Plague
tri
The ride to Sava Themire was uneventful, much to Takari's dismay. She had hoped that Elnaril was just fibbing to her father, telling a small white lie so he would allow her to come along, but the road to Sava Themire was safer than Alda Harad itself. The most dangerous thing that could have happened was Takari accidentally falling off of Verrona.
But it wasn't the ride that truly mattered. Takari, in all of her seventeen years of living, had never seen beyond the walls of Sava Themire – she had only heard tales. Her father, for some reason, had deemed the city too dangerous. Takari didn't know why; she had always just chalked it up to her father being afraid to lose her as well.
“This is it,” Elnaril said, “The entrance to Sava Themire.”
“Do we knock?” Takari asked, motioning to the large oaken door. She glanced up it, wondering if someone on the other side would even hear them knock as the door went upward for miles. How did they even open it? There had to have been some sort of mechanism to do that – a pulley of some sorts.
Before Takari had could continue to mentally argue with herself about how the door worked it began to lift up from the ground, slowly revealing the innards of the city. She wondered exactly how many elves it took to open and close the entrance and eventually got her answer. It took no elves at all, for standing on the other side of the entrance was a giant.
Takari laughed almost in disbelief. She had never seen a giant with her own eyes nor had she ever heard of one guarding the city of Sava Themire. She couldn't wait to tell her An'da about this. The city must have been safe if there was a giant guarding it.
“State your business.”
“I am Elnaril Maglana and this is Takari Anore,” Elnaril spoke loudly and clearly which took Takari by surprise. Usually he was mumbling under his breath and she was straining her ears just to catch a single word. “We have a shipment of bows from Ruehar Anore in Alda Harad.”
“Where is Ailwin?”
“He has come down with an illness.”
The giant glanced between the two elves for a moment before grunting.
“You may enter.”
Elnaril and his elk strode before Takari and hers, clearing a straight path to the blacksmith's shop. Takari had thought it peculiar that Elnaril knew the exact way but soon thought nothing of it. She was too excited by all of the hustle and bustle of the unfamiliar city to care. Chattering everywhere, children running amuck – she often had to stop her elk to allow one to cross the street without stomping over it, struggling to keep up with Elnaril.
“This is it,” Elnaril called back to Takari. They tied their elks at the nearest post and Elnaril began to work on untying the crate of weapons from Verrona's backside. Takari continued to look around at the glimmering city in awe, wishing she had some extra money to spare so she could bring a souvenir back to her friend Leena. “Are you coming inside?”
“Yes,” Takari exclaimed, almost forgetting the whole reason she was here. The shop was much bigger and more advanced than her father's and she felt her heart pang at this realization. Perhaps her father would prosper more if he were in Sava Themire instead of Alda Harad. But that couldn't happen, no – because in Sava Themire there were the Tarevoon, and in Alda Harad there were the Soheren. The highborns and the lowborns. Takari and her father didn't belong here.
A voice sounded from the back room of the shop and pulled Takari from her thoughts. A few moments later a thin and tall elf revealed himself, furrowing his eyebrows upon seeing two unfamiliar faces. Takari breathed a sigh of relief as his smile faded. Personally, she thought it was too much.
“How may I be of assistance?”
“We are here to deliver a shipment of Ruehar Anore's bows.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” the elf nodded, “They are in the crate here?”
“Naturally,” Takari said, and Elnaril sent her a glare. She watched as the crate levitated from in front of her to behind the counter and was in awe once more. She had never witnessed magic firsthand. Today was a great day.
“What happened to the other delivery boy?”
“Ailwin?” Takari reminded him. Elnaril gave her a small whack on her back once the elf turned around to jot something down from the crate into the book. She couldn't help herself or her mouth. Ailwin had been delivering for her father for years and it was rude of this man to not know his first name.
“Ailwin – yes. That was it.”
“He has unfortunately fallen ill.”
Elnaril didn't pick up on it but Takari did.
