NationStates Jolt Archive

Rising above the thousands of miles of virgin forest, the city of Ilek is shrouded in mist as night falls. The House of Ilek, atop a cliff over looking the city with it's odd-cyclopean walls and jumbled geometry spoke of it's great age, the lights of the city twinkling far below in contrast to the dark gulf of the deep forests and their liminal passageways. No one except tourists and hippie campers would risk the uncharted woods at night, and even they disappeared with alarming frequency, that is when anyone showed up at all to test the deep woods, the Border Republics were far from the southern beaches and tourist centers of the Free Republic.

Shurha Ilek stood quietly among the jumbled standing stones in the back yard of the House of Ilek. Trees had grown unchecked and moved the stones as they pleased, the House of Ilek had never sought to check nature. The mossy floor of the 'porch' as her family called it, was quiet and soft, only a chirping of crickets interloped on the quiet that night was slowly bringing, she glided down through the stone and tree and came finally to the trees that formed the 'gate' of the 'porch'. This natural archway led away from the House and deep into the deadly wood.

She pauses there, and as she expected a tall 'man' stepped through the gate. Fully seven feet tall with shimmering skin like mother of pearl and strange eyes with double pupils, he moved soundlessly, dressed like a Boyar prince in fur trimmed silks, embroided with impossibly complicated designs, his long black hair shimmered down his back like and obsidian waterfall. He carries a spear and a black collection of metal plates.

Shurha gazes up to the man "I heard you call Lord Marduke, it has been an age since you visited the House of my Family. I wonder what draws you from the wood my Lord?"

Marduke gazes down and through Shurha, an even calm expression on his face "Ere, it has been overlong since our influence was felt among the hurari. The tribes of men wallow ever in ignorance and unknowing, fearing and fighting death, that is their gift, forever seeking those that can give to them the power that even the creators of the vaults of the sky and ramparts of earth have witheld.

By such folly they bind themselves to those who are to attempt to revoke their gift and do themselves much evil. Now, time as it seems to me, slips ever slowly and I forget to hold your House to the oathes that bind you to my blood. I forget the promises made that free you from my ban to wander the wood and to know such as what is contained therein.

Time it seems has flown since the last Drune walked and suffered and has sown his terrible order. The birth of freedom means the death of many. Man, by nature, is intractable and intransigent, able to mount the Chaos Horse, not ever to control where it takes him."

He paused here, smiling at Shurha, handing over the spear and the banded armour both made of black galvorn, that is, meteoric iron fused with mithril.

Shurha takes the suprisingly light armour and the spear and blinks "But the sword of the old Drune has never been returned, it sits still in Great Lassic?"

Marduke smiles again "The bargain was made by me, so I amend it as I choose. The Old Drune sought to sever the line by by not giving the sword onto the next. I would retrieve it if it actually meant anything, but it is merely a tool, like the spear that I have forged to replace it."

Shurha nodded "But who do I give these to? Who in this day and age would even think such things are possible? or even relevant?"

Marduke began to turn away and spoke as he did "He will come to you when he is tired and exhausted and you will give him these things and he will do as he knows. If men can follow elves (said with distinct disgust) and the Morgoth (said with equal disgust) , then surely the Drune will have no issues finding willing vassals that will die and kill. "

Marduke pauses gazing up at the rising moon and says dreamily " Severed heads, broken bones, piles of rotting corpse, evil things that now seem pleasing to me. Blood and corpse nourish the earth and please Danu , as birth is celebrated, and life and harvest and marrigae and the stations of life so too should death be celebrated in it's full time. To mourn, then any part of the cycle is to bow before ignorance and lies."

He then grins a bit evilly as he gazes at the moon "Gorgo! Mormo! Oh Thousand faced moon! Look favouarbly upon our sacrifice!"

He pauses and turns back to Shurha before he retreats to his barrow

"Such is the Drune Lord, he should re-teach his brothers that like life, death means nothing, only actions mean anything at all."

Marduke Lord of the Ylves disappears quietly into the wood.

Shurha stood alone for many minutes, pondering what had been said and what she had been given. Wondering if her ancestor Syria Ilek-Vaad had a similiar conversation and pondering the ever-changing conditions of the bargain struck by ancestors even more ancient than Syria. She shrugged and turned to go back to House , laughing lightly

" Some things never change! It certainly helps to have a sense of humour when you're human!"

Shurha returned to the house, the Laansmen at the gate nodded to her as she walked by, and then continued their silent watch over the entryways to the House and Yard.

The growing darkness had deepened, darkening the ancient house. Shurha glided through the ornate wood paneled halls, moving past the familiar relics gathered by the family in thousands of years of inhabiting the house. She walked up the winding stairs, heading to her quarters. She paused at the landing that was just before her quarters, and she gazed thoughtfully at the shelves built around the painting of Namaan Ilek-Vaad, the last Drune Lord.

His celtic features with sharp blue eyes and spiky short brown hair, made him look more like a Woad Raider than a great prince and founder of the Republic. She smiled as she gazed at it. The armour he once wore hangs in the cabinet next to the portrait, the chainmail rent with holes, he never wore the galvorn armour of the Ylves. As is rumoured, his body was as hard as cold drawn steel, swords actually did break against his skin, just like the broken sword on the flag of the House of Ilek. His saddle was there, his dagger and spear, only the Drune Sword was missing, it was in the House of the Republic, next to his throne, where he willed it to reside.

Shurha sighed and laid out the black glittering armour in front of the painting and leaned the spear next to the cabinet. She laughed as she spoke silently to the painting, in Old Lassean.

" You watch these Grandfather, I don't know who they belong to? These things are too old and out of place for today's world, I honestly have no clue what to do!"

She blew a kiss to the portrait before retiring to her room , she had plenty to think about.

The Tendarus Mountains rose very near the Eastern Border with Kelanis. Even in summer the caps were covered in snows and glaciers. Caves and valleys pit the tallest range of mountains in Ilek-Vaad and in the Border Republics.

One of these gaping caves had an occupant this morning. After months of continously moving upwards, Sulla the Bloody, had reached what was once the mouth of a great causeway into the cities of the Bendith.

Sulla sat in the shade of the cave, watching the glowering sun. His double-headed mithril axe resting on his broad, decidely un-elven muscular shoulder. His skin was tanned, not by sun, but by the fires of the forges his people loved.

His keen sight saw cities and roads as he gazed to the west. Crafts that flew through the air, like the airships of the Numenoreans of old. He guessed that an age at least had passed since he had seen the surface of the earth. He decided to wait for night before traveling down the mountain. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to travel, but he did.

He remembered the first day the sun rose, as he gazed at it. Originally the Bendith had thought it a device of evil, after all, they had moved East hundreds of years before any Gnome had looked upon the Valar, he was sundered from his kin almost as long ago as the Ylves of the deep dark woods.

The Bendith had accepted their kin, but the Ylves had always hated the Valar, the sun, the Morgoth, they hated anything that came after the first quiet days of bliss beside the lake where all of the kin of the Gnomes had been brought into being. The Ylves had branded all others as 'kin-slayers' and continued to listen only to the Maia of the earth and trees, despising all others.

Sulla doubted seriously that any Ylves had survived in the world of man, and he was doubly certain that none would ever have traveled West, to the Blessed Realm. The sun dipped and Sulla began his way down the mountain................

Sulla moved quickly, in a night he could cover several hundred miles. There was nothing in the natural world that could encumber his movements. He drew ever westward where once there had been citadels and cities of men friendly to the Gnomes. He passed by and over great highways that cut across the land and through the still thick forests and open fields. He carefully avoided the towns and cities that he came upon in the night. Their lights as bright as day and always full of movement and of men of many races it seemed.

He traveled this way for dozens of nights on night on end. He moved through the forests, suprisingly untouched by man, though they were seemingly surrounded by a kingdom of men. He traveled this night, uneasy, the forest here seemed quieter and darker than the other parts he had passed. The trunks of the great trees became darker and some places black, with silvery green moss. The canopy did not even allow in the starlight.

Sulla turned determined to retrace his steps , but he could not find his own tracks, or the paths he had followed, he had no stars or moon to guide him. Sulla was becoming very uneasy, and apprehensive.

Suddenly the trees cleared and moonlight and starlight streamed down onto the hillock in the clearing, in his haste to get his bearings he rushed into it, seeing too late the barrow and altar in on the lee side of the hillock. Sulla stood stone still looking at the barrow, it was a smaller hill built into the side of the hillock and before it's door was a low stone altar, stained brown and with bones scattered about it. He was about to turn when he heard a low even, melodic voice.

"What brings you into my wood, kinslayer Bendith?"

Sulla turned, his eyes met the Ylf that had spoken. A tall Ylf with black hair, pearl skin and double pupiled blue eyes, arrayed in an emboidered and fur-trimmed coat, like a boyar. He stood leaning on a giant wood-axe, with a long black haft and a heavy splitting maul at the end, the type used by human woodsmen and huntsmen, he stood in the shadows at the edge of the hillock, his eyes glittering with evil intent.

"I ask you again Bendith, what brings you into my wood?" he repeated , twisting the word Bendith into a contemptuous insult.

"Heru’u’i’Tumna!" was all Sulla could say, now knowing why his tracking and navigation skills had failed him.

The Ylf shouldered his axe and stepped into the clearing his even shimmering countenance unchanging.

