"Those of fate Chapter 8" by Alexander Sandtorv

They used the following day talking and discussing.
The Grand Room of the Council was filled, now with other elites of the elvish society, some being noble, others being hard working.
In the beginning, after they had been told about the coming ordeal, the tone had been tense and akward, their eyes filled with franticall fear as animals trapped and trammeled.
Some raised themselves and stated that they did not believe such nonsense and that lies like that should been punished. Laurlyn had told them that the Oracles had claimed the same, that it was true.
When they still didn't believe a word, Avan raised his voice, deep and authoral,
and asked "Are you really that dumb?"The audience gasped over his profanity "Do you truly deny the truth simply because
it is hard on you, simply because that would mean that you would need to face hardships",he asked, his grey eyes piercing the woman refusing to believe."Do not deny truth because it means you'll need to deal with it, the cost of not doing so, would be much greater then the harm of embracing it." he said making the noble woman sit down in a rush,
her head shaking viciously, whispering to her neighbours. His voice turned atender and he made a gesture of tenderness.
" All evidence leads to this truth, even though it might be upsetting and openes many questions, all to which we have no answers. We must use what we know to strenghten our possition, not deny it."
The woman still shoke violently as Avan sat down, forcing herself to still as stone. The night of sleep had made wonders on Laurlyn, she felt revjunated, new and fresh.
Her hair hed been washed and was now clean, her eyes waken and aware.
She now talked much more than she did the last night, her voice steadier and much more defined, as if had been blurry the last night. She payed much more attention, eying things in new perspective, gathering and formulating. She even smiled now and then, mostly over Avan and his handelig for the members of the Council. As the hours dragged by, the first thing done was to tell the members of Lanthar and the seals.
The oldest members, those who remembered Lanthar, shivered imensly every time someone said her name, their lips trembeling, the memory of her and her deeds fresh in mind.
It hurt Laurlyn to see them so afraid, and it hurt her body also because such fear was appropiate and that meant that she herself would have to master and counter such fears, over and over again.
Then discussion raced towards the Oracles and their statements, Laurlyn telling them everything thay had told her and everything she had seen- exept the fact that she was blood related to Lanthar, that Lanthar once had been Aar, her mothers sister.
She thought it to be a personal matter.
Laurlyn then spoke of the devious Orth, about its abilities and unknown motives, about Amnar Yuartrells disaperance and how they were searching the Halls from him that very moment. Some of the members bore faces of stone, some cried, some said nothing. Laurlyn felt slightly inhuman not being shocked about the everything, too many things had happened. She believed that the more shocks your body is served, the more resistant you became to them. And so came the inetvitable matter of Avan, who he was, how and why he had comed here, what had told him to come to the Golden Halls to be their Queens guide, and what power he possesed enabeling him to revive the fallen.
Avan said nothing, refusing to tell them anything, holding back every piece of information about himself and his motives. He simply said that he had been told to come here, and he had been told what to do. He said nothing more, overdonly reluctant to talk about himself. The members of the Council were utterly shocked, not being used to begging for explenations, some thinking him to be a brute, just a peasant possesing some magical relic, his importance equal to that of a crude man just happeinig to know all the right answers, as if he had done nothing to gain them. This was the true face of the overclass in the elven society, their prejudices surpassing their arrogance.
When the same noble woman denying Laurlyns statement on Lanthar nearly jumped from the chair she sat in, asking how they knew Avan wasn't an Orth himself,
Avans eyes turned and he answered with cold voice that she may as well be an Orth, that they could in no way know. The most scary momentum about the shapechanger. It could be anyone.
He comenced that he was only trying to help them in saving the nations of the world. After a small pause, he then said that it had been he himself who had told the Members of the Orth, and if he indeed was one, that statement would have been a factor of great stupidity, as they would allready know of him.
That was if he indeed was one of the ancient beings.
He then looked into the nobles scared eyes and stated that she would have to think before she talked.
Her rushed actions of fear could result in greater harm then firstly intended. She pressed her lips together and sank into the chair , her eyes glaring at him.
As much as Laurlyn wanted to know more about Avan, his honesty surpassed that urge. He was scaring the same people she despiced with the subtle tool of honesty, the weapon they stated was closest to their hearts.The irony was striking.
