Читать книгу Elantion - Valentina Massano - Страница 12

In the following four days, the journey had been relatively uneventful. Kaj and Clarice were walking along a path to a shallower area of the forest. The light became more and more intense, with the sides of the path hemmed by small ferns and shrubs. The trees were very tall, with huge trunks, wrinkled and gnarled. Meanwhile, the branches were entwined in an increasingly dense weave. A light mist embraced the area, and the humidity that made them feel so unpleasantly wet amplified the already bitter cold.

The path often changed direction and incline; they had been walking uphill for a long time, and the stream was now at least three meters below them. The vegetation was constantly changing, and they ventured from very dense areas to clearings and glades. The bend of the stream they were skirting was very sharp, and there they came across the first bridge. It stood out against a small waterfall, and sunbeams were penetrating the thick foliage of the fir trees, creating picturesque light effects.

“Does that mean we’ve arrived?” Kaj asked, hoping.

“I’m afraid not, but there’s a system of bridges and walkways ahead. They’ll help us cross all the rocky ledges to Nidath.”

“Well that’s a relief!”

“I was afraid I’d never see these places again,” she admitted, looking around. “Let’s get a move on. We can pick up the pace now.”

A little further on, the walkways kept crossing over the stream, winding tortuously to avoid the trees.

“These bridges were built during the time of the Great Reconciliation for the sake of pilgrims and travelers who, not being elves, didn’t know the forest. The wood they’re made of comes from ancient trees. I can feel their strength.” Clarice put her hands on one of the trunks, and closing her eyes, perceived its inner essence—or at least, that’s how it really seemed to him.

“You’re feeling its power?” he asked, intrigued. She nodded.

The wood of the walkway was dark, and covered with moss in places. The fallen yellow leaves created a striking contrast with the dark green of the trees and the bright green of the moss. The closer they came to the city, the more surreal it seemed—the leaves were fallen as in autumn, but the trees were not bare. On the contrary, they stood quite lush and leafy. During the first few days of the journey, they had braved blizzards; now they were preoccupied only with trying not to slip on the wet leaves.

Kaj was absorbed in his thoughts. Alana’s appearance. The things Clarice had told him in Fenan. Oloice’s arrival. The orcs that had attacked the village. Every one of these events seemed to be linked by some invisible thread. Eventually, he realized that he didn’t know who he was, or for that matter what he would become. All he knew for sure was that he could shape his own destiny.

Clarice’s voice jolted him from his thoughts. “Kaj, are you listening to me?”

“Err… I… I wasn’t listening.” He smiled, but realized that was not the appropriate response in this particular scenario, as she was quite annoyed.

“How about giving me a moment of your time? As I was saying, it’s not long now. The forest has changed a lot since the last time I was here, so I can’t be sure of our position, but if I’m not mistaken, we should be close to the Sacred Brume of Desail.”.

“One of your gods?” asked Kaj, interested.

“She’s the goddess of the hunt. According to the stories, the Brume is where Desail used to rest after her hunting excursions. Let me let you in on something: ‘Initiates’—that is, elves that are preparing to become hunters—learn the art of hunting from their Master, a position achieved after receiving the Embrace of the Goddess. Have you ever wondered how an elf can outflank their prey without being heard or noticed?”

“I always imagined it’s because of elves’ connection to the forest.”

Clarice shook her head, satisfied. “I’ll tell you a story. It’s said that, in the beginning, Desail was a distracted goddess. During a hunting trip, her arrow missed its mark, and the animal it hit suffered so much that its groans of pain shocked Desail’s kind soul. She then decided that none of the children of Efabi, the goddess of the forest, should ever have to suffer like this, and gave her hunters what we call Desail’s Breath. A hunter is only a hunter if the Breath accompanies them; it’s what allows them to get close enough to their prey that they can exercise enough precision to kill the animal instantly. A hunter does not want to kill; they do it to feed their people, so it is incumbent on the hunter to make their prey’s death peaceful. The hunter entrusts their arrow to Desail, and the soul of the prey to Efabi by reciting some words in the Tongue of Old. The Sacred Brume of Desail is the only place in the forest surrounded by a perennial patch of fog, hence the name. Some like to think that when there are small patches of fog in the forest, Desail is out hunting,” she finished, contented.

“Charming. These sorts of things aren’t widely known in the other realms.”

