Twenty-second of Harvest

Loranna felt out of place as she sat in King Farhad's antechamber. She had ridden from Narandir as fast as she could, having gone several nights with virtually no sleep. She had managed to buy a formal blue dress before presenting herself to the court steward, who had scoffed at this interruption to his midmorning routine. She had only prevailed by telling him that the Prophetess would vouch for her. The steward hadn't believed her at first but came back a few minutes later offering her wine and fruit while she waited. She stifled a laugh at the memory. She'd never been in the palace before, and she welcomed the chance to buck the system.

"Madam Loranna?" the steward said quietly, stepping out of the throne room. "The King would see you now."

She winked at him as she stepped past him. She bowed twice, first to the king, and second to the Prophetess. She glanced at the handmaidens across the back wall, but didn't recognise their faces.

"I was told that you had urgent business," Farhad said from his throne. Siara stood beside him, her hands folded at her waist. "The Prophetess did indeed vouch for you, but she said nothing of your purpose."

"Thank you, Milady," Loranna said to Siara, and she briefly nodded. Turning back to the King, she announced, "I am Loranna, and I come with a message from the Lord of Narandir."

"The new lord, I surmise from recent reports," Farhad said with no little amusement. "Belkai, I believe her name is, who killed the Recluse and took his place."

"Nonetheless, by ancient law that makes her Lord indeed," Siara cautioned, earning a thankful smile from Loranna. "We would do well to listen to what her messenger has to say."

Farhad waved for Loranna to continue, and she took a breath to steady her nerves. "Belkai has indeed taken the lordship by force, as the old laws permit. She has sent me to announce that she has ceased all hostility towards the Kingdom of Svaleta. They were initiated by the Recluse in response to a prophecy that he did not understand."

"We have heard of the intervention of Ashelath, and his destruction," Siara said. "Such a power is not available to most mortals."

"I believe that Belkai has become something more than mortal," Loranna informed them. "Nonetheless, Narandir will cease all hostility. We request the same of your Kingdom. We desire only peace and safe passage for those who have chosen self-exile after the Recluse's fall."

Siara and Farhad spoke quietly for a few moments, then the King nodded. "We will grant it, and we wish to know what your lord asks in reply."

To his surprise, Loranna spoke to Siara. "Belkai requests the presence of one of your priestesses. A lady by the name of Sashai."

Siara couldn't help but laugh. "I knew that that would be more than a chance meeting. For what purpose does she request Sashai's presence?"

Loranna smiled. "Belkai is to be married, and wishes to do so according to Svaletan custom."

It was more than a request for someone to officiate, both Siara and Farhad understood. It was the ending of a thousand years of conflict. It was the proposal for a new relationship and the opportunity of exchange. It was, essentially, an official declaration of an alliance.

"She will return with you," Siara confirmed. "If the King permits."

"Go in peace, Loranna," Farhad said. "In time, we will send a delegation to further discuss our future. But understand that we may be delayed. War still rages in the north."

"My lord offers the aid of the forces of Narandir," Loranna announced, to the shock of her audience. "You may wish to alert your people so that they are not interfered with."

"The last attempt to liberate Larton was met with a magic that we didn't know existed," Farhad warned. "The Aliri witches killed hundreds of our men without firing so much as a single arrow."

"The Aliri will not be a concern," Loranna told him. "There is power in Narandir that has laid dormant for centuries. It has been awakened. Our aid will be sufficient to you."

Farhad took a few moments to be able to give his thanks. Siara frowned and studied Loranna with cautious eyes.

"Narandir thanks you." Loranna bowed again to them both. "May this be a new era of peace."

"It has been far too long," Farhad confirmed. "Give your lord our blessing and congratulations."

Loranna thanked them and left. Farhad looked over to Siara.

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"Your assessment, please, Prophetess."

"She believes everything that she has said," Siara assured him. "Whether Belkai speaks the truth is a different matter. Sashai will report to me about everything that she sees."

"I still fear the Forest," Farhad confessed. "Honeyed words will not be enough to grant me peace. Though we know how powerful the Recluse's forces were. They would be of great use against the Aliri."

Siara nodded thoughtfully. "An alliance with Narandir will be greatly to the Kingdom's benefit, as well as the greater region. We would be wise to listen to what Belkai has to say in the days to come."

"Then we really stand in a new era."

"So it would seem." Siara smiled. "Remember this day, my King. Today our world has changed forever."

