Chapter 4

Titus cleared his throat and regained his composure although a smile remained on his face and amusement in his eyes. He liked Eric to a point, except when Eric got a little too close for comfort.

"Go ahead Eric. Why not explain how you prefer men." Sam spoke up, the grin on his face growing even wider at the look on the elves' faces in response to his words. He brushed his hair out of his eyes again, making sure he would see an incoming attack from Eric.

Eric wheeled around to face Sam, "I do not!" His voice was almost panicked and he looked back at the elves, "I really don't. I just like to pretend I do because it makes them uncomfortable."

Elassë came forward, silencing him simply with her presence. This close, he could see the details of her dress. The sleeve straps sat at the top of her biceps and were made of three strands of pearls each, contrasting the green of her dress. The pearls attached to the dress at her underarms and came across her chest, covering her breasts. Where they met in the middle, the pearls were pinched and sewn together in a flowery design, "I believe you Eric."

Eric gaped at her, his brain trying to respond and finally, nearly a full minute later, he responded with, "You speak English?!

Elassë gave a melodious laugh, a smile taking the place of the laugh as she spoke, "Yes, I speak English. Most elves do. It helped us when establishing trading many years ago."

"Shit, why didn't you tell us?" Eric asked before giving a small gasp, "I mean...er...sorry for the language..."

Another laugh followed by several others in the room and Elassë smiled, "Do not apologize. It does not offend. I did not feel that I should reveal that I spoke English at the time. Shall we speak on the balcony?" As she asked that question, she held out her hand to Eric.

Eric's eyes widened slightly, color creeping into his cheeks before he took her hand and walked outside with her, talking quietly.

Cale looked over at Lakuna, "I am not sure this is such a good idea. Her and him, that is. Your father will be pissed and if my father finds out...or really any of his army, then Eric will be executed."

Lakuna gave a small nod seeming quiet compared to how she had previously been, "Yes, my father will be quite upset, but if she chooses Eric as her Aolou, her mate, if you will, then there is nothing he can do. He cares too deeply for his children to harm their Aolous. When my brother chose his, my father was furious that he had chosen a werewolf, especially the daughter of the alpha. That sparked the second Elven werewolf war but my father sheltered both of them from her father and pack. They have since left the city for the safety of the other elves as well as her on the full moon but neither my father nor my mother would allow anyone to harm either of them without good reason. I do not fear that my father will harm either of them; however, my fear lies in Mikhael's reaction to this union. He has loved my sister since he first came to our city and has looked to earn her favor ever since. My father does not approve of him because he is a dark elf and my father abhors the dilution of our Amian heritage through other Elven clans. He would rather see us reproduce with humans than Drow or the Calum plains elves. He prefers we are with other Amian, forest elves, or less preferably, the Draucum, the mountain elves. If Elassë chooses Eric as her Aolou, then be aware that Mikhael will surely try to kill Eric. My father, however, will protect Eric, at least from your father."

Cale listened to all this with rapt attention, not even noticing that Sam and Araya had left the room, nor that Titus sat beside Caymen, telling her some story or another. "And why does your father not want me to speak your sister's name?"

"My father is a very proud man and for a human whom he despises to speak his name is one thing but for that same human to speak my sister's name, the second eldest of the living children and next in line for the throne is another. He feels as if his enemy even speaking her name is to defile her purity." Lakuna explained patiently, knowing that this was going to be one of many questions.

Cale nodded thoughtfully, "That does make some sense. Where is my horse?"

This question threw off Lakuna and she took a moment to answer, having expected another question about elves or the way their culture works. "I am not sure. I shall send a guard to find out for you and have your horse brought here."

"Thank you. With my wagon, I hope." Cale responded, wondering if his things were even still in the wagon. He didn't know how elves worked but he hoped it wasn't like the people in his kingdom. If you left your cart or stall or anything really, even children, unattended, you could almost guarantee that it would be gone when you returned.

"Of course." Lakuna smiled sweetly, "I will be sure that all of your things are brought here immediately, along with some food." She knew they were all hungry but had forgotten to request food brought to her room before. She turned and left the room gracefully and quickly, leaving Cale alone.

Cale looked around and saw at first that Eric and Elassë were deep in friendly conversation on the balcony, then that Titus was now telling Caymen the story of the prince and the pauper to distract her from her wounds and finally he noticed that Sam and Araya were absent. A moment of panic and fear trickled down his spine, raising all the hairs on the back of his neck and he ran out of the room to look for them, only to find them sitting on one of the low walls around the building. He let out a sigh of relief before catching a few words of their conversation. What he heard troubled him greatly but he could not bring himself to say anything.

