Part Twenty-one
By the King's Calendar the Autumn equinox fell at the middle of the year as well as the end of a month and was followed by several intercalary days of festival, so when the Rangers escorted the survivors and fallen of the Battle of the Hill, they entered Newhaven amid celebration that had commenced the evening before.
The settlement of Newhaven was built over and around the ruins of an ancient city which in the Common Speech meant Safe Place of Crossing, or perhaps Place of Safe Crossing. It was so named, because it sprawled over the meeting of river and tributary as well as the meeting of three roads from the north and east which left the city as one to the south. Newhaven was an island of relative safety in a sea of wilderness, containing various bridges, works of earth and stone meant to control the rivers, and more than one crossroad.
It was the river that had destroyed the previous city, more than wars or famines or disease, though past dangers had affected the ancient city. Now the stone and timber skeletons of the ancient city had been grafted with new wood and cordage and fleshed out by planks and textiles, so that where the flood had entirely washed away ancient foundations, tents and booths lined the muddy streets, previous ground level rooms had been dug out for use as stables and the amount of rigging and sailcloth used in completing or adding second and third stories made it seem the buildings were all remnants of ships long ago washed up by the river.
By night, the slightest glow from a candle could make a show of one's actions in silhouette on the walls for all the neighbors to see and sounds was carried easily through canvas walls and so it was locally considered quite dishonorable to reveal what one learned by chance and dense nature of the settlement, but blackmail was a common occupation.
There had been no indigenous population prior to the war. The war and floods had driven survivors elsewhere, but immediately after the defeat of the Dark Lord, in the months in which old kings had awaited burial and new kings their coronations, or in some cases marriage, the ruins had been reinhabited and expanded with their peculiar mode of construction. Those that lived here now had immigrated from many areas. They were failed farmers from the lost kingdom between the rivers to the northwest, or disenchanted shepherds from the highlands to the southeast, stray Elves whose companions had departed or planned to depart to the west, young dwarves who wondered if the world offered more than their mountain homes, a few Halflings such as Kato who had previously lived among the Big People as they called them and who had wandered down the trade road, veterans from various armies who had no home and had not wished to become Rangers and those who were Rangers posted here, and many Men from the East and South whose lands were not in tentative alliance with the High King and who wished to explore the west.
They had all brought some part of their culture to Newhaven and their skills. Various moats had been made to control the river as well as future invasions, and new devices and earthworks had been made to keep the river from flooding the present settlement. They were making new culture of their own. As the group from the hill came into the city it was early morning, after the night of the equinox, but many venders and barkers were already about, advertising their wares or shows that might be seen or businesses they wished newcomers to patronize. There were hand-painted advertisements as well, posted on every available surface, telling those on the streets where they might find lodging, food and what were purported to be the best venues to see various magicians, musicians, actors, dancers and singers.
Many of the vendors and posters alerted the newcomers that today was Ring Day. It was a curious and newly established holiday, the Rangers familiar with Newhaven told the others, meant to celebrate the fall of the Dark Lord in some manner, though it had happened in an entirely different season.
It seemed to Tsuki surprising that the defeat of the Dark Lord was already over a year past, but he realized also that there had been months of burials and celebrations and state affairs to attend to before some soldiers had been dismissed and even those who had decided to go to train as Rangers had not traveled quickly, but leisurely, as if grateful there were no longer forced marches or allies which they must race to aid.
"Fifty copper rings for a gold coin!" A vendor called out.
"Silver rings! Made by Dwarves!"
"Join the festivities!"
"Good Luck!"
"Real gold rings! Elvish script!"
"Toss rings to the paraders!"
"Give them to sweethearts!"
"I think I might buy some," Tsuki said. He had slipped from Nightmare as soon as they reached the bridge over the moat, as his control over the animal was uneasy at best and was now leading the two horses by their reins. "We will be here several days I think; we should not do anything to make ourselves enemies."
"We need to find some place to stay," Laurel said. She was riding Moon-halo and supporting Fei before her, as he had been in and out of consciousness and complained of some pain and dizziness.
"I am just a little worried about that," Kato said from his pony, "I know a place that I could recommend, but I had not anticipated being here during the holidays and am afraid lodging might be more expensive or altogether unavailable."
