Private Tales Behind enemy lines..

[Myr]

Surprised flickered over Myrdin's face, eyebrows raising as Sorai said she could not swim.

"Oh." The Elf said, no judgment to his tone, but only a hint of confusion. Lips pressing to a thin line for a brief moment as he watched the river. Gaze flickering to the boat, as though he were considering his answer.

"Yes." He said finally, not doing much to create confidence, before he continued on. "We should not have any trouble."

The River, just as the forest itself, was part of the life that surrounded them. Within it one could find creation of all sorts, from beasts to plants, and even beyond. All of which were influenced by the will of the Falwood. The same will that so far had kept them safe. Heralded, perhaps, by the body of their friend.

Myrdin frowned for a moment, shaking his head as though he realized how strange he was acting. "I do not think we will have any problems."

He explained.

"The boat is perfectly safe, and the Falwood has not stopped us yet." He doubted it would try now. "I do not think it will start now."

Though as they drew closer and closer to Leth'Loren, he knew that may begin to change. "If it would make you more comfortable, I could retrieve some gillflower."

Myr paused for a moment, frowned as he seemed to realize something, and then added. "It lets you breath underwater."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai's eyes widened in surprise as Myr mentioned the gillflower and it's use. She had never heard of such a thing, and the idea seemed both fascinating and unnerving.

"I... I had no idea such a thing existed.." she admitted, her voice tinged with awe.

She glanced at the river, its surface calm and deceptively inviting. Despite Myr's assurances, the thought of being on the water still made her uneasy. But the idea of being underwater, even with the ability to breathe, was far more disconcerting.

"I'd prefer not to be under the water at all.." she said with a nervous laugh, trying to lighten her own mood. "But if the river decides to test us, breathing would be advantageous.." she sighed, rubbing her sweaty palms together.

Her gaze returned to Myr, finding comfort in his calm demeanor. He had been a reassuring presence throughout their journey, and she trusted his judgment. If he believed the boat was safe and that the Falwood would continue to protect them, then she would try to believe it too.

"I trust you." she nodded.

 

[Myr]

Myr tilted his head in a nod as Sorai seemed to agree to the Gillflower.

The Elf smiled, thinking he had found a good mid-point. He knew the plant grew locally, in the very depths of the river they were due to travel. Retrieving enough for Sorai to use would be a simple enough task. At least it would make her feel safe.

Without hesitation, Myr's hand reached down as he began to strip off his clothes. Raising his tunic just a few inches to reveal hard muscle, stopping only his companions eyes fell upon him once more. "Oh."

He intoned once more, a smile growing on his face.

"I am glad to hear that." The Elf said honestly, allowing his tunic to fall once more. As he took a step towards her and the boat down river. "I truly do not think we'll have any problems."

Yet.

The Old Wood still loomed, but there was no need to scare her now. "Come."

Myr said with a wave of his hand, quickly leading Sorai over towards the boat. Extending a hand so that he could help her into the small, yet incredibly ornate vessel. Thousands of tiny leaves carved in vines along the planks which made it whole.

 

[Sorai]

Sorai's cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson at the unexpected sight of Myr's bare torso. She quickly averted her gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly as she tried to compose herself.

"Right," she muttered, nodding as she focused her eyes on the boat rather than Myr. "Let's, uh, get going."

With her heart still racing, she trudged towards the boat, accepting Myr's extended hand to help her step inside. She couldn't help but notice the intricate designs and carvings. They must have taken someone so many hours of dedicated time to craft, and the beauty of it distracted her enough to regain her composure.

"Thank you," she said softly, settling herself in the boat. She glanced up at Myr, her blush fading slightly as she offered a small smile. "It's a beautiful boat. I've never seen anything like it."

As Myr settled in and began to push off from the shore, Sorai drew a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

"How long will we be on the river?" she asked, casting a glance back toward the shore.

 

[Myr]

"It is." The Elf declared quite cheerily, smiling down at the handcrafted creation as he gently leaned down and began to unstrap his boots. Ridding himself of the heavy leather and throwing it into the boat as he gently took hold of it's front. "I suspect that it took someone many years to carve."