“I was wondering whether we could afford to take a detour… I’d like to go to the Sacred Brume.”

“I think we have time. Plus, now I’m curious to see the place myself.”

Clarice lit up, happy she had his approval. Kaj understood that it was important to her, so they left the walkway system for a fairly rough side path. After a while, stones about twenty inches tall appeared on the sides of the path, each carved with strange symbols. Clarice approached the first rock, touching the symbol with her fingers almost fearfully.

“What are these symbols?”

“These are words in the Tongue of Old. It’s a prayer that accompanies the hunter who goes down the path leading to the Brume, but I can’t translate what the words mean. It wouldn’t make sense in your language.”

The elf’s words did not surprise him. He made a joke. “Strange tongues and secret prayers! So much for the Reconciliation!” he exclaimed.

She replied in kind, with a pinch of dry wit: “This is who we are—what makes us elves. It’d be like asking humans to stop being greedy, but you know that’s not happening.”

“Hey! That’s a cutting remark. Not all humans are greedy, you know,” he scolded her, proud to be a human.

Clarice laughed heartily. “Please, Kaj, you don’t believe that yourself! I’ve never met a human who doesn’t allow succumb to corruption over a few tinkling coins!”

Kaj took after her example and replied in kind: “Sure, maybe we can be a tad bit greedy, but we have our good points, too. Besides you know a human who doesn’t correspond to your description…”

“Really? Who would that be?” she asked, feigning surprise.

“Last I checked, you never offered me coin to follow you on this crazy adventure. In fact, I came despite the fact many would have considered your arguments unconvincing.”

“And yet, you’re tagging along. My unconvincing arguments were enough to convince you.”

Kaj shook his head in amusement. “Okay, okay, I give up.”

Clarice looked down, laughing. “I must admit that out of all the humans I have known, you are the most likeable… at least so far.”

The man was taken aback. “Thanks. I’d like to say the same about you, but you’re an elf…” For a moment, he was afraid that came out wrong, but fortunately she understood what he meant.

“I know.” The smile soon left her face. “Unfortunately, among the noble families in Nidath, there are still elves who do not accept the Reconciliation and the sharing of their culture…” she looked up, and stopped in her tracks.

“There it is—the Sacred Brume of Desail. Follow me!”

A thick fog obscured the path, and Kaj saw Clarice disappear into it.

“Where did you go?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, come in!” she urged.

Kaj advanced forward, and after a few steps in the fog, he was paralyzed: a huge tree stood at the center of the clearing. The trunk’s knots and the curling of its branches reminded him of a woman’s body. Its powerful roots were visible in places; when Kaj placed his hand on the trunk, he felt the energy that emanated from it, and he pulled back almost out of fear. The tree had a bright aura all around it, and was surrounded by various objects: there were tablets and stones, engraved and decorated with elven symbols and words, and there were the beautiful yellow flowers that grew all around the tree. Clarice pointed out the skins, teeth and skulls of animals neatly arranged at the foot, all gifts and tokens of thanks left by the hunters who had received the Breath. At the center of all the offers lay a larger tablet, and above it, resting on a root, sat the huge skull of some deer-like creature.

“That skull… what animal is it?”

“That trophy, together with the largest tablet below it, belong to the Master. He faced his opponent and received Desail’s Embrace, and that’s the skull of a silverdeer, the rarest and most shy deer species of all the Shadetrail. If one finds you and guides you, and if you manage to kill it, it means that Desail has given you her Embrace; silverdeer are immune to the Breath. When the hunter receives the Embrace, they are wrapped in Desail’s invisible fog and can approach it without running away. When a silverdeer is killed, two of them are said to mate during the next full moon, to restore balance. These deer only conceive during nights of the full moon, and the birth of a fawn is extremely rare.”

“It’d be nice to see one…” The tale had Kaj fascinated.

“Don’t get your hopes up!” she replied, laughing.

“I was serious,” said Kaj, annoyed.

But Clarice didn’t heed his response. “Let’s go.”

They passed through the fog, and Clarice knelt facing the Brume, reciting a few words in Elvish before resuming the journey.

They were walking apace, but Clarice was forced to slow down from time to time to wait for Kaj, who stopped to observe the landscape and to catch his breath. She realized that her desire to get to the city was strong, and that it was affecting her mood. “Could you avoid stopping constantly?” she eventually snapped.

