Chapter 4

The platform smoothly accelerated to the speed of a brisk walk, and the others faced forward as they floated along, maintaining their same formation close around the platform.

As they reached the path leading up to the pass, Mark announced; “This is fine! You can go faster if you want!”

“All right. I will gradually accelerate to the speed of a galloping horse. Just tell me if you want to slow down.”

Soon they were flying up the path fast enough to make Mark’s heart race, his hair and beard blowing behind. The platform remained level front to rear despite the increasing slope, it’s front remaining one foot above the path at the closest, it’s rear higher, and Talia skillfully tilted it from side to side at the curves in the path, so they didn’t slide sideways in the seat.

Mark let out a wordless shout of exhilaration, and released his grip on the armrests so he could hug Talia around her tummy, and she promptly laid her arms along his huge fore-arms and squeezed them tight.

“You like this?” she teased with a giggle.

“Yes, a lot! I’d have thought there’d be more wind!”

“I’m deflecting most of it, though a bit of it is fun! Would you care to try the pace of a falcon on a long flight? I assure you it’s perfectly safe.”

“Sure!” he laughed in joyous excitement, and they smoothly accelerated again. “Oh Wow! Oh wow!” he called as the ground flashed past.

“I must admit,” Yazadril commented with a thrill in his voice, “I’ve often flown faster, but doing so this close to the ground is very exciting!”

“So it is!” Theramin laughed.

In only moments they were above the tree line, then moving over bare rock as the slope reached it’s steepest.

“The Sentries know we’re coming.” Dilimon calmly informed them. “They won’t be in the way. They tell me that the path is clear as far as Nemion’s garden.”

“We’ll have to be higher for a few moments after we crest the pass.” Talia told Mark. “At this speed, if we followed the ground, you’d be thrown out of the chair.”

“What? Talia!” Mark exclaimed, re-gripping the armrests as they speeded to the top of the pass. “TALIAAAAAAAA!!!”

The Sentries’ towers and emplacements flashed by on either side, and they shot up and over the lip of the pass and high into open air, before gently arcing down to smoothly align with the path running down slope, only now the back of the platform was a foot from the ground and the front was higher.

“Sweet mother preserve me, girl!” he stammered as his heart pounded in his ears. “You almost scared the life out of me!”

Talia giggled contritely. “I’m sorry. I was hoping you would find it fun! And it would be best if you could get used to flying.”

“Well, it was fun, in a terrifying way, now that it’s over!” he admitted. “Only next time, warn me sooner!”

He bowed his head and nuzzled the side of her neck, and kissed her ear.

She turned her head sideways and up so she could murmur private words to him. “Now you are arousing me! Which would be fine if I were not piloting this craft! The distraction could be dangerous!”

She chuckled as he suddenly stopped, and she faced forward again.

“That’s a good point, but you still owe me one for the scare back there!” he laughed, and in a moment of spontaneous, mischievous temptation, he slid his hands up her torso, under the top row of gauze strips, to cup her small but perky and beautifully shaped breasts with his fingers.

“Ahh, that is nice.” she crooned, leaning into his hands a bit as her nipples hardened. “You can hold me like that, but do not caress me there, or we will crash for sure!”

He enjoyed the sensation for a moment, then slid his hands back to her tummy before the other elves noticed. “I’m sorry, that was not the act of a gentleman.” he rumbled contritely.

“Among my people it is!” she gaily assured him, but he kept his hands where they were.

“My! This valley is perfectly round!” he exclaimed.

“All of The Nine Valleys are round.” she informed him. “They were formed by the impact of a falling star that broke into nine pieces before it struck the ground, many millennia ago. Their bowl shape, and the material of the fallen stars, gives The Nine Valleys the most powerful magical fields in the world. That is why my people claimed them for their own as soon as they had cooled, and why we have defended them vigorously since then.”

“These valleys were the very first place permanently settled by elves, in the dawn of our race, over two hundred and thirty-six thousand years ago.” Yazadril added proudly. “Before then, we were secretive and nomadic, for we had found no place that was both worth defending, and defensible by our then-meager numbers. The world was very dangerous then.