"Sam, I think we stand a good chance if we just explain the situation to him. I think that he could be reasonable." Araya said quietly, almost pleading.

"Araya that man would kill us. He wouldn't care what we promised him. We just have to give it time and trust that Cale is good for his word." Sam responded almost desperately, taking Araya's hands in his, looking into her eyes, "Please Araya, just give it time."

Araya's face held a look of sadness as she shook her head, "Sam, how much time do I really have? I will start to show too much soon and once that happens, it will be impossible to hide. All we can do is beg him to spare you and our child and promise that our child will be a benefit to his army once it is grown."

Sam just gave a sigh and pulled Araya into a tight hug, praying to the gods that Cale would come through for them.

At that, Cale returned to the room to await Lakuna, while thinking of any sort of solution. He did not have to wait long before several guards walk in carrying trays of food and set them down on the desk and table with the paints. Cale stood, walking toward the food before seeing Lakuna waving him over from outside. He hesitated but when he saw Sam and Araya walk inside, figured it was safe. Stepping outside, Cale saw Meza brushed and cared for and couldn't help but smile. His wagon sat nearby, as if brought by some other animal, as his horse had nothing on him except a lead made of rope. "Meza, my beauty." He walked over and gently pat his neck, noticing that even the knots in Meza's mane had been brushed out.

"He was well cared for in my father's stables." Lakuna said proudly, obviously having something to do with the care of the animals. "Did the food arrive?"

Cale nodded absentmindedly, stroking Meza's nose for a moment then turning to look at Lakuna, "I have on more request..."

Lakuna giggled, "A new shirt?"

Remembering that he indeed had no shirt, he walked to the cart, grabbing his spare from his pack and covering himself. "I thank you for reminding me but actually, my favor is something a bit more...potentially dangerous. I wish to speak with your father and mother."

Lakuna frowned, her eyebrows furrowing, "My mother? Why do you wish to speak to her? She holds no power in the city."

Cale tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean? I thought your mother was the mistress of the land..."

Giving another giggle, Lakuna responded amused, "No, Kianna is not my mother. My mother's name is Jasmine. My mother was not allowed to take the throne after my father married her so Kianna, my father's former wife, still holds the position."

"Why couldn't your mother take over?" Cale asked a mixture of confusion and fascination on his face as he learned more and more about the ways of the elves.

"Because my mother is human, of course, and humans as per thousands of years of Elven law, cannot hold a position of power in Elven society." Lakuna explained, "And before you end up asking, my father does not hate all humans, or the dilution of our blood line through them. The reason he hates the Amian reproducing with the Calum, Drow, or even the Draucum is because their cultures are far different than ours and they generally will not respect it. They usually insist that we follow their ways. The Draucum are closest to us in our beliefs and sometimes they are willing to compromise or at the very least, observe both sides and agree to raise their children knowing both. It is easier being with a human because they are almost always far more open to compromise then the other Elven clans. My mother actually holds no ties to her human ways, instead preferring to observe and follow all of our ways. She had at first agreed to try our ways for one week and my father try hers for a week and then they would work on a compromise. She ended up leaving her ways shortly after the compromise was found, preferring the ways of elves."

Something Lakuna had first said peeked Cale's interest, "One more question for now? Is Elassë your sister or half-sister?"

Lakuna smiled sweetly, "Dear Elassë is my half-sister. She was the youngest child of Kianna and my father. She was eight when her older sister was killed."

Cale nodded quietly, "How utterly fascinating. You are wonderful Lakuna. You are so willing to teach and I thank you greatly for that. I have always been curious and have wanted to learn more about your kind. I do have one more question, before we get to another matter."

"Of course." Lakuna responded with a small smile.

"Who, or rather what, was that dark looking elf that punished Caymen?" Cale asked, looking away from Meza and into Lakuna's eyes. He noticed something troubled her so he decided to speak again before she could, "If it's no trouble, me asking."

"It's not something we usually speak of but as you have requested the information, I'll tell you. Mikhael is a Drow, a dark elf from the underground. Their clan was known for their malice and their dark rituals and after his clan had been wiped out in the third war, he sought out the neutral clan of elves in the war, our clan, the Amian. He agreed to serve and protect the master and mistress of the clan, Kianna and Elizon, in order for them to protect him against the charges he had received during the war. He's been with them ever since and if you ask me, he's hiding a lot more than anyone thinks but that doesn't seem to be the common opinion. My father seems to trust him and as such, has tasked him with being the disciplinarian of our people. I personally don't trust him further than I could throw him, especially with him taking a fancy to Elassë."

