King Kalvin rubbed his temples in slow circles. His attendant, Adelfried, had been with the royal family since before the King had been born.

“It’s rather lovely today, your Majesty, Mother of Gods, has blessed Azuren with a good Harvest season.”

“Indeed.”

King Kalvin was walking through the castle’s gardens, with his attendant following an arm’s length distance behind. It was nowhere as vast as some of the other nations’ grounds, but what it lacked in size it made up for in beauty. He was heading to his favourite part, the Magnolia garden. The white and pink trees transported him to a more peaceful place, and the stone bench he liked to frequent overlooked a small pond.

“Your Majesty, might I inquire what is bothering you? You have been quiet since the Colonel Rojel has visited us.”

The King smiled slightly as he saw the little stone bench. He strolled over to it, picked up a fallen magnolia bloom, and sat down.

“Adelfried, come sit next to me,” he gestured to his left, “I’m the same age now as my mother was when she passed.”

Adelfried raised his finger to intercede, but the King simply sighed. “What do I have to show for it? I have gotten the elves out of the Legionnaires and have overseen the New Market development. But besides that, nothing! Perhaps the Colonel is right. Maybe I need to take a more direct approach with the elves. The more control the humans gain, the greater we make Azuren.”

Adelfried, politely coughed, “If I may ask sir, Azuren is one of the most prosperous nations. We also have the largest Elf-hu population. I am not sure if exclusion would be the appropriate solution.”

King Kalvin tried to run his hands through his brown hair but had forgotten it was tied up, “I don’t like them trying to gain more power. Let’s see what the Royal Court thinks about this tomorrow.”

“But the Kind King…”

“What did you just say?” the King jumped to his feet.

“My error, your majesty, I meant King Kalen naturally. He worked decades to prove how prosperous tolerance can be.”

The King’s eyes narrowed, and he whispered, “You, of all people, knew how truly tolerant my father was.”

Adelfried realized his second faux pas of the conversation. “My apologies your Majesty, I don’t know what has overcome me today.” He dipped in a low bow to the waist.

“Just bring me my favourite brew.”

Adelfried couldn’t help himself, “Pardon your Majesty, do you mean the Sweet Meadows Ale brewed in Sweet Meadows?”

“Yes. Must you spell out everything today? Now begone.”

Adelfried mumbled under his breath once he was out of earshot. You mean the ale that is brewed by elves, harvested by the Elf-hu, and sold by elves. What am I going to do with that boy?

King Kalvin took a deep breath, trying to inhale the peacefulness of the garden. He looked at the statue of his mother and laughed out loud. The statue had been commissioned by him but designed by some architect. They had made her look like an interpretation of the Mother of the Gods. Glorious she was, but not all mighty. If the King had to describe his mother in a few words, he would have said warm and safe.

“Oh, mother, I feel so alone. I miss you.”

He heard someone walking towards him, and straightened his back. A human maid was weaving her way carefully through the garden. She had a bowl of salted nuts and the ale with two orange slices on a silver tray.

“Your Majesty.” She curtsied, placed the tray where Adelfried had been sitting, and then backed away. He nodded in thanks. She would have loved it if the handsome King engaged in conversation with her. But he didn’t.

Only as the King squeezed the first orange slice into his ale and bit into the fleshy part remaining did he realize the slight by Adelfried about Sweet Meadows.

He took a sip of his favourite beer. For some reason it now tasted bittersweet.

--

Sylvie was relieved to see the high reeds close to where Auntie Mabel likes to hide her boat. She spoke directly to the water, “thank you kind fish for helping me. Can I do anything to repay you?”

A large bluegill popped his head out of the water, “No problem. Been a long time since we’ve seen a ‘talker of fish,’ we’d love some breadcrumbs.”

“I think I can manage that.”

“Look,” Maggie nudged her brother Levent. “She is talking to animals again.”

The bluegill, flapped his tail at the little girl staring at him, while she clapped and laughed.

Sylvie jumped in the water; the ice-cold water felt refreshing. She dunked her head back and laid there for a few seconds trying to brush her hair with her fingers. She was pretty sure she had touched dried blood in her hair earlier.

“Can we jump in too?” shouted Levent, Larkin’s look-a-like little boy.

“No! You two need a real bath. I’m just going to pull the boat up.”

Sylvie heaved. Alaric’s boat was much heavier this time with the two boxes of weapons piled in it.

“Mama, wake up.” The little girl was poking her mother hard. But the tired woman didn’t budge and as she rolled slightly to the side began to snore.

