A Song of Snow and Ashes by S.J. Drew
them. She glanced at their feet and saw they were both wearing shoes, which made her feel oddly better.
"Can you understand me?" she asked, in the Light language.
"Yes," Eliora replied, startled anew that she could understand and speak the unfamiliar language.
"Great. That makes things a little easier," muttered the young man.
"Excuse me?"
"Welcome to the city of Tallis Marrom. My name is Hanae," said the demian. "This is Aidan."
"My name is Eliora."
"You are the LightBearer, aren't you?" he asked rudely.
"Yes, I am," she replied, getting annoyed.
Hanae looked a little confused. "I'm sorry if our hospitality is inadequate for your station. We were not expecting you to come here."
"Me neither," she sighed.
Aidan gave her a sharp look, but didn't say anything.
"I'm here to answer any questions you have about demians and serve as translator. We have our own language, although many of us do know the language of Light. Aidan, being one of the few humans who can speak the Light language, has been selected to be your translator. And I guess to tell you about human society here, which is clearly different from your own. But I'm sure we'll learn to get along."
He rolled his eyes.
Eliora didn't comment on that, as she was more than a little confused by the demian's almost complete obliviousness to the condescending attitude Aidan was displaying. Without being aware of what she was doing, her eyes turned white and she peered into the demian's soul. What she saw was something the shape of the demian's body but completely made of Light. Startled, she looked at Aidan, and saw his soul was fairly balanced between Light and Darkness, tilting slightly toward Light. Oddly, the Light from the human soul was brighter than that from the demian's soul. She shook her head to clear it and blinked furiously trying to get her eyes back to normal before anyone noticed.
"Are you alright?" Hanae asked.
"Sorry, something strange just happened. I'm alright now."
"What just happened?" demanded Aidan.
"I don't know. Something strange," she answered, annoyed.
He rolled his eyes again.
"What's wrong?" she snapped. Actually, what she wanted to say would have been harsher, but the Light language lacked certain colorful and derogatory words.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" he repeated. "Isn't it obvious? You're the LightBearer and you don't even know what you're doing with this power. How are you supposed to defeat the Darkness if you don't even know what's going on?"
She just sighed and looked down at her hands. "It's a fair question," she replied, a tremble in her voice. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am. I'm not even sure how I got here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
He muttered something in his own language.
Hanae looked shocked, and appeared to scold him.
He just shrugged.
"I'm sorry, LightBearer," said Hanae. "I'm afraid I just don't understand humans."
"What did he say?" Eliora asked the demian.
He shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "Aidan, you need to leave. The king would like to meet the Champion, and she needs to get dressed."
"Fine, but I've got to introduce her to Hialmar by dinner time."
"I'll send someone for you when she's ready."
"Fine." Then he left.
"Gods, I do not need this today," she muttered in her own language.
Hanae looked politely confused. "My Lady, clearly you are from very far away. But you must adopt the fashions of the humans here. It will help you fit in better. While you were unconscious, we fetched some clothes we hope will fit you," she said, laying out unfamiliar garments. The demian was actually wearing a long purple flowing dress not entirely dissimilar from her robes, but the clothes she was offering with nothing like anything Eliora had seen before.
"This is so embarrassing," Eliora said.
"Why?"
"Well, first of all, I don't now how to get this Armor off, and second, I have no idea how to put on these clothes."
"Armor?" she inquired.
Eliora pulled off her robes, revealing the shining Armor.
"Oh, my. That is a gift from the Light One."
She nodded. "But I'm not sure how to take it off."
Suddenly, an iridescent appeared in the room. Hanae jumped back, her green eyes wide.
"You called, Mistress?" it asked.
"Did I?" she stammered.
"We have answered, so you must have called."
"I must be more careful," she thought. "Well, how can I take this off?"
"It is part of the Light. You are part of the Light. Send it to the Light, and in the Light it shall remain until you call it back."
"So you're saying I can just send it away, just like that?" she asked.
It nodded.
