Ruven’s assassin had failed to deal with Sarah and Queakers within the city and when the assassin headed out to try to track them down in the wild, Elen expected that the assassin would fail again.The only lead that they had to the whereabouts of their formers students, was that human hunter and they had all lost him in the middle of the city. It was ridiculous, but Elen knew if she wanted something done right, she had to do it herself.
Elen had already done some research and she had learned that the human hunter had sold a significant amount of slime materials a few weeks back. He must have taken the road out to the area near the Slime Fields and then scavenged around for slime remains or ambushed weakened slimes to collect the materials that he sold. He probably had a hideout in that area to help him survive, underleveled and underskilled as he was. The Slime Fields were near some very dangerous areas that would have surely been fatal for someone like a broken path like him.
No doubt he led his friends in an escape down the road to his hideout in the Slime Fields, where they likely were currently still lying low. Ruven’s wolf assassin would never find them, but with her superior reasoning and skills it would be easy for Elen. She decided to gather Phraan, Ruven, Elen, Lyle, Karl and Lando. They would be more than enough to penetrate into the Slime Fields to find the hideout and wipe them out their wayward students. It was almost too simple.
***
Eastern Tear didn’t have what I would call gates, at least not in a traditional sense. It was a camp integrated into the littoral space between the alpine lake that fed Ghostlight Falls and the forest that ran from near the shore to the eastern edge of the plateau itself. Because of the sheer nature of the plateau on its eastern edge and the location of the lake there were only two ways to approach Eastern Tear: you had to come from the lake or you had to come through the weald that ran between the lake and eastern edge of the plateau.
Despite not being fortified with walls and gates, Eastern Tear was highly defensible due to these limited approaches. The land route was difficult and the route across the lake was wide open. In the core of this space, was another safe zone that defined the village of Eastern Tear proper. Even an amphibious assault on the area would be difficult, assuming that you had the means in the first place, due to the high ground the forest provided above the dunes on the lakes shore. It was a shooting gallery and with the camp fully integrated into the trees it was hard to imagine anyone making it across the killzone between the edge of the lake and the forest, let alone into the camp.
Of course, we were on the list and just walked in. The sentries remained hidden as we passed and no one challenged us. Delirin was greeted by nearly everyone that we met. She was clearly well known and, I’d venture, very well loved in Eastern Tear. Queakers also got many good greetings, not by name at this point, but many of the elves that stopped to greet her were more than tickled when she replied via her communication board. Queakers was a real hit. Some of the elves were so enamored they walked with us for a time and a few even provided Queakers with some tasty treats. True to form, Queakers thought that this level of attention made perfect sense.
We requested an appointment to meet with the council from an attendant outside a dense grove of tall larches. I expected that receiving an appointment to meet with the council would be an arduous process that would test my patience, so I was surprised when they agreed to meet with us the next day at noon. There was a lot that I didn’t really know about Delirin, but it was clear that she was very comfortable in Eastern Tear and that people were very comfortable deferring to her.
When you really got down to it, I didn’t even really know why Delirin had helped me in the first place. I had paid her and Deldes well based on the information that I had at the time, but it wasn’t really as much as I thought. When we went to more advanced areas, which the pair of hunters could have easily handled on their own, we could make more than I was paying them without too much trouble. I also know that they aren’t overly fond of humans. They weren’t as dismissive as some of the other elves that I have met, but they weren’t friendly to humans like the brownies were. They were real fae, though I honestly don’t think that I really understood what that meant at the time either.
During our early time together, Delirin sometimes went truly wild when we were on the hunt, like a maniac, and she absolutely laughed herself to tears at the beatings that I took. She also really helped me to learn the basics and get a solid foundation extremely quickly. She knew what she was doing and I owed much of my current ability in combat and as an adventurer to her and Deldes. Somewhere along the line I began to think of Delirin as a friend and it made sense to have her around, but I really didn’t know anything about her background.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I was curious to learn more about the elven huntress, especially after seeing the behavior of her fellow elves in her presence. The good news was that my curiosity was about to be satisfied and then some, because Delirin suggested that we go visit her family while we waited for our audience with the council. She led Queakers and me to her family’s house or compound or whatever you want to call the network of tree houses, glades, reflecting pools and alpine gardens that Delirin’s family called home. It had to cover at least a few acres. I didn’t know how wealth worked with the fae, but I was pretty sure that Delirin’s family had it.
