Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale Read online

  She almost felt relieved when Galwin walked over with a shy look on his face. Like everyone else, he cast nervous looks at the Blade Dancer. But he was brave enough to approach them, which was more than most. When he asked her for a dance she felt as though a weight had lifted from her. The food on the plate in front of her was untouched and her neck was beginning to grow stiff with tension. She looked at Leowin who, for an instant, seemed to be terrified—but the moment passed and Luthiel slowly nodded her head.

  “I’d love to dance,” she said.

  Even in the moonlight, she could see his face flush. “But, you’ve never said yes before,” he stammered. For the first time since she met the Blade Dancer, she smiled. Galwin seemed more afraid of her than of him.

  “And would you rather I said no?” she replied.

  “Well no, but, you see, uh, I’m not very good at dancing,” he blurted.

  Luthiel tried not to laugh. She knew Galwin fancied her. She’d started to notice it about a year ago. Though she didn’t share the feeling, she liked Galwin all the same and considered him a friend. What she really wanted was some time away from the Blade Dancer.

  Let Leowin deal with him.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her chatting with him and shook her head. She still felt apprehensive but wanted to shake off her unease and enjoy herself. Perhaps dancing would help.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” she said.

  In the dim light she saw Galwin’s face glow even brighter and she couldn’t help but laugh at him as she dragged him out to dance.

  A group of musicians were playing the stringed allatars with accompaniment by the ethereal sound of lulutes and the banging of kal-sticks. Tinae was singing, her musical voice filling the meadow with its full-bodied tones. It was a passionate song with a good beat for dancing. She grabbed Galwin’s hands and led him. Soon, he’d managed to build up some confidence and was doing rather well. They danced together until green and golden-banded Tiolas rose above the horizon. A loud hail of fireworks ascended to greet the wild moon, bursting into patterns like flowers and trees. Everyone stopped to watch. Luthiel stood beside Galwin throughout the sparkling display. When it ended, Tiolas was completely free of the horizon and was joining the other moons in the sky.

  Luthiel turned to Galwin with a grin on her face.

  “A fine dancer you’ve turned out to be!” she said. “I’ll be leaving now though, so you’ll have to find another partner.”

  “Wait,” Galwin said. He was fumbling with his pockets. He opened one, grabbed what was inside, and handed it to her. “A present for you, Luthiel.”

  “Galwin, you didn’t have to.”

  “Please take it,” he pleaded. “I wanted to give you something for your birthday.”

  Luthiel opened her hand. It was a pandur’s box. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Galwin’s smile start to fade. Luthiel laughed quietly. She couldn’t help but find it to be funny. He had probably just pulled out whatever was in his pocket.

  “That wasn’t–” he stammered.

  “Oh a pandur’s box!” Luthiel interrupted. She was having fun watching all of the conflicting expressions dance across Galwin’s face. “Hmm, I wonder what’s inside?” she taunted.

  Galwin was turning three shades of pale. “You don’t have to–” he blurted.

  Before Galwin could mouth the word “open,” with a quick flick of her wrist, Luthiel popped the lid. From out of the box shot a long-stemmed rose. Galwin was blushing furiously.

  “Now that’s very sweet,” Luthiel cooed. At that moment, the rose exploded with a loud “pop!” and a flash. A brown cloud of smoke filled the air around them. The cloud stank terribly. Luthiel coughed, laughed, held her nose and waved her hand.

  “Luthiel, I’m so sorry,” Galwin apologized.

  Luthiel reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

  “No Galwin. I loved it. I needed to laugh,” she said, smiling.

  This time, he smiled back at her sheepishly.

  “Happy birthday,” he managed as she smiled and laughed once more. She was surprised at all the fun she was having. Galwin was normally so shy he couldn’t even speak to her.

  As she turned to leave, Luthiel glanced at the table where she’d left Leowin and Vanye. They weren’t there.

  Where could they be? she wondered.

  Revelers passed in front of her, blocking her view. She pushed through them, standing on a stone as she looked out into the crowd.