* * *

To Belkai's surprise, almost the entire human population of Narandir had chosen self-exile. Some had preferred the thought of finding a new home preferable to living under the rule of the one who had killed their old master. Others were disillusioned by the revelation that Mishtar had made a deal with Ashelath himself for his power. She was left with the majority of the Forest Elves who had once called Narandir their own before Mishtar had arrived. Already she had sent out messengers to the Silent Order to re-establish contact. They would have the opportunity relocate here to train in peace and seclusion, away from the ever-present threats of the Ikari Dominion. She doubted that they would come – the Brilhardemwere as linked to the Dominion as the orcs themselves – but she would not allow that connection to be lost. She knew who she was, and she was a child of the wind before she was lord of Narandir.

The day was growing old as Belkai returned to Mishtar's old palace and made her way up to a balcony to look out upon the Forest. It was an exhausting new world that she had created, one that she hadn't been prepared for. She hadn't made any plans for life after killing Ashelath. She had never expected to make it this far. But the pain and doubt had been worth it. She was free of her suffering, Mishtar's curse had been ended, and Narandir had its peace with Svaleta, should Loranna bring back good tidings. A long road lay ahead, full of uncertainties, but for the first time in many years Belkai truly felt peace.

She heard the door shut behind her and closed her eyes as Davos wrapped his arms around her. She smiled at his touch, and laid her head back against him.

"You changed me, Davos," she whispered. "You made all of this happen."

"All I did was see who you were beneath the surface," he whispered back, and she felt comforted by the feeling of his breath against his neck. He kissed her neck where Ashelath's scar was beginning to fade. "And I saw a beauty that I could not describe."

She turned to face him, and smiled. "That's more than anyone else has done."

Beneath them, the elves had formed circles across the clearing as the closing stage in their mourning for the lost. Belkai and Davos watched as they began to sing their mourning songs, haunting melodies filling the air as they danced rhythmically across the former battlefield. They didn't speak for a few minutes, until Davos eventually broke their silence.

"There is something that I have yet to understand."

Belkai turned away from the scene to fix him with her piercing eyes. "And what would that be?"

"Ashelath wanted the power of Narandir, was willing to start a war to gain it." Davos leaned against the balustrade. "But what is that power? I saw Mishtar wield control over nature, but that could not be enough to raise the fury of a demon."

Belkai's eyes didn't leave Davos, but he saw them glaze over, as if she were in another place and time. For a few moments she didn't move as the wind whipped her hair across her face, then she sighed and her eyes cleared. She looked back at the elves and said,

"You grew up with stories of the Blackwings, yes?"

"I did."

"Did you know that no one heard of them until around three hundred years ago?" Belkai turned back and crossed her arms on her chest. "According to the lore books, that was when the first sighting occurred. People had been in Narandir well before then, but made no record of such creatures."

She could tell that he didn't understand. But how could he? "Mishtar did not command vines to suddenly grow, and he did not seize control of the creatures of Narandir. They were the products of his own creation."

"What do you mean?"

"It should not be possible, but it makes sense." Belkai smiled sadly. "I wondered why Ashelath was so desperate to gain control of the Forest. Until I fought Mishtar, I did not understand. And even then, I only truly realised today. But now I see that Narandir holds a power denied even to the Arcane."

"What power?"

"Do you ever wonder why the Arcane's creation stories are so confused? Why the Palians never pursued knowledge of the beginning? The Arcane never possessed the power to create. They can manipulate the world, in a far greater sense than even the Brilhardem. But they cannot form something new. But Mishtar did. He wielded the power of creation itself."

"You mean he created the Blackwings."

Belkai shrugged. "I think that if you were brave enough to wander Narandir, you would find all kinds of grotesque creatures that have no warrant to exist. Narandir is not cursed, like you were taught. Mishtar simply spent the last millennium learning how to create life itself."

"But you commanded the Blackwings. You summoned those same vines." Davos frowned. "It took him a millennium, but you a moment?"

"When a Brilhardem fights, or feels, something, we learn what it is – what it truly is. We feel every heartbeat, every tensing of every muscle. Mishtar did the hard work of creating, forming these things. I gained the blueprint, then with Narandir's power I could create them. But for me to truly create something original?" Belkai laughed. "That is the work of a lifetime, Davos. Though judging by Mishtar, I suppose I will have long life here."

"What will you do with that power?" Now Davos stood straight, crossing his powerful arms and watching Belkai cautiously.

"Ashelath would have triggered a war amongst the Arcane," she said, and smiled wistfully. "I cannot tell you what I will do. But for now, I have a war to win."

"The war can wait until the morning," Davos said grimly. "The chieftain has requested an audience when you arise tomorrow."

Belkai nodded. "He waits until their mourning is complete. As he should."

"And you need to rest," Davos told her gently. "You need to heal."

She was exhausted, Belkai knew. More mentally than physically, but the two blended. Soon she would be hastening to war. There could be no room for the errors that exhaustion would bring. After a final glance at the mourners, she stepped inside. She would sleep for twelve uninterrupted hours.