“You know, two human wizards have intruded as far as the first sentry line near the top of the pass. But to my certain knowledge, they never saw over the edge. In almost a quarter of a million years, you are the very first human to see any part of The Nine Valleys. Most certainly the very first, ever, who has passed within!”

“I’m, uh, humbled by the honor ... Thank you!” Mark stammered.

“Ah, he is a treasure!” Nemia laughed at his boyish manner.

“No. I’m the one who’s found the treasure.” Mark chuckled, smiling down at Talia. “If even my being here is unique, how much more rare and special is it that I should marry a princess of the mountain elves? I tell you, my mind is becoming completely boggled by the incredibleness of everything that’s happened! Six months ago I was just an ordinary forest ranger. And now, Princess Talia of The Nine Valleys will be my wife! Why, I’d bet I’m the first man who’s ever even touched an elven princess, anywhere, ever!”

“You may be right about that.” Hilsith agreed with a smile. “What’s more, to my knowledge, with ten thousand in attendance, it will be the greatest wedding ever held!”

“Ahh, so romantic!” Talia sighed. “But I’m not a princess. Among elves, such things as leadership and royalty are not hereditary.”

“Then how is it decided?” Mark asked.

“Generally, if most everyone thinks you can do the job, then you’re stuck with it, whether you like it or not!” Yazadril chuckled.

“Ha! Exactly that!” Alilia snorted.

“We were simply called ‘Leader’, long ago.” Yazadril continued. “But human monarchs consider it beneath them to negotiate on matters of diplomacy with those who are not royalty. So now we are called ‘Prince’ or ‘Princess’, which were chosen because to call us king or queen would be an overstatement of our authority. Elves are not so liege-bound as humans.”

“Well, among my people, it would not matter whether you will inherit leadership or title.” Mark told Talia. “As long as your father is the reigning Prince, you would be considered a princess, and you would be treated and addressed as such. Not so, Yazadril?”

“True.” he admitted.

“And to me, you will always be my princess.” Mark finished.

“That is so nice!” Talia smiled. “Human stories and songs with princesses are always very romantic.”

“Events are escalating.” Alilia stated bitterly, changing the subject. “Even among those of us who do not dwell here, The Nine Valleys are considered inviolate; sacrosanct and sacred. His presence here will cause an uproar among all elvenkind everywhere. As it is my doing, I will be reviled, particularly by those of the conservative faction. Who knows what this wedding may lead to? Be they beneficial or harmful, there are going to be huge repercussions from all of this.”

“Well then!” Yazadril smiled. “It’s up to us to see that they’re beneficial, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Alilia was forced to agree.

They had passed below the tree line moments ago, and it seemed to Mark that every tree they passed was much larger than the one before. Now they were a hundred and fifty feet tall, and as wide as a house at the base of the trunk. Looking ahead, he saw that the trees there grew larger yet, and more widely spaced, with more undergrowth. With a start, he realized that some of the undergrowth was higher than the biggest tree in Shinosa Valley!

“This forest is incredible!” he exclaimed in amazement. “How big do these trees get?!!”

“Here in First Valley, the tallest is about twelve hundred feet.” Theramin estimated. “About eight to ten times as high as these here. The very tallest are those that encircle the wedding chapel in Laylas Valley, which are twice as tall as that at about twenty-four hundred feet. As Talia said, it’s a special place. Those are over two hundred thousand years old, but though they are tallest, even they are not the oldest.

“I am the custodian of all the trees in The Nine Valleys.” he added proudly. “As senior horticultural wizard, their well-being is my responsibility.”

“Well, it seems you’re doing a grand job of it!” Mark marveled. “They’re incredible, and beautiful!”

Now they had reached the flat of the valley floor, and there were many broad, open spaces between the trees, most of which were between four and seven hundred feet tall here.

“Now we are into the settled areas of the valley, for these trees are homes, and there will be people walking about.” Talia told him “For safety’s sake, I must either slow to walking speed, or fly at least ten feet above the ground.”

“Well, as you thought, I am getting used to it. Ten feet should be okay.” Mark ventured.