She stared in the mirror and mentally commanded the Armor to go away. To her surprise, it did, and left her quite naked. She yanked on her robes before Hanae could protest. Her face very red, she called the Armor back. Her robes vanished. Then she sent the Armor away again. To her relief, her robes reappeared. "Oh, thank goodness. I didn't want to have to carry clothes with me everywhere." She turned to the iridescent. "Thank you. You may go now."
It bowed and vanished.
"Good. Now I know how one thing works, at least. Well, show me how to get dressed," she sighed to Hanae.
"Well, first you should have a bath, no offense, my Lady."
Eliora smiled. "No, I understand."
Hanae showed her the bathing room which had a small, wooden bathtub. "The well is just out back. I'll be right back." Within a few minutes, she had it half filled. Then she touched a rune on the front of the tub. "Wait a few moments, and it will be warm."
"That doesn't look like any rune I'm familiar with."
"You know human magic?"
"No, but I've seen some of it."
"This is our magic. It's different from yours," the demian replied simply. She left briefly and returned with a towel and soap. "It's ready." She left Eliora alone, but had the bathing room door opened a crack to talk.
She shed her robes, let down her hair, and got in. "It's wonderful," she sighed, feeling the desert grit wash away. She had never experienced anything like it. Water was too valuable to use in this manner. Even the very wealthy were usually consigned to washing with a damp cloth and washing their hair in one small container of water.
"Please do not take too long, my Lady."
"Of course not," she replied, finishing up as quickly as she could with her long hair. She dried off and emerged with the towel wrapped around her middle.
With the demian's patient explanation, soon Eliora was wearing underclothes, a pair of dark brown pants, a button up, long-sleeved linen undershirt, a long-sleeved thick overshirt, and a pair of sturdy leather boots. Hanae then took a brush to her wet, thick, waist length black hair.
"These clothes are very close," she remarked, plucking at the sleeves uncomfortably.
"It is what the humans wear."
She adjusted her undergarments. "Why does this have to be so tight?"
"I confess, I am the wrong person to ask about these things. Perhaps when you learn the language, you can speak to one of the human women."
"Why do humans live with you if they can't even speak your language?"
"Some can. There are not many women here. Most humans here are warriors, and they protect us."
"Why?" she asked, curious and grateful just to be able to talk to someone.
"We are not fighters. We do not like to fight. We prefer to make things. Humans like the things we make. We do direct trade, and sometimes they offer their protection so that we can work on our crafts in peace. Most of those seem to be male. I really don't understand humans, though."
"That's alright. I am human, but I'm sure I
won't understand much about these people."
"You do clearly come from a very different place. There. You hair is brushed. Do with it what you will."
Eliora returned to the bathing room, and braided it up quickly in sort of a crown around her head. "I'm ready, I guess."
Hanae stood up. "Come then. Here's the key to the front door," she said, handing her a key on a leather cord.
She put it over her head and tucked it into her shirt.
"The king is eager to meet the Champion."
She followed the demian through a comfortable looking sitting area filled with wooden furniture and then outside. She stopped, staring at her new surroundings. The large trees were mostly red oaks and blackwoods, with the smallest having a base diameter of twenty feet. The tops were well hidden by numerous layers of branches, but she knew they were over a hundred feet tall. The ground had been cleared of most stray twigs, saplings, and bushes. Small wooden cottages with thatched roofs sat at the base of the trees. An odd squeaking sound came from somewhere above her, so she looked up and was amazed anew. There was another level to the city, in the very treetops. Dwellings were cut into the thick trunks, extended with wooden platforms, and connected by bridges, some natural, some clearly constructed. Lanterns were hung everywhere, illuminating the twilight.
"Humans live on the ground. We live in the treetops," Hanae said, anticipating her question.
"Why do you live there? It's so high."
"It puts us closer to the sun, and is safer than being in the open."
"How do you get up there?"
"Ladders, and some elevators."
"Fascinating."
"Follow me."
