A Story Of River (19 page)

“No!” Ulda shouted as he gazed into his
orb. “No! No! This cannot be happening!” He shook his head and slammed the orb
to the floor in his anger. His entire army was obliterated. He had nothing
left.

The day his army had set sail for Na'zora,
the miners of Al'marr had began an uprising. They had gathered and marched on
his palace demanding that he step down and leave their kingdom for good. So
far, he had ignored them. Without his army, however, he would have little
chance to quell the uprising. Alone he could only hope to take out a few
hundred of them before he was overwhelmed.

Ulda hung his head in defeat. Sighing, he
rose from his seat and began collecting the few items from his laboratory that
he would be able to carry to his ship. His only choice was to flee. He could
not hope to hold Al'marr with his army and allies dead. As long as the ship had
not been taken by the rebels, he would be able to return to Ral'nassa.

He scooped the fallen orb from the floor
and placed it gently inside his knapsack. He gathered a few more scrolls and as
many gems as he could find. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out
forcefully, he threw open the doors leading into the hallway. He marched
towards the palace entrance, his footsteps echoing throughout the palace.

As he reached the main entrance, he turned
and gave a look behind. Everywhere he looked, he saw unfulfilled ambitions. His
anger began to boil over, and he turned and kicked open the door to the front
courtyard. The crowd of rebels stood stunned for a moment. They had not
expected him to come outside. Within seconds, they began rushing towards him.
Their faces were determined, their intentions clear. Ulda would die by their
hands.

He took one look at the crowd and laughed.
“You are no match for me. You are no more than dirt beneath my feet.” He raised
a hand to touch his necklace and let forth an enormous energy burst. The wave
radiated among the crowd, knocking the majority of them off their feet. Ulda
hurried down the slopes toward the shore before the stunned mob could follow.
He was relieved to see that his ship was still there awaiting his arrival.

As he boarded the ship, he was greeted by
its captain. “Welcome aboard, your majesty,” he said. “Has the battle gone
well? Shall we head for Na'zora?”

“There's been a change in plans,” Ulda
replied. “Take me to Ral'nassa.”

He went below decks to his quarters and
laid his few belongings on his dresser. The ship began to pull away from the
shore, and he knew that he would be safe now. The cargo area was filled with
the remaining gold that had been mined, and hundreds of gems had been packed
inside as well. These precious items would give him the new start he
desperately needed. He had nothing in Ral'nassa but enemies. Still, it was
home. In Ral'nassa, he would begin again.

In honor of their victory, Aelryk ordered
every citizen of Na'zora to celebrate. Every worker was to be given the day off
and allowed to spend the day in the manner of their choosing. A feast was laid
out at the palace, and hundreds of people were in attendance. River, Mel, and
General Morek were given places of honor among the attendees. Isandra and
Mi'tal were also recognized for their bravery and skill in battle.

Music filled the palace dining hall as the
ceremonies began. Aelryk, dressed in his finest red tunic, proposed a toast.
“To all of you who fought so bravely to destroy the evil that threatened us. To
Mel for providing us with much-needed archers, and to Isandra, Councilor
Mi'tal, and General Morek for their leadership and skill. May we never forget
Lord River and the spirits of the sea. They are responsible for ridding us of
this evil for good. We drink to you!”

The crowd cheered and lifted their glasses
high. The ale flowed freely, and the decadent foods were served. Many guests
joined each other in dancing. With laughter and song, the celebration continued
deep into the night. Most of the guests would spend the night in various
locations around the palace. Many of them lay where their bodies had finally
succumbed to exhaustion brought on by the merry-making.

The following morning, Mel requested an
audience with the king. He was ready to make a few requests on behalf of his
people.

“Good morning, Mel,” the king began. “I
trust you slept well.”

“I did, your majesty,” he replied.

“You have done me a great service, young
elf. What would you ask of this king as payment?”

“I would ask, your highness, that the
lands forcefully taken from the Silver Birch Clan be returned to them.”

Aelryk leaned forward on his throne and
clasped his hands together in front of him. “You do realize most of that has
been converted to farmland. I doubt it would be of much use to hunters and
gatherers.”

“Some of my people may wish to learn about
farming. If so, they should be given that opportunity. Otherwise, I will
restore the forests with the help of the dryads.”

“So be it,” the king replied. “Mi'tal will
make the arrangements for our citizens to be moved. The Silver Birch Clan will
be placed under the protection of Na'zora, and you are granted all the same
privileges as free citizens of my kingdom. You will continue to govern
yourselves, and you will pay no taxes to the realm.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Mel said. “There is
one more thing.”

Aelryk raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“We object to being referred to as the
Wild Elves. It implies we are uncivilized. From now on, we wish to be called the
Woodland Elves.”

“As you wish,” the king replied.

Mel had no intention of bowing to anyone,
so he nodded his head in respect instead. He rejoined his clansmen and
proceeded home to the Forests of Viera. With their former lands returned to
them, they no longer risked overhunting as their population grew. They would
thrive within the forests of their ancestors.

River and Isandra were making preparations
to leave as well. King Aelryk, Lisalla, and Rykon joined them near the royal
stables to bid them farewell.

“I can never thank you enough, my friend,”
the king said.

They grasped each other's forearms, and
River placed an oval-shaped sapphire in the king's hand. It was deep blue and
suitably sized for a ring. “You may use this should you ever wish to contact me
again.”

Aelryk looked down at the sparkling gem in
his hand. “I hope we shall meet again someday,” he said.

“We shall,” River replied. He paused for a
moment, his eyes looking off to the side at nothing in particular. “I do not
know why I will make the journey. It will be years from now, and it will be
winter here.”

“Winter is when they bring up all of the
fine chocolates from Enald,” the king said with a grin.

“Then I shall look forward to it,” River
said.

The elves mounted their horses and gave a
last wave to say goodbye to their friends. As they headed west, the air became
crisper and cooler, and the scent of spring flowers drifted on the wind. The
Vale was calling to them as it patiently waited to welcome them home.

Lana Axe lives in the Missouri countryside
surrounded by dogs, cats, birds and reptiles. She spends most of her free time
daydreaming about elves, magic, and far-away lands.

For more information, please visit:
http://lana-axe.com