The Eldars

13

As the people are busy making the joyous preparations for the wedding of the century, Mant seeks out Mauntie for some not so joyous news.

"Mauntie, I need to speak to you." The two go off to a secluded spot and to make sure that they aren't interrupted or heard they start speaking via mind link.

"On my way home, I crossed many trails of the evil ones. The death and destruction they leave behind is immense. The humans are being slaughtered..."

"What do you want me to do Mant? After the great war we promised that we would never again intrude on their lives. We agreed to let them live their own lives, I cannot interfere with their war with the evil ones. Even if I wanted to." Mauntie is more than a little frustrated with Mant on this.

"Even if it means protecting our own borders?" Mant demands, he knows that although Montani has left the human world behind that she wouldn't like letting them suffer. Especially if that suffering is at the hands of the evil ones. She goes out of her way to track down and kill them.

Mauntie stiffens and demands, "What do you mean?"

"The evil ones trails are increasing. Their numbers have grown beyond belief and they are moving towards Malinor." Mant tells Mauntie and watches as the blood drains from Mauntie's face.

"Just how bad?"

"Bad enough that I doubt we'd be able to last long without alliances at this time. We can't put this off Mauntie, it needs to be done yesterday." Mant is dead serious and hides his fear with difficulty, he's never learned to perfect the mask of steel like Montani.

Mauntie stops and thinks things through. Mant is about to leave since Mauntie is so lost in thought when the Eldar seems to come out of his dazed thoughts. "I know you haven't fully healed and that you are getting married soon, but I need you to track down and kill the evil ones. You are our best tracker and hunter."

Mant snorts in derision, "That's not true and you know it. Montani is better than me. Or possibly you forgot the whole master of master thing? And it won't be enough there are too many of them, we will need the alliance of them all if there will be any to survive. You know that as well as I. That's why you went looking for the elves nearly ten years ago in the first place."

"Yes, and didn't I fail spectacularly?" Mauntie says the bitterness too heavy to hide.

Mant stiffens in anger. "So you finding Montani is failure?" His words are said in anger and more than anger, fury.

"Peace, Mant, Montani could never be considered a failure. We need her just as much as she needs or at least needed us."

Montani has been watching the two silently communicating from the beginning and she has a very bad feeling about all this. When Molani comes up to her she doesn't even notice, she is so focused on the two Eldar in front of her.

When Molani looks to see what has captured Montani's attention she feels more than a little sick. Something is going on. Mauntie isn't hiding his feelings nearly as well as Mant and Mant was never as good as Montani and after years of studying Montani, Molani knows that something is wrong, very wrong.

Molani decides to find out what is going on. She goes over to Mant and Mauntie and interrupts their little conversation. "Alright enough. Montani is getting angry and suspicious. Just what are you two talking about?"

"Mant, I would suggest you go home and clean up. I'll send some food for you. You look like death warmed over. And you don't smell much better, go." Molani orders and waits for Mant to acknowledge her orders before bowing to them both and leaving.