Talia nodded, and as they smoothly rose to that height, Mark began to notice stairways and catwalks on the trees, and the openings of doors and windows in the trunks and greater branches. The works of the elves seemed so tiny in comparison to the mighty trees. Too, he began to notice a few other elves about, going to and from their homes or simply enjoying the sun and the summer breeze. Some strolled or lounged on benches, others flew. Of the flyers, some flew while standing as the rest of Mark’s party did, some sat on chairs or cushions, some lounged on blankets or carpets, and the fastest of them lay forward with their arms out, like soaring birds. They passed a shouting pack of elves engaged in some sport, running around on a marked circular field and throwing three balls about, though they were past before Mark could discern the method of their play.

“There would generally be many more about on such a beautiful day.” Talia quietly remarked as they turned off the main path. “Some prepare for the wedding. Others attend the Council Hall, where Dalia and Bezedil lie in state, until their final rites and internment in three weeks.”

She swallowed hard at the lump in her throat, and continued on. “There, you see that great oak tree there? You see how the stairway winds about it? At the top of that stairway, on the far side of the trunk, is my ... My parents’ home. We can climb the steps, or we can ride up on a railed lifting platform, or I can just fly us up.”

“Well, you might as well fly us up, I guess.”

“Do you really think so?” Talia giggled. “I think you’re just trying to be brave and gallant.”

“Ha! I guess I am, but I also don’t want to climb that many stairs!” Mark laughed. “And I don’t see much difference between this and a railed lifting platform, except that this is more comfortable. Although I have to admit that I would sure prefer you to slow down some, before we go up there.”

“Quite understandable.” Talia smiled as she slowed to a hover at the base of the great tree, then slowly ascended vertically. She tried not to think about the ground on the far side of the trunk, and what had happened there yesterday.

When they were halfway to their goal, Mark marveled; “What a view! Now I see why you live so high up!”

“That’s part of it, but mostly it’s the growth of the tree!” Yazadril laughed. “This home has always been about one third of the way up the trunk, yet when it was first made, it was only seventy feet from the ground!”

“Bring us around to the balcony, Dear.” Nemia instructed. “Your intended might find our doors and hallways to be a bit restricting.”

“Yes, Mother.” Talia laughed. She followed the curve of the tree, and waited while the others alighted on the balcony and moved indoors to leave room for her to land Mark’s conveyance.

When she had done so, aligning the chair to face into the central room, Alilia pointed to the side of the chair.

“That handle there is part of a mechanism, and if you pull on it while sitting up, the chair will ... Damn this simple language! It will de-recline. It will bend to a more vertical position. Yes, like that.”

As Mark followed her instruction, the chair had indeed assumed the shape of a conventional armchair. “Thanks so much again, Alilia! This is the first time I’ve sat in a chair that truly fit me since I was fourteen!”

“I deserve no thanks. And after you have had to fulfill the curse a few times, you will not think so either.” Alilia moped.

“Enough self-recrimination for one day, Alilia!” Talia told her firmly. “It is my wedding day, a joyous occasion, and I ask you to share that sentiment as much as you are able.”

“I will try.” Alilia muttered, before turning into the central room on her way to the kitchen.

“It’s so strange. I’ve never seen this place before, yet it seems familiar because I saw it in Talia’s vision.” Mark mused, leaning forward to peer within. He stood and hunched down enough to enter the central room, then shuffled over to the hallway.

“Her Reading, actually. A Vision is another thing entirely.” Yazadril informed him thoughtfully.

Mark showed no sign he’d heard. He stared intently within for many moments, then pointed down the hall without looking away. “Can I go down there please? To Dalia’s room?” he asked quietly. “I won’t touch anything.”

Yazadril looked to Nemia, who gave him a tearful shrug. “All right.” he answered.

Mark had to sidle sideways down the hall, where he stared for minutes at the spot on the floor where Talia had lay curled and crying. Then he considered Dalia’s door. Finally he delicately grasped the doorknob between thumb and fingertip, turned it, and slowly swung the door open. He went to one knee and stared within a few minutes, then closed the door and awkwardly returned to his chair, still deep in thought.

