married
to a wood elf. “Will your family like me?” she asked.
He took her face in his hands. “They will adore you.” His
mouth found hers and she melted into his kiss. Life should always be so sweet,
she thought.
Chapter Six
The Camp
The trip north took them through d’ark t’uath territory.
Tamara disguised herself as a man, putting padding in her tunic’s shoulders and
pulling her hood over her head and her scarf over her face. At the trading post,
Llewellyn went to speak to her clan’s representatives while Tamara remained
hidden in the forest.
The two d’ark t’uath, armed to the teeth, motioned for him
to lay his arms down and approach. He did, and they relaxed slightly. “I am
Llewellyn, I come in peace,” he said.
“I am Fia, and this is Rhyanna.” The tallest d’ark t’uath,
the one called Fia, approached him and looked him over. “You have nothing to
trade. Why have you come here?”
“I come to give you news of Tamara.”
Fia uttered a small gasp. “Tamara? She disappeared nearly a
fortnight ago. Have you found her? Is she wounded?”
“No. She is safe. She has chosen to leave the tribe. Her
message is this. ‘I, Tamara, was caught and mauled by a behemoth while on guard
duty. I lost my glosseer at the foot of the tree. The behemoth took me
to his cave and would have killed me, but a wood elf rescued me. He helped heal
my wounds, and I decided to marry him. I have cast my lot with the tribe of the
wood elves. He is bound on a mission to see Frostbone. It is for the good of
all that you let him pass.’ That is what I was bade to tell you.” Llewellyn
stopped and waited.
The two women looked at each other in consternation. “Are
you the wood elf Tamara has married?” asked Fia.
“I am.”
“And you quest to Frostbone?” This was asked by Rhyanna, in
a slightly more acidic tone.
“There is concern that the Mouse King has returned.”
Now the silence was tinged with fear. Fia spoke first, her
eyes narrowed. “We had not thought of that. What is true is that more demons
than before have been sighted, and even your story of a behemoth rings true,
for we have seen several far from their mountains. We wondered what kind of
trouble would cause them to leave their haunts.”
“What do you plan to do? Frostbone does not suffer elves or
fairies in his territory. He will kill you on sight.”
“I know Frostbone. He will speak to me. The land of Hivernia
is preparing for war. The new king, King Branagh, is now raising and training
his army. Once again the wood elves will take up their bows and fight alongside
the fairies.”
“We have heard that the new Queen of Hivernia is a wood elf.”
Rhyanna raised an eyebrow.
“That’s right.” Llewellyn paused. “I would ask a boon of
you. Tamara is no longer part of your tribe. But she must have some belongings
that are dear to her. I would ask you to give them to me so that she might have
something to remember her tribe by.”
“Her tribe is now yours. By the laws of our tribe, she may
not take anything with her. She knew this when she decided to marry you.”
Rhyanna waved dismissively.
“I bid you farewell then,” said Llewellyn. He hadn’t counted
on getting any of Tamara’s belongings. He’d tried though. He made his way back
through the woods to where Tamara was hiding. She’d been listening in.
“I told you our tribe forbids us to take our belongings with
us.” She shook her head. “You are a very stubborn elf.”
“But a nice one, you have to admit.”
“Yes.” She tilted her head. “So it’s true that an elf is now
Queen of Hivernia? That must have been a shock to most of the fairies.”
“You heard correctly. Melflouise is now Queen of Hivernia.”
“You sound as if you know her well.”
“She was my brother’s wife.”
A pause. “The one who died.”
“Yes.” He dug his toe into the snow. He really didn’t want
to talk about Melle or Elloran with anyone, but he supposed Tamara had a
to a wood elf. “Will your family like me?” she asked.
He took her face in his hands. “They will adore you.” His
mouth found hers and she melted into his kiss. Life should always be so sweet,
she thought.
Chapter Six
The Camp
The trip north took them through d’ark t’uath territory.
Tamara disguised herself as a man, putting padding in her tunic’s shoulders and
pulling her hood over her head and her scarf over her face. At the trading post,
Llewellyn went to speak to her clan’s representatives while Tamara remained
hidden in the forest.
The two d’ark t’uath, armed to the teeth, motioned for him
to lay his arms down and approach. He did, and they relaxed slightly. “I am
Llewellyn, I come in peace,” he said.
“I am Fia, and this is Rhyanna.” The tallest d’ark t’uath,
the one called Fia, approached him and looked him over. “You have nothing to
trade. Why have you come here?”
“I come to give you news of Tamara.”
Fia uttered a small gasp. “Tamara? She disappeared nearly a
fortnight ago. Have you found her? Is she wounded?”
“No. She is safe. She has chosen to leave the tribe. Her
message is this. ‘I, Tamara, was caught and mauled by a behemoth while on guard
duty. I lost my glosseer at the foot of the tree. The behemoth took me
to his cave and would have killed me, but a wood elf rescued me. He helped heal
my wounds, and I decided to marry him. I have cast my lot with the tribe of the
wood elves. He is bound on a mission to see Frostbone. It is for the good of
all that you let him pass.’ That is what I was bade to tell you.” Llewellyn
stopped and waited.
The two women looked at each other in consternation. “Are
you the wood elf Tamara has married?” asked Fia.
“I am.”
“And you quest to Frostbone?” This was asked by Rhyanna, in
a slightly more acidic tone.
“There is concern that the Mouse King has returned.”
Now the silence was tinged with fear. Fia spoke first, her
eyes narrowed. “We had not thought of that. What is true is that more demons
than before have been sighted, and even your story of a behemoth rings true,
for we have seen several far from their mountains. We wondered what kind of
trouble would cause them to leave their haunts.”
“What do you plan to do? Frostbone does not suffer elves or
fairies in his territory. He will kill you on sight.”
“I know Frostbone. He will speak to me. The land of Hivernia
is preparing for war. The new king, King Branagh, is now raising and training
his army. Once again the wood elves will take up their bows and fight alongside
the fairies.”
“We have heard that the new Queen of Hivernia is a wood elf.”
Rhyanna raised an eyebrow.
“That’s right.” Llewellyn paused. “I would ask a boon of
you. Tamara is no longer part of your tribe. But she must have some belongings
that are dear to her. I would ask you to give them to me so that she might have
something to remember her tribe by.”
“Her tribe is now yours. By the laws of our tribe, she may
not take anything with her. She knew this when she decided to marry you.”
Rhyanna waved dismissively.
“I bid you farewell then,” said Llewellyn. He hadn’t counted
on getting any of Tamara’s belongings. He’d tried though. He made his way back
through the woods to where Tamara was hiding. She’d been listening in.
“I told you our tribe forbids us to take our belongings with
us.” She shook her head. “You are a very stubborn elf.”
“But a nice one, you have to admit.”
“Yes.” She tilted her head. “So it’s true that an elf is now
Queen of Hivernia? That must have been a shock to most of the fairies.”
“You heard correctly. Melflouise is now Queen of Hivernia.”
“You sound as if you know her well.”
“She was my brother’s wife.”
A pause. “The one who died.”
“Yes.” He dug his toe into the snow. He really didn’t want
to talk about Melle or Elloran with anyone, but he supposed Tamara had a
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