The Elevated Tree

04 Avarice

I thought we HAD been fighting.  Since everyone left, we'd been fighting fear, and depression.  It wasn't easy teaching other teens logic, and literature, and having to spar with them.

  "Wasn't that the whole point of our Sharassi?" I ventured.

Keina responded in the affirmative, "Yes.  But we'd hoped it would be more...theoretical for awhile.  Some of the candidates are just into this stage."  She pursed her lips. "It seems we must move to the practical part of the Sharassi and apprenticeships, and without delay."

She glanced at Khardan to ensure he was following the conversation now.  He dropped his chin to affirm he'd been listening, and agreed.

"I think I can speak for the quorum of members of the council, but there's one person we shouldn't move on without.  Priestess Dentaria.  Before we ask for her blessing, though, there's one other we must discuss: Ilthalaine."

Hearing my fathers name from Keina threw me for a loop. I raised my eyebrows as far as I could when Keina looked at me. "Merea, it's time you and Limar learned what your fathers actually do."  She motioned for me to follow after sending Kendra back to the burrow to finish her shift. As we walked down the ramp, she explained part of her cryptic statement. "The office of Protector is an old and revered position in the glen. Its a mixture of guardian and warrior that only the qualified may rise to.  Porthaniuss has been our Protector for decades before being called away. Only this period was another needed to replace him - so Ilthalaine was recruited." 

  "How come I didn't know any of this?" I asked, starting to get frustrated.

She nodded, seeming to understand. We'd reached the ground and I followed her as she set a quick gate towards the entrance of the glen.  "The office isn't quite a secret - Sharassi graduates know, as well as any observant youngster.  But we don't talk about it, because we want it to be a good line of defense."

"Against what?  What could possibly need defending from Starbreeze?"

"Not only Starbreeze, Merea.  Everywhere," Keina gestured all around them.  "The Protector is the last adult that could and would stop any threat from reaching and harming the nights elves most precious possessions and commodities..."  She stopped and turned to me with an intense gaze. "Our children."

A few more paces on, I spied the peak of the path that exited our fair glen.  I assumed he would be standing nearby "guarding" the path in. Eventually, Keina stopped and looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked self consciously, beginning to check if my jumper was riding up again.

Her eyes flicked to our right, where there was a tree nearby with some foliage beneath it.  My gaze quickly scanned it, identifying some lichen and berry bushes. "What?"

She laughed in response, walked over to the tree, grabbed an arm-thick vine hanging from it, and pulled.  I heard a man grunt and suddenly my father was standing in front of me, dressed in mottled greens and browns. 

My mouth dropped. "How...?"

"He was Shadowmelded," explained Keina.  "That wasn't necessary, Ilthalaine.  Or are you always?"

"Always," he responded, now recovered from being found out.  "The best watchers only have eyes."

"That's incredible!  How come I've never heard of it?!" I complained.

They both paused and looked at each other sadly.  "We don't teach it to candidates until they've graduated," my father finally stated. That seemed incredibly unfair, though I was kind of getting used to that. I nodded like I was ok with not being told I could be invisible on command.