"That is not an answer, that is one of my names. You have me at a disadvantage, you come into my wood, you know my name. Dangerous things for a prowler and an assasin to do and know."

Sulla held his battleaxe defensively in front of himself as the Ylf spoke, giving his own reply when he had finished.

"I am Sulla, the Bloody Handed, I am only passing through your wood and mean not to trespass or to give you offence. I wish only to pass on, oh great lord of the dark wood. I had expected that you and your kind would have faded into shadow by now?"

The Ylf smiled "We have faded , into shadow, did you not see all of the deep shadows in my wood? No kinslayer may pass my wood. Bloody Handed, like the foul kin of Feanor, the blood on your hands is that of your kin."

Sulla stepped back as the Ylf's countenance grew dark.

"Then you would slay me, for being a kinslayer? That would seem unjust and hypocritic."

The Ylf growled " I do not slay my kin. But I would give you another house!" he spat as he pointed to the barrow. "I would let you fade and become a ghost, to repay your foul deeds for all eternity!"

Sulla slowly became aware that as they spoke, the clearing had become surrounded, he now gazed around and saw barrow-wights amonge the trees, blocking the exits from the clearing , some were in elven armour some in human armour, but there were many of them, brandishing their chill blades. Dead eyes locked onto Sulla.

Sulla looked back to the Ylf, just in time to move out of the way of his murderous splitting maul. The Ylf sprang at him again and again, moving more nimbly than Sulla could, it was all Sulla could do to simply stay on his feet , and attempt to repay the attack.

Soon Sulla was rent with wounds, wide gashes where the splitting maul had found it's marks, the Ylf remained untouched, Sulla could not pass his defences, even in the midst of the furious attack, he was relieved when the wights swarmed in, the Ylf hesitated, not striking where the wights were in his path, and Sulla fared much better against the wights as the Ylf's blows lessened, but still he was doomed.

"It will soon be over Bendith, you will be spent and you will have no choice but to join me and your new brothers, do not fight them, for soon you will be among them!" The Ylf bellowed mockingly over the din of battle.

Sulla had one last chance, he turned and hewed through the wights, too quickly for the Ylf to wade through them and hinder Sulla. Sulla moved to the edge of the clearing and with two swift chops of his mithril axe, he felled the largest tree at the edge of the clearing, sending it into the wights, they scatered and dissapated as the tree fell among them. Then Sulla ran.

The Ylf stood dumbfounded, his eyes locked on the old tree, he knelt by it, forgetting his rage in the grief that now swept over him, he placed his hand on the trunk "Such and old friend, murdered!"

The clearing was soon thick with dryads and not a few Ents that had heard the crash. A dryad, the colour of autumn moved to Lord Marduke's side and put her arm around him.

"Old father, what has happened! Who would do such a thing here in your realm? What evil has come?" she asked in tears.

"Autumna,my sweet daughter, a Bendith named Sulla has passed this way, his hands were bloody when he entered and he only craves to bloody them more. Foul murderer , kinslayer, slave of the Valar, nephew of Morgoth!"

Another dryad of silvery greens knelt by the mighty trees stump "Old father, his roots still live, if we tend him he will grow mighty again?"

Marduke nodded "It may be so, but still it is a great loss and we mourn him." he paused and looked to the re-grouping wights. "Find him, bring him to me, do not let leave my wood. The wood of the tree he killed shall be his coffin!"

With banshee howls and undead screams the wights flew through the wood, intent on their prey and revenge!

Sulla the Bloody Handed ran as fast as he could through the dark wood. The trees themselves clutched and tore at him as he ran, the shrill screams of the barrow wights echoing behind him in pursuit. His mithril axe easily cleaved through the grasping boughs that sought to slow his escape. His speed was greater than even that of the ethereal wights.

He could see night sky up ahead, an opening out to a clearing and hopefully out of the wood. Sulla ran for it. Bending all of his energy and strength on breaking free of the cursed wood, but as he sped to the opening he saw the barrow wights step out and bar his way, they swarmed him from behind.

In deadly arcs his axe flashed defiantly as he strained to escape, the chill blades of the wights biting him with fiery cold and searing pain. It only maddened him and with berserker rage he broke through them, their screams and howls thick in the air around him, he finally lunged and was out. He staggered onto the side of another hillock, with sparse trees and standing stones, but the forest was behind him, he ran up the hill and in the night he could see the vague outline of a fortress and city lights behind that.

Suddenly his way was barred by several men in banded armour and closed helms, wearing the livery of a black tree on a green and grey field, they carried weapons but not axes or swords. Sulla raised his axe to swing at them when all of the sudden a loud crack reported and he was racked in the side with searing pain and then unconsciousness.

******

The man fell at the feet of the Laansmen, they looked over to their right where another one of them was lowering his FN-FAL and moving in to check his handi-work. The Laansmen watched and listened as the howls and screeches from the wood trailed off.

"I thought they were about to come out after him." said one

"They must want this one bad, should we toss him back in? " inquired the other.

He shook his head "He's a guest of the House now, best to let the Mistress decide."

They nodded and stooped to bear the heavily wounded unconscious man into the House of Ilek.

Later that same night Shurha Ilek leaned over the man , his wounds tended and bandaged. She studied carefully his features and his tattoos.

"This is a Bendith man." she stated authoritatively, the Laansmen in attendance nodding in agreement.

"He is a far way from home, it was foolish of him to brave the wood, surely he should have known better. "One Laansman said

Shurha nodded "Indeed. We will keep him here until he is well , or until Lord Marduke comes for him. It is forbidden for us to take someone back into the wood, even if that is where they came from, it is not our choice to make."

They all nodded and left the room, except for a pair of Laansmen that stayed to guard the Bendith man.

********

Deep in the wood the barrow wights flew back to their master, the ethereal armoured forms settling about Lord Marduke.

"Master, the Bendith man has left your wood, he was taken by the Laansmen of the House of Ilek." hissed one of the Wights "We may not intrude upon the house."

Lord Marduke furrowed his brow in thought "I can retrieve him.......................but it is Shurha's house. Let us see how she deals with him. I may yet go for him, yet I may not."

Lord Marduke stood, towering over his wights.

"Come let us hasten to our houses as the sun hastens to the sky."

With that the ethereal hosts dissapated like a morning mist, leaving the dark wood empty and silent for the dawn.

OOC: Marked for further and extreem reading

It seemed like an eternity. Darkness and swirling forms, screams of barrow-wights in pursuit through dark deep forests. Dreams of forges and tunnels deep at the roots of mountains and of family and friends. Still, before that, dreams of orks and goblins and great wars and heros, ages passed by like a dissapating mist.

Sulla awoke with a start. He looked around and saw that he was in no barrow. He was in a room, dark, but a room with a bed and furniture, no barrow, no coffin. He sat up slowly and painfully wincing as he looked towards the two heavily armoured men at the door. One of the men moved and left the room, the other stood watching intently. Sulla's body still burned from his wounds and he shelved the idea of escape, for now.

The door opened again and a human woman entered. Her long braided hair and many facial piercings made him guess she was some sort of savage. She began speaking to him, but he could not understand her, just yet.


*****

Shurha looked a bit vexed "He doesen't understand a word I'm saying."

The Laansmen nodded.

She sighed and mused "I don't even think I've seen a Bendith language course, or know anyone that might speak it. I seriously doubt Amazon will have a phrase book for it. " she laughed

Sulla then spoke "Not to wory, I have the gift of tongues, if I listen long enough, I can know any language."

The Laansmen and Shurha all looked in a most startled manner at their guest

"The devil you say." Shurha grinned " In that case I am Shurha Ilek, Mistress of the House of Ilek, and these are my Laansmen, guardians of my family and house." she motioned and they nodded politely

"They found your trespassing on my porch, and brandishing a weapon. What were you doing in the wood? What brought to my house." she asked

Sulla grinned painfully "I was walking in the wood, and then running, and my legs brought me to your house. "

Shurha rolled her eyes and glanced back at her Laansmen "It's some Gnomeish disorder that makes them speak so, always in riddles and indirectly." she paused and glared at Sulla "I give you my name, and hospitality and speak to you as a friend and the thanks I receive is evasion to a simple question? Very rude, sir Bendith."

Sulla responded "I thank you my lady. My name is Sulla. I was travelling through the wood and was attacked by Ylves, I stumbled upon your house purely by acident."

Shurha smiled having sufficently chastised the man " I see, thank you. You are a Bendith, you know these woods belong to the Ylves, why would you even attempt to pass through them?"

Sulla shrugged "I have not left my home in many an age, I asumed the Ylves would have faded away by now."

Shurha laughed "They are your kin, if you have not faded , why should they?"

Sulla winced "They are no kin of mine, sometimes evil should fade."

Shurha smiled "Evil? You call them evil? They have always been very helpful to me and my family and the men of these lands. You must have a strange concept of evil."

Sulla glared "I would doubt they have been of any real help to you, but since you are their servants, you will turn me over to them?"

Shurha snorted "Servants indeed! I will turn you over should Lord Marduke come calling for you, but until then you are my guest in my house. It is not my job to convince you of Lord Marduke's finer attributes. You may think what you may about them, and about me, it doesen't effect me either way."

Sulla lay back, relaxing "I thank you again then."

Shurha nodded and stood "Don't mention it." she turned to the Laansmen "See that he gets food and water, I'll check on him from time to time."