Tsuki observed the various booths and their venders. He had a suspicion that better deals might be found closer to the center of the city and that newcomers were taken advantage of, but the prices did not truly seem more than he was willing to pay. He approached one vender and placed too gold coins minted and stamped by Elves on the board across the front of the booth. "I will give you these two gold coins for one of those gold rings, a dozen of silver and fifty of copper." The amount Tsuki asked was, according to the advertised prices, one gold coin short, but Tsuki suspected each ring was so thin and cheaply made that each cost less than one coin of the corresponding metal and that the vender would still make a profit.
The offer was accepted without argument, perhaps the vender saw that Tsuki could figure the cost of the rings, or he saw the shapes of the bodies on the wain that passed and had sympathy. The rings were counted out and strung together and the coins received in exchange.
As Tsuki was turning to rejoin the convoy, he heard someone call to him. He saw Lenaduiniel coming toward him, from the other side of the street and greeted her hesitantly. "But why are you here now? Have you had word of your brother?"
"I have news...but do not tell me Dale is lost."
Tsuki smiled slightly. "No. Dale is well enough. He has ridden with some Elf-Lords known to him and left me with his uncooperative beast. He said that Gwindor might be near and in some trouble, but you can see we were in no position to ride to his aid."
Lenaduiniel bowed her head and fidgeted with the ring on her left hand. Tsuki saw it and knew it was the same ring he had given to Gib.
"What happened? Was it Gib with him?"
"He is dead," Lenaduiniel said as she lifted her head. Her voice came out as if in laughter but then suddenly her expression changed to grief and tears flowed from her eyes. Tsuki embraced Lenaduiniel and held her as she sobbed.
Tsuki did not know what he could say, but he also felt sad.
After a few minutes passed, Lenaduiniel straightened and took a cloth from a pocket to dry her face. "I am sorry," she said, "I was sent to meet you, as we knew you would be coming with companions. Are these your companions now?"
Tsuki went through the introductions, saying that Lenaduiniel had been known to him since the war and that her father was an Elf of some nobility, that Kato was a merchant he was escorting, that Laurel was their healer and Fei one that served as their cook but was a scholar that hoped to learn of the west and write their accounts.
"But how did you know we would come?" Tsuki asked.
"Beryl said a bird told him."
"Do you mean Beryl the Minstrel?" Kato asked.
"Lucky Beryl of the mounted spear soldiers?" Tsuki asked.
"Do you perhaps refer to a Man in a green cloak?" Laurel asked.
When they realized they all knew one named Beryl, they exchanged more detailed descriptions. Kato had seen the Minstrel perform in Newhaven on a previous visit and said his show was most strange but popular and that Beryl seemed to be an Elf. Tsuki said the Beryl he knew had been a mercenary and that he had appeared to be a Man. Laurel said that she had heard of a Man in Green her people sometimes mistook as one of their own in the wood or fields and that by some accounts he called himself Beryl. They all agreed that he was tall, his hair was brown, and his eyes were remarkably green, like the stones of which Elves were particularly fond.
"I think it best you meet Beryl yourself, though I am certain he is an Elf and also possessed of many talents, perhaps even passing himself off as a Man," Lenaduiniel said, "He has said you may stay with us in exchange for doing a few chores and that he will see all of your needs are met. Gwindor is at his house now, recovering from poisoned wounds, and our other companion as well. I think it best you meet that one for yourself as well."
Laurel said they should tell the others where they could be found, and they stopped South as she was riding by. She had suffered some wounds, and looked as exhausted and in need of a bath as all who had come from the hill, but she was among those surviving and still able to ride. Laurel and Lenaduiniel both explained to her that they would be at the house of Beryl, who was well known in Newhaven, in the east part of the city.
Lenaduiniel had already been in the city since the previous morning and was able to lead the way. As they went, she explained briefly that her brother, Gib and another companion had traveled by the more easterly trade roads to Newhaven and that she had tracked them, branch-walking almost entirely. She had helped them secretly when she was able, and avoided the Orcs, because they had not been seeking just one Elf or searching trees. Dale had given her the idea of disguising her scent and so she confessed she had worn a garland and garters fashioned from fresh wild grasses and fragrant bulbs. She said that out of necessity, Gib's body had already been buried, but that as Gwindor and his companion were still recovering themselves there had been no ceremony. She suggested they might perhaps visit his place of burial when everyone was rested and sing him a proper lament. And Lenaduiniel promised that soon, when the others had had opportunity to wash and eat, they might all exchange stories. She had something she wanted to discuss with Dale in particular, she said.