The way the elf tensed up the second the words left Elnaril's mouth.
“Ill?” The elf scratched at the back of his neck. “Ill with – with what?”
“Well, I can't be too sure,” Elnaril said, “Why?”
“No reason,” the elf said, sliding a piece of paper over the counter to the two elves. Takari picked it up and flipped it over to realize that it was a receipt – on the receipt was her father's payment. “You will take this to the Castle of Themire to receive the payment for the bows – it's a mile or two north. One of the guards will tell you where to go once you are there. Send my regards to Ailwin.”
“Thank you,” Takari murmured, and she and Elnaril turned to leave.
“One more thing,” the elf called after them just as they were about to open the door, “I've got a shipment of grain that needs to be delivered to the castle. You wouldn't be able to tie it to one of those elks of yours and drop it off since you're going there anyway, would you?”
Takari and Elnaril exchanged a look.
“It isn't much bigger than the crate you delivered the bows in,” the elf assured the two skeptics, “I assure you that it won't be any more strenuous on that elk than the bows were. A fascinating elk, I must say. What kind of breed?”
“She is a high elk,” Takari said.
“A high elk? Bred by the Tarevoon?”
“Yes.”
“How does a young girl such as yourself come to own a Tarevoon elk?”
“She belonged to–”
“You said you had a shipment of grain you wanted us to deliver?” Elnaril asked.
“Yes,” the elf nodded, “It is already outside of the door. Many thanks.”
The elf disappeared into the back of the shop, leaving Elnaril and Takari to watch each other for a few moments before leaving the shop. Takari mounted Verrona and Elnaril tied the shipment of grain to his elk, opting to give Verrona a break.
“That was… odd,” Elnaril said, “The way he interrogated you about your elk.”
“Verrona was my mother's elk,” Takari explained, figuring he had to have been at least somewhat curious after the elf back there had pointed it out, “When my mother died, my father gave her to me. It was only fitting. My father can't keep anything alive – not even a plant, never mind an elk.”
“How did your mother come to obtain Verrona?”
“She was a highborn,” Takari smiled at the mere memory of her mother, “Born and raised here in the city of Sava Themire. My father used to do his own bow deliveries, believe it or not, and he met my mother during one of them. She ran off with him to Alda Harad – caused a gigantic stir between the two cities. Then out came me.”
“For lack of a better term.” Elnaril said.
“What is your story?”
“My story?” Elnaril asked. “It's hardly as exciting as yours.”
“I'm sure it's just as exciting, if not more.”
“My parents were both born and raised in Alda Harad. They had me, their eldest, twenty-one years ago. I preceded five siblings: Llorna, who is sixteen; Halaema, who is twelve; Ygrainne, who is ten; and Ellarian and Aurae, the twins, who are five.”
“That sounds… busy.”
“They are looking for help at the bread shop, if you are looking for something to do or to make some extra money,” Elnaril informed me, “I used to work at the bread shop but… I wouldn't say that is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.”
“And gathering supplies for my father is any better?”
“He pays well.”
“What do you want to do then?”
“Not work in a bread shop,” Elnaril said, “What about you?”
“I want to be a warrior.”
Elnaril laughed at this and Takari scrunched her nose.
“A warrior? You're a female. And a Seheren at that.”
“You have a knack for insulting me,” Takari said.
“Oh – I wasn't insulting you. Come–”
“Pysähtyä.”
Takari and Elnaril yanked on the reins of their elks upon noticing the guards standing before them. Looking passed the guards, Takari realized that they were already before the castle. It was just beyond the gates, and it was more beautiful than she could have imagined.
“We've come to receive payment for my father's bows,” Takari informed the guards, pulling the receipt from her breast pocket, “And we also have a shipment to drop off in the castle, if you could show us the way.” One guard read the receipt while the other peered at her.
“What kind of shipment?”
“It is a grain shipment.”
