War Of The Wildlands(66)

He awoke with a start and shook his head. It was nearly dawn, so he went back out onto the deck to observe their approach to the isles. In the distance, he could see land. There were two separate islands that he could make out, and behind one there was a huge cloud of smoke. He wondered briefly if there was a third island which was currently on fire. Shaking the thought from his head, he continued to watch as the islands grew closer. The ship’s crew was preparing to dock, and Yori’s anticipation rose.

No one spoke to him as he departed the ship. Heading down the ramp to dry land, he hoped to spot someone who could point him in the direction of a teacher. Master Yarion did not sound like the friendly sort, but perhaps he had a servant or two who was more willing to chat.

Yori took a moment to observe his surroundings. Tall stone spires rose high into the sky everywhere he looked. There were no trees to be seen, and the earth was covered in flat stone, preventing any grass from pushing its way to the surface. Though he had grown up in a town filled with people, he was used to seeing the forest. In Enald, trees grew in various places within the town, and grass was no rarity. Here, it seemed, the Enlightened Elves had no use for nature. Gulls mobbed the shore, but no birds could be seen as he moved farther away from the sea.

He spotted a tall elf giving orders to some of the dock workers and decided to try his luck at a conversation.

“You stink of Wild Elf,” the tall elf said. “Don’t come too close.”

Yori stopped in his tracks in disbelief. His previous assumption had been right. There would be no fooling these elves into thinking he was one of them. “I’m looking for training in weapons enchantment,” he said.

The tall elf began to laugh and shook his head. “That’s very amusing. Now off with you!” He stopped laughing and waved Yori away.

“I wasn’t joking,” Yori called out. “Do you know where I can find a smith?”

The tall elf laughed again. “You’re a funny little thing.”

Yori stared back at the elf. Everything he had been told of the Enlightened Elves was true. This was the first one of their kind he had ever met, and he could already tell the elf thought Yori was beneath him. “Look, can you tell me where to find a smith or are you not smart enough?” Yori thought he’d try giving the arrogant jerk a taste of his own medicine.

The smile came off of the elf’s face as he said, “Try the city square.” He pointed over his shoulder, stuck his nose in the air, and walked away in a huff.

Insulting their intelligence seems to work, Yori thought. I’ll have to remember that. As he located the city square, he found the most immaculate marketplace he could ever have envisioned. Everywhere was white stone, and there was no hint of trash or dirt on the streets. The merchant stalls were small versions of the tall towers that filled the skyline. Bronze-skinned elves dressed in long, colorful robes strolled lazily about the market, casually inspecting goods as they passed by each stall. No one seemed to be in any kind of a hurry, and no one was yelling over the crowd to advertise their wares.

There was little noise, and Yori thought he would easily hear the sound of a hammer should he come near a smith. To his disappointment, however, he heard nothing of the kind, and no smoke could be seen coming from a furnace. He was beginning to wonder if these elves had some magical method of crafting weapons that did not require a forge.

With a sigh, he began to browse the long line of stalls for any sign of a blacksmith. The elves eyed him suspiciously and moved away from him as he passed. He was failing to blend in among such tall elves. Everyone here was at least a head taller than him, despite the fact that he was average height for a human. He supposed it was easier to look down on other races if you literally had to look down at them.

His clothing probably did not help matters. He was dirty from his travels, and it had been a while since he had a bath. Seeing what appeared to be an inn, he wondered if they had a “no Wild Elf” policy. Finding a place to stay might prove difficult. He decided he might fare better if he had a bath and some decent Enlightened Elf style clothing to wear. Luckily, he saw a shop selling robes nearby, and a pretty young elf maiden stood within. She looks friendly enough, he thought.

As he approached the stall, the girl’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at Yori without saying a word.

“Hello,” he said. “Do you accept coins from the Kingdom of Na’zora? I have silver.”

“Um, yes,” she replied, glancing to each side. “Aren’t gold and silver coins accepted everywhere?”

Yori had no idea they would accept the same currency. “I need to purchase something to wear,” he said.