Old Wounds and New Deals
M. A. Clark

[Editor: This appears to be part of a history. Although this is a separate piece and can be published as a whole, it is found in Megarano's History of the Elvish People. It appears that an unknown historian was making it ready for publication for the text is annotated, and it has much sumplementry material to it. In fact, a whole other volume was written dealing with times afte Megarano's death. It appears that this historian was also a philologist. More will appear at a later date in time.]

"You don't know?" asked Dreymun.

"No, I don't. Lets find out. Maybe one of those dwarves would know."

"The dwarves? Ugh! I hate the foul scum!" said Dreymun

"Well, you never know!"

The two elves were at the gate opening of the Jalon Castle. Its turrets were decorated with banners, and there were no guards. There being no guards was what freaked the two elves out.

The elves then decided to walk out to where the dwarves were camped out. About a hundred yards from the main gate in Spring Meadow were the tents. There were hundreds of them. But they knew were they were going. They had been over the night before with some of their friends \ causing havoc. Their destination was the tent of Greegan. It was off on the outerfringes of the camp. They got up close, and then drew the tent aside.

"What do you want? Why are you here?" asked the dwarf. Greegan was lying on some cushions. He got up and moved toward his sword.

"No, we do not want that. We have came to ask you something," said Dreymun's companion.

"What is it? And make it quick! I don't want to waste my time on you!"

"The feeling is mutual, beleive us. But no one knows why the Council has gathered. Do you have any information?"

"No, I don't, save that some important decision was reached. Now, what that was none know save the Council Members. The council ajourned yesterday. But all of the High Dwarves are staying in your castle. Quite frankly, I don't like the whole thing. I don't trust you elves so far as I could kick you!"

"Greegan, I feel the same way about you scum! I don't know why we're letting you leach off of us at this deal. You should have brought your own food and the such. We should kill you while your in striking range!" said the elf clad in grey. Dreymun seconded his opinion.

"Wot wot? Hahaha, only you egotistical bunch would say that! King Eleldo is so overconfident in his own powers that he tried to attack our kingdom with a starving bunch of riffraff! But in this kingdom they pass as great warriors no doubt! Or at least that's what one told me after we captured him. But that was sheer massecre, and he was one of the ten who actually survived! With judgement like that, I won't be surprised if Eleldo is overthrown in the next ten years!" Greegan laughed at the memory.

"Oh, how dare you insinuate that! That was indeed poor judgement but ---"

"Poor judgement? That's one of the biggest understatements I have ever heard you speak!!" Greegan hated Dreymun's companion.

"You did not let me finish! That is when he was young! He came into the throne at sixteen, and attacked your kingdom at seventeen!"

"I can tell no difference!" said Greegan.

"Aaauugh! You stupid oaf, I'm gonna ---" At this the grey elf motioned for Dreymun to get Greegan. Greegan saw what they were going to do, and went for his sword. Dreymund kicked it stepped on the broadside, forcing it to the ground, and smashing Greegan's hand. Then he kicked it away, and got behind Greegan and held him so he could not move. The grey elf looked out the tent to make sure it was safe, and then he ran his sword through the Dwarf.

As he was wiping off his blade, the grey elf said, "Listen, we'd better get rid of this body. Lets go in late to night and remove it. Go to the creek and hide him."

"No, lets do it now. Just put it him in a bag. Come on, lets go!" This they hastily did, and started out across the Meadow toward the stream. Many people saw them, but none questioned their errand.

* * *

The sun shone brightly, save for on the forest where there was a dark brooding cloud, and it was a fair day for the festivites. Jalon was never before as brigh and beautifully decorated. But there was a sense of dread and mistrust.In the main courtyard were most of the elves and dwarves gathered. They were there to here their leaders, and to hear tell of the Council's dicision. Kind Eleldo and Lord Menecar was up on the dias.On his left and on Eleldo's right were five knights, made ready for war.

King Eleldo spoke. "My friends, a new era is about us. Peace will be in the land. Let us embrace this peace and prepetuate it continually.

"Many have oft wondered why a Council was called together. The Council has debaiting and trying to come to be on peaceable terms, and we have made much headway. Alas in the old days dwarves were never in our councils. To seek council from a dwarf was an evil. But to kill, ah, to kill a dwarf was of utmost delight.

"This brooding has been in the land for centuries. I was taught to hate them. But now I want to heal that hate. That cloud over at the forrest, that is what it is like. My hate against them was evil. Through this, we have waged war against them. But the dawrves were also participants in this hate too. These knights beside me and Lord Menecar represent one thousand years of hate and war and bloodshed. We, as a race, are both responsible. This must end! Rigthė!"

