The Eldars

17

The funeral pyres and send off for the elves took the remainder of the day and by the time the evil ones are buried they are too tired to continue. They make camp as far from the lingering smell of death as they can and prepare to sleep.

"Mant did you hear that?" Montani says through the mind link.

"Yeah. It's a good thing the fire died out," Mant says as another noise gives away that they are being surrounded. "When I give the signal, Montani roll over to me and put up a protective barrier, can you do that?"

Montani rolls her eyes to herself. She is very good at pretending to sleep so the attackers would never have noticed it. "Of course I can." But Montani is going to do more than just that.

"Now!" Mant says and Montani quickly rolls over to Mant and raises the shield. Just as she moves several arrows hit the spot where she had been just moments before.

At the same time Mant raises a ring of fire around the attackers. They were good, very good, if it hadn't been for them being so alert, Mant and Montani wouldn't have heard them.

Mant tightens the ring of fire bringing the attackers closer to them. Both he and Montani are shocked at who they are.

"Elves." Mant says in shock. "We aren't in elven lands and we haven't done anything to warrant this attack."

"You can let the ring of fire go Mant," Montani says sitting up.

Mant doesn't question her and lets the fire die down at the same time lighting one in the fire pit they'd used last night. He finds the elves were sleeping and bound by invisible bindings. Mant marvels at just how powerful Montani is. He's wiping the sweat from his face after the ring of fire and Montani is still fine and doing multiple spells on several individuals.

"Would you like to question them now? Or do you want them to sleep tonight and ask them tomorrow?" Montani asks.

"Tonight, I don't think I'll be able to sleep until I get answers from them." Mant says grimly.

Montani slowly wakes them up. As they wake up they stand up and stretch and then it's like they suddenly become aware of the Eldars watching them. As they reach for their weapons their bodies freeze. Some seeing that don't reach for weapons, but decide to flee, but again they freeze mid step. Only one was smart enough to do neither thing. He calmly sits down and makes himself comfortable.

Mant is impressed he's never seen a spell like that done before. "Well done, Montani." He walks over to the one elf that was calm enough to make himself comfortable. Mant settles down near the elf. He doesn't think he needs to be uncomfortable while he questions the elf.

"Why did you attack us elf? Have the manners of the elves deteriorated so far in the years since we've cut contact with each other?" Mant is truly puzzled by their actions, he's never heard of them attacking like this without provocation.

"If we had known you were Eldar we wouldn't have attacked you." Mant starts at the elf recognizing what he is. The elf gives a short laugh, "Yeah, I know what you are, but the girl, she acts like an Eldar but looks human. Besides no other race would have survived the attack or even heard us. It's possible that even some of the Eldar wouldn't have heard us either."

The elf waves his hand dismissing the topic as if it wasn't important. "Never mind that, we have been tracking some creatures and  men a few weeks ago. They were some of our best scouts. We lost their trail not too far from here and that's where we picked up your trail in the dark. It seems foolish now but we thought it might be the creatures trail that we were following and found you and attacked."

Montani had had enough, "That's bull. I don't leave a trail, neither does Mant. You wouldn't have found any trace of our passing in the dark. Your scouts are about a days journey down the trail. We found them and gave them the send off as is proper. They managed to kill two of the evil ones. Two more escaped, we are following their trail now. Although the trail is old.

"They fought well, the sentry managed to kill one of the creatures before being killed allowing his friends time to wake up and help kill the second one. Unfortunately the other two overwhelmed them."

The elf was shaking his head, "The sentry would have been the female of the group, there was no way that she was able to kill one of those things on her own."

Montani sniffs in disdain, "Why not? I've killed more than one by myself."

The elf looks at Montani incredulously, "You've killed one of those creatures by yourself?"

Mant replies dryly, "Oh yes,  and if she finds the ones we're trailing I'm not likely to even have a chance at killing one of the creatures. You wouldn't even have a chance at lifting your bow before they fall dead before her. Montani has a deep and abiding hatred for the evil ones. She's  one of our best students before she became a master of masters. She's very young for having accomplished so much already." Mant is more than a little proud of Montani's accomplishments.

"What do you mean? It takes years to master something, to become a master of masters she must be nearing her century mark." The elf is now very confused.

"Montani was born human and was adopted by the Eldar. That was ten years ago and she is only twenty-six."

Montani is getting tired of being talked about and not to.

"Enough Mant. My family was killed by the evil ones when I was sixteen and away from home. I gave them the elven release and then trailed after their attackers. The evil ones went directly to the forbidden forest and there met up with Mauntie, leader of the Eldars. There were three of them. Mauntie killed one outright, fatally wounded the second, but the third gave him a deadly wound the same time he gave the other a mortal wound. I didn't wait for the invitation to join the party, I made sure the that all the evil ones were killed then healed the mortally wounded man. At that time I had no idea he was an Eldar. It wouldn't have made a difference, but I didn't know. In gratitude he brought me back to Malinor and adopted me into his family."

"He hates humans," the elf says in awe.

"Hated. He loves me. I can't say that he won't hate others but," Montani shrugs.

"She brought my father back after his spirit had left his body," Mant says and the elf jerks in reaction and looks at Montani wide eyed. "She is by far the strongest magic user I've ever come across and I was considered strong. So I wouldn't cross her if I was you."

Montani rolls her eyes, "Really Mant? I'm not really all that powerful."

Mant takes his attention away from the elf and faces Montani, "You are stronger than myself or Mauntie and we are the strongest of the Eldar. What you did tonight, I never would have been able to do."

"Enough of this Leear why don't you stop giving us lies and give us some real answers. You can't lie to me, you know that right? You never could." Montani says starting to get a little angry.

The elf jumps again as Montani says his name and looks around for her. Montani had remained in the shadows not wanting the elves to see her.

Montani slips into the light of the fire so the elf can see her. "Recognize me now? Or don't you remember me? You broke a promise to me ten years ago I wasn't too happy about that you know."

"Katiri?" Leear says in disbelief.