“I’ve never been here. These places are so beautiful. You can’t blame me if I stop to enjoy them a little,” he replied.

“We’re not here for the view!” she scolded him.

“The world won’t suddenly disappear if I stop to look at the forest for a moment,” he replied, annoyed.

Clarice took a deep breath before answering. She tried to ignore that. “Shall we go now?” Upon seeing Kaj had no intention of moving, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Get a damn move on! I won’t wait for you if you don’t move. “

“What’s the matter with you? I was just resting!” he said, worked up now.

“What’s the matter with me? We have to. Reach. Nidath. And you keep wasting time!”

“Then go, if you’re so impatient! I’ll follow the bridges and find the city by myself!”

“Oh sure! And after three or four walkways, you’d already be headed in the wrong direction!” she retorted.

“I can find my way perfectly well, thank you very much!”

She shook her head. “Why don’t you stop being such a capricious child?” Clarice’s anger was evident.

“Capricious child? You are unbearably arrogant and irritating!”

With a gesture of annoyance, the elf spoke words in Elvish whose meaning Kaj did not know, but which were obviously an insult.

“At least have the decency to cuss me out in my language, and not with words I don’t understand! It’s always like that with elves. You people don’t really care about peace; it’s only everyone else that respects it!”

Clarice then turned toward him threateningly. “Don’t you dare talk of peace, Kaj! Don’t try to tell me elves don’t respect peace! You humans have never missed an opportunity to humiliate and abuse us! You are corrupt and obtuse and you don’t realize when they’re giving you a helping hand!”

“Are you done?” he asked cockily, then continued. “You know why I dare tell you? Because I think you are so obsessed with being an elf that you don’t realize how similar you are to me! You prefer to submit to the rules of arrogant nobles who don’t even support you. You should know by now that there is no absolute good in any race! Maybe that’s why it was a human who managed to spearhead the Reconciliation, and not an elf! Which isn’t surprising, since at least we are better than you at being humble!” He paused, and realized he had hit a nerve.

Clarice turned around, taking him unawares: the man let himself be pushed against the balustrade of the bridge, and she pressed her forearm against his neck, making a fist with the other hand. He blocked it not far from his cheek. The man felt the elf’s body on him.

They stared at each other for a while. She was obviously angry at him for what he had said. Her glare could almost kill. But deep down, she knew that Kaj was right.

Clarice lowered her fist, and he let go of her hand.

“Could you let me go now?” asked the man.

Clarice also lowered her other arm, then turned abruptly and hit him with an extremely painful backhanded slap.

Kaj felt his cheek burning. “Ouch! Are you crazy? “

“You deserved a good slap to the face. Mark yourself lucky.”

“Of course, now you’ll tell me that you did it out of respect for me…” he teased.

“That’s why I didn’t hit you with that punch. Out of respect…” she said, emphasizing those last words.

Kaj shook his head. He no longer wished to argue.

After three hours of travel, the forest had suddenly opened up before their eyes, to make way for the expanse where the city stood. Nidath was imposing—new quarters and new walls had been added to the original layout of the city. In addition, after the invasion, an expanse of huts built by refugees had developed all around the outer walls. Leaving the forest, they crossed a small stretch of plains, and then entered the hutment that surrounded the city, which had become a huge market: colorful, lively, noisy, and chaotic. There were people of all races, dwarves, elves, and humans. There were those who sold, those who bought, those who bargained, and those who argued. And they all shared one thing in common—they were ignoring the two. Kaj looked around in disbelief. It was almost like they had returned to the ore market in Freh or Lochbis. Or, even better, to the large market in Varlas. He found himself smiling, his eyes enchanted, forgetting all else for a moment.

They passed that area slowly, wending their way through noisy throngs. At a certain point, all that mess gave way to a very different area, which was no longer a hodgepodge of huts and stalls, but rather a stretch of stone and brickwork houses.

“Not so fun anymore, is it?” asked Clarice.

“No…”

Kaj was disconcerted by the poverty, so different from the previous area. Everything around them was gloomy. The houses, while more solid, were decaying and bare; the environment was smelly and depressing. The street was always full of people coming and going, but everyone was sullen and withdrawn. Some of them were busy carrying baskets with food that had apparently just been purchased at the market, while other shabbier, scruffier sorts proceeded slowly, keeping their light cloaks tightly closed and their shoulders hunched.