She was lead to a tree near the center of the city, all the while drinking in every detail she could. People were around, even though it was evening now. The demians gave her a cursory look and a
"Can you understand me?" she asked, in the Light language.
"Yes," Eliora replied, startled anew that she could understand and speak the unfamiliar language.
"Great. That makes things a little easier," muttered the young man.
"Excuse me?"
"Welcome to the city of Tallis Marrom. My name is Hanae," said the demian. "This is Aidan."
"My name is Eliora."
"You are the LightBearer, aren't you?" he asked rudely.
"Yes, I am," she replied, getting annoyed.
Hanae looked a little confused. "I'm sorry if our hospitality is inadequate for your station. We were not expecting you to come here."
"Me neither," she sighed.
Aidan gave her a sharp look, but didn't say anything.
"I'm here to answer any questions you have about demians and serve as translator. We have our own language, although many of us do know the language of Light. Aidan, being one of the few humans who can speak the Light language, has been selected to be your translator. And I guess to tell you about human society here, which is clearly different from your own. But I'm sure we'll learn to get along."
He rolled his eyes.
Eliora didn't comment on that, as she was more than a little confused by the demian's almost complete obliviousness to the condescending attitude Aidan was displaying. Without being aware of what she was doing, her eyes turned white and she peered into the demian's soul. What she saw was something the shape of the demian's body but completely made of Light. Startled, she looked at Aidan, and saw his soul was fairly balanced between Light and Darkness, tilting slightly toward Light. Oddly, the Light from the human soul was brighter than that from the demian's soul. She shook her head to clear it and blinked furiously trying to get her eyes back to normal before anyone noticed.
"Are you alright?" Hanae asked.
"Sorry, something strange just happened. I'm alright now."
"What just happened?" demanded Aidan.
"I don't know. Something strange," she answered, annoyed.
He rolled his eyes again.
"What's wrong?" she snapped. Actually, what she wanted to say would have been harsher, but the Light language lacked certain colorful and derogatory words.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" he repeated. "Isn't it obvious? You're the LightBearer and you don't even know what you're doing with this power. How are you supposed to defeat the Darkness if you don't even know what's going on?"
She just sighed and looked down at her hands. "It's a fair question," she replied, a tremble in her voice. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am. I'm not even sure how I got here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
He muttered something in his own language.
Hanae looked shocked, and appeared to scold him.
He just shrugged.
"I'm sorry, LightBearer," said Hanae. "I'm afraid I just don't understand humans."
"What did he say?" Eliora asked the demian.
He shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "Aidan, you need to leave. The king would like to meet the Champion, and she needs to get dressed."
"Fine, but I've got to introduce her to Hialmar by dinner time."
"I'll send someone for you when she's ready."
"Fine." Then he left.
"Gods, I do not need this today," she muttered in her own language.
Hanae looked politely confused. "My Lady, clearly you are from very far away. But you must adopt the fashions of the humans here. It will help you fit in better. While you were unconscious, we fetched some clothes we hope will fit you," she said, laying out unfamiliar garments. The demian was actually wearing a long purple flowing dress not entirely dissimilar from her robes, but the clothes she was offering with nothing like anything Eliora had seen before.
"This is so embarrassing," Eliora said.
"Why?"
"Well, first of all, I don't now how to get this Armor off, and second, I have no idea how to put on these clothes."
"Armor?" she inquired.
Eliora pulled off her robes, revealing the shining Armor.
"Oh, my. That is a gift from the Light One."
She nodded. "But I'm not sure how to take it off."
Suddenly, an iridescent appeared in the room. Hanae jumped back, her green eyes wide.
"You called, Mistress?" it asked.
"Did I?" she stammered.
"We have answered, so you must have called."
"I must be more careful," she thought. "Well, how can I take this off?"
"It is part of the Light. You are part of the Light. Send it to the Light, and in the Light it shall remain until you call it back."
"So you're saying I can just send it away, just like that?" she asked.
It nodded.
