#narulanth

Thank you all for your patience and engagement thus far with my story!

I'm pleased to announce that my notes for "Child of the Forest, Wander the Desert" are nearly complete, and you should start to see the chapter releases soon!

However, as I begin writing, I want to outsource one decision to all of you!

Theulath, the protagonist of the story, will go on a truly horrible experience. Do you want to hear about his traumatic journey in first person, or third person? Also, past or present tense?

Thanks to everyone that's followed the story so far! A reminder that you can filter my blog down to just the stories and posts related to them using the #Narulanth tag.

Part 9: Of Contest and Wisdom

Now there was among the Relerili one skilled in writing and in arts and in all forms of weaving, and his name was Ifthril. His dwelling was across from the garden of Loros, and it was a great hall, filled in every wing with scrolls and books and tapestries, but these were essays in his skill, and were not yet brought to their full beauty, and of the books nigh all were empty, for he foresaw with wisdom the need to bind them ere he would need them.

He it was that wove the great and many robes of the relirili, and beautiful were their forms. For Ralein was the golden vestment, to match both his fire and the light of Erel. Relfen bore robes of silver, Vurel the silver star being his own, which he made last of all. Green robes were made for Loros, under the garden light of Lorel.

The star Xirel, being good to sing and speak under, belonged to Xivael, and he was good friends with Ifthril, and had his dwelling close to his. Therefore his robes were made pale, but something of each color was in them, chiefly of a hue similar to yet unlike both green and blue, and the mingling of them was as the mingling of musics.

Vadel desired a star of his own, and bore Derel upon a tower, its light a firm orange, and so were his robes, and they were embroidered with the blue paths of the rivers he traversed. Zhedren bore the black garment, to match the deep light of Zhedrel, the like of which was not like any other, and his robe was adorned with those beautiful stones he had taken out of the land, and in appearance he was like unto the black Lathani.

For Meros and Reva, of whom something will now be written, robes of red and violet were woven.

Now Meros was of all the relirili the most skilled in physical prowess, and none could best him in any contest except Zhedrel, who was strongest of their kin. His principle dwelling was upon the plains of Vithanth, and he won easily any race upon flat ground, for he was swift in his footing, and could throw great distances, and perform any feat with skill exceeding all others, once he had mastered it. His star was Merel, and shone red upon his stadiums.

Reva, not the least among his brethren, was last to take a name, and besides Relfen the last to bear a star. His talent was in hidden and secret things, and always his mind was towards what was yet to come. He spent much time in contest with Meros, and would at times find ways to defeat him in some new physical combat, but never more than once in whatever way was invented. As for himself, he took great delight in the making of plans, and scarce could he be outwitted, and in like manner to Meros he could not be laid low twice in the same style. His star, Relva, and robes were both a shimmering violet, and his dwelling was as a towering fortress upon a hilltop.

Ifthril himself bore new robes in every passing generation, but liked best those clothings of the sheer blue sky, and this also was the color of his star Ifthrel.

Now these are the dwellings of the relerili, and so ends this account.

Part 8: Of Water and Stone.

Among the Relerili there were two whose arts held great interest for the Lathani, and these were Vadel and Zhedren.

Vadel had not yet taken a name when the Relerili met the Lathani, but upon seeing their works his heart was elevated. He took counsel with the Lathani and learnt from them the manner of their craft, and expanded upon it greatly.

He took reeds and boughs and branches, shaping them as he would, and fashioned a great vessel. Setting it on the waters, he sat within and guided it by oars. This he taught also to the Lathani, and he made for his dwelling a great shipyard upon the river that cut through the Vithanth. This river went down to the ocean, but he did not sail past the mouth of the river, which he named the Rovadul.

Zhedren was named for his great strength, for he was by force mightiest among the Relerili, and also the largest. At his approach the lands would shake, unless he took cares to walk gently and slowly. By his might the mountains were shaped to the liking of he and his kin, and the digging of wells was his delight and his responsibility.

He engaged himself as the builder of the dwellings of he and his kin, for above his strength was his artistry in stone, for the images of his design bore semblance to living things. His dwelling, in this regard, was greatest among those of his brethren, for it was carved as a quarry into one of the great hills of the Usanth, and was of many chambers, each filled with his works of artistry, and springs of water flowed out of it into a great pool, above which he set his star, and it was named Zhedrel.

Zhedren it was, then, that taught the working if stone and the making of cities to the Lathani.

Part 7: Of the First Dispersion.

Once the feast set by Irulath and Lathrea had reached its end, the Relerili, the Star Bearers, came together apart from their hosts and took council with one another.

"These are wise creatures, and their works are good," said Xivael, his heart chiefly aflame with wonder.

Ralein then spoke. "It would be good for us to show them the way to our dwelling, that we may return in good measure the kindness that they have done for us."

"Yet it will not be so," said Loros, "for their bodies would diminish by the heat of our land of dwelling, and injury would come upon them."

"May it yet be so," said Relfen, but he spoke not more then.

From that time on there was great friendship between the Relerili and the people of Lathani, for so were Irulath and Lathrea, and their many children. Now this was a wondrous thing to the Relerili, for there was yet no creature they had seen that both bore young and spoke in an intelligent tongue.

Now Lathrea had four sons by Irulath, and four daughters. Two had fur as red as the blood of their flesh. Two also had fur that shone bright as the star of Erel. Two others were whiter than the ice and snow that landed upon the high mountains. Yet two more had fur as black as the shining dark beyond the reach of the stars of the Relerili.