“Shhhh, let her sleep. I think your mother hasn’t gotten to rest much these last few weeks.”

Levent nodded in agreement. “Your aunt lives here?” He looked around; the forest seemed endless.

Maggie reached her arms up to Sylvie; her excitement had caught up with her.

“I’m soaking wet, are you sure you want me to pick you up?”

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The little girl nodded while yawning.

Ten minutes later, they slowly saw the little hill housing Auntie Mabel’s compound. Levent was still bouncing with energy. “It’s a palace. WOAH. What is that, a giant cat?”

Maggie squirmed to get out of Sylvie’s arms.

Heru had been licking his paws and lifted his head at the new commotion.

He looked at Sylvie, “What on earth is that? Whose children are these?”

“Too much to explain right now,” Sylvie lowered her voice, “please let them pet you. They have gone through a rough time.”

“Oh, very well. I might as well give them a show. Your sister is soaking in the tub. The big one, still unpacking brought her.” Heru rose, stretched his long legs, and sprinted in a massive circle among the property.

Levent and Maggie ran giggling behind him, trying to catch up. After one lap the kids piled up in the grass. Maggie had the hiccups from laughing so hard.

“You are so fast!” Levent said while clapping.

Heru, as majestically as only a cheetah can, strutted over and sat down by the kids. Within seconds he was covered in hands.

Sylvie waved to the large guy and shouted, “I’ll be right over to introduce myself.” She went around the bend and saw Blanca quickly trying to wash her hair.

“Oh, Sylvie, what a relief to see you. I’ll be just one more minute. You do not want to know what was in my hair.”

While the kids were entertained with Heru, Sylvie took the next five minutes to brief Blanca.

Blanca sucked in her breath, “Boar’s breath, those poor things. Where’s the mother?” She rubbed a towel rigorously through her hair and then slipped on a light purple linen dress. It was a tad short on her, but it didn’t matter.

“I’m going to get her right now. The kids haven’t complained once yet, but they are probably starving…” Sylvie’s stomach rumbled right on cue.

“Say no more, Santos was just unpacking supplies from the Cloaked Knights. I will make a sandwich platter for all of us and maybe some carrot soup for dinner…. Sylvie, what are you wearing?”

Sylvie was still wearing a half wet, torn, too small elven dress from the kind elf in Sweet Meadows. It felt like that had been days ago. “Let’s first get everyone fed. Then I’ll scrounge around Auntie Mabel’s closet.”

“Let me do that.” Blanca smiled and engulfed her sister in a big bear hug. “I’m so happy you are ok.”

Sylvie heard Maggie scream and went running with Blanca close on her heels.

Santos was singing, had one kid under each armpit, and twirling.

He took one look at Sylvie’s face and smiled apologetically. “I can’t help it; I love children.” He placed Maggie and Levent down as carefully as eggs are laid in a basket. “Again, again,” they shouted in chorus and pulled on his arms.

Blanca crouched down, “Hello, you two. I bet you guys are hungry. Do you want to come with me? I bet my auntie has some wild strawberries hidden around here.”

They immediately let go of Santos and grabbed Blanca’s hands.

Sylvie quickly introduced herself; she thought she had large hands; hers were engulfed in his. “Are you part giant? She asked only partially joking. His eyes twinkled, and his laugh was loud like a boom of thunder. “Some say my great-great-grandmother was a giant. But my family loves storytelling. So I won’t believe everything they say.”

Heru butted in, “He’s from Land of the Suns. I can see it from the way he walks. He’s quite far from home.”

Sylvie nodded at Heru, “so what brings you so far away from home?”

If Santos was surprised, he certainly didn’t show it. “I wanted to explore, and my Aunt Heike wanted someone to go check out what the Cloaked Knights were doing. She recommended that I meet with your father. I haven’t been in Azuren very long.”

Some random lady in the Land of the Suns even knew my father was part of the Cloaks before I did. Sylvie frowned and kicked at the grass.

“Are you ok? Did I say something wrong?”

“Boar’s breath, I’m sorry. I haven’t gotten to speak to my father at all, and I have a lot of questions for him.”

Santos thought quickly back to the cave, his remembered how mad the short little red-haired one had been with Fergus. He assumed Sylvie would be the same.

He smiled and shrugged. “When one family problem ends a new one begins.”

“Aye.” Sylvie looked him up and down, “think you are strong enough to carry a box of weapons on your own? I need to take care of the kid’s mother.”