That was all it took to get Takari and Elnaril ripped down from their horses. Takari yelled for help as Elnaril demanded to know what was going on. The guards say nothing to them as they tied rope around their arms and led them into the castle. Takari had always dreamt of seeing the inside of the castle, but never like this.
But it wasn't the ride that truly mattered. Takari, in all of her seventeen years of living, had never seen beyond the walls of Sava Themire – she had only heard tales. Her father, for some reason, had deemed the city too dangerous. Takari didn't know why; she had always just chalked it up to her father being afraid to lose her as well.
“This is it,” Elnaril said, “The entrance to Sava Themire.”
“Do we knock?” Takari asked, motioning to the large oaken door. She glanced up it, wondering if someone on the other side would even hear them knock as the door went upward for miles. How did they even open it? There had to have been some sort of mechanism to do that – a pulley of some sorts.
Before Takari had could continue to mentally argue with herself about how the door worked it began to lift up from the ground, slowly revealing the innards of the city. She wondered exactly how many elves it took to open and close the entrance and eventually got her answer. It took no elves at all, for standing on the other side of the entrance was a giant.
Takari laughed almost in disbelief. She had never seen a giant with her own eyes nor had she ever heard of one guarding the city of Sava Themire. She couldn't wait to tell her An'da about this. The city must have been safe if there was a giant guarding it.
“State your business.”
“I am Elnaril Maglana and this is Takari Anore,” Elnaril spoke loudly and clearly which took Takari by surprise. Usually he was mumbling under his breath and she was straining her ears just to catch a single word. “We have a shipment of bows from Ruehar Anore in Alda Harad.”
“Where is Ailwin?”
“He has come down with an illness.”
The giant glanced between the two elves for a moment before grunting.
“You may enter.”
Elnaril and his elk strode before Takari and hers, clearing a straight path to the blacksmith's shop. Takari had thought it peculiar that Elnaril knew the exact way but soon thought nothing of it. She was too excited by all of the hustle and bustle of the unfamiliar city to care. Chattering everywhere, children running amuck – she often had to stop her elk to allow one to cross the street without stomping over it, struggling to keep up with Elnaril.
“This is it,” Elnaril called back to Takari. They tied their elks at the nearest post and Elnaril began to work on untying the crate of weapons from Verrona's backside. Takari continued to look around at the glimmering city in awe, wishing she had some extra money to spare so she could bring a souvenir back to her friend Leena. “Are you coming inside?”
“Yes,” Takari exclaimed, almost forgetting the whole reason she was here. The shop was much bigger and more advanced than her father's and she felt her heart pang at this realization. Perhaps her father would prosper more if he were in Sava Themire instead of Alda Harad. But that couldn't happen, no – because in Sava Themire there were the Tarevoon, and in Alda Harad there were the Soheren. The highborns and the lowborns. Takari and her father didn't belong here.
A voice sounded from the back room of the shop and pulled Takari from her thoughts. A few moments later a thin and tall elf revealed himself, furrowing his eyebrows upon seeing two unfamiliar faces. Takari breathed a sigh of relief as his smile faded. Personally, she thought it was too much.
“How may I be of assistance?”
“We are here to deliver a shipment of Ruehar Anore's bows.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” the elf nodded, “They are in the crate here?”
“Naturally,” Takari said, and Elnaril sent her a glare. She watched as the crate levitated from in front of her to behind the counter and was in awe once more. She had never witnessed magic firsthand. Today was a great day.
“What happened to the other delivery boy?”
“Ailwin?” Takari reminded him. Elnaril gave her a small whack on her back once the elf turned around to jot something down from the crate into the book. She couldn't help herself or her mouth. Ailwin had been delivering for her father for years and it was rude of this man to not know his first name.
“Ailwin – yes. That was it.”
“He has unfortunately fallen ill.”
Elnaril didn't pick up on it but Takari did.
The way the elf tensed up the second the words left Elnaril's mouth.
“Ill?” The elf scratched at the back of his neck. “Ill with – with what?”
“Well, I can't be too sure,” Elnaril said, “Why?”