Unnerved a bit by this display, Yazadril turned to Theramin. “I think I should make my home a bit more comfortable for my soon-to-be son-in-law. Perhaps you could raise the ceiling in this room to ten feet, enlarge the balcony doors, and double the area of the balcony?”

“Certainly.” Theramin nodded, looking about “I’ll cast it now, and it should be finished in about half an hour. And I’ll raise the balcony railing a foot as well, though it still won’t be very safe for one of his height if he gets a few ales in him.”

“Thank you. I’m sure he’ll be careful.”

Talia sat patiently with Mark, perched on the arm of his chair, waiting for his thoughts to run their course.

Nemia waited for that as well, her basket of barbering supplies in hand, sensing something was amiss, and missing Dalia with all her heart.

Gradually catching this mood, Dilimon and Hilsith ceased preparing to take their leave, then Yazadril, and finally Theramin when he finished casting his spell, all stood silently watching Mark, none of them sure why.

The moment was broken when Alilia bustled out of the kitchen. “I have made tea, and cast the thousands of invitations, and arranged for the feast, though that took some doing...” she stated briskly before noticing the silent scene. “What is it?” she asked.

“I’m not sure.” Mark admitted, his eyes still unfocused in deep thought. “I keep thinking about the Reading, and it sure seems that there’s something subtly wrong about it all ... I mean, I know I’m no expert on elves or anything, and I sure don’t want to seem insensitive to your loss, but still ... The way everyone acted doesn’t quite ring true. Every little event in it seems subtly wrong...

“The first one. Three times before, when Talia thought someone was her destined love, Dalia had waited until Talia knew one way or another, before Dalia approached the fellow herself. Yet this time, when Talia was sure, Dalia would not wait. Not that unusual, perhaps, yet unusual enough that Talia was surprised by it. And Dalia had to know that Talia would be hurt by it. Would she really do that normally?

“The second one. I realize that you elves are more, uh, uninhibited, than my people, and Dalia and Bezedil were both young, very attractive, and I think a bit more promiscuous than the norm, even for elves. And that Bezedil thought that Dalia was his destined love. Still, they met, exchanged barely a dozen words, and bedded each other barely a minute after they met! Doesn’t that seem unusual to you?

“The third one. It makes sense that Talia was hurt by what they did. Yet you are not a sexually monogamous people, and as Dalia pointed out, Bezedil was obviously no virgin. Talia knew that she was Bezedil’s destined love, and she had to know that under normal circumstances he would soon realize it as well, and then they would be together. So it makes sense that Talia was hurt, but it doesn’t seem right that she was so completely devastated by it as she was.

“The fourth one. I can see how a human who is completely distraught might suicide by jumping from a high place, for our lives are short, and once we’re falling, there’s nothing we can do about it anyway. But for an elf to throw away thousands of years of life by doing so seems incredible! And once you’re falling, I mean really falling, no matter who you are, the survival instinct should be undeniable! It seems impossible to me that anyone could choose to not save themselves then, if they had the means available, by flying or healing or disappearing or something! Yazadril has said that a few elves have committed suicide, but how many of them did it by jumping from a high place? Not many, I’d bet, or none.

“And the fifth one, and this is what really made me think that there was something wrong. Why did Dalia jump?!! After she did, it makes a little sense that Bezedil did, because he thought he’d lost his destined love. It makes even more sense that Talia jumped, because she had lost her twin sister, and her destined love. But Dalia must have known that Talia and Bezedil were destined lovers! It shouldn’t have shocked her or hurt her that much to see them together! I know she was very pleased with Bezedil’s love-making, and perhaps in that one hour she had even fallen in love with him a little. But even from the little I saw of her, it seems impossible that Dalia would commit suicide for so little provocation! That for every second of that fall, she could continue to choose to let herself impact and die because she had been jilted by her new lover!”

There was a long silence, broken by Alilia. “What are you implying?!” she grimly demanded, tears streaming down as she was forced to re-live yesterday’s horror.

Mark, still deep in thought, took no offense. “I don’t know. It’s like everyone was somewhat drunk, just enough to make them more emotional. Could you all have been drugged? Or perhaps bewitched in some way?”

The rest were all shaken by the possibility.