The Laansmen nodded as she moved by them and left.

Sulla sighed and eyed the men carefully, content to let his strength build for now.

Sulla slept soundly. His dreams where of ancient times, trading with Dwarves and Men. Practicing the age old Bendith arts of smithing and building.Quiet days and nights under the stars , walking through endless forests. In his sleep he then became uneasy, dark mists intruded into his thoughts, he awoke with a start.

He sat up, looking directly into the eyes of a young woman sitting at his bedside. She was a bit over muscular, wild black hair and pale, pale skin. Her nose was pierced with a silver ring and her dark rimmed eyes were an unnerving ice blue. She wore a black t-shirt and pants, the shirt was emblazoned with a cross and the words 'Shotgun Elvis'. He was a little more than startled. She was leaning in looking over him. He decided to say something.

"Uhm, good morning, if you're a succubus, I must warn you, I'm resistant." He said with hard stare

She seemed to disregard him "So, you're a Bendith."

"Yes,yes I am." he stated, his stare seemed to have no effect.

"The Laansmen dragged you in huh? Must have really had your ass handed to you?" she stated looking over his tattoos "Nice work, pretty slick."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Who are you?" he asked carefully.

"I'm Visha Ilek, Mr. Sulla Bloody Bendith. What brings you out this way? My brother knows a Bendith." she grinned

"Great, pleased to meet you, Visha. You are Shurha's daughter?"

Visha laughed "I'm her sister you ass. Her younger more intelligent, more attractive sister, so show some respect or I'll have the Laansmen take you out back, and they won't be nice."

Sulla frowned "Pardon me then. You're here to disturb my rest? Thank you, I was having a wonderful dream."

Visha grinned "It must've been about me then. Did you walk through the wood? That was dumb, did your car break down?"

Sulla was puzzled "Of course I walked.............car?"

Visha rolled her eyes "Y'know, car, automobile? What are you from the stone age?"

Sulla shrugged " I have no idea what you're talking about."

Visha sighed and shifted up next to Sulla as she reached for something on the night-stand, it was a sleek flat black device with buttons, she nimbly manipulated it and a blank picture frame on the wall came alive with motion and colours and pictures "Here Tarzan, watch the TV......." She flipped channels until she found a car commercial "There, that car, you Tarzan."

Sulla was a bit amazed "What IS that?"

Visha sighed again "A car, CAR!! Are you listening?"

Sulla frowned "no, the device the car is on........."

Visha rolled her eyes again "Oh Buddha, where do I even begin?" She then began a long explanation of electronics, fortunately she was studying to be a computer technician and had a more than rudimentary grasp.

******

Meanwhile in the sitting room Shurha was gathered with several of her Laansmen, they were starting a game of Texas Hold'em.

"Okay ,Lawrence, helmet off, we all know your tell so no fair hiding it!" Shurha said as she dealt.

The Laansman sheepishly removed his helmet "I fold."

There was laughter all around. Shurha's chief Laansman talked as she dealt "You know, I've been reading up on the Bendith. They are quite adept at forging weapons, armour..........." he frowned as he looked at his first two cards "Maybe you should put him to work?"

Shurha leaned forward as one of the Laansmen lit her cigar "That's good, nobody has used my families forge in...................oh, five hundred years?"

There was a general murmur of agreement as one of the Laansmen chimed in "I'll bet he could forge us all bullet proof armour.........new swords, the whole nine yards."

They all nodded as they bet "I'm out." " I bet ten, it's to you Cathbad" "I'll see your ten and raise you five" "With a two of diamonds showing? Thats ballsy!"

Several minutes later Shurha was laughing as she won the pot "Read 'em and weep boys! Great idea, put Sulla to some use before Lord Marduke comes for him, if he hasn't forgot about him."

"New dealer, ante up........" They began again.


******

Sulla had now mastered the remote control and was interestedly flipping through the channels.

Visha smiled "Now you've got the hang of it monkey-boy, now lesson two. Pick something and stick with it, you're giving me a migraine!"

Sulla shrugged and left on some sort of sporting event "This looks interesting."

Visha ughed "Well you are a man at least, you've known about televison for thirty minutes and you pick Rugby right away." she waves to one of the Laansmen at the door "Yo, L, get us some Fullers and chips, it looks like we're watching the Sharks play the Crusaders, chop-chop!"

The Laansman nodded and set out to fetch the requested supplies.

tag

After a profitable evening of cards Shurha Ilek went to check on her guest. She entered and sighed as she saw her sister there drinking beer and eating chips with the Bendith gentleman.

"All right then parties over, have you finished your homework Visha?" Shurha said as she entered the room.

Visah looked up and hopped off the bed and scuttled past Shurha "Homework, feck that. Bloody homework.........." she grumbled

Shurha reached over and plucked the bottle of Fuller's from Visha's grasp as she passed "I'll take that thank you very much, I'll check on your homework in an hour."

Sulla sat and looked over at Shurha "I was learning about technical advances since I was last among men. Fairly amazing."

Shurha moved over to the bedside and clicked off the television and cleaned up the bottles and chips "Well, enough of that, go ahead and get some rest. I have to talk to you in the morning."

He looked suspiciously up at her "About?"

Shurha smiled sweetly "About repaying my hospitality. "

Sulla frowned "We'll see about that."

Shurha frowned back "we will."

With that she exited and turned out the lights, leaving Sulla to sleep.

*****

The next morning after breakfast the Laansmen that had been keeping Sulla in his quarters bid him to follow. He stood and moved after them, still a bit woobly from his wounds. They led him down through the house. It was a jumble maze of rooms of different periods of construction , there did not seem to be any direct way to any location in the house.

They moved steadily down, Sulla could sense that they were indeed under ground when thry came to a stone arched doorway, closed by a large iron door. Shurha was there holding a large set of keys.

"Here" she said as she handed him the keys.

Sulla took them and looked warily at her, he moved and unlocked the stout door with the keys and pulled it open with some effort.

The room beyond was dark, but Sulla could see easily, even in nearly total darkness, he could see a furnace, smelting oven, bins of coal and ores and tools haning on the walls, all were cold and all were dusty from not having been used, for many hundred years he guessed.

The Laansmen turned on flashlights as Shurha entered.

"This is the forge once used by members of my family. It is here they learned at Lord Marduke's elbow the ways of creating and shaping metals. It is here that they forged tools and weapons and armour." she said as she swept her arm across the room. "I have no use for it, but your people are reportedly skilled in the working of metals and making of things from them, you should get some use from it, if you can?"

Sulla only partially listened to her, he could already hear the sounds of a hammer on an anvil in his ears, he spotted what he thought may even be Mithril ore and meteric iron. He nodded quietly "Yes, I can think of a few things that I could do here."

Shurha smiled "Very well then, it is yours, do with it as you will. Just remember that you owe me."

Sulla nodded and immediately set to work lighting a fire in the furnace and the lanterns about the room.

Shurha smiled again and motioned for her Laansmen to follow "Come,let us leave him."

*****

For a week Sulla cleaned relentlessly. Sharpening and honing tools, sorting through the bins of coal and ore and the stacks of metal ingots and bars.There was everything he needed here to work, and the tools were all impeccable. He could easily believe that they had been made by Ylves, tools of men would not have lasted as long, and not in as perfect a condition.

He thought of the irony of working with the very tools that were made by the one who tried to kill him. He chuckled to himself .

The next week he set about smelting the ores in the bins, to refine the metals to the purity that would be acceptable to the Bendith, even going as far as to re-smelt the already formed metal. He was determined that everything be done precisely and perfectly, like all Bendith he was obsessed with his craft and would compromise it in any way.

With piles of pure metals stacked neatly he thought hard on waht to forge, going over each piece of metal to look for inspiration in it's raw forms. He thought perhaps to forge something small and delicate at first, his strength had not wholly returned yet, and it would be good to warm up.

He selected a cube of fine mithril that he had smelted and struck it with gold and silver. Fusing it with powerful blows from his hammer until the mirror like mithril was spiralled with patterns of silver and gold, making it shine and burn when he held it in the light. He worked the small piece of metal for days, getting the metals to lattice and spiral in and out of each other just as he liked.

He then rolled outh the metal in a dozen long cable like strands and braided it carefully , so that the veins in each band matched along with the veins in the band next to it, creating a kalleidescope of gold and silver and mithril, in flowing patterns..

A month later he held up his creation. A finely wrought torque ring, too small for him, maybe for his wrist. It was made of several braids of metal , and ended on each end with a stout ring.

He smiled, very pleased with his work.

Shurha Ilek descended the stairs into the deep forge. She entered and saw quite a change. The filthy old room shad been completely transformed, everything was gleaming and cleaned, seemingly new again. Neatly stacked ingots of freshly smelted metals stood stacked neatly in bins, Sulla was there bent over the smelting furnace, the light reflecting against his reddish skin, sparks falling heedlessly on his bare chest and arms.

"Master Sulla, it is quite changed down here. It has been a month or more since we had seen you last, everything is okay I hope?"

Sulla stood and turned to Shurha "Everything is fine my lady."

Shurha smiled "Have you forged anything yet?"

Sulla lied "Not as of yet, I have just been repairing tools and smelting metals."

"Perhaps a request then?" Shurha asked

Sulla nodded and listened

"I have twenty one Laansmen. They have fine armour and swords, forged by my ancestors long ago, perhaps you cloud forge better?"

