E.L.F. - White Leaves Read online

  “Would you rather I didn’t?” He asked a stupid question. But even as she felt the notion to question his idiocy, she caught herself. He was ancient as the great tree. She analyzed his question, and under a new light it suddenly seemed as if he was just ignorant to such social convention as her need for privacy. She thought better of herself.

  It wasn’t as if there wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before, especially at his age.

  “Nevermind.” She brushed it off. “I understand it is your duty to protect the tree.”

  Deh’Leccend promptly looked confused.

  “I do not understand.” He said. “I protect you.”

  And it was Shannon’s turn to be confused. First he’d tried to kill her, and now he was protecting her? It didn’t make sense. There had to be a reason for what he’d said though, and she would find out before she was done with him here.

  “Why were the Black Leaves created?” She abruptly asked, abandoning her prior desire to rest and think on the whirlwind that had become of her life. Instead, she pressed certainty filled questions at him. “Athaem told me you were the first leaves to be created by the great tree. Surely wasn’t it to be her protectors?”

  “Oh.” Deh Leccend answered as if enlightened, but his tones didn’t rise much. “No one knows why we were created. It is not for us to know our purpose. The great tree does not speak to any but Dunesil Llaerth, first leaf on the Elvine.”

  “Why?” She asked, beckoning him forth and gesturing for him to sit as she did so herself, dipping her feet and dangling her legs into the water. It was intoxicatingly warm.

  “No one knows that either.” His dark eyes didn’t leave her for a moment and he didn’t need to speculate. Answers came quite quickly for him. She noted it easily. There were no gears to turn beyond his black gaze. All things just were or were not. She liked that sort of thinking in humans, but within Deh Leccend, the Black Leaf, it just seemed like he was a child himself.

  “It is just her way.” He explained upon arriving at her side.

  “Oh.” Shannon finally looked away, casting her dark eyes to the waters to see little glittering fishes collecting around her toes. Her eyes grew apprehensive. She didn’t like to be touched much by little critters she wasn’t expecting to be there.

  “They are quite harmless.” He anticipated her fears. “In fact, they love you like the water they breathe.” His wisdom came back to her attention, making him feel like the ancient creature that he was. Shannon steadied herself, drew a breath and slipped into the waters before daring to remove her hospital gown. Even then, she made it a point to cover herself, hugging bosom one handedly and keeping low as she moved for a nearby rock jutting flatly from the surface, that she might hide behind it whilst she spoke with him.

  “How old are you?” She asked curiously. “Athaem told me your kin were the first to be born from the great tree, and if you would not know for what reasons, then I would like to know for how long you’ve lived.”

  “I have lived for longer than there have been ages.” He answered easily, without a whit of hesitation.

  “And how many years is that?” Shannon smiled, slowly beginning to learn how to speak to one like him.

  “It is exactly one billion, three hundred sixty five million, one-hundred two thousand, ten and three quarters of the mother’s revolutions around the sun.” He said it so matter-of-factly, as if such an unfathomable span of time was truly nothing to balk at, but blanch Shannon did indeed. She couldn’t help it. She’d thought Athaem was old, but now she truly was less than a speck of dust. She wasn’t even molecular by comparison.

  “You’re a god?!” She asked wildly, using a figment of speech that only confused him.

  “Your gods do not exist. I would have met them by now. All of them.” Deh Leccend explained in the only way he knew how, truthfully to his experience.

  “That’s not what I meant.” She tried, confusing him further. “Wait. Was Jesus real?” She smiled excitedly, but then thought better of her questioning. Shannon was forced to blow the matter off with a light smile and a shaking of her head. “I just meant, I feel… small. Oh, nevermind.”

  “No, always mind.” He corrected her, having clearly understood exactly what she’d meant by the term small. “One should never feel minuscule or worthless. Even a child can alter the flow of the great mother’s history in the making.”

  “I’m sorry.” Shannon couldn’t help but feel stupid again, though she did feel better with his revelation of the possibility of her importance and purpose in life. She had once thought she’d known her purpose, acting up and out against the status quo and the rape and pillaging of nature and all things helpless. But now, what exactly was her purpose? It was certainly not so small as that which she’d originally believed before the attack on Murton and Norton had irrevocably altered her existence. If it was, she’d still be there, not here in the Veil of the Leaf’s Edge being granted privy to something no one had any idea even existed.

  “What else can you tell me, Dayless End, Black Leaf?” She asked with a smile, trying to turn around her stupidity and tiny existence. “Can I just call you Day? It’s easier. How do you spell it anyway?”

  “You may call me whatever you wish, milady. You might spell it –D. E. H. What else would you have me tell you?” He answered and questioned of her desires in all simplicity.

  “I don’t know.” She said, grown comfortable enough now to actually begin to bathe herself, rubbing her skin clean with the heat of the waters and the protection of the rock. “Anything while we’re here. Can you tell me about the history of the world?”

  “You would die millions of years before I finished that story, milady.” He responded, and Shannon just had to laugh. She couldn’t help it. Maybe he really was stupid.