He feigned offence and then laughed again. “I don’t think it will be a problem.”

--

Faren was out of breath when she got back to Alements. Mabel and Kurtis, the owner of Alements, were huddled at the same back table Avery had been at a few hours earlier.

Kurtis stood up, alarmed, “what happened? You are white as a ghost.” He pulled out a chair and guided her to it.

Faren shook her head. “No, no. I can’t sit right now. This is bad.”

Three Cloaked Knights, four if they included Larkin, had been killed during the orc raid. Mabel had some small tokens prepared for the families of the deceased and Faren, knowing where all three of the men had lived, volunteered to take it to them.

Mabel stood up and slightly lifted her chin to look Faren in the eyes. She grabbed her hand and squeezed gently, a very elven gesture. “Everything is going to be ok. Kurtis, can you please grab her a glass of water? Come sit by me child.”

“They are gone,” Faren whispered.

“What? Where have they gone? How?” Kurtis blurted out questions.

“Kurtis, please, water.”

Mabel muttered something, while placing both thumbs on Faren’s forehead. With slight pressure, she slid her thumbs around Faren’s eyebrows down to her jawline.

Faren’s shoulder relaxed, and a little bit of colour came back to her cheeks. She raised an eyebrow at Mabel.

“Shhh, all the knowledge stays. Just a little of the anxiety goes away.”

Faren nodded, she still felt sick to her stomach, but at least she felt better than she had a few moments earlier. She had run as fast as she could from the new market.

Kurtis returned with water and some apples.

“Ok Faren, tell us what happened.”

Faren took a deep breath, “the two elves that had passed away live both in the old market. So I started with Clovis. He only lived about two blocks away from Alements,” she twiddled her braid, “his wife and children were gone. The house was raided.”

“What?” Kurtis slammed his fist on the table.

“I know. Some of the neighbours were outside talking, and I asked what happened. They said the Legionnaires had been there just a half-hour earlier. So, then I ran as fast as I could to Erwin’s place. He’s about six blocks away.” She looked at her hands. “His wife is a talented gardener, and she always has the prettiest flower boxes in their windows.” She wiped a tear that hadn’t yet formed, “Same thing as Clovis. I think they only have one kid. But the house was completely raided, and they were missing.”

Mabel had to steady her own hands. She had understood immediately what was going on.

“This is war.” Kurtis’ knee was bouncing so fast under the table that the water glasses were slightly shaking.

Mabel gave him a side glance but didn’t say anything.

“Filbert lived in the new market. I didn’t know him personally. But I have…eh a friend… that is his neighbour. His wife and children, thank Mother of Gods, were still in their house. I gave them the envelope from you. They needed a few minutes to collect themselves, but then I told them what I saw at Clovis and Erwin’s place. She gathered her children; they have three of them. And are heading to her brother’s house in Hallr. I told her to send a pigeon to Alements once she got there safe.”

Faren cleared her throat and looked cautiously at both Mabel and Kurtis, “I hope that was ok?”

“I shouldn’t have put you in this situation. But I am grateful you were able to get Filbert’s family out of here. You did a great job Faren.”

She still felt sick to her stomach but was relieved she hadn’t made anything worse. She slid over the two envelopes intended for the families back to Mabel.

Kurtis looked anxiously over his shoulder, “Mabel, do you think they are in the dungeons? How are we going to get them out?”

The pigeon that had been accompanying her the entire day received a little piece of her apple. She took out a parchment and wrote:

Keep up appearances- stay home! Will meet with you tomorrow night at ‘place’. Families of the deceased taken by Legionnaires. Sylvie is ok.

The pigeon seemed relieved to leave; flapping quickly out of the open window.

“Fergus and I will take care of the families. Kurtis, I need you to make sure the scouts are working around the clocks. Rotate their shifts to not raise suspicions. Did I hear earlier right; are the elves now on strike?”

Faren and Kurtis nodded.

“Dragon balls. Talk about bad timing. They will use this against us.” Mabel stood up and paced slowly by their table. “Faren, I wanted to take you home with me tonight. But I think I will need you to stay here a few more days. I need you to call the strike off. If they ask questions, you can tell them the truth. ‘Three men died protecting Azuren. The Legionnaires are looking for any excuse of trouble.’ You can tell them about their families being taken too. But use your discretion. I don’t want a riot occurring, ok?”

Faren let out a low whistle and buried her face in her hands. “What a mess.”

Mabel sighed, “it’s going to get a lot messier.”