A Time to Change

Carn awakes to a new life and the chance to once again help the Faesidhe Elves

52.

A Time to Change

 

His strange dream of the burning tree ended and Carn awoke, looking around wildly.   It was still dark, but a hint of the sunrise could be discerned through a gap in the shutters.   He didn’t know exactly where he was, but it was obviously one of the Faesidhe houses around the Clearing.    Someone laid against his shoulder and he glanced down, not surprised to find Amala slumped over on him.  

Her long hair flowed around her like a silver river, highlighting her beauty, so he stared at her for a long time, sleeping against him, as the dawn light slowly increased.

He wouldn’t wake her, for she had sat with him out of sympathy and he was deeply touched by this.    Shifting slightly so as to not disturb her, he decided to stretch his legs.   Moving his hand to get up, he caught a glimpse of something that froze him like stone.

His arm and hand were a pale white, with the strong but graceful form of a male Elf.   

With a gasp he brought the hand - his hand- to his face.   There was no facial hair, no Goblin’s nose, and no tusk-like teeth.

He was an Elf again!

The realization so overwhelmed him that Carn just sat there staring blankly across the room, his heart racing.   Was he dreaming?   He had dreamed such dreams, countless times before.    With a nervous swallow, he pinched his other arm and felt the glorious sensation of pain.

This was real!

Carn flung the blankets off of him and swung gracefully out of the bed, his form lightweight and agile again.    Suddenly he became aware that his former clothing was now far too big for him and that he stood there nude.   

But he didn’t care at that moment.  He caught sight of a closet across the room, so he went to it and opened it up, delighted to find Elven sized male clothing inside.    Quickly he dressed, and though he was slightly too large for the clothing, it fit well enough for now.

He took a pair of boots that he found back over to the edge of the bed and tried them on.   Happily they were a perfect fit.

He was an Elf again!

But how?   Was it the dream?   No, he somehow knew that it wasn’t.

It was Amala - she had kissed him and expressed love - friendship love, she had stressed, but love never-the-less.   And it had worked.   So she had felt it for him before she had known who he really was!   He went over to her, where she still laid on the bed.

She had restored him!

Joy filled Carn that he had long forgotten.    He wanted more than anything to wake her with a kiss and swing her around and around in his happiness.

But though he was nearly giddy, he still heard a voice in his head caution him.

So he just gently leaned over her and softly swept her luxurious hair back, and kissed her meekly on the cheek.  

“Thank you.”   He whispered and then he scooped her up and positioned her on the center of the bed, so she would not have a crick in her neck when she did awake.

She was so beautiful that he would have happily sat there watching her sleep.

But he had a duty that he had to perform, a gift of thanks to Yesh.   He knew he would find some sort of musical instrument in the Faesidhe home and indeed he quickly located a small Faesidhe Lute resting near the bedroom door, where the owner would, no doubt, join the other Elves in song on occasion.

With a look back at the Drow girl that he loved, he took the lute and quietly walked out of the house.

The sun was about to come out and shine through the trees surrounding the Clearing.    In centuries past it had been a time of rejoicing in song, for his master Eleazar had taught the various Elven races the Song of Dawning.   It was a song of praise to God for the coming of a new day, and Carn had taught the song to the Faesidhe Elves.  

Sialia had sang and played on her harp this song each morning, and how the Faesidhe had come out of their houses to join her in rejoicing at another day of life.

Carn quickly tuned the lute, thrilled with his nimble fingers’ ability to quickly do this.   The last time he had heard the song was the day before he had been kidnapped by Celathon and cursed.

Now he wanted to thank Yesh for his recovery.

 

He seated himself on a bench across from the clearing, wondering where the guards were that had been posted there the night before.   Just as he began to play, he saw them, walking around one of the houses across the clearing, where they apparently were patrolling for anything unusual.

He decided to give them something to report.

 

 

‘Light hides the white stars,

Birds sing renewal,

Dew brings fresh cooling,

We’re given this day,

 

Pushed back the blackness,

Bright is the daystar,

Sound fills the forest,

The song of the day,

 

Rejoice this morning,

Dance for you have life,

Sing with your brothers,

Behold now today!’

 

As he began to repeat the verses, the guards stood as if in shock or confusion of what to do.   They were some of the Faesidhe Elves that had come with them from Westmark and Carn wondered if they had some recollection of the song.

As he sang it again, he was aware of others now gathering to hear him.    It was the Faesidhe that had been rendered unconscious by Mathlyn’s voice.   Timidly they crept from the houses to stare in wonder at him.   But they listened, and it seemed to him that something was stirred within them; a memory, perhaps, or something else, some feeling of bond to their culture that even they did not understand.

Women and children, then some Faesidhe men gathered nearer as he continued to repeat the verses.    Then he saw some of his own party - Aedric and Snoe, Mathlyn, Mattleos and Nansea, all joining the Faesidhe Elves and as equally as puzzled as they were.

Then Amala joined them. She stopped next to her sister and brother-in-law and he could guess she was asking them who he was, for they shrugged in reply.

He finished his last verse and then began playing the winter festival songs - the very oldest and best loved of them that the Faesidhe would sing over the Equinox.  

They gathered closely and listened as if hypnotized, for a long time.   Finally a small Faesidhe girl started singing with him and before her mother could stop her, he smiled at the child and nodded encouragement.   Her voice mixed with his and soon most of them joined him in ‘Barren Trees’, which was a somber, reflective tune about the renewal of the season.

He noticed a large band of armed Faesidhe Elves slipping into the Clearing, all drawn like moths to the tune.    Without examining them closely, he sensed that they were probably rebels that had lurked around the clearing, waiting for dawn to continue their rebellion.

