THE SERENITY OF NATURE
Hundreds of years before the events of this story, elves from the eastern continent of Edanorion left their homeland for reasons lost to time and migrated to Simanorion. This momentous event was referred to as Edrissaradenor, the arrival of the elves.
The elven fleet landed along the shores of the Prairies of Syleta, which they called Adenorlas, the shores of the arrival. From there, they could see the magnificent gelvor trees of the Forest of Nilduras, in the north. Their love of nature instantly drew them away from the grasslands and into Nilduras, where they made their new homes.
To the elves, it was this fateful event which marked the beginning of the current age. They thus followed a calendar which counted the years since their arrival, known as the Nilduran Calendar. Though, many noble families also followed that of the Skarians, which was known as the Anglarian Calendar, for they believed it to be a symbol of their superior status and education.
The forest of Nilduras was unique in the sense that no other place in the known world had such a large concentration of Gelvor trees. The long roots of these trees flowed out, often protruding from the ground and creating large ridges in the forest floor. Their enormous trunks were sometimes hundreds of meters apart, yet their branches could still intertwine, high above the forest floor.
Their branches were often spread out, letting the sun illuminate the vegetation below with beams of golden light and allowing a dense forest of regular sized trees to grow between the giants. These smaller trees resembled saplings in comparison to the massive gelvors, especially given that they often had bark and leaves of the same colour.
An unusual trait of gelvors was that even during the winter months, the leaves would remain on the trees and keep their bright colours throughout the year. Each section of the immense forest had its own variation of colours within the leaves of its gelvors, separating it into five vast regions.
In the north, the gelvors had leaves of many different shades of purple and their bark was typically white, but there were small areas where it took on a light brown colour.
Many beautiful, white and purple flowers would bloom in the smaller trees of this region, creating a mystical landscape full of pastel colours, such as lilac, mauve or periwinkle. Along with the flowers, which grew in the small clearings and other open areas, they created veritable rivers of white and purple throughout the forest. Thus, the Northern Region was known for the astonishing display of flowers that decorated the ground below the gelvors throughout the warmer months, as well as its many breathtaking waterfalls.
In the west, the bark of the gelvors was dark-brown and often covered in moss, while their leaves took on a variety of different shades of green. Long vines grew within the gelvor branches, creating a landscape thick with vegetation from the forest floor to the canopy.
The incredible growth of plants in this region surpassed that of any in the known world. This was often attributed to the water provided by the wetlands of Gorodim, in the west, but many believed the Western Region to be blessed by Geldaria, the elven goddess of flora.
It was a region known for the complicated network of branch paths, vine bridges and overgrown trails one had to cross when travelling through it, as well as the dangers that lurked within them. There was also an incredible diversity of plants, many of which carried unique properties, which could only be found in this region of the forest.
In the south, each tree had leaves of many different shades, ranging from ochre or amber yellows to dark oranges, matching the vegetation below. The bark of the trees had a creamy white colour that made them look as though they had been made of a rich, white chocolate. This region was known for the many birds and butterflies that inhabited it. The diverse species seemed to exist in all shapes, sizes and colours, filling the canopy with their bright colours and their singing.
In the vast, Eastern Region of the forest, the gelvors typically had light brown bark and their leaves took on shades of blue.
In its northern reaches, the gelvors were fewer and more spread out, allowing giant cedars to grow between them. Far to the north, the forest was mostly made up of giant cedars, leaving the odd gelvor alone in a sea of green. Some areas in the south and east had gelvors with white bark, which was attributed to a change in soil, much like within each of the other regions. Gelvors seemed to adopt a certain type of bark and leaves based on the composition of the earth in which they grew.
The Eastern Region was mostly known for the large mushrooms which grew within it, in all shapes and sizes. Some of these had vibrant colours and were bioluminescent, providing light throughout the night, while others released poisonous gases or powders, which caused paralysis. This, along with the many beasts living within it, had given it the reputation of being the most dangerous region. Though, some argued that the Western Region was far worse. Others believed it was the Central Region, though little was known of this part of the forest.