As the members realised Avan would not speak of himself for anything, they commenced to the issue of international war, of what to do when Lanthar came to this world again, it seemed as if they all were agreeing that she would. There were too many factors which suggested that war indeed came. Disscusions raged forth and back, finally deciding on sending messengers to Daal, the capitol of men, one to Quemodia daa Sie,
capitol of the Dwarves, and one to Arwelar, capitol of feas, telling of Lanthar, suggesting a meeting of Monarchs. The sun reached the mountains in the east, the gilded threads of lights coming from the stained glass seaced. Their throts were dry as sand, their bellies grumping with hunger, and so vials of crystal were brought in lifted by elven servants with long white dresses.
The vials formed in slenderness were filled with an etheral fluid gleaming with a blue light. They were each given a small glass with the white liquid called 'Fanytal Relm' or the 'Dreamers potion', a strange recipy which renewed the physical strenght and cast away the grip of both hunger and thirst. It was sweet and bitter on the taste, mystically cold , as rainwater in winter. Yet the results were imeadiate, their minds being cleared, their adomen with less hurt. The discussions went on after the small recess, now about the most pressuring matter, what do do with Laurlyn, whether to send her on a quest most likely to kill her or make her stay, ruling the elvish nation in the time of grave need. Laurlyns face became red. Yet again she was sitting by watching her own life being decided by others , and that moment she decided to go. She had in the deeps of that night, when the Orth had attacked her made a promise to herself never to let others rule her fate ever again.
She raised from her chair, direct and stale,
"I will go. No matter how much you bicker amongst yourselves that I will not for this is in all sense my life, and I will not stand nonchalant by and watch you take my decisions and judge me to a life only consisting in a nature I hate. i will not be a statue for others to form", her voice runing a strange effect on the members. " I want to do this, therefore it will happen." Half nodded reasuringly to themselves, as if agreeing, the other half having grim masks of denianse, yet they did not dare
state their true feelings.
As Laurlyn sat down, her heart burning with pride and joy, she saw the same smile on Avan she had seen the day before. She beamed at him with a smile of juvenile glee. A silence roamed the Coucil, the members eyeing each other.
Eredra whsipered something to Anm, Anm nodding to herself. So the great mage Anm Fertyd raised herself smiling weakly at Laurlyn. "I agree that you must chose your own path My Queen, but this offers new questions,
who will for example rule in you place", she asked in an honest tone, her smile being swept away. Laurlyn had figured this would be a question the day she walked from the Oracles deciding that she would go on the quest, so she had an answer prepeared.
"You my dear Anm Ferthyd, leader of the Omnagelth, I trust you to rule the elvish nation of Tigenswell in my place." She smiled warmly at Amn, her face being a grimace of utter shock, "That is if you desire to, of course", Laurlyn would not force Anm as she herself had been forced to take the throne.
"But I...I am in no way qualified ...I..."
Anms face turned from confusion and shock into a weak smile.
"Yes your highness, I would in all sense rule Tigenswell on your departure, I would be honoured to" Laurlyn smiled at herself.
Anm was a quik thinker, she could add emotions and feelings together and decide her choice on the hardest issues in no time, Laurlyn had counted on that.
Laurlyn was pleased with herself, Anm would make an exelent Monarch, her heart combined with her wit and intelect would make a powerful and just Ruler.
She noticed that her decision had not been well recived with some of the nobles, their faces hard and wrought with anger. Laurlyn expected that they would have wanted her to choose a monarch from the nobles not Anm being one of the people. Amongst the nobles' grim faces, she saw Auledar Din'are , one of the most influental of nobles giving a crude grimace. She knew the nobles never saw Laurlyn to be the rightfull Queen, she had after all denied it at first, and so the nobles had insisted that Auledar should have the throne. They lead a dangerous play, whispering amongst themselves, making attempts to gain the throne for one of the nobles. "How common", Laurlyn could svear she heard the noble woman whisper to a close friend,
"How explixably common". A strange pressence crept over Laurlyn, the pressence of silence, as load discussions had filled the halls all day, silence was something strange and velcome. Her ears rang in the silence.
Laurlyn waited a while, weighing the looks of some of the members closely, "Are there truly no more questions?" she asked slightly suprised.
No one said a word.
And so, Laurlyn Avamandhar said "This concludes our meeting then, members of the council, all matters has been attended to, all question answered", she looked at Avan, or at least all questions, she thought to herself.
She let her gaze drift from member to member. "I expect my journey to start one of the following days, our route and objectives, once found, will be shared by the new Queen of Tigenswell", she looked at Anm smiling softly back. She didn't even know when or where they were going, dismay crept over her.
