“What?” Siem asked, a look of surprise and suspicion crawling into her face.
“What about your mother. Any memory of her?” Fraweyni asked.
“No,” Siem replied warily. “I have no recollection of her. My father told me she died before I was born. Any reason why you are asking these questions?”
Fraweyni primmed her lips.
“Your mother was or is clearly an elf,” she said.
“Yes. I remember my father telling me that on a few occasions.”
But I always wondered why any elf would leave her child behind. The elves are too proud a people to do that. They prize family.”
“Well, I would not say what your mother did what was right, if indeed she left you, and is still alive, but I can say I understand her a bit.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. You see, my people frown at relations between them and humans, not to mention, falling in love with them as your mother did.” Fraweyni waited for Siem’s response, which came back hot and quick.
“Yeah? Well, I guess that is why the world is the way it is. Chaotic, You and your people do not involve yourselves in anything, and so you all have to rely on the life of one girl to ensure the world exists in balance and order. But why should I care? The elves are dignified immortals. Their minds and magic are strong enough to protect themselves, and as long as they stay safe, will survive the chaos, while the rest of the world goes up in flames.”
Fraweyni watched Siem effuse with anger until she stopped.
“Come with me.” She told her when she was done fuming.
Fraweyni got up and walked out of the grove. Siem followed closely behind. They walked out and found Eldana sitting at the massive roots of an oak tree, with her back against its trunk. She was throwing rocks absentmindedly at the tree opposite her. Meko was a little to her side, singing to a flying squirrel that had fallen off the tree and broken an arm.
Eldana got to her feet. Fraweyni attracted by her sudden motion, looked her way.
“Ah, Eldana.” She said with an apologetic smile. “I had been under the impression that my talk with Siem would be swift, and then I would see you immediately. There is something I need to show her, and while you are free to retire, and wait till I call upon you.”
Eldana puffed air out of her mouth in a bored expression.
“I have been doing nothing anyways, other than watch Meko there sing to a squirrel.”
Fraweyni laughed, and Eldana and Siem looked at her with surprise and then smiled. Fraweyni’s laughter was melodious. Like a chronicle of happier times, and happier things.
“Meko did you hear what Eldana said? You are bad for the company. You should improve on that.”
Meko who had just finished singing to the squirrel set it on the root of a nearby tree and watched it scamper up and into the safety of the branches of the tree.
Eldana stepped into pace with Siem, as Fraweyni led their little procession.
“The elves are an annoying bunch,” Siem muttered to her.
Eldana smiled. “You see,” she said, “they are not all beauty.”
“Oh, I concur,” Siem breathed.
Fraweyni led them to a huge tree, with a trunk the size of three trees, and with very thick branches. The Queen got close to the tree and stopped.
“I am sure none of you are familiar with The Purge,” she said.
“What purge?” Siem responded.
“I thought as much,” Fraweyni replied wearily. “We did not want that appearing on history books. You see, millennia ago, in the times of old magic, the elves lived openly. Even tried to contribute the little we could into the affairs of Toas. But we were not like the others, the humans, or the rest of the magicians. We and the orcs had existed long before you all came along. And so, whether we liked it or not, we had a god-like impression wherever we went. We do not know if it was fear, or envy, or both, but the elves were unsuspectingly set on. These are the number of my people who never joined the stars.”
As she spoke, etchings began to appear on the tree. They grew gradually, from nothing till they glowed like embers in full emphasis.
Eldana was wide-eyed with shock.
“Are these…?” she started to ask.
“Names. Yes.” Meko supplied.
Siem was perplexed. The etchings were everywhere on the tree, from the trunk even to its branches.
“These are all the killings that instigated our move into the Ciroc,” Fraweyni said.
The sorrow in her voice was so evident, it pulled at both of their hearts.
“So many lay on the ground, their blood rich with their life. I had to hear their soundless cries, feel their regret that they would never join their kin in the stars. We buried all of the fallen elves here, all who had fallen by some horrible magic, and all their bodies birthed this tree, a monument and a testament that they once existed. They are trapped in the lightless place, in limbo. They are lost and cannot shine. The number of bodies we put in the ground still weigh our hearts down to this day.”
The silence stretched as they stood at the foot of the tree, with its body glowering with etchings until Fraweyni broke it.
“Perhaps you can see why we do not involve ourselves in the affairs of the world. It is the only way we survive. We left Kleas because some of us began to be killed. Without cause, without provocation.”
Siem felt a pang of remorse for how she had addressed Fraweyni earlier. But that was the beginning of the chaos. No one could control it, it just started slowly within everyone.
Fraweyni turned and gazed at both.
“I do not care if you understand why we must not involve ourselves.” She told them. “This is not meant to garner pity for ourselves. You know enough already, to know that the elves detest pity. I just want you to know
