Treasure of the Forest

By Valentrus



One of the more commonly reclusive races of Elanthia is the sylvankind. Most enjoy keeping to themselves, within their forest communities, away from the affairs of the outside world. Naturally, there are always some who think differently, choosing a life of adventure. However, some have been known to take a path different from either of those.



A small sylvan village once prospered in the forests west of Ta’Nalfein during the Second Age, when the Elven Empire was at its height. The sylvans in this area enjoyed a peaceful life, protected from the more dangerous creatures and living among trees that remained green throughout the year. The climate was always perfect, and food was plentiful. The inhabitants knew the splendor of their existence was linked to the presence of three ancient jewels, kept in a shrine in the center of their village.



The common tale in this village was that each of these jewels was sacred to a specific Arkati. The emerald, representing Imaera, kept the fruits of the wilderness always in bloom and ready for harvesting. The ruby, symbolizing Oleani, caused the village and nearby areas to experience spring throughout the entire year. Finally, the diamond, largest of the three, was Kai’s sacred symbol. It was said that when he saw the peaceful nature of this sylvan forest-home, he wished them to be protected at all times, and created his jewel to achieve this goal.



Luthele was a normal member of this community. She was educated in the ways of her people from birth. Of the elves to the east, she was merely told that the ones of the cities did not follow their ways. Unfortunately, unlike most others of her kind, this only sparked curiosity in the young sylvan. As she grew into adulthood, so did her desire to learn more of her urban neighbors. She dreamt of living in one of the seven great cities, walking down its streets, visiting its shops, and being among its varied people—perhaps even those who were not of elven lineage.



Continually thinking in this fashion, Luthele began taking a daily jaunt through the forest about her home, always heading eastward. Gradually, these short journeys grew longer, until she began to sit for hours within visual distance of Ta’Nalfein’s walls, gazing longingly at the elves passing through its gates.



Of course, a group of Nalfein opportunists began to notice the sylvan who would stare at their city daily. Believing her to be a member of the nearby community whose mysterious weather always puzzled them, they felt they could make use of her. A young member of the group named Talrash, seeking prestige, immediately volunteered to exploit the girl’s strange habits.



Luthele’s daily visits to the outskirts of Ta’Nalfein turned into daily visits to Talrash, who managed to charm her at every turn. He slowly twisted information out of her, taking her further into the better parts of his city the more she told him. The young sylvan never realized his true intentions, feeling he was just a kind friend who was interested in her village and her ways. Eventually, he even managed to learn of the jewels.



Utterly ecstatic at his knowledge, Talrash rushed back to his superiors, informing them of the cause of the sylvan community’s wondrous surroundings. Congratulating their rather effective spy, the opportunists’ realized the potential the jewels held for them. They felt they could put the artifacts to a good use, rather than watching them go to waste by a village of what they thought were uncivilized, slow-witted creatures. Naturally, Talrash was sent to convince Luthele to bring them to him.



Promising to have her live with him in the city, the very next day the manipulative creature easily caused the young sylvan to agree to steal the gems, betraying her family and friends. They planned to meet the very next morning, after she gained possession of the three jewels and fled during the night. For the first time since she met him, Talrash kissed Luthele falsely, completely gaining her confidence.



A few hours later, when darkness was settling down upon her village, Luthele snuck out of her home while all she knew slept. Carefully walking toward the shrine, she looked around the community she had lived in her entire life. She nearly spat with disgust, feeling disgraced by her people and what she looked upon as their backwards ways. She was almost pleased at her actions, thinking of her upcoming life with Talrash. In fact, no other image could enter her head as she carried off the small marble block in which the jewels were imbedded.



The girl’s thoughts snapped back to the present as she stepped into the forest. Luthele gasped in horror as the precious stones turned to dust within the marble the instant she left the boundaries of her village. Talrash would be disappointed in her, but she would not go back to her home. She had seen too much of Ta’Nalfein, and wished to experience more of it.



Luthele spent the entire night running towards the east, filled with anxiety and sadness. She had failed Talrash, and was uncertain he would ever forgive her deed. She thought that he might not want anything more to do with her, sending her back to her people, not realizing that he planned to do so all along. As the night passed and the sun rose, this feeling only grew.



When the sylvan finally reached Talrash, she trembled with fright. She barely managed to form the words of her explanation. Needless to say, it did not help the Nalfein who wanted Luthele only to retrieve her village’s treasure. He grew enraged, calling forth other elves to take her back into the forest and leave her there. They treated her quite roughly, throwing her to the ground in a glade she always passed through.



For nearly the entire day the girl remained there, sobbing violently. All that she wanted was now out of her grasp. To Luthele, her dreams seemed so close. Now, there was nothing for her. She would have to return to the home she had come to despise, and she might not even be welcome there, as they must have realized what she had done.



Finally, when she regained her composure enough to travel, Luthele headed back to her village solemnly. Unfortunately, she was not prepared in the least for the horror that presented itself. Her home was in ruins. In one day, the trees had withered, the once fertile soil was now dry clay, and all of the villagers were gone, chased away by wolves. The young sylvan had no one.



In this way, Luthele did manage to gain a life in the city. Having no way to survive on her own, she lurked back towards Ta’Nalfein. She was actually able to sneak in, as only the small group she dealt with wanted her far from them. She spent the rest of her life living in the squalid corners of the elven city, barely surviving by stealing from whoever was unfortunate enough to come near her as she sat in the shadows, alone among the masses.