Talia gave a choked laugh. “Perhaps we are all cursed!” she bitterly surmised.

There was another long silence.

“I think you jest, my daughter, yet perhaps you should not!” Yazadril stated grimly, his brows knotted in anger. “Mark has raised some valid points, though we could not see it because we were too close to the situation. Combine them with Alilia’s earlier observations about major repercussions from these events, and the possibility of some kind of covert interference becomes all too real!

“By all the silent gods! Dalia’s death by youthful foolishness is horrible enough! If someone has maliciously caused her death or contributed to it, whether it was by drug or spell or curse, I swear it will not remain hidden from me!

“All of you, please stay exactly where you are! If there is evidence, it has likely been much disturbed already, no need to make it worse!”

With a flurry of hummed notes and gestures, Yazadril began casting and loosing many different information-seeking and analyzing spells, one after the other, for six minutes or more. Then they all waited silently, watching him closely, while he concentrated fiercely.

“There ... is something...” he murmured. “But it is faint ... So old and faint...”

He concentrated until he was shaking from it, then struck his fists to his forehead in frustration. “Blazing source above, I will not be denied!” he cried. “Alilia, give me power! As much as you can without burning me out!”

Alilia sternly stepped to him, grasped his head with both hands, pressed her own forehead hard against his, and began pouring power into him. He also grasped her head in his hands and held it tight to his.

Mark had to look away from the brightness they were generating, though he was only seeing Yazadril’s half of it.

Yazadril shook harder and harder, until he was shuddering head to toe and fell to one knee. Alilia released him, but he would not release her in return. “Almost there!” he quaveringly growled, and held on for another four seconds.

“Have it!” he hoarsely cried, and Nemia helped Alilia support him as he slowly collapsed to the floor, panting and shaking.

They waited while he recovered, until Alilia’s patience ran out. “Out with it if you can, Yazadril! What did you find?!”

Yazadril sat up, wincing and gasping, and waved her to silence. Finally he spoke, sounding completely dejected. “Talia was right. We were cursed. You and I, Alilia, we two specifically were cursed, over one hundred and twenty years ago. By a human wizard, who at that time was located some six hundred leagues to the east, and about thirty leagues north. The Empire of Thon, or the Kingdom of Yazzak. Not a very powerful curse, for even I could have put more power into one, but that’s what made it so hard to trace. No doubt our foe was pleased enough with it. And, it was eventually effective.

“Our children were murdered, Alilia, for we were cursed that our children would slay one another. I could learn no more, though I was desperate to learn the identity of the caster.”

“Our children were killed to strike at us?!!” Alilia screeched as she stood, clenched and shaking in rage.

“But ... I mean in a way, that makes some of what’s happened understandable, but in some ways, things are only more confusing!” Nemia sobbed in grieved bewilderment. “Why would anyone do such a thing? Yazadril, neither you nor Alilia even had any living children one hundred and twenty years ago!”

“It is all too completely understandable, since our enemy is obviously one who takes the long view to his goals.” Alilia stated bitterly. “The patience of it is chilling. We did eventually have children, and the curse struck at the first opportunity, subtly altering reality just enough to accomplish its evil end. If we had never had children, our enemy would have wasted little in the effort. And knowing that it quite likely may have been a wasted effort, our unknown enemy no doubt has other schemes afoot to accomplish the same ends. I doubt that his purpose was to hurt us personally, to break our hearts by killing our children. We know for certain that the only ones who had reason to personally hate us that much are long dead, centuries before the curse was cast. And to hurt us, one would curse our children to die young, horribly perhaps, but not to slay one another! Nor to do so by such a relatively quick and painless method! To fulfill its requirements, the curse had to wait an extra twenty-nine years, when it could have simply slain them as babes!

“No. This curse; that our children would slay one another, was cast to cause enmity between Yazadril and I. To break our friendship. To break the alliance between our peoples. To cause war between The High People and The People of Life!

“And look how close it came to accomplishing that! I was a hair’s breadth away from killing Talia and Nemia, and then Yazadril would have killed me! When my people learned that my son and I had both been killed here by Yazadril and his family, they would have declared war, and their greater numbers clashing against the defenses of The Nine Valleys would have meant annihilation for all!”

