The Eldars

45

"The accords are signed, we can leave as soon as she is strong enough," Teondae says when Mant opens the door to the vacar.

"That is good, she is asking to return to Malinor. Her color is still not good, I'm worried about her." Mant says softly, trying to not wake Montani from her much needed nap.

Mant looks up at Teondae sharply, "How did you get them to agree?"

Teondae doesn't want to look at Mant and looks any where but at him, "No one has ever survived an arbita bite. Montani survives, they consider me something of a hero, a miracle worker or some such thing. It wasn't me, it was the earth magic that healed her."

Mant looks at the ill at ease Vacar. "The music must be shaped to work. Montani told me that you were a healer but hadn't unlocked the ability yet."

Teondae looks away from Mant blushing. "I guess you unlocked it? Thank you, Teondae."

Teondae nods and then finds his words, "The winter is going to be more harsh than normal, it will be good for her to heal. If I will not be welcome for such an extended time I will have the eagles take me back to my home."

With his words Mant's lips thin down in anger, "You will be welcome. You saved Montani's life, you will always be welcome to Malinor and if any have a problem with it, then they need to come to me about it."

The harshness of his words make Teondae look at Mant in wonder, "You don't need to defend me, Mant. The vacar are used to the disparagement of the others."

"That will be done with now. Besides I have some words for my people as to why they cut out a whole history of time. That needs to stop as well. You will be welcome at Malinor for as long as you wish."

Teondae finds himself smiling at the eldar prince's reaction. "You are a stout defender young prince. If you are sure that I'll be welcome than it will be an honor to stay in fabled Malinor." The vacar's smile diminishes though as he remembers the other cities that once graced the lands of Bonita. The ruins of which are even lost.

"When she awakens, I will take another look at her. I think she'll be more comfortable recovering in her own home, then here."

Mant snorts, "Please, my mother won't let us stay in our house. We'll be staying in their house and with the care mother will give, it will be more like house arrest than a relaxing recovery." But Mant is smiling as he says this. But his words take away the ease that Teondae had found earlier.

It was one thing to stay with Mant and Montani, it was another to stay with Mant's father, the king.

Mant looks at Teondae, "Don't worry. You saved Montani. Mom and dad will love you for that alone. Sometime's I think they love her more than me. They always wanted a girl and instead all they got was me. When dad found Montani and brought her home, mom was ecstatic. I've never seen mom so excited about anything before."

Teondae looks at the prince, "Did you not resent her?"

Mant smiled sourly. "Perhaps at first, but by then I had my own place so I wasn't really much a part of my parents life. At least not as much as they wanted. I think the worst was knowing that a human saved my father's life. A human took down evil one's." Mant shakes his head and turns towards the bedroom door. "But once I spent some time with her I realized just how special she was. I fell in love with her." 

Mant turns back to Teondae, "All the single men did. She never showed how she felt. We never knew if she liked us back or not. When it was time for me to stop my tutoring I had a fairly good idea that she did like me. But for her to fulfill her potential, I needed to leave." Mant snorts, "Not my best idea ever. I only meant to be gone for a short time. Five years of hell. I was just damn lucky that she didn't fall in love with someone else during that time. When I saw her at her celebration," Mant smile turns soft with remembrance, "She was the most beautiful person I've ever seen. She felt me, I saw her looking around for me, when we made eye contact for the first time in five years I felt whole."

Mant comes back to the present and looks down embarrassed, "Silly isn't it? That one person can make you feel whole?"

Teondae shakes his head, "It's what everyone looks for and rarely finds. I'll be in my chambers, just call for me and I'll come when she wakes." Teondae turns but hesitates and looks back over his shoulders, "You and Montani are fortunate. Most of us never find our true mates. But at the same time losing your true mate is the worst thing that can possibly happen. Love her now before the war begins, we never know what the future brings."

"I do and will, thank you for this time Teondae. You have proven yourself a true friend to us both."

Teondae just nods and moves off to his room to think about what he's just learned. He'd known that Montani had felt deeply for Mant, but he hadn't known of Mant's deep feelings in return.

"My son, what troubles you?" The female comes to him in his room.

"I fear for my friends. Their love for each other might just be their destruction."

"It will be their love that will save them. Has saved them. It was his love for Montani, that Mant was able to survive. It was her love for him that Montani was able to reach the potential within her. Mant sacrificed his love so that Montani would reach her full potential. At least that's what he thought. There was no loss though, except their time together and much gain."

Teondae laughs bitterly, "He's told me of some of his gain."

"All knowledge is gain. Some more useful than others. If he hadn't experienced what he did he wouldn't of been able to tell the eagles the truth. Then a necessary component would be missing."

That has Teondae sitting up straight. "Montani didn't think that their help was that important."

The female shakes her head. "Montani is wise, but she doesn't know everything, no one does. The eagles are important, just like in the last war they will have a significant role to play. All the races must be united in this effort. I fear the eldar will be the most stubborn by far. Montani will be too ill to convince the others this time. Mant must step up and take the role he was born to hold. Their partnership, marriage what have you, is not one sided. Mant is a powerful force in his own right. He just needs to unlock his potential. That is where you come in, you must teach him the vacar magic. He will excel at it now that he hears the music."

"Montani..."

"She will be fine." The female smiles. "The secret she holds will soon be told. Do not fear for her or Mant. They will play their parts yet. As will you. So far you have done well my son, I am well pleased."