The Central Region of the forest, known as the Chalk Hills of Nilduras, had pale, white-barked gelvor trees with dark-red leaves, spread out among the many plateaus, mountains and canyons created by the Nilduras Mountains. The Nilduras Mountain Range lay between the Eastern and Northern regions, separating them, before entering the Central Region, where it came to an end.
The Central Region was known to be a mysterious place in which most elves were taught not to travel, aside from within the small, civilized pockets which were on the edges of the region. This was partially because the elves believed that the Central Region contained the heart of the forest, a sacred organ which needed to be left in peace.
However, many also believed in an old legend that Geldaria had made a pact with Nirdalune, allowing animals of all sorts to thrive in the forest, in exchange for her protection of its heart. Nirdalune had accepted, sending her deadliest creatures to protect the Central Region. The few who dared to enter the region never seemed to return, deterring others from following them.
Thus, the five regions of Nilduras had been divided naturally by the colour of the leaves its gelvors took on. Each of them was vast and had a variety of different terrains and climates within it, allowing beings of all sorts to prosper within its intricate ecosystem.
Within the branches of the gelvors, far above the dangers of the ground, lived the new caretakers of the forest. Though, they were unkind to those who had previously dwelled within it, conquering their territory with force and little regard for pre-existing nations.
The elves believed it their duty to gain control of the great forest in order to see to it that the will of their gods was fulfilled, no matter the means by which they achieved the level of control which this required. Thus, their power grew and so did the influence over the great forest, their civilization spreading across it.
Their cities were laid out with great thought in ways that followed the shapes of the branches, so as not to disrupt the designs of Geldaria. Conveniently, the generally flat top of the gelvor branches allowed them to build large buildings connected to other branches by arched bridges.
They used wood that had naturally died to create their ornately carved buildings and bridges throughout the canopy and did their best to coexist with many of the creatures living within the forest in a way that benefited all.
There were also many halflings, tereks and other races within the forest, living alongside the elves, or in their own societies.
Tereks were a race almost physically identical to elves, from the pointed ears to the thin, angular features. What separated them were two long horns that grew out of their heads and a drastically different culture. However, they were so alike in appearance that they were often referred to as horned elves.
Tereks were some of the original residents of Nilduras and had fought the elves for centuries when they first arrived. Though the tereks were excellent warriors and fought bravely, the elves eventually managed to take over most of the forest, forcing them to sue for peace.
The elves, who saw their role as invaders and felt a certain guilt, ceded a large portion of the Western Region, as well as dozens of smaller territories to the tereks, throughout the forest. Their hope was to forge a long-lasting peace. Though the tereks often joined elven kingdoms when they fought amongst each-other, there had not since been a war where tereks didn’t have elves fighting alongside them, suggesting that the elven scheme had been successful.
Thus, the elves and tereks had become protectors of the forest, taking pride in keeping its flora and fauna healthy, in service of their gods. The halflings had later joined them, reminding these warrior races of the benefits of peace and that all the fulfilment they really needed could be found in the serenity of nature. Though, peace never seemed to last in Nilduras.
In later ages, under the influence of the Skarian Empire, they had taken on many of the human traditions. They had built massive cities on the forest floor and formed large factions within the forest, some ruling entire regions.
However, during the decline of the Skarian Empire, a sanguinary struggle erupted between the elves. Civil war plunged the woodlands into chaos and divided the large, elven states into much smaller kingdoms. As a result, most cities on the forest floor were abandoned, their citizens returning to the safety of settlements within the canopies.
In previous ages, the elves had travelled far and wide throughout the continent of Simanorion and settled new regions beyond the forest’s borders. Most of these had now been abandoned, leaving a few self-sufficient settlements, which were essentially cut off from those within the forest.
This had led to centuries of isolation as the elves of the forest prohibited outsiders from entering it and never ventured beyond its borders.
