The Seeking: Part XIX

These were troubling times for Lord Evaynanvathallion of the House Silver Rose. Aelfric of Thornhaven was noticeably cooler in his dealings with the Lord of the Green Silences, and there was a surge of ill feelings for elven-kind among humans. There were reports of scurrilous songs, and of wild rumors circulating that the Sithryn were makers of mischief against men, and that human babes had been stolen from their cradles to be raised as slaves for elven masters. Babes that fell ill and died were said to be weak changelings left in place of the healthy stolen children.

Such accusations were impossible to disprove to minds already closed by hatred, and the relations between the Sithryn and the folk of Thornhaven steadily worsened. Matters were not eased by the attitude of Evaynan's son Yarrow. The rage he felt over the incident in Byzantium that had led to his twin's scarring seemed to grow with each passing day. Worried that the prince might spark some incident that might do damage to the already tenuous situation, Lord Evaynan constantly found tasks to keep Yarrow close to home, or else ones that would send him to areas where humans were scarce themselves. For a time, he was successful.

It seemed there was only one bright spot in all Evaynan faced. The Sithryn that sailed the oceans of the world had found others among the humans who shared their passion for their wild, free ways. But even here, had he but known, there was a faction that might have caused him great concern, a group of men and Sithryn chafed by the rules and restrictions set upon them by Aelfric and Evaynan's treaty. As traders and ships' captains, they were rulers in their own right away from the boundaries of land. The seafarers of two races found common cause against what they perceived as their right to sail and trade as they saw fit.

Then a tale began to make the rounds of the waterfront taverns. There was an island three days' sail to the west, not on any map, with safe harbors and all away from the rule of elf or man alike. Tol Dolen, some elves of this world called it, in their tongue, "The Hidden Isle", and the others took it up. Charts were consulted, log books compared, yet none of them were able to pinpoint a location for such a place. It was, indeed, well and truly hidden.

One day a new rumor started: the way to Tol Dolen was to be revealed to any who wished to let slip the bonds of Thornhaven or the Green Silences. A meeting would be held at the largest warehouse on the human side of the bay, and all were welcome to attend it in three night's time. Mariners huddled together over drinks and wondered who might call such a meeting. But no one knew, and on the appointed night all gathered at the warehouse to see if anyone did indeed appear. One did.

It was if someone stepped out of thin air as if from behind a curtain. He was tall, with dark hair and green eyes that seemed to glow slightly like a beast in the night. In one hand he held a bag; the other hand he held palm out for silence, and gradually, as the murmuring among those gathered died out, he had it.

"Who are you?" asked a voice, a human, inquisitive as are all their kind.

"You don't need to know that. You may call me Tandu; it's how my name is in one of your human tongues. What you DO need to know is that the stories are true. There is a Tol Dolen, it is hidden from the world, and it cannot be found by ordinary means." He bounced the bag about in the palm of his hand. The contents made a clicking sound. "You can only reach it if you possess the tokens I shall give to you who agree to my terms this night."

A Sithryn sea captain spoke up now. "And what terms might those be? We are here because the rumors said there were no rules to hinder us on this island of yours."

"Well said!" The man nodded an acknowledgement to the elf. "These are the terms: One, from every voyage you make, you must choose one item from among the best of your goods, and leave it at the place I will designate for my share. Two, you will tell no one how it is you gain access to Tol Dolen. Three, any violation of the first two terms will be punished by death, swift, sure, and certain. Do not believe it will not happen. It shall. I give you my oath it will." He stopped speaking, his gaze raking the assembly as silence grew.

"Is that all?"

He nodded. "Well? Any takers? This is all I shall tell you; it is all you need to know. Take the token, sail to the west, and you shall find Tol Dolen."

There was more silence, and then a man stepped forwards and held out his hand. "I'll do it. I'd do it just to see this island of yours."

The dark stranger smiled, and opening the bag, took out something that was triangular and iridescent. He dropped it into the man's hand, and then began to give out all the rest to the entire assembly. The humans were briefly curious of the tokens, but tucked them away soon enough.

The elves, Sithryn and others, reacted differently, turning them over in their hands, then looking about in vain for the now vanished stranger. They spoke briefly among themselves before they left the warehouse, and a name was murmured over and over.

It was not the name, Tandu; he had given them in the human tongue. It was older, and in truth, it was only the name elves knew him by.

They called him Mornaur.

- from THE BOOK OF GREEN SILENCES