Chapter 19: Wharepa

The journey to the elven settlement is uneventful, other than it becomes increasingly clear that the three mules are becoming more of a liability than a help. They are stubborn to manage and more than once they delay our progress. In reality, as our supplies diminish we could manage to carry what is left ourselves. The weather is milder than we are accustomed to at this time of year, so our thick winter coats are no longer needed. The broad leaf trees and vegetation in the surrounding forest are very different from the larches and fir trees that dominate the forests of Thurn. The elves are able to forage for food to feed us. The occasional rabbit, and fish from the nearby streams, mean that we rarely need to touch what is left of our packed food. By the time we approach the elven settlement, Akenehi has decided that she intends to trade the mules for whatever we can get in exchange.

The elven settlement is well hidden in a pleasant glade on the inside of a wide bend in a small river. The settlement is home to about thirty elves, all of whom are relatively young. None of them bear a Thurnian tattoo. The oldest settlement elf is younger than Horowai, and Akenehi seems positively ancient by comparison. The differences in dialect make communication tricky, but not impossible. Akenehi and some of the other Elf Maidens soon understand most of what the elves are saying. The story they tell suggests the settlement is a small mining community extracting tin, copper and lead from nearby outcrops. They process the ores themselves, and the extracted metal is transported overland to a larger settlement to the west of us. We aren’t sure if the settlement they mention is where this mysterious Wharepa is located, or somewhere else. The young elves of the settlement dismiss the absence of older elves as natural, although I know from my government work that lead mining will cause blindness in miners after a number of years. I don’t ask what becomes of any blind elves.

The settlement elves happily accept our mules in exchange for a selection of lighter garments for the elves of our commune. Cassandra and Egbertha are happy to pick out lightweight garments that are obviously elven in style. Drew, Seamus and I stick to our Thurnian clothing as there’s nothing in our size among the lightweight garments. The ambient temperature of this forest is several degrees warmer than it was further north. Once everyone has a garment, some side-trading is undertaken. Defina35 secures a small supply of tin and copper for her stock of metals to work on.

As welcome as we are made to feel, we are equally encouraged to be on our way. At least the settlement elves throw one of their wild parties in celebration of our arrival. A party which degenerates into an orgy that leaves Drew, Seamus and me feeling that we have earned our keep.

We resume our journey the next morning. Makareta once again leads the way. Despite our destination being more than a day’s travel away, both Akenehi and Makareta are confident of being able to find it using the directions provided by the settlement elves.

“Do we know what this Wharepa looks like?” I ask Akenehi.

“Not exactly, but I believe it is what we originally set out to find,” replies Akenehi.

“Did you know that elves lived this far south?” asks Cassandra, joining our conversation.

“Only the from the stories some elves told. Contrary to Thurnian beliefs, elves have lived in these forests for centuries. The ruins we stayed in on the other side of the river were almost certainly the remains of an elven settlement. And the elves we have just met are native to this area. How else can you explain the presence of elven men?”

Neither Cassandra nor I can offer a counter-argument to Akenehi’s claims. The presence of elven men, and an elven village this far from the recognised borders of Thurn, support Akenehi’s assertions.