The year was now seven hundred and sixty-nine A.O.E., which meant that the elves had arrived in Simanorion one thousand three hundred years before, in earth years. As a new age approached, the elves were slowly beginning to travel outside of the forest and a few brave souls had been courageous enough to enter it. To their surprise, many elven kingdoms allowed them to pass through. Though they distrusted them and made little effort to welcome them, many elven nations were now tolerant of outsiders.
It was clear to many of the prominent thinkers throughout the forest that the coming age would lead to great change and their peoples would soon find themselves at a crossroads, putting in question their way of life.
*****
It seemed like a typical morning for Princess Ynarsil of Avanur as she followed her usual routine. She would always start her mornings with a light meal and promptly leave the city of Caras Avanur on her great snowy owl, Dolendir.
Caras Avanur was an immense metropolis, by elven standards, which served as the capital of Avanur, one of the eight major kingdoms found in the Northern Region. It was a magnificent city built within the gelvor canopy. Its white walls and purple roofs made it blend in perfectly with the local gelvors, though its large spires and palaces rose much higher than the top of the canopy.
Through its streets were hundreds of regular trees and white and purple flowers, decorating them. Adding to the calm atmosphere was a system of aqueducts which rivaled those of the gnomes, siphoning water up from rivers that were up to a kilometer below.
This system had largely relied on powerful priests and priestesses of Geldaria who had found a way to communicate with gelvors in a way clear enough to employ them in the process of siphoning the water up to the city.
As a princess of Avanur, Ynarsil lived in the palace of Vimranor. From its central location, she would fly between the many, purple spires, weaving between them, and make her way south, to the river Denur. She would then follow the river downstream, passing the many beautiful waterfalls and cascades along the way.
The Denur flowed far to the south, feeding into Lake Dariaethil, near the holy city of Nir Nalas. It was a magnificent river with plenty of beautiful sections, passing through canyons and many rapids. However, Ynarsil had seen only a very small portion of it, her mother having forbidden her from venturing beyond the borders of Avanur.
Nevertheless, Ynarsil felt truly free as she flew south, following the winding river. Her copper red hair flying behind her and shining in the wind, she would hold on tight as her great owl bobbed up and down between the branches and veered from side to side, often leaving just a few centimetres between her and the trunks of the gelvors they passed. Dolendir had Ynarsil’s full trust, however, as she knew he was in full control.
After a while, she often instructed Dolendir to stop weaving through the branches and swoop down to glide above the many beautiful and serene locations along the river. These places made her feel more at home than when she was in Caras Avanur.
After flying for about half an hour, she would stop in her favourite spot, where the river forked. To one side, it continued in a long series of cascades, gently sloping down. To the other, the river fell over a tall cliff in a majestic waterfall.
There, she would often spend a good part of the day, practicing her combat skills, such as her sword dance, and her agility as she leaped across the branches of regular sized trees or along the boulders in the river, above the waterfall. She would also run along the trails she had created in the area and swim in the lake at the base of the waterfall.
This routine had started out as a way to escape the city and find freedom in the magnificent and serene location, but the time she had spent training her agility, reflexes and the control of her scimitars had helped Ynarsil develop into a formidable warrior.
Combined with her training by the kingdom's finest sword masters, it had allowed Ynarsil to rise through the ranks of elite warriors of Avanur without really needing to rely on the help of her mother, the Queen of Avanur.
Lately, Ynarsil had been joined on her escapades by a newfound friend named Valryka. She was from a lesser noble house on the island of Itheryn, in the kingdom of Adaryn, which was in the Eastern Region of Nilduras.
It was a peaceful place, as few of the other kingdoms in Nilduras had fleets and none could compare to that of the Adarynians. Valryka had wanted a more exciting life and chose to leave for the mainland, leading to her arrival in the kingdom's capital, Caras Adaryn, which simply meant capital city of Adaryn.