Sulla nodded "I am certain I can. But how would I benefit from this?"

Shurha shrugged "You would receive my continued hospitality, and if by the time you had finished Lord Marduke has not come for you , you will be free to go as you please."

Sulla rubbed his chin thoughtfully "Perhaps, may I think on it?"

Shurha nodded "Of course, tomorrow then?"

Sulla nodded "I will have an answer for you tomorrow."

Shurha smiled and retraced her steps back up into the house. Sulla thought for quite some time before he began to gather what he would need for the forging of swords and armour, he set about to make a die for casting rings for Bendith-Mail..................

When Shurha returned the next she did not need to receive an answer. She saw the twenty-one broadsword sized bars layed out from being formed. They were of a dark blue, glittering metal, flaked with copper.

"What metal is that Master Sulla?" Shurha enquired

Sulla looked up from the hammer he was re-binding "It is meteoric iron, I believe. It was in the bottom of one of the bins. It appears to conatin nickel and copper as well, it is very hard."

Shurha smiled and nodded "Let me know if you require any help."

Sulla shrugged "none of your men has the skill to aid me."

Shurha grinned "That I believe, have fun then."

Shurha then retreated upstairs again.

*******

Later that day Sulla was pounding so furiously on the third sword, shaping it's blade that he did not even notice Visha's arrival.

"What's up SB? You've been down here more than a month!"

Sulla paused and looked back at her with serious eyes. "I have been busy."

Visha grinned "So I heard, everyone always does what Shurha says!"

Sulla shrugged "She has powerful friends."

He resumed forging the blade, Visha watched wide eyed as he formed the blade in minutes, his powerful muscles straing with each blow of the hammer, sparks and scale bouncing off his tanned skin, his face set and indifferent.

He paused , stood straight and turned, quenching the blade in the trough, sending up a sheet of steam, hissing and swirling about him.

He then reached, picking up the next blade, then moved to pump the billows, but Visha quickly stepped in, manning them herself. Sulla smiled at her and plunged the blade into the red hot coals "Pump harder, it needs to be hotter!"

Visha laughed and pumped the billows rapidly "Pump harder? I usually say that SB!"

Sulla just nodded as the blade glowed yellow, he drew it out and hammered furiously.................repeating this as he finished each blade...............

Glossary for the Story so far:

Ylve (Ylves, Ylven, Ylvish): The Ylves of Ilek-Vaad are a race of Moriquendi, that is Gnomes that never saw the lights of the Two Trees (See the Silmarillion) , in fact not only have the Ylves never seen the two trees or the lights of Valinor, but they have never seen the Valar and traveled eastward before the Valar were even aware of the awakening of the Elves. They are the Gnomes that are referred to as "those that passed from memory into shadow."

The Ylves were taught and counselled mainly by Maia and other earth spirits and they have no love for Melkor's kin (the Valar) and hate intensely other Gnomes whom they call 'kinslayers'. The Ylves have never taken part in any wars and will keep entirely to themselves. They also are very helpful to Humans, believing that this is (as Eru decreed) the Age of Man , and they are happy to remain hidden and allow men dominion of the Earth.

Despite their 'helpfulness' towards men they are generally considered evil 'Genis Locii' evil spirits of place, the Ylves generally kill anyone that enters their dark isolated realms.

Longaevi: Longaevi is Lassean for 'Long Lived' and is the used by the Vaadians when talking about Bendith, Elves, Gnomes etc. that are NOT Ylves.

Bendith: Yet another race of Moriquendi (Dark Elves) that did not travel to Valinor and traveled east, becomeing closer to Dwarves and the teachings of Aule. They rarely venture from their mountain strongholds. There are maybe ten thousand Bendith in all of Ilek-Vaad and maybe one hundred of them live among men.

The House of Ilek: A house of mortal men that have been taught and helped by the Ylves. They are always immensely rich and influential.

Drune: The most powerful human warrior. The House of Ilek always chooses the Drune Lord, but he may do as he pleases with his power. The Drunes are immune to human weaponry and were created by the Ylves to remind them of their blessing of mortality.A few Drunes have been great warriors, most notedly Namaan Ilek-Vaad, founder of the Free Republic. The Drunes are always mortal and have average life spans.

Laansman: Men bound to serve the House of Ilek. They are chosen by the Mistress of the House and live exactly as long as she does (which may be over one hundred years) they are great warriors and skilled servants.When a mistress dies, so do all of the Laansmen and the new mistress much choose new Laansmen.

Extreem Reading: A Thelasi sport in which the contestants attempt to read entire threads while being dropped from a hot-air balloon and being whipped with extension cords. It is rumoured that it will be featured at the next X-Games. ;)

OOC: The Thelasi government strenously objects to this unathorised usage of out name...
;)

OOC: Objection noted. Tomorrow, back to the story.

Sulla quenched and set the last blade next to the others, twenty one of them in a row on the finishing bench. Visha slumped over the bellows, blackened with soot and exhausted.

Sulla set aside his hammer and picked up the coil of wire he had made earlier and the pliers and a smaller finishing hammer. He slid the plain cross-bar into place over the hilt portion of the sword and struch the cold metal with the finishing hammer, pinching it, but not welding it into place. A weld would weaken the sword.

He then turned, putting one end of the coil into the furnace and nodded to Visha. "The fire needs to be hot here, the coil for the hilt-grip has to be welded to the hilt, the hotter the better."

Visha sighed and pumped the bellows "Can't we rest yet?"

Sulla grinned "No rest until the work is finished, I can't believe your tired already? We've only worked a day or two at the most."

Visha groaned and worked the billows, her arms ached but she was too stubborn to give Sulla the satisfaction of quitting now. She idly wondered why she should even care if he cared that she quit. "I'm an idiot." she grumbled.

Sulla smiled as the fire got hotter "That's it..........." he then proceeded to weld and wrap the braided coil of wire on the hilts, welding them at the end, where the pommel stone would be set.

He worked quickly, binding all of the hilts in under an hour and then setting the pommels in another hour.

"There." he stated as he looked over the swords. "Only one thing left to do , and you can't help with the last part, you can go now."

Visha looked up " Great, I'm only good for the grueling grunt work."

Sulla looked a bit vexed "I was doing the grunt work, all you had to do was man the bellows, if you'd like to try all of it?"

Visha yawned and shrugged "Tomorrow, or the day after maybe, I go sleep, bed, now." she trailed off.

Sulla caught her by her arm as she moved to leave. Visha was startled by his strength and by his quickness, she opened her mouth to say something and started to pull away, but then stopped as he slipped something over her arm.

Sulla slipped the torque ring he had forged earlier over the top of Visha's right arm, just above the bicept, with a quick squeeze it was set in place nicely. Visha's eyes widened as she looked down at it.

"Is that mithril?" she gasped

Sulla nodded "Chased with gold and silver, a reward for your assistance. You've helped me twice now."

Visha grinned "What do I get if I help a third time?"

Sulla shrugged "I don't know, nothing maybe?"

Visha smiled as she studied the torque , moving her arm so she could look at it closer "Pretty fecking cool, SB, thanks."

Sulla nodded "Don't mention it, go rest up, you'll have to work very hard when we start on the armour."

Visha headed up and out of the forge as Sulla watched her intently. Once she was gone and the door closed he carefully began the hard work. He began by engraving on the swords, Bendith runes for darkness and fire, singing silently as he did , imbuing the swords with a life of their own, and power beyond that of iron or metal. His words fused with runes and swords, binding them together, making each other stronger, this process took him days..................

Shurha had sensed the poweful magic at work beneath her house, for days she sat, on edge as it swept over the house and funneled down into the forge. The tide of astral energy was unnerving and yet exhilirating. Her Laansmen sensed it too, as Sulla worked the house was still and quite. Shurha looked around at her gathered Laansmen.

"There, it's stopped." she said

The Laansmen looked at each other, one of them speaking "What do you suppose it means? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I would say that it is either a good thing, or a bad thing......" she jested as she grinned back at her Laansmen "Only one way to find out."

With that Shurha stood and headed toward the door. Then she headed down through the house and eventually to the door of the forge. She paused, pressing her ear to the door.

"Nothing.........." she whispered "Nothing.......Cathbad, open it......."

The senior Laansman stepped forward and slowly tugged the door open. Hot air and the smell of metal and coal soot wafted out, the fires casting flickering shadows on the walls as they danced in the furnaces. The Laansmen entered first looking around, then Shurha behind them.

Sulla was at the finishing bench, polishing one of twenty one metallic blue-black swords, graven with flowing Bendith runes. Each was a broad sword of immaculate workmanship with a bound braided steel hilt and a stout iron ring for the pommel-stone, this was in turn attached to chain lanyard, in the Bendith fashion.

Sulla turned "These are done. I will need rest before I forge anything else."

Shurha nodded as she stepped forward, looking closely at the blades "Superb Master Sulla, simply superb."

Sulla moved and handed the sword he had just polished to Cathbad "Here, try it.........." he pointed to a stack of iron ingots.

Cathbad hefted the blade, expecting a heavy sword, but despite it's bulk, it was as light as a wooden training sword, with a quick blow the blade flashed and Cathbad cut through the top two ingots with sparks and a squeal of sheared metal.

The Laansmen gathered around and inspected the balde "Not a nick on it, it sliced right through the iron." Cathbad ran a finger over the blade "It's cold too, it burns!"

