The Easel Chronicles; The Burning Hands

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Eight

The Sacred lands

Leonora had been watching Leo and she knew before anyone when he broke out from the Guarded Forest. She stood atop the walls of Elvhelm, waiting for them to come. She could see them coming a long distance away thanks to her elf eyes.

The soft wind whistled though her ears lifting her spirits with its soft tunes of peace. Leonora could not wait to be reunited with Aravoen after such a long time apart. She had a lot to tell him and hope he would understand why she kept it quiet and hidden from him.

She knew her father, uncle, Cidarcorin and a few of his council of mages, and most of the elves were waiting as well for Aravoen and his companions. They went about their business, but it was visible that they were waiting to see the prince of Eduin return.

Many of them did not have honourable reasons, but a few had some honour intact in them. Word had reached of his great victory over the Grendels and many of the elves did not like that news. Taradin and his father had been silent and sullen after that news arrived because it overshadowed Taradin's victory. But on this day they had come to see if it was not a hoax. To add insult to injury, Stareonor had accepted Aravoen to have his generals come to Elvhelm along with a few people from the rest of Elasia.

"It will endear us to the rest," Stareonor had dismissed his generals, Staragorn and Hamilicar when they complained about that decision.

As the party drew nearer, Leonora walked off the wall to go and stand with her father and uncle who waited by the Fountains of Illmarien. These beautiful fountains were a small distance to the Great Gate and provided a good view of anyone entering the city. Atmasar had taken up his role as prince of Elvhelm and he was a constant figure at her father's side. Although she had become tolerant to both of them, Leonora still avoided them.

As she approached them, she could see the change in him and her father. Her father had worn the leaf crown for this occasion and his flowing grey robes, gave him the look of a tranquil lord waiting for a guest. He did not wear his sword at his side, which was not unlike him.

Atmasar dressed like his brother except that his robes were a pale green to match his eyes, and also his sword, or a sword he had picked from the smiths hung on his hip.

They all waited in silence and even those that had been pretending to be doing their own business stopped and watched the party become clearer. Everyone knew and thought that Leo had linked up with the travel worn party at Dol Roth, but Leonora knew the truth.

As they entered the city, Leonora could see the sad faces. Those were not faces of people who had just won a great victory and for the elves, people who had reached home. She looked through the group, not seeing Aravoen, Leo, Mindacil, Slithbron or Maxine.

She thought they were at the back of the line entering the city and she waited. Maxine came in somewhere along the middle of the line and brought forward two riders. All three dismounted and led their steeds from there. They came and stood directly in front of her father.

She remembered the female because she had seen him with Aravoen once and she knew about the general Edril.

"My king," Maxine said. "I present to you Edril general of Ebrithia and Sybilla daughter of Neera. Both are with...lord Aravoen."

That pause made Leonora wary. Something was wrong and she knew it. She turned her eyes to the column that was entering the city. She knew that the end was not far off.