Chapter Fourteen - The Elderseer Refuses
"It's true my lord. Just as I told you days ago."
The soft rustle of his long robes indicated his movement, but deep inside the cowl and hood, his eyes never strayed from Helena's direct stare. She was asserting herself again, he mused, much like her younger sisterkind. He expected less of her pious straight-backed preaching, and more self-assured forward thinking. His people were renowned for their cautious planning, for their long addressed observation, but not for entertaining indigenous proclamations. He was well aware of the Awakening happening throughout the earth and sky, trees and stone. He was old enough to remember the last time the magic woke up, terrible and fiery, wicked and untamed...and hungry. Magic was nothing if not famished.
"Lady of Bronze, do not mistake my silence for uncertainty. I am not blind." His voice was controled and soft, his way...his people's way. Soft and delicate they spoke and touched, sang and weaved their own sorcery into the web of design. Centuries had taught him that hard words broached a hard retort, anger befit rage and so on. Softness was lulling, a quick elixir to the stubborn. And Helena was stubborn.
"My Lord you must protect those that can not protect themselves."
His white slender hand lifted out of the dark folds of his robe. "Do not assume that I have taken a side, Lady of Bronze. Sides are for those that do not already know the way of things. They choose to assure themselves of an allegiance, the strong side with those they believe will win. Nothing is certain, even for the strong, but they choose nonetheless. I need not choose, for I intend to keep the sides away from Nettlehollow. I will not involve myself with the wicked things that stir once again."
"But we are already here, my lord. I've taken the children from my sisters and brought them here. You can't tell me that you haven't chosen a side, if those that stand for good are here inside your protective shell."
"You brought them here, Lady of Bronze. You took up the mantle of responsibility when you broke the sisterhood and turned on your kind. I did not choose for you. The events you will face in the path now before you, is not within my power to interfere."
Helena wrestled with a moment of irritation. She had sacrificed so much already to see four of the children to safety, only to discover that the Elves would merely stand aside to allow Bathsheba to find her. Not choosing sides, she thought to herself. It was apparent to her that the Elderseer had already chosen.
"So you will keep your secrets to yourself, and condemn the humankind to battle the darkness themselves?"
"It is their battle."
"No, my lord!" Helena replied definitely. "This is a battle that will find us all. It will ravage the plane of the spirit as much as the world of the physical. It will attack without mercy or definition. You cannot allow your people or mine, or the world of humankind to suffer if you can prevent it."
"And who's to say that I can, Lady of Bronze? You put more faith in me then I deserve. I am merely an observer."
"It seems to me that you are a coward!" she shot back. "If you will not take up arms in the name of the righteous, then you have delivered all of us into the hands of evil."
"Limit perception reaps limited results, Lady of Bronze. Is it not I who you brought this choice to, without allowing me the luxury of decision? My people will not involve themselves in your battle without examining the great perspective. Until then, you are welcome to rest here within our walls, but do not call upon us in need, for our powers are not yours to wield."
Helena reached for the Elderseer's arm, hoping that in her touch her urgency could be felt, but the leader of the Elvenkind shook his head. "Do not attempt to sway me, Lady." His voice was soft, but firm. "Take your argument to those who will hear it. Waste not your time in futility." Without waiting for her response the Elven leader turned and walked away.
Always the enigmatic and often frustrating, Helena realized that she would have to approach this situation differently. Further attempts at changing his mind would have to come from a different direction.
Shaking her head, annoyed at his dismissive behavior, Helena stalked back to the temple entrance.
"Lady of Bronze!" She looked over at an approaching elven woman.
"Great Alundra," she addressed the eleven woman. "What does she who commands the elements seek from me?"
Alundra, red haired and lithe, came very close and whispered delicately tense. "I seek to assist you, Lady of Bronze. My people do not share the quiet neutrality of our leader, at least not all of my people. There are those of us who hear the earth scream out in pain and recognize the shift of power. We can not sit idly by and allow such indignities to be cast upon us. Please come with me, there are some people I want to introduce you to."
Helena was surprised. An elevenkind going against the wishes of the Elderseer? This was indeed worth further investigation. Without replying, the Lady of Bronze followed the lady who commands elements out of the temple and towards a new path.
Posted by Happy Potato @ 9/23/2008 03:34:00 PM