His people were like that, taking on a project and obsessiveness over it for a part of their life time. A boat like this would have taken a year, and in the span of their people that may as well have been a few months. "Placing it here allows us to use it, and the craftsmen to show us his work."

Myr said in appreciation as he gently pushed the boat off shore, wading through the waters for only a brief moment before he jumped in.

"Three days." The Elf said as he retrieved one of the oars from the side of the ship and guided them into the current. "Cutting down about ten days of walking."

He continued, wondering if Sorai was forming a map within her mind. "But after this, I am afraid things will start getting complicated."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai smiled as Myr told her about the boat, her eyes tracing the intricate carvings along the planks. "That's kind.." It was a nice idea, she thought, admiring the craftsmanship. That someone had spent so much of their time on such a thing, to leave it behind for another to take for nothing in return.. Such a thing would never happen where she was from. Sorai had always admired art. Creation, rather than destruction. The artistry of the boat was a welcome distraction from the heaviness of their journey.

However, her smile quickly fell when Myr mentioned the duration of their river voyage. "Three days?..." she repeated, her face paling slightly at the prospect. She paled even further as Myr mentioned complications.

"How complicated, exactly?" she asked, her voice laced with apprehension. She shifted uneasily in the boat, trying to gauge what kind of challenges lay ahead. She wasn't sure if it was the movement of the boat, or the thought of unknown complications that made her stomach churn, and she instinctively glanced at Katyr's still form for reassurance.

"What should I expect?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

[Myr]

Myr situated himself, taking up the paddle as she noted Sorai's continued apprehension.

Briefly he found himself wondering if there might not have been an easier way to ease her through all of this. There was little doubt she was a stranger in a strange land, but naught all was as bad as it seemed. At least not yet.

No real danger had presented itself. "Leth'Loren is deep into the Falwood, Sorai."

He explained.

"We will need to go through much of the forest and the Old Wood." Myr made the distinction of the two, though he did not yet explain the term. They would have weeks yet before they came to the Old Wood. The ancient forest where Leth'Loren lay. "But there are also cities, three of them, we must go through."

Which presented part of the problem. Two of those cities, he did not think, would present a problem, but it was the third which did. "My people are not all as accepting as me. If anyone gets overzealous...you could face arrest."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai's fingers tightened around the edge of the boat as Myr explained their path. The mention of the Old Wood sent a shiver spilling down her spine like ice water, but she pushed the feeling aside. She listened intently, her heart beating a little faster at the prospect of passing through elven cities. She was a stranger in their land, and the idea of facing hostility or even arrest was daunting.

Still, her resolve was firm. "I understand," she said, her voice steady despite the anxiety simmering beneath the surface. "But my only concern is getting Katyr home. Whatever it takes."

Her eyes met Myr's, filled with determination. "I've come this far, and I won't turn back. I'll do whatever I must.. But if that happens, or worse, just promise you'll get him home."

 

[Myr]

Myr couldn't help the smile that drew upon his lips. Four hundred years later.

The Elf mused within his own mind as he saw the conviction in Sorai's eyes.

Still inspiring such loyalty. For a brief, mournful moment, Myr cast a glance towards the body of his friend. The smile tightened only a little bit before he shook his head and looked once more to Sorai. "He'll get home."

Myr said, as though merely saying it declared the words fact.

Perhaps it would have been easier to go alone. To convince Sorai to stay back and simply let him deliver the body, but he knew he couldn't. He knew the pain it would cause her, the grief that would spike through her. So they would go together, and they could overcome the obstacles in their way.

The River would take them far, and that at least would give him time to prepare. "I think it best I teach you about my people as we go, our customs, culture. So at least you know how to...interact."

He said with a frown, not entirely sure how else to put it.

 

[Sorai]

The warmth in Myr's smile, despite the weight of their mission, provided a much-needed comfort. She could see how much Katyr meant to him, just as he meant to her.

"Good," she said with a nod, her voice steady despite the heaviness of their journey. "Thank you."