As soon as they viewed the district that was on the east of the larger river and north of the road that continued from the bridge that crossed it they noticed it was a settlement within the settlement. The posters that advertised holidays, goods and businesses were still posted on every surface, but the writing was of no system used in the west.
Lenaduiniel led them onto a side street that led further north. Here and there along the mud, they could see stones that were remnants of a former paved road. There were booths with venders selling noodles for breakfast, small pigs ran freely between the buildings, and though the businesses and residences seemed no more or less luxurious than the rest of the city, many rose two or three stories on well-crafted timber frames that seemed likely to survive floods or storms, or at least be easily reassembled afterward.
Beryl's house seemed one of the better preserved of the old buildings, though the truth was Beryl had done a lot of work to restore the first two levels to their former design and function. The walls of those floors were stone and mortar, with thick timbers set into gaps to frame interior divisions exterior portals. The two top floors, making the total four, were framed in timber and enclosed in places by lathing and mud plaster and elsewhere by panels of canvas. Above the fourth floor there was a weathered copper roof that sloped toward the sides of the house. The windows had no glass, but all were fit with shutters.
In the local manner, the ancient ground floor had been dug out and as if they all feared flooding, the lower chambers were not used for dwelling, except by animals. Beryl's house had at one time included lower cellars, and so these had been dug out as well a ramp now led from the street, through the old front entry, into a stable where a number of horses were kept. Outside were many plants in large soil-filled containers; though few bloomed in this season all seemed to be flowering varieties. Slender trees stood either side the house and one now bore red and yellow apples; it seemed the trees must have stood from before the war, though not since the time of the former city.
A wooden ladder led to a balcony built before the old front windows of the second story and this was the current main entrance. There was a yard in the back as well, though it could not be seen from the street, and Beryl had a garden there with more flowering plants and fruit trees. The yard faced one of Newhaven's narrow canals, which was used for irrigation and waste disposal, this section of the water works was fed by a tributary flowing west and later joined other ditches and the moats and finally the larger river which washed the waste of Newhaven to the sea. Clean water for Beryl's house came from a cistern that collected rain in his yard, from a well on the street and from various contraptions hanging outside the windows, designed to collect dew.
As the five came to the house with the horses and pony Beryl opened the shutters and sitting in the window, swung his legs out onto the balcony. He looked down and counted. "The young Elf is not with you? I was hoping to meet that one."
The others looked up and saw that this did seem to be the same Beryl they all knew of. He was an Elf, but sometimes it suited his purposes to disguise the fact and even to hide his ears, dress as a Man and saddle his horse.
"Some other Elves took Dale with them. Rangers. I am sure he will find us," Tsuki said, "We have his horse and belongings."
"He does not strike me as the sort to abandon friends or duty either. I am sure we will see him. May I help you with the horses." Beryl switched languages and called out in the Middle Kingdom speech, "You do not seem well, Friend, may I fetch a doctor or herbalist to you?"
Fei blinked slowly and looked up as the Elf vaulted from his balcony to the street. He had never met an Elf in the west that spoke his language, but he was awake now, even though his head hurt, and aware that the neighbors were immigrants from the east and some from the region he had lived in. "My education was more focused on the laws of nature, languages, and history, but if they know any remedies for injuries to the head I would be glad to see them."
"I shall make inquiries on your behalf," Beryl said. He pet Moon-halo's neck as Laurel was helping Fei from the horse's back. "Good to see you again," Beryl sang softly to the horse, "I think you will find old friends within my stable." Moon-halo was unburdened first and the gear tossed up onto the balcony.
Kato could not reach to put his things on the Balcony, even by tossing, and his hand was starting to hurt again. He was glad when Beryl offered help. "You are the Minstrel, are you not, but if so, how did you come upon the former companions of Tsuki and Dale?"