"I see. Thank you again for being so willing to answer my questions. About my request though, I would like to speak to your father and Kianna, if possible, just the three of us, maybe four if you will be willing to accompany me."

Lakuna gave a nod, "Of course. Follow me and I will take you to them...but you might want to clean yourself first. It seems as though your travels did not do well for you. I can show you where you can bathe if you'd like."

Cale looked down and realized that the cleanest thing on him was his fresh shirt, which he quickly removed so as not to dirty it any further then he already had. "I would very much like that." He grabbed his bag containing the rest of his spare clothing as well as his royal insignia¸ just in case, and his journal. Following Lakuna, Cale had no idea where they were going or how they were getting there. However it was though, they arrived at some hot springs, obviously where they bathed. Soaps and towels sat on nearby rocks, far enough away to remain dry but close enough that they could be reached from in the springs. "Wow, this is amazing."

"Yes, it is quite beautiful. The soaps are handmade in the city with extracts from various plants in the forest for scent...just do not eat them. Some of the extracts are toxic if ingested. The round soaps are for cleaning your face. They are over there..." Lakuna explained, pointing over at a separate group of soap on another rock, "They do not have any scent to them so you CAN eat them if you want...but they taste foul. The towels are to be left here once you've dried yourself and the water is clean. There are natural plants and minerals in it that help keep it clean and safe to bathe in."

Cale chuckled, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. So how do I get back when I'm done?" He set his bag down near the towels, shoving his shirt in his bag to prevent it from getting wet.

"Just follow the path. It is marked by the quartz stones. There are onyx stones on either side of the path so if you're walking on onyx, then you'll end up going the wrong way." Lakuna replied, "Enjoy your bath." She then turned and walked away, once again leaving Cale alone.

"I didn't see any damn stones." Cale mumbled to himself as he stripped down to bathe. The water was a bit warmer than he had expected but it was a pleasant change from the lukewarm and often cold water of the palace. He had to admit, he was jealous of the way the elves lived. They were, aside from being hunted by the humans, free and lived with nature, not against it like his father. His father...what a horrible man. He had killed that girl and inadvertently started a war, which worked for his benefit anyway. He had killed most of the werewolves and even went so far as to try to pursue and kill those that ran. He said they were nothing more than beasts who would kill their own family sooner than look at them. At least he gave the elves a chance to leave. But seeing their city, who could blame them for not wanting to leave? They had been here for easily a thousand years and his father would just invade and destroy the remains of their city. How many of his own people had he killed, just because they would not give up their children for the army or because one in the army had a child or even, on his especially cruel days, because he felt like it. These thoughts continued through the entirety of his bath and he realized that he had no recollection of his bath at all but he appeared clean and he smelled faintly of lilacs. He stuffed his dirty clothing into his bag, rushing to find his way back to the group, not knowing how long he had been gone. After a few minutes of searching, Cale found the smallest of quartz stones, indicating the path. A few inches away, found a couple more, leading away from the hot springs and so he followed, slowly but he finally made it. He hurried into the room to find Elassë, Lakuna, and his group sitting around the bed, eating, talking, and laughing. Caymen sat carefully propped up, enjoying a nice bowl of soup.

"Ah, you have finally finished your bath. We were worried you drowned." Lakuna laughed, setting down her salad, "Feel free to eat something. I am going to escort these two to the springs to bathe. And I have already instructed Araya to be careful while bathing to ensure the safety of her baby."

Cale looked over at Sam and Araya, "I take it you told everyone?" He was definitely surprised, then again Sam and Araya had been part of the unit for some time now so he guessed he shouldn't have been so shocked.

"We finally decided that we should. I mean, why shouldn't we tell our family?" Sam asked, eyeing Cale's face, looking for any hesitation or uncertainty.

Cale smiled, "You are absolutely right. Congratulations, again, both of you." He turned and walked over to the trays of food, taking a plate and picking various fruits, vegetables and a small slab of meat up and placing each of them on his plate in turn. He sat down to eat while Araya and Sam stood and followed Lakuna to the springs with their bags. "How are you feeling Cay?"

