Twenty-third of Harvest

His name was Lithmae, and he introduced himself as the Chieftain of the Forest Elves. She recognised him as one of the elves who had stood guard over Loranna when Mishtar attempted to make his bargain with Belkai. He was tall, with a slight build that nonetheless hinted at a surprising strength. He wore a green cloak, and had no weapons in view. As Belkai bowed her head politely, she searched his mind and found no hint of hostility – quite a change from the hatred that he had born towards Mishtar.

"I am honoured by your granting an audience, My Lord," Lithmae said softly. They stood in Mishtar's throne room, but Belkai motioned for him to follow her outside. After the sombre music of the day before, the air was strangely still. They soaked in the silence as they walked through the clearing, and Belkai spoke up only once they had entered the tree line.

"You may use my name, Chieftain. I am no Svaletan king. I have no desire to rule this land with an iron fist. My goal was never to reign over your lands."

"Then what is your place here?" There was no animosity in the question, just a need to understand. What is our place, he seemed to be asking. All his life he had lived under a foreign lord. Not much seemed to have changed, and elves were a race born to long for freedom.

"Narandir belongs to the elves," Belkai assured him. "They were given this stewardship long before any human stepped foot in these lands. I will destroy what Mishtar built, and you may return to your land as you see fit.

"But I am the Lord of Narandir, the inheritor of the ancient powers that lie upon this land. You know what that power is."

Lithmae nodded, but Belkai felt the doubt and fear that flashed through his mind. "Creation itself, forbidden to the Arcane."

"I will learn how to wield it, and how to use it for life. Mishtar only sought vengeance, I understand that now." Belkai sighed. "I told Davos that Mishtar was a fool, building a fortress instead of embracing the bounties that Narandir offered. I will not repeat that mistake."

"And yet you contemplate war."

Belkai grimaced. "The war is already joined, Lithmae. Ashelath started it so that I could reach Narandir, kill Mishtar, and give Ashelath this gift. It was never about mortal aspirations. Hundreds of innocent humans and elves are dead because of me."

"So you see it as your duty to end it."

"I have no desire to destroy the Aliri Empire," Belkai assured him. "But they have enlisted the aid of the witches of Angmir. I must liberate the city of Larton, break the power of the witches, and so destroy their one advantage over Svaleta. The power of Narandir must be the end of Ashelath's wrath. He is dead, but his servants still live."

"You hope to find redemption as you go down this path." Lithmae stopped and sat down on a fallen tree trunk. Belkai joined him, but when she didn't reply he continued, "Redemption is never found in bloodshed. A sword always loses something when it takes a life."

Stolen novel; please report.

"It is not redemption that I seek, but a cleansing," Belkai finally answered. "For too many centuries Ashelath has poisoned this earth. We have a chance to end it. I have a chance to end it. I will not let it slip by me."

Lithmae nodded. "Even as my people's Chieftain, it is not my place to refuse the Lord of Narandir. My concerns are voiced, and you have given your answer. Give your command, and Narandir will follow."

"Your loyalty is given so quickly," Belkai said. "As is that of your people. I find this strange."

"The elves know duty far better than humans ever did," Lithmae replied, and Belkai knew that he meant no insult. He was simply a plain speaker, and she found that refreshing. "Perhaps the orcs are similar in their loyalty to one's clan, but we understand that duty requires submission. There was no lord in these lands for a long time until Mishtar came. He found the ancient power and claimed it, and that gave him his authority. But he was fuelled by anger and malice towards those who drove him out of his homeland. You are different, Belkai. I am no Brilhardem, but my time with Mishtar taught me to understand your kind. And you did not set out to be lord. The most dangerous people are those who seek power for themselves. You are not one of them."

"I set out to destroy you," Belkai confessed, and her eyes began to water. The grief distracted her from noticing the momentary anger that passed through the elf's mind. "You have to understand that. My Order sent me to discover why Narandir was awakening, but Ashelath sent me to claim the power and give it to him. That demon sought the power of creation, and I would have handed it over. Everyone else was expendable."

"But you didn't submit to him," Lithmae pointed out. "You stood against your master and you gained your freedom. Those who accomplish such feats do not rush to enslave others. You will never forget your suffering, child. It will either consume you or ensure that you continue on this path of peace. I believe that it will be the latter for you."

Belkai smiled, watching a woodpecker as it searched for its meal. "I have no desire to continue Ashelath's legacy."

"Then you have our loyalty, as our duty commands." Lithmae sighed. "But to gain our love, well, that is a separate matter."

"A faithful lord will achieve that," Belkai replied. "I hope that I will. But for now, I ask for your aid in delivering Svaleta from Ashelath's wrath."

"And you shall have it." Lithmae studied the trees for a few moments before he spoke again. "We lost our connection with the land, and our numbers have grown too small. Mishtar stole everything from us in his lust for power."

"What do you ask of me?" Belkai stayed seated as Lithmae stood and crossed his arms.

"When your war is won, I will show you what remains of our cities. You will help us rebuild, I hope, if we give you your victory."

"I will do whatever is needed," Belkai promised. "The Forest of Narandir belongs to you, even if the deeper secrets will be my own."

Lithmae stood and gave a small bow. "I shall accept that...Belkai. If I may be excused, I wish to see the land of my ancestors."

Belkai nodded, and he vanished into the trees without a sound. She took a deep breath of the forest air and looked around her new domain. She could feel the heaviness lift off her shoulders, and the trees whispered of their new master. There was already a new restfulness about Narandir, a new dawn for the once cursed land.

She stayed there for an hour before rising and making her way back to the city. It would need to be torn down, even if she hadn't given her word to Lithmae. It had no place in Narandir. The elves had taught the plants to grow and form homes for them. They had taken dominion over the Forest even as it sustained them. It was Mishtar's abuse that had caused evil to fall on the land, and no trace of it could remain.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed when she came into the clearing. She came to her senses when her foot sunk into the ground. She blinked, realising that she stood on the dead and blackened earth where Ashelath had fallen. Nothing will grow here again, an eternal stain where he touched the earth. A splash of colour caught her eye, and Belkai Androva, Daughter of the Wind, Lord of Narandir, felt her heart leap.

In the middle of the ash stood a single red rose, life triumphant in the midst of death. As she watched, a cool wind blew past and softly swayed the rose's soft petals. She closed her eyes and took a deep, contented breath of the fresh air. She was home.