" I expect all things discussed and agreed upon here today to be taken hand of. This council is adjourned"

It was strange, she felt freer then she had in a long time, even though she was being comitted to a quest of great harm and diffuculty, making her more bound then she was before. The difference between this and the throne, she figured, was that this was brought upon her by her own free will, she had steared her own fate, her own life. How can you hope to succed in anything if you are doing halfhearted atempts, if you don't really want to do those things. Then you will only recive halfhearted results and thus you will never be happy knowing that you do things only running at half its potency.
As Laurlyn walked in one of the many gardens, simply being great rooms in which the celing had been removed and trees and grass had continued growing, she saw Anm, sitting on the grass, her face sprinkeled in moonlight.
She looked marveless, even though somewhat plump, a great abnormaty in elven society, it was becoming and she eminded Laurlyn of a kind grandmother. Her grey hair was held up in a bun decorated with fresh white flowers, Amnamynthe, the flower from which Anm had recived her name.
Anms fingers were playing on the surface of a small pond, and for a small moment, a shiver of sorrow went through
Laurlyn as she thought about Anen, this scene reminding her of one in Anens life.
Anm raised her head and greeted her by a small and sincere nod combined with a warm smile so common to her personality. "Hello Anm" Laurlyn said, smiling back.
She walked towards Anm over the grasscovered ground and sat down besideds her, tucking her mantel of silk neatly around her shoulders for protection against the cold of night. "I want to say that I'm sorry for rushing you into anwsering such a hard and delicate question so hastily , but I fear I have no more time left and that...", Laurlyn started, her words being of utter truth. "No need to worry my dear Laurlyn", Anm said holding her head slightly asalant.
"I realised that I only would be happy to help you, more so I have always wanted to do all in my power to aid the elvish nation. Your little stunt however slinged me of my pedestal for a moment. I am glad I have your trust and that you think I can stear this kingdom in splendid matter such as you have done yourself". Laurlyn beamed over the compliment and thanked Anm but Anm said that truth was truth and could not be altered. The reason she had chosen Anm were many. She was a truthfull Queen, for Anm wanted to change things for the better, Laurlyn simply wanted to endure it. Anm was Laurlyns friend and she loved Anm as friend and grandmother alike. "I..."
Anm took Laurlyns head in her hands and turned it away from the pond such as she only saw Anms face. "It must be awfull", she said silently to Laurlyn, her face bearing an aura of sympathy. "What", she asked.
"Your mothers death, the burden of the throne , the duty of the seals, all bound to your shoulders, the person who most of all wanted to live a silent and simple life." "It is not that hard, I couldn't let the throne go into the grubby hands of that Auledar" she said in a brave voice, even though that was in no way how she really felt.
And then all of a sudden, as the last thing she expected, a tear ran over her cheek. She annoyingly tried to dry it away, but more kept coming, as they flodded her face.
Anm gave Laurlyn a hug, then let her cry as she held her to her own shoulder in silence. Laurlyn sobbed uncontrolled , sometimes she had to stop to draw breath, letting all the memories escape, the sound of Anens voice as she begged Laurlyn to take her in , to accept her as she saw Anen being beaten as a twoyearold child, only spilling her cup of milk. As she felt the grueling tingle on her back ,as if the deep blade from the Orths knife still were inside of her. She sobbed as she thought about how dear her mother had been to her, and how her sudden death had taken away something of herself, a piece of joy and happiness, now lost forever. And Anm held her, gently letting her palms resting on Laurlyns head, whispering that things would turn out to be allright, that she would be happy again, that again she would laugh, not because the surrondings demanded it, but because she wanted to. "Listen Laurlyn", Anm said as Laurlyn had stoped sobbing, staring into her eyes, into her soul. "You can do whatever you are expected to, you can thrive and use your entire life to please others so you can prove yourself, but still be bitterly miserable."
Laurlyn dried away the tears, her eyes sore. "Live your life for yourself and that which you love, only then can you have true joy. Do not live your life for others, for that is no more life but for a butterfly to be grey or for an artist never to paint, it is incomplete. And no matter how much you give of yourself, no matter how much of your life you sacrifice for others, there will always be someone who need your smile more than you do, or who need your help more that you do,
there will always be a better good, always be others who need your life." Laurlyn released herself from Anms gentle grip and took a deep breath, drying her wet eyes on the sleves of her dress. She realised that Anm was right, it was so simple to comprehend to, yet so hard to play by those rules.
All her life she had lived that way, all her life she had given up her own life to help and aid others, now, she was bitterly unhappy. Laurlyn had decided to live like that since yesterday night, and Anm had just put words to her feelings.
