Suddenly Galain was there, motioning for them to rise. “I have spoken of things I’d thought I had forgotten, old lore taught to me by the Spellweavers. I think they believe now, though they are deeply shaken.”
Arutha looked at the two guards who waited some distance away, respecting Galain’s privacy. “Who are these elves?”
Galain said, “I understand that when you and Martin passed through Elvandar on your way to Moraelin, Tathar told you of the shame of our race, the genocidal war conducted by the moredhel against the glamredhel. I think these are the surviving descendants of the glamredhel. They seem proper elves and are certainly not moredhel, but they have no Spellweavers or keepers of lore. They have become more primitive, little more than savages. They have lost many arts of our people. I don’t know. Perhaps those who survived the last battle, when the first Murmandamus led the moredhel, came here and found refuge. The King spoke of their having lived for a long time in Neldarlod, which means “Place of the Beech Trees”, so they are but recently come to Edder Forest.”
“They’ve been here long enough to make it impossible for the Armengarians to hunt or lumber deeply,” said Guy. “At least three generations.”
“I’m speaking of elven things, an elven sense of years,” answered Galain. “They’ve been here over two hundred years.” He regarded the two guards. “And I don’t think they’re entirely free of the glamredhel heritage. They’re much more warlike and aggressive than we of Elvandar, almost as much as the moredhel. I don’t know. This King seems unsure of what should be done. He’s taking counsel now with his elders, and I expect we’ll hear what they wish in a day or two.”
Arutha looked alarmed. “In a day or two, Murmandamus will again be between us and Cutter’s Gap. We must be away this day.”
Galain said, “I’ll return to council. Perhaps I can explain a few things to them about the way the world works outside this forest.” He left them and they sat, again resigned to having nothing to do but wait.
Nearly half the day had passed when Galain returned. “The King will let us go. He’ll even provide escort to the valley that leads to Cutter’s Gap, along a clear trail, so we will reach it before Murmandamus’s army. They’ll have to go around the forest, while we’ll go straight through.”
Arutha said, “I was worried we might have trouble.”
“We did. You were going to be killed, and they were still deciding what to do with me.”
“What changed their minds?” said Amos.
“Murmandamus. I just mentioned that name and you would have thought someone had stuck a branch in a hornets’ nest. They have lost much lore, but that is one name they remember. There is no doubt we have found the descendants of the glamredhel here. I judge about three or four hundred in the immediate area from the number of those in council. There are more living in distant communities, enough that it doesn’t pay for anyone to bother them in any event.”
“Will they help with the fight?” asked Guy.
Galain shook his head. “I don’t know. Earanorn is a sly one. If he should bring his people to Elvandar they’d be welcomed but not entirely trusted. There’s too much of the savage about them. It would be years before anyone was comfortable. He also knows that in the council of the true Elf Queen, he would be only a minor member, as he is not even a Spellweaver. He would be included, as a gesture to his people and also because he is among the oldest of the elves living in the Edder Forest. But, here he is a king, a poor king, but still a king. No, this will not be an easy or simple problem. But, that is the sort of question we elves are willing to spend years in pondering. I’ve given Earanorn clear instructions on the way to Elvandar, so that should his people wish to return to our mother forest, they may. They will come or not as pleases them, while for now we must make for Highcastle.”
Arutha rose and said, “Good; at least we have one less problem.”
Jimmy followed Arutha toward the horses and said to Locklear, “As if the ones we have left are such piddly little things.”
Amos laughed and clapped the boys on the shoulders.
The horses were at their limit, for Arutha and his companions had been riding them hard for almost a week. The tired animals were footsore and slow, and Arutha knew they had only just managed to stay ahead of the invaders. The day before, they had spotted smoke behind them, as Murmandamus’s advanced scouts had made camp at day’s end. This lack of caution at being spotted showed their contempt for the garrison between them and the Kingdom.