Daughter of the Mountain Star

Lexi stood at parade rest before the Elven Elders of the Council of Twelve to receive their verdict. The elven audience in the Grand Grotto amphitheater behind Lexi became silent while she shivered because of the mountain night air that swished through the pine forest.

    The Queen arose. Torchlight flickered across the face of Her Highness Elspeth who presided over the council. The Queen’s presence radiated a majestic solemnity while her eyes riveted on Lexi’s face. Lexi would not look away though she felt torn between love and duty.

   In a multi-tonal voice, Her Highness Elspeth pronounced judgment. “The Council has decided to banish you Lexi, daughter of Isobel, from our Elven land of Mira Tish. Into the mortal world of the Sons of Adam, you are to go for one of their years to restore your honor and redeem your Sergeant of Arms position at this royal court. Report to us within the year with evidence of saving just one human life and you shall be welcome once again. Fail in this endeavor and you shall dishonor the House of Isobel and forever be an outcast to the land of the Eidel Wolves.”

    The next day Ivor, the Royal Commander of the Guard, with a platoon of elven soldiers escorted Lexi to the Passage of Torridon. There he handed Lexi a ruby pendant key and said, “Without your sword, you will be vulnerable. Redeem yourself I know you will, my Sergeant Major, and may the great Light be with you.”

    Lexi winked and said, “Aye, don’t worry Commander. Sharon of the Woods taught me the magic of the Elders. I can take care of myself I’ll have you know."

    “Aye that you will, and may you be back before the next rise of the Mountain Star.

    Lexi turned and felt the spray of water crashing over the mountain cliff before her. She trotted up a stony path with Ivor that led behind the waterfall to the mouth of a wet cave, covered with moss. Lexi said to Ivor, “Where do think this passage leads to?”

    Ivor shook his head and said, “I have never entered this gate, but I’m told it leads to a land called Scotland. It has been centuries since anyone has been there. Who knows what kind of world you will find?”

    Lexi pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders and muttered, “Aye, who knows?” She pulled out her pendant key and said, “I’ll enter now. Stay back. I don’t want you to be sucked in with me.”

    Ivor handed her a torch. She waved her hand over the wick and lit it. Lexi saw moisture in Ivor’s eyes and said, “I’ll be fine. Off with you sir.” With that, Lexi entered fifty paces to the back of the cave where a mural of an ancient High Priestess appeared in the dim light. There in front of the mural stood a pedestal with an indentation in the stone. Lexi placed the pendant key into it. Red light burst from the pendant and the back of the cave opened. Lexi slipped the pendant back around her neck and entered the passage.

                                                          ***

Tessa McLeay opened the back door of her cottage then scurried around to the village street. Her father’s curses blared from the kitchen to throughout the neighborhood. The next-door neighbor, Mister Thorn, opened his window and yelled, “Aw Willie, give it a rest. I’ll call the coppers, yah damn old fool.”

   Tessa approached Mister Thorn and said, “I’m so sorry. Da is pished again. Too much swally.”

     Mister Thorn said, “I know. Yah dad’s drinking is a handful for a bonnie lassie like ya. Where are ye off to this night?

    “To the pub. My shift starts at six.”

    “Take care when yah come home tonight. Do yah need an escort? Some of the boys might take advantage of ya.”

    “It’s so kind of ya for the offering. I’ll be all right.” Tessa made her way through the village and said to herself, “It never stops with me Da. I hate me life. I’ll be gone one day, he’ll see. ”

    At the Moon Jack Tavern Tessa waited on tables and served the town patrons their mugs of beer. A lively bunch of lads had a blether, that’s gossiping, about the happenings back in Edinburgh and sang songs and played a game of darts. However, in a corner booth, three men from out of town eyed Tessa and spoke amongst themselves.

    The night continued until the owner of the tavern, Mister Begbie, called Tessa over and said, “It’s 10 o’clock. Go on home now. Shawn can close.”

    Tessa said, “Only four hours. That’s lovely. Do yah think the lads come to see ya?”

    “Ah, yah right there, but it’s slowing down and I’ve got to watch the till if ye know what I mean?”

    “I’ll be off then. See ya tomorrow.”

    The three men in the booth finished their brews and left, while Tessa put on her coat and said her goodbyes to the lads. She stepped out into the night air and traveled at a lively pace along the cobblestone street passing closed storefronts and empty alleyways. Tessa pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders and glanced behind her for any shadowy figures, wishing she accepted that escort from Mister Thorn. Just then, a green Vauxhall Corsa rounds the corner and pulls alongside Tessa. Two men smelling of beer jumped out, grabbed her, and dragged her into the car. The car sped out of town with only its headlights seen zipping toward the Highland mountains.   

                                                        ***

Lexi came to the end of the tunnel as the mountain parted before her. She emerged into a new world. Before her, a forest, and on her left side a mountain peak glowed white in the full moon. What a glorious sight. That mountaintop shines like our Mountain Star. She left the tunnel and then heard the mountainside rumbled as it closed. Lexi looked behind her and identified an indentation, shaped like her pendant stone, in the rock face with the symbol of the Elven Imperial crest above it. That’s my way back. I’ve much to do before that happens.