Sulla grinned "It does other things as well." he moved, extinguishing the lanterns nearest Cathbad, as the shadow deepened Cathbad became completely obscured by a blue-black shadow that seemed to pull the surrounding shadows around him in like a shroud.

The Laansmen murmured and Shurha smiled.

"This is indeed a kind repayment for my hospitality, well done Master Sulla, you have certainly earned your rest. You may enjoy my hospitality for a longer while, now that you have shown your good will." Shurha cooed.

Sulla grinned " Good will re-inforced by your Ylvish friends."

Shurha frowned back at him "We were, and are past that. I will do as I please."

Sulla shrugged and headed up the stairs and through the house to the guest rooms. He did not pause along the way and did not turn on any lights as he entered, not even stopping to wipe the sweat and soot from his body, his only thought was sleep. He pulled off his boots and slipped off his leather breeches and then slid between the covers, only to bump up against something.

He turned and slid his arms around Visha ,pulling her closer to him, he could see her pale form in the darkness, her back to him. A tattoo of stylised celtic knotwork bull leapt across her back, he smiled as he pulled her to him. Visha murmured and turned in his arms.

*****

Deep within the Dark Wood Lord Marduke stood in the dark shadows, watching as the sun went down, where ever the dying rays struck his form, he became translucent. He hated the sun.

He listened as night fell , the Bendith sing-song had stopped, his wights slipped through the forest gathering around him. He moved through the trees towards the clearing, nearly tripping as Autumna, his dryad, slipped from the trees in from of him. She ran eagerly ahead of him into the clearing.

"What is it Old Father? That sound............from the house?" she asked as she carelessly lay in the clearing on the soft loamy soil.

Marduke relaxed beside her as the moon rose. "I think that the House of Ilek will finally do something that I have sought for long ages. Shurha and Visha may be about to fulfill a desire and a design of mine only hinted at and hoped for."

Autumna looked up at him with confused orange red eyes " What plan? What do you speak of Old Father?"

He chuckled and relaxed on his elbow, reaching over her to set his wood axe beside her "Be patient my young love..........I could take a thousand years to explain what may happen in mere weeks. Better we should watch, and no explanation would be necessary."

Autumna sighed "Always I must wait...........I only long to know all things at all times!"

Marduke laughed heartily " Well said my young love, well said."

Some days later Sulla was stepping out of his quarters to return to the forge, he was eager to start forging Bendith mail, something he rarely ever did as most Bendith simply didn't wear armour. He turned and was a bit suprised to see Shurha standing nearly face to face with him. She was very stealthy and her presence was a suprise more often than he'd like to admit even to himself.

"Good morning." he said as he smiled weakly

Shurha narrowed her eyes at him "I saw my sister leave your room the other morning."

Sulla nodded "Yes, she was there all night, is there a problem with that? I did nothing inappropriate we simply slept in the same bed."

Shurha looked a bit vague "Really, you seem so willfully naive that I do believe you. But you must understand, Visha, all of us Ileks are nothing like humans you are used to dealing with. There are many dangers in becoming involved with us."

Sulla furrowed his brow and said with full Bendith stubborness " I am fond of your sister, problems that you may be alleging to do not concern me. "

Shurha smiled vaguely again "You need to be concerned, there are hosts of others that will become concerned with you should you become too involved with my sister."

Sulla nodded "You mean the Ylves? I don't fear them."

Shurha laughed "Yes, of course you ran from the wood because you were winning and you felt bad for Lord Marduke, really Sulla , I am serious here , the Ylves will be the least of your worries if you get too close to Visha."

Sulla looked a bit frustrated and Shurha shook her head "You just won't listen to me will you? Fine then, do as you please, but the world is much different than you remember ."

Shurha then turned and headed off down the hall. Sulla turned and walked thoughtfully to the forge.

*****

Sulla readied everything for the forging of the armour. He had previously constructed a die to produce several hundred rings and rivets at a time and he now set about melting the metoric iron and the last of the small amount of Mithril and mixing them and casting the mixture into the die, then cooling the whole die at once. He would then remove the die from the water trough and strike it with his hammer, opening it and sending a shower of rivets and rings to the floor.

He did this reapeatedly for several hours , he looked up as he was working and saw Visha watching him, as she drank a can of Pepsi.

Sulla grimaced "You're late."

Visha smiled "Well you didn't give me your schedule, I'm not a mind reader, what do you want me to do?" she replied suggestively.

Sulla nodded to the growing pile of rivets and rings "Sort those please."

Visha smiled devilishly "That's it? Not very imaginiative, but still kinky."

Sulla shook his head and smiled " The suggestive manner in which your tongue twists words is quite amusing."

Visha grinned "I can twist other things with my tongue........"

Sulla laughed "Just sort the rings!"

Visah laughed with him and they both worked for long hours........

Several evenings later , with mountains of rings and rivets struck and forged , sorted neatly, Sulla wiped his brow and nodded to the exhausted Visha.

"That should be quite enough. It is going to take me quite some time to assemble the mail. I need a rest before I start." he sighed

Visha nodded and grumbled, she stumbled over towards the door "I haven't stayed up this many nights in a row, since, well, never. You should really put a coffee machine down here SB."

Sulla moved and slipped his arms around Visha and lifted her, grinning down at her "You humans have so little stamina."

With that he carried her back up to bed.

*****

Later that night, or perhaps the next, Visha awoke. She heard the call. She slipped from the bed and dressed quickly, not even disturbing Sulla, she then moved as silent as a shadow down through the house and out onto the porch, then into the dreaded wood.

Visha moved through the dark quiet wood. Around her Wights began to silently materialize and mirror her steps, she looked from side to side and grinned at them. They hissed in as friendly and as welcoming a manner as a barrow wight can, they danced and weaved back and forth around and with her as she headed deeper into the wood, her laughter ringing through the trees.

Lord Marduke stood in the clearing over the blood stained stone alter, his woodsmans axe resting on his shoulder, the full yellow moon illuminating the clearing. He looked to his right as the smiling laughing Visha tumbled from the wood , his wights thick around her, following her like loyal, over friendly dogs.

"What is it Lord Marduk?" she asked as she smiled and danced up to him.

Marduke smiled radiantly "Such a good girl you are to come so quickly!" he paused glancing at the mithril torque on her arm "A gift from our kinslayer friend?"

Visha blushed "Well, yes, I mean.........you don't mind do you? Shurha said you may come and kill him?"

Marduke grinned "That would be revenge my sweet. Revenge is such a base motivation, well beneath me, so long as he stays out of my wood I will have no cause to make him join your fathers."

Visha smiled "Well, I'll make sure he stays clear of the wood my Lord!" she emphasized with a graceful bow.

"Of course my dear, how kind of you!" He bowed back, taking her hand.

As they turned more wights and Ylves came from the wood, with them were a bound youg man and young woman, campers it looked like. The Ylves piping merrily in a soft eerie ethereal manner on their flutes and, smiling gaily, their brows wreathed in white mistletoe berries.

The campers looked terrified, they both screamed as the young man was pulled onto the altar by the icy dead hands of the wights,stretching him out. Marduk laughed, a loud ringing laugh, raising his axe high as he bellowed.

"GORGO!" reapeted in fury by the gathered Ylves "MORMO!" repeated with ecstasy by the gathered Ylves "Thousand faced moon! Look favourably upon our sacrifices!" The gathered throng cheers and screams as Marduke's axe falls, splitting the young man cleanly in half, from groin to neck, blood rushes into torrents all over the ground and the altar, the wights pull the body away, tearing it to pieces as other wights bring the terrified young woman forward the scene is repeated with her, much to the joy of those gathered.

The throng gathers closely around the altar, drinking their berry wine, watching as Lord Marduke undresses Visha and smears her with the blood of the sacrifice. The Ylves laugh and dance as they smear the blood over her.

Visha changes as they do, her laughter rings through the wood, her breath coming in black mist, her eyes becoming completely black, like onyx orbs. She dances between them, the air glowing where her hands cut the air, weaving intricate patterns that glow and dance like St. Elmo's fire through the air and over the revelrous throng.

Sulla stirred in the night, feeling a bit uneasy. He turned in bed and shivered. Visha was stone cold. He lay still for a moment, his eyes wide open, turning and half sitting up to face her.

Pale moonlight streamed in the windows making it light enough for Sulla to see as if it were day. He looked down at Visha, her eyes were wide open, and all black, like limpid pools of oil, a black steam seemed to emenating from her as she breathed. He moved his hand over her shoulder, she didn't react at all, she was as cold as stone, he skin utterly white in the moonlight. Moving his hand down further and felt something wet and sticky, moving the covers further he saw she was covered in blood.

The blood wasn'y just splattered or smeard on but was traced , as if by many hands into dark Ylven runes.

Sulla sat bolt upright and moved quickly away from the bed and slowly and quietly into the hall, closing the door silently behind him. He turned, and nearly jumped as he was once again Face to face with Shurha.

She grinned and looked him up and down "I can see your doodle Homer."

He looked at her and whispered "What is going on here?"

Shurha shrugged " What ever do you mean?"

"Visha is in there, covered in blood, cold as a corpse!" he explained

Shurha smiled "Oh, that, I wouldn't worry about that. Everything will be back to normal in the morning. Don't say I didn't warn you. You said that problems didn't concern you, so don't be concerned with them!"

