... And on this date there was a great and terrible darkness, and a great storm split the heavens with such bursts of light and great roars of thunder that the folk did think that it was the end of all days. They huddled together in their houses, and some brave souls did gather in the church to shrive their souls before they were called before their Lord and God. But the storm continued on unabated by the cries of the faithful to the heavens. The air became thick, and some complained their ears did ache, and the cow of one Wulfgar, a thane of Lord Aelfric Thorn, did fall over dead of fright.

All night the storm raged, and then, just before dawn, there was a great wind from the east, and a sound as if the hosts of angels were singing before the throne of God, and people looked at each other in wonder. After a time, the morning light did break through the darkness, and the folk came out to see what damage had been done. And then they looked to the east, and beheld a beauteous sight, for there, where the forest did run along a peninsula to the raging sea, now stood revealed a great white castle, glowing in the sun. Now all looked at each other in wonder, not knowing if this was indeed Heaven come to earth.

Only Lord Aelfric looked at this apparition with dread in his heart when first he saw it. He looked at it, then gazed upon his own hall, which had once seemed so grand, and he saw it now as less than a small part of what had appeared overnight. He called for his House Carles and his horse, and rode out into the village, seeing that first order must be restored. When he had done that, he sent for one of the priests and with his men, set off to see what matter of men had caused this wonder to appear. And now another wonder was revealed, for men who had roamed and hunted these very woods since boyhood soon became lost, and the party wandered on paths that led them in circles. Finally night began to fall, and Lord Thorn called a halt, and all looked at each other in fright as they hurried to build fires to hold back the darkness.

... "Of the coming of the demon Sith" (excerpt from Chronicles of Thorn)

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The Seeking XVI

So all through that night did Lord Aelfric and his men keep watch in the clearing, huddling around great fires as they talked anxiously among themselves as to what these wondrous events did portend. Now did the priest who had accompanied them exhort them to shrive themselves, for many among his flock did still cling in secret to the old heathen ways, and seeing a chance to bring them closer to the Lord, did speak with such fervor that many fell to their knees to beg forgiveness. But Lord Aelfric stood apart and did only keep his face turned away towards the dark as if waiting for the enemy to strike.

At last the sky began to lighten in the east, but to little avail. A clinging mist enveloped the forest, and now Lord Aelfric's men were sore afraid, for they had thought to win free in the light of day. Voices were raised in angry accusation at their lord for leading them to their doom, and some looked at him while holding their sword hilts. They might very well have come to blows had not the mist suddenly been blown away by a stiff wind, and the sun returned with dazzling clarity.

So bright did it seem after the dark of the night that the men all fell silent with awe, and in that silence, they heard a sound of wondrous beauty. It was the sound of bells, tiny silver bells that sounded sweet and fair to human ears, and must betimes have been foul enchantment, for it did indeed seem to come from all about.

And now the light a second marvel revealed, for gone were the stands of oak and birch and other familiar trees that men had always known, and in their stead stood mighty towering giants of trees. Not a man there had ever seen trees of such height or foliage, and all now were sad afraid that evil forces were at work. And then the heavy brush parted, and a band of riders rode slowly out, and men looked at them in wonder.

... "Of the coming of the demon Sith" (excerpt from the Chronicles of Thorn)

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The Seeking XVII

The tall riders were fair and mounted on white steeds that some few of the men knew for elven steeds. Upon looking closer the pointed ears and eyes of elven kind could be seen, and Lord Aelfric's men breathed a whit easier, for elves were something at least some of them had seen before. Still they did not relax their guard, for elves were not beings to be taken lightly, and these strange elves least of all. For as much as men paled beside the uncanny grace of elves, so would the elves Aelfric's men knew fade in comparison with these riders. Their face and forms were of such beauty that the hardened warriors were struck dumb. All except for Lord Aelfric Thorn, who stepped forward and with a bow, gave forth his name and title to the one who seemed to be in command of those before him.

The leader stepped down from his horse, returned Lord Aelfric's bow, and then spoke with perfect King's English: "Evaynan of the House of the Silver Rose am I, called Evaynanvathallion in the tongue of my people the Sithryn." He gestured towards three other elves, a woman and two men. "And these are my children. We come here seeking only peace, a home, and new beginnings."