Everything was seamlessly integrated into the surroundings, but also intentional, beautiful and practical. The dwelling fit perfectly into nature like nothing that I had seen before and few things that I have seen since. I was lost in thought for a moment, but I was aware of the party of elves that had begun approaching as we arrived. I got my second shock when Delirin’s mom, Alloralla, came in for a hug as Delirin introduced us. I got my third shock when Delirin’s dad, Aubron, and sister, Sana, also came in for hugs. Friendly elves? I caught Delirin looking a little sheepish while this was going on, but she also wasn’t making eye contact. Delirin’s younger sister, Sana, just teased her sister, “So this is the Harris who spent ten hours in Ghostlight Falls during his rite?”
If Lord and Lady Aenorin, as I would later learn Lady Delirin Aenorin’s parents were correctly called, were happy to see me, they were ecstatic to get their hands on Queakers. “So this is the famous Lady Queakers?” Aubron asked.
“Yes. I can see it, Delirin,” Alloralla interjected. “The forest spirit is extremely strong with her.”
When “Lady” Queakers responded “Thank you,” with her communication board, both Sana and Alloralla squealed with delight.
Aubron gushed, “Truly unique. You may well be a generational talent Lady Queakers, which is saying something coming from an elf.”
Yeah. This killed the whole weird boyfriend meets the parents vibe that had cropped up. They were obsessed with the dog, just like Delirin, and it seemed like they were crackpots, also just like Delirin.
We were joined by Deldes’ family at the Aenorin estate for a lovely private dinner that lasted most of the evening. Deldes’ mother, Lady Melaru Perrie, and Deldes’ brother, Sir Ranaeril Perrie, were just as friendly as Delirin’s family. Deldes’ father, Lord Delmuth Perrie, had a bit more of Deldes’ sternness, but was also great company across the evening. I found out that I was Deldes and Delirin’s student. It was news to me, but it was helpful to have the clarification. Apparently, the deal that Galan had struck was for my instruction by the two scions of the wild elves that had been living in this area in solitude and outside of the direct mandate of the administrator for Region Eleven.
It was clear that Galan was respected even here. The conversation with the Aenorins and the Perries made it obvious that Galan had some rank within the Court and some pull that extended even further. Galan’s request had weight, but my “teachers” had expected early failure from me. As we worked together more, they got more invested and began reporting back home about our exploits and my progress. Deldes, Delirin and all of their family members had way too much time on their hands and these stories became some kind of entertainment in which everyone had become just a little too invested.
The legend of Queakers had also been growing. She had a strong affinity for nature attuned magic that some of the elves could directly perceive. By our pre-awakening standards Queakers was an animal and a pet, but she was much more here and it seemed like Eastern Tear might be the perfect place for her to continue to grow. In Eastern Tear Queakers could progress in an environment where she was respected and treated as an equal. I felt really good about leaving Queakers with the elves, but I was disappointed in a selfish way that she didn’t need me anymore.
I slept great that night at the Aenorin estate. The base of the bed was stone, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect would be that comfortable, but some kind of fabulous moss grew thickly on the slab to create a layer of cushion that gave the sensation of floating. The bedchamber had no real roof, but instead was surrounded by a tent of a gossamer like fabric that kept out the elements and insects without really disrupting the view of the starry sky through the trees. My sleeping quarters were situated on the ground in one of the many gardens created in a pocket in the canopy.
The next morning Delirin, Queakers and I relaxed over a late breakfast laden with fruit, nuts and honey while we prepared for our meeting with the council. I gathered that some negotiation would be required, even if the council was predisposed to allow the request. Galan and Leirin were planning to arrive in another week, so if we failed they could perhaps intercede on our behalf, but I really wanted to get this done quickly without relying on my brownie benefactors further.