The Harvest Moon Consortium

[Winterhawk99]

Ilthara Ilsadir


Ilthara was happy to be returning at last to Owlbranch Mountain. She was glad her mother had insisted Ilthara get a bit of rogue training before she joined the Greniava Rangers, but Everhaven was so crowded and noisy. It was nice to get out of the city and return to the mountains. She sighed a bit at the weight of her pack. She'd gotten it specially made to not impede her wings and it had been worth it, but there was just too much stuff in there. Still, it wouldn't be much longer. The trail to the eyrie was just up the ridge and through the big rock arch. She anticipated her family's pleasure in their gifts from the city and the vast, welcoming caverns of home. It would be almost sunset when she arrived. Her brother Tasil and sister Imly and their silver wyrmling friend Taliithii would be playing tag all over the mountain. It would be so good to be home!
Ilthara walked through the arch. The first thing she noticed was the weight that no longer burdened her back.
Then she knew she was no longer in the Greniava mountains. The vegetation was all wrong. She walked around cautiously. At nightfall, she looked up at the sky. The stars weren't the familiar ones she'd learned. This was another place entirely.


After talking with Melocia, Ilthara was able to get some sleep without the dreams at last. But she woke abruptly in the branches of the big oak in the Vales, thinking again she heard someone calling her. She flew down and searched the area carefully.
Everything seemed as usual.
Amura watched her restless search in puzzlement, chasing down a piglet and bringing it to Ilthara hopefully. "Look, Thara, no need to hunt. I brought you food. I'll keep you safe."
Ilthara put her arms around the big tiger. "I'm not hungry, love, you eat it."
Ilthara let her go and watched Amura enjoy her breakfast. The sense that someone was watching her, calling her, grew. She could almost feel their breath on the back of her neck.

Ilthara wandered listlessly around the garden. Callan had flown off to search for some medicinal herbs and left her home to rest. He was so considerate, and he took such good care of her. She wished she would grow stronger. perhaps these herbs would help.
Ilthara looked up at the entrance to the cave. Even standing in the sunlight grass below, she thought she could feel the cold dank air exuding from its mouth.
Last night she had awoken from another nightmare. Callan wasn't in bed beside her. She slipped softly to the cabin door and saw him going in to the cave. It was the third time this had happened.

Why was he spending time in a haunted cavern he could hardly bear to speak of?


Ilthara sat by the fire in the Vales with an arm around Amura and watched the dress burn.




After Callan left, Ilthara had gone up the stair and into the cave. The cold air was thick with the scent of flowers, with a reek beneath it of chemicals and, most strongly, of death. She looked around in horror. There were female bodies in all stages of decay strewn in heaps, hanging, in cages. In one corner stood a gnomish woman. She was white and cold, but Ilthara could detect a spark of---was it life? No, the poor girl was obviously dead, starved to death.

Ilthara continued exploring the cave. There were dead women everywhere, elves and dwarves and gnomes and humans.
She crossed the water and came to a room that seemed set up as some sort of laboratory. An elven woman stood in a glass tube staring at nothing. Callan had to know about this. She had seen him go into the cave more than once. Which meant, which meant--- Ilthara turned and started running back across the bridge.

He was waiting in the first room.
"Ilthara," he said, smiling warmly. "Darling, aren't my brides all beautiful?"
"I need some air, please, Callan. It's very thick and close in here." Thara tried to control her breathing, to walk calmly toward the cave mouth.
"You'll get used to it, sweetheart. I was going to introduce you to everyone soon, but why not seize the moment? I'm sure you'll grow to love them all as much as I do."
Ilthara could feel him, willing her to love him, to delight in him, to be happy to do and be whatever he wanted.
And all she had to do was give in and be a happy as she'd been in the valley, not thinking of anyone but him, not remembering

"Amura,"she said.

"Who?"

"I have to go to the Vales. I have to see if she's all right." Ilthara walked past him, toward the light from the cave exit.
Callan took her arm and turned her to face him. "My dear Avariel, you can't leave me." He kissed her and that was all Ilthara knew of the waking world for a long time.



Ithara wandered cautiously through the mist. It was grey blue and the moisture condensed on her cheeks like tears. Sometimes there seemed to be no solid ground beneath her feet. Sometimes she was flying.
She heard a voice she thought she recognized.

"Caland?" Ilthara said. For a moment the cave swam into focus. And then she was back in the mist again.



She could hear voices, though her eyelids were so heavy, she couldn't open them. One of the voices was very familiar. Caland. It was Caland. She remembered him, of course. The other... It was someone she almost knew.
Caland was pleading with him to repent, to change, and to release her, Ilthara, and let her return to her life.

