The Eldars

27

They eat quickly and when they are done there is almost no sign of them having been there. But Leear is more at ease than he has been since the attack on Montani's family ten years earlier. If he didn't know better he'd swear that the earth itself was more at peace after Montani's playing. But that thought is ridiculous since no one has the power to cleanse the earth through music. The only thing that can cleanse the earth is fire.

Yet if they had been paying attention as they left they would have heard, or rather felt a sigh coming from the earth itself. The birds sang louder and more daringly than they had before and the trees and plants looked far more lively than before as well.

The trip to Arbolan takes even the fleet footed elf and the others several hours. By the time they arrive to the city center they have quite a following of elves behind them. 

Leear smiles at them indulgently before sending them off with these words, "You'll all get a chance to see her tonight at the celebration. Now go on about your duties."

He then takes them to his parents and they spend the rest of the day in talks about the evil ones and what they've found. They talk about an alliance between the eldar and elves once more. Things on that nature they don't finalize because they have to talk it over with others, but the first steps have been taken. And then there is the vacar.

When talk of the Vacar starts Teondae suddenly starts paying far closer attention than he had before.

They stop their talks as the night draws nigh. "Come, we have prepared food and entertainment for your enjoyment. Leear tells us that you will also offer us music Montani, is that true?" The elf king says after standing and stretching his tired muscles.

"Yes, Sire. He seems to think that my playing is something special." The king raises a single eyebrow at her words. Leear is considered one of the best musicians in Arbolan, therefore among the elven people. If he says that her music is special than it must indeed be something worth listening to.

He turns to the other two, "Will you also be giving us a performance?"

Teondae cocks his head to the side and thinks about it then nods, "I don't really have any musical abilities, but I am considered a decent story teller. Would that suit?" The elves love stories almost as much as they love music and the king is more than happy to accept Teondae's offer.

"And you prince?" The king asks diffidently. He doesn't want to force the Eldar, but he doesn't wish to offend him either by excluding him from the invite.

"I have something that might do, although my abilities in story telling and music are rather limited, I think you'll like what I have to offer." His abilities in verbal storytelling are limited but he has other ways that aren't. And he knows just what story he's going to tell.

The three sit near the prince and find themselves eating the finest food they've had in recent memory. Soon the time comes for the entertainment. After an hour or so of performances Leear stands and the music dies down.

"Friends tonight we have a treat. Many of you have heard that a legendary Vacar has graced us with his presence, an Eldar prince and Katiri has come back from the dead. What you may not know is that Katiri wasn't killed by the evil ones, she helped kill them and save the Eldar leader's life in the process. She was taken in and taught their ways. She was recently named a master of masters and become the Eldar leader and married the Eldar prince at her side. She it was that went head to head against the Vacar and freed myself and those with me and then proceeded to make friends with that Vacar. 

"Tonight we celebrate her return, an alliance with the Eldar and Vacar. The Vacar king, Teondae will be giving us a story, one about his people, then Mant the Eldar prince will be giving us a performance, but he won't say what kind, and last we'll end the celebration with Katiri, now known as Montani playing her flute for us." The whispers become excited as Leear gives them the news culminating with some cries of pleasure at Montani playing. Some of the elves have heard her play before. They had hoped she'd be playing tonight as well.

Leear gestures to Teondae to stand and take the prominent seat to give his story. He gives them a Vacar love story that has a bittersweet ending and all the elves in tears. The elves are a rather sentimental lot, no matter what the humans think.

When he finishes Mant takes the seat that Teondae relinquishes. Verbal retellings aren't his thing, but he does have strong illusionary magic that he tells the story with. 

He's chosen a story from the great war. The story of a hero, a human one actually. The choice makes Montani smile. She's rather surprised that he even knows it. It's one that she used in her classes when she taught the human language.

As Mant progresses the story the elves cheer when the hero prevails, cry as his friends fall. In the end the hero returns home to find his farm gone, burned down and his family gone as well. Traces of evil ones were all over the place, the elves could read the signs just like the hero could. He leaves to look for his wife and children.

The elves cheer when they are reunited. Mant ends the story there. If the elves know the end they wouldn't be so happy and it's best if they don't learn about it. In the end the family is killed and the hero goes insane. He is last heard about leading an attack of giant eagles against a large group of evil ones.

Montani takes over the seat that Mant had been in after letting the feelings of his story settle down. It doesn't hurt to build the anticipatory feelings up either. When Montani begins playing she lets the feelings of the night take over. She starts out with the feelings of joy from Mant's story, adds in the feelings they'd felt from Teondae's story. She puts in the anxiety of not knowing what's going to happen as the events from the great war seem to be building once more. 

She allows all her feelings of pain, healing, hurt and growth to find their way into the music as well. She plays for hours but they are all so lost in the music that no one realizes or is bothered by it.

By the time she is done, the uncertainty that they'd had before, although still there had turned to determination. They were all aware that the evil ones are becoming stronger, but they are now more determined than ever to face and defeat them.

They all bow in honor to Montani as they leave for the night in silence, giving her the greatest respect they could for her music.

Once the last of the elves had left Leear finally breaks the silence. "You all must be tired, come I will show you to your rooms that have been prepared for you."

"Prince, if it doesn't offend, I would prefer to stay at my home. It is located nearby and it calls to me."

Leear is confused to how a home could call to anybody but nods, "Of course, it is no hardship to have you here, but if you prefer your home by all means. We'll see you tomorrow?"

Teondae smiles, bows and says, "Asuan. Of course I'll see you all tomorrow. But will you see me?" With those cryptic words and wicked glint in his eyes he disappears.

Leear shakes his head with a small puzzled smile on his face, "I don't understand him, that is for sure."

"But do you trust him? That, I think, is the real problem is it not?" Montani says with her own smile. She rather thinks she has an idea of what Teondae is going to do. She's not sure she approves or not. Only because she's not sure that she'll do any better than the elves.