Forty Five: Kalor's Daughter

"Alright," Teyber whispered low in my ear as he placed a big hand on each of my shoulders. He stood behind me and we faced a long hallway. "Halduin is going to be in that far right room. It's something of a strategy room for him."

"Should I knock?" I asked.

"No, I'll open the door an announce you. As a half elf, you outrank me," he said.

"I outrank you?" I said in disbelief.

"In a way. With Halduin you will. Just let me go in first."

"Alright." I could feel my heartbeat under my chest, beating strong and fast. I had no reason to be nervous. Except angering the elves somehow. No matter what magics I've learned, I can't fight a whole city at once. What if they wanted to capture or kill us? Schula and Nassir in particular were fae. And what if...

"Stay focused, Wren. I'm going in now," Teyber said. He patted my shoulders with his big hands and walked around me to make his way down the hall. I followed a few paces behind him, waiting for my signal.

Teyber knocked on the door twice, then opened the door without waiting for an answer.

"Captain!" A gruff voice barked out. "We're in the middle of a meeting. Get out."

"Lord Halduin. Lord Kalor's presence is requested elsewhere, and it's rather urgent." Teyber didn't let any urgency in his tone, his words would have to hold all the weight.

"If this is about the fae creatures he allowed into Eidelhein, and don't think I've forgotten the part you played in that-"

"Pardon me, Lord Halduin. I have a guest to announce, and it is no fae." Teyber leaned out of the door enough to nod at me, and I began walking toward him as he faced the room again. "Announcing Wren, a visitor from the lands of the witches, and a half elf."

Something hit something else, perhaps a fist to a table or wall. "Rediculous, there hasn't been the hint of a new half elf since..."

I took my first steps through the doorway and took in the room before me. Kalor sat in a chair by a window, and the only other person in the room was a full blooded elf standing over him. Halduin. He had finer clothes than Kalor as far as I could tell from my brief knowledge of the fashions in Eidelhein. He also had graying hair tied back in a long horse tail at the base of his neck. He wore several bright pieces of jewelry, and his deep green eyes were wide as they locked onto me.

"Lord Kalor," I said, not knowing how else to address my father in front of Halduin. "I need to speak with you urgently before tonight's meeting is called."

Kalor looked at me with bewilderment, standing from his chair slowly. But Halduin had already recovered.

"You," he hissed, rounding on Kalor. "I knew it! That spawn of the witch survived, and you withheld it from the council for all these years."

"Halduin," Kalor said as firm as his usual tone would allow. "I had no knowledge of it, and the only one who returned and did was cursed not to reveal it. I thought she was gone. We all thought she was gone, and I just found her a day ago."

"Lord Halduin," I interrupted. "I have some rather urgent business with Kalor. For the sake of your own council, I urge you to allow me to speak with him so he may bring the most beneficial information he can to your meeting tonight."

Halduin's eyes narrowed at me. "Beneficial for who, witch?"

My eyebrows snapped together. This scheming snake would jump to self serving information gathering, but that didn't mean Kalor would. I was almost ashamed to admit some fire licked my fingertips as my anger flared. Almost.

Halduin flicked his gaze to my hands and back up again, but he didn't cower. No, this was an old elf. An elf who probably fought in the war that cast them from the Wyldes. That's fine, I didn't expect him to balk from it, but he had to know who he was dealing with.

"I don't know how you run things here in Eidelhein, Lord Halduin, but where I'm from we don't risk someone who wants to provide a council of decision makers vital information based on personal motivations. Surely none on your council would behave that way, would they?"

Teyber coughed behind me, a curious sound as though he was holding back another noise altogether. Kalor simply placed a hand on my shoulder and gently guided me to the door.

"Wren is right, Halduin. If she has something urgent to tell me, I need to hear it now before the council gathers. I assure you, I've answered all of your questions with honesty and I will continue to do so tonight... with everyone in attendance."

Halduin rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. "Get out of my quarters, Kalor. I will see you tonight, and you will answer for everything you have brought on us."

"Fare well, Halduin." Kalor nudged me out the door, and we left down the hall with Kalor on my right and Teyber on my left.

"Was that wise, Kalor?" Teyber murmured but he had a wide grin on his face. "Provoking him like that?"

Kalor gave Teyber a tired laugh. "Probably not, but it can't have been worse than giving him a head start on the appearance of Wren. I had wanted to tell them all tonight at the same time."

"I wasn't lying when I said we urgently needed to speak with you," I said softly. "We thought we would have the chance this afternoon but..."

Kalor sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "But Halduin interrupted. I understand. Come, let's meet the others in my halls and we can hear what you have to say."

~

We sat in the common room of Kalor's long hallway. Nassir, Schula, and I had told Kalor and Teyber in more detail the nature of our encounter with DuVarick.

Things happened so rapidly, the secrets and stories that I had wanted to tell Kalor slowly over the days I got to know him spilled out in our hushed retelling of our adventures. To his credit, Kalor was silent as he heard everything we had to say. Teyber peppered in questions as they arose, but those weren't too often and it didn't stop our tale.

When I told them that Schula and I were a triquetram, Kalor's eyes closed slowly and he took a long moment to open them again. I knew what having a triquetram did to Lark, and surely he was thinking of it too.