As he suggested teaching her about his people and their customs, Sorai gave a small nod, appreciating the gesture. "I would welcome that. I know very little about your people beyond what I've heard in rumours. Understanding your customs will certainly help... Maybe, some of your language, too?"

She looked out at the river, watching as the waters rippled gently under the boat. Her small smile was tentative but genuine. "I want to make sure I'm respectful, especially with everything at stake."

As the boat glided smoothly down the river, Sorai settled back, feeling a bit more at ease knowing she had Myr’s guidance.

 

[Myr]

"That is good." Myrdin said, tilting his head in a nod. He had not thought Sorai wouldn't be respectful, as she had already been, but hearing her say it brought a small amount of relief.

A human walking within the Falwood was bad enough to some, Leth'Loren? In truth, he still had no idea if they would even allow her into the city. It was a gamble, and Katyr's body would either help...or see her incarcerated.

But there was no need to tell her that, no, it would only frighten her. "I will do my best to teach you what I can on our journey."

The Elf continued.

"Starting with the customs of Katyr's home." There was a pause for a moment, and Myrdin realized something. "Are you...aware of our society? That we are not a whole, as you might think. The Elves who dwell within the Falwood, I mean."

Within the forest there were dozens of Elven cities. Each one had it's own unique culture, identity, and sometimes even race. They shared many commons causes of course, such as the Great Wars, but they were not like the humans of Aniria. "Leth'Loren is...a nation within itself, almost."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai listened intently as Myrdin spoke, her brow furrowing slightly in concentration. The idea that the Elves weren’t a single, unified people was new to her. In Vel Anir, they had always been spoken of as a monolith—one enemy, one threat. But Myrdin’s words painted a different picture, one far more complex and intricate.
"I… I didn’t know that, I'm sorry.." Sorai admitted shamefully.

"I always thought of the Elves, as if you’re all the same. Like one big, united group. But that seems silly now.. There are humans all over Arethil with different cities and cultures, I suppose it makes sense that it is the same for you."

She paused, processing what he had said about Leth'Loren. A nation within itself? The concept intrigued her, but it also made her more anxious. "So, Leth'Loren is different from other Elven cities, then? And Katyr's home… it's part of this nation?"

Sorai’s mind raced with questions, "What customs should I know of?.. How should I act when we arrive? ..Should I bring them a gift? ..Will they understand my language, as you do?"

 

[Myr]

Myrdin gently raised his hand to forestall more of her questions. There would be many of them by th end, and he would surely answer them all. One answer would eventually lead into another, and only then would she properly understand.

"You do not need to apologize." He began first of all. "We have not made it easy for you to understand us."

Though, not without good question. "Leth'Loren is both nation and city as one, surrounded by the Old Wood. A part of the Falwood where the trees and groves stretch back eons and millenia."

He explained.

"There are old and ancient magics there." All of which would eventually pose a challenge for them to go through. "Because of this, Leth'Loren holds to many traditions that even elves in Fal'Addas consider to be outdated."

The thought of Elves abandoning traditions would likely seem strange to Sorai, but it happened here just as it did in the lands of men. It simply took centuries, instead of decades. "Most there will not speak your tongue, but some will. It is the respect of the traditions they hold dear that is most important."

Myr explained as he began to tell her some of these traditions. The rituals of greeting and parting, the words spoken over the beginning of a meal, and even some of the magics inherit within those very traditions. "In a way, you have already stumbled upon the most sacred of all their traditions."

He said with a smile. "And that, quite simply, is keeping your word."

"Whether by Oath, Promise, or Aside. When those of Leth'Loren say something will be done." The smile on his face slipped just the tiniest bit. "Then it will be done."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai fell silent as Myrdin raised his hand, her curiosity held in check by his quiet authority. As he spoke, the vastness of what lay ahead of them started to become clearer in her mind. She imagined Leth'Loren—a city nestled in the heart of ancient magic, where the trees themselves were as old as the world. The thought both terrified and fascinated her.

Her brow furrowed slightly at the mention of ancient magics. Part of her wondered what kind of powers they might face as they approached the city. Still, despite the growing knot of anxiety in her chest, Myrdin’s calm voice and the slow, deliberate way he spoke helped to keep her grounded.