Now Aelfric was a shrewd man, and hearing this realized the other wished to bargain. "You have caused our forest to become enchanted in but a single night. We have lost a source of food, timber, and of livelihood. What have you to offer to us in recompense for lands taken?"

Lord Evaynan nodded. "We offer you goods in trade: fine cloth such as what we wear, and gold and silver worked with Sithryn art that none would find anywhere among humankind. Once more, we offer to trade the knowledge of our craftsmen so that you may learn to make such goods yourself and prosper in your dealings with your fellow men. All this in trade for the tract of forest running to the sea."

Murmurs rose amongst the men arrayed behind Lord Aelfric. They were not blind; this offer bid fair to make the men of Thornhaven prosperous indeed. Lord Thorn tried his best to cloak his eagerness to agree as he motioned the elves to sit beside the fire to discuss the terms of their dealings. For several hours they sat and talked, and when the Sithryn elves at last left with an accord, they cleared the glamour that lay about the lost party and the road back home once more appeared to the cheers of the men of Thornhaven. Full of excitement and dreaming of the riches that would come their way from the compact with the elves they started home at last.

Only the village priest voiced grave concern, and warned they might well have struck a deal with demons, and damned all their eternal souls. None listened, least of all Lord Aelfric Thorn, who by his eager acquiescence on this day had sown the seeds of doom for his own House.

... "Of the coming of the demon Sith" (excerpt from the Chronicles of Thorn)

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The Seeking XVIII

"... And so it was the Sithryn came to yet another plane and dwelled for a time in peace and prosperity with more Children of the Flame. As had happened on every plane before, it was the young who ventured forth to boldly explore the new world. Evaynanvathallion's three children were no exception, and Rowan, Ashe, and Yarrow roamed throughout the world in search of wonders and knowledge. Far they traveled, returning now and again with stories and mementos of their journey, along with that most precious of commodities, knowledge.

For a time all was well with the humans. As word of the elven goods they had for trade spread, ships from all over Europe and the Middle East made their way to Thornhaven, and so the town grew. Cloth of Sithryn weave and their finely wrought vases brought high prices for the human merchants and the port bustled with activity. Lord Aelfric was pleased, and with the taxes that flowed into his coffers he began to work on building a new castle, one modeled after the wonder he could see from his tower windows every morn. But no matter how hard his builders tried the walls and towers they raised seemed coarse beside the Palace of Green Silences.

Time, as the humans reckoned it, passed. And events occurred to bring this happy period to an end.

The first happened far off near the place the humans called Byzantium. Ashe and Yarrow had journeyed there to learn the arts of the Eastern Empire. One night upon returning to their rooms they chanced upon some drunken Varangian Guards, Viking sell swords in service to the Emperor, and a brawl ensued. Ashe received a swordcut to his face that marred his looks but it was Yarrow who took it worse, hunting down and killing the man who had set the brothers apart each from the other. The hatred of humans took root in his heart.

Meanwhile, Thornhaven began to fall on hard times. The merchants no longer came in great numbers, for they were now making copies of the Sithryn goods and closer to home, with less chance of losing all to storm or pirates. The great merchants closed their warehouses. Worse yet, there were now Sithryn vessels flying over the waves, and shipwrights marveled at their construction. The Sithryn docks across the bay still bustled while the pilings of Thornhaven's docks began to rot away.

Lord Aelfric's treasury slowly diminished, his castle left incomplete. And still the City of Green Silences sat across the bay, mocking him with its perfection.

A hate to rival Yarrow's now grew in Aelfric's heart."

- from THE BOOK OF GREEN SILENCES

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The Seeking XIX

These were troubling times for Lord Evaynanvathallion of the House Silver Rose. Aelfric of Thornhaven was noticeably cooler in his dealings with the Lord of the Green Silences, and there was a surge of ill feelings for elven-kind among humans. There were reports of scurrilous songs, and of wild rumors circulating that the Sithryn were makers of mischief against men, and that human babes had been stolen from their cradles to be raised as slaves for elven masters. Babes that fell ill and died were said to be weak changelings left in place of the healthy stolen children.