  Then she saw them. They were standing not too far away beside a group of elves that were joining the dance. For all the movement, Vanye’s eyes stayed fixed on Leowin. She was talking and kept waving her hand at the dancers, and then she leaned close to Vanye.

  Luthiel, who was walking toward them, could hear her last few words.

  “Will you dance with me?” Leowin said.

  “No, lady,” he replied.

  Leowin only grinned at him and stepped out among the dancers. Soon she was arm in arm with a handsome young elf. But she often looked at Vanye whose eyes never left her as she skipped and turned.

  Luthiel watched the Blade Dancer for a few minutes before she felt brave enough to join him. It was awkward standing beside him. She didn’t know what to say. So she stood for a while in silence.

  “Vanye –”

  “Your sister is very beautiful,” Vanye interrupted.

  In shocked silence, Luthiel watched as he walked out among the dancers and caught Leowin by the hand. She stepped away from her partner and turned to face Vanye, taking his other hand in hers. Neither said a word and for a moment they stood still, face to face, among the swirling revelers. Then, slowly, they began to dance.

  Luthiel could feel her heart pounding in her throat. Her sister in the arms of a Blade Dancer! Vanye moved with an almost otherworldly grace and Leowin seemed to float like a thread in his hand.

  She stood there alone, caught up in disbelief, watching as her sister and the Blade Dancer swirled back and forth. A sick fascination fell over her and she was unable to do anything other than watch the dance. It was somehow both beautiful and terrible. Leowin and Vanye were by far the most graceful and daring of all the dancers and they seemed only to grow more so as they continued. Were it not for the Blade Dancer, Luthiel would have clapped and laughed. But instead, a melancholy fell over her and she felt that, somehow, something about it was sad.

  “Luthiel! Luthiel!” The loud calls snapped her out of her reverie and she turned her head to see Lorethain sitting on top of a small hill waving at her.

  The Chosen

  As she walked away from the dancers, she noticed Winowe and Glendoras sitting beside Lorethain. They had all gathered round a flat boulder and were busy eating, drinking and talking with uncle Hueron—a muscular Valemar who looked as if he might be at least half Gruagach. Luthiel jogged up to where they were sitting. Lorethain was drinking from a tall tankard of honey wine and Winowe was looking at him crossly.

  “Where’s Leowin? I thought she was with you,” Lorethain said.

  Luthiel, whose eyes kept darting toward the crowd gathering around her sister and Vanye, suddenly felt her ears go hot.

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  “Well, I’d like to know where she is,” Winowe said. “You’d think she’d take more interest in her little sister’s birthday.” She smiled at Luthiel before she turned to Lorethain with a scowl on her face. “If you keep gulping it down like that, it’ll crack your skull come morning,” Winowe said, motioning to his tankard.

  Lorethain waved his hand absently. “Ah, mother, I know how much I can handle,” he said.

  “So do I. And I can tell you’re well beyond it,” Winowe said.

  Lorethain grinned and took another long pull at his tankard.

  Luthiel frowned. Normally, Lorethain’s drinking upset her but she hardly heard them talking as her eyes kept drifting back to the gathering crowd below and the two figures at its center. The dancers around them were laughing
and cheering at the pair.

  Maybe I’m worrying too much, she chided. I need to be strong—like Leowin.

  “Luthiel, why don’t you take a seat?” Glendoras asked gently. She looked into his kind eyes, sighed and sat down.

  Lorethain glanced at her and then looked out at the crowd. Something caught his eye and he frowned as he peered down at the swaying figures. Luthiel could feel her heart in her throat again and her eyes were drawn once more to the dancers.

  Lorethain stood up. “Is that a Blade Dancer?”

  Hueron choked on his drink. “What did you say?” he sputtered.

  Luthiel was watching again. It was terrible, but she couldn’t help herself. How could they be cheering? He was with her sister.

  “Vanye,” she whispered.

  Now they were all looking at her. Even Glendoras’ eyes seemed to take on a harsher cast. She shrank from them.

  “What did you say?” Winowe said softly.

