Fallen Embers (The Alterra Histories) (10 page)

Galen…Gaelen! My heart is torn from me…I cannot stay with you, my love! I am sorry…I cannot stay with you. Oh, my love…

The union of their souls could not withstand what was happening to Rain, though they clung desperately to one another, trying to stay his flight from the World that Is. This was a battle they could not win—it tore the fabric of Gaelen’s spirit asunder, even as Rain’s departed, ripping a part of her away.

She turned frightened, bewildered, grief-stricken eyes to Nelwyn’s, drawing a deep, shuddering breath. Then she covered her face with both hands and wailed—the high, keening sound of a heart forever diminished by unfathomable loss. She called Rain’s name over and over, as though she could call him back to her, but to no avail.

The line of the High Kings would end, as would the line of Tarfion and Gloranel of the Greatwood, for Gaelen would bear no children not of Farahin even if she lived until the End of Days. The small seeds of new life that dwelled within her seemed to sense it, and they faded back into a slumber from which they would never awaken, as cold as the fallen embers of a dying fire.

With neither Wrothgar nor Bödvar to lead them, Wrothgar’s forces fell back quickly. Magra and the Elves hunted them down like rats in a hole, eliminating as many as they could before the onset of winter. There was no way to find them all.

Magra, heartbroken, had borne Ri-Elathan’s body from the field, though there wasn’t much left of it. The Elves decided to send it forth with honor rather than bear it back with them, and they built a great pyre on which all the fallen heroes of the battle would be returned to the ashes. Magra stood atop it, paying one last duty of respect to his fallen friend, the last High King. But as he knelt beside the body, he noticed a tiny snippet of red and gold, just visible along the border of the ruined breastplate. He reached beneath the melted metal and charred leather, grasping what remained of the silken banner that Rain had borne next to his heart. It had suffered quite a lot of damage, and Magra wondered whether he should send it to the Eternal Realm with its owner, but then he knew otherwise. Though Rain had sworn to return the banner to Gaelen, he could not do so himself. Magra drew forth the banner, tucking it beneath his own tunic.

“I will keep your last promise,” he said.

GLOSSARY OF NAMES (With Aid to Pronunciation)

Ainc
or
(INE-cor): Elf of the Èolar, a great scholar and warrior, known as the Fire-heart. He was among the most skilled and passionate of his people, but he was prideful, and his reckless acts bore terrible consequences. It is unflattering to be compared with him in terms of willfulness. He produced two sons, Asgar and Dardis. Name means “fire-heart.” (ain-fire, cor-heart)

Airan
(EYE-rahn): Lord Airan, Elf of the Eádram that founded the realm of Tal-sithian. From airith (noble).

Alduinar
(AL-dwee-nar): Ruler of Tuathas at the time of the Third Uprising. He successfully repelled Kotos’ forces, and was a good friend and ally of the High King. His name means “worthy guide.”

Alterra
(Al-TAIR-ra): The World That Is; the Realm in which these tales take place. From terra (earth) and alta (being).

Amari:
The two streams that define the northern and southern borders of Mountain-home. These are wild, very cold, and difficult to cross. The northern stream is named Amar Tuath; the southern one Amar Dess. From amar (majestic).

Amar Tuath
: The northern of the Amari streams.

Ambros
(AHM-bros): Great River of Western Alterra, it is formed by the Eros and the Brocca in the north. From ambra (great) and ros (river).

Angael
(AHN-gehl): Small but doughty mare ridden by Gaelen in her youth. Name means “valor-mare.” From gael (valor, feminine).

Aontar
(Ay-ON-tar): The One Lord of All, the Creator. Also known as the Lord of Light.

He formed the Lands of Alterra and endowed them with light in the form of stars, sun and moon. To aid and instruct His children, Aontar sent emissaries known as Asari. They played a great role in the growth and enlightenment of the Elves and the men of Tuathas.

Artan
(AR-tan): River formed by the 2 streams that flow from Monadh-talam.

Aruin
: Only son and heir of King Osgar of the Greatwood. His name means “of the forest.”

Asarla
(Ah-SAR-la) pl. Asari (Ah-sah-REE): Ancient magic-users sent to enlighten the children of Aontar. Each was affiliated with one of the four elements—earth, water, air, or fire. Their influence is at the heart of most of the great Elf-realms, as well as the northern realm of men known as Tuathas.

The Asari were never many; it is thought that only twelve were sent by Aontar. Of those, only three are known to remain in the western lands at the time our tales begin. Two are of the light—Lady Arialde of Tal-sithian, and Lord Shandor of Mountain-home. The other, Lord Kotos, sits at the right hand of Wrothgar and is responsible for much of the corruption of men.

The founders of the Elven-realms of Eádros and Tal-elathas, and of the northern realm of men known as Tuathas, are believed lost. They were called Léiras the far-sighted, Cuimir the beautiful, Baelta the bright, and Duinar the guide.

Three Asari made their way to the far eastern lands; their fate is unknown to Western scholars.

The last two turned to Darkness during the Time of Mystery. Though it is believed that they no longer dwell in Alterra, they were said to have given rise to the Bödvari, the demonic captains of Wrothgar’s army.

The powers of the Asari vary according to the gifts given them by Aontar, but all are very learned, and they are capable of exerting their influence to protect their people. The Elven-realms have remained hidden from their enemies largely due to the Asari, who do not stray from them. The exception was Shandor, who actually went forth on several occasions, notably during the Second Uprising.

The climate within their lands is moderated by their benevolent power. Mountain-home, for example, is not locked in the grip of deadly winters despite its location, and the lands of Tuathas did not often suffer from flooding or drought.

The Asari can beget children, though rarely have they done so. These included the Bödvari, who thankfully could not beget children themselves, and Lady Ordath of Mountain-home, daughter of Lord Shandor.

