Chapter 4: Edelmer

Edelmer woke up, got out of bed and felt that he was sweating heavily, and he hadn’t washed for a long time. Remembering that he was near the lake, he ran out of the elven house and walked at a fast pace towards the water. Silenta and Iglara were at their zenith. He did not know how much time he had slept... The warrior saw a specially fenced area, divided into two water reservoirs, one of which contained foamy water, and the other clean, arqilunians were washing clothes.

Throwing off his clothes, despite the surrounding women, the warrior sprawled, jumped up and flopped into the foamy water. Edelmer had hoped to jump over the magic-fenced reservoir and dive into the clear water, but he made a mistake in his calculations. Immediately jumping out of the foamy water, covered with white bubbles, he grabbed his clothes and headed for another spot, out of sight. The northerner decided to go to the farthest edge of the lake.

After a good wash, he washed his shirt and pants, he even decided to rinse his boots, although he knew that they would dry for a long time.

Lanialis suddenly appeared.

“You promised not to use magic,” the snunorf blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“I didn’t use it, my husband did,” Lanis retorted.

“When are you going to explain to me what’s going on here? Why are you arqilunians constantly kissing strangers? Especially you! You are married, for Sirridwyn’s sake! Wasn’t there another, but free, beautiful arqilunian girl who could simply ask me for the hair? Why were you and Arinella chosen? And where, by the way, is Arinella? Are you at the same side? Is she married too?”

“So many questions.”

The northerner’s hot and impulsive outburst of emotion caused Lanis to tremble. They were far from Luanfalash. The shullebaches hid the elf and the snunorf from prying eyes.

Lanis looked fantastic, long hair, multiple braids, each with an interwoven bead with the symbol of the ancient arqilunian runes. She was in a light greenish short dress, her hips were the color of light sand.

“No magic,” Lanialis came close to the warrior and looked into his eyes. What did those eyes express, what was so attractive about them? Deep grey-blue eyes, loneliness and longing were hidden in them, the same longing that tormented the arqilunian. She was unhappy in her marriage, but customs and traditions could not allow her to leave her husband. And this despite all the progressive achievements of the forest elves...

“Far Drog Vas Tran,” they heard the spell.

Instantly, living branches began to appear from the soil and wrapped around their bodies. Branches spiraled down Eder’s arms. They twisted Lanis, squeezing her chest and waist like Ermir’s cruelest corset.

Vartelar GrenRattik stood unperturbed with his hands folded in front of him; his long blue glossy robe reflecting the light of the sky and the lake, his elongated face expressed no emotion.

“Vartelar–” Before Lanis could finish, one of the branches closed her mouth, girding her in a circle, squeezing her neck.

“You bore my name, wife, but your behavior was unworthy.” And the elf made a gesture with his hand, controlling the branch, squeezing her throat with such force that Lanis fainted.

“Galfodrildak!” Edelmer shouted, which in the ancient language of the snunorf meant an insult to the elves. He tried to free himself with the fury. The arm in the bicep was so full that the branches began to burst from the tension. Moving his hands in front of him, clenching his teeth, the warrior began to tear apart the branches. As he broke free, he ran toward Vartelar, but the elf’s figure suddenly vanished. Looking around, the warrior didn’t find signs of a vengeful husband, the branches were gone, and Lanis’s breathless body lay on the soft grass. Edelmer ran up to her.

“Wake up!” he shouted and put his hand under her head. The huge northerner held the girl’s small head, and although she didn’t fit completely in his palm, she seemed so tiny and fragile.

“Call the argiphone, let him carry me to Eileenelia,” he heard a whisper.

“But how?” the warrior remembered that the whistle summons the bird, but he is not able to reproduce the sound that Lanis made yesterday.

Edelmer began to whistle, he strained for so long that the whistle turned into a hissing sound. His hatred of Lanis’s husband grew into self-hatred. He felt helpless, worthless, the desire to save the girl was more important than his life.

Suddenly he heard a familiar chirp and saw a giant shadow crawl, blocking out the light of two stars. Argiphone landed almost right next to them, which nearly hit the northerner with its wing. Edelmer picked up Lanis and carefully laid her on the bird’s back, and he climbed on a bird. Argiphone took off and headed towards the capital of Eileenelia, Grandavalnall.