Fraweyni smiled, and her face brightened. It was almost like the sorrow that had been on her face moments ago was never there. The etchings on the tree began to disappear, until the bark was just normal brown, and webbed with cracks of age.
“I think I will speak to you both. We do not have all the time, I am afraid,” the Queen said.
“Meko?” She called.
Meko appeared in a moment, and her expression grew grave when she saw the great tree behind them.
“O, please dry those eyes, my child,” Fraweyni said.
“Yes, mother,” Meko said, wiping her sleeves across her eyes.
“Kochob says he needs your help.” She told Meko. “He says he is at the training ground.”
Meko nodded and left.
“Meko’s brother was among the count of the slain in Kleas before we fled,” Fraweyni said when Meko was gone. “I do not know how they were able to discern our true nature. We had disguised ourselves as humans.”
“The slayers must have had magicians among them.” Eldana supplied.
“That is what we think,” Fraweyni replied. “Poor girl. I do not know if she will ever trust your kind again.”
Eldana and Siem’s hearts were filled with sympathy for Meko.
“We should seat,” Fraweyni suggested.
She flicked her fingers, and vines sprouted from the ground and wove into sturdy chairs. Fraweyni sat and gazed at Eldana and Siem.
“You were right when you mentioned that the Ciroc is an apt home for us. Indeed, it is. This place was our home once, till we migrated into the city, and had to live in constant disguise. Now we are free. And we intend to defend this place. We were not expecting to be discovered any time soon. So, imagine our surprise when one of your friends was spotted by our sentries wandering within our borders.”
Siem wanted to tell Fraweyni that Mikko was not wandering. He had been found within their borders because he sought to empty his bladder. But she kept her cool.
“We could have easily killed him.” Fraweyni continued.
“That is the penalty for violating your borders?” Eldana asked incredulously.
Fraweyni smiled coldly. “When you have suffered losses as we have, nothing is too drastic to ensure your safety,” she said. “Anyways, I decided not to. We did not know what he was doing so deep in the Ciroc, and if he was alone. If he was acting alone, we were safe. But some of us had fears that a team had been dispatched to locate our whereabouts. If that happened, we would have to be forced to fight. And with the coming chaos, there would be inevitable losses on both sides. It would not be a bad thing if our number remained the way it was, you know. For the sake of clarification, I had him taken, not before I dazed him of course.”
“Dazed?” Siem asked.
“Yes,” Fraweyni replied. “The same thing I did to you two, and the free warrior, when you came looking, and the same thing I did to Hermon. Apprehension is easier that way, especially with magicians.”
“So, what next?” Siem was intrigued. “You dazed us, and had us taken in.”
“Correct,” Fraweyni said with a nod. Like a teacher nodding satisfactorily to the answer one of their students gave correctly to their question. “When you had been brought in, I had Kochob interrogate you.”
“Interrogate?” Eldana asked, a scowl of confusion on her face. “I have no recollection of being interrogated.”
“Same here.” Her counterpart seconded.
“Was this done when we were still in your daze?” Eldana asked.
“No,” Fraweyni replied. “It was done when you were asleep, heavily under the soporific effects of the Linthaea.”
“You have that here?” Eldana asked.
To find a healthy Linthaea herb was rare. Most of the Linthaea in Toas were sickly.
“Yes,” Fraweyni replied. “You will be amazed at how great they flourish around us.”
“If we were asleep,” Eldana started, “how were you able to interrogate us?”
“With a telepath,” Fraweyni stated. “He goes by the name of Kochob. He is the best telepath among us.”
“That is how you got to know about my mother,” Siem said accusingly.
Fraweyni nodded.
“If you have scoured through our minds, that means you know everything about us,” Eldana said.
“I am afraid that is how it seems, Eldana,” Fraweyni said. “However, you should know that as a race that values privacy, your secrets, thoughts, and past are safe.”
“Great. That is supposed to make me feel better.” Siem said heavily.
“I cannot say that I am sorry for what has been done.” Fraweyni began. “But I wish that you understand that we had to make sure of your identities, ascertain why you were this deep in the Ciroc, and determine if you were a threat to us.”
“We understand,” Eldana said.
Siem nodded, but it still annoyed her nonetheless. Maybe it was because Fraweyni knew so much about her, but she knew nothing about Fraweyni besides what was already in the book of races.
“So, are we..?” Siem started, her eyes on Fraweyni.
“Are you what?” Fraweyni questioned.
“A threat?”
“I think the fact that you two sit here, alive and unbound, should speak for itself.”
Siem quietened and leaned into her chair.
“The elves have outlived an era of chaos before, the battle of the first hour, when all who could do magic faced those who they considered the face of the gods,” Fraweyni told them. “We can do that again. That was one of the reasons we moved into Ciroc. But there is something about you three.”
“Three?” Eldana questioned.
“Yourself, Siem, and Hermon, of course,” Fraweyni replied.
“Oh,” Eldana said.
“You are more like siblings in many ways. You are young, have seen but little of the world yet, but still have more experience than an average human in his entire life span. But more intriguing than your youth is the similar desire you harbor. The will to redefine yourselves. To not be described by the seeming ills fate has latched onto you. That is impressive. Such a level of hope and optimism you display is rarely seen.