A little further on, majestic walls stood before Kaj’s eyes. They were tall, and decorated in places with splendid climbing ivies. The top of the walls was marked by openings for the archers, framed by simple carved motifs. The wooden gates contrasted with the light-colored stone. Kaj’s mouth was agape. From the walls, towers and spires could be seen, all slender and very white. Farther away, a larger, shining, richly decorated tower was situated, probably forming part of the royal palace.

“Welcome to Nidath,” said Clarice, proud.

“It’s incredible…”

Clarice cracked a half-smile, and headed for the door.

“By the gods! It’s really you!” exclaimed a guard.

“Inform the King immediately and let us in. It’s been a long journey,” she replied.

The gates opened. The port district was decidedly poor, and it was characterized by the very famous and picturesque river landing which had helped trade between Sahelica and Draelia flourish. Nidath had arisen there precisely to facilitate exchange between the nalnirs of Sahelica, who populated the archipelago in ancient times. It was a lively and noisy neighborhood, which, with the passing of generations, had become predominantly human. Criminality abounded, and the city guard presence was scarce and inadequate. Despite the ongoing invasion, there were some ships moored there, and the sailors were intent on moving their cargo to make room for new goods. Ever since the Reconciliation, the bustling taverns along the city road beside the Malivon River succored sailors with drinks, low-quality bar food, and prostitutes. They were next to shops with various exotic goods that gave visitors the impression this place was anything but an elven city.

They walked past another portion of the walls that divided all this from the commercial district, which was more sober and peaceful than the previous one. The construction of the buildings reflected the clearly higher social class. Kaj was surprised by the vastness of the neighborhood, to which numerous wealthy humans had moved. The paved road went uphill, and led Clarice and Kaj to the ring-walls of the “Citadel,” as it was called by humans. Upon reaching the door, Kaj was blown away by its imposing magnificence. The door opened, and the houses on the sides of the street (as well as the other structures) were made of white, grey, and ivory-colored marble; they were extremely elegant. They were decorated with coils of ivy and expertly carved geometric motifs, and connected by ethereal openwork arches that almost floated above the main road; the windows and walls were decorated with vaults, columns and lanterns. At the end of the road lay a large square, around which stood majestic temples.

Clarice let Kaj drink in the city. “Everything is so harmonious and perfect here.” He was speechless, as he hadn’t expected such beauty.

At that moment, some guards arrived, decked out to the nines. Kaj had always envied the splendor of elven armor, shiny and flawless. Crafted by expert blacksmiths, it was composed of a helmet, breastplate, and boot covers, all in steel, while the other parts were in carved leather. The cloaks they wore were in elven green velvet, and were mostly decorative. They each carried a long spear tipped with eborium alloy, a legendary elven alloy created with a rare iron ore from the distant Plateau of Dragons.

Among them was an elf dressed in elegant and refined clothes, belonging to a high caste. He was typical of elves his age, in that he was visibly high-handed and severe, and linked to the oldest elven traditions. “Welcome, Clarice the Vagabond. This is the man the King is waiting for, I suppose,” he said, glaring at Kaj.

“Glad to see you again, Counselor Ireid. This is—”

“You will tell the King who you believe he is,” he interrupted. Then he turned to Kaj. “Stay in your place, and perhaps the King will decide to be kind to you.”

What a warm welcome, thought Kaj. He observed Clarice and understood that Ireid bothered her a lot, so he decided to keep a close eye on how things would unfold.

The Counselor bade them follow him, and the elves who accompanied him stood behind them to lead them to the King’s palace. Arriving at the main road, everyone turned to look at them. At that moment, Kaj cottoned onto the illogical difference between the rest of the city and the Citadel, which was seemingly untouched by the Invasion. What few humans Kaj saw were mostly young people who were humiliated and treated almost like slaves.

By the time he turned his gaze straight ahead, the Royal Palace was much closer. The gate was majestic: wrought iron masterfully decorated with natural motifs. Past that gate, a beautiful garden welcomed them. To the left stood a huge tree, old yet powerful at the same time. The roots that emerged from the ground were intertwined oddly, and its trunk was gnarled and of a very dark brown. In addition, its leafy branches were rich in small white and silver leaves. He was so captivated by the tree that he went over to Clarice.