"I hurt, a lot, but not as bad as before. Elassë here did some more healing on my wounds, saying her father should not have done what he did." Caymen responded, sipping some of her soup. Her skin looked dusty instead of its normally beautiful olive color after losing so much blood, however, she seemed to be back to her normal self already, "I would like to bathe but Eric says I shouldn't take off my bandages just yet."

Eric gave a nod of confirmation, his mouth full of lettuce. He sat beside Elassë and it seemed as if things may have been decided but nobody was quite sure what that decision was just yet.

"Eric...you have something right there." Cale used his pinky to indicate something at the corner of Eric's mouth and chuckled when Eric swiped at it to no avail. "Still there."

Swallowing his lettuce, Eric batted at the unknown object as if it were some deadly bug, "Get it off!! What is it??" He was whining as he spoke before realizing what was going on and crossing his arms in a pout, "You're lying."

At that, the group burst out laughing and Cale said, "Not exactly lying...just jesting. You doing alright?"

Eric nodded, uncrossing his arms, "Mind if I talk to you? In private?" Without waiting for a response, he stood and crossed the room, stepping out onto the balcony.

"If you will all excuse me." Cale gave a small bow of his head and followed after Eric, taking his plate a food and popping a cube of watermelon in his mouth as he stepped outside. "What's up?"

Eric hesitated a moment and turned around, "Elassë wants me to stay here, with her. She wants me to be...what did she call it...?" He trailed off; trying to remember the word and Cale knew instantly what he meant.

"Aolou?" Cale asked, taking a bite of a pear slice and sitting on a bench while watching Eric.

"That's the one! She wants me to be her...What was it again?" Eric asked.

"Aolou."

"Aolou. Which is, well, if you know what the word is, I'm sure you know what it means. Point is, she wants me to leave the kingdom and live with her. I just don't know if I can do that. I mean, it's all I've ever known but man, I really care about her. I've never felt this way about anyone. It's strange. I haven't known her for very long but...and don't laugh, I think I love her. When she was dying back in the forest, it hurt. Worse than anything I've ever felt. All I wanted to do was scream and cry. I just...I know that if she had died, I would have wanted nothing more than to follow her. I know it's weird to say, but that's how it felt. It feels so weird. I hated elves...but then...something changed." Eric explained, exasperated as he sat beside Cale, facing him with one leg resting on the bench.

Cale turned to face Eric, wiping the corners of his mouth, "I don't see the problem Eric. If you love her and she loves you, why not stay with her?"

Eric calmed down a few notches, letting out a sigh, "I don't know.  All my life I have been raised in the ways of humans and I'm not sure if I could give all that up just like that. And then there is you. I can't just leave you to suffer with your father all alone. You're my best friend man, no matter how pissed I get...or what I say."

Cale touched his jaw where Eric had hit him earlier and found it tender, "Or do...but if you were to become her Aolou, if she were willing, I don't think you would have to give up all of your ways. You might be able to compromise. As far as I'm concerned, we would still be friends and I do still like to hunt. Who's to say you won't be able to see me then? And I'm not all too concerned about my father."

"So you think I should do it? Or at least talk to her about some compromise?" Eric asked, picking a grape off of Cale's plate and squishing it between his back molars.

Cale frowned slightly but nodded, "I do think you should. You deserve to be happy. Just not with my grapes. Get your own."

Eric laughed and planted a sloppy kiss on Cale's forehead, walking back inside, a new bounce in his step. He leaned down and whispered something to Elassë and she nodded, standing and together they walked out to the balcony where Eric shoed Cale from.

Cale chuckled and walked inside with his food, sitting down beside Titus who was telling Caymen another one of his stories. He slowly chewed on a piece of meat while Titus told about a young siren who fell in love with a human, going to see an evil sea witch and underwent some sort of transformation. Cale remembered parts of this story from when his mother would hold him in her lap and tell him a story before bed. How greatly missed her, even though it had been twenty years ago that she passed away. With a small sigh, Cale stood, walking over to the tray of foods and placing his plate of half-eaten food down, stepping outside for a breath of air as Lakuna returned.

"Are you ready? Elassë will show the others where they can bathe after Sam and Araya are finished." Lakuna questioned, slipping a few strands of hair behind a slightly pointed ear.

Cale nodded, reaching for his bag and hoisting it over his shoulder and as they walked, he began thinking about how to word his request, if he even got to ask. This would be perfect, if everything went his way. He only hoped that luck was on his side. "How reasonable is your father?"

"Um...I am not sure what you mean." Lakuna answered, leading him through what appeared to be a small marketplace, faces turning to watch the human beside their favored princess.