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This simple way of naming a capital city would seem strange to a foreigner, but the reason was simply that kingdoms often originated from one city, adopting its name as the name of the kingdom itself. As a kingdom expanded, the name of the city would be applied to its entire territory and the city itself would be referred to as the capital of that territory. Thus, kingdoms like Avanur and Adaryn would add the word Caras to the name of their capitals in order to make it clear that they were referring to the capital city and not the entire kingdom.
Valryka had lived in Caras Adaryn for a few years to be trained as an Adarynian ranger before being sent to patrol the northern parts of the region. At the age of thirteen, or twenty-two earth years, she had risen through the ranks and chosen to follow an old Nilduran tradition called the five trials, which was the only way for a member of a lesser noble house to rise to the higher ranks of a kingdom.
Many attempted the five trials. They were referred to as the challengers of Nimdureth and those who succeeded were called champions of Nimdureth. There were few, however, as most challengers would perish or abandon the quest during the first trial.
The tradition stated that the first trial had to take place in the elf's home region, leaving the participant in the hands of the ruling noble families with whom they would be competing for power upon completing all five of the trials. The nobles in charge would, thus, often create dangerous trials, which were near impossible, in order to eliminate the potential rivals.
Valryka had, however, completed her trial. Her task had been to obtain the egg of a great peregrine falcon, which were rare birds found in the Terkin mountains. The journey itself had been treacherous and giant falcons were deadly creatures, but Valryka had returned to Caras Adaryn on the creature's back. This had shocked the citizens of the Adaryn’s capital as great peregrine falcons were rare and extremely difficult to tame.
When the nobles had requested the egg, Valryka had simply replied that the bird was female, and she had obtained all the eggs within it as it became her mount. Some protested, but the council could not deny the truth of her words.
Valryka had thus completed her first trial and her family sought out a kingdom in the Northern Region of Nilduras, through which she may receive her second trial.
A few months later, the diplomat they had sent returned with news that she would be welcome in Avanur, where her trial would be designed by the royal family. Valryka, the first challenger to complete the first trial in Adarynian history, had flown west on her falcon that very day, arriving in Avanur a few weeks later.
Since her arrival, Valryka had been spending her days with Ynarsil in order to pass the time as she awaited instructions from her mother, Queen Nidrielle. The tradition of the five trials did not specify how long the ruling family had to give the participant their trial and some challengers of Nimdureth had waited for years to be assigned their trials.
Impatient, Valryka preferred to spend time outside of the city, training with Ynarsil. Caras Avanur was a very calm and quiet city, apart from the constant chants by followers of the patron goddess Nirdalune, reminding Valryka of Itheryn. This sparked feelings of anger and restlessness as she remembered the many years of boredom she had endured on the island.
Valryka had grown accustomed to the bustling streets of the Adarynian capital, Caras Adaryn, and the wild lands of the Eastern Region in which calm and boring days were few and far between.
That morning, Ynarsil chose to lay down on a large rock above the waterfall instead of training. She had slept very little the previous night as dark thoughts troubled her mind. Her mother, Queen Nidrielle, had sent word that she would be leading her troops into a decisive battle against the armies of the kingdom of Serandor the day before.
The two kingdoms had been involved in a long and bloody conflict, which seemed to be drawing to a close. This battle was predicted to be one of the most decisive ones in the war as both kingdoms had amassed the bulk of their forces.
News of the outcome would arrive sometime that afternoon. Thus, Ynarsil, who was typically an anxious person, felt more anxiety than she had in years. Her mother had refused to let her join in the battle, leaving her back at the capital with nothing to distract her from her worrisome thoughts.
The kingdom of Serandor was located in the southeastern part of the Northern Region and expanded into the Eastern Region. A large part of its territory was in the southern Terkin Mountains and its people were used to tough lives in the cold climate.