She could feel cold rising from hard stone beneath the carpet on which she was lying. She took a small shallow breath and listened.

And then she knew what had happened. She had been lured away by a shapeshifted Velcar. Tricked and charmed and deluded.

For a moment, more than anything, she wanted to die. But it wouldn't matter, would it? He had stolen her soul. If she died now, she would belong to him, another empty body, neither dead nor undead, like the poor elf standing in the glass tube.



Ilthara focused her will, trying to gather herself together to act when she could.

"Wedding veils.... My soul is being stored somewhere in a wedding veil. This isn't hopeless," she thought. "Somehow-"

She heard Caland reject the demon's attempt at a bargain and the struggle begin. Amazed, she felt Velcar casting a spell and then heard Caland's fighting yell.

Ilthara took hold of the slab beside her and pulled herself to her feet.



The book on Ethereal Beings was reassuringly thick and heavy in Ilthara's hands. She thought, almost in embarrassment, of how much she'd like to read it later, when she had more time and less urgent need for information.

There’s a spell, but I still need permission,” Ilthara said. She heard Caland gasp. “Are you all right?”

“Ilthara, there are hundreds of ghosts of women around us now. I believe they are still infatuated with that thing,” he said.

She had been concentrating so hard on finding the spell, she spoke without thinking.“I don’t see how they could be. I would like to eat his heart.”
Ilthara looked at Caland. For a moment she wanted to laugh, remembering the time Amura had brought her a fresh raw boar's heart and she'd eaten it politely, after checking it for parasites. The expression on his face wasn't much different than it had been that day. But she wasn't sure she could stop laughing once she started. She choked it back.

"I'm sorry. I am so angry I would." She had to say it because it was true. The only thing that would satisfy her now would be for Velcar to be destroyed utterly, no longer to rape and use and torture anyone else in any world.



Ilthara thought for a moment about how odd it was that she'd felt Velcar cast his teleportation spell. Her grandmother Ilsadir was a very skilled mage, something fairly rare among Ilthara's folk, but she had never shown any signs of a gift for arcane magic herself.
He grandmother had been disappointed Thara hadn't inherited her talents with her name.

Ilthara put the thought aside. Time to consider this later, if she survived and got her soul back.



Ilthara stared into the fire. The dress he had given her was completely consumed. She leaned against Amura's sturdy body and let herself remember.





The sky of the land of the dead is red. Fumes and vapors rise from its chasms. The ground is gray and black rocks and dust. Occasionally, she heard someone scream.
Ilthara and Caland walked softly. Their feet barely stirred the dusty ground.

"I guess we find the judge now," Ilthara said.

Caland looked past her and bowed. Ilthara turned.

"The living at my door. How refreshing," the dark figure said.

Ilthara bowed deeply. Nurell wore robes of shades of charcoal embellished with blood red. His hands were bone. He had no face.

"What do the living want in the land of the dead?" the hollow voice asked.

"Please, I am trying to regain my stolen soul," Ilthara said."An incubus put it in a veil. And I need to be able to speak to the living dead who may know where he has hidden them."

She could feel him look her through and through.
Nurell laughed. "Velcar. Ah such a wonderful being."

"Why would you say that?" Caland asked.

"Velcar has brought many to me as payment for the ones he takes. I let him----ahhh the pain he causes, much like Kane"

Ilthara swallowed her anger. "To speak to them, we need your permission."

"That is correct," Nerull answered.

"Please give it," Ilthara said.

"No one has access to speak with the dead unless I give my word."

"The souls do not belong to him," Caland said. "Is it not illegal for such an exchange to take place?"

"Give your word then, please," Ilthara begged.

"Why should I, mortal? You are no necromancer? You have no intrest with the dead."

"I have an interest in my soul," Ilthara said.

Caland said,"I have interest in all souls who are in pain."

"Legality is what I say it is. I am master of the dead as orcus is master of the undead. Velcar's brides are not undead nor are they fully dead. I let him take a few for all the favors he has done me."

"So they don't come under your watch then?" Ilthara said.

If the faceless one could smile, Thara was sure he was, though she couldn't see it."They fall under no one's watch," Nerull said." They are his to do with as he pleases."

"A loophole in the laws..." Caland murmured thoughtfully.

Ilthara shuddered."So you cannot grant us permission to speak with them?"

"That I can do, since they speak as the dead."

"Please do so,"Ilthara asked.

"And what reason do I have to grant you this favor?"

