Chương 319: 4.9

Jewel was glad to be rid of the smothering opulence of Light's End. The road felt welcomingly open after the confines of the feasting halls of the four noble families of the city. Every one of them intent to try and prove their adoration and admiration of her over the others with each night! The Lord Mayor Bortond had grown into such a simpering sycophant since he knelt to acknowledge the vassal hood of the city and its lands to her.

But she could not honestly say he was worse than his peers among the city's other houses. Furthermore having spoken to his family and the other nobles who traded the title of Mayor between them she had found a solid resolve of how she would be organizing at least this one vassal in future. The Mayorship of Light's End would be kept directly with her and not passed to another. However there would also be no relinquishing of her other vassals to the city.

Nevermind the infuriating character of the present Mayor Jewel could not see the southern border of Viznove and the Ridgetail's Vault with the lands of Magarska to be held by such a fluid and chaotic form of leadership. The Triumvirate of guild's judgement in Kaeketeh was fine for common law. But to have the baron families allow their Nobility to descend into such squabbling peddlers like it had here? Each one bending their backs to near breaking to try and show how dutiful they were to Jewel?

Each fretting their lives away over coins like a bunch of merchants? All of them were such insufferable cowards Jewel almost wanted to thank them in paying their dues in silver then risk such spineless men and their families on the battlefield. Each of them would probably drive whatever levy they lead in a route if pressed by Gryphons. Nevermind if it came to war with Magarska again and this Wolf Prince took to the field.

No, it was best to keep the City of Light's End as a direct Vassal under Viznove and Jewel herself. But that made the portioning of the other territories far less tidy. The City's influence spread well north along the Vah and east and west along the Vault wall. But given the cowardice on display here and the absolutely decadent wealth offered by control of the city she could also not risk such easily turned men under any of her other Lords or Ladies. Jewel sighed heavily.

Their next stop was going to be her second temple vassal in her tour. The Stone Moot. Which should hopefully prove mostly uneventful. Perhaps a good chance for Gem to try again at intrigue. Light's end had been a frustrating experience even as her smaller self. Although the awful attention of Lord Mayor's court had not spared any of her entourage. Poor Smithson had gotten twelve women calling on him! Two of which Jewel knew were twice his age!

And Muriel had been frustrated by both the young men and women that had been bothering her. Not even Dariusz (or his wife?!) nor even the footmen were spared from unwanted attention or attempts at bribery. Especially when word had spread that every member of her party had a 'fae instrument'. Jewel sighed heavily.

"I apologize for fleeing that night Jewel of men." Repetition had done what little else could. For no one in Jewel's entourage even did much but shift and look when Alder stepped out onto the road to walk alongside them. Jewel looked down upon the elf. Who was walking still in that strange elf silk robe which draped and clung and billowed just so. At the steps which left no footprints in the earth but the joy she could feel welling up from the soil.

"I admit your company was missed at least by me, but it's much as you have done before. There was no offense fair Alder." The Elf's face was much as it had been. The dappling colors of pale tan, almost creamy white where their skin was most shaded. Followed by a darkening hue rich brown and then nearly black where the sun was shining strongest on their brow and hair. However that face did not smile or grow less sorrowful.

"No, not in this was I fair. Leaving the songs half finished, the feast untasted. I apologize. I was not strong enough to do as my mothers and fathers would have done and finish the stories. I thought I could tell even the sorrowful tales. But I failed." The elf was weeping again. Openly, without consideration at all. Tears streaking down its cheeks. Jewel didn't know what to do. Alder didn't even seem to care how incontinently the water was pouring from its eyes.

Not even the slightest motion suggesting it meant to wipe its face. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. There was snot coming out of the elf's nose for star's sake! Jewel glanced around at the rest of the entourage with Gem's eyes and saw that everyone else was refusing to look out of fear of offense. Perhaps wisely leaving Jewel to risk speaking to the elf, but on the balance she chose to try and ignore the terrible display.

