The Eldars

41

After the hunting was over Teondae finds Mant, "How does she know? She took off before the land even said anything."

Mant shakes his head. "Montani has a sense," Mant hesitates over how to describe it. "It's like she smells them even if they are upwind of her. She can just tell and heaven help any one that gets in her way.

"I'll never forget the first time I saw it happen. It was shortly before I left and was captured. We had just finished our lesson and were heading back to Malinor. Suddenly Montani stiffened and melted into the shadows. She took off before I even realized something was wrong. She killed the evil one before I ever even saw it. After it was dead she relaxed then suddenly went all stiff again. She took off to the outpost.

"She's the one to find my friend that had been posted on guard there. He had been a friend to her as well. Montani...she lost it. The mental shields that my father had placed to protect her had completely collapsed. I had to carry her back to Malinor. They buried what they could find of my friend two days later. It took that long to find his body parts. Montani wasn't able to attend, she was still dealing with the trauma.

"After that well, that was when I finally admitted to her how I felt and I fully expected her to reject me, instead she kissed me. 

"There were no more lessons I could teach her. I knew that my presence would distract her from fully becoming what she could become, so I left. I had only meant to leave for a short time, but," Mant shrugs, "I was captured and taken by the evil humans. I have to admit if it wasn't for Montani I would have died after a short time. Her memory, and what she went through made it so I couldn't give up. Besides, I needed to return to her. I loved her so much.

"After five years they became bored and lax and I was finally able to escape the prison. It took me weeks to make it back to Malinor. I made it back on the night of Montani's celebration of becoming a master of masters. I didn't know that at the time of course.

"All I could do is go to the celebration and hope that it wasn't Montani's wedding celebration. When I saw her dancing with my friend and how dressed up she was I feared that I was too late. She was so beautiful, but she was lacking the smile she had for me.

"It was like she could feel me, though, because all of a sudden she looked up and started to look for me. She stopped dancing in the middle of a dance. Slowly all the noise died down and when she locked eyes onto me, I was helplessly drawn to her. Not that I wanted to fight the desire. All I wanted for the last five years had been to return to her. 

"When I reached her side she slapped me. The sound of the slap echoed around the square it had become so quiet. Then she collapsed into my arms and started crying all over again.

"Montani says that she can't do the mind speak of the Eldar, but she didn't have any trouble doing it that night. We had a whole conversation using mind speaking. Up to and including me asking her to marry me and her accepting.

"The wedding was set for two days after the celebration."

"Three days, you idiot," Montani interjects then goes back to her own thoughts.

"I stand corrected. I was dirty, filthy actually, and absolutely exhausted, but in the moment I held Montani and she said she'd marry me, I could have done anything.

"My father and the other elders heard my report and became concerned as well they should have been. Mauntie asked me to scout out after the wedding. I didn't even dare say anything to Montani. I had just gotten back, how do I tell her that I would be leaving again?

"She solved the problem for me. After the wedding we went back to my house and she saw my packs waiting for me. When she found out that I was leaving she informed me that either she was going to go with me, or she would follow me. I had wanted her to come with me, but hadn't known how to ask her. I had prepared her packs hoping that she would join me once she found out."

"It was a good thing he told me the truth this time or he would have died then and there." Montani's voice is angry, but distant.

"So that is why you found my father, you were out scouting evil ones?" Leean says in the quiet of the night.

At this Montani snorts a very loud and inelegant sound. "Our orders were to stay close to Malinor. I decided to scout out farther. If they had any idea just how far out I have taken us they'd be furious."

Teondae had been listening in fascination at their tale. "Montani, forgive me, but why did you decide to scout out so far?"

Montani smiles softly at Teondae, "I needed to know just how bad of a threat we are facing. Unlike the other Eldar I wasn't going to hide my head in Malinor and pretend that all is well. I know that the Eldar were decimated in the great war, just as were the elves and dwarves. Indeed the humans and eagles were as well. We all suffered. Apologies, Teondae, the Vacar were still just horror stories told to make the children behave at that point.

"It wasn't until I came upon Leear and the other elves that I found out that horror stories I thought were just that, were in actuality a reality. It was almost enough for me to lose control." Montani admits softly.

"I couldn't tell. I have never met someone so strong and to find a human with that kind of strength stunned me. It gave me hope that at long last we could go home." Teondae bows to her and sits back in his seat.

"The Eldar council isn't going to be happy about all the alliances I'm making. They definitely aren't going to like what I'll be doing when I, we, go home." Montani says, but the smirk that she wears tells them that she's going to enjoy the fight it will bring.

Suddenly Montani sits up and leaves off her contemplation of the flames. "We are going to have a long day tomorrow. We should get some sleep." 

Mant stands up and joins her as they fade into the night. Teondae smirks after them and leaves in the other direction. Leean sighs and puts out the fire for the night before he too finds his bed. He trusts that the land or Montani will warn them before the evil ones slaughter them.