Hardened by this harsh lifestyle, the Serandillians were typically burlier and more robust than most elves, making them tough opponents for the Avanurians, who often led a very peaceful and pleasant lifestyle. They made up for this, however, with their great fighting skill. Avanur was an ancient kingdom and its traditional fighting styles had been passed down and perfected over many generations.
The Kingdom of Serandor had started a war by invading a nearby kingdom called Inuvril in hopes of annexing some of their lands. Avanur was forced to declare war on Serandor in order to protect their close ally.
Fimdalis, the King of Serandor, sought fame more than anything. He had convinced his people that Inuvril had once been part of the old Serandillian Empire and was, thus, rightfully their land. In truth, however, he hadn’t expected to succeed in conquering Inuvril. He had simply hoped to start a war. He had grown tired of peace and wanted a chance to show his military might to the world.
The war had initially gone in favour of Avanur and Inuvril, but Fimladis had recently won several battles, using strategy to outflank his enemies and create situations where they were outnumbered time and again.
Rather than distract herself with her usual exercises, Ynarsil had chosen to try and relax. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and she hoped the serenity of the forest would help her manage her anxiety. It didn’t seem to be working, however, as her distress was so great it was visible on her freckled face.
The young princess had a very kind and gentle face with very pale skin and light freckles on her cheeks. Her green eyes had made many envious as their bright colour reflected the light in a way that made them resemble peridots.
Her body was slim, though she had slight curves. She appeared frail, but years of training had given her far more strength and endurance than her physique revealed.
Her long, copper red hair had been braided in an intricate, water fall braid, giving the impression that a belt made of circular pieces ran through her hair. Finely brushed strands of straight hair passed through the hoops before flowing onto her supple shoulders, taking on a wave-like, undulated shape.
She wore a simple lilac gown and long, brown leather boots. She had chosen her clothes for comfort this morning and often wore different outfits throughout the day.
Valryka, however, didn’t have that luxury. She always wore the same type of clothes, though she had a few sets of clothing.
She typically wore black leather pants with long, sleek, boots made of a dark brown leather. Her chest was kept warm by a fancy leather vest, also known as a jerkin, which matched her boots. The vest was kept closed by seven buckled straps across the front, but her arms were only covered by the loose sleeves of her white tunic. She wore a light pastel-blue cape in Simanorion fashion.
The bottom of her white tunic protruded from under her leather jerkin, covering the top of her pants with two large, white triangular pieces of fabric.
A few leather straps ran across her chest, holding different objects, such as her crossbow, to her back. She also owned a set of simple iron armour, covered in a layer of leather and lined in copper in the typical fashion found in the Northern and Eastern regions of the forest, as well as in the Terkin mountains. Knowing she was unlikely to take part in any sort of combat however, she had chosen not to wear her armour this day.
Her face was also very delicate and pretty but often appeared sterner. Her eyes were light blue, a colour considered plain among the elves. However, what set her apart from most elves, was her midnight blue hair. Most elves usually had blonde, brown, black, red or white hair.
A very small percentage of eastern elves were born with blue hair, just as even fewer elves were born with wine-red hair in the central region or purple hair in the Northern Region. There were also many green haired elves in the Western Region of the forest, though they often followed a druidic lifestyle and were rarely seen.
It was said that some of the original groups of elves who settled Nilduras had sent tribes with these special hair colours to live in the corresponding regions of the forest and their descendants were, thus, born with that hair colour every so often.
The Southern Region had a much larger concentration of elves with light red or blonde hair, matching some of the tones the leaves took on and the golden grass in the Prairies of Syleta. These genes were more dominant than those of the blue, wine-red and purple haired elves, resulting in a much large population carrying them.
Valryka was proud of her dark-blue hair, which she usually attached in a ponytail that flowed behind her, following her swift movements, resembling a fox’s tail.
Her walk resembled the elegant sashay of noble elves with even more confidence, and she always seemed to have a dominant posture. She seldom smiled when dealing with most people. With Ynarsil, however, she spent her days laughing.
