The Chronicles Of The Council #1: The Sun's Tears

Chapter 32: Laelia - Raven's Peak

"Every traveller has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering." ― Charles Dickens

The next couple of weeks take us through a greying landscape of black rock on a stone road stretching and snaking through flat earth changing to intimidating cliffs. Our journey is lonely and I only ever see the humans and the handful of villages we encounter from afar. I had thought that we would have encountered numerous human villages and cattle with rows and rows of crops lining the landscape, but I doubt any plants or animals could survive here even if they were forced to.

"It is because we are travelling to Raven's Peak. If you studied your maps and history books, you would know that Raven's Peak is in the centre of No Man's Land," Elorhim tells me when I voice my disappointment.

My shoulders tense and I ignore him - not because I am that forgiving, but because I lack an intelligent reply.

I can feel Aedan's stare on my back. "I expected some plants at least."

Faolan sees the disappointment on our faces. "Do not be troubled, dearest brother and sister. Ligtland does not look like this everywhere. It is only the south near Raven's Peak and then the land that stretches west from it to Darkeland. You know that the east is entirely different."

"I just wanted to see more."

"You will."

From that point onward we settle into a dulling routine of waking, watching the order practice, practising on our own, travelling, stopping, story-telling and sleeping. After weeks of enduring the scorching sun, water rationing, and uncomfortable horse-riding we passed through a clump of trees that the humans call The Scattered Forest. Scattered it is, but a forest? No, they are rather a sad collection of bushes.

After that, the cliffs soar above us and we travel in a silent valley of shadows. Although we welcome the reprieve from the beating sun, the lack of it feels unnatural.

Faolan finally announces the last day of our journey. "Laelia and Aedan, we are almost at Raven's Peak. If you want to, you can go ahead and be there first. Wait for us at the gate."

Aedan and I do not wait for a second invitation. We gallop past the thousand elves ahead of us. Almost half an hour later we see Raven's Peak for the first time and Aedan and I halt simultaneously.

I have seen paintings of Raven's Peak in the books of our library, but they do not capture its stone-cold character. It is made of the dark stone of the surrounding landscape and was built in the middle of four mountains. Large walls between the mountains encave the city itself. The castle is on the largest of the four mountains, but it is barely discernible as it both rising from and built on the stone. It is a harmony of nature and the man-made, but it seems unnatural compared to Alachna City. Even though Raven's Peak is the coldest and most unforgiving place I have ever seen, I have the same feeling I have every time I see Alachna City: the feeling of coming home.

The first elves walk past us as I study the towers rising from each mountain top into the pale blue sky. Raven's Peak looks cold, but it also looks safe. I doubt any force could ever conquer the city. The walls have been impenetrable since the dawn of time. However, humans procreate at an alarming rate and the city has burst from its seams. New neighbourhoods stretch in all directions on the mountain slopes outside of the original city walls. A newer outer wall - flimsy compared to the original broad stonewall- has been built, but it is also surrounded by newly built houses and those under construction.

"I think we will look out of place with all our white horses and our blue clothes," Aedan whispers to me.

"I have never seen a place so without colour."