"But what should I do then? Should I leave my people do their deaths because I am selfish, beacuse I desire to be happy, what is my life for the better of the thousands of others?" she asked in all sincerity as this being the question she most
desierd an answer to.
Anm looked straight into Laurlyns eyes, the fine wrinkels around her eye gropes straightening.
"You should help them because you want to, because that is all you heart demands, that is all you want to do." Anm placed her warm hands on Laurlyns. She didn't understand.
"Why would you willingly do this Laurlyn, what would you give away your own happines for?"
She was silent. "I guess..."She had no reply, she had never thought about it in such ways.
"I want to see the woods of Tigenswell again, I don't want them suffer under the blade of Lanthar for I know they will." She started out slowly. "I want to save you, I want no harm infflicted upon you Anm".She smiled yet again. "I wish to watch upon the stars and again be happy. I want to pick flowers in the fields of Aoulinth." The pace of her words became quickened. "My heart aches to hear songs again, my heart desires to beat harder as I awaken in the spring, every little tree blooming with reawakened life. I..."
She drew a deep breath. "Are these things that you are willing to defend with your life, Laurlyn",Anm asked silently.
"Yes" was her own reply.
"Then you should do this, then you should set out on this quest, then you should live each day with the intensety of its glory. Then you should fight with all you got, all of this to defend what is closest to your heart, because that is all you want to do. It matters not with the fate of others for it is not in their place to ask you to give up your life for them,
the only thing that matters is that you are willing to defend them, or a tree or a friend, with all your heart, only then can you win." Laurlyn was silent.
"How can you give away your life for something you don't believe in?", Anm asked softly. Laurlyn was silent, letting every word of Anms speech fill her. "I ask you now, is this something you wish to do with the full extent of your heart, not to save thouasands of people, but to save things you hold dear, beacuse you believe in them?" "I wish to save my people too, but now I realise not because they ask me to but because I desire too." Anm smiled a great grin, her lips covering half her face. "Good" , was all she said. A comforting silence covered them, now and then broken by a Night swarmer or a nightingale. Laurlyn was filled with a tranquility she had not felt in a long time, her dillemas finally put to words and dismanded by the wisdom of Anm. She was a little angry with herself for not thinking them out by herself, but the senastaion of mild anger sone gave away for a tingeling feeling inside her, she was happy.
"Thank you Anm, "she said weakly.
" You know, through all I can remember, you have always helped me, you have always guided me. And I never thanked you." Anm just smiled at her. " I thank you now Anm Fertyd, for all you have done for me, for all your hours and days never being given back because you were there for me when I needed you. I thank you now."
Anm smiled as her eyes glimmered with tears and she answered. " No Laurlyn, thank you"

It seemed as if Anm wanted to talk more that evning, mostly about the Oracles and what they had told her, Anm wanted to hear it all from her own mouth. At first Laurlyn was somewhat reluctant to talk about it as it had been a powerful and painful experience, both the memory of Anen and of what they had told her much so.
But Anm did not cease and so Laurlyn ended up telling her everything, included Lanthar,and how she once had been Aar.
"It must be painful Laurlyn, "Anm said in a whisper, "fighting the last of your bloodkin." "Memories makes a familie, not blood" said Laurlyn.
But it was true, it felt as if she denied herself in someway, as if Aars story was somewhat another then that of the Oracles telling. She felt responsible to heal Lanthar into become Aar again, into becoming her aunt. Laurlyn told Amn about Anen, how horrible it had been to sink into her and how dreadful Anens life had been. How bad she felt for her. It felt good opening to someone, letting her feelings finally escape the prision of her mind.
"Your mother talked to the Oracles, twice", Anm confesed.
"How come she never told me" Laurlyn asked quietly, realising that it must have been so. The first for Eeh, the fallen God. The second time for Aar, her sister.
"She had been so terrified as they told her of Eeh, and as she sunk into Anen. The memory made her cry an entire day and even woke her up in cold nights shivering in her own sweat." Anm said with as subtle glint in her eyes depicting a curve of old memories. "I never knew" was all Laurlyn could say, the information coming as a small shock. "I was her best friend you know, me , your mother and Aar was the best of friends. Our friendship lasting from our births, as we shared the stars for the first time."