These, having obtained the blessings of their father and mother, embarked upon a great journey, that they might see all the places of Narulanth. As they set out they named their own home the forest of Hilanth, for it was their forested home, and was dear to them, and always their hearts were called back to it.

This even being so, each had unto themself a favorite place, and each chose a place as like unto themselves and to their own children. The red hill lands were the abode of the red sons, and the sands bordering the desert of the Relerili became that of the yellow sons. The high mountains were a favorite to the white sons, and the shores of the dark ocean was a dwelling unto the black sons.

Part 6: Of the Children of the Forest

Now all drew near to the creature, for at first sight of it they knew it was the one they sought for, and there was silence. Then the creature came out from the water, for until now it stood in it, only the face seen in the air.

It was short, but slender enough that it seemed tall, for when it came out it stood on two short legs, the head held high. It looked this way and that at the ones who came in search, the ears pointed backwards, but twitching. There were whiskers on its face, which came forward a short way. All four of its limbs concluded in webbed paws, but those of the fore had something more articulate. It was covered all over with slick crimson fur, and though it had been submerged, it was scarcely wet. The only part not covered was its tail, a flat slender thing that came to a point.

Then their amazement grew yet more, for the creature spoke, and in their own tongue. "I am Irulath. I ask, who are you?"

Then Xivael, named for his mastery of speech and song, spoke. "I am Xivael, and these are my kin. We have sought for you, long was our journey."

"You will receive rest. Come into my home."

So they followed him, to an island behind the wall, and there he entered, but they were stayed, for the door into his home was under the water. He came out again, therefore, and set a table for them upon the roof, and there was a second creature with Irulath, and her name was Lathrea. "Long have we waited for the lords of fire, for the star bearers to come unto us. For this is what you are, in truth I speak."

Now the star bearers rejoiced in good measure, for they perceived that this was a good name unto them, and they wondered at the wisdom of their hosts.

Part 5: Of Storms and the Search

With the rising of the star Lorel, for such was named that star that abided above the garden planted by Loros, a change took place upon the world. All things that drew breath quickened, growing greater under the new light. The light mingled with that of Erel, so that new births were multiplied, and the ones who came from beyond found much joy wherever they went.

As they traveled they discovered a new change. The heat from the junction of the two stars caused the waters which came in through the canals to rise as steam and mist. It gathered and struck the mountains, coming down in torrents, and so the rivers of those lands were continually renewed. It gathered up in heaps upon itself, rising up in a pillar until collapse overtook its growth, sending down deluge upon the plains.

By this token also the breathing things of the world were strengthened, for though the water was perilous to them, its abundance was a bounty to them. Therefore those who sought soon found themselves in the midst of many tall creatures, whose bodies were hard as stone, and which reached up very high before joining one another in a glorious dance, but they were still save that the wind moved them.

In the midst of this forest their journey took them, after they had pursued their dreams in all other places, and given names to those places.

The high mountain lands they called Lomanth, and the hill lands at their feet were called Usanth. The plains were called Vithanth, for the paths along that place were the easiest to walk. Their own dwelling they named Erelanth, for the star above the first house of their dwelling. This forest, then, was at a place between Usanth and Vithanth, and was very wide, and was very great, and between it and the first dwelling was the garden so that the light of Lorel shone chiefly upon it.

Now they came to a place in the forest where there was a wide clearing, and a river was flowing into it, but went no further, for upon the river was a wall of curious design, which allowed it to pass through only in small measure. Those who lived in the lands since the shining darkness was upon it were amazed, for never before had they seen such a thing, and the shape of it had never enetered their hearts.

Ralein, first to have drank from the fires beneath the lands, drew nigh unto the wall, and with amazement saw that it had been shaped in all ways with intelligence.

Relfen followed, and noted the design, that though the whole was made of one material, yet every part served a purpose apart from the others, and he perceived that there was yet more to this work within the wall, that he could not discern from without.

Loros, then, beheld that the material was of like to the creatures of the forest, which were broken off from them by storms, and at his approach a strange thing indeed came out from the water behind the wall.

Part 4: Of all that takes Breath

Some time after the first turning of Orthneul the golden key, all around the land of Narulanth there came into being living creatures. The first of those who came from beyond to find these was Loros, and he was so named for the love he held for these creatures.

As he walked by the surrounding ocean he found them. As he walked in the flooding fields he found them. As he climbed the high mountains he found them. In all places he found them, and he gave them names as were fitting unto them. He took great delight in those creatures which grew from out of the ground, and having learnt the pattern of that growth, planted a garden of marvellous design. He watched those creatures which moved, and took note of their patterns also, and how each sought out like of their kind with which to spend time and to raise young.

Many of these things he brought to his kin and shewed them forth for their beauty and the wisdom shown in their life. Now, there were some that he did not bring, either by reason of their immense size and slow movement, or else their habits forbidding hospitable treatment. Chief among these were those that lived in the oceans, and that were too large to bring through the canals.

It was during an investigation of these creatures that Loros discovered fear, for one great serpent of the waters leapt out and would have devoured him. From then on he and his kind kept distance from the shore.

At long last his labor in making the names was complete, and in his joy he commissioned a new star from Relfen, and set it above the garden he had planted. Then a whisper arose, dreams in the sleep of the ones who came from beyond, that new creatures had taken breath.

Thus began the search, led by Loros, to find the new creatures upon the land of Narulanth.