Caland looked at Nerull."Master, are you Hades also known as Pluto?"

"I am Nurell the Reaper, god of the dead, the sepulchral voice answered.

Caland nodded to himself and whispered to Ilthara in Elven, "He only watches over death. I do not know what sort of power he has over those already dead."

Ilthara took a deep breath of the cold and sulfurous air,"Well, it shows Velcar that you still
hold authority over them. That's a reason."

She could feel Nerull regard her speculatively,"I will grant you permission; however, if you do not win back your soul, you will be pledged to me rather than to Velcar. I will place my mark on you until you either win your soul back or become his bride. If you lose and become his bride, than you will come here to be my minion instead. What say you, mortal?"

"What of this," Caland asked."If she loses, I come here and she is free?"

"A fair deal. I would accept this deal," Nerull said."What say you both?"

Ilthara said hastily,"Caland. If I don't win my soul back, I'm returning here of my own will. I will never be Velcar's bride."

"Then your soul will be mine," Nerull said.

Caland said,"By free, I mean free from Velcar, too."

Ilthara looked at him, sadly. "I can't purchase my freedom at the price of yours, Caland."

"But I can,"Caland said resolutely.

Ilthara looked around the land of the dead as Caland argued with Nerull. He was very brave and very kind, but he belonged in the world fixing temples and saving folk, as he'd tried to save her. And if it was between being a minion in the land of the dead and Velcar's souless slave, the choice was easy.

Nerull opened a pocket watch and looked at it, "Decide which one."

"I have already found out what it's like to be a thing, with no choices. If I can't get my soul back, I'll return here. Give us permission, please," Ilthara said.

"So be it."

Caland stood behind Ilthara. It was good to feel him there, knowing that whatever happened he would not be satisfied till Velcar's other brides were free and the incubus himself gone from the world. If she could, if somehow she got her soul back, Velcar would be banished
from all the worlds. Ilthara resolved to do and learn anything she could to make that possible.

Nurell marked her head with the sign of Nurell. She felt it hot and cold all through her body.

Ilthara shivered.

Nurell said, "The sign will leave if you win your soul back."

Nerull incanted sonorously. Ilthara felt as though she almost understood the words. Caland squeezed her shoulder.

"You now have access to the spell of speak with dead. Use it wisely, for I hear every word the dead speak, Nerull said.

"Thank you,"Ilthara answered.

Caland bowed his head,"I do not like this one bit."

And before he finished speaking, they were back in the cavern. Speaking with Ethereal Beings was in her hands, where it belonged. She was going to take it with her, though she could only begin to understand it.

"I can't say I'm pleased either. Thank you, Caland, for finding me."

"It was my duty. Ellidy told me a funny story about you flying off with another Avariel."

Ilthara smiled at him,"It was your kindness, I think."



Ilthara took a deep breath. The fire was low. She got up to collect more windfall. Amura leaned heavily against her, almost knocking the slight elf to the ground.

"What are you doing, Thara?" the big tiger asked.

"Just looking for fallen wood, love. That's all."



Ilthara read the spell for speaking with the dead again silently. It was going to take her years to understand all the contents of Ethereal Beings. Amura lay sleeping close by, her paws twitching as she hunted dream beasts.

Poor Beatrice. Ilthara wished her a good new incarnation if that was what her spirit chose, or that Beatrice's deity claimed her and brought her to a happy afterlife.

It had been so good to be out on the cold mountainside after that dusty city, good to be whole and free. She and Caland had rested there on the mountain ledge and then found their way down the snowy foothills to the Pocket Canyon. Caland had gone on, but Ilthara stayed in the Canyon for another day, walking in the caves and in the Northern Forest and helping Lyra in her small garden, sleeping under the apple trees and gathering her strength for the walk back to the Vales.

She had so much to learn. She had known she was changing before Velcar found her and took so much away from her. He had made certain the change was even more fundamental. She could never go back to that Ilthara, who seemed now, despite her concern for the land and her ranger's dedication to tending it, so carefree and happy.

Ilthara closed the book and flew up into the big tree above Amura. She watched the stars wheel overhead till sleep claimed her at last.



Ilthara woke refreshed. After Gaelaer had sung her to sleep, she'd slept well, dreaming only of wandering through the Pine Forest gathering seeds.

The book on liches the vampire had told her of, could it perhaps be useful? There might be information that could be adapted to deal with demons.
Vladimir could surely have gotten the book for himself. He'd managed to travel all the way to the Vales from Rock Point.
So why had he told her of it? Why send her after it?
Thara sighed. She would have to find her way there, though that was apparently what the vampire wanted. It was an old wizard school, after all. Who knew what other useful bits of this and that might be there?