"When presented a request, would he listen to the request first of all and second, would he at least consider it?" Cale clarified, looking at some of the wares being sold, not stopping however, in part to the sneers and scowls he received. He did notice that not all of the things were Elven made and some even appeared to be from his kingdom. He returned his attention to Lakuna, trying to keep his mind present and focused at such an important moment.

"Ah, yes. In that case, my father is generally a very reasonable individual, unless he hates you...which in that case, he might not be so willing to consider your proposition, let alone listen to it." Lakuna fretted, chewing her bottom lip. "But, I will try and get him to listen, at the very least. Although I think it's Kianna that will be more likely to ignore your words than my father. She holds a great hatred for you."

Cale nodded slowly, "I know. Thank you, Lakuna. Why are you helping me, by the way? I never thought to ask you before."

Lakuna smiled softly, "Because you seem like an honest man who wants peace. And I know that if there is any chance for peace and for us to stop living in fear, then we must take it. Elves may not show fear, but we feel it."

Cale simply smiled as they once again entered the throne room but that smile was short lived. This time, the throne room held Kianna, Elizon, Elijah, and Mikhael. Kianna appeared furious. Cale assumed it was because he dared step into the throne room yet again, especially with Lakuna; however, she said nothing, simply waited. Upon reaching the thrones, Cale gave a bow, and rose when ordered by Elizon, "Master Elizon and Mistress Kianna. I have come to first apologize once again for everything that has happened between our two people. I wish I could undo the wrongs done to your people, more than anything. Secondly, I come with a request."

"And what gives you the right to make any request at all?" Kianna asked, her tone sounding both angry and superior.

Before Cale could respond, Lakuna stepped forward, answering for him, "He is not a prisoner in our city, therefore he is allowed to make any requests he wishes when granted an audience by the master and mistress, at least if we are to uphold our own laws."

Elizon turned his sharp gaze on Lakuna who retreated back two steps with a bow, but, knowing she was right, returned his gaze to Cale, "What is it you ask of us, human?"

Cale gave a small bow of his head, "Thank you sir. I will get straight to the point; I just simply ask that you be willing to hear my request in its entirety. I have come to ask that you allow my traveling companions and friends, Samuel Weaver and Araya Sinclair to remain here in your city and under your protection. Araya is with-child and if my father were to find out, Sam would be killed and the pregnancy terminated, as they are both in the military. I will offer you anything I can. I also wish the others of my group to remain here for their safety as well as yours. If my father finds that only two of my party is missing, he will assume they were taken by the elves and would use that as an excuse to start war. If, however, I act as though the others were killed and I appear to have narrowly escaped death, there is not much he would be able to do. There is a lot I can attribute such injuries to, especially near the mountains."

After a moment, Kianna turned to Elizon and him to her, and they both began speaking in low tones. Cale could not understand nor hear what either of them was saying but he assumed it could not be too bad because at least they were talking about it. After a few minutes, they both faced him, Kianna speaking first, "We will grant your request under one condition. You must find three elves in the city that would support your request."

"This task must be completed before sundown today AND, you must wear your royal insignia. We wouldn't want people to think that you were just any human, now would we?" Elizon added, laying his hands on the arms of his throne with a dark smile. "Now run along. Lakuna, please remain behind. I must speak with you."

Cale gave another bow and left the throne room, already beginning to wonder if his task was even possible. He knew how much he was hated among the elves and with his royal insignia; he knew he was possibly signing his death warrant. Despite the dangers and the fear, he took his insignia out of his bag, pinning it over his left breast, sighing. "Here we go..." Stepping onto the path leading into the marketplace he had seen, he began walking, slowly and cautiously at first but when no attacks came, he began walking like normal. However, upon reaching the marketplace, he received many a glare and those previously doing business quieted to a whisper yet again. One elf dared look him in the eyes and so rather than walk or turn away; Cale approached him, "Good evening sir. I have a req..."

The elf held up his hand cutting Cale off mid-word, "Human prince, I do not care what it is you have to say. I simply wish you to leave the marketplace before you get yourself killed."

Cale was taken aback by this man's words but he shook them off quickly, "Well sir, I appreciate your concern but..."

