The resemblance between Darian and her was now clearly visible. Traven hadn’t known the elf had a sister. He wondered if Darian had any other siblings.
“He was here,” Traven replied. “He just left with your mother.”
“Oh,” she said as she continued staring at him. She bit her lower lip in thought. “Are you a guardian?”
“No,” he replied. He was surprised by the question and wondered if she hadn’t heard of Darian’s devotion to a wielder yet. If she didn’t know, he didn’t want to be the one to tell her. “I’m a wielder. Darian led me here.”
“Really?” she asked as her eyes lit up. “You can wield the ambience?”
“Yes,” he answered as she took a step towards him.
“Would you show me?” she asked sweetly as she took another step closer.
Traven began to feel slightly uncomfortable. The melody of her voice and the gracefulness of her walk caused his heart to race faster, and he found it almost impossible to look away from her eyes. He felt compelled to do as she asked. He put out his hand, palm up, and caused a large flame to appear in the air above it. She stopped walking with a small gasp. Traven continued staring into her eyes. What else should he show her? What would impress her and please her the most?
A cough from the doorway interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to his senses. Traven let the flame disappear and broke his gaze from the beautiful elf’s eyes. A mischievous smile played across her lips as she turned and strolled from the room. He couldn’t help but stare after her as she gracefully walked pass Johanelle and out of sight.
“If you would follow me,” the elderly servant said with a small smile.
Traven hurried to follow as Johanelle turned and walked back into the entryway. Traven looked around for Darian’s sister when he left the gallery, but she was nowhere to be found. He followed the elderly elf up the stairs and down the hallway. At the end of the hall, there was another set of stairs that appeared to be built directly into the trunk of the giant tree. Traven followed Johanelle up these stairs as they curved slightly with the contour of the tree.
The stairs stopped at a large landing with several doors. The elderly servant led him to the furthest door on the left and opened it for him. Traven stepped through it and found himself in a cozy room different than what he had expected. The room was completely devoid of furniture, at least the kind he was accustomed to. There was no bed, but there was some kind of hanging fabric that stretched from one corner of the small room to another. His saddlebag had been deposited in the far corner at the base of some built-in shelves, and there was a window in the far wall.
“Will this do?” Johanelle asked politely.
“Yes,” Traven replied as he turned to the elf with a smile. “Thank you.”
“I will be back to fetch you as soon as dinner is ready. Feel free to lie down and rest until then.”
Traven waited until the door was shut before frowning. He looked over the small room once again. Where was he supposed to lie down? There were several blankets stacked nicely in a built-in shelf in the corner. He supposed he could lay them on the wooden floor, but that didn’t sound very comfortable. His eyes returned to the hanging piece of fabric that stretched across the room.
He stepped up to it and inspected it. It looked like a large blanket with two of its ends attached to the ceiling. He put his hands on it and pushed down. The fabric gave slightly, but it was soft and appeared to be securely fastened to the ceiling. Was he supposed to sleep in this? He slipped off his boots and carefully climbed up into the hanging blanket.
It swung slowly as he lay down on it and moved to its very center. The sides curved up around him slightly as his weight sunk the middle down. He adjusted his position and smiled. It was actually incredibly comfortable. He closed his eyes and relaxed as it swayed slowly back and forth. He would have to ask Darian what it was called.
Just as he began to doze off, there was a knock at the door. He sat up quickly and sent the hanging blanket rocking back and forth. He put his weight on the edge to climb out and started with surprise as the entire blanket flipped over, dumping him onto the floor. A loud thump sounded as he crashed against the wooden floorboards. He quickly jumped up and straightened his clothes before answering the door.
Johanelle was waiting outside and doing a poor job of hiding an amused smile. The servant must have heard the thump and guessed what had occurred. Traven pretended as if nothing had happened. He would have to be more careful the next morning.
“Are you ready?” Johanelle asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
He quickly put on his boots and followed the elderly elf back down the stairs to the hallway. Half way down the hall, Johanelle stopped in front of a door and opened it. He bowed and motioned for Traven to go into the room beyond. Traven walked through the doorway and found himself in a small dining room. There were six chairs surrounding a rectangular, polished wooden table, with one chair at each end and two chairs on each side. Darian was already seated.
“How did you like your room?” the elf asked.
“Just fine,” Traven replied. “Once I figured out what the hanging blanket was for, I had a nice rest.”
“The hammock?” Darian asked. “You have probably never seen one before, have you?”
Traven shook his head in reply.
“Some elves sleep in beds, but most prefer sleeping in hammocks,” Darian explained. “Some string them between the branches of trees and sleep outside. I am looking forward to sleeping in mine tonight. They are very comfortable.”
The hammock in his room was comfortable, but Traven still would have preferred a bed. He didn’t have to worry about getting dumped out of a bed.
“What have you been doing?” he asked.
“I talked to my mother for awhile and came here. My parents should join us soon, and then we can eat. I am starving.”
“What about your sister?” Traven asked. “Will she be eating with us?”
“Yes,” Darian replied. He then paused and gave Traven a strange look. “How did you know I had a sister?”
“She showed up in the gallery looking for you just after you left. Why didn’t you mention you had a sister?”
“You never asked,” the elf replied.
“Do you have any other siblings?”
“No. It is rare for elven women to bear more than one or two elflings.”
“How come?” he asked.
“Elves live longer than humans, but we are far less fertile. That is why there are not elves covering the entire land like there are humans.”
“I see,” Traven said. “Is there anything I should know about elven dinner etiquette before your parents arrive?”
“My, you are full of questions tonight,” Darian mused.
“I’m just curious,” he replied. “Everything around me is new. I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I already fell out of the hammock.”
Darian burst out laughing and motioned for Traven to sit down next to him.
“That was what the loud thump was,” Darian said merrily. “I thought someone had dropped something.”
