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Eltar’s PoV

Ehud dropped to his knees besides Eltar as Erin crept away. “Is the fox-is Brin going to be okay?”

Eltar nodded to the boy, keeping himself from touching the fox. He’d noticed that she disliked physical contact, but she hadn’t said anything to the others that kept touching her. Strong creature.

Ehud tentatively scratched Brin’s ear. “Before you guys got here we found some writing in the castle that said we’d be tested, we also found a buncha books…if that helps.” He pulled out a small, bound book and gingerly placed it on the grass.

Eltar nodded gratefully. Information was priceless.

Ehud yawned, mechanically stroking Brin. “Does the rain blocking…thing…how long can you maintain it? Should we looking for a cave or something? If Wen can talk to Castle Lord can you see if where’s fish minds in the pool and I’ll catch ‘em?”

Eltar smiled at the drowsily blinking boy. “Wen can keep up the shield for a day or so. Some shelter might be good, though. And yes, I could sense out some fish, but it would be easier to pull them out.”

Ehud looked tiredly at him and his eyes snapped open. “I’m awake!!” he cried, causing Brin to jolt up onto her feet, where she swayed in exhaustion.

“Uhh…thanks.” Brin said, shaking herself.  “Is … anyone else hungry? I’m starving.”

Eltar smiled at the small ones. “I do believe some food might be in order. Luckily for us, there are fish in the lake.” He waved his hand, and a fish for every member of the party gently slid out and in front of each, cooking and descaling as they went into a freshly grown patch of lettuce that instantly cut itself from the ground. Eltar grinned tiredly, sitting back. “It’s harder for me to access all areas of magic like Wen does, since I am only an elf, no matter how strong I am. Wen is a halfen, and naturally can access all aspects of energy, which is all that magic is, really. Using our energy to access certain aspects of energy. Most people can only access a few aspects very easily, and reaching out to others drains more energy than an equal task in an area you have practiced in or hold a natural aptitude to. Wen holds a natural aptitude in all areas, as a halfen and the daughter of two strong mages. Halfen are naturally stronger than elves or humans, and magical strength passes down through bloodlines. I am just an elf, albeit with two strong parents, so I can only easily access combat, stealth, telepathy, telekinesis, and ice.” The grass under his feet frosted over as he spoke.

“Combat and stealth are not my natural aptitudes, however. And Wen.. No matter how abrasive she seems, she does care. She only is rough and harsh to frighten people off and make herself seem stronger. Magic is tricky and involves focus. If all of you attacked us at once, Wen and I wouldn’t be able to defeat you.. She’s had a hard life. Her mother died trying to save her and her older brother from my father. ‘King’ Elawr distrusts and hates all halfen,” Eltar said slowly, “and captured Wen despite Queen Enunne’s attempt. Wen was tortured from the age of two to when I helped her escape at twelve. I taught her to warp-the very act that killed her mother by the fact that she didn’t have enough energy to unnaturally warp her two young children across the country to their home. Wen, however, naturally picked it up, and warped a great distance to where her fiance, a human former asassin by the name of Aernus, found her. She met the royal family of Were and was accepted as a bodyguard and companion to the human princess and heir Mian. My wish[mewi(may-we)].” Eltar said softly in the ancient Elunian tongue, picturing his fierce warrior princess. “Wen became more than a simple companion to Mian. She became Mian’s best friend. And then they were sent to Avarya, the land of the dragons where Wen originally came from. Where her older brother was. They were going to his coronation. But Wen didn’t know that the soon-to-be King We(way, I’m weird and came up with a whole language where every word’s a syllable) was her brother. I had only recently learned of this relationship when I came to Avarya and noticed We’s hair and eyes. They were just like Wen’s. I put things together that day, and retreated into my snobbish shell to put him off as I tried to comprehend all this. I had already deduced long ago that my father had killed his twin. But I hadn’t realized..” Eltar trailed off and looked sadly at his little cousin(she’s seriously small after ten years of malnutririon and only six of actually being cared for). “When I arrived early to We’s coronation, I was able to get a moment to speak to him alone. I told him everything I knew. And then Wen and Mian arrived. I told We who she was as soon as I recognized her, and tried to get a moment alone to explain everything to her.” Eltar snorted fondly. “She tried to kill me before I could explain. That habit of ‘kill first, ask later’, has thankfully been squashed. We discovered that their father might yet be alive, when Wen and We’s minds melded. Since then, we’ve been helping Wen get a handle on her powers and fighting to dethrone my father. Even if my uncle is dead, Wen, not my father, was the rightful heir to the throne of Ibia.”