So practice and pattern it would be, ignoring that any time had passed between last they had spoken it was.

"Alder, were you there? For that city? For Uruk?" Suddenly and swiftly as before there was laughter, but it was not as light or free, it was relief and surprise yes but there was still thick sticky pain in the back of the throat. The woods and the wind swallowed up the noise instead of carrying it far and echoing it back.

"No, I am not so old as to have witnessed accursed Uruk itself. But in three of my mothers times and four of my fathers did it happen. The rest were too young by three centuries. But it... I should tell this properly with the stones, with another circle..." The words trailed off and there was an anguish then upon the elf's face. Pain and a terrible fear. Jewel had seen a face like that before, not on Alder but Alexander, when he was young and frightened of failing to speak before strangers.

The similarity of both youthful looking faces looking so stricken brought the words before she knew them.

"Please, if it troubles you so. You don't have to, if it hurts so much you had to flee that night. You don't need to tell us." The elf's face stilled, calmed, the fear and pain fled. And then those solid black eyes turned up to Jewel at last and a smile creeped up to either side in the most complete joy Jewel had seen anywhere. Serene and at peace. The words drifted between only just parted lips with a sigh of relief.

"So there it is." Jewel felt worry stirring in her flame.

"There is what?" Alder nodded to her and then turned away to look east down the road.

"The beauty that can be made by the children of Uruk." And for a time they walked in a strangely hallowed silence. Before softly and quietly the Elf began to speak. Without flourishes of sorcery or lights upon stones in the night. Just words." When I was born my mothers and fathers had left behind the poisoned promise of Uruk four hundred and thirteen summers past." It did not have a song to it, but it was spoken in the rhythm with their steps. With a swell and fall of footsteps."

They would sing of it as I sang of it to you, but it was not every night. There are... were, many songs for children, each needing to be sung before they are grown." Sometimes the elf would halt after a statement. Face going distant, pain etching in deep ravines down its cheeks. Tears welling. But the words would then flow again in a rush." There are so many more beautiful stories than that one. Some of the oldest would be sung every ten years.

Songs of how to hunt, how to walk, how to rest without sleeping, how to breathe and stand. I would have liked to share them..." It was more words then Jewel had heard the elf speak not in song. Although perhaps it was a song of a sort." But I do not have the heart to sing them. I cannot sing them properly. There should be a dozen or more mothers and fathers to sing to each child and guide them each night. Not a teeming pack of infants with only I alone." The elf spoke on with stops and starts.

Voice aggrieved and pained, joyful, wistful. When travelers approached, Alder was already gone. But it returned. And continued to speak. Until its voice sounded weary and drained. Its solid black eyes seemed somehow hollowed out by all it had spoken of. Almost sunken. Much of its words were simple mundane things Jewel found hauntingly familiar. Time with its family growing up was most prominent among the stories. Strangely delightful and tender stories of learning to swim or hunt or climb or fashion wood.

Of having a bone set after a fall and being taught what berries or leaves to chew to make the pain go away. Of simply living and walking and traveling through forests and mountains and grasslands that Alder would not describe. Even an errant question about what it looked like locked the elf up in tear filled silence. But now they were making camp and Alder's face grew saddened.

"I haven't brought you any food... I should-" Jewel dared to reach out and touch the elf on the shoulder with one foreclaw.

"Alder, you have served us every evening that you have shared our camp. Let us serve you maybe just this once? Please?" Jewel saw amusement, frustration, something she thought might even be guilt playing over the Elf's brows before it simply folded into an intricate seat upon the earth. One shin over the other, hands palm up with knuckles upon knees. It didn't look comfortable or simple enough to have been settled into as rapidly as Alder fell into it. But the elf's face settled into a sudden peace.

With a breath the smile returned, the hollowed out haunted look banished from its face but Jewel was starting to suspect that it never was really gone. Only hidden behind those solid black eyes.

"Of course Jewel of man, I think that would be a fair gift to give you for sharing my burdens."