Traven sat down next to Darian and chuckled. He was glad to see the elf in such a good mood. After a few moments, Darian stopped laughing and explained proper dinner protocol.
“We do not speak while we eat,” he said. “We reserve conversation until after the meal is over. We spend the time enjoying the flavor of the food and clearing our minds of the day’s troubles. That is the only difference between elven meals and human meals, except for the food of course.”
“The food won’t be too strange, will it?”
Darian opened his mouth to answer but stopped as his parents arrived. His father no longer wore the green cloak or the circlet of silver. Darian’s father seated himself at the head of the table while Darian’s mother sat across from Darian at her husband’s right. Darian’s sister swept into the room right behind her parents and seated herself directly across from Traven with a smile.
“I see your servant remembered where I live,” Darian’s father said. “I am glad.” Traven felt Darian stiffen at his side. “Let us eat. We will have plenty of time to talk once our stomachs are full and our minds are clear.”
Traven nodded and smiled respectfully. He leaned back as two servants began setting food on the table. He watched with interest as the food was brought in. There were several things he couldn’t identify. The majority of the meal consisted of different kinds of vegetables and mushrooms. Most were delicious, but one mushroom in particular tested his self control not to spit it out. There was also a meat dish that tasted similar to venison.
The silence during the meal made him feel slightly awkward, but it was a nice idea. He tried to clear his thoughts and enjoy the food but had difficulty relaxing. He kept worrying about the battle at Candus and the meeting with the elf king in the morning. Darian’s sister also made it difficult to clear his mind. She kept glancing up at him in between bites of her food, flashing her bright green eyes and playful smile. He tried staring at his food but couldn’t resist the urge to look back at her several times.
When the meal was finally over, he was relieved. Now they could talk about what they needed to. Darian would be able to find out where he stood with his father, and Traven hoped to be able to enlist the influential elf in his effort to convince the elf king to lend him the armband of endurance.
“How did you like the food?” Darian’s mother asked, breaking the silence.
“It was delicious,” Traven replied politely.
Darian’s mother smiled happily.
“I do not believe we have properly introduced ourselves,” Darian’s father began. “My name is Darielle and my wife’s name is Celian. This is our daughter Celeste. I heard that you came to our haven seeking an audience with the elf king. Is that correct?”
“It is,” he replied.
“The king was informed of your intention and has consented to meet with you tomorrow morning,” Darielle said. “Normally, he would not be so accommodating to a human. However, it has been a long time since we have been visited by a wielder. We are honored to have you in our home for the night.”
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Traven replied.
“I have been asked to accompany you to the palace amphitheater tomorrow. I assume your servant has told you that I am the brother of our king?”
“Yes, Darian told me the king was his uncle,” Traven answered, refusing to refer to Darian as his servant and at the same time implying Darielle’s relation as his father.
The meaning behind his words wasn’t lost on Darielle. He smiled slightly before continuing.
“As his brother, the king has asked me to prepare you for the meeting. The elf king is very interested to hear why you are here.”
“We are all interested to hear why you are here,” Celian added.
Traven understood what she was saying. They were interested in knowing now. He had planned on only discussing the matter with the elf king but supposed he could gain insight into the monarch’s possible reaction by sharing his mission with the king’s brother. Besides, Darian’s family had been very gracious to him thus far.
“I have come to make a request of the elf king,” Traven began. “Are you aware of what’s currently taking place to the east of the forest?”
“You are referring to the battle between the humans and the galdaks,” Darielle stated. “Yes, we are aware of the conflict.”
“The galdaks have a powerful wielder with them. I’m not strong enough to defeat him,” he admitted. “I came to ask the elf king to allow me the use of the armband of endurance.”
A stunned silence settled over the room. Darian gave Traven a knowing look.
“Are you serious?” Celeste asked incredulously, breaking the silence. “Didn’t my brother tell you it would be impossible to get it?”
“I told him it would be incredibly difficult,” Darian responded calmly. “I would not have led him here if I thought it was impossible.” Darian turned and looked directly at his father. “Someone once told me nothing was impossible.”
Darielle stared back at Darian for several tense moments. A small smile slowly spread across his face.
“You must have heard that from a wise person,” he said, talking directly to his son for the first time since they arrived. “Are you proud of your choice to become a servant?” he asked abruptly.
“I am proud to serve as the devoted of a master wielder who is kind, honest, and brave. I am proud to assist a wielder who has the power to change the fate of the world.”
“You were willing to give up all that you might have had for this?” Darielle asked. “You do fully understand what your oath of devotion means?”
“Yes,” Darian replied calmly. “I did not make this decision hastily. Despite my intense feelings, I thought it through before I swore the oath. It was hard to resist the burning, but I could have if I had chosen to. I felt it was something I needed to do. I have made my choice and will live with the consequences.”
Darielle looked at his son for several moments in silence. Darian calmly met his eyes the entire time. His father then spoke.
“I am pleased to see that you have matured and learned to control your emotions better than when you left here sixteen years ago.” Darielle paused again for several moments before continuing. “I want you to know that I am not upset with your decision.” Darian let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief. “Despite what many elves believe, there is no shame in devoting yourself to a wielder. Many of our distant ancestors devoted themselves. The devotion burns hot in our bloodline. What I needed to see was that you were committed to your oath.”
Darian nodded with a firm smile.
“Whether or not he is committed to his oath,” Celeste cut in, “it will still be impossible to retrieve the armband of endurance.”
The room grew quiet. Momentarily, everyone had forgotten the true purpose of the visit. Traven was very happy to see that Darian’s family was accepting of his oath, but he knew that wasn’t the reason they had come to Morian Haven. He needed the armband of endurance. The fate of the humans rested on whether or not he could convince the elf king to let him borrow it.