“Uncle Helmund?” Holo asked, jumping to his feet with a bewildered expression as he looked from Riya to the newly revealed Helmund. “How, exactly, do you two know one another?”
“My dearest Riya,” Helmund said, ignoring Holo as he wrapped Riya in a comforting embrace. Much to Glade’s surprise, she melted into the man’s arms without hesitation. “I am truly sorry for your loss. From your reaction, I take it you just learned about your father?”
Glade watched helplessly as Riya nodded into the man’s shoulder, her own shoulders shaking with silent tears. It was odd seeing the person he had been charged with protecting be so… familial, with someone else. But, if this man truly was her uncle…
“Ahem,” Holo cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’m sorry to interrupt this reunion, but could someone please explain how you two know each other?”
“I’m curious about that as well,” Kedryn chimed in with a tone of voice that said he was not entirely comfortable with how close the two were. “Because you are not related to the banished elves. Half wood elf, half human, from what I can tell.”
For the briefest of moments, Glade wondered how on earth Kedryn could know something so personal. Then an overwhelming desire to kick himself for being an idiot rolled over him. Once again, he had forgotten to use his identification skill. Not only that, he hadn’t activated his telepathy in quite a while. No wonder he had missed Helmund.
Promising himself that he would do better, Glade used his aura site skill on the newcomer.
Helmund Gerrand, Half Elf (Wood Elf/Human), Level 11
Attunements: None
Health: 210/210
Mana: 140/140
Stamina: 190/190
Status: Cautiously Optimistic
Sure enough, Helmund was a half elf.
Once again, Helmund ignored his brother’s and Kedryn’s requests, turning his attention back to a weeping Riya. For that act alone, Glade gave the man respect.
Minutes passed in uncomfortable silence as Helmund simply held Riya, humming something soothing as he stroked her hair. After a time, she pulled out a kerchief and wiped her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she sniffled, trying her best to dry the tear stain on his tunic. “I’ve made a mess of your shirt.”
“There, there. That's nothing to worry about,” Helmund said, holding Riyaout by his arms as he looked at her with understanding eyes. “The real blessing is seeing you again, alive and well.”
“Helmund,” Holo said with barely restrained impatience.
“You know,” Helmund said with a sigh, finally giving Holo his attention. “For someone who prides himself in political timing and manipulation, your understanding of basic emotional connection borders on the imbecilic.”
“You were always the people person, not me,” Holo snapped. “Will you please answer the question?”
“Are you really Riya’s uncle?” Kedryn blurted out.
Glade grimaced. He knew he was a blunt instrument at times when dealing with others, but even he knew this was too much.
“How about we give both Riya and Helmund a bit of space,” Glade said, injecting himself into the conversation. “They obviously know one another, and I’m assuming that Riya is happy to see someone she actually knows.”
“You have no idea,” Riya half whispered, half laughed as she wiped the tears from her face. “But to answer your question, uncle Helmund isn’t my uncle in the literal sense. I just started calling him that when I was little. He was always so nice to me and my sister Val. He would bring us and the other kids sweets and pretty clothes whenever he came to trade. That, and unlike so many of my own people, he never stopped talking with me after I was cursed with the brand of meekness.”
“They were, and still remain, old fools,” Helmund said with a gentle smile, picking up his wine glass. “They still hold onto long dead customs that have been proven wrong time and time again over the centuries. Still, they are your family, I suppose.”
Glade didn’t know whether to smile at the apparent closeness of these two or to shake his fist at the heavens. What were the odds that a traveling merchant that just happened to have existing ties with the banished elves and had a positive relationship with the one person Glade was charged to protect show up out of the blue on their doorstep? This went far past coincidence.
Looking around the room, it seemed that others were thinking the same thing. Kedryn was looking awed by the situation. Crixus was trying to bury himself even further into his chair, trying for all the world to hide like Helmund had. But it was Holo that had the most pronounced reaction.
“The bloody banished elves are your secret contacts!?!” Holo cried, his face red with shock as he furtively glanced over to Glade. “All these years you led me to believe that you were smuggling goods from the wood elves!”
“I never said my business originated from the wood elves' domain,” Helmund said with a grin. “You were the one that assumed I was getting my product from another source. I just let you keep on believing in your own misperceptions.”
“Do you have any idea what will happen if the great houses find out that you’re peddling goods from the banished elves? We’ll be ruined!”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“I’ve been running this business for the last 30 years,” Helmund laughed, walking over to Holo to pat his shoulder in what Glade assumed was supposed to be comforting, but came off as one sibling patronizing the other. “Well before you helped me set up the auction house. Have a little faith in your dear older brother!”
“I’m lost,” Kedryn said, looking between them. “I understand the relationship between Riya and Helmund, but how are you two related?”
“Through our mother,” Helmund said with a huge grin before taking a sip of wine. “She was the adventurous sort when she was younger and ran away from home to live with the Stag tribe of the wooded elves for a couple of years. I was the result. Absolutely ruined her reputation and marriage potential, I might add.”