When he spoke of keeping one's word, she nodded slowly, feeling a pang in her chest. It was a tradition she had already committed herself to, without even knowing it. Her promise to Katyr—to see him home, no matter the cost—felt heavier in that moment. It wasn't just a vow to a friend anymore. It was now tied to the very heart of Leth'Loren, to the most sacred tradition of its people.

“I understand,” she said softly, her voice steady but reflective. “I made Katyr a promise, and I intend to see it through, no matter what it takes.”

Her eyes drifted toward the horizon, where she imagined the Old Wood stretching out endlessly before them. The thought of crossing into that place, where magic pulsed in every tree and root, was daunting.

“I will honor their traditions," she continued, meeting Myr's gaze with quiet determination. "And… thank you for teaching me. I won’t take it lightly.”

 

[Myr]

Myr tilted his head in a nod. "I suppose it is only right, in a way."

He did not know if Katyr would have taken her this far. He did not know if his old friend had intended for her to see...any of this, but that did not matter any more. She was held to an oath to see his body home, and he would not deny her the privilege of doing so.

Such a thing felt like a betrayal of everything Katyr had stood for.

"I worry." He began slowly. "I worry how his family will receive news of his passing."

The Elf admitted. "I think most have assumed him dead for years, his mother even sang the mourning song. But knowing and seeing are two different things."

He frowned.

"I do not say this to scare you." Myrdin continued. "But I cannot keep it from you either. My hope is that your oath will be seen and recognized, and that my presence will soften their hearts."

Though he did not know if it would be enough. "It is a good thing you're doing, but not all will see it that way."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai's fingers fidgeted in her lap as she listened to Myrdin, his words settling a weight she had already felt growing heavier with each passing mile. The idea of delivering Katyr to his family had always been daunting.

Still, she couldn’t let Myrdin see how much his words unsettled her. She couldn’t let herself give in to the fear that had been building in the pit of her stomach since they’d first started their journey.

“I know…” Sorai’s voice was soft, her words exhaled on a breath. She tried to offer a reassuring smile but felt it wobble just slightly before she gave up and nodded instead. “It’s okay. I’ve accepted that. And I understand, really.”

Her gaze dropped to the waters flowing around the boat. The current was steady and slow, much like the slow churning in her chest. Katyr had been in her life for such a short time and had shown her more loyalty in the end than anyone she'd known forever.

With a small sigh, Sorai forced herself to meet Myrdin’s eyes again, her voice firmer now. “He was willing to die to save me. The least I can do is be willing to do the same to keep my word.”

Her lips pressed together briefly, as though she were measuring out her next thought. “I suppose... if I expect the worst, then anything else is a bonus, right?”

It was a weak attempt at humor, but it was all she could muster. She was ready to face the reality of what might happen when they reached Katyr’s family—the anger, the sorrow, the potential rejection. She couldn’t let herself falter. She had to be strong. For Katyr. For herself.

Her fingers absentmindedly brushed against the hilt of her blade, a comforting gesture more than anything. “I’ve prepared myself for what might happen. I’m not afraid of facing them, or what they might say. As long as I’ve done everything I can… then I’ll accept whatever happens. "I know if it were me, I'd feel angry. Angry that what I thought was lost forever, hadn't been, and that there had been a chance to have it back. A chance which was taken away from them...They have a right to their grief, their anger. I won’t run from it.”

There was a pause before she added, more quietly, “I owe him that much.”

The boat drifted in silence for a moment, the weight of her words hanging in the air between them.

Sorai’s chest tightened, but she forced herself to take a deep breath, releasing the anxiety that clung to her.

"Tell me something about you.." she asked, hoping for a distraction from the daunting journey, and from how the river began to pull them a little faster.

 

[Myr]

"Perhaps they will surprise us both." Myr said, smiling softly, though the words did not seem hopeful. Katyr had come from a family of strong will, and stronger resolve. In the first war they had been the Vanguard of the Elven armies. Burning through Anirian lands until there was nothing but ash that could sow the fields anew.

In the second war, the Humans had come for them.

