion began discussing leaving a small quantity of my red liquid behind in a magical tree. "It kind of makes my stomach churn thinking about it."

"It's certainly an odd concept," Sellion said, seeing eye to eye with her. Nobody could guess if he was just as superstitious as the kings of old or just went along with the Ingermans. "But try not to think about it too much." 

I thought it better not to find out if Elven Guard would actually die, like many generations before me. If it was simply a legend, the Ancients came up with some pretty weird ones.

Time went on and weeks passed. We had gotten to the Black Valley before the afternoon sun was high. The path was thin, like Sellion had said. On either side of the small walkway bloomed flowers of every color, shape and size. It was an unexpected sight. I suppose none of us had ever actually seen Ors Vune.

"It's beautiful!" Essaerae said, the sun reflecting a gleam off her already golden eyes. A painting subject in this place would render the perfect, most magnificent portrait. The Black Valley had looked like somewhere everyone had been once in their lives yet never remember actually visiting. I'd have to bring Jericho here to immortalize its beauty one day.

"I thought the Black Valley would be...you know...more black?" I could see one of Sellion's eyelids twitching like the vivid color burned his insides.

"What were you expecting?" I asked, confused as to what was going on inside his head.

He used his arms to imply his disappointment by throwing them outwards. "I don't know? A scorched earth, blackened from fires those who hate elves set? A gigantic, never-ending chasm that is devoid of light halfway down?"

"You could benefit from having some imagination as if you were still in your childhood," I replied simply. I referred to Sellion's obvious state of mind in thinking that he hadn't expected a flower field.

"But I didn't have one."

"An imagination or a childhood?" I rendered in puzzlement.

"Would it be bad if I said both?" Sellion turned to look at me and I nodded slightly. I had a feeling I was going to begin to lose sleep over thinking about Sellion's dark past. Everybody figured Sellion had to have some sort of depressing childhood that caused his trauma that manifested itself into insanity.

The valley was shrouded in the tall mountain shadows when the sun peaked. I turned my head to the west as I rode Maehara. "Over that mountain is Elkas Peak, where the Elven Pentarchy meets." 

We could see the tip top of Elkas peeking over the mountains closest to us. The top of it was flat. I knew a structure was on top of it, yet I couldn't see it from where we were.

I'd been the king for five years and I still have never seen Elkas Peak, much less what the top of it looked like. I always wanted to accompany my father to the Pentarchy meetings yet I was never allowed to. The only person I knew who'd actually been to Elkas Peak along with my father was Sellion and every time I tried to have him describe it to me, he'd make it seem like some scary fairytale. 

I suppose one day I could have gone for fun but a lot of things in Elven Guard have insane superstitions tied to them. So I choose not to make everybody think ill of me.

"What makes the Pentarchy convene?" Essaerae asked. Everybody knew it was composed of the five kings of Elven Guard. The five largest cities are ruled by royals, under me. All the small towns in our country are ruled by lower noblemen.

"Concerns they wish to speak of in person," I responded in a dull manner.

"Oh," Essaerae sighed in a hushed tone, "I don't know anything about the other four kings."

"A couple of them get on my nerves, like King Yue of Ӧpéli. He tests my patience. I believe the King of Jimëne is still a young elfling, like eight? Maybe twelve? We do not speak outside of meetings of the Pentarchy and letters," I described. I had only met all of them once. It was after my coronation. They were unable to attend my coronation with the sudden announcement. Not long after, we had to meet at the Castle of Glass so they could pledge their undying loyalty to me. They questioned my leadership. I questioned their loyalty. King Yue still believes me unfit to rule.

"That's young..." Essaerae spoke with shock when I mentioned the King of Jimëne.

On the other side of the Black Valley and many days in the forest, it began getting eerie. Eerily quiet. The tall, strong pines' bases near the forest floor were covered in a thin layer of mist. We stayed alert on top of our mounts. The deep, dark valley was nowhere as creepy as this. I was expecting some weird elf-eating demon to pop out. It was too similar to the Hul'dra Wood. It became otherworldly noiseless. It felt as if I could hear the ocean, miles to the west, pounding in my ears with each wave it threw onto the shore. Apparently we could all hear it because Sellion and Essaerae started to become uneasy with the noise, too.

Until it just stopped.

"No, no, no, no, silence is always for a bad reason..." Sellion warned us in a muted tone, rapidly looking around as if our surroundings were about to melt into something incredibly dangerous. 

The sounds of the oceans in our ears faded and it was replaced with what sounded like singing. Angelic voices swarmed from the trees around us. We were unable to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from.

"What manner of sorcery is this?" 

I felt comforted by the singing. It reminded me of when Mother would sing me lullabies.

"I read about this when I was a child!" I turned, expecting Sellion to be giving the answer. Instead it was Essaerae. "This is the Forest of Talking Trees!"

Before any of us could comprehend what she had said, Maehara tensed against my knees. He immediately knew something was wrong. Essaerae and Sellion were unable to get Adkin and Oakley to come to a complete stop, their own horses getting skittish. Maehara suddenly reared and threw me to the ground. The back of my head hit the dirt. My ears rang. I was able to linger on my knees for a moment, yelling at my steed. 

"Maehara, you stubborn—!" 

In advance of me feeling lightheaded and falling backwards, I scratched my shin when I tried getting up. Fresh droplets of blood ran down my bare leg. I lied in the dirt, my vision going hazy as I tried to call for help.

Sellion jumped off Oakley's back. Maehara had run a distance away. Oakley joined Maehara. "Something must've spooked him!" I heard Sellion yell. It wasn't like he needed help, but ultimately that's what Essaerae was around for; if Sellion ever got outnumbered. He readied his spear, on guard in front of me. "Essaerae, help me protect Laverne!"

Essaerae united with Sellion, readying her blade with the freaky looking hilt. Whoever made her sword wasn't of Elvish origin. They stayed around me, circling me slowly in unison. That troubled me more. I was fading to black. My head hurt and I couldn't see anything anymore.

I could feel the mists had grown thicker. Howls filled the air, closer, closer, and just beyond their grasp. My eyes bolted open when I heard those sounds. A pack of mangy wolves approached at an unrushed pace. They sniffed the air. Odd for a pack of wolves, usually they just attack. Their behavior bewildered Sellion Dunes to no end.

The wolves stayed still. After sniffing the air, the one in front of Sellion began to growl with the full intent of initiating a battle. I bet he had been wondering why every animal could smell it.