“Dad married her for House Gerrand’s trading contacts,” Holo sighed before falling back into his office chair. “I can’t believe I trusted you, Hel. If word gets out…”
“Word won’t get out,” Helmund laughed. “Not unless one of you is secretly plotting with the other houses. Besides, I have contingency plans if that were to happen. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“What kind of trade do you handle with the banished elves?” Glade asked, finally taking a seat. Normally, he would try and observe, but the discussion was all over the place. It would be best if he could bring it around to information that could be useful to them instead of hashing out the same discussion.
“Now that is a good question,” Helmund laughed. “Unfortunately, I can’t discuss that with you…”
“He buys our stock of alchemical products and potions, as well as all of our alchemically treated leathers and any of the rare herbs we farm,” Riya interjected, still dabbing at her eyes. “Plus some of our enchanted items, though those aren’t as in demand.”
Helmund stared at her, his mouth agape.
“What?” Asked Riya. “I trust most everyone here with my life, and I assume you vouch for your brother?””
“You are still entirely too trusting,” Helmund sighed. “Yes, I can vouch for my brother, though I did try to repress any information about my interactions with your people for a reason.”
“You mean to tell me,” Holo said in an awed whisper. “That all of those potent alchemical marvels you’ve been bringing to auction over the years…”
“Have come from the banished elves,” Helmund finished the sentence with a flourish. Glade noticed that the half-elf wasn’t as nonchalant as he was trying to make himself to be. The sips the man had been taking from his wine flute were now more akin to gulps. This meeting was stressing him, but he didn’t want others to see.
“Who else knows about this?” Holo asked, leaning forward with an intense look.
“Just myself, Jirea, and the banished elves” he replied, pouring himself some more wine.
“Who's Jirea?” Kedryn asked, looking about as if someone else was going to pop out of nowhere.
“Cirea’s oldest sister,” Holo growled. “A mute body mage…”
“Who's a right terror on the battlefield and makes our poor Cirea look like a tame lamb in comparison,” Helmund added with a grin.
“Cirea has an older sister that can best her?” Crixus whispered in awe, and if Glade wasn’t mistaken, a little bit of fear as well.
“We always made each other flower crowns when she visited,” Riya sighed with a far off look.
Everyone paused at the comment, looking at Riya as if she were mad.
“What?” Riya asked. “She’s really nice once you get to know her.”
“Well, you learn something new everyday,” Helmund muttered before taking another swig of wine.
“Is she here with you?” Riya asked hopefully.
“Unfortunately, no. She is back at Asylum. We have an auction coming up in a week’s time and I needed someone I could trust to watch over the operation while I came to collect the Horse Lord,” Helmund explained.
Riya’s visage darkened.
“I cannot allow you to take Lun’Svet.”
“My dear, Riya, why do you think I am here in the first place?” Helmund laughed, raising his almost empty wine glass. “Your council has hired me to bring back any of the lost Horse Lords from the goblin raid last fall. I’ve already returned three, to include your precious Bryst I might add, and Lun’Svet will be my fourth.”
Riya brightened immediately.
“Bryst is ok?”
“Of course he is! I was able to get him back to the winter grounds before the solstice. Same with the others, though I was surprised to hear that Lun’Svet was able to last this long on his own.”
“I thought you were going to sell it,” Holo interrupted, his brow furrowed with concern. “Everybody thinks the Horse Lord is going to be at auction! If he doesn’t show up, there will be a bloody riot!”.
“You know, for someone who isn’t a partner anymore, you do seem awfully involved in the comings and goings of my business,” Helmund said, draining his second glass of wine. “But to answer your question, yes, he is coming to Asylum where I will put him up for auction. Though, that’s just a front. I have a plant who will outbid anyone present. The banished elves have already promised to match any price, so it would be irresponsible of me to not capitalize upon their generosity.”
Glade narrowed his eyes. That didn’t sound as altruistic as Helmund was making himself out to be.
“Naturally, there would be a sizable mark down,” Helmund quickly interjected, having seen Glade glaring at him. “I wouldn’t want to jeopardize my relationship with house Aleth, now would I?”
“House Aleth?” Riya asked with a look of confusion. “Why would you be concerned about them? They’re the honor guard for my family.”
A mixed look of defeat and sorrow crossed Helmunds features. “Ahh… yes, you wouldn’t know about that.”
He paused, trying to pour another glass of wine only to find the bottle empty.
Holo handed him his own glass.
“You see, House Aleth has taken provisional leadership of the banished elves…”
“Why would they do that?” Riya questioned, her voice heavy with worry. “The only reason the Aleth would intercede is if there weren’t… Oh, Overseer’s light,” she gasped, her hand raised to cover her mouth as her lips began to tremble. “Nanna… Val…They didn’t make it either…”
“Sa’Valentina is still with us,” Helmund said gently, having just swallowed all of Holo’s wine. “But she is underage and cannot lead the Loshere line. It was the council’s decision that she marry into house Aleth, with the hopes that the Ri might grant them pardon from their exile if the Loshere house were to finally collapse.”
The last was delivered with the tone of a man facing a firing squad. Riya swayed where she stood, the information clearly overwhelming her. Glade jumped to his feet to catch her but was beaten by Kedryn, who leapt forward to steady her.
There was a pregnant pause as everyone watched Riya go through several stages of emotion, until finally, she turned to look at Glade, her eyes wide with desperation.
“We need to leave for home,” she whispered. “Now.”