"Crystina and Gleann" by Jessica J Zimdars

There has been a tale told of a maiden and a young man. The story of these lovers has been told many times, and it has been loved by many. But with each telling it has been changed and twisted till there is almost none of the truth left in it. But here and now, if you will listen, I would like to share with you the true tale.

In all the forms that the story is now told in the maiden is a princess, or at least a lady of noble breeding. But she was actually common, or at least as common as an elf can be. Her beauty and grace never failed to be met by wonder; and her gentleness and patience made all who knew her love and respect her. Her name was Crystina.

The young man while he may have been a prince, he was not the heir to any great lands, nor was he the leader of any people. He was in fact the youngest of three sons of the high king. The crown prince could manage the land and the people without failure, there was no dispute that was beyond his ability to conclude. The next oldest brother could wield any weapon and could lead his father’s army fearlessly into battle against any foe. Prince Gleann, however, preferred walking among the people and aiding them in their manual labor, even at the objection of his father and brothers.

At this time in the world it was common that the elves and humans lived among each other though they rarely felt more then respect for one another.

It was in the spring that Crystina first saw Prince Gleann, she was in a village market to sell wine that her family made and he was aiding a farmer who was bringing in his sheep to sell in the market.

Crystina knew who he was as soon as she first saw him, she had heard about him from farmers in the market. Now that she saw him she loved him, she loved him more then she could have loved any of her own people. Here was a man that was not afraid to put himself into a situation that only those lower then him would normally be in. Here was a man that seemed to see all creation as equal.

After that day Crystina made a point to be in the market at about that same time each week, but she never saw him again, not until autumn had turned the oak leaves to brilliant gold.

Crystina was in the woods where most of her kind preferred to live, she was simply walking and enjoying the peace of early evening when, rounding a corner in the path, she was face to face with Gleann.

He stared at her for a moment then smiled and bowed, “My Lady. I pray forgiveness for addressing you without proper introduction. I have seen you but once before, though I am not sure you saw me, and I have wished greatly to meet you since that day. Now I meet you out here where there is none that may introduce us I fear rudeness is my only way of learning who you are.”

Crystina listened to his speech with amusement, for it was only the royal humans that saw it necessary to waste words in such a way. When he’d finished she dropped a graceful curtsy “Good sir, Words are a precious gift, granted to only a few creatures on the earth, I pray that you do not waist them. I am Crystina, a simple woodland elf with no more noble blood then the farmers that you so willingly help.”

Gleann’s smile broadened, “I am Gleann, youngest son of King Cogaide.”

That was their first true meeting. After that they met as often as could be arranged without either neglecting their own duties. Together they watched the march of the seasons, they watched as autumn slipped into winter and spring blossomed out of winter. Never had either been more happy then when they walked together along the river or on the woodland paths or through the open fields. For both of them life was complete, nothing more could be needed. And nothing could happen that could end their happiness. Or at least that is what they believed.

Through the spring a shadow had been coming, unease was with humans and elves when ever there was a gathering of both races. It sparked from the humans wishing to expand their claims and the elves refusing to surrender their woodlands. This was a problem that had slowly been arising for many years, but it seemed that now it was finally becoming a true problem.

Often fights would break out for no more reason then one race was in the other’s way. The elves treasured the peace and wonder of nature while the humans strived for what they considered progress. The result of this was that the peace loving elves where being driven away, and those that did not leave fast enough were persecuted.

But somehow Gleann and Crystina managed to ignore all the happenings around them. As with most when they are happy the lovers were blind to everything around them. Early in the summer, during the time when spring’s freshness was still in the air and the heat of summer had not yet taken over it became harder for them to ignore what was happening all around them.

High King Cogaide decided that it was time that his youngest son learn what his rank of ‘prince’ was truly about and ordered that he be sent off to fight under his brother. Gleann had no time to even send a message to Crystina, no sooner had he been told then he was on the road, his oldest brother escorting him to be sure that he went where he was suppose to.

Crystina looked for Gleann every day. More of her people left and still she urged her family to wait. Each day brought more danger for the elves that tried to linger. Crystina’s hopes of seeing Gleann again never faded. She’d heard stories that he’d gone off to fight along side of his brother but she did not want to believe it.

Weeks wore into months, summer died into autumn, and still Crystina looked for her love. Now she hoped to convince him to come with her and her family, she knew that the time was soon to come when she’d no longer be able to ask her family to wait. Now she prayed that Gleann would not come too late.

Maybe it would have been better if Gleann had returned home too late, or if Crystina had not been bound by love to wait. But that is not how life works.

Late In the autumn on a cold day that was not even warmed by the little light that struggled through the clouds Crystina was walking through the woods as she always had when she met a caravan of humans that had been ambushed. She rushed forward. There were many laying dead, a few wounded, and a few standing around one of those who were wounded.

Crystina was more of less drawn to the man that was surrounded. No one paid her any mind as she pushed past them then stopped just as time seemed to stop. There was Prince Gleann, an arrow had pierced near his heart.

Cristina shook her shock off of herself and knelt next to him as she pulled a powder filled jar from her pocket. With a skill that only an elf could have she pulled the arrow out without causing further injury then poured some of the powered into the wound.