It had been a brutal thing, and sparked a hatred which still lingered to the very depths of Lorel's souls. Though they rarely spoke of it now. Preferring to keep to their city, hidden in the depths of the Old Wood, and touched only by humans once before.

"Me?" The Elf parroted, confused for a moment as if wondering why she would at all be interested. He blinked for a moment, and then answered. "I am...a gardener."

Myr offered, speaking not of the darkness of his own story. But turning more towards the light. "When you found me, I was tending to the Grove there. Mediating arguments between the trees. They can be quite ornery."

 

[Sorai]

Sorai could hear the weight in Myr’s voice when he spoke of Katyr's family. Despite his words, neither of them held much hope for an easy reception. She wasn’t naive enough to believe everything would go smoothly—there would be hurt, resentment, grief. But it didn’t stop the small, fragile hope within her from flickering all the same. That maybe, just maybe, they would see the sincerity of her actions.

Still, that hope was fragile, and she didn’t allow herself to dwell on it for too long.

As the conversation shifted, a smile tugged at her lips. Myr’s words about the trees caught her off guard, and she found herself laughing softly, the sound warm despite the heaviness they both felt. The way he spoke of the plants and trees with such familiarity, as though they were old friends with bickering personalities, was unexpectedly endearing.

"I wish I could hear them," she said with curiosity. "I imagine they have a lot to say."

Sorai’s gaze drifted to the forested banks of the river, where the trees stood tall and ancient, their leaves rustling in the soft wind. For a moment, she tried to imagine what it would be like to communicate with them, to hear their stories and arguments as Myr did. She wondered if they would be wise and gentle, or as Myr said, a bit cranky and stubborn.

"It must be... peaceful," she continued, her voice more thoughtful now. "To tend to something so old and constant. I think if I could hear them, I’d probably spend hours just... listening." She laughed again, shaking her head lightly. "Though, knowing me, I'd probably get on their nerves. I’m not exactly known for sitting still and being quiet."

She paused, then tilted her head towards him, a playful glint in her eyes. For a moment, the dark cloud hanging over them lifted just enough for her to breathe a little easier. It wasn’t much, but this brief reprieve, this moment of light conversation, was enough to keep her going.

Besides, the thought of bickering trees and an Elven gardener mediating their disputes was too funny not to laugh about.

 

[Myr]

"You would be surprised." Myr said with an almost mischievous smile.

It was not an expression often worn by an elf, but in that moment it seemed to fit him better than most. There was a light in his eye, and slowly Myrdin leaned in towards Sorai. Over the gentle babble of the river beneath them he whispered to her.

"They squabble." He told her. "Like old crones."

The Elf could not help the chuckle that escaped from his lips, head shaking as he pulled back and continued in his normal tone. "Some do not like their roots encroached on, others want more sun, certain trees simply feel...lonely."

Myr remarked with a rueful smile.

"You'd be surprised the arguments that happen in Grove." Even as he spoke though, it was clear that every word carried a fondness. There was no complaint that was not matched with affection, no question of where he would be today if he had not met Sorai.

"But you are right." He confirmed. "It is like nothing else, and the trees I speak with are on the edges of the wood. The Youngest of them all."

Children, compared to those which surrounded Katyr's home.

 

[Sorai]

Sorai's eyes widened in genuine amazement, the tension from before momentarily forgotten. She glanced at the trees lining the river, as if expecting them to join in the conversation at any moment. The thought of trees bickering over sunlight and space was so endearing and strange that it made her smile grow, only for it to falter as she thought of them as lonely.

"Like old crones," she echoed with quiet amusement, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don’t know what’s more surprising—that they argue at all or that you have to step in and play mediator. It sounds like you’re more of a peacekeeper than a gardener."

She glanced at Myr, catching that mischievous light in his eyes, and felt her spirits lift just a little more. It was rare to see him this way, so unguarded and... playful. The weight of their journey and the looming unknowns seemed to fade in the warmth of the moment.

"You must be patient," she said, a hint of admiration in her voice. "I think if I had to listen to trees complaining day in and day out, I’d lose my mind. But you speak about them like they’re old friends."