Carn smiled at them, and they looked at him very warily, but their postures relaxed the longer they listened.   He went into songs about the early days of the Faesidhe people - songs he had written centuries ago, and still they listened.

For an hour he sang and played, and they stood or sat reverently, sometimes singing with him, sometimes listening, and many of them weeping.

His own companions stood and listened too, and he wondered if they had learned who he was yet.

Finally, he began to address the crowd, speaking softly but clearly.

“The Faesidhe people have a history rich in song and tale.    It is something that all Elven races share - a love of stories and remembrance through song.   Would it not be horrible for this culture to fade?    Faesidhe people, I have no desire to see this happen and I deplore you to not let it happen either.    Winter is upon us, and surely this is a time for peace.    Can we not all at least have a time of speaking to each other of our differences and concerns, to see if a compromise could be reached?”

“There will be plenty of time for war, if it fails, but I have witnessed this morning that those who yesterday fought each other as enemies, stood peacefully and listened this morning.    Surely we are all civilized enough to speak to each other.    I respect your culture and your heritage, for I spent many years among you.”

“Who are you?”  A Faesidhe rebel asked from the crowd.

“I am Carnithum Lealomyhll; he who taught music to your people.    I have come at this grave hour to restore your heritage and mend your relationships to your Elven brothers and sisters.”

“How?   How can there be mending?”   The same rebel asked.

“Through respect and honesty, my friend.    Not through ambushes and raids.    You kill one of your enemies, and then they kill one of you.    Who wins?   The last one with a few people still living?   Let us put our differences and hatred aside and work them out through dialogue.”  

“I will volunteer to mediate, if you want, for I have lived in both worlds.   I taught your greatest bard, Sialia Fannithal the art of music, and I have lived as an exile for centuries.   I have found friendship with the Drow of Westmark and I know that they too do not want battle or to suppress you.   Instead they wish to speak to you.”

“There will be no tricks, no talking down to you, they only wish for peace again.    The Great Tree is gone… and I have dreamt of a vision of a new day for all Elven people.    Perhaps some of you shared the dream of a burning tree last night?”

 

An excited murmur went up from most of those in the Clearing.   It had not just been an odd dream, but some sort of vision from Yesh.    This seemed to convince them of his words and so Carn asked all of them to assemble in the great Faesidhe Feasting Hall and talk.

 

To his delight, they all went willingly.   

Carn could see those in his group desperate to talk to him and learn about his metamorphosis, but with a look at the Faesidhe flocking into the Hall, he told them that more important matters must come first.   So they just followed him in, looking often at him in wonder and amazement.   Amala was speechless - which was amazing as well-  and just shyly sat at his feet, staring up at him throughout the long day.

The Faesidhe rebels told of their frustration, of their pride, and of the mistrust of the Drow of Westmark and their servants.    But there was open and frank conversation, which Carn kept focused and moving forward.   

Aedric and Snoe mainly spoke for Westmark, though Mattleos and Mathlyn also addressed those assembled.

It was a trying day, one that first was filled with hot emotions and some anger, but which - by the time the sun had set- had changed to understanding and even respect.   

Everyone was stunned at the progress that had been made in one day.    As Carn adjourned them for the evening, he was delighted to see both sides talking pleasantly with each other.

Best of all, a peace was agreed to that seemed to be solid.   As they filed out of the Hall, all of the Faesidhe spoke to him and thanked him for brokering this peace.    Carn could see in their eyes the excitement of hope mixed with the joy of success.    All malice toward Westmark seemed to have faded and Aedric promised them that Eleazar and Aurei would personally meet with them and finalize their deal, as soon as the threat of war with the Southern Empire was neutralized.

Many were still standing around the Clearing of the Ages chatting when finally Carn’s companions were able to speak to him.

“Carn!”  Mathlyn just said, grinning happily, “It is a miracle of Yesh!”  

She embraced him and kissed his forehead, “You took up the mantle of peacemaker immediately upon your restoration.    Look at the good you have done in one day!”

“It was God that did that, Queen Mathlyn.    I am just grateful that he allowed me to be used for that purpose.”

“I can’t believe it’s really you!”   Snoe exclaimed, “You look so different!”

“It feels odd, after all these centuries.”   He told her.

“You certainly don’t look that old.”  Nansea commented, and the admiring look she gave him made him feel very uneasy.   

“Thanks… I still feel old and hairy, though.”

“Oh, you’re definitely not that any more!”   The Sylvan Elf girl said, still giving him the same look, “My goodness!    I don’t know if any of the women in the Hall heard a word you said - they were too busy looking at you.”

He blushed, now totally embarrassed at her flirtatious words.    

“Carn, it is quite a change.” Aedric told him, shaking his hand, “I assume this is how you looked before you were cursed?”

“Yes, I think so - I haven’t really had time to look in a mirror, but I would guess so.”

“No wonder Sialia was so fond of him.”   Nansea mumbled to her grandmother, who laughed in agreement.  Carn now really wanted to change the subject or else escape.

“How do you feel?”  Mattleos wondered.

“Redeemed.”  He answered, “It is indescribable how happy I am.”   He turned to Amala, who just stood meekly to the side, “I have this lovely lady to thank for it, too.”

Amala looked stricken as if someone had just accused her of a crime, “It wasn’t me!   Yesh restored him!  Not me!”

To their bewilderment, she just turned and ran off.

Carn stood there speechless, glancing from friend to friend for an explanation.

Mathlyn smiled knowingly and patted his arm, “It’s been an emotional couple of days, Carnithum, and she’s tired.    Don’t worry about her, she just needs rest."

Carn stared after Amala as she rushed into the house that they had stayed at the night before, and he wondered if rest was really all that was needed or if something had changed with his appearance.