"I read the signs that there was trouble in that area and alerted the Rangers. They took me seriously of course. The Rangers here are wise enough to trust my advice in many things, but they did not have the numbers to go themselves and investigate, as many need their services, so I went myself, and found them, perhaps too late for one, but two of the three were saved, though, I had some help I had not entirely expected." He gestured to Lenaduiniel.
"Our host is being modest. I would have soon been dead as well, if he had not arrived just at the moment he did. We were not far from Newhaven by then, but that small distance was more than we could go alone. My father will be grateful, even if a Dwarf family must be grieved. Gwindor feared there would be no heirs left."
"I know of your father. He has a younger son, one that has been made Lord of a smaller wood east of the great river," Beryl said.
"Yes, a Lord of sorts, though at home he was already Prince." Lenaduiniel laughed, "he is my younger brother, but lately he speaks too fondly of the sea."
"I have really never seen what all the fuss is over departing for the west. Even if I did, I think I should never make the journey. Too many formers."
"Formers?" Kato asked.
"Former companions, former lovers, former wives. They were each enjoyable in their lifetime of course, and I think it is fair to replace those that have departed wholly, but I should dread having them all about at one time. Can you imagine?"
Kato laughed. "Err...I suppose it would be awkward to find all one's former lovers in one place."
"I have great faith in my talent, but I should not possibly be able to please them all." Beryl rolled his eyes and seemed to the others in thought as he calculated. "No, only counting the Elves and doubling or tripling up as it were I should still not be able to do it." He laughed, "I should hate to take them in turn, they would have to decide one to go first. Alas, happy as it sounds, I think it would be too much of a good thing. I shall remain. Perhaps I shall look up Lenaduiniel's younger brother." Beryl winked at Lenaduiniel, "I have done much to restore this city and they could use help there, I dare say. I trust one of your family would know how to tend the wood, but what of the river vale and the meadows...and there should be flowers."
"I am certain my brothers do know of tending wood," Lenaduiniel said flatly, "but should you visit, our kin will likely inform you that my brother has gone out walking with the Dwarf again. It seemed such a funny story...until recently. Here I am grieving for one of their race. They should rename our family Dwarf-Friends."
"I did not even know you had one brother until recently," Tsuki commented as he tossed the last of the gear to the balcony. "How many siblings do you have?"
"Just the two brothers that I know of. I suppose I like to speak of more cheerful things. The older one always broods so, and the younger rather became a sore point where my father was concerned. He was sent off to deliver a simple message and ended up following some Wizard on his mad fool quest, or so my father would complain of the other Elf-Lords that let him go, until the war was ended and we realized my brother had long been in the company of the new King. That one has a most distinguished line of decent, which even includes Elves, and of course, his Queen is Elven."
"I suppose I had not really paid attention to all the royal marriages."
Beryl laughed. "Tsuki, you seem greatly changed, but I remember you could pay attention to the minutest detail in sharpening swords or digging a pebble from a horse's shoe, yet you did not seem to see the relationships that were so obvious to others."
"I lacked in attention to detail, for I did not even notice you were an Elf."
"I am most certainly an Elf, and not a spirit that can appear what it is not, though I have learned to change my manner to be more fitting certain circumstances. Now, let us all go in. Climb through the window there. Lenaduiniel can show you the way and make introductions. I will go for more medicinal supplies and perhaps bring some food."
Tsuki and Laurel helped Fei up to the balcony and in through a window. Lenaduiniel helped Tsuki get the gear inside and then began to point out the features of the house and rooms they could use. Kato came in last and closed the shutters.
The interior of Beryl's house had perhaps more plants than the outside, kept in various pots near the windows or in deeper shade according to their needs. Most were flowering, but for a few that were grown for some part of the plant that had practical use. Rather than walls between the rooms there was lattice climbed by potted vines. One of these separate areas was for storing, preparing and cooking food and smelled of live flavorful herbs. The larger area accessible from the front and rear entrances seemed intended for dining and receiving of guests, as it had a large table and various unmatched chairs, a small couch and even some manner of floor tapestry. Presently though, the table was covered by both maps and decorative vessels in which flowers were arranged. A third smaller area seemed used for storage of said decorative vessels and maps, as well as shoes, outer clothing, paper and other things.
