the descendants of faerie people and not really human. The
Elves were the makers of the magic that had shaped the world
since the advent of the First Council at Paranor, and no one had
ever much trusted either the magic or its users. When the things
you call Shadowen began to appear-there was no name for
them then-the Federation was quick to place the blame for the
sickening of the land on the Elves. After all, that was where the
magic had originated, and wasn’t it magic that was causing all
the problems? If not, why were the Elves and their homeland
not affected? It all multiplied as such things do until finally our
people had had enough. The choice was simple. Either stand up
to the Federation, which meant giving them the war they were
so actively seeking, or find a way to sidestep them completely.
War was not an attractive prospect. The Elves would stand vir-
tually alone against the strongest army in the Four Lands. Cal-
lahorn had already been absorbed and the Free Corps disbanded,
the Trolls were as unpredictably tribal as ever, and the Dwarves
were hesitant to commit.
“So the Elves decided simply to leave-to migrate to a new
territory, resettle, and wait the Federation out. This decision
wasn’t arrived at easily; there were many who wanted to stand
and fight, an equal number who thought it better to wait and
see. After all, this was their homeland they were being asked to
abandon, the birthplace of Elves since the cataclysm of the Great
Wars. But, in the end, after much time and deliberation, it was
agreed that the best choice was to leave. The Elves had survived
moves before. They had established new homelands. They had
perfected the art of seeming to disappear while in fact still being
there.”
She sighed. “It was so long ago, Wren, and I wasn’t there. I
can’t be certain now what their motives were. The move began
a slow gathering together of Elves from every corner of the
Westland so that villages simply ceased to exist. Meanwhile,
the Wing Riders found this island, and it suited the needs of the
Land Elves perfectly. Morrowindl. When it was settled that this
is where they would come, they chose a time and just disap-
peared.”
She seemed to deliberate as to whether to explain further,
then shook her head. “Enough of what brought us here. As I
said, one among the Ohmsfords stayed. Two generations passed
with children being born, and then my mother married the King
of the Elessedils, and the Ohmsford and Elessedil families
merged. I was born and my brother Asheron after me. My
brother was chosen to be king, but he was killed by the de-
mons-one of the first to die. I became queen then instead. I
married and your mother was born, Alleyne, my only child.
Eventually the demons killed my husband as well. Alleyne was
all I had left.”
“My mother,” Wren echoed. “What was she like?”
The queen smiled anew. “There was no one like her. She
was smart, willful, pretty. She believed she could do anything-
some part of her wanted to try, at least.” She clasped her hands
and the smile faded. “She met a Wing Rider and chose him for
her husband. I didn’t think it a good idea-the Sky Elves have
never really bonded with us-but what I thought didn’t really
matter, of course. This was nearly twenty years ago, and it was
a dangerous time. The demons were everywhere and growing
stronger. We were being forced back into the city. Contact with
the outside world was becoming difficult.
“Shortly after she was married, Alleyne became pregnant
with you. That was when Eowen told me of her vision.” She
glanced at the other woman, who sat watching impassively,
green eyes huge and depthless. “Eowen is a seer, Wren, perhaps
the best that ever was. She was my playmate and confidante
when I was a child, even before she knew she had the power.
She has been with me ever since, advising and guiding me. I
told you that she was the reason you are here. When Alleyne