Sulla grimaced and looked back towards the door, Shurha laughing quietly behind him " Would you like another room tonight? Is there something wrong with yours?"

Sulla looked back angrily at Shurha , before turning away and heading down through the house, to the forge. He slammed the door behind him and sat in the light of the fire for quite sometime.

He then resumed work on the mail, trying to keep his mind off of everything else.

Sulla worked steadily until all twenty one of the suits of Bendith mail were completed. He quit for neith food, drink or sleep determined to work through it and complete the armour as soon as possible. Weeks later the suits were complete. The process had gone entirely unaided.

Sulla sat amidst the suits of mail and tools in the flickering firelight of the forge, watching the door. He was quite unsure of waht to do next. He had completed his end of the bargain and he felt that perhaps he should just leave quickly and quietly.

The longer he sat to think about it the more convinced he became that he should do something. He stood and moved to the door of the forges and headed out and up through the house. The house was dark, it was night time. Sulla moved silently through the maze like halls and up through the house until he came to the door to Visha's room, it was slightly open and he could hear sound from within.

He gently pushed the door all the way open and entered, Visha was there in the middle of the floor crouched over a large computer, with parts and tools spread out next to her, she didn't even look up.

Sulla crossed the room and sat in a chair facing her, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees and regarded her quietly for several seconds quietly.

"You didn't come down and help me finish the suits of mail."

Visha sat back from her Netfinity server and regarded Sulla carefully "Well, I thought that since I wasn't good enough to share your bed , I wasn't good enough to share your forge."

Sulla frowned and sighed. He looked over Visha in her jeans and tank top, her fit pale body and pale blue eyes. He was inexplicably attracted to her, but couldn't forget the sight of her dead black eyes, and her body smeared with blood.

He calmly looked her over " I think I can be forgiven for being startled , you being covered in blood."

She scowled " I didn't think you'd be bothered by it, Sulla the Bloody Handed, you seem to lack courage."

Sulla nodded " I think you are right. Perhaps it was a lack of courage, or a lack of certainty , but the more I think about it, the more I should've stayed, and the more I want to stay."

Visha stood up and shook her head as he looked him over, he was covered in soot again from his weeks of work.

Sulla continued "And you were so cold, I didn't know what to think, but I know I wanted to warm your body with mine, I just wasn't certain about myself."

Visha removed her tank top as he talked,he looked up at her pale white skin as she pushed his shoulders back and straddled him on the chair.

She grinned devilishly "You're absolutely filthy........" she said as she traced her hands through the soot over his chest and shoulders.

Winter snow had fallen silently over the dark old forest. The sun receeded , it's last glowing gold flickering off the mantle of snow worn by most of the northern Republics. The gold of the sun silently gave way to silvery moon making the whole of the dark wood a silvery glowing landscape. The vines that wound through the dark wood laden with grapes were now hidden by snow. The conditions were perfect to harvest them to make the Frost-Wine of the Ylves.

Lord Marduke moved silently, trimming the grapes free from the vines as he walked along the miles of their length, filling his prodigiously stuffed, but never full shoulder bag. He moved along the vines replacing each cluster of grapes with freshly baked bread. The winter sparrows and glossy black corvidae began to gather and follow him , reaping their baked reward for not having stolen from the Master's vines.The older of the sparrows hopped and fluttered along the vines following Lord Marduk as he worked, chirping their apptoval of the selected grapes.

Autumna, favorite of Lord Marduke's dryads silently slipped up to his side and watched him intently. He did not acknowledge her arrival but spoke to her as she watched.

"I think perhaps that the fullness of the vines mirrors the fullness of my plans. Now only remains for mt plans to be harvested. Go to the House of Ilek, my Autumna, concealing your presence from all, lead Sulla Bendith to see the tools that are there and plan them in his mind. Harvest my plans young one, give to me a Gnomeish Drune."

Autumna sped from Lord Marduke's side in haste , knowing what her task was, her mind raced as to how it would be accomplished.

*****

In the House of Ilek Shurha stood quietly in the kitchen looking out over the Yard and the soft lights from the city. Her right hand, Cathbad the Laansman stood nearby, leaning on a counter.

Shurha sighed " In two months my beloved Istvan will arrive here after retirement. He will be weary and full of exhaustion."

Cathbad simply nodded.

Shurha continued " I have yet found no man to take the mantle of the Drune. Lord Marduke said that I would find a man weary at my door, I fear every passing day that it is Istvan. He has served and fought all his life, to become Drune would be a curse to him."

Cathbad looked up "If it is to be Istvan, there could be no better choice, he would use the power of the Drune as a benefit for mankind and the Free Republic."

Shurha nodded "He would , but does he not deserve his rest? He is an old man, but he will not stay here quietly with me if he is the Drune Lord. I do not want to give it to him! Let someone else sacrifice, he has already sacrificed everything."

Cathbad shrugged "You may have no choice."

Shurha sounded resigned "I may have no choice."

Autumna had heard the discussion between Cathbad and Shurha. She had gone into the house unseen and was watching and waiting to see how best she could manipulate events to give Lord Marduke what he wanted. She began to formulate a plan.

Nights later Autmna heard Lord Marduke singing in the wood, calling up the wind and clouds, the sky filled with thunder and flashes of lightning, snow swirling about the house. Inside the house everything was calm and comfortable, the occupants sleeping barely bothered by the weather. Autumna crept silently to the door of Visha's room, where she knew Sulla would be sleeping. The door opened silently as Autumna whispered in the tongue of the Maia, her words floated through the room like a haze where they wrapped tightly around Sulla's mind.

Sulla sat up with a start as lightning flashed outside, bathing the room in white, thunder rumbled in the distance. He looked over, Visha still slept soundly. Sulla could feel something. Something swirling around him, like a thought or a nebulous cloud of perception. He turned and saw the door to the room open, light flashing down the hall as the lightning flashed outside.

He stumbled to his feet and went to the door, the hall was hazy and he could feel movement , he instinctively followed it, though he could not see what it was , he followed his perception down the hall, and up the stairs and around foyer and up yet another set of stairs.

At the landing halfway up the stairs the haze lifted and the movement stopped. Sulla stood eye to eye with the portrait of a wild eyed Celtic man, and weapons laid out in reverence. A black Galvorn spear stood leaning against the cabinet. He took the spear in his hand and looked it over, it was obviously of Ylvish make and bore dark Ylven words on each side of the pierced, heart shaped blade. On one side was carven 'IBAR' on the other 'ATHIBAR' the Ylven runes for 'Go' and 'Return', he stared at it with wonder, it surpassed even his skills of forging, the entire six feet of the spear were like one piece of liquid metal, bearing no signs of hammering, weldin or forging, not even where the head joined the staff. It was light as a bamboo stick and shiny as an obsidian mirror, it was at the same time both hot and cold to the touch, alive with energy."

*****

Shurha slept fitfully, tossing and turning at times half-awake, imagining that she heard movement in her house and distant singing, but Marduke did not want her to hear and covered her sense from afar with a thick blanket of his dark power. Suddenly it lifted, Shurha sat up and knew that something was going on, she turned to see a dark form with glittering eyes leaning at the foot of her bed, slowly she turned on her bedlamp and squinted.

"Autumna? What is going on? What are you doing here?" her anger dissipated, but her confusion remained.

Autumna smiled and put her hand gently on Shurha's knee "It may not be Istvan!" she breathed.

Shurha blinked "What? What do you mean?" she was hopeful but at the same wary of the dryads trickery.

In response, Autumna simply stood and glided quickly from the room , disappearing silently out the door and down the hall, Shurha leapt to her feet to give chase, out her door and down the stairs, but she stopped at the landing, confronted with the sight of Sulla looking over Lord Marduke's spear.

Sulla turned and looked at Shurha "Do you always sleep naked?"

Shurha's mind clicked with understanding and smiled " I prefer to refer to it as Sky Clad."

Sulla shook his head, his eyes drawn back to the spear.

"It is remarkable, isn't it? Better than you could forge Master Sulla?" she smiled.

Sulla nodded, eyes still on the spear "It is of Ylvish make, but it is superb, finer than any Ylvish weapon I've ever seen "

Shurha smiled broadly "Do you want that spear Master Sulla?"

Sulla was at once confused and suspicious "Do I want this spear?"

Shurha nodded "Of course, do you want it? It is mine to give, and your workmanship on the armour and swords of my Laanmenn well surpassed our original bargain I think, enough so that you nay take that if you wanted it, it was forged by Lord Marduke himself."

Sulla kept looking at the spear ' Take something forged by Marduke himself? What irony that would be' he thought, musing to himself. "I don't know." he relied slowly.

Shurha shrugged "Well, whatever, I'm going back to bed, it's freezing out here." with that she turned and returned to her rooms.

Sulla stood silently, wondering if he had been tricked into finding this spear, or if it had called to him, like powerful weapons of old. He had to admit that Shurha seemed genuinely suprised to see him with the spear, had she used her magic to lure him, she would not have been so suprised he surmised.

He set the spear back against the case. He then headed back to his own room, perplexed by what had happened.

There are Three distinct groups of Elves that reside in what is today known as the Free Republic of Ilek-Vaad. Two groups are what are known as Moriquendi, elves that were the first to appear in the world. The first two groups belong to the elves that passed out of Middle Earth , and were not chronicled in the Silmarillion and various other histories of pre-human times. The Third group are arrayed of all other types of elves that have entered the Free Republic as refugees or simply moved there to work and live.