A ladder and a rope handrail took them all to the third floor, here there were more plants, though the rooms were divided by trained potted trees and paper screens. Arranging flowers was one of Beryl's many pastimes and sources of income but he also did various stage or street performances to earn money and had in one area a wardrobe filled with fanciful costumes and a mirror hung over a washstand and various musical instruments stored on shelves. The rear wall of this level was constructed of canvas panels so that the rooms might be opened to the rear yard. There was a railed balcony giving access to the top of the cistern, more plants, and to the yard by rope ladders.
Another room contained a stove, a tub for bathing and even had devices for lifting water from the cistern and draining the tub into a gutter below by a canvas hose. The rest of the space seemed used for further storage and for housing guests. At the present, a sleeping pallet had been placed in the dressing room as well.
Lenaduiniel indicated that they could draw water up from the cistern, heat it on the stove in provided pots and kettles and when finished unplug the hole in the basin to drain it. "There is even a spare curtain here for more privacy." She reached up and untied the rolled canvas flap and sealed of the bathing area. "Beryl says you will find various soaps and supplies on the shelves in the cabinets here and that there are smaller basins to wash standing or to do laundry, but he sends his laundry out, particularly if it has blood on it." Lenaduiniel frowned. Her hands had smeared Gib's blood onto Beryl's cloak when Galadhir had tossed it to her.
The dark-haired Elf came from one of the sleeping areas but said nothing.
Kato looked at Galadhir and then at Lenaduiniel and to the others. "I did not know it was the custom of female Elves to dress in trousers as the males do."
Lenaduiniel smiled. She had realized days before that Galadhir was not male, though her brother had not seemed to. She wished she had known whether Gib had realized. Lenaduiniel suspected he had, but kept the secret.
Galadhir said nothing but colored from embarrassment.
"Come now, I may climb the trees as well as the bushes but that does not mean I cannot tell the difference!"
"Is my brother awake?" Lenaduiniel asked.
"Yes," Galadhir said. As she spoke, Gwindor walked uneasily from his sleeping chamber. He wore only a pair of leggings of the sort that were meant to be worn beneath clothing in cool climates and not seen and so they all could see that he had many bandaged wounds, and his face seemed paler than Tsuki remembered it. He looked better than when Lenaduiniel or Beryl had joined him.
"I see my sister had been trying to spare my pride for some while, but I am a fool. I might have realized, except that an Elf who wishes to bathe alone has not seemed strange to me of late. I hope the disguise is convincing?"
"I am not certain that I would have noticed," Tsuki assured Gwindor.
"You did not even know Beryl was an Elf," Kato told him.
"Dale did not come? Is he well?"
"He is well as can be expected," Tsuki said.
"He is with Elves," Lenaduiniel said.
Gwindor looked at Tsuki. The gaze seemed strange to Tsuki; Gwindor was wondering if Dale had not had anyone to share with since leaving Stone Keep. Gwindor could not decide if Dale and Tsuki would have come to some arrangement. Of course sharing with Men was not the most usual, but Gwindor knew it was done and he knew Tsuki and Dale had been interested in each other, at least at some point.
"I think we all have a lot to discuss," Kato said, "but first, we must get clean."
"Fei should go first," Laurel said.
"Do you need help?" Tsuki asked.
"I can manage, if someone would draw the water and heat it for me."
"I can do that," Laurel said.
They agreed on an order to bathe and each took their turn. Beryl returned as Tsuki was bathing, after Fei had finished. He had brought food and promised they could all have some as soon as everyone was washed, to be fair. A pile of bloodied clothing was made and Beryl said he knew a Laundry that might be able to salvage the clothing.
"I had to take my cloak in. When I asked the Lady to hold it for me, I meant the one to whom I tossed it."
"He knew as well?" Gwindor asked as he sat on his sleeping pallet. "I suppose you really are a female Elf who put on the clothing of males to become a Ranger?"
"Yes. My name is Galadhiel."
Gwindor laughed, though weakly as he still was recovering from his wounds. "Leaf."
"In a matter of speaking," she said. Thought her name could be interpreted otherwise, Gwindor had taken it to mean Tree-star, and found the description of a leaf in the name.
"But if the Halfling would call only the males trees then it is a telling name."
