The Eldars

7

Montani searches around the house and finally finds the kitchen. She walks in and finds Molani already cooking. This makes Montani hesitate, but Molani turns and finds Montani there and gives her a warm welcoming smile, "Please come in. You must be starving by now. We tried to wake you last night, but you were sleeping so deeply that you wouldn't wake up. Then at breakfast you still wouldn't wake up."

Montani hides the incredulous feeling she has at these words. She's never slept that late before. She was usually up before dawn, before any of her family. She shuts down those memories immediately. She doesn't wish to think about her family right now.

"Please, sit down, the food is just about ready. Mauntie will be joining us shortly." Montani notices that there is an extra plate at the table. She doesn't wish to appear nosy so she doesn't say anything. But she is curious about who is coming to join them for lunch.

Just as Molani brings the food over to the table, Mauntie and another Eldar join them. "Ahh, good, Montani. I'm happy to see that you are feeling up to joining us at this time." Mauntie sits and the other Eldar takes the remaining seat just across from Montani.

The younger Eldar studies her just as much as she studies him. His face isn't as closed off as hers is and she can tell that he's curious about her.

Montani has never seen a man as good looking, well the elves of course, they are all good looking. She hides these thoughts though and it seems to frustrate the young man that he can't tell what she thinks about what she sees. Truthfully Montani hasn't formed an opinion yet. Too many times she's seen good looking men turn out to be uglier than the animal dung she had to muck out of her family's barn. If his personality matches his looks than he'll be impossible to ignore, but if he's no where near that than he'll just be another male to ignore.

"Montani, this is Mant. I realize that after the great war the races separated themselves, but there are stories about us at least, correct?" Montani nods. Many of the legends about the Eldar are just unbelievable, but since she's here she'll be able to find out the truth.

Mauntie smiles at her, "Yes, the truth. Mant is going to be your tutor in all the basics. He'll teach you until you choose a specialty or no longer need him. His first lessons will be history and basics in what you humans call magic. He'll teach you how to build and take down your own mind block so that you can talk or block us out as you wish.

"Normally, since this is a situation where you will be constant companions a female would have been chosen, but Mant volunteered." Mauntie has a strange look on his face that he quickly hides. "Since he's our best student in most of the basics he is going to be the companion/tutor. How fast you learn will be up to you. Once you master the basics it will be up to you if you continue in a specialty or wish to learn them all or stop all together."

Mant remains quiet and just eats his food while Mauntie talks. Montani, although hungry finds eating difficult since she's being stared at.

"If you are going to stare at me, at least wait until after I finish eating." The mask is firmly in place and Montani is thankful for that since it's keeping her from blushing.

Mant drops his eyes, and a blush stains his cheeks, "Apologies, Montani. I meant no disrespect."

Neither youth noticed Molani or Mauntie and their reactions. Molani lets a small smile slip onto her face. Mauntie just raise an eyebrow. Mant is perhaps the most sought after young man in all of Malinor. He's not used to females telling him to stop staring at them. Usually they are vying to get his attention. Perhaps having Mant as her tutor is a good thing after all. He wasn't too sure or happy at his people's choice at first.

After lunch Molani shooed Montani off. Mant takes her to a study where they make themselves comfortable.

Mant is confused by Montani, she had openly looked him over. He is used to that of course. Girls had been doing that to him for as long as he can remember. But he always knew where he stood with those girls. With Montani he couldn't tell if he even is tolerable to her.

For her part Montani ignores the man in front of her and makes herself comfortable. She has a feeling that these lessons will take some time and sees no reason why she shouldn't be comfortable.

"What are the lesson choices Mauntie referred to Mant?" Montani keeps her tone even, still giving nothing away as she talks to the man in front of her.

"There is the basics in history, geography, magic, and the crafts, hunting and weaponry. Things like that. Everyone learns the basics, then they choose something that interests them and learn more about that. In that way all the people have a way of helping the Eldar as a whole. No craft or ability is lesser than any other. Keeping the streets clean helps to keep us healthy and is just as important as being able to fight and guard against the evil ones."

"I see." Montani is pleased with this attitude. All too often people look down on those that have jobs that seem less to them.

"Mauntie says that even before I begin with teaching you the history of the Eldar that I'm to teach you how to control your mind block. He says that you don't care for us to being able to read your thoughts so easily."

Montani is pleased that Mauntie remembered his promise and listens attentively as Mant explains what she needs to do to raise and lower her mind block. He then teaches her how to use her mind to contact other Eldar. This is actually part of the basic training, things that a child would be taught from it's earliest age possible. Otherwise the child would go insane from hearing all the mind speak of the Eldar.