[Shadowbane] Of Elaniel and Talendil

[Tal]

[I know, not a Saga game.  Many years ago I wrote a short story for Shadowbane in joining House Lok-ri.  A few years ago the website was shut down and it bothered me that all those original stories from other members were lost.  This is my attempt to recreate my character story.  I can think of no better group of people than Saga to share it with.]

    When the Sun was unknown and immortal Elves danced upon Aerenth, came the Age of Twilight.  After the All-Father created time, and the Sun began to rotate around Aeranth, the Age of Days began.  During this time the All-Father brought in to the world Humans.  Being favored by the All-Father, the Elves waged war and enslaved the Humans.  Eventually the Humans broke free of their Elvish masters.  The Elves would have waged another war except ancient elves from another Age called Irekei presented another threat, they brought forth evils from the land of Chaos, and forced Humans, Elves, and the good natured Centaures to fight along side each other.

    After a bitter war, the forces of Chaos were destroyed and the Age of Kings began.  The All-Father scolded the Elves, and made sure they knew that the Humans were his true children.  Life continued peacefully for a while.  There were many Human kingdoms at this time.  Sadly, all good things come to an end and due to a slight insult from a Human King to an Elvish lord so did the peace.  At once war between the two races raged once again.

    The war raged for 100 years and the Elves were defeated.

    At this time the sword Shadowbane (from a long forgotten tale) was thrust through the Human King Cambruin, by a trusted knight for reasons unknown, into a tree, later known as the World Tree and this became known as the Turning.  The gates of Heaven and Hell closed and all souls became trapped in the world.

    Thus begins the Age of Strife.  A world without Gods.  No place for a soul to go.  A world without peace.  The world of Elaniel and Talendil.  Thus begins our tale...

[Tal]

     Children of Twilight we are called.  Maybe so but the Sun has always shined on my face.

    Talendil closed his journal and blew out the candle.  Laying back on his bed he closed his eyes and wondered what his mother, Aerwen, would have thought.  He had heard many tales of her but had never truely known her.  She had been a mariner of great renown.  She was one of the the very few Elves from his village that knew the Age of Twilight and the world before it had ever known a Sun.

    As ancient as a Human might percieve her it would seem inconceivable she had a son after so many years, but a son she had and her husband, Taleadar, and her were very happy. 

    Taleadar was a child of the Age of Kings and a gifted commander.  Aerwen and Taleadar found themseves at love's end more than a few times during many trying years.  A love so solid it produced a son, yet they were still sundered by duty and the sea.  It has been years since Aerwen's fleet has been heard from.

     Yes.  Talendil concluded.  My mother would think us all children of Twilight.  We danced upon Aerenth when it was young and blessed only by the stars above.  The Sun, the Humans, and the Turning have all been forced upon us.  Turning over in his bed, Talendil wrapped himself in memories and hate.

[Tal]

    Life in the sea-side fishing village was rarely interupted.  Children played, apprentices tried to get out of work, and adults tried to keep the children in check and apprentices working while making sure everything got actually done.  A simple life.  Mostly.

Peace is never easy.

"Of life I can say only one thing; be ready, she will task you always." - Taleadar, Commander, House Lok-ri

    The Elvish host looked glorious.  Armor gleaming despite so many years under beds, in closets, above barns...polished to a perfection.  Streaks of teal and black, cloth and ribbons with a cresting white wave, the heraldry of House Lok-ri.  The horses stamped impatiently in the mud.

    Talendil ran from the rear of the host to the front with his hand raised screaming, "As the Sea!", the House motto, repeatedly.  By Elvish and Human standards he was quite young still, only sixteen years-of-age.  The warriors lowed their spears to let the youngling slap them as he ran past.  A few warriors echoed back, "Lok-ri!"

    The sleepy coastal town was awakened.  Word had reached them that the always uneasy peace was broke again and the Humans were on the march.  More than a small raid, the Humans had destroyed several in-land settlements and were moving towards the coast.  Fearing the worst, Taleadar recalled the warriors among the nearby coastal villages.  The risk of taking up arms was no longer important Taleadar sermised.  War was upon them again.

    Reaching the front and his father, Talendil stopped and raised his now slightly bruised hand.  "As the Sea", he intoned hoping beyond hope his father would honor him with a response.  A moment passed as his father looked down to him from his horse, armor shining, then he smiled and reached out.  As his armored hand touched Talendil's head he said simply, "Remember your mother."  He then gave a slight nod to his flag-bearer and kicked his mount forward.  The flag-bearer raised the black and teal sigil of House Lok-ri and hundreds of warriors moved forward.

Talendil never saw his father alive again.

****

    A few days later a rider returned.  Tired and beaten he was sent to gather more provisions.  The main host had survived its first engagement and was in need of support.  The town hurridly put together a supply caravan and sent it out.

   That night Talendil could not sleep.  It seemed to him that the supplies should have an escort and he should have gone.  Gathering a few things together he set out.  There were no horses left so that was that.

    At the edge of town, Talendil was blocked by three figures.  As he inched forward he discovered familiar faces.  Calen, light haired and slight of build, an apprentice hunter.  Abentar, a thick-headed brawny son-of-a-mule shipwight apprentice.  And, Elaniel.  With a soft smile Elaniel.  Daughter of the House, Song of Twilight.  The closest thing our little villiage had of the royalty from long ago.

    Startled, Talendil stopped.  Calen and Abentar both just laughed and smiled.  Elaniel stepped forward and drew back her hood.  Gently she kissed Talendil on the cheek and said softly (as was always her way), "You did not expect to go alone did you?"