Such accusations were impossible to disprove to minds already closed by hatred, and the relations between the Sithryn and the folk of Thornhaven steadily worsened. Matters were not eased by the attitude of Evaynan's son Yarrow. The rage he felt over the incident in Byzantium that had led to his twin's scarring seemed to grow with each passing day. Worried that the prince might spark some incident that might do damage to the already tenuous situation, Lord Evaynan constantly found tasks to keep Yarrow close to home, or else ones that would send him to areas where humans were scarce themselves. For a time, he was successful.

It seemed there was only one bright spot in all Evaynan faced. The Sithryn that sailed the oceans of the world had found others among the humans who shared their passion for their wild, free ways. But even here, had he but known, there was a faction that might have caused him great concern, a group of men and Sithryn chafed by the rules and restrictions set upon them by Aelfric and Evaynan's treaty. As traders and ships' captains, they were rulers in their own right away from the boundaries of land. The seafarers of two races found common cause against what they perceived as their right to sail and trade as they saw fit.

Then a tale began to make the rounds of the waterfront taverns. There was an island three days' sail to the west, not on any map, with safe harbors and all away from the rule of elf or man alike. Tol Dolen, some elves of this world called it, in their tongue, "The Hidden Isle", and the others took it up. Charts were consulted, log books compared, yet none of them were able to pinpoint a location for such a place. It was, indeed, well and truly hidden.

One day a new rumor started: the way to Tol Dolen was to be revealed to any who wished to let slip the bonds of Thornhaven or the Green Silences. A meeting would be held at the largest warehouse on the human side of the bay, and all were welcome to attend it in three night's time. Mariners huddled together over drinks and wondered who might call such a meeting. But no one knew, and on the appointed night all gathered at the warehouse to see if anyone did indeed appear. One did.

It was if someone stepped out of thin air as if from behind a curtain. He was tall, with dark hair and green eyes that seemed to glow slightly like a beast in the night. In one hand he held a bag; the other hand he held palm out for silence, and gradually, as the murmuring among those gathered died out, he had it.

"Who are you?" asked a voice, a human, inquisitive as are all their kind.

"You don't need to know that. You may call me Tandu; it's how my name is in one of your human tongues. What you DO need to know is that the stories are true. There is a Tol Dolen, it is hidden from the world, and it cannot be found by ordinary means." He bounced the bag about in the palm of his hand. The contents made a clicking sound. "You can only reach it if you possess the tokens I shall give to you who agree to my terms this night."

A Sithryn sea captain spoke up now. "And what terms might those be? We are here because the rumors said there were no rules to hinder us on this island of yours."

"Well said!" The man nodded an acknowledgement to the elf. "These are the terms: One, from every voyage you make, you must choose one item from among the best of your goods, and leave it at the place I will designate for my share. Two, you will tell no one how it is you gain access to Tol Dolen. Three, any violation of the first two terms will be punished by death, swift, sure, and certain. Do not believe it will not happen. It shall. I give you my oath it will." He stopped speaking, his gaze raking the assembly as silence grew.

"Is that all?"

He nodded. "Well? Any takers? This is all I shall tell you; it is all you need to know. Take the token, sail to the west, and you shall find Tol Dolen."

There was more silence, and then a man stepped forwards and held out his hand. "I'll do it. I'd do it just to see this island of yours."

The dark stranger smiled, and opening the bag, took out something that was triangular and iridescent. He dropped it into the man's hand, and then began to give out all the rest to the entire assembly. The humans were briefly curious of the tokens, but tucked them away soon enough.

The elves, Sithryn and others, reacted differently, turning them over in their hands, then looking about in vain for the now vanished stranger. They spoke briefly among themselves before they left the warehouse, and a name was murmured over and over.

It was not the name, Tandu; he had given them in the human tongue. It was older, and in truth, it was only the name elves knew him by.

They called him Mornaur.

- from THE BOOK OF GREEN SILENCES

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