  “Obviously!” Came slipping out, rushed off her tongue as she giggled. Deh Leccend regarded her in general confusion.

  “Why do you laugh?”

  “Are you kidding?!” She couldn’t believe her ears. “What are you, emotionless? Your response was funny, that’s why I’m laughing!” She giggled some more.

  “Yes.” He said evenly, looking down to the waters and turning aside his features, outright killing her laughter with pity. Awkward and confused, Shannon stared blankly at him before she realized what he’d said.

  “You’re serious?!” Her voice came, but Deh Leccend merely stared at himself in the water’s reflection. She drew close to her concealing rock and folded her arms upon it, resting her chin to smell her clean flesh so close.

  “You are serious.” Her lips pouted, and her tone leveled off as her brow crumpled smoothly as anyone would suffer with pity-filled eyes. Deh Leccend nodded to answer her with silence.

  “How can that be?” Almost afraid to ask, her tongue came on a whisper.

  “Because the fury of the Black Leaves has not been unleashed.” He answered.

  “Explain.” Shannon practically demanded it of him.

  “The great tree granted us freedom from emotions, want, desire, and fear with the creation of the Veil of the Leaf’s Edge at the spirit and will of Dunesil Llaerth -that we could be clear and strong enough to withstand all of time. Thus is as Dunesil has said it was told by Addl’laen when he petitioned the concept of the Veil in the dire times it was required.

  We have been gifted freedom of those weaknesses that we also could put back the Powers in the event of their release.

  We have been granted emotions in life, but until our furies are unleashed at the proper times of reclamation of all the wrongs of lesser beings, we are dulled.” The Black Leaf answered quite plainly, immediately once again.

  No wonder he was not abashed to see her nudity, not that he had, but if he had. He had made no move to give her privacy when she’d prepared to bathe, and it all made sense now. Shannon couldn’t believe it. She had to test it.

  “What would you say if I told you I wanted the tree to die?” She asked.

  “Why would you want it do die?�
� His voice was even, marred only by confusion as he answered with a question. Intrigued, Shannon swam back to him, walking along the bottom and being careful to keep herself covered, that she might look at him closely.

  “And what would you say if I said the great tree was beautiful?” She tried another on her way to him.

  “You are correct. She is.” He answered.

  “What then would you say if I asked you if I was beautiful?” Her tone came thick, as if on a drowsy tongue.

  “You are.” He said, watching as she drew nigh, climbing from the waters to stand before him. She moved so close she could feel the soft fabric of his cloak beneath her skin.

  “What would you do if I kissed you?” It was but only a whisper, and being no taller than he, her lips nearly brushed at his own. Deh Leccend didn’t even move, and then only to answer the question.

  “I would let you, and ask you why.” He was utterly hopeless, Shannon discerned, and she stepped back slightly, looking into his dark eyes and sharp features. He was a machine, and there had to be a reason for it beyond what he’d explained. Sure, he’d given a ‘why’ to how it was that the Black Leaves felt nothing of emotions, but there had to be more to it. Shannon realized that none knew, because the great tree had never given away their full purpose. She wanted to press her questioning but was forced to let it slip away unanswered as a voice called out softly through the bathing house.

  “Your garments, child.” Athaem spoke, eyes down-turned respectively of her privacy as several ladies of the Elvine set many garments out for her on a table-like white length of stone near the entrance. Their eyes were also down-cast, and the group quickly retreated at Athaem’s bidding.

  “Be quick and choose, child, my parents await your council. I shall be waiting with them. Deh Leccend shall bring you when you are ready.” And then he too was gone. Shannon let them go, gave one last lingering look into Deh Leccend’s blank staring black eyes, and then moved to the table stone’s length.

  There were so many garments in so many styles and textures she didn’t even know where to begin. They were all so beautiful, and much too fine for someone like herself. But, oh how she wanted them all. It took a lip-biting effort to overcome the realization of her human greed.

  “Deh.” She finally said. “Can you help me choose?” He broke his gaze from the ponds of steaming bathwater, unfazed by their talk of his pitiful existence.

  “I can.” He said simply, coming to her side, black eyes studying her as he walked. Shannon studied him as he moved, noting how languid every stride he made was. He certainly wasn’t a machine. He was more like a finely tuned liquid smooth feline, not at all as awkward as his emotional lacking would make him seem.

  “You will choose the pale beige suede-leathers, the silken halter, and legging sandals.” He pointed simply, looking from her to the table. “And you will wear a silver circlet and chain after Dunesil’s Qaiyi sees you.” He revealed, causing her a peculiar sensation. It was as if she’d been there before, asked him that once already and remembered it like deja’vu.

  “How do you know that?” She asked, believing she wouldn’t be surprised by the answer.

  “Because, I can see it.” He revealed.

  “You can see the future too!?” She asked excitedly. “Can you see my fate?!”