"You remember Aar" she said, turning loudly against Anm. "Yes I do actually, as I said we were quite good freiends. She was both as kind and good as your mother, but then, she had a foul temper at times. I remember once when a young nobleman from Daal came to our woods. Clad in the finest silk and with a fellowship of twenty soldiers, for his protection of all things. He had mastered to get it into his head that he should conquer Aar, the maiden of the woods whom so many spoke of. For in her times there were a constant flow of young men at the Golden Halls' doors. He came and demanded her to marry him, just like that in front of both me and your mother." Anm made a small giggle. Laurlyn didn't laugh because she didn't get the humour but smiled because Anm seemed to be lost in an old memory. She had never seen Anm do such before. " Aar made the guards undress him and he had to walk outside, naked through our entire city, from the Golden Halls." Laurlyn made a yellp of strangeled laughter. Anms eybrow raised.
" And it was winter, quite cold indeed."
Anm collapsed into a roaring laugh and Laurlyn joined in. It felt good sharing joy with Anm again. "And one day, she was just gone." Anm said as the laughter had died out. "I walked into her room, she not being there. The Guards said that she had left in the night. She just walked away, we never knew where she went." Anms voice was grieviuos and rasp all a sudden.
"I blamed myself, no matter what I did, I found that her dissaperence was blamed on me, not by others, but by myself.
Had I not payed enough heed to her temper? Could I have avoided her runaway if I only had listened more? A friendship growing through a thousand years is not easily neglected." "Is it true what the Oracles told me, was it doomed love that drew her to her insanity." Anm looked agasht. "I know not. When we meet her at the slopes of Igashar guiding the forces of darkness, being Lanthar, she talked to us, your mother fell to her knees and wanted to die. She felt so strongly for Aar, and so did I. But Aar would not listen, her dark veils fluttering in the wind as she drove the dark forces at us, Ean nearly died that day, so did Amnar.
She didn't seem effected by lost love that day" Anms face was haunted by ghosts of memories, running deep into her mind.
"I knew she loved a man behond her own life, behond physical boundaries of this world. But he left her, just as she left us one night, suddenly and without a warning.
If his leaving was the reason for hers, I do not know" Laurlyn listened with great interest and grave sorrow. "The day he left, her life just seemed to stop. It seemed as if it was nothing left in her. It was awfull watching Aar drift from us, slowly and bitterly. No defeat is worse then that which happens to those you love and which you cannot hinder." Laurlyn suddenly thought of something.
" Have you found Amnar yet"
" No, I am to join later on. I truly hope they find the old rag, it is so typical of him to go away when I need him." Laurlyn felt a little of tray, what was this?
" Anm, are you allright?" Anm made a soft smile. " I learned a long time ago that Amnar is capable of taking care of himself, no matter what he is up against. I know him and I now he is fine. He is trapped in all likeliness so we have to find him before he gets even more skiny but besides that, he is managing." " I worry for him." " You shouldn't. The ancient forces are terrible and not to be taken lightly, but Amnar has managed through worse, that I can promise you. He will be allright, if we find him in time."
Anm stoped talking.
She gazed up at the moon lighting weakly in the crimmson heavens .Only the palelight of Tach'Eld gleamed in the black silky sky. "It has been a pleasure talking to you Laurlyn, and I hope that this has been as rewarding for you as for me. If I never see you again..." She gave Laurlyn a soft hug.
"I love you Laurlyn, just as my granddaughter which I always recognized you as." "Why are you going all of a sudden" Laurlyn asked puzzled.
"I am afraid I have urgent business to attend to, one of the kind which cannot wait even though I much rather stay with you." "I love you too Anm", she said weakily. Anm pulled Laurlyn to her feet.
"I know my dear Laurlyn. I know" Her glare drifted to the approching coming of the night. "If you hurry, you can catch the Greeting." She said with a strange awe in her voice. "I'll do that then" replyed Laurlyn showing a weak smile, it had been long. Together they walked to the great hallway which all rooms were knitted to in the Golden Halls. "Goodbye my dear" said Anm in a deep, mournful voice.
"I hope that your journey will bring you there you want to be."she said. And as Anm walked away, she said brightly forcing a smile to her lips.
"Remember Laurlyn, it is not your burden to hold the fate of every unborn child. And no matter what, you will find your strenght"
And then she was gone behind a corner, as a faded memory, as cold on summers break, Laurlyn feared. This 'matter' was of utter importance Laurlyn knew because she knew Anm.
Anm would never leave her if it hadn't been. She was nonetheless left empty there looking in the hall where Anm had been standing moments ago. She felt a crucial worry in her stomach that she might be left without Anms being, forever. She kept telling herself that they would meet again, that she would do anything to make that happen.
She smiled gentely thinking of Anm but then she turned around and walked out in the dawning world. Suddenly she stoped and turned so she walked inside the Golden Halls again. Laurlyn took the first of the left and walked until she saw the place where she knew his room was, the door being open.