Daughter of the Wind

7. Alliances

Seventh of Harvest

Svaleta's view of the Aliri had long been coloured by their history of warfare. The assumption that the elves pursued only war and conflict gave the image of a kingdom devoted to formality and martial power, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Beyond the forests that bordered Svaleta, they were a kingdom that loved art and beauty in all their forms. Free from the uncertainty that came with Svaleta's function as a crossroads, the Aliri had developed a rich culture that celebrated life.

Even in such a kingdom, though, there were those born and bred for the darkness. Echtalon was one of them. He was tall even by elven standards, and still young at the age of seventy. As he stepped through the oak doors into the palace, he took a moment to adjust his green tunic, oblivious to the handmaidens who stopped to admire him. His clothes did little to cover his powerful muscles, honed by years of hard labour in the Aliri army. For his dedication, he had been richly awarded with command of the eastern regiments, dedicated to defending the kingdom against Svaletan aggression. All agreed that it was well earned, even for one his age. He had proven his prowess in battle, eradicating what semblance of rebel forces had once existed within the Aliri borders. All elves had finely tuned senses. Humans may have laughed at the sight of less self-conscious elves sniffing the air to follow scents, but the truth was that elves had vastly superior senses of sight, smell, and hearing compared to other races. Echtalon had refined those natural gifts until he had become a master of stealth and tracking.

As he walked through the palace halls, he forced himself to focus on the plans that he would present to the king. He had been to the palace enough that he took no note of the marble floors or the richly coloured murals that lined the walls. Those who saw him coming stepped out of the way, bowing politely to the Eastern Lord. Finally, he stopped in line with the two pikemen who stood guard outside the War Council's court and took a deep breath.

"They are ready, my lord," one of the guards said, and the other turned and pushed the doors open. Echtalon paid them no mind and stepped through the doors. The king was seated in a golden chair at the head of the engraved wooden table. The four generals seated at the table nodded their greetings, and Echtalon bowed his head.

"King Silari, generals," he said softly. "I bid you greetings."

"Take your seat, General," the king said, waving at the chair at the foot of the table. Echtalon did so, and listened as the generals continued their discussion.

"Svaleta means nothing," the lord of the western forces announced pompously. "They keep the central lands in check, and they have not pushed against us for centuries."

"And still they hate us," someone else snarled. "The ungrateful wretches do not know what lies to the west. They sit in their ignorance of the wildlands and itch for the chance to destroy us."

"The wildlands spill over their borders as well," the Western Lord pointed out. "Bands of orcs and trolls wander their lands as well, though only in small numbers. We bear the brunt of those creatures, and in return we gain their hate. But Svaleta is a mosquito biting a horse. It means nothing to us."

"We have empty regions to the west, the minor kingdoms to the north before the coast, and Svaleta to the east. Only one of those is a threat," Echtalon finally said, and all eyes turned to him.

"Explain," King Silari ordered.

"All these lands were once governed by the Palian Empire, as we all know." All present nodded. Silari was only two generations removed from the fall of that Empire. His grandfather had told him many stories of life in servitude. They were not positive stories. "When they disappeared, we managed to gain control of this land. I do not presume to understand why our fathers did not expand west, for there are allies to be found there, but that is the world that we have inherited. But Svaleta has always been a danger to our sovereignty. They want no elven presence in this land, that is clear. So they are a threat that must be dealt with."