  But Luthiel didn’t want to say anything else. She just sat there, not daring to meet her family’s eyes, unable to keep from looking at the crowd that had now blocked her sister and Vanye from view.

  “What do you know about Vanye?” This time it was Lorethain who asked. But she couldn’t bring herself to speak. It was just too much.

  Lorethain took a step toward her.

  “If you know something, then tell us,” he said grimly.

  They were all looking at her now and though Lorethain had said it, she could tell by their furrowed brows that Glendoras and Hueron were thinking the same thing. She couldn’t find her voice.

  “I can’t–” was all she could manage.

  Winowe placed a hand on Lorethain’s shoulder, gently turning him away from Luthiel.

  “It’s her birthday,” she said softly, meeting his eyes.

  “But you heard what she said,” he snapped.

  “Even so, show a little kindness. She is not so ready as you, Lorethain, to face the grim things of this world.”

  Lorethain sighed.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just that—” he glanced back at the dancers but Leowin and Vanye were out of sight.

  “We shouldn’t be jumping at shadows,” he said with a shake of his head. “Especially not on First Summer’s Eve—your birthday!” He motioned to four packages tied with ribbon that were sitting on the blanket they’d draped across the stone.

  “Happy birthday,” Lorethain said.

  His happy birthday was followed by echoes of the same from the others. If a little subdued, they sounded sincere all the same.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Lorethain tapped a long thin present wrapped with black and silver thread. “This one first,” he grinned at her. “I spent a year making it.” He winked. Luthiel grinned and threw her arms around his shoulders.

  “All right you bear!” She replied and reached for the present.

  Her hand had just touched the paper when Glendoras said, “Is that Leowin?”

  Her hand hovered over the paper. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.

  A loud cheer suddenly rose up through the crowd of elves below. As one, they turned their heads toward the noise. Below, the elves had formed into a ring. At its center were Vanye and Leowin. The Blade Dancer moved as though he’d caught fire. Leowin flowed with him like an accompanying cloud of white smoke. And on both of their faces, she saw a look of utter surrender.

  In the faces of her family, Luthiel saw only shock.

  She didn’t need to say anything. They all saw Leowin now. They stared on unbelieving.

  No one spoke as Vanye and Leowin continued their dance. They watched on, unable to tear their eyes away. Finally, the music stopped. Vanye lowered Leowin to the earth. She looked into Vanye’s eyes for a moment longer, then blinked and glanced around as though suddenly self-conscious. Everyone was watching them.

  Vanye, who had seemed warm and gentle a moment before, became stiff and returned the onlookers’ gaze with his hard eyes. They backed away from him. The cheers stopped and where there was clapping before now all was silent.

  Leowin quivered like a moth, darting glances here and there. Vanye stood motionless beside her.

  “Storm crows every one,” Hueron said. “Nothing good ever comes from ’em.” He nodded toward the Blade Dancer.

  “Remember Nine Trolls’ Army?” Glendoras said.

  “That’s what I’m talking about. We didn’t need the Blade Dancer. We had our Cauthrim blades. We handled that army just fine,” Hueron said.

  “After he killed the nine trolls,” Glendoras said. “We fought a broken army.”

  “Him?” Hueron stared down at the harsh figure. A few lonely notes rippled through the air as someone tried a tune on a lulute.

  “The same,” Glendoras replied.

  Lorethain stared blankly into his tankard for a moment and then seemed to come to himself. He turned to Luthiel with his eyes flashing and grabbed her by the wrist.

  “We’re going down there right now,” he said.

  “Rushing won’t help,” Winowe replied, placing a hand on his arm. “The Blade Dancer’s news won’t change now or in an hour.”

  Lorethain turned to Luthiel. “So you knew he was here?”

  She nodded.

  “Why didn’t you tell me when I asked you?”

  Luthiel started talking suddenly, without realizing what she was saying.

  “We were playing tap-and-turn near the East Wind when we saw him. We were scared and we tried to hide, but he stopped next to us and started talking. He said he was trying to find Flir Light so we led him back here,” she said in a rush. She couldn’t help but feel that all of this was somehow her fault.