"I have no concern for you; simply for the people and my business. If you are killed in the marketplace, especially near my shop, we will lose business and perhaps even be shut down. And that is not accounting for what your father may or may not do when he learns of your death." The elf stated while setting up several hand carved wooden idols, "And while you may not have to ever work a day in your life in order to live, us merchants have to try a bit harder to thrive. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Flustered, Cale wasn't quite sure what to say and stood awkwardly looking at the various figures and idols. He saw talismans, some of which he recognized from books on shamanism from his father's library, and idols that looked crafted of stone as well as herbs and things in the back that did not appear to be for sale.

"Are you stupid or just deaf?" The elf asked, stepping around his stall to stand between Cale and the wares.

"I beg your pardon sir. I was just admiring the craftsmanship. They are very beautiful. As to my request, sir, would you consider giving your approval of my request to the master and mistress?" Cale stated, getting back on track with his original reason for being there in the first place.

The elf laughed, crossing his arms and leaning against his stall with dark amusement in his eyes, "And what favor would the mistress and master possibly grant you, let alone one that would need my approval?"

"Obere Amian Antion. Leave the poor boy alone." A sweet voice spoke from behind Cale, causing him to turn.

What he saw halted his breath in his throat as if he had seen a ghost. A beautiful woman stood before him, unlike the elves, however. Her long sandy-blond hair hung in feathered layers around her shoulders, framing her narrow face. Deep green eyes the colors of emeralds were set against fair skin which was one of few differences between her and her son. He stood, his mouth gaping at a woman, though older than when he last saw her, whom he knew from his childhood.

"Hello Cale. It has been many years. I know this must be quite a shock for you. I do have so many questions for you. How is Eric? Did my son do well for himself? How have you been holding up after what happened with your mother?" Jasmine spoke, ignoring the fact that her former prince was shocked into silence.

"Milady Jasmine, you know this human?" Antion asked; momentarily pleased by the silence of Cale but rather surprised at her knowledge of the prince.

Jasmine laughed, taking a small step toward Antion, "My dear sweet Antion, you forget that I am human and that I am from his father's palace."

"Jasmine?" Cale finally spoke his first words since seeing her, the fact that it was his best friend's mother from many years ago finally registering and allowing him to speak. "You're...alive? You live with the elves?"

"Welcome back Cale." Jasmine said with a small laugh, "Yes, my late husband and I, when banished by your father tried to take Eric with us. Unfortunately, your father found out and told us if he ever found us again he would kill Eric. So we ran, to protect our son. We did the only thing we knew. Unfortunately, James did not make it. He fell prey to the Lopil, the wolf creatures of the forest. By the time I had stopped for even a moment..." Jasmine broke off, closing her eyes against a painful memory of years prior. "He yelled back for me to run and I did, as much as it pained me. I knew there was nothing I could have done to save him. Somehow I made it close enough to here to be rescued. It took some time to get past the things I'd been through but I was finally accepted here, knowing I'd never be able to return, it was nice to have a home. I have been living as an elf for near twenty years, following their culture, their way of life. This city seems to keep me young, or perhaps it is the magic. Either way, it was about eleven years ago that Elizon asked me to be his Aolou and I accepted. We have had two children as of yet, Lakuna and Cana. Lakuna, who I have heard tell has been showing you around, is my eldest."

"Wait a second; you said it was eleven years? Surely, Lakuna is no younger than fifteen." Cale asked, "And who is Cana?"

Jasmine smiled, turning her attention momentarily away from Cale, "Antion, forgive my lack of attention. I will take that one." She pointed at an idol and handed him some strange currency Cale had never seen before. "Now Cale, be a dear and walk with me? We have much to discuss. And Lakuna, for reference, is ten years old. Cana is two. She is spending some time with her grandmother." Cale offered her his arm and when she took it, she began leading him around the city looking at the different wares before she asked, "What is this request you have made to Elizon and the mistress? How does Antion come into play?"

"Well, I requested that my group remain here when I return to my father. Araya is pregnant and if my father finds out, which he is bound to if she returns then he will kill Sam, the father, and the child. She is already starting to show and soon her armor likely won't fit. If it was just them who remained here and I told him they were taken, he would blame the elves. If I told him they were killed, he would kill the rest of my group saying that they are no longer fit for guards. Since two would have been killed, he would say that not only could they not protect them or did not die with them but as such, they may not be able to protect me. So I then requested that all my friends be able to remain. They agreed to allow them to stay, IF I could find three people in the city that would support my request." Cale explained, eyeing an armor set made of mithril while talking, "What currency do you use here?" The set was being sold by a stout man with dirty long hair, braided and a rusty color; his small eyes were deep-set and almost seemed to be a glowing bright blue.