Valryka trained for most of the day. She practiced shooting her crossbow both from the ground and from the back of her falcon. She had named the great raptor Anvirel after a legendary Adarynian warrior from an ancient legend.
After stopping to eat some of the fruits and plants Ynarsil collected as their midday meal, she decided to do some training in an elven specialty called tree-skipping.
Tree-skipping consisted of travelling through the regular sized trees by leaping from branch to branch. This was rapid form of travelling which was facilitated by the large branches of the regular trees in Nilduras and the conveniently sized spaces between them. When they weren't mounted, elven warriors would usually tree-skip during combat. It allowed them to move in an unpredictable way and gain advantages like height and surprise on their enemies.
Valryka was fairly skilled in tree-skipping but didn't stand a chance in a race against Ynarsil, who had travelled thus everyday for years. Her mother had forbidden her from venturing far from the capital, so she had never been on a long journey, which would require walking on the ground in order to conserve energy. Thus, Ynarsil had always travelled through the forest on Dolendir's back or by tree-skipping.
After a few hours of intense training with short breaks, bathing in the Denur and stretching, Valryka called down Anvirel and flew up to find Ynarsil fast asleep in a patch of long grass and small white flowers. She approached her slowly, thinking it was a good opportunity to scare her, but she found herself staring at the tip of a scimitar as the princess woke up in alarm and brandished her weapon.
"It's just me!" Said Valryka, followed by a laugh.
Ynarsil's serious expression faded into a smile as she replied: "Watch yourself, easterner!"
Valryka simply stood and stared Ynarsil in the eyes, a coy smile upon her face. The ranger’s right hand was lowered beside her, her fingers calmly tapping against her thigh, through the bottom of her tunic. This was a typical gesture of the eastern ranger, which Ynarsil had noticed. It seemed that whenever she stood idle, Valryka was tapping her fingers against her leg.
The two friends laughed as they mounted their birds, both knowing it was time to return into the city as messengers would surely have arrived with information from the battle within.
Ynarsil was usually very shy, especially with people who were older than her. And Valryka was thirteen Edlaryn years of age, around twenty-five in earth years, making her two Edlaryn years older than Ynarsil. But somehow, she felt at ease with the blue-haired ranger. The two friends had been introduced by Queen Nidrielle as an attempt to occupy their guest while she focused on the coming war rather than preparing the trial.
At first, they had been reluctant to get to know each other, but they quickly realized they had common interests, mainly that of wanting to escape the city. Thus, they wandered off together and became close within a few weeks, not only training together but also discussing their thoughts and emotions. Both were also asked not to participate in the war against the Serandillians.
The queen had forbidden Ynarsil from joining in the war efforts as she felt the princess was too young. Many other kingdoms allowed warriors as young as fourteen to fight but Avanur, considering itself to be more progressive and righteous, found such practices appalling and barbaric.
Valryka had been asked by the queen not to partake in the fighting as she considered her a guest of honour and the tradition of the five trials forbade royal families from employing participants in any acts of war. The Adarynian ranger had wanted to join in the fight but chose to respect the queen's wishes. Despite her frustration as Queen Nidrielle had yet to assign her a trial, she admired her and found her to be wiser, more patient and kinder than her own queen, Eslynn of Adaryn.
Both of the young, elven warriors wished they could fight. They had discussed the option of sneaking into the elven ranks and joining them in battle without the queen knowing several times.
Ynarsil was especially tempted to do so as her older sister, Waeliria, had joined Queen Nidrielle, leading a large portion of the army which was set to play a major role in the decisive battle. However, they had decided to stay true to their word and remain near Caras Avanur.
During the flight home, Valryka noticed that Ynarsil was tense and attempted to alleviate some of the tension by ordering Anvirel to bank towards her swiftly every so often, causing her to pull Dolendir away and forcing her to dodge quite of few branches as they weaved between the lower branches of the massive gelvor canopy.