  Lorethain shook his head. Then he turned and looked down into the meadow.

  All was still. The elves seemed to be waiting, holding their breath. Vanye stepped away from Leowin. As he withdrew, he seemed to grow darker. Leowin saw them and, with a last glance at Vanye, started walking up the hill. Vanye came on behind her.

  Glendoras and Winowe locked eyes for a moment.

  “Is he?” Winowe said. But Glendoras only placed his hand behind her ear and nodded. Winowe raised her hand to cover her mouth but Luthiel could see her fearful eyes. Glendoras kissed her on the forehead, then left her side to join Lorethain who bristled before the approaching Blade Dancer.

  Lorethain nodded to Glendoras.

  Luthiel felt her heart sink even lower and she drifted away from her family.

  Of all days, why did he have to come on this day? She asked herself. But she realized it didn’t matter. Regardless, the Blade Dancer would have come and, for such arrivals, there were no good days.

  Leowin rushed up the hill and came to stand beside her grabbing her hand. Vanye’s eyes were intense, his face like a statue. Luthiel watched him approach, unable to move.

  “Vanye, is that you?” Lorethain asked.

  Vanye nodded his head. “Lorethain,” he said.

  Lorethain gestured to the Blade Dancer with his hand. “Father, we know him.”

  “Indeed, how could I forget the hunter of Nine Trolls Army,” Glendoras said.

  Vanye just stood there like a great bird of prey. The ring of blades glistened on his shoulder.

  “You were right,” Hueron said under his breath.

  “You doubted me?” Glendoras said arching an eyebrow.

  “Hello Vanye.” Hueron said with a nod.

  Happy First Summers and other simple greetings made their way around the small gathering. Lorethain pursed his lips as if carefully considering what to say.

  Then everything grew quiet and they all watched Vanye. The silence stretched on. The lulute players had started again.

  “Let’s not play games with words,” Glendoras said after a long pause. “We all know there are only two reasons why a Blade Dancer would come to a place like Flir Light. So what danger are we in, Vanye? Or have you come to claim a Chosen?”

  Luthiel flinched at Glendor
as’ words.

  Vanye paused and frowned as though unwilling to speak.

  “Your daughters have shown me rare kindness.” For a moment, his sad gaze lingered on Luthiel. She stared at her hands.

  Vanye continued. “This is the part of my duty that makes me wish I had never found Li.” Again, he paused.

  Why’s he taking so long? Luthiel wondered.

  “Enough,” Glendoras said. “Name the Chosen.”

  Luthiel felt herself letting go of Leowin’s hand and falling back against the tree behind her. There it was right before her and she never noticed. The way Vanye acted around her, the way he seemed surprised when he heard her name.

  The way he looked at me with sad eyes, she thought. That’s why he danced with Leowin.To get away from—

  “It’s me.” Luthiel mouthed the words but hardly any sound came out.

  She felt nubs of tree bark making small indentations in her back. They stung, but not enough. She pressed harder. The nubs bit deeper and she was reminded of Elag’s tree.

  She grabbed the bark with her hands. Her legs tensed. She wanted to run.

  But where could she go that the werewolf wouldn’t find her? She was breathing heavy—as if she’d already run a great distance even though she was standing still.

  She stood there for long moments, unable to raise her eyes to the Blade Dancer who’d come for her.

  She slowly lifted her chin. There were tears in her eyes but she brushed them away before they had the chance to fall. Finally, she looked at him.

  But he wasn’t looking at her.

  “It’s–” she whispered again but she couldn’t speak anymore. She couldn’t say it.

  No one noticed her; all eyes were on Vanye who was standing there with his eyebrows lowered.

  “It’s Leowin.” Vanye said.

  Luthiel felt her legs give way. She slid down the tree and sat on the ground with her face buried in her arms. She felt as though she would laugh and cry at the same time. An incredible sense of relief washed over her. She wasn’t the one! Then, she raised her head from between her arms.