The First and best known group are the Bendith. The Bendith befriended both dwarves and humans and even had dealings with their relatives to the West. More heavily muscled than their cousins they prefer underground or secluded dwellings and are skilled at building and smithing (Much like Eol the Dark Elf in the Silmarillion.) and often traded and even hired themselves out as mercenaries to dwarven, elven and even human forces.

The Bendith still live in the Tendarus Mountains in the Free Republic there are maybe one hundred thousand and about twenty thousand actually live among the other populations of the Free Republic in the City of Hammerstead, a mining and industrial city. The Bendith are commonly referred to as 'Logeavi' meaning 'Long-lived' in Lassean, the common tongue in the Free Republics.

Only one Bendith has ever actually sought a position among outside society in the Free Republic and is regarded as odd by other Bendith and as a bit of a curiosity by other Vaadians.

El'Arren Connagh-Connacht (the last name is from a human husband) is an Admiral in the Naval Guard and has been for about four hundred years now. Vaadian humans, do not believe that she has been alive that long and simply view here as a pointy eared, melodramatic and obsessive long-lived human. Vaadians have trouble when anyone starts to talk about 'magic' or 'immortality' and tend to simply ignore any such things.

The Bendith are very clannish, the eldest member of the family (male or female) tend to control family life. Bendith do not organize into any other unit larger to than the family , unlucky Bendith like Admiral Connacht and Sulla the Bloody Handed, have no family and are as alienated among the Bendith as humans would be in their society.

Bendith do not vote and hardly participate in Vaadian politics , some hold jobs in the mines and factories in Hammerstead, but they are rarely sociable with humans and keep to themselves, returning to their families at the end of the day with no second glance or thought to their working companions. Though they rarely seemed concerned with their working comrades they are nonetheless diligent in their work and obsessed with safety, efficency and craftsmanship, much to the delight of their employers.

Tomorrow, Part 2- The Ylves.

The Ylves are a very small group of Moriquendi. Even at their height there may only have been several hundred. The Ylves are lead by Lord Marduke, whom they name Alta Telumehtar or 'Great Warrior of the Stars'.

Lord Marduke led the original band of Moriquendi that wandered away from their kin in the first days before even the Valar knew of the coming of the elves. Lord Marduke led his band east following different Maia that taught them as they travelled and Marduke even created weapons ages before Melkor showed the Noldor the craft. It was Marduke's great shining spear that felled servants of Melkor that attempted to waylay the Ylves as they travelled , his great power forcing back even Balrogs and other mighty servants of Melkor.

The Maia that the Ylves followed taught them everything they knew about creation and the Iluvatar and the Valar and the fell deeds of Melkor and it lead Marduke to make many conclusions that his people would forever live by.

First, he decided that Eru was indeed evil, for creating Melkor and allowing him such power in the act of creation.

Second, Melkor was certainly evil.

Third the Valar were evil for releasing their evil brother and doing nothing and only finally capturing him again after he was able to bring ages of destruction and create everything that is or would become evil.

Fourth, the servants of all of the above were evil, especially the Noldor for slaying their own kin.

As for other races the Ylves are indifferent to dwarves and absolutely love humans, though it is a strange and deadly love. The Ylves appear to be almost totally devoid of deeper emotions, but when around humans, they pick up on the emotions of the humans present and seek to encourage them. Unfortunately for most humans when they meet the Ylves the overriding emotions are fear, uncertainty and panic, and the Ylves revel in all human emotion seek to heighten these, and of course it tends to lead to death for the humans involved. Murdering fearful and panicked humans seems only the natural outcome for the Ylves and they see it as a kind and loving act.

Rarely, as in the case of the House of Ilek, they meet humans that are in some way emotionless or abnormal so that being in the dark woods lost does not inspire panic and fear. The first ancestor of the House of Ilek to meet the Ylves was (luckily for the Ileks) a sociopath with no concept of fear and displayed only wonder and curiosity at the Ylves. Once again the Ylves responded to these emotions by doing everything in their power to heighten them, teaching the Ileks all they could to keep their curiosity growing with each new wonder the Ylves revealed, but never revealing everything to keep the wonder and curiosity heightened. This strange semi-symbiotic relationship continues to this day.

The Ylves are awesomely powerful and learned in magic . They have never left their wood and seek to totally disassociate themselves from other 'Kinslayer' elves and react violently to their presence. Their own actions and feelings are the deep root of the paranoia and xenophobia that all Vaadians exhibit. The Ylves are regarded as 'Genus Locii' Vaadian for 'Evil Spirits of Place' and even in modern times the Vaadians avoid places associated with Ylves.

The Third group of Elves in the Free Republic are elves from other nations. With the Free Republics open door policy for refugees means that every nation that has ever had unrest, been victimized or invaded odds are that refugees from that nation now reside in the Free Republic, and with the number of nations that have had 'elven' problems a fair number of elves now reside in the Free Republic and a fair number of them are citizens.

But back to the story at hand...........


Sulla had a lot to think about the next several days. He was relatively happy , happier than he had had been since the last of his family had died, he actually spent several days not thinking about them. He was thinking only of Visha and of the spear. He finally decided that he would take the spear. He was always glad to own things of superb workmanship, that the craftsman was his enemy, gave him a smug feeling of revenge as well.

The snow had fallen for days on end, finally it stopped, a thick blanket of several feet covered the house, the wood and the city. Sulla stood by the door, outside, looking over the snowy landscape, knee deep in the snow.

Shurha saw him as she glanced out of a window going into the kitchen. She slipped outside behind him.

"You know it's nearly five below out here, wouldn't you at leas like a shirt?" She enquired.

Sulla shrugged "The cold doesen't bother me. I've been thinking."

She listened for a minute and then nodded "Thinking about?"

"I will take that spear, I will take it with me when I leave."

Shurha smiled "Oh? Well then you can have it, I'll let you take it where ever you like."

Sulla was a bit suprised that she didn't at all protest "Even though it is an Ylven spear? "

Shurha laughed "Well, that's what Lord Marduke gets for leaving his stuff lie around my house."

Sulla nodded "I suppose."

Shurha laughed again "Well, let's go get your spear."

They went back into the house together , not even noting the dryad that sprinted back into the wood.

Sulla had excepted the Spear of the Drune Lord. It stood in the corner of the guest room that he inhabited , a sense of calm and quiet had descended over him since taking it, his nights were oddly dreamless and he felt a smug sense of satisfaction for having taken something that had belonged to the Ylf lord. Days had passed since Shurha had unceremoniously handed him the fine galvorn spear when something happened.

It was well past midnight, Sulla awoke with a start the night air was hot and constricting, he sat bolt upright, jarring Visha awake next to him, he stared out into the darkness.

Visha rubbed her eyes "Sulla, what.............." she stopped as her eyes adjusted and she saw the dark shapes about the room, tall noble shapes , Ylves.

Sulla immediately jumped up and grabbed the spear, holding it defensively before him, Visha looked a bit confused and turned on the light on the nightstand as she did, Lord Marduke stepped forward.

"Surely Sulla Kinslayer, you cannot think that a weapon crafted by my own hand would hurt me?I am it's master, as surely as I am yours!" Marduke grinned with malice as he reached out towards Sulla "Ibar!" he shouted , and the spear tugged free from Sulla's hand and into Lord Marduke's

Sulla snarled "You are not my master, I would rather die."

Lord Marduke smiled "Oh, you will die, all Drunes are mortal."

Sulla looked perplexed and Visha stepped in "What is going on here, I told you I'd keep him away from the wood, you can't possibly go back on your word to harm him Lord Marduke!?"

Lord Marduke caressed Visha "My sweet young one, I would never lie to you, I shall not harm Sulla, I shall not harm the Drune Lord."

Visha and Sulla both looked perplexed , for diffrent reasons.

"What is the Drune Lord?" Sulla inquired

"How can he be the Drune Lord? The sword is still in Lassic?" asked Visha.

Lord Marduke looked to each of them as he answered "The Drune Lord is my champion. Charged with reminding man, that he is mortal and of the greatness of the gift his mortality is and the greatness of the change that can be wrought in such short lives.

The sword is irrelevent, the spear has taken it's place, I gave it to Shurha to give to the next Drune Lord."

Sulla scowled "I will not be your champion, I will not be you, Drune Lord."

Lord Marduke shrugged "Whether you like it or not, you ARE the Drune Lord , and you are mortal. From the moment you took the spear mortal time began counting for you Sulla The Drune. What you choose to do with your Drune powers, is up to you. Just remember that whatever you do, your time is limited."

Lord Marduke smile to Visha as he tossed the spear back to Sulla and motioned to his Ylves that it was time to go. "Sulla Drune, Visha can tell you all of the past Drunes , I trust her to guide you if you so choose it."

With that Lord Marduke and the assembled Ylves drifted silently from the room.

Visha looked a tad angry "I think it's Shurha that has some explaining to do!"

Several months had passed and Shurha had cleverly avoided answering any questions by taking a long vactaion with her now retired boyfriend, Istvan Vaikov. Sulla had been busy testing his 'new powers' and could not determine that there had been any real change in what 'powers' he possessed before. Visha had decided to quit studying computers and had thrown herself wholeheartedly into Shurha's books, with a good deal of help from Lord Marduke and various other Ylves as had taken to regularly drifting in and out of the house with Shurha's departure.