Jasmine stopped, looking at the armor, "Excuse me, dwarf..."

"Crow." The dwarf responded in a gruff, guttural voice, "How can I help ya?"

"Mr. Crow, how much for that mithril set?" Jasmine asked, holding up her hand to silence Cale who tried to protest.

"Just Crow. And yer hair pin will work just fine." Crow responded, eyeing the silver hairpin keeping her hair back out of her face. Six diamonds and thin strings of gold and silver intertwined hung from the pin itself, mixing with her hair.

Jasmine reached up and unclipped her hair, holding out the pin for him. "It is a deal, sir." She gathered the armor, returning to her walk with Cale and handing it over to him.

"That was more than unnecessary." Cale said, taking the armor with a combination of hesitation and excitement. "How may I repay you for your kindness?"

"Tell me about my son." Jasmine smiled, "Then we will call it even."

Cale nodded, placing the armor in his bags, "If you're sure. What would you like to know?"

"Well, first of all, is he here with you?" Jasmine inquired, stopping by a stand containing fruits and purchasing several. She sat down at a bench near some people dancing to music and offered Cale one of the fruits.

Sitting down next to her, Cale passed on the fruit, answering, "Actually, yes. And he seems to have taken quite a liking to Kianna and Elizon's daughter."

"Elassë?" Jasmine laughed, taking another bite after asking, "And he is doing well for himself? Does he remember me?"

"Unfortunately, upon him turning thirteen, my father saw fit to have him trained for the military, despite his desires to become a medic. He became a soldier at seventeen and after three years of service, my father reassigned him as one of my personal guards. He's been watching out for me ever since and I, him. One thing he told me that got him through his days as a soldier was thinking that one day, when he was trained enough, he would set off on his own and find the both of you." Cale spoke while Jasmine finished her fruit, listening carefully as he spoke.

"I see. And where might I find Eric?" Jasmine asked after some thought.

Cale stood and offered his arm to Jasmine, "I will take you straight there, Milady."

"First, Cale, we must find your three elves. Not just three people, three elves. I know my husband and he knows the people of the market. There are those who would gladly support you but who are not Elven which is why my husband would have made it a challenge. What he did not count on, was me." Jasmine said, giving Cale a sly wink, "Obere Antion. I have a request and it would greatly please me if you would agree to help." She stated upon returning to his stall.

Antion gave a bow of his head, "What may I help you with Milady?"

"My son's friend has been tasked to find three elves who would agree to his request to the master and mistress. I ask that you support him in his venture." Jasmine explained and before Antion could give his response, "It would mean a great deal to me."

Antion sighed, running a hand through his long blond hair. "Milady...I...Very well, I will agree. But only for you Milady."

Jasmine gave a small bow, "My many thanks Antion. You have always been so good to me. Now let us find two more."

Antion set down a wooden idol he was working on and pointed down the walkway off to his left, "There are a few down that way who might be of help. Good luck though...they will be less agreeable about helping the prince of their sworn enemy, with or without you." He picked up the idol and sat down, continuing his carving.

"Thank you very much. We will be on our way. Annanae Amian Antion." Jasmine gave a bow as she said her goodbyes to her friend.

"Annanae Milady." Antion bowed his head, putting his feet up on his stall.

"So what does all that mean?" Cale asked as they walked. He was determined to learn as much as he could before returning to the castle where he was doomed to spend the rest of his life, at least until his father passed.

"Obere means hello or greetings. Annanae is a goodbye. When you greet a forest elf formally, you say, Obere Amian and then you add their name. When you say a formal goodbye it is said as, Annanae Amian and then their name. By adding Amian, you are acknowledging them as one of the people. One of the forest elves and Amian clan." Jasmine explained walking up to an elf selling flowers. "Obere Amian Sonya."

"Obere Amian Milady. Cannourne talou manyetta al amilla?" Sonya asked in Elvish, glancing at Cale with a darker look.

Jasmine held out her hands as a sign of peace, leaning forward and speaking quietly in elvish while Cale stood about awkwardly, unsure of what trouble his presence was causing between these two.

Sonya threw her hands up in exasperation and stepped out from behind her stall and over to Cale. She was wagging a finger in his face as she spoke quickly, her accent heavy, confirming that she was not from the city. "Listen 'ere human. I no like nor support you BUT I support lady 'ere. I agree to support if you learn true elf ways."

Cale appeared intimidated by this elf, and indeed he was; her accent, demeanor, everything about her frightened him. He took a half step back before responding with as much courage as he could muster, "I would love to learn the ways of the elves. I simply need a teacher. I have learned a small bit of the language."

