The Eldars

25

Montani is confused as are the other two, "Of course they are real as well. They've sealed off their mountain home after the great war, but they are real."

The smile slides off Kallen's face. He shakes his head in denial, "No, the stories cannot all be true." 

Mant speaks, "The stories are true, you can deny them all you wish, but it doesn't change the truth any. The elves have withdrawn from humans to avoid the alliance that nearly killed them during the great war. The dwarves might remain in their stone homes rather than help again, we haven't talked to them since the great war, but they do exist. The humans need help and the Vacar are the only ones willing to give it at this time. The other races nearly died to save you humans and then the humans turned on us afterwards. We have long memories, some were children during the great war and remember how we were treated afterwards. Don't look to us for salvation this time.

"My father will be angry that we're even talking to you about this. If it weren't for Katiri, he would let the whole human race die and not care a bit."

Montani speaks softly, "The elves have told me that they've closed the borders to humans. They will not fight for you this time. It is unlikely the dwarves will ever come to talk to humans again. You need the help of the Vacar. It is the only way the humans will survive."

"My father was nearly killed by them, he's one of our best fighters. My friend was killed by them while he was on sentry duty. He was prepared and managed to kill one before he was killed. The only human that I've ever heard of to kill one of these things is Montani, you know her as Katiri."

Kallen looks at Katiri in no little awe. "You have a name of Eldar power?"

"When the Eldar adopted me they gave me the name. It's been years since I've answered to the name of Katiri." Montani smiles at the inn keeper.

"The name is far more fitting to her than her human name." Mant breaks in and Teondae silently agrees. No one of such power should have such a weak name as Katiri. Montani is perhaps the strongest person that he's ever met and the Eldar name of power is more than fitting for her.

Kallen backs up holding his hands up in surrender, "No offense was meant. Katiri just always had to hide her power here. You are right, the Eldar name of power is far more fitting."

Montani smiles and calms things down. "How is your son doing, Kallen?"

"He's married now and has two of his own children, twin boys." The pride he holds is great and very evident in him.

Montani smiles at his enthusiasm. Kallen seems to shake out of his thoughts and bustles about, "Three bowls of venison stew?" He isn't so sure what the Vacar would like to eat, but if Montani is asking for the stew than he assumes that her husband would also eat it.

He looks to the Vacar to nod before he heads back to the kitchen to fetch the food for his unexpected guests.

When the inn keeper left Teondae turns to Montani and asks her in confusion, "Just why are we here, Montani?"

Montani gives him a gentle smile, "This is a good start to make things easier for humans to accept you and your people Teondae. Kallen is a good man and will work on turning others to his way of thinking. It was in large part to him that the others in town left me alone and even sought me out when there was a need for help." Montani keeps the bitterness out of her voice. That was the only reason she was tolerated, the times that only she could help others. She has saved many lives over the years that she lived in this village.

She still remembers having to leave the other village she had lived in when she was younger, so quickly due to the hatred that abounded for her. That was when she learned to hide what she could do. It was a short time after that that her family settled on the land that the elves claimed as no man's land. It was then that she ran into the elf prince for the first time and inadvertently saved her family's life.