A long Overdue Reunion
Athras lifted himself out of his chair and exited the solar as the summit decided to break for recess, he could not doubt that the current meeting had gone suddenly from the preposterous to the very, very strange. As he surveyed the city from high up in the Solar, he noted the Elven Lady who had been wrapped in conversation with the Norse bitch, walking slowly past, hurriedly, he matched her stride, bringing himself alongside her. “why offer yourself up like that?” he spoke, keeping his head straight forward.
Syndra continued walking, a light dusting of snow falling from the sky. “It seemed to be the only option. You likely don’t have the pleasure of knowing how stubborn my cousin can be, and Hege seemed even worse. This way she will save face and the war will come to an end. One life for thousands.” She shrugged, stopping and turning to face Athras. “Syndra of House Coamenel by the way, at your service.” She bowed her head.
“Then I salute you lady Syndra for your sacrifice, though my gut tells me, that this peace will not be lasting in any way or form” he stuck out a gloved hand to Syndra, “Master Athras of Osilon, at yours”
She shook his hand and smiled happily. “Athras? Wonderful, I should have figured that.” She hurriedly reached into the small pouch that hung from the belt at her waist and pulled forth a folded piece of paper. “This is for you, from your father, he asked that I deliver it to you before...well you know.”
Athras nodded knowingly, “I would have thought as much, the old man was never a fan of saying goodbye” he took the parchment, “how is it that you came to possess this letter? I do not recall my father ever mentioning you in our conversations” he piped with a cool curiosity.
“We spent some time with each other during the siege of Tolis, we would talk, and strategize, and the like. Before he went to head back to Osilon he gave it to me, saying he feared that he would not live through the war.” She frowned. “I had told him that was foolishness, but it seems he knew better than I. I think he only chose to give it to me at the spur of the moment in truth. No doubt he had closer friends who could have delivered the letters.”
Athras raised an eyebrow, “No doubt, though I would not hesitate that either he theorised they would not survive the war either, or as I suspect, he harboured some form of affection for you, whether he ended up revealing it or not. Anyway I thank you for this message, I am sure… it will enlighten me as to his final thoughts”
“You are welcome, my lord.” Syndra nodded. “Your sister is here as well, with a letter of her own from him, if you wish to know more.”
“Indeed, I would be glad if you could take me to her.” his voice grew more energetic and excited.
“Of course. Follow me.” She led Athras through the snow covered courtyard, flakes landing in the laurel wreath on her head, making it seem to shimmer and shine. She entered the far side of the palace, where guests had been given rooms. “She should be over here.” Syndra led him nearly to the end of the hall to a set of double oak doors, opening them and stepping inside. “Iselwyn?”
A soft voice, that Athras had heard all his life rang back out from the room, “yes Syndra? I’ll be out in a minute, I’m just getting changed.
“Of course Iselwyn. Your brother is here as well.” She called back to her.
After a minute or so, during which the sounds of someone frantically looking for something, and the sounds of fabric scrapping over skin, Iselwyn rushed out of an En-suite room, a beaming smile on her face, as she quickly walked over to her brother, embracing him in a large hug. “If it isn’t the little Master himself, you look so grown-up now” she laughed as Athras gave her a light-hearted punch.
“I’m fine sis. It’s good to see you too, but you're embarrassing me” he laughed too. After a few more seconds of hugging she released Athras and went to stand close to Syndra, “thank you for finding him Syndra, I knew you could” she said to the older elf.
“He found me actually,” she laughed. “But you are welcome.” She looked around the room somewhat awkwardly. “I could give you two some time alone if you would like to catch up before the summit starts again.”
Iselwyn looked at her aghast, “no, you invited me to this summit, It would be rude for us to kick you out, A proper reunion between us can wait a little longer” Meanwhile Athras stared at Iselwyn with one eyebrow raised, “As my sister commands, I shall obey. Stay with us a while longer for I am sure you have many a story to regale us with” his voice seeming to have lightened up if only slightly for the first time during the entire summit.
“Hardly,” she scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes. “I fear that I am not much of a storyteller Master Athras. Why don’t you tell me about yourself, so that I can think of you as more than your title and as the brother of my friend?”
he sighed, “If it pleases you, I am an apprentice to our Clans Emerald Knights, although this” he pointed to his crown, “and the war has somewhat slowed down my training. Apart from that I am not sure what there really to say about me I guess, I am your average young elf, although I do love, respect and look out for every member of my clan no matter who they are”
“Are you?” She perked up at the mention of the Emerald Knights. “I traveled with a former member of your order quite a few times over the last few years. Galdor the Green, we called him, for his armor. You must be a skilled warrior to have undergone the same training.”
“I still have several more years left before I am truly worthy of the honour. I cannot say I have heard of this, Galdor the Green, perhaps he was from the Lavellan chapter, of the Order? I thank you for your compliments regardless.” he smiled, “Is there anything else you wish to know?”
Syndra shrugged. “I do not think he was particularly famous, else he probably would not have been free to travel with us. There is nothing in particular that I wish to know, I was just curious what you were like.”