When they had all washed and dressed in what clean clothing they had, they went down to the second floor to sit about the table. Tsuki had run out of suitable clothing, and so he wore some of the Eastern-like clothing he had worn when living with the Wizard and was dressed all in white.
Beryl opened the little waxed paper cartons and passed around bowls and eating sticks. He spoke as he was serving the food, saying that Fei sounded like he had more recently come from the East but that he suspected Tsuki had long lived in the west and that he was not sure if he had met another of his people before. He opened a carton of rice, saying that he had not seen it in many places but that it was grown in the west, only in the southern region where there was good farmland between the mountains there and the sea. "And they call this 'mein' or something...I am not sure I am saying it correctly, but it is just like dumplings or nudelen I suppose...although a different shape!"
"Noodles!" Kato cheered. "We know noodles. They are quite good."
Beryl smiled.
"Is it...just this one area where Men of the East live?" Fei asked.
Beryl sat down and allowed his guests to put food into their bowls. He had brought bread also, and there were pitchers of water and cider on the table. He continued to help his guests by pointing out those dishes that included meat. "And rice and noodles, I find, are quite suitable for Elves." He answered Fei then, having made certain everyone had what they needed. "It was my section of the city and when others settled here, though I lived here already, they moved to the other three quarters, but not the northwest, because this is the area closest to the mines, which are infested with Orcs these days. The Eastmen came more recently and some did move into other parts of the city, but as many still thought of them as those they had fought in the war, they felt safer keeping together and did not seem to fear the Orcs. I think they are good neighbors, as good as any in this city, but everyone here steals in stolen goods and practices some amount of blackmail."
"But that would include yourself," Kato said quietly.
"Well, perhaps not so much outright blackmail as suggesting that I know enough that I should not be crossed, and though I do not sell branded horses, I will breed them and sell their foals."
"It seems a most strange occupation for an Elf," Lenaduiniel said hesitantly.
"Uncommon, but I am an Elf and it is one of my trades, of which there are many. My passions of course being the flowers and music, that would include the vocal instrument. I am a singer."
Gwindor made a soft sound and Tsuki thought that the word singer as Beryl spoke it in the Common Speech had some meaning to the Elves, but he did not know it. Truly, Beryl was suggesting to the other three the line of Elves from which he was descended.
"So are we all, but for those who crossed the sea and crossed back again and there are few of those left these days."
"Fewer still within a year, I expect," Beryl said, "but it is true they mingled their culture and their blood with others, as did many Elves who walked lands now sundered. Now even to the speaking races we seem perhaps of two sorts, those who take a visible role in their world and will go so far west as the sea and those who are said to love the wilderness and are called Sylvan, but Sylvan is a misleading term as it applies we all live within the wood or have always dwelled there. I wish our young Vale Elf were here, I should like to learn if one so young even knows where are people come from."
"Are you saying that you are a Vale Elf?" Lenaduiniel asked.
"No, My Lady, there is a more specific name in our history for my kindred, though we once could be counted as Vale Elves, as your mother's people were before they discovered their love of the wood. My people did travel east, as did your father's ancestors, although along a different path and at a later time. We dwelled in those lands which are now coastline, but which once were river valleys and lush land below the mountains and very far from the western coast of those days. For the most part, my people died in that land. Those that survived went to live with those people that would be your father's and mingled with them, so that their children would be counted among those Elves, but those that were already born and survived could only be counted as the last of a bloodline."
"Do you know what Beryl is speaking of, Tsuki?" Kato asked. "What is this part about sundering lands?"
"I know this legend. I know much lore," Fei said. "In the west, but on this side of the sea, there was a land that is now lost. In a great cataclysm it was swallowed by the sea. The present western shore is a remnant of that land and a great nation of Elves lived there and were the survivors of the lost land, but now that nation is diminished."
"Diminished but not lost. I come from the lands near the shore," Galadhiel said.
"A Green Elf. They called your kin Green Elves," Gwindor said to Beryl, "I apologize for not knowing you. I did not judge you to be so old."
"How old are you?" Kato asked.
Beryl laughed. "I stopped counting the years I had after five thousand,
but I know I must be older than that, for not only do I remember the lands
now sundered, but I remember crossing two chains of mountains to get there."