    Before Talendil could say anything Abentar laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.  "Cousin, have you not learned that nothing," as he rolled his eyes, "can be kept from Elaniel when it concerns you!".  Both laughing Calen and Abentar set out on the road.  Astonished, Talendil looked at Elaniel, who only winked and said, "No mystery, was all over your face at lunch and dinner."  Noticing Tal's discomfort Elaniel laughed, "Come on then!" and tugged his arm down the road.

[Tal]

    The road was dusty and long.  What were they thinking?  Without mounts it now seemed a little stupid.  Calen proved to be more than adept at hunting game and Abentar proved more than adpet at wearing out their ears at evening camp.  Elaniel proved helpful at the small things that needed done and kept mostly quiet yet cheerfull.  Talendil kept them on track through the wilderness and worked on making sure all the weapons and assorted gear was in shape.  Thus their little party progressed.

****

    The campsite at the top of the pass was to them an exceptional accompishment.  These mountains were a dividing line between the life they knew and the life that threatened them.  One side peace and home, the other threat and...Humans...
Hefting his large hammer over his shoulder, Abentar laughed, "Well!  I'll take the first step then!  Har!" and made a big show of stepping down the path.  Laughing all of the party made a overt show of taking a big step.  Even Elaniel, in her dark-green and silver trimmed robe, made a big step forward and laughed.  It was the boarder between their known lives and unkown lives, no going back.

[Tal]

    The Human was upon them before they knew it.  Only Calen's uncanny quickness saved him from a death dealing strike as he parried the downward leap.  Deflecting the axe with his bow's edge, just slightly, Calen dived sideways.  The Human's momentum carried him forwad into a sommersault and he lept up ready to strike Talendil.  Before Talendil could react by drawing his sword Abentar clobbered the man with his hammer straight down on his head.  "Well...that was unexpected," said Abentar as Calen dusted himself off.  All thoughts of escorting the supply train were gone, their real intent of joining the fight exposed.

"A scout."  Elaniel kneeled and touched the Human's face.  Slightly perplexed Talendil watched as Elaniel whispered, "Find your way" and removed her hand.

[Tal]

    As night began to break, the sounds of battle were more frightening than Talendil imagined.  In fact, he never gave thought to what the sounds might actually sound like at all.  They advanced slowley and from their perch saw the host fully engaged in battle.  What little they all knew of warfare one thing seemed clear, the Humans had the Elves on the defensive.  Talendil could not see his father on the field.  Frozen in this moment, Talendil finally spoke, "Let's circle around and hit their reserve."

    The one thing Elves could do well was move silently  Padded footfells in the morning twilight they circled around with murderous intent.
The Human reserve consisted of twenty or so troops and forty or so mule-drawn carts.  The four Elves hit the Human reserve.  Calen opened up first with devastating arrow fire.  Abentar launched himself straight into their midst swinging his hammer.  Talendil lept forward and cleaved a Human from top of the head to shoulder on his first strike.  His sword resisted as he jerked to free it.  The mules started to buck against their tethers.

    Talendil looked for his next target and saw Abentar move to engage another Human.  From Abentar's left he saw a Human leap forward with a spear to gut Abentar.  Talendil was simply too far away to intercept or help in any way.  With a cry on his lips Talendil saw the Human attacker's eyes roll back and his body go slack and drop.  Confused, Talendil briefly looked around and saw Elaniel holding her hand out towards the hapless Human and muttering an unknown laungauge.  "As the Sea!"  Talendil lept forward.  For a while, just a while, they all felt the fight was done and they had triumphed.  This would not be the case.

    A haunted realm.  The next few minutes (hours?) So fine a soul is.  Talendil saw Calen overwhelmed from his perch, drawing his hunting knife he went down with a fight.  The last he saw of Abentar...Abentar was swinging that big dumb hammer from head-to-head and shouting, inexplecably, "barnacle!"

    Talendil found himself, after fiercely fighting several reinforcements, at his end.  He slumped against a wagon cart as a Human fighter slashed his gut.  Talendil raised his sword to defend against the killing blow and the Human kicked the sword out of his hand and spit on him.
Prepared to die, Talendil's tear-stained face looked up in time to see the Human simply collapse from his own wounds and die in front of him.

    His eyes fluttering and his being on the verge of death Talendil's mind wandered...of times with his father, gentle and caring...of learning the sword...of smelling sea salt...of all the villagers and learning from them...of the House elder and his stories...Something was dragging itself to him...of a sea-blue-green ocean...of fishing with his mother...his mother and her beautiful smile...of Elaniel laughing...of Elaniel dancing with him at festivals...of Elaniel...of her smile...of her hair...of her scent...she was always there.  She was always there.  Why had he not noticed?  Elaniel dragged herself into his lap and whispered her last incantation of healing. 

****

Words cannot.
With her last breath Elaniel saved Talendil and not herself.

[Tal]

    The battle scattered the few survivors from both sides to the wind.  Talendil went to find his father among the carnage.  Searching the dead he suddenly saw a Human doing the same.  He raised his sword ready to defend and the lone Human just stared at him for a moment, shook his head slowly and kept looking among the dead.  Talendil lowered his sword and continued his own search.

    Talendil buried his friends, father, and love he had never known.  He wandered for many years in sadness fighting here and there until a voice in his dreams said, "Come home".  He saw an Elvish maid in white with a kind smile.  "Come home, Vorgen needs you." And Talendil found a new home.