Sorai's gaze shifted to the deeper, shadowed part of the forest they were heading towards, where the trees stood taller, their gnarled limbs reaching skyward like the hands of ancient beings. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined what those older trees must be like, with centuries' worth of stories, arguments, and grudges.

"What about the older ones?" she asked softly, her tone shifting from amusement to curiosity. "Are they... different? I can’t even imagine what the truly ancient ones must be like. The tallest things I've seen are buildings and walls." she shrugged with a sigh.

Sorai glanced back at Myr, her smile fading into a thoughtful expression. She could only guess at what awaited them in that ancient, sacred part of the forest.

 

[Myr]

Myr smiled softly. "They are old friends, in a way."

The oldest he had left.

"Some were planted when I was only a boy, three hundred years ago." He shook his head, remembering the work that had been done after the second and third war. The time it had taken to restore what they could of the groves. The damage had often been too much, but they had done what they could. "Patience, I think, came with my need to be with them."

For it was, after the wars, the only place that he felt at peace. He could not face his own kin for the anger and rage he had felt at the peace they had forced upon him.

When the war had ended, it had not yet been done for Myr. He had lost Katyr, his friends, so many other brothers and sisters. Now he stood kind and ready to help, but centuries before he was a knot of hatred and disdain for all of Sorai's kind. "The Elders are different, and the Eldest even more."

He frowned for a moment.

"In the Old Wood, where Katyr is from, the Trees are so ancient that many have lost themselves." Myr continued. "They are...one. Acting as a conscious whole. You humans are oft taught that the Falwood is a danger, yes? That it changes and shifts, and moves like an eternal labyrinth."

Briefly, Myr wondered if any Human had ever known this, if they had been told. "In the Old Wood it is more so. As you walk through the forest of the Eldest, you walk through life which has stood on this world for millenia. Memories so old, most have forgot which tree they first came from."

 

[Sorai]

"That's… incredible," Sorai said, her voice quiet with awe, though it carried an edge of unease. She gazed out at the trees surrounding them, her thoughts swirling with wonder. "Humans really do have small minds, don't we?" she huffed a humourless laugh.

Her arms wrapped around herself as though she were trying to steady herself against the enormity of the concept. "You make it sound beautiful, and I think it is, in a way. But also... terrifying. To walk through the memories of something that ancient—something that’s aware—" She shuddered slightly. "It must be like standing in the shadow of a god."

Her eyes flicked to Myr, seeking reassurance in the calm he seemed to exude. "How do they decide? Do they choose who’s worthy?"

She hesitated, her curiosity warring with her unease, but her next question spilled out before she could stop herself. "And what if they don't let us through? Let me through?"

Sorai dropped her arms, shaking her head as if to banish her nerves. She straightened, forcing a small smile, though her eyes betrayed her lingering doubt. "I suppose I can’t do much about that now, can I? Either they’ll let me through, or they won’t. I’ll just… have to trust in them. And in you."

Her smile softened slightly, more genuine now. "If anyone can get me through, I think it’s you. I doubt the trees would turn their backs on one of their oldest friends."

 

[Myr]

Myrdin smiled. "You do not have small minds, just small...perspectives."

He assured her, though he did not know why.

A century ago he would have readily pounced on her words and used it in an argument against any other of her kind. Now? That impulse was not there. Some of the anger still lingered, but the lash was long gone. Lost in the groves he had tended.

"I could not pretend to understand their ways." He answered. "What you say...standing in the shadow of a god...."

The words were strange upon his tongue, but true. "I think this is true. The Old Wood is a part of this world, and has been for eons. Some trees there are more ancient than the Mountains. I cannot claim friendship with the Trees of the Old Wood, only their kin."

He knew the words would not help the doubt within her eyes, but Myrdin did not want to lie.

"Do not be disheartened." The Elf said softly, glancing briefly at the wrapped body of his old friend. "We bring back one of their sons."

Myr continued. "A prince of their realm who was beloved by those left behind."

"The trees do not always know where the memory came from." He said softly. "But they will remember him."

He blinked for just a second too long, banishing the tears that welled. "They will see us through, if only to see him home."