“No reason,” the elf said, sliding a piece of paper over the counter to the two elves. Takari picked it up and flipped it over to realize that it was a receipt – on the receipt was her father's payment. “You will take this to the Castle of Themire to receive the payment for the bows – it's a mile or two north. One of the guards will tell you where to go once you are there. Send my regards to Ailwin.”
“Thank you,” Takari murmured, and she and Elnaril turned to leave.
“One more thing,” the elf called after them just as they were about to open the door, “I've got a shipment of grain that needs to be delivered to the castle. You wouldn't be able to tie it to one of those elks of yours and drop it off since you're going there anyway, would you?”
Takari and Elnaril exchanged a look.
“It isn't much bigger than the crate you delivered the bows in,” the elf assured the two skeptics, “I assure you that it won't be any more strenuous on that elk than the bows were. A fascinating elk, I must say. What kind of breed?”
“She is a high elk,” Takari said.
“A high elk? Bred by the Tarevoon?”
“Yes.”
“How does a young girl such as yourself come to own a Tarevoon elk?”
“She belonged to–”
“You said you had a shipment of grain you wanted us to deliver?” Elnaril asked.
“Yes,” the elf nodded, “It is already outside of the door. Many thanks.”
The elf disappeared into the back of the shop, leaving Elnaril and Takari to watch each other for a few moments before leaving the shop. Takari mounted Verrona and Elnaril tied the shipment of grain to his elk, opting to give Verrona a break.
“That was… odd,” Elnaril said, “The way he interrogated you about your elk.”
“Verrona was my mother's elk,” Takari explained, figuring he had to have been at least somewhat curious after the elf back there had pointed it out, “When my mother died, my father gave her to me. It was only fitting. My father can't keep anything alive – not even a plant, never mind an elk.”
“How did your mother come to obtain Verrona?”
“She was a highborn,” Takari smiled at the mere memory of her mother, “Born and raised here in the city of Sava Themire. My father used to do his own bow deliveries, believe it or not, and he met my mother during one of them. She ran off with him to Alda Harad – caused a gigantic stir between the two cities. Then out came me.”
“For lack of a better term.” Elnaril said.
“What is your story?”
“My story?” Elnaril asked. “It's hardly as exciting as yours.”
“I'm sure it's just as exciting, if not more.”
“My parents were both born and raised in Alda Harad. They had me, their eldest, twenty-one years ago. I preceded five siblings: Llorna, who is sixteen; Halaema, who is twelve; Ygrainne, who is ten; and Ellarian and Aurae, the twins, who are five.”
“That sounds… busy.”
“They are looking for help at the bread shop, if you are looking for something to do or to make some extra money,” Elnaril informed me, “I used to work at the bread shop but… I wouldn't say that is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.”
“And gathering supplies for my father is any better?”
“He pays well.”
“What do you want to do then?”
“Not work in a bread shop,” Elnaril said, “What about you?”
“I want to be a warrior.”
Elnaril laughed at this and Takari scrunched her nose.
“A warrior? You're a female. And a Seheren at that.”
“You have a knack for insulting me,” Takari said.
“Oh – I wasn't insulting you. Come–”
“Pysähtyä.”
Takari and Elnaril yanked on the reins of their elks upon noticing the guards standing before them. Looking passed the guards, Takari realized that they were already before the castle. It was just beyond the gates, and it was more beautiful than she could have imagined.
“We've come to receive payment for my father's bows,” Takari informed the guards, pulling the receipt from her breast pocket, “And we also have a shipment to drop off in the castle, if you could show us the way.” One guard read the receipt while the other peered at her.
“What kind of shipment?”
“It is a grain shipment.”
That was all it took to get Takari and Elnaril ripped down from their horses. Takari yelled for help as Elnaril demanded to know what was going on. The guards say nothing to them as they tied rope around their arms and led them into the castle. Takari had always dreamt of seeing the inside of the castle, but never like this.