“You think Father could have killed you?” Talia asked in astonishment.

“Don’t be naïve! Of course he would have!” Alilia snapped impatiently. “I have hundreds of times his power, but I am not too proud to realize that he is still twice the wizard I will ever be! If he wanted to match me power for power, all he would need to do is to tap the power of the nearest thousand elves, and he is very good at doing that very quickly under battle conditions! He could tap the nearest hundred thousand and overwhelm me completely, but that is not his way! He would have some tiny spell with less force than a falling pebble that would pass unnoticed through my defenses and block the veins in my brain, or something else of similar style!

“Do not be fooled by his humbleness or his lack of raw power, child, for your father is the greatest wizard alive! His strength may only be average for one of The High People, but that is nothing to disregard, for The High People are mightiest in magic as individuals! With his knowledge and skill, that is enough to make him invincible! And between us, we will find the worm spawn who have killed our children and threatened our nations, and we will make them burn in hell forever!!!”

Alilia was almost screaming in rage when she finished, and she took a moment to try to control her emotions.

“Great source!” Theramin breathed. “To think that only Yazadril’s appeal to your long friendship saved our peoples from war!”

“It did not.” Alilia spat, somewhat calmer. “For I was going to kill Talia anyway, and cared not of the consequences. A horrible truth, but there it is.”

She pointed to Mark. “He saved us from war. His presence was the wild card, the random factor our hidden enemy could not have foreseen. I had not thought of the ordeal of Yzandra in five hundred years, and if I had not just been discussing Mark, I would still not have thought of it! And even if I had thought of it, I would not have cursed Talia with it if he had not been handy to be the instrument of my vengeance!

“But he was there, and so at the very last instant, rather than blasting Talia to dust with a blow as I had planned, I thought of the ordeal of Yzandra, and I cursed Talia with it. At least thousands more will not die in a needless war!”

Talia spoke, and there was unexpected steel in her voice. “When you find those who did this, and the time comes to deal with them, I will claim my right to take part in the retribution.”

Then her hard determination faded, to be replaced by weariness from so much pain. “But today is my wedding day! Tomorrow will be soon enough to begin hunting them! Please, if I have to deal with even one more unhappy thought, I’m sure I will break down completely!”

Nemia wiped away her tears, and bravely pasted a smile on her face. “She’s right, we have a wedding to prepare for, and only about two hours remain before we should leave for Laylas Valley! There is much to do, so while I prepare Mark and Talia and myself, the rest of you can divide and delegate the rest that needs to be done.”

“As I said, the invitations are sent, and the feast arranged for.” Alilia said, glad for this distraction from her ire. “With your permission Talia, Mark, I will extend invitations to another fifteen. With ten thousand and more already, I’m sure we can fit them in somewhere.”

“I don’t see why not. May I ask who they are?” Talia inquired in puzzlement.

“They are the leaders of our peoples, the Princes and Princesses of all the elven nations of the world, for I intend to call them to High Council immediately after your wedding, to warn them that someone may be seeking to cause war among the elves. This cannot wait until tomorrow, for if our enemy has a way of monitoring events here, he already knows that his curse has acted successfully, yet failed to cause war, or even to break my friendship with Yazadril. Thus he may even now be setting new schemes in motion.”

“Certainly! I would love to have the royalty of the elven world attend my wedding!” Talia laughed, deliberately ignoring the unpleasant aspects of what Alilia had said.

“Good. Then I am off to my embassy. I will meet you at the chapel.” Alilia stated brusquely, and with that, she was simply gone.

“I’m glad she arranged for the feast.” Theramin grinned. “Her people have the kitchen capacity to produce one for ten thousand on short notice, while ours do not. Still, there are many other preparations to be made at the chapel, and that falls to me and my staff.

“Nemia, if you will tell me what you wish in the way of lighting and decoration, I will see to it. I know you would rather give that your personal attention, but as you say, time is pressing.”

“Thank you Theramin.” Nemia smiled. She produced a scroll from thin air and handed it to him. “Shall I hurry you there?”