"Oh really, human? Then show me what you know! Speak!" Sonya demanded her dark hair and eyes seemingly flaring to life.

"Obere Amian Sonya. I can also say goodbye, Annanae Amian Sonya." Cale spoke, his accent still a little awkward but his words were spoken well enough to please Sonya.

Sonya seemed to think on things for a minute before speaking, "Very well. I hold my end. I shall support you, human. But know that if you lie, I will be there at your death." Without another word, she stepped back behind her stall to deal with a customer.

"Annanae Amian Sonya." Cale stated before Jasmine could say anything and much to both of their surprises, Sonya did more than wave her hand in dismissal.

"Annanae human. Now go away. I am dealing with customer." Sonya ordered, returning to speak Elvish with the customer.

Together, Jasmine and Cale turned and walked away, looking for his third and final supporter, "You learn well Cale. Your accent leaves a bit to be desired but you will learn more in time."

"That woman frightens me but I do try. I am afraid I do not have much time however. I must leave here in just a few days at most and I fear that I will not leave the castle again for some time." Cale said sadly, giving a sigh, "My father is highly over-protective and over controlling. When he finds out that my group were killed by animals in the woods, I will not be allowed to leave the castle until he is dead."

"We shall see what happens. Perhaps you will get lucky." Jasmine suggested, nearing another stall with a tall blonde pregnant elf and her husband, looking much like Antion but this elf had several visible scars. "Their names are Havali and Kyron. Their daughter is Ami. You would greet her less formally than her parents. You will include them both in the same greeting. When you greet their daughter, it will simply be obere Ami." Jasmine explained quickly and stepped up to their stall, giving a bow and gesturing to Cale, indicating that he was to greet them instead of her.

Cale stepped forward and Kyron put his hands on his daughter's shoulder protectively. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Obere Amian Havali and Kyron. Obere Ami."

"Obere cyowna." Kyron said and his wife gave him a look which Cale took to meaning that Kyron had said something which would be considered extremely offensive.

"I have come to request that you assist me with my request to the master and mistress. I..." Cale began but was cut off by Kyron.

"Avere cabion nyetoh." Kyron spat, glaring at Cale. Jasmine's eyes widened, as did his wife's.

Havali placed a hand on her husband's arm, looking over at Cale, "You must forgive my husband. He has had a bad run with humans. You do not seem so bad young prince. What is it you need?"

Kyron scowled but stayed silent and led his daughter away toward a stall with sweets.

"I have requested that my group of friends be allowed to stay here when I return to my father. One of them is expecting and if my father finds out, she will lose the child and the father. And if I return with two of my guard and friends missing, the rest of them will be executed for inability to protect the others and endangering me. If I find three elves that will support my request to the master and mistress, they have agreed to let them stay. Will you be my third and final person?" Cale asked, hoping that she would connect with the fact that Araya was expecting as well.

Havali thought for a moment before nodding, "Very well young prince. I shall but do not tell my husband. I fear he is in a foul enough mood as it is."

"I thank you greatly. Annanae Amian Havali." Cale said, giving a bow on top of his spoken farewell.

"Annanae laru prince." Havali said with a small smile and returned to feeding the small animals they sold.

Cale returned to Jasmine's side, a grin of pride on his face, "I think I did quite well. What did Kyron say though?"

Jasmine shook her head, leading him toward the throne room, "I dare not repeat such words. They are insulting enough for an elf to say but for a human to repeat, it is perhaps one of the worst things you can say."

"I see..." Cale nodded quietly, "And what does laru mean?"

"It means human." Jasmine said with a smile. "Now, before you go inside, I will warn you that they will not take kindly to you having succeeded, much less without a scratch and in such short a time, but they will honor the agreement. And I will personally guarantee your friends' safeties. I will not go in with you but I have faith you can hold your own."

"Thank you Jasmine. Perhaps after, you can answer another of my questions? This one more personal..." Cale asked, standing before the throne room, becoming nervous but trying to treat this as if it were just another dignitary from a faraway kingdom.

"Of course; I shall wait here." Jasmine said then looked at the guards, "Allow him inside."

The guards nodded with obvious disdain but they listened to their master's Aolou. She may not have held political power amongst the elves, but she was powerful in her own right and greatly respected, especially for being human. "Yes Milady." Together, they opened the great doors leading into the throne room and with a deep breath, Cale entered.