Ilthara had let her anger get the better of her. At least she'd made sure to give Anwan fly scrolls and invisibility potions before she left him. With those and his own stealth skills, he'd find his way back to Morzelmore, surely.

She weeded the herb bed in the Pocket Canyon, letting the canyon's peace calm her, listening to the birds.

She wondered what sort of sword Amelia would forge and hoped it would enable them to defeat the black dragon without killing her, as they'd promised. She and Laurik and Anwan would have to work together with anyone else they could get to help them to accomplish that. She wished with all her heart she'd bitten back those hasty words. She was stuck with Anwan as a companion for this task whatever she might think of his philosophy.
And now she knew he was a hunter, a predator with no restrictions other than his own inclinations.

Ilthara sighed. She would have to be very careful from now on. She had no desire to find herself, or anyone else, prey.



Ilthara added the weeds from the herb bed to the compost pile. It was a lovely day; still cool, but the sun was bright, and the air promised spring. Time to wander back to the Vales soon.

"Lyra! Lyra, he's doing it again!" Jindrin came running from the smiths' cave.

"He? He who?" Lyra asked, grinning.

"You are not that owl of yours and you know very well who. That wretched satyr's playing poltergeist with our tools again."

"How do you know it's Falwyn? Can you see him this time?"

"No, but we heard him tittering at us, Anwyn and I. His laugh hasn't changed since he died."

Lyra looked at Ilthara. "Will you talk to him? Persuade him to go back into the barrow. Or at least to come up here and haunt the canyon instead of annoying the smiths."

"He is a nuisance," Ilthara said. "But he gets so bored in there."

"He knows he's welcome to join Amalda in her home in the other world. I wish he'd go on and do it."

"Maybe he'll be ready someday. I'll see if I can coax him back to the barrow."

Ilthara followed Jindrin back into the Northern Cave. Anwyn was almost crying over the rapidly cooling kukri she'd been working on.

"Falwyn, I know you're here. Give them their tools back. Come on now, please. They need to get back to work."

She stood very still, closing her eyes, trying to feel his location in the cave. She walked softly in his direction and he pulled her hair.

"I could try to exorcise you, you know. Or pray to Amalda to come and make you return with her." She opened her eyes to see Falwyn's translucent face grinning up at her.

"Give them their tools back and we'll go for a walk up in the forest before you go back to the barrow. You can play that ghosty thing you wrote to the other satyrs. They don't have work they want to do. Please."

The missing tools clattered to the ground beside Anwyn's workbench.

Ilthara spent the rest of the afternoon with the ghost fey, listening to him play.

At twilight she walked him back to the barrow and went to meet Lyra.

"You should stay here, Ilthara. The ghosts don't bother you and you have a way with them. I'm hoping more of the folk will come to live here, and someone to distract the barrowfolk would be welcome."

"I'm not interested in exorcising them, Lyra, or any of that sort of thing. I threatened Falwyn with it, but he knows I don't mean it. Besides, I don't know how."

"If I thought we needed that, I'd go find a cleric. There's an apartment that's just your sort of place. I doubt any of the folk would want it. There's even a pool for that tiger of yours. And you're welcome to it."

"Thank you, Lyra. I'd like that very much."

Lyra handed Ilthara a silver key. Gratefully the Avariel went to look at her new home.



Ilthara gave Velevet her extra keys. "I know you and Bofor will look after things here as best you can."

"I don't have your gift with ghosts, Ilthara. And Bofor--"

"They promised to behave, Vel. Just be ready in case any of the giants wander down into the satyrs' bit of forest and so on. Look after my plants. I transplanted in some more wild herbs and they'll need watering."

"Ilthara, where are you going? Why are you going?"

"I need to find some things out. And I don't want to be around anyone for a while."

"Thara, don't go. Why don't you go talk to Gaelaer? She seems to help you get your head clear."

"Amura will look after me. And even if she wanders off hunting, I'm never alone. It's getting awfully crowded in me. I can hardly hear you over them."

"Farewell then, my dear. I hope you find whatever you're looking for."

Ilthara smiled at Velevet, "I hope so too." She put on her small backpack, holding little but a few books, fletching tools and spell components. It rested easily between her wings."Take care, and my love to Bofor."


Velevet watched the slight elf and the big tiger walk into the smiths' cavern. She sighed, wondering if she would ever see Thara again, and went to the stream for water for the thirsty herbs.



Story by Maddyanne