“I will see you again, of that have no doubt,” murmured Nilan. He rose, kissing Elisten’s hand. “My Lady.” Then, in an instant he was gone. Caressing her hand where his lips had touched her pale skin, Elisten smiled to herself. To no one in particular, she said, “I will hold you to that, Nilan. Believe me.”
**********************
Several weeks later…
Sitting in the balcony, Ferdelon notices Elisten walking through the gardens below. “Sis! Where is your mind these days? You’ve been prancing around lately, head in the clouds. What’s the deal?” he yells down to her. Rising to her feet, with a bright red rose in her hands, she turns her face up towards her brother. “Hmmm? What was that Ferd?” Ferdelon moves from his perch, and a few seconds later he is down in the garden next to his sister.
Gently kissing Elisten on her cheek, Ferdelon asks again, “Eli, what is on your mind these days? You’ve been dreaming of something! Tell me what it is!” Elisten shyly gives Ferdelon a smile and lowers her eyes. “It’s nothing. Well, it is something… but brother mine, I cannot speak of it yet!” Ferdelon raises a quizzical eyebrow at his little sister. “Sis! You are in love, aren’t you? I know this behavior. The way you act. Come on, spill!”
Taking the rose she had just picked from the garden, Elisten places it in her brother’s breast pocket. “‘Tis true, brother. I am in love with someone. But it’s a secret for now. Please, do not ask me more about it. The issue will reveal itself in time.” Frowning slightly, Ferdelon asks “Eli, you know you can always tell me anything. You always have. I do not understand, why do you not tell me? If you are in love, why do you hide it?”
Sighing softly, Elisten looks directly into her brother’s eyes, “Dear brother, you are right. I cannot hide things from you and I never want to. I will tell you as long as you swear to me that you will keep what I am about to tell you, secret. You must tell no one! Promise me!” “Heavens above, Eli. This cannot be good, can it? I swear, sister. Until you say, I shall tell no one. You have my word.”
Turning away, moving to sit on a bench nearby, Elisten begins. “I’m a healer, Ferdelon. It is but my duty to help those in need. I would never turn away from someone who could use my help. Not ever.” Ferdelon nods his agreement, and motions for her to continue. “A few weeks ago, I ran into someone who needed healing very badly. I was on my way home, having just visited Anna’s cottage. It was late and the moon was hiding, so it was quite dark.”
“I know those forests like the back of my hand and I was in a hurry to be home so I took a shorter route, not following the normal path. Somehow that detour was fated by some God above, Ferdelon.” Elisten exclaimed. “Eli, you are starting to worry me. Who is this person you have met? This person you claim to love?” asked Ferdelon. Elisten sighs softly, knowing the reaction she is sure to get. “Brother, the one I love is an elf. A dark skinned elf…”
Elisten dares a glance at her brother, wondering what his reaction is. For several moments, a deafening silence ensues. Finally, he raises his eyes to hers, beginning to smile at her, shaking his head in amusement. “Eli, you are such a tease, you always have been. You had me quite worried there for a moment. But come! Tell me the truth. Who is the one who has stolen your heart?” Elisten says nothing, just looking into her brother’s eyes. A slow, sudden realization begins to appear on Ferdelon’s face. His smile fades as he asks, “Elisten? You cannot really mean.. you have not.. No! This cannot be true!”
Elisten takes her brother’s hand, “Ferd, please try to under…” “A drow elf, Elisten? Are you crazy? A sworn enemy of our people… do you not remember everything we learned while we grew up? The stories we were told as children, did they have no effect on you?” Elisten suddenly moves away from her brother, then looks back at him, “Of course I remember brother. And do not think that for one moment I was not scared of what was in front of me that night because I was more frightened then than I’ve ever been in my life!”
Ferdelon shook his head in confusion, “So how can you claim you love him? I do not understand Eli. How could this have happened?” “Let me tell you the story, brother. I want you to know how this all came about. Please, listen to what I have to say and then pass your judgements. Please, Ferdelon hear me out!” For a moment he stands, staring at his sister, then moves to sit down and nods his head, “Tell me what you have to say. I can at least give you that much.”
Slowly pacing the garden walkway, Elisten takes a deep breath and begins her story. “Like I said earlier, it was late at night, I was on my way home from Anna’s. I was going through the shortcut that would get me home faster than normal. It was dark and I really could not see much in my path. The next thing I know, I stumbled over something.
“I caught myself as I stumbled and upon turning to see what tripped me, I was astonished to see nothing at all. It was black as night. I stared for several moments, searching. And then I heard breathing, very slight, but I heard it all the same. I asked ‘who’s there?’ but no one responded."
"I moved a couple of steps forward and Ferdelon, I saw eyes gleaming in the darkness. I froze, immediately able to make out an outline of a figure lying on the ground. He was black as the night. Instantly, I knew what I faced and I tell you brother, I was scared for my life right then as I had never been scared before.”