Sulla had increasingly taken to reading about Visha's enigmatic ancestor THE Vaad, the last Drune Lord, it had brought a change to his ways of thinking. He sat one night with Visha.

"You know , there are a great many Bendith still living in this nation, and none that I know of even know what has transpired outside of our mountain stringholds."

Visha hmmed "There are Bendith that mix freely in the Free Republic, my brother, Lassander, knows a Bendith Admiral."

Sulla nodded "That would appear to be the exception. All this history and the great deeds performed in this nation, all by mere mortal men. The Vaad was a Drune Lord, but what does that mean? So many others with nothing about them, still managed great deeds."

Visha nodded " Do what you gotta do I guess."

Sulla shrugged "What do we Bendith have to do? We live safely in our mountains because we live amongst a nation of men that value freedom and privacy, what if that were to changed?"

Visha shrugged and turned a page in her book.

Sulla continued " At any moment dark powers may come and destroy this republic, and we Bendith would be exposed and without friends and allies."

Visha nodded "That would be a bitch."

Sulla frowned "Maybe it is time we did do what we HAVE to do."

Visha nodded "Okay John Wayne."

Sulla sighed " So many life times have passed that we have not even lived, but hidden ourselves and contributed nothing of any use to anyone but ourselves. Our history has none of the self sacrifice in the history of the Free Republic. History of men that have thrown away their own lives on the off chance that things might be slightly better in the future. Is that so futile?"

Visha shrugged again "Probably not."

"That was a rhetorical question, I know it wasn't, you can see that all around " Sulla huffed

Visha laughed "Oh, my bad."

Sulla shook his head "No, no, something has to change I think. Maybe I'm the one that needs to do it." He stood and walked off.

Visha sighed and returned to her book "Weirdo."

Sulla prepared to leave the House of Ilek, Visha was a bit upset as he packed his things.

"Tell me why I can't go with you again?" Visha scowled

Sulla nodded "My people would not accept nor understand why you were there. A great amny things need to change before my people think of you mortal men as anything other than liabilities and fleetingly useless transients in this world."

Visha frowned "That a load of bullshit. When will you be back?"

Sulla shrugged "Maybe soon, maybe never. Maybe I'll send for you."

"Oh right, like I'll just drop everything and come running when you call, you're a royal jerk, you know that?" Visha retorted.

Sulla shrugged again "That's entirely possible." he turned and smiled to her.

Visha laughed and wrapped her arms around Sulla and kissed him " Possible, it's a certain thing. Just remember if you wait too long I may not be around to come when you call."

Sulla hugged her tightly " I won't wait too long, I promise." He kissed Visha and headed for the door.

Visha yelled as he walked out "Hey! " then threw something as he turned, he snatched the key ring out of the air. "Take the car, I'm not waiting for you to walk all the way back to Hammerstead!"

He smiled and nodded, blowing a kiss before he headed out, and back to the Bendith.

Deep in the Tendarus mountains the stone passages and underground mansions throbbed with the thrumming call of the Horn of Lords, it's deep bass voice carrying as it vibrated through stone. The Bendith Lords well calling a conclave of all the Bendith, at the bidding of High Lord Valen.

The Great Hall was in the process of being renovated into a factory, but much of it was still empty, and provided ample room for the several hundred Bendith Landlords and Vassallords that attended as well as the High Lord, his Lairds and the Outer Lords.

The assemblage gathered and seated themselves as the High Lord Valen stood and greeted them.

"It has been a long time, old friends, since we have gathered a conclave. I thought this was best, that we all hear what Sulla the smith has to tell us. He returned from the surface a few days ago and recounted much that is of great interest to us.

I have long advocated more openly mixing with the men of the Free Republic and it may be that new weight may be added to this argument by what Sulla the smith has to recount. I would ask that we all give him ear, before we begin to ask questions."

He turned and resumed his seat, nodding to Sulla as he did.

Sulla stood before the august assemblage of Lords and Ladies and their various official hangers-on, he then spoke.

“Much has changed since we actively took part in the affairs of the world. Many wondrous and amazing changes that we could not have possibly foreseen. Advances in science and technology far beyond what we could have imagined, advances in art and culture, among the humans.

But still many things remain the same. Conflict, evil and war still stalk the world, and threaten the advances that have the world better. Security and safety from those of evil intent is still the priority of the humans. Our lands lie within this Free Republic of men, where they cherish freedom and democracy, and privacy. Which is why they pay little heed to us and are not concerned with our activities, because they believe that we should be free to live as we choose just as they are.

Over the centuries the men of the Free Republic have fought and resisted a plethora of enemies that sought to subjugate them. Enemies that after conquering the Free Republic would have happily set their sights on our wealth to plunder, the Free Republic has protected our homes, with no concern for our cooperation.

I believe that it is time that we contributed to this great society, built right over our sleeping heads.”

The Bendith Lords and Lairds and ladys chatted excitedly as Sulla the Smith finished his little speech. Suggesting actually interacting wholesale with the humans was at the very least controversial.

High Lord Valen stood and motioned for silence and received it "As you all know, I have long advocated more relations with the human tribes. I too have always had contacts among the humnas and it is more than obvious that they have elevated themselves above tribal levels and have indeed forged a great nation, despite the best efforts of other humans and even servants of the Dark One.

I support Sulla in opinion that we should have a greater role in this great nation."

Laird Damrod stood " This is the age of man, mixing with human men can only bring ruin. We are few and finite , yet the world stretches out before them ad infinitum. We only endanger ourselves by becoming active in the affairs of men."

Lord Tyrn then stood "That is true, but when we dies, we simply go to the House of Mandos and to dwell forver in the Blessed Realm. While we do risk life here on Earth amonst the mortals, we risk nothing in the long run. Eventually all of us will one day return to the Blessed Realms, perhaps returning at a time of our choosing is best? We can also choose a good cause as well?"

Lord Valen nodded "That is a very good point. While death may be painful for us, it is most certainly not the end. Our involvement can only help, so long as we are not arrogant as to believe that we can assume control during the age of man."

Sulla spoke up "Like the Noldor, they still use men as their servants and seek to build empires mimicking the past glory that was brought down by their own kinslayer curse."

This set off a whole other round of conversation. The Noldor were not well thought of in Bendith circles, though not as poorly as thought of as the Ylves.

The Acropolis, Great Lassic, Ilek-Vaad

The Revenant opened it's eyes with a start. The vault was filled with the dessicated bodies of the faithful and unflinching Velites Kerbals that were always interred with their last lord and master. The House Of Vaad no longer held any power, and the Acropolis and the House Of Vaad were merely a tourist destination.

The descendants of the Velites Kerbals still faithfully guarded the Acropolis and served the House, most of them had no idea who the House's true master was. The Revenant lurched forward, not having moved for more than a century it stepped forward and into the light of the center of the vault and stood in the sunlight that penetrated the single round hole at the top of the vaults domed ceiling. Minutes later a pair of Velites Kerbals entered flanking their master the Velites Sebastors, Field Marshal Edlund. They all bowed before the Revenant.

"My Lord and Master Prince Namaan " Edlund began "what has woken you? Is the Republic in any danger my Lord and Master?"

The Revenant,Prince Namaan Ilek-Vaad, looked down at the men and replied in a hoarse whisper "My sword." he rasped "It still lies in the House of the Republic beside my throne?"

Edlund bowed lower "As you commanded my Lord and Master. None have touched it since you left it there beside your throne.None would dare."

Prince Namaan narrowed his eyes "There is another Drune Lord, but he does not have the sword. MY sword." the Revenant looked thoughtful.

Edlund looked up "What would you have us do, my Lord and Master?"

Prince Namaan looked over his Velites Kerbals "Find him. Bring him here. I will deal with this new comer. The Republic will persist, it's life is the blood of those who defend it."

Edlund bowed again "It shall be done my Lord and Master. We will not fail you."

Prince Namaan looked over them "No, not even death will keep you from your mission, I command it."

With that Edlund and his men bowed and hurried out. Once they were clear of the crypt and heading back up out of the catacombs one of Edlund's men looked to him.

"How will we find this Drune Lord?" the other nodded.

Edlund frowned "I do not know, but we will not fail THE Vaad. We never have and it is not an option."

*****

In the Halls of High Lord Valen the debate set off by Sulla the Drune continued as Laird Damrod stood again.

"Whether we choose a good cause or a noble death means nothing. Eru has ordained that we have no power during the time of man, our actions will not effect this, only men can determine their own destinies. Our best and brightest causes lie with our familes and with out traditions." many applauded as he chose his seat.

Sulla stood as Damrod sat "Our culture means nothing if it benefits no one but us. It is like a treasured painting locked in a vault. Valuable and beautiful, but none may enjoy it. What good is all of our knowledge and power if it benefits only us? We should try to let it benefit the world before it eventually fades, and it will."

There were quiet murmurs as Sulla sat, many did not like the idea of their culture fading away with no lasting impression. High Lord Valen nodded again.

"I think that this argument can never be wholly reconciled. I think it would be best to allow the head of each of our houses to decide for themselves if any among them should be allowed to join Sulla. I do not want to force any to do something that they are against. It is not my way, it is not our way. By the same token I will not force those who agree with Sulla to be kept by the decisions of others.

All of us must decide for ourselves and for our families which path to take. I give my blessing to both paths."