He smiled, “I hope I have proven to be your cup of tea, so to speak. Pray tell me more about yourself”
“I am the youngest daughter of the lord of Coamenel. From a young age I studied fighting and battle, eventually joining the rangers for a time. After a while I left them to form my own group of companions and we traveled Galadriel helping the small folk.” She blushed slightly. “If nothing else you’ve no doubt heard the bards sing about my slaying of a dragon? ‘A Slaying by Snowfall’?”
Athras looked at Syndra in awe, “that was you who killed the beast? you’re a hero, I can’t believe that I am actually meeting the person who slayed the Beast of Snowfall”
She waved away his excitement, her blush deepening. “They exaggerate things my lord. The real battle did not play out like that in the song. I was sure I would die by the end, I was bleeding from so many wounds, my thigh torn open.” She shrugged. “But yes, it was me, I suppose.”
“Still, even if the songs don’t explain it truly, it was a ballsy thing to do, the biggest thing I ever helped take down was a basilisk,” he grimaced, “A damn sight smaller I would say” At this iselwyn coughed politely, “oi, I’m here too” she said laughing, giving a look to Syndra
“Of course my lady.” She chuckled and winked to Athras. “Your sister has already heard the story, and I don’t believe it truly impressed her the first time.” She smirked at Iselwyn, changing the subject. “You too seem close, has it always been so?”
Iselwyn laughed, “I guess so? I’m always looking out for my baby brother, even if he is a Master now,” she slid over to him, and roughed him up a bit before sliding back to Syndra, “But seriously, I can’t remember us ever not getting along this well” Athras nodded in agreement, “she may be annoying but I still love my sis, even when she’s trying to get me to play her stupid drinking games.” he gave a sly look at Iselwyn, “What about you two, you seem very close for two people who have only meet very recently”
Syndra laughed. “Well, I’ve been sick in front of her, from those very same games you mentioned, so I think that makes us at least a little bit close, if nothing else.” She smiled to Syndra. “And I have been showing her how to fight, with a spear and bow. Oh, and we have tea from time to time. In truth. your sister was one of the few people I spent time with outside of strategy sessions over this entire campaign.”
“ah, so you're not like…” he made a gesture with his hands, of two circles banging into each other. “Because you certainly come of like you're in some form of close-knit relationship”
“No!” Syndra shook her head, blushing scarlet. “Why would you…? No. We are friends. Close friends perhaps.” She raised an eyebrow at Iselwyn, seeking help.
Iselwyn simply laughed, holding her hands up in a surrender pose, “Don’t look at me, I didn’t give him the idea”
She turned to stare at Athras, still red. “Why would you think that? I don’t…”
Athras pointed at Iselwyn, “normally when she’s acting like this, she either wants to have sex with them or she is. Though in your case it appears to be an exception” across the room, Iselwyn was motioning for Athras to shut up.
“Well...we haven’t so I trust that is settled.” She laughed, still clearly embarrassed.
“To be honest, I’m surprised your so cordial, after what Syndra has done” he said to Iselwyn, who looked back with confusion, “what are you talking about?” she queried. Athras, eyes darkened and he looked at Syndra, “you better tell her”
Syndra glared at him. “The deal has not been finalized, Nehary has yet to say her peace and the other Nord seemed against it. Why bother bringing it up?” She sighed as she turned to Iselwyn, her expression softening. “It is nothing, just a suggestion made at the summit should things continue to not work out.”
Iselwyn looked Syndra dead in the eye, “What is the suggestion, Syndra?” she looked very on edge, as if unwilling to listen to what she suspected was coming.
“If the Norse are unwilling to agree to a simple white peace and removal of forces, and that truly is an ‘if’ at this point, then I suggested that they be given a hostage, to ensure peace from the elves, and to help save face.” She shrugged as if it were not a big deal, but stared down at her lap. “Obviously that hostage would have to be me, with ties in both Galadriel and Mirrorwater, and having led Nehary’s armies.”
Iselwyn looked shattered, “No, you can’t go, you can’t go, no, no, no, no!!!” while Athras looked on awkwardly.
She watched Iselwyn’s reaction for a moment, shocked. “I...as I said, it is unlikely to happen. That’s why I wouldn’t have even mentioned it.” She frowned, taking Iselwyn’s hand to try to comfort the younger elf. “But if it is only only chance for peace, then is one life freely given not a good price for the continued existence of thousands of innocent lives?”
“Not if that person is you” Iselwyn sniffed.
Syndra shrugged helplessly. “It really is almost certain that it won’t happen, so there is no need to worry. I do feel differently though, and I’d be willing to do it if it was the only choice.”
“Please Syndra, if it does happen, come see me before you go, I don’t want another friend who just stops coming without saying anything”
“Of course,” she smiled. “I couldn’t well leave without saying my goodbyes. And I wouldn't’ do that to you.”
Iselwyn gave a weak smile, “thank you”
Syndra smiled again, standing up and bowing her head to the both of them. “I’ll leave you two to talk, I’m sure there is much you have to discuss after not seeing each other for so long. May the Light be with you both.”
Athras nodded his head, “may the Lord of Light guide you, and the Mother watch over you”