Valryka saw her plan come to fruition as Ynarsil let out a loud laugh once or twice, but it was quickly gone as the white spires of Caras Avanur came into view.
The city was majestic. It spanned over several kilometres, covering the canopy of sixteen gelvors. Many buildings were also out of sight as they had been built on the branches below and around a few of the trunks.
The Avanurians, like most other elves of Nilduras, believed it a sin to harm plants and animals. Therefore, they built their cities from dead trees, giving them ivory white walls.
Their roofs were tiled in clay which had been dyed purple as the gelvor leaves fell upon it for many years, though the elves often mixed in powdered leaves to intensify the purple.
Connecting the different parts of the city were long, winding walkways with enormous arched bridges that spanned the gaps between the gelvors. Along the gelvors were intricate networks of spiraling staircases and bridges connecting the hundreds of buildings built within each canopy. These often spiraled all the way up to the tall spires, which were spread throughout the city.
As in many elven cities, the buildings of Caras Avanur were intricately carved. There were carvings of many plants and animals, but the most common were owls and periwinkles, the symbols of Northern Nilduras, pegasi, the symbol of Avanur, unicorns, the symbol of Nirdalune and clematis, a symbol of prosperity amongst the elves of Nilduras. These also grew in lush vines along many of the columns and walls of the city.
There were many trees and all sorts of plants which had been planted within the city, adding green, white and more purples to the scenery.
Despite her disgust with the monotony of Avanur, Ynarsil appreciated the beauty of her city. She often enjoyed having Dolendir weave between the spires then dive through the branches and glide through the network of bridges and walkways down below.
This time, however, she had no time for such games. She needed to hurry back to the Hall of War and see if there was any news of the battle.
Upon arriving at the majestic building, surrounded by spires with giant owl nests along them, the two elven maidens ran right in, the guards recognizing the princess as she approached.
They found councillor Veristal, one of Queen Nidrielle’s most trusted advisors, as he stood in a large, circular foyer, through which one needed to pass in order to enter the Hall of War.
Veristal had often been appointed to advise Ynarsil over the years and she too came to trust the aging councillor. Though she still felt very shy in his presence, as she did with most people.
Unlike most elves, Veristal’s face wasn’t very angular or imposing. Instead, he had a kind face which made him look very approachable. This made very little difference to Ynarsil, however, as there were very few people with whom she felt comfortable. She was incredibly shy for a lady of the Avanurian court, despite all the training in etiquette and conversation she had received.
As she approached the statesman, Ynarsil’s anxiety peaked, causing her to bite her bottom lip. Councillor Veristal was well aware of her anxious nature and recognized the biting of her bottom lip to be a sign of her distress. The news could not be delayed, however.
“Princess Ynarsil!” Said Veristal, his voice giving away his state of panic. “Your royal highness, there is terrible news from the battle!”
Ynarsil’s eyes widened. She halted and her heart felt as if it had stopped. Have they lost the battle? she wondered.
Veristal spoke quickly, explaining the news he had received from a messenger in a tremulous voice. He was beside himself and constantly seemed to be out of breath.
The Avanurians had won a decisive battle, forcing the Serandillians back into their territory and further impairing them as they attempted to retreat.
This had occurred thanks to the military genius of Queen Nidrielle and her advisors. They had caught the enemy off guard and baited them into several traps, dividing their forces. One such trap, however, had been very costly to the Avanurians.
Queen Nidrielle and her eldest daughter, Waeliria, had been set upon by the elite Serandillian cavalry. They tried to flee as they were greatly outnumbered and their role was to lead enemy forces away from the battlefield, but their escape had been cut off by Serandillian infantry. Both the queen and her daughter had been killed in the battle that ensued.
Nidrielle had fallen along with her eldest daughter, leaving Ynarsil as the sol heir to the throne of Avanur. At the age of eleven, around nineteen in human years, she would soon become queen of one of the most powerful kingdoms in Northern Nilduras, simultaneously facing the great sorrow brought on by the loss of her mother and sister.