Elisten stopped mid-pace and turned to look at her brother. “Then the strangest thing happened. All my fears completely washed away and all I could see was this being in front of me who needed help and from what I could not tell. I asked him where he was hurting, my intuitions telling me he was injured. At first he said nothing, then after a few moments passed, he said he was hurt by an arrow and was bleeding quite a bit from the wound.”
“I kneeled in front of him and moved his tunic aside so I could see the wound. It was terrible to look at, so much blood and already I could tell there was a chance of infection. Immediately, I summoned my healing spell and as I placed my hand on his chest to heal him, there was a flash of bright white light and my palm burned with an intense heat. It lasted only a moment and then it was gone.”
“I could tell that this elf had felt it as well, for his eyes looked shocked but only for a brief moment. I noticed my hand still on his chest so I moved it to take a look. The wound was healed Ferdelon, but there was a mark there! It was a mark as I have never seen before. It was strange; when I heal people, there is never any sign that I touched them.”
“ I looked closer thinking my eyes deceived me but they did not. There was a mark and it seemed to be faintly glowing. I knew the dark elf had noticed as well because he moved his hand to touch the mark. I asked him if it hurt him and he said it did not. Then he gave me this look, Ferdelon. It seemed he could see directly into my soul. I felt naked to his eyes, but it made my blood run fast.”
“I started to move away from him and as I went to stand, he grabbed my hand and looked into my palm.” “Healer, you seem to have missed something,” he said. “I could feel his fingers holding mine, and looking down at my palm, I saw the same marking.”
Elisten slowly held her hand out to her brother. “See for yourself.” Ferdelon took his sister’s hand and examined her palm. “This is so extraordinary. Does it hurt at all?” he asked. “No, I cannot even tell it’s there unless I look at it.” “We will get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, finish your story, Elisten.” Ferdelon said, showing signs of interest.
“Well, the elf and I both rose to our feet. He asked me my name and I told him who I was; Elisten, of house Tol’Kirin. He then bowed to me and said, ‘I know that name. Lady Elisten is more fitting, for you are a lady of noble blood are you not?’ I felt my face flush and in response, I asked him his name.”
“Oh Ferdelon! When he told me who he was, I nearly fainted. His is a name I had always known, and this shocked me greatly.” Ferdelon raised an eyebrow at his sister, “Who is he Eli?” Elisten looked at her brother and said “You would know him as Shadow Stalker.”
Ferdelon’s reaction immediately revealed that he knew the name. “Elisten! You mean to tell me, that you fell in love with a murderer? An assassin of the drow elves? Now I know you are crazy! We must tell father, Eli. You know who this man is and what he is to our race. Nilan Al’Shadrazaar is not someone to mess around with, you know! Like I said, we must go tell father immediately.”
Elisten turns around and stares at her brother intensely. “No. Ferdelon, you must not. And you promised me you would say nothing to anyone. I trust you.” Ferdelon looks at his sister, “Eli, you cannot keep this a secret. You must tell…” “NO!” Elisten says, near tears. “It is not the right time, brother. Please, please do not betray me like this!” Ferdelon looks at his sister, the pain and fear in her eyes. “Ohh Eli. Fine then, although against my better judgment I will hold my tongue, but only for the time being.” He moves close to her and hugs her close. “We will work this out, Eli. Do not worry.”
Letting his sister go, Ferdelon looks down into her face. “Eli, I cannot help but be worried about this whole situation. Yet I see you happy as can be and know that somehow you must be in love with this elf. I do not understand this, but I trust your judgments.”
“Please, please be careful when you deal with this drow. You remember the stories that have been told, we’ve learned them together during our youth. I just want you to be careful! If you need me, tell me and I will be there for you.” Elisten smiles with gratitude at her older brother. “Ferdelon, you are so dear to me. I love you very much. Thank you for letting this issue go for now.”
“Only for the time being, like I said. I must go now, I have a meeting to attend. Be safe, dearest sister.” With that, Ferdelon hugs Elisten close and then leaves the garden.
*****
Elisten - Wife to Nilan
Priestess
[This message has been edited by Elisten (edited 02-07-2002).]
A Meeting With Destiny
Wonderful tale my wife. I'm glad you were able to tell it. Perhaps people will believe your words *smile*, they have no reason to believe mine, afterall.
This brother of yours, I should like to meet. Maybe, one day. Though I have watched him from afar. I am cautious in such matters, as you are becoming well aware.
Love you always my wife, my priestess, my Lady *bow*
Your drow husband,
Nilan
ShadowStalker - Velg'larn - Orbdrin D'oloth
This brother of yours, I should like to meet. Maybe, one day. Though I have watched him from afar. I am cautious in such matters, as you are becoming well aware.
Love you always my wife, my priestess, my Lady *bow*
Your drow husband,
Nilan
ShadowStalker - Velg'larn - Orbdrin D'oloth
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