The walk to the heart of the Bellon was a long silent one. Maug tried to ask questions initially but was ignored by their guide entirely and gave up on Del when he got only gruff nods or mumbles. She only got more sullen as they moved deeper into the forest.
Grey morning light was filtering through the trees when they heard other people in the forest. At first, there were only a few footfalls and soft words, but soon people moved around them freely. Most were elves of the same coloring and stature as the rangers, but there were children too and even a few dark-haired, pale-skinned Aurelians. Some stared at the new arrivals with curiosity, but never for more than a moment. They were otherwise completely ignored.
Singing reached them through the trees, and the air was filled with the smell of baking bread when they finally stopped beside a stone outcrop in a small clearing.
“Sit,” was all their guide said before turning his back to them.
The day and night before had been long, and they had spent most of it running. They were both quick to find a seat with their backs to the cool stone. Del rummaged through her pack for a chunk of salt beef and stale bread. She saw Maug staring at her wearily and sighed.
“Eat. And rest. We may be here for a bit.”
Before he could answer, Tafa sprung from the pack snorting and huffing, running this way and that. Del scooped her up before she could run far, but not before the ranger saw her. He pulled his dagger and pointed it at Tafa.
“I can kill the komarak for you,” Tafa growled and wiggled her stubby wings in anger. Del patted her between the eyes with a shushing sound.
“You will leave her be or I will break that hand,” Del said. The guard only laughed.
“Don’t let the pest out of your sight or you won’t have a chance.”
Maug stared at her in disbelief. “You’ll break his hand?” He snorted, “What’s he got against Tafa, anyway?” He scratched the little creature under her bony chin until she purred contentedly.
“Komarak are considered pests in Bellon. Kind of like rats in a city, I guess. Only they fly, which makes them harder to catch. Tafa’s wings never came in right. I found her abandoned and starving. She bit me twice before I got her in my pocket.” She gave Tafa one last stroke on her blue head and placed her in the hood of her cloak.
Maug shot a glance at their guard, who had gone back to ignoring them and moved closer to her. “Who do they think you are, Del? What are they going to do when they find out you’re not? And where did you learn Velli?”
Del sighed again and toyed with the forgotten bread in her hand. She gave him a sad look. “I am who I told them I was. We will meet with Lord Entoris and leave. No plan, just that.” She hesitated before continuing, “And I learned the language here.”
“Here,” Maug gave her a half smile and gestured around him, “here, here?”
“Yes,” she said. “I grew up here.”
Maug laughed, causing the guard to look back at them and narrow his eyes. Maug stared back, definitely, but lowered his voice when he spoke again.
“Why didn’t you tell me you lived here? Wait, is this where you got the ring?” He lowered his voice even more, “Del, if you lifted that ring from a Velli still here…they are not ones to mess with. I’ve heard stories.”
“I didn’t steal it. The ring is mine.” She rolled her eyes. “And the stories you’ve heard are probably bullshit.”
“Well, that guy seems to line up,” he pointed to the ranger's back, “and you said yourself this forest is magic. It’s not called the silent forest for nothing. People disappear in here. And you told me you stole that ring.”
“I never told you that. You assumed and I didn’t correct you.” Del got to her feet heavily and pointed to the top of the stone. “Come on,” was all she said before she started climbing. Their guard turned at the movement, but only grunted before turning around again. Maug followed her to the top. The climb was a quick one. Even as tired as they were, the stone was not steep or particularly tall and had easy footholds. Once at the top, she sat down facing the valley below. She waited for Maug to join her.
“I hope we’re up here for a nap,” he grunted heavily as he sat down next to her. “Maybe a hardy picnic? You got some lamb hidden away?” He poked playfully at her pack and Tafa squeaked hopefully from her hood.
She gave a half-hearted smile and shook her head. “Look.” She gestured to the valley below.
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A deep fog covered much of the forest but thinned around the valley floor, revealing a large village beside the deep, slow-moving river. There was little planning for the various structures of the town. Homes and shops, farms, and barns were placed next to each other without order. Some were made of stone and mud, others of wood and leaf. All were small and squat. Paths wove in and around many, but these were just as haphazard as the little buildings.
Elves wove around the paths and among the buildings, dark and lithe. Women with tubs of wash or baskets of eggs, men with iron tools and pushcarts, all in drab shades of brown and green. Children ran and shouted around them even at this early hour.
“Huh…it looks very…,” Maug began.
“Common?” Del suggested.
“Aye. I guess I was expecting, I don’t know. Grand? Magic? Spooky?”