Each Asarla is ruled by an element—air, water, fire, earth—and his/her powers likely reflect this. Shandor, for example, is an air spirit. Duinar was of earth, Arialde of water, Kotos of fire, and so on.

Asgar
(ASZ-gar): Elf of the Èolar and elder son of Aincor. Asgar was like Aincor in temperament. After witnessing the disastrous consequences of his father’s stubbornness, he declined the throne in favor of his cousin, Ri-Aldamar. His name means “the bold.”

Bödvari,
sing Bödvar (BODE-var): Dark servants of Wrothgar, they are the offspring of Dark Asari. They are as black demons that kill their enemies with fire after first paralyzing them with fear. They are terrible enemies in battle. From bödvar (demon).

Cúinar
(COO-ee-nar): Sylvan Elves, Wood-elves. Considered to be of lesser stature than High-elves, they did not have the benefit of Asari influence. They inhabit and defend the Forest Realm of Greatwood. Examples are Gaelen and Nelwyn. From cúin (silent).

Dardis
(DAR-dees): The second son of Aincor, Dardis was a highly talented and inventive artisan and lover of learning. Unlike his father, Dardis was of gentle temperament and was revered especially by the dwarves. He was apprenticed to an Asarla named Léiras (the far-sighted), who taught him of the making of things that could be endowed with magical properties. It was Dardis who made the mirror given to Gorgon Elfhunter; he also created the Stone of Léir.

Much of what transpires in Alterra has little to do with magic. The people live and die according to the laws of nature, and are subjected to the hardships of living as in any other world. It was once true that magic played a greater role in the affairs of Alterra, and the scholars state that the waning of magical influences reflects the waning of the Asari. Yet there is still magic at work in the world at the time these tales begin, and Dardis is responsible for much of it.

Léiras instructed Dardis in the making of magical things—blades, rings, mirrors, amulets, armor, and shields. Mirrors made by Dardis could tell an enemy from a friend despite outward appearances; hence it was Dardis who first realized the treachery of Lord Kotos. He was killed on the eve of the Second Uprising.

Dardis was rather plain and disheveled, often spending months in his “chamber of inspiration” as he created some new and wondrous object. Gentle, humble, and unassuming, he was perhaps the most universally beloved of all Elves in Alterra.

Elàni
(El-LAN-ee): Elves. Immortal and impressive, they do not willingly serve the Darkness, though they may unwittingly do so through pride or deception. They have established some of the greatest realms in Alterra. Because of their very long lives, Elves are highly skilled, and many are quite learned. They make many beautiful things, and are unrivalled as musicians, singers, poets, and artisans. Elves are formidable in battle, and quick to defend their lands from any perceived threat.

Elves are almost universally beautiful, High-elves in particular. They are tall and very well made, with fine, silken hair that is usually worn long and flowing or plaited to keep it out of the way. Their hair may be of any color: silver, flaxen, golden, chestnut, mahogany, or raven. Their elegantly-shaped ears aid in distinguishing them from men. Their eyes are bright, and may also be of any color—the High-elves tend toward blue and grey, the Sylvan Elves green and brown. The males are beardless, which also separates them from men and rather pointedly from dwarves.

Elves enjoy an endless life span, unless they are slain. Their flesh will not fester, and they do not suffer disease. Yet they may be poisoned, killed in battle or by mischance, or even die from grief. Because of their very long lives, they do not often beget children, and they will do so only with their perceived life-mates.

They delight in sharing their knowledge and their language; hence most names of places and roots of common speech are in their tongue. Though some Elves can be arrogant and dismissive of other races, they have formed alliances and friendships with men and dwarves. Regrettably, they have also warred with them at times. The War of Betrayal between the Elves of Eádros and the dwarves of Rûmm accounts for much of the remaining enmity between Elves and dwarves.

The magical abilities of the folk of Alterra are held mostly by the Elves and, naturally, by the Asari. The Elves’ abilities are varied according to their origins, age, and experience. For example, the High Kings were possessed of supernormal strength in battle. They could exert a sort of inner power, engulfing their enemies with blue-white light, as could certain others among the High-elves. They could prevail over all but the most powerful of enemies. By contrast, the Bödvari also engulfed their opponents, but with fire rather than light.

Many Elves have the gift of foresight and insight, and they sense things over great distances. A rare few can actually see into the hearts and minds of others; some can do this only with living thought, and some can perceive only the final thoughts of the dead.

Some Elves possess powers that assist them in the healing of wounds, though they have little knowledge of or power over the afflictions of men.

The Wood-elves are thought to be less magical than the High-elves, but this is untrue. Their abilities are entirely practical; they are the stealthiest, lightest-footed and most agile beings in Alterra. They sometimes seem to defy the laws of nature, springing up into impossibly high tree-limbs and treading so lightly upon mud or snow that tracking them is difficult. They communicate on a very high level with other good-hearted creatures, especially horses and birds. It is said that an Elf of the Cúinar can tame the most fractious horse in a manner of moments. All Elves are known as Elàni.

Elwyn
(EL-win): Sylvan Elf, mother of Nelwyn. Name means “Elf-maiden.” From elàn (elf) and wyn (maid).

Èolar
(AY-oh-lahr): High-elves that achieved the highest level of learning and skill, but were deceived by Wrothgar and his dark Asari. They were mostly lost during the second uprising. Examples are Aincor, Dardis, Magra, and Ri-Elathan. From Èolas (knowing).

Farahin
(FA-ra-heen): Given name of Ri-Elathan. Name means “welcome rain,” from farath (welcome) and hin (rain).

Farath-talam
(Fah-RATH TAH-lahm): Elvish welcome, it means “you are welcome among us” or “welcome to our realm.”