She stared in the mirror and mentally commanded the Armor to go away. To her surprise, it did, and left her quite naked. She yanked on her robes before Hanae could protest. Her face very red, she called the Armor back. Her robes vanished. Then she sent the Armor away again. To her relief, her robes reappeared. "Oh, thank goodness. I didn't want to have to carry clothes with me everywhere." She turned to the iridescent. "Thank you. You may go now."
It bowed and vanished.
"Good. Now I know how one thing works, at least. Well, show me how to get dressed," she sighed to Hanae.
"Well, first you should have a bath, no offense, my Lady."
Eliora smiled. "No, I understand."
Hanae showed her the bathing room which had a small, wooden bathtub. "The well is just out back. I'll be right back." Within a few minutes, she had it half filled. Then she touched a rune on the front of the tub. "Wait a few moments, and it will be warm."
"That doesn't look like any rune I'm familiar with."
"You know human magic?"
"No, but I've seen some of it."
"This is our magic. It's different from yours," the demian replied simply. She left briefly and returned with a towel and soap. "It's ready." She left Eliora alone, but had the bathing room door opened a crack to talk.
She shed her robes, let down her hair, and got in. "It's wonderful," she sighed, feeling the desert grit wash away. She had never experienced anything like it. Water was too valuable to use in this manner. Even the very wealthy were usually consigned to washing with a damp cloth and washing their hair in one small container of water.
"Please do not take too long, my Lady."
"Of course not," she replied, finishing up as quickly as she could with her long hair. She dried off and emerged with the towel wrapped around her middle.
With the demian's patient explanation, soon Eliora was wearing underclothes, a pair of dark brown pants, a button up, long-sleeved linen undershirt, a long-sleeved thick overshirt, and a pair of sturdy leather boots. Hanae then took a brush to her wet, thick, waist length black hair.
"These clothes are very close," she remarked, plucking at the sleeves uncomfortably.
"It is what the humans wear."
She adjusted her undergarments. "Why does this have to be so tight?"
"I confess, I am the wrong person to ask about these things. Perhaps when you learn the language, you can speak to one of the human women."
"Why do humans live with you if they can't even speak your language?"
"Some can. There are not many women here. Most humans here are warriors, and they protect us."
"Why?" she asked, curious and grateful just to be able to talk to someone.
"We are not fighters. We do not like to fight. We prefer to make things. Humans like the things we make. We do direct trade, and sometimes they offer their protection so that we can work on our crafts in peace. Most of those seem to be male. I really don't understand humans, though."
"That's alright. I am human, but I'm sure I
"You do clearly come from a very different place. There. You hair is brushed. Do with it what you will."
Eliora returned to the bathing room, and braided it up quickly in sort of a crown around her head. "I'm ready, I guess."
Hanae stood up. "Come then. Here's the key to the front door," she said, handing her a key on a leather cord.
She put it over her head and tucked it into her shirt.
"The king is eager to meet the Champion."
She followed the demian through a comfortable looking sitting area filled with wooden furniture and then outside. She stopped, staring at her new surroundings. The large trees were mostly red oaks and blackwoods, with the smallest having a base diameter of twenty feet. The tops were well hidden by numerous layers of branches, but she knew they were over a hundred feet tall. The ground had been cleared of most stray twigs, saplings, and bushes. Small wooden cottages with thatched roofs sat at the base of the trees. An odd squeaking sound came from somewhere above her, so she looked up and was amazed anew. There was another level to the city, in the very treetops. Dwellings were cut into the thick trunks, extended with wooden platforms, and connected by bridges, some natural, some clearly constructed. Lanterns were hung everywhere, illuminating the twilight.
"Humans live on the ground. We live in the treetops," Hanae said, anticipating her question.
"Why do you live there? It's so high."
"It puts us closer to the sun, and is safer than being in the open."
"How do you get up there?"
"Ladders, and some elevators."
"Fascinating."
"Follow me."
She was lead to a tree near the center of the city, all the while drinking in every detail she could. People were around, even though it was evening now. The demians gave her a cursory look and a