Ashen-Shugar sped across the skies, and to those who had been held in thrall, he declared, ‘Do now as you will, for you are a free people!’
Those known as elves – edhel or ‘the people’ in their own language – bowed their heads as one in respect to their former ruler. The others of the Dragon Host had risen against the new gods and as the Chaos Wars raged across the heavens, this one Valheru, the Ruler of the Eagles’ Reaches, had taken their destiny and placed it in their own hands.
Other races were also freed, and new races were arriving through great tears in the fabric of space and time. ‘A great struggle is approaching,’ Ashen-Shugar shouted and by the magic of the Valheru, all those below heard his words. ‘Take this world and make it your own!’
The people chose various different paths. Those who followed the light of reason, those given the guardianship of lore and wisdom – the eldar – led their followers to a sylvan glade and began fashioning a wondrous home, becoming one with the woodlands that would one day be Elvandar. Those who followed and served were called the Elves of Light, the eledhel, and from their ranks rose wise rulers, the first kings and queens.
Others chose to emulate the thirst for power of the Dragon Host, those who wished to rise to the power of the Valheru. Those seekers of darkness were known as the Elves of Darkness, the moredhel.
Others were driven mad with fear, terrified of being left without their masters, like domesticated dogs turned loose in the wild, running in packs so fearsome that even the wolves grew to fear them. They were called the Mad Elves, or glamredhel.
Others dispersed, travelling across land and sea, living with other races, humans and dwarves, some with goblins and trolls. They forgot their very nature and became as aliens. These were the Elves From Across the Sea, the ocedhel.
And high in the Peaks of the Quor, Ashen-Shugar confronted the beings so profoundly ensconced in the heart of Midkemia that even the Valheru would not trouble them. For amongst these peaks, in an isolated enclave, lived a race which was connected to the very fabric of every life on this world. A harmless, gentle race which lived in a way unfathomable to even the most powerful of Valheru or the wisest of the eledhel. Their purpose was incomprehensible and their nature equally confounding, yet even the most violent of the Dragon Host could sense within themselves some profound meaning. It was not something that could be explained; it was something that could only be understood intuitively.
And there were guardians, sun-burned elves who hunted and lived below the Peaks of the Quor, whose only task was to keep this extraordinary place well and untroubled. The Valheru dubbed them ‘Guardian Elves’, or tirithedhel in their tongue. They called themselves the anoredhel, or Elves of the Sun.
To them Ashen-Sugar said, ‘You are now a free people, but you are held to your charge, for should any harm befall the Quor, so perishes the world.’ And with that he flew away…
Tomas blinked. ‘I remember.’
‘Remember what?’ asked Miranda.
He shook his head. ‘Many things. We should continue.’
Castdanur indicated the direction he intended to lead them, then turned and walked away across the meadow. At the far edge he entered a narrow pathway. Tomas followed, with Miranda taking up the rear; but when she stepped onto the trail, she faltered then stopped. Everything had changed. The very nature of the air was different. Colours were more vivid, sounds had a new harmony to them, and tantalizing hints of exotic fragrances were carried on a breeze that caressed her cheek like a lover. Miranda found herself repressing a shudder of pleasure, for it was as if every good thing imaginable was happening at the same moment.
Miranda had travelled to many places, not as many as her husband, but still enough that she was not easily astonished, but this was a place to bring the most jaded traveller to his knees in wonder. She felt tears welling up at the sheer beauty of it all. She could not put a name to what she beheld, for to the casual observer nothing would look remarkable compared to the mountainside just a few paces below, yet there was something amazing here. She could see life! She could see energies that coursed through the very fabric of every living thing before her. The trees glowed with a soft illumination and each bird was a sparkling, darting presence above. The very insects flitting through the air were tiny gems of colour, green, blue, golden, moving here and there. A column of ants wending its way up the side of a tree to gather sap from a chip in the bark were a line of diamonds moving up, emeralds moving down.
‘What is happening?’ she asked softly.