She looked into his face, even as he was unconscious she could see how seeing battle had changed him. There was a hardness about him that had not been there before. But she saw him mostly with her heart. And all her heart saw was the man that she loved.

As she sat there his eyes opened, for a moment he stared at her, his dark eyes looking into her light blue ones almost in wonder; then his expression went cold and hard. He pushed himself up and away from her.

“Men, take this renegade into custody.” Gleann’s voice was harsh and commanding. “It is her people that have killed many of those who are loyal to my father, all for the sake of their precious woods.”

Crystina was too stunned to move, even after she was grabbed and hauled roughly to her feet. “Gleann… I do not understand! What has happened?”

Her plea was over ridden by one of the men that now held her. “What do you plan to do with her? The order that your father, the High King, has given is that all renegades are to be killed on sight. But…”

Gleann nodded and drew his sword. As he turned to Crystina with it their eyes met again. She was not completely sure what happened, tears slipped down her face as she realized what Prince Gleann planned to do, as she realized that she’d lost him forever. Then the prince llowered his sword and took hold of her arm roughly.

“I wish to do this in private. Take a count of those that we have lost, then collect the wounded and meet me at the cross roads. I will be there by sunset.” Without another word he turned and walked down the road, pulling Crystina with him. His pace was brisk enough that she almost had to run to keep up and any time that she stumbled he would jerk her back up.

They’d gone around some thick pines and come to the top of a steep hill, out of sight of his men he stopped and looked at her. “Ma’am, by all rights and laws I should kill you for what you are. But I find that I can not. What spells have you put over me?”

“Gleann, have you been gone from me so long that you have forgotten who I am? What we are to each other?” She looked into his eyes, silently begging him to know her, but no matter how deeply she looked all she found there was hardness.

It was a long time before he spoke, a long silence that, to Crystina, felt as though it were crushing her more then his grip on her arm. It was a silence so sure and strong that she almost feared what the braking of it might bring. When he released her she did not move, held as she was by his gaze.

“I could never forget you. No matter how much I want to, I could never do it.” His voice betrayed the tenderness that was now hidden from Crystina. “You, however, are nothing to me. Nothing more then a traitor to my father, the man that is your king.”

Crystina looked at Gleann as she took a step back from him. Everything in her seemed to freeze, her heart felt as though it would shatter if she let herself believe him. She slowly shook her head as his look hardened even more. She would not let this be true.

“I give you a two nights. On the morning after the second night if you and your family still linger here I will see that you are all killed.” the tenderness was gone from Gleann’s tone, now it matched his icy expression and cold eyes. “Get out of my sight now, before I change my mind.”

When at first Crystina did not move he moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. Crystina turned and fled down the hill and into the forest, her heart feeling as though it was braking. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she raced over the familiar trails that would take her to the river where she could cry without being found and disturbed.

The morning of the second day was forever fresh in Gleann‘s mind, It always would be. No matter how many battle he fought in, no matter how many of his men he saw slaughtered, or how many men he himself slaughtered, that morning always held more feeling and meaning then any other. It was the morning that he decided forever who he would be.

His father and brothers rode out with him, they were to join with his father’s army then they would sweep through the forest. The plan was simple, they’d kill any elf that they found there be it man, woman, or child. There would be no escape once their men were in place for each of his brothers and him would take a detachment of men and each of them would come at the woods from a different direction. Thus cutting off all escape.

They’d left the city very early, before morning‘s light had even touched the horizon, now as they came to the place where Crystina had come and saved Gleann’s life just two days before, the sky was just starting to lighten and a thick fog had come over the world. Gleann paused as they came to the exact place then he slid from his horse and told his father that he would be right back. He claimed to have heard something just off the road to their left.

He walked quickly till he came to the crest of the hill that over looked the forest. It was here that he had last seen Crystal, it was here that he had sent her away. It was here that he had proven to himself that he had become no better then his father and brothers. He stood there looking down to where he knew the forest was. This was the time of morning when the creatures of the night were silently creeping to their dens and nests and preparing for a day of sleeping and the creatures of the day still slept.

As he stood there the mist around him cleared and he could see the forest below him, still shrouded in a light mist. The forest was dark and most would see dangers lurking in the trees and along the quiet paths. But as he studied it he found it welcoming, it seemed to call to him, to bid him to come down and loose himself in it’s trees. It seemed to ask him to once again walk it’s paths and be one with it and those that lived there.

Then he saw her, standing just at the very edge of the trees, dressed in a light blue gown. He knew that she was watching him, waiting patiently for him to see her. He thought to turn and walk away then their gaze met and it was too late. She took a step away from the trees, making herself fully visible. She slowly reached up towards him with one hand as if silently asking him to come to her.

From behind him his father called to him, telling him to hurry. And yet he lingered, staring at Crystina fighting the urge to go down and beg for her forgiveness. When his brothers called to him he sighed and turned away, giving no indication that that he’d seen her gesture or that he knew she was there.

It was not easy, it was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he walked away from the edge of the hill, heading back where his father and brothers waited. As he swung back onto his horse he realized, with a sinking heart, what he’d done, what he’d given up. And at the same time he knew that there was now no turning back. He’d chosen his path and now he must walk it.