  “Yes and no.” Deh Leccend answered flatly. “I can see what will come to pass, when confronted with a choice, for I have seen every result to every choice to have come to pass upon the face of time’s ages. It is what you call, a prediction, which has become such second nature for we Black Leaves, that it is nearly divination. But, no, I cannot see your reason for existing. No one but the great tree can tell you why you are here, and even then, there is doubt, for there is still choice. And, she has never told us why we exist, not in all the ages we have survived, not even as we slew the Wyrms for their treachery and greed, nor after we lost great numbers in locking away the Powers when they were freed to reclaim the earth from Mankind’s ruin thousands of years ago.”

  “How many of you are left?” Shannon was left to ask after a long pause and study of all that he said.

  “There are three of us on each continent, not including the Elvine’s Lord Dunesil Llaerth’s seven sons, who were trained to be like us and supervise us, for he believes we need emotion to guide us and let us judge more properly when dealing with the lives of the world’s creatures, the most prominent of which possess the ability to think, reason and feel. We are now Twenty-One.” He explained smoothly at length.

  Shannon accepted what she was told, and she did select the suede-leather pale garments, discovering that they weren’t all leather, but rather that the bodice was such. It came with a lightweight halter, of drawstrings at neck and low. High on the bosom were little grommet fastenings, where there hung intricate silver figments to either side, thereby attaching flowing, full length sleeves of white, which exposed her slim shoulders. Accompanying such a top was a long sort of skirt, the bulk of which was also lightweight and suede, a pair of leggings under, and a pair of decidedly moccasin-like flexible boots that tied up in an intricate fashion to roughly half the height of her calf.

  Dressed, she sighed, unable to hide her anxiety at meeting the Lord of these Elves.

  “Well, I suppose I’m ready.”

  Chapter 9

  Within the main hall’s grandeur, Deh Leccend brought her deeper into the workings of the Elvine Palace. They ascended through the beauty the Elvine had forged here, up a grand staircase of low, even, perfectly rounded, white marble stairs and through a knifing slip to be dumped into a long elliptical hall at the far end of which rose a dais at the foot of another pair of high arched silver laced doors.

  There waited nine figures of varied heights, and all of lengthy blonde silks. Though, one among their collectively short statures stood lean, strong, and tall over six and a half feet. He wore upon his dome a crown capped at the brow by a lightly curved silver spike like the palace’s own spire. The Lord of the Elvine, Dunesil Llaerth, was unmistakable with his queen, a petite lady of astounding beauty, by his side. The others, aside from Athaem, Shannon didn’t know, and she tensed internally, nervous in the face of such high and mighty beings.

  Lord Dunesil came forth even as the Black Leaf brought her to a halt atop the stair, and on his arm came his lady, the Elvine queen. Shannon was felled by awe, lowering her gaze from their glittering eyes of such amber intensity as to leave Athaem’s emeraldine colors paled by comparison. She hung her head, and curtsied like she’d never done in her entire life, for she knew not what else to do.

  “Oh, do not hide your eyes, pretty child, behind that ugly mess.” The queen spoke lightly, reaching out for her lowered chin and lifting her face. Breathless, unable to respond in any fashion, Shannon waited as the lady smiled upon her with fey features that epitomized every fairy in every story she’d ever heard.

  “You look adorable in our garb.” The Queen smiled widely, thinning her full, supple lips. “Doesn’t she, boys?”

  The eight men gathered here for Shannon’s arrival each nodded or spoke a disjointed agreement.

  “Thank you.” Shannon answered abashedly.

  “Except for one thing.” The lady went on. “You mustn’t do such things to your hair, pretty child. It isn’t becoming of you.” And she reached out again, taking in one of the many clumps, feeling its texture as she rolled it between her incredibly dexterous little fingers. She studied it intently, analyzing all that had been done to it.

  “I like the accessories though.” She commented, and Shannon should have guessed such a response would come, for the queen’s hair was strewn with fine braids, silvered beads, feathers that belonged to a bird Shannon couldn’t even imagine, and other various ornaments. It was not overdone, but rather, just right for her innocent beauty. The queen pulled lightly away, letting the lock slip through her fingers.

  “I’ll fix it for you if you like.” She said, and by the time she’d pulled her hand free, the dreadl
ock had stretched and bounced back into place, a tight coil of undamaged replenished hair.

  “No. Thank you.” Shannon smiled weakly.

  “Such is only befitting of the first lady of humyn kind to have ever set foot within Addl’laen.” Said Lord Dunesil as he smiled softly upon her. He was indeed a striking man, despite his alien features. Powerful jawed, but not bulkily manly, he seemed a blend of the best features of all types of men. Strong, lean, agile, sensitive, and brilliant -he exuded all of these and more. Undoubtedly, a king.

  “Agreed.” Said his queen.

  “Thank you?” Shannon sounded timidly. She glanced to Athaem and then to Deh Leccend’s sure presence a short distance off for comfort’s sake.

  “You are most welcome.” Said the queen of the Elvine. “I shall give you this.” She held out her dainty hands, where there now rested, a brow chain of tiny shards and droplets of silvered glass, which became like a net to one end, splaying out as it descended like fine sand through her fingers. Shannon was utterly speechless, unable to keep her wide dark eyes from staring upon its beauty.