When we described DuVarick and his madness, confirmed by Nassir, Teyber's expression darkened. Kalor frowned.

"The question now is whether the other courts would believe him," Kalor said.

"I don't think the knowledge of his madness is that wide spread," Schula answered. "Or at least, the extent of it. Even Baeleon spoke of him as a bit off. Not that he spoke of him much in my presence."

Kalor's face softened. "I can't imagine what it was like for you, and I'm sorry young one. I can't say I have a taste for many of the fae, or at least their ways, but you are always welcome in my home."

Schula's eyes widened a fraction and then her usual calm face was back in place. "Thank you, Kalor."

Kalor didn't seem to know what to do with his hands after that. He picked a piece of fruit before playing a bit with the peel and not actually getting anywhere with it. He had known me all of a day and had already accepted me and my triquetram into his life.

"Do we know the urgency of DuVarick's threat?" Teyber asked, changing the focus. "He seems to have a lot to deal with right now, surely he isn't that worried about us just yet."

"He sent scouts after us," Nassir said gravely. "One successfully followed us to the land of the witches."

Kalor's eyes widened at that. "You went to the land of the witches? They... they let you in?"

"It was an unusual circumstance," I said. "But the witches erased the scout's trails after we caught him, and there should be no way for them to have followed us after that."

Teyber scratched his chin. "Even so, preparations should be made, just in case."

"Surely he wouldn't search the world for the elves, just because of a thousand year old grudge," Schula said.

"He would for the one who took Lark's heart," Kalor answered quietly. "He was mad, and he wanted her for himself."

"That's true enough," Nassir agreed. "But the only one left who can tell us what really happened with Lark's last encounter in the Winter lands is..."

Heads turned to Teyber. He grunted. "Still under her curse, even now."

The table collectively sighed. And then I sat up straight. "Lark's book. Kalor, do  you still have it?"

My father nodded. "I do."

"There is a chance she wrote down the curse she used. Our books are practically diaries of our magical education. If she knew how to spell Teyber into silence, there is a good chance it's in her book."

Teyber stood from the table, his eyes wide. "And you could reverse it?"

I shrugged. "I can try at least. And I'm still looking for answers of my own in the other books I have too. I really need to start searching for what I need in them."

"Other books?" Kalor asked.

I pressed my hands to my cheeks. "Oh Mother, we didn't even cover that part yet. The barrier between the Wyldes and the rest of the world is crumbling I'm trying to find out what we can do to fix it and maybe hints of what all it does in the first place."

"The barrier is crumbling?" Kalor asked, alarmed. "It's been in place for thousands of years."

"That's what the other books are, I have tomes from witches who went on the journey and put the barrier in place the first time. I'm trying to learn from their words." I wove my fingers together and put my hands in my lap. "That's part of my journey. That and... finding out who I am."

Kalor gave me a gentile smile. "I'm glad you did. So, these other books could give you the answers you seek?"

"Hopefully," I said, then turned to Teyber. "And maybe release you from your silence as well."

Teyber sat back down. "We can deal with that tomorrow, for tonight we need to prepare what you want to tell the other elves, Kalor."

The room looked pointedly at my father, who sighed through his nose and pressed his fingertips to his temples. "Making the council aware of Wren, Nassir, and Schula is still a priority. Telling them what we know of DuVarick's current state is also important, but the added benefit of the witches erasing your tracks is a good point to add. I don't think this means preparing for war at our doorstep, but it's a precaution not to be taken lightly."

"Will our presence be needed at the meeting at any point?" Nassir asked. "There is no chance of us being called for to come before you?"

"Not much of a chance, I'd say," Kalor said, shaking his head.

"Then, I believe our best course of action is to settle in and study Wren's books as well as we can. In the event that we become no longer welcome in this city-"

"I'm not going to let that happen!" Kalor began to protest, but Nassir held up a hand.

"I have lived a long life, Kalor. Longer even than yourself. I know the way of people, and I will not count the possibility out, no matter how good your heart may be. It is not you I don't trust, it is the ones I've not met yet." Nassir waited for Kalor's reluctant nod before continuing. "Anyway, I believe it is in our best interest to study Wren's books for as long as we have a safe roof to study them under. If we must flee Eidelhein at any point, may we flee it with the knowledge we need to repair the barrier."

Kalor's mouth was a grim line when he nodded again. "Very well, Nassir. You're as wise as Lark always told me."

Nassir chuckled at that. "I've been gifted a life with plenty of time for inward reflection."

I winced at the joke he tried to make of his imprisonment, but it was his life to joke about, not mine, so I said nothing. Schula's mouth twisted into a strange shape, then settled back into a neutral expression.

"Since I won't be in the meeting either, I'll stay and assist in the book research," Teyber said.

"Very well," Kalor sighed and in the empty space between our words, a distant bell could be heard tolling. "I suppose I'm off to the council."

"Good luck, my friend. Defend your righteous actions well, and the Stars will shut Halduin up." Teyber teased, smiling at Kalor.

Kalor gave a breathy laugh as he stood from the table. "I'll see you all in the morning, may we all find what we seek tonight."

And with his short words of goodbye and his swift steps out the door, our very long night began.