“Something like that?” She pointed further up the valley. There, almost completely hidden by the steamy fog, was a dark castle. He may have missed it if she hadn’t pointed it out, but now that he saw it, the sable structure drew his eye in an eerie way.
The stone of the ringing outer wall was dark gray and small blockhouses dotted its lower reaches. Ranger homes, Del knew. A few pitched roofs of gray and brown could be seen over the wall, but the dominant feature of the castle was a single wide bastion rising from the middle of the wall. Solid stone from the base to the top of its sharp peak, black as shadow, and gleaming. A narrow, foaming waterfall ran from the base of the tower. The water snaked through the trees until meeting the river in the valley below. Shrouded in the mists of the Camersol that ran through it and surrounded by the tall trees of the Bellon, it made for an impressive sight.
“Yeah, like that,” Maug muttered, looking at the castle in awe.
Del shook her head, “don’t be too impressed. Castle Avolire, like the town below it, is just a castle, as much wattle, daub, and timber as stone. The stables stink, the halls are dreary and damp, and the inhabitants think more of themself than they ought to. The high lords of the Velli sit in that tower, making proclamations and dabbling in what little magic they remember, trying to keep their legend alive with the outside world and their own people.” She scowled down at the busy village. “The best way to do that is to keep their people simple and everyone else away. Half the stories of the silent forest are rumors created by the Velli themselves. The other half are from the rangers that prowl the forest edges who would rather stab than talk.”
He looked at her in shock. “You’ll get us killed talking like that. And how could you possibly know any of that?”
“Maug,” she turned to face him. She had a sudden urge to take his hand, to see him laugh. “I’m sorry. I don’t… I should have told you…”
“Evandella,” a deep voice from below called, “Evandella Wranbanise, would you mind joining us?”
At the sound of the booming voice, Del jumped to her feet and looked over the stone ledge to the forest floor. Before she could grab her, Tafa gave a delighted squeak and jumped from her hood. She was a blue flash as she scurried over the side of the stone. Del followed more slowly, with Maug behind her.
The deep-voiced man greeted them once they were on the ground again. Taller and more powerfully built than the other elves, Lord Entoris had a sharp face that was just shy of being handsome. Streaked with silver, his dark hair framed a sharp face that was just shy of being handsome. He looked over Del and Maug with keen golden eyes. On one shoulder of his gold and green embroidered coat perched Tafa, hooting happily.
“Traitor,” Del said.
“Oh, do not scold the little thing,” Entoris chuckled and scratched under Tafa’s chin. “I have missed her.”
“I plainly remember you telling me once she was ‘destined to die’ and I should ‘leave her to nature as the gods intended’.”
The elven lord gently lifted Tafa from his shoulder and handed her to Del. “And as usual, I underestimated your determination, Evandella,” he said kindly. Del smiled at the praise and placed Tafa on her shoulder.
“You were correct of course, my Lord,” the pinched-faced man beside Entoris said in a high reedy voice, “komarak are filthy things, pests, terrible pests.” He wore a coat and pants similar in cut to Entoris, but with twice as much elaborate embroidery. His long, dark hair was dry and dull.
“Ah, Lord Kroan,” Del said in mock sweetness, “still claiming the opinions of your betters to stay afloat? It is nice to know some things have not changed in my absence. It’s comforting.” Kroan bristled at her words.
The other man in the party moved forward a step. Where Entoris looked strong and intelligent, this man looked hard and cruel. His face was a mask. There was no bright embroidery to break the heavy black of his coat. “It seems this one has learned no manners outside our borders.” He spoke softly, with an unpleasant gravelly voice. “Not that I expected she ever would.”
Del flinched from him by instinct, but recovered herself quickly. Her face reddened with anger and embarrassment. Taking a step toward him, she placed a hand on her dagger.
"Lord Leon," she said, "you would be surprised at what I’ve learned beyond these borders. It would be a pleasure to show you.” She slid the dagger out so an inch of metal showed above her belt. The ranger that had been guarding them unsheathed his own dagger.
“You will not be needing that Albaran,” Entoris said, gesturing to the ranger. Turning to Del he said, “perhaps you could instead tell us of the visitor you have brought?”
Del let out a long breath and turned. “Maug…” She found him staring from her to the elven lords suspiciously. Her heart sank. “Of course. I’m sorry.” She turned back to the others. “This is Maugrian Bilkan, my companion and friend.” She saw Leon’s scowl and Kroan’s disgust, and she had never hated them more.
“A pleasure and welcome, Maugrian,” Entoris said before turning back to Del. “I assume you have come because of the troubles. Are you finally ready then, to take your place as the rightful Queen of Orvesa?”