Chapter 08

When Arlena was returning to the main tree, she couldn’t stop thinking of Arden. She had never seen him so... angry? It was probably good that Bortrad escorted her today and interfered in her quarrel with Arden; otherwise, she wouldn’t know what to do. The pain in her chest deepened from the thought that he would leave tonight anyway. Mainly because Arden was one of the strongest elves in the village, and he could be a big help in their situation. But it was his choice, just like her choice was to stay.

On the way back, they once again passed the improvised kitchen, and Arlena stopped at it, looking right at the priestess. “I’m staying,” she said, emphasizing that she could help now.

The high priestess smiled at her softly and slightly nodded to thank her for her uneasy choice.

“Can I help now?”

“Yes,” the priestess said, leading Arlena away from Bortrad. “Let’s take a walk?”

Obediently, Bortrad gave them space by following a few steps behind when they entered a wood full of elves who were looking for additional mushrooms and berries.

“How do you feel, my child?” the priestess began the conversation.

“I don’t know,” Arlena replied, watching the elves around them. “Different, everything changed so fast.”

“Yes,” the priestess exhaled. “Did the general treat you well last night?”

“Yes,” she said quietly, expecting the next question. “He didn’t hurt me or force me to do anything. —But they…” She wanted to mention the fur of a northern bear but decided to abstain. The priestess was much wiser than Arden and certainly not as hot-headed, but Arlena still didn’t see the reason to stress her more. “Dragons are not like elves, aren’t they?”

The priestess took a deep breath before replying. “We have more in common with them than we think, but…” she paused. “Everything needs time. Just like a tree needs time to grow, or an elf needs time to learn how to listen to the river of life.”

Arlena felt relief. “We can teach them?”

“We can affect them, just like they affect us. —But you need to understand that some souls might be way too damaged to be cured, especially the souls that went through the war. But with support and guidance,” she touched a tree branch in front of them. The branch was very curved, reaching to the sky through the stones and other heavier branches of the tree. “We can help them to see the world with pure eyes, not tainted by the necessity of fighting for survival.”

Arlena also touched the branch and felt a tense feeling of a tree’s struggle in her chest. “And what if we couldn’t?” she asked.

“Then we have to be ready to accept the consequences.”

“Can we talk?” Arlena found Boren in the main hall of the priests’ tree. He was talking to a high priest, ordering him to add some changes to the hall.

He smiled slightly the moment he saw her and let the priest go. “Sure,” he said, approaching her closely. “Is your father alright?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “I…” The heat that was coming from his body made her falter. “I can’t share a marriage bed with you,” she said firmly.

“A marriage bed?” his black bushy eyebrows raised.

“I… I can sleep with you if you can’t fall asleep alone, just like I did last night. But I can’t be your wife.”

Boren’s face widened in a gigantic smile.

“I was promised to an elf.” She continued as his smile kept growing wider and wider. “By The Greatest Willow Tree,” she faltered again, unable to understand why her words amused him.

“The tree promised you to the elf?” he specified.

“Yes,” she replied, still in bewilderment.

“Did the tree talk to you? —It actually said, ‘I promise you to this specific elf.’”

“Well, not exactly this way, but yes. Every elf, reaching a certain age, participates in a ritual that determines your future partner. And after we reach a marriage age, we get married.” She paused, “I’m supposed to marry during this harvest year.”

“Within the next few moons?”

“Yes,” she said quietly as her gaze moved to the floor. The moss on the stones was already dead just like the hopes she had just a day ago.

“Do you even like the guy?” Boren noticed a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

“Arden is a good elf. The strong and…” She looked back at Boren and lost the rest of the words.

“And where’s he right now?”

Her gaze fell to the floor again. “He left.”

“He left his future wife? —All alone in the arms of ruthless dragons.”

“He had to.” She hastened to defend him.

“I see,” Boren said quietly. “So the tree told you to marry him?”

“Yes, I can show it to you!” she lightened up from the opportunity to educate Boren about the elf's life.

The Greatest Willow Tree stood on a distant hill, a little way from the village but still reachable within a few hours. It was a colossal, ancient tree with layers of lush branches and leaves that hung densely.

“Come inside!” Arlena grabbed Boren's hand and guided him to the stone beneath the branches, hiding themself from the outside world. “We use this water in a ceremony,” she said, pointing to a rainwater puddle on the stone's surface.

They both looked at their reflections in the water. “Now, put your hand on the trunk,” she directed, placing his palm on the cool wood. “Close your eyes and breathe deeply.” She kept her hand on his, and Boren took a deep breath to steady himself. “Give it a moment,” she whispered. “And you'll feel it.”

Arlena stood still, her eyes closed, while Boren couldn't help but continue looking at her. Her thin hair wafted in the gentle wind, carrying a scent of berries to him. "Can you feel it?" she asked. "The energy."

"Aha," Boren lied, still captivated by her refined features.

"This energy is life itself, like a river flowing through every grain in this world, nurturing it and..."

"Is that how trees talk to you?"

"No!" she laughed. "It's not the way trees talk." Arlena opened her eyes and met his gaze. "It's the way they feel. Didn't you sense all the pain and joy this tree experienced throughout its life cycle?"

This time, Boren decided not to lie and shook his head.

"Well, you need to keep practicing. I'm sure someday you’ll feel the life. It's not hard if you're committed. Elves learn it within the first years of life."

"I see. And what about having conversations with trees?"

"That's not something we just do. Nature decides when to speak to us and when not. —During the ritual," Arlena let go of his hand and went back to the stone. "The high priestess addresses the tree with songs and dance. The whole village gathers here; we pray to be guided. And then the willow gives a sign." One of the leaves fell into the water, pointing at Arlena, and she came closer.

“Have you ever considered that the tree might be wrong? After all, how can it know your heart better than you?”

“It’s never wrong,” Arlena said thoughtfully, still looking at the leaf. “The river of life goes through all of us; it doesn’t know the time or space, but it knows everything that has ever happened or is about to happen. That's why we ask it to guide us.” her fingers were gently caressing the texture of the stone.

“Then, why didn’t it warn you about the upcoming army of dragons?” Boren got closer to the stone, and one more leaf fell into the water, pointing at him.

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “Maybe you were meant to come here.” Arlena couldn’t believe her eyes. The two leaves floated on the water just the way they did many years ago when she stood next to this stone with other elves of her age, and leaves fell in the exact same way, pointing at her and Arden from all elves. Only that day, they were floating close to each other, and now leaves were laying one on top of each other as if symbolizing the unexplainable power of her connection with Boren.

“Why are you looking at these leaves?” He couldn't help but notice the tension on her face. “Does it show that you now belong to me?” he joked and leaned on the stone to reach her face. Boren’s fingers raised her chin, and he tasted her lips slowly.