[Found in an elvish scrawl across the top of the page, not found in the main text itself. It appeard to be of a much later date and in a different hand than the rest of the manuscript. But much history is written in this hand.] Rigthė is used mostly for ceremonies at this time in our history. It is used to commence it. This word is not oft found or heard in our language any more.

At this, King Eleldo and Lord Menecar turned to face each other, embraced and shook hands, and then swore allegiance to each other. At this, they walked to the edge of the dias and stood. The knights cast off their armour and laid down their armour and did the same actions that Eleldo and Lord Menecar had done. Then they went and stood behind their leaders. Then, a dwarvish couple and an elvish couple stepped out from behind two of the pillars at the back of the dias. They picked up the weapons and tossed them over to the side off of the dias. They then went to thier king or lord, and said they were of Eleldo's and Menecar's service (depending on the race). Then they went to the opposing leader, and hailed them as friend in the appropriate Dwarvish and Elvish signs. The elves then went to stand behind their king, and the dwarves likewise, but not before embracing and shaking hands with each other.

Lord Menecar then went to speak. "I, Menecar, the present Lord of the Dwarves, have long been holding coucil with King Eleldo over this matter. We have reached a treaty that was signed two days ago this eve* In this we have set aside our differences. King Eleldo was ill yesterday, and we would not pursue the ambition of doing this ceremony that day, as was planned. In this we agreed that we would not attack each other, and that we would be allies and the such. There were to be no acts of hostility at this convention. What ever was done would be returned. In this, a new era has dawned on us!"

[Same Elvish scrawl] In this time eve was meant as the morning or the evening. This is solely a ligustic matter, and how it got to mean just evening is still a topic open to debate. Refer to my Elelnisharė, which deals with the ligustic aspects of our language.

At this there was a shrill laugh. It came form a dwarf in the crowd. He moved through the crowd till he got up to the dias, and this he scrambed up. He was an ugly red haired dwarf with and unkempt beard. He was enor- mously fat. He had green trousers on, a yellow shirt, green hat, and brown boots on.

"No, no acts of holistity, eh? Hehehe! I reckon I saw one the other day! Hehehe!" the fat dwarf sqeueled.

King Eleldo went over to the dwarf. "What is your name? What incident are you referring too?"

"They call me Jagjuan [juan pronounced the Spanish way], ehehehe! The act, the act! I saw two elves carryin' a bad down toward the stream. And I says to myself, I says `Now I wonder what they're doin?' The thing, ehehehe, the bag had some red stains near the bottom of it. That was what really struck my attention! Ehehehe, I went and found what they did to it. It's over there in that damned forrest! Ehehehe, its damned because in it you will find the elves', eheheh, guilt. Curious, ehehehe, how there's a cloud over that when the rest is clear. Even a dark one at that! Eheheh. The bag, it had Greegan's body in it. He's dead!"

"Who were these?" asked Eleldo

The dwarf pointed at the guilty parties. He sqeueled again.

"Are you certian this is them?" asked King Eleldo.

"Yes, yes, I'm cetain! Ehehehe!"

"Islor, is this true? Did you kill Greegan? Dreymun?"

Islor spoke. "Yes, it was I and Dreymun. There came evil words from his mouth, and it being only proper I slew him. But how did you know to follow me?"

"Why, the red near the bottom of the sack. Ehehehe!"

"Then he must be killed! But alas, it is an evil fate. But such is life. Prepare the gallows. But let there be mourning for three days. Then there will be the deaths of Islor and Dreymun," said King Eleldo.

* * * * *

The country went into mourning. Then the execution took place. It was terrible, but it was fate. Dreymun went howling into the streets. It had driven him mad.

The day after Lord Menecar and Magral were talking and discussing the recent past events.

"Yes, I am glad that you talked me into it." Menecar was say- ing. "While they think it is peace time we will be preparing for war. And we will take full adavantage of their being our allies! We will drain them of their resources, and then we will strike!" Menecar said. "And to think, Islor ended up dying! That was an unexpected bonus!"

"Yes, indeed it was. With the Prince dead, it will make it all the more easier! Eleldo will be more vunarable. Also, it helped that Drey- mun was killed too! With the high Council Chief's son dead they will have to find a new one to begin the training, and that will take years. Another great setback!" Mahral Magral laughed. "Oh, what about Greegan, my lord?"

"Ah, it was a pity he had to die. He was a good son. But I can always sire another one. But Eleldo's wife is past the age of bearing him children. Hahaha!" Dreegan Menecar laughed~

Bovean Move-Edga

The End


Copyright 1997 (text)

M. A. Clark Email If you have any comments on this story, please email me

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