The Faithful Ones

Part 3- Chapter 29

"Why are you going to the Sylvan Land, and with so many people?" the captain asked.
"We defeated the Raging Wolf and many Northesians don't want to stay there so we're seeing if they want to live in other lands," answered Raine.
"You killed the Raging Wolf? Wow... You're so young."
"Most of us are fifteen years actually." The captain nodded thoughtfully and went back to the wheel. Mel called them together.
"Í ill taráek yut alva parilarn," she declared, and everyone nodded.

~~~

Land appeared on the horizon, announced by the man in the crow's nest, causing the Faithful Ones to rush to the bow to see for themselves. Tósatarleh jumped onto the railings, then Raine picked him up and held him in her arms so that he wouldn't fall overboard.
"Tiné satel," said Raine hesitantly, still unsure of the language.
"Í en... Oh, I don't know the word for curious," sighed Freya.
"Ton brí káah," smiled Mel. "Notog átú ill eb óe nern gena."
"What does that mean again?" asked Blaze. Mel apologised and translated. Once she'd started teaching them she kept forgetting to switch back to common speech when her sentences contained words the others didn't know yet. Sometimes she just babbled away to herself, and sometimes when she forgot a word she'd replace it with the corresponding one in common speech.

At last the ship arrived at the port of the Sylvan Land. The Faithful Ones ran from the boat onto the earth with their bare feet, glad to be on solid ground again, however beautiful the rolling waves felt at night. Once all of the army had left the ships, they travelled away from the small town at the port to the Elven tree-top city Lé Durshurel. Some of the Northesians wanted to ask the elves if they could stay and build a new town. Mel padded along the road in leopardess form, letting Tósatarleh and Fariet sit on her back. A pattern and rhythm returned to their lives, and they often filled the surrounding forest with their singing.

"Mec, Í hav srágoben tü shaljé yut," Mel stood and beckoned to her friends. They'd stopped at the road's end the night before, and now it was morning. The group followed Mel a little way from the road, and then she stopped and pointed upwards. Raine craned her neck to face the canopy, and saw bridges and walkways built in the treetops. Following the tree trunks back to the ground, they noticed rope ladders and rungs that were nailed into the trees around the place. They began climbing.
"Where should we go?" asked Salma.
"We'll ask someone,' replied Rose.

"Excuse me, do you have some time to spare?" Freya asked an elf who was walking by. She stopped and turned to look at the group, and her eyes fell on Mel.
"Yut en alvakin, weh du nen yut- Oh, you're the Faithful Ones, aren't you? said the elf. She had silvery-blonde hair that fell to below her waist, and was carrying an armful of scrolls.
"Yes, I'm Mel the Leopardess-Elf. This is Raine, Rose, Sunny, Salma, Freya, Matthew, Blaze, Amedёl, Bouniek, Taigat-Zhёtzen, and Zadut," Mel introduced everyone.
"Of course. I'm Sivláylé. What do you need help with?"
"After our battle in Northesa, many of the Northesians and dwarves who fought with us didn't want to stay any more. We're sort of just exploring and searching for places the Northesians can live in, and some of them want to build a new town and live here."
"You'll need to talk to one of the queen's advisors. Fortunately, I'm going to visit one now. His name is Serígumilá, and he might get you an audience with the Queen," smiled Sivláylé. She led them to his house over the bridges and walkways that were built from rope and planks or from the trees themselves.

Sivláylé stopped and knocked on a door, which was opened by a man with wiry, greying hair and a bead.
"Ah, Sivláylé. I see you've brought guests -- from Westheath? Come in, come in," the elf welcomed them inside. They sat at the large, round table. Sivláylé emptied her arms onto the table, carefully making sure none of the scrolls rolled away.
"Would you like some shrgéwá mimú tea?" asked Serígumilá, "We have a herb native to the Sylvan Lands which, simply put, is a sweeter tasting mint with a bit of a liquorice-y taste."
"Yes please," said the Faithful Ones, wanting to try this strange herbal tea. The older elf disappeared through a doorway and made a small racket as the cups and spoons clinked together. while he prepared the tea. He returned with a tray of cups. the teas was a pale milky green, and the spoons and mint eaves were both still in the cups. Rain stirred hers and took a sip and found it to be as described, but the strange thing was that there was a dash of milk in the herbal drink. The smell of mint filled the room, and Serígumilá looked expectantly about the room.

"Oh, you go first Mel," Sivláylé said.
"Mel, hmm?" I wondered who you were, since you are wearing Westheathite clothing and not from amongst us despite being elven. You're the Faithful Ones?" They nodded. Mewl explained the Northesians' request.
"I'll have to talk to the Queen, but I'm sure she'll be convinced -- it's the other advisors we could have problems with," Serígumilá sipped his tea and considered various thoughts for a moment, "Now it's your turn Sivláylé." She unrolled one of the scrolls, keeping it flat with her emptied cup. it was covered in strange symbols, which Mel was trying to read but given the confusion on her face she didn't understand all of it.
"What's it about?" asked Sunny.

"Serígumilá and I are in charge of organising the Ütelásajs Nov Arrellásí Típófü, the Seasons Of Art Festival. It's a festival we create art and write songs and poems. The only rule we have is that nobody can make anything about forests because we make enough about that already and there'd be too many things to judge and overall winner. There are four categories with sub-themes. The first is Summer, joy, and heat. The second is autumn, end, and wind. The third is winter, sadness, and frozen. The fourth is spring, laughter, and beginnings. Everyone that enters must pick a theme and at the festival the works are displayed. Also, it's in a half-moon," the elf explained.
"Can we enter the competition?" asked Amedёl.
"I'm not sure, but we could go an ask. Sivláylé, you stay and organise the festival." The older elf stood and opened the door for the Faithful Ones, leaving Sivláylé to study her scrolls.

The group crossed through the city again, traipsing over over the bridges and walkways, sometimes climbing ladders or steps build around tree trunks. They reached the palace, a huge and beautiful tree-house that began on the second layer of bridges and reached to the fourth, which was really quite a long way up. Vines and ivy had been trained to grow around it, and there were stained glass windows.
"Átú lódü mék tü quales úna dencéí íth te nekaté," said Serígumilá to the guard at the heavy doors. He nodded and went inside, and after a moment he returned to usher the group in.
"Ha, glan Nekaté Twíletsalí," Serígumilá bowed low to the floor, and the Faithful Ones copied.
"Ha, sawítas karódor", replied the elven queen, gesturing to them to come forward. "I see you are the Faithful Ones."
Yes," Raine nodded.
"Of course. Advisor Serígumilá, what have you come to discuss?" He explained the Northesians' request to build a new town.
"I will have to hold council, but I am willing to provide whatever help I can," said Queen Twíletsalí.
"As well as that, Sivláylé and I were explaining the festival to the Faithful Ones, and they wish to participate as a group," Serígumilá added.
"Let them; they may have something to offer," Queen Twíletsalí smiled. "Serígumilá, montig mene fon kinlélów foreb sumtétahf." He nodded, and they bowed again and left.

As they entered Serígumilá's home Sivláylé looked up from her work.
"We can enter the competition!" announced Sunny.
"But Queen Twíletsalí is holding council to decide if a new town will be built," said Matthew. Serígumilá went to prepare lunch, explaining his suspicion that some of the other advisors argue strongly against it and there'd be two council meetings to discuss the matter. They ate lunch, and spent half the afternoon with the elves before returning to the forest floor. They recounted their day to Karen and Tania, who'd been sitting by the remains of the fire for most of the day. Fariet and Tósatarleh were exploring somewhere, but quite likely to return for campfire singing, so nobody was worried.