    She entered the forest with her torch and followed a footpath. The leaves rustled beneath her feet and an owl hooted in a nearby tree, then a faint cry of a woman’s voice of terror wafted into Lexi’s ears. She stood still. She put out her torch as her combat senses heighten. Years of training and warfare kicked in. Every scent in the breeze, every sound in the air, every muscle in her body prepared her to react. Her eyes adjusted to the low light while she crouched and listened.

    The voice of terror became a scream. Lexi leaped and moved in silence through the trees until she came unto a meadow with a dirt road. A redheaded woman fought with three men as they attempted to pull her out of some sort of horseless carriage. The woman kicked and scratched as the men staggered and hurled insults at her.

    Lexi’s eyes narrowed and she felt her ears get hotter. She stood to her feet placed her hood over her head and closed in unto her prey. The woman saw Lexi behind the men, stopped screaming, and yelled, “Help! These bastards are going to kill me.” The men turned and one of them with a black beard said, “Oy, there’s another birdy. Yah can have that one Swank.”

    The man called Swank moved toward Lexi and with a big grin on his face said, “Come on. Don’t be shy missy.” Lexi performed her combat kicks and hits. Within seconds, the man lied on the ground withering in pain. The other two men left the woman and moved toward her. The man with the beard said, “Aye, you’re a feisty lass.” Both men lunged toward Lexi. She jumped back an incredible distance and raised her palm and in her Elven tongue said, “Stop!” Both men halted and were as still as statues. Lexi clenched her hand into a raised fist and again said, “Pain!” Both men as well as the man on the ground yelled in pain. Lexi said again, “Increase.” The men screamed at a high pitch of agony, their bodies trembled and saliva bubbled out of their mouths until they passed out. Lexi opened her hand, “Release.” Both men dropped like dolls.

    Lexi went to the woman and asked, again in her Elven tongue, “Are you hurt child?” 

    The woman shook her head and said, “Who are yah? Ah, don’t understand your words.”

    Lexi corrected herself and then spoke in archaic English. “Art thou hurt my child?”

    “Aye, I’m a bit battered and bruised. Thank yah for rescuing me. Ah would have been panbread if yah haven’t come along.”

    Lexi nodded but did not quite understand some of the woman’s words. “Panbread?”

    “Aye, dead.”

    “What is thy name child?”

    “Tessa. Whit yours?”

    “I am called Lexi of the House of Isobel. Shall thou like the healing of thy wounds child?”

    “Aye, are ye a doctor?”

    “Aye, I practice the healing arts. Where art thou hurt?”

     The woman pointed out her wounds and Lexi put her hands over them and chanted in Elven. Immediately the wounds healed and all discomfort left Tessa’s body.

    Lexi’s hands amazed Tessa. “Yah only have three fingers. Were yah born that way?”

    Lexi held her hands close to Tessa so that she could see them in the moonlight. “And a thumb. Ye forgot the thumb.”

    Tessa pointed to the unconscious men. “And whit happened to those bawbags?”

    Lexi smiled and said, “Aye, magic. There is a divine power that the Ancient Ones passed down through time. Sharon the Ancient One taught this seeker the power of magic.”

    Tessa then stared at Lexi’s pale face with a red and green stripe on both sides of her cheeks. Lexi pulled back her hood and revealed braided white hair and two pointed ears. In amazement, Tessa said, “Are ye one of the fairy folks?”

    “Nay, the wee’ uns art the earth spirits who live inside mountains and come and go when the land needs healing. I am Elven and am from another world and another time and am here on a mission, but enough of that, we need to get thee home.”

    “Wait, I have to do something first.” Tessa searched the pockets of the man with the black beard and retrieved her mobile phone. She kicked the side of the unconscious man and yelled, “Yah jammy bastard! Yah got ya skelping ye did.” She then kicked the other two men. After that, she took photos of the men’s faces and the car and its license plate.

    Now it was Lexi’s turn to be amazed. “What is in thy hand?”

    “It’s my mobile phone. Yah never saw one before? Ah can talk to people a long distance away and it takes pictures. Here let me show ya.”

    As Tessa showed the pictures of the men’s faces, an idea of hope arose in Lexi. This is the evidence she needed to present to the High Council that she indeed saved a life. “Could I bid of thee a favor since thy life I didst save?”

    Tessa said, “Aye, but why do ya speak in old English? People haven’t spoken like that for at least three hundred years.”

    “Is it not the correct one? The Ancients taught this tongue from their travels to Londinium.”

    “Aye, right. They should have traveled a wee bit more often. Try saying you instead of thee. Now whit is this favor yah asking?”

    “I haft been sent to thy world to save at least one human life and by divine appointment, I stepped into time and space to find thee in thy greatest need. I need to show evidence of this saving to the High Council. If I haft no evidence, the Council shall banish me from my homeland. Thou hast that evidence on thy mobile. Come with me to testify on my defense and I shall be eternally in thy debt.”

    Tessa hesitated then said, “Didn’t ya say ye were from another world? Mum and dad would miss me and I need to report my abduction to the coppers.”

    Lexi nodded her head and said, “Aye, another world I am from but time is different there. What would be days, weeks, months, and years there, wilt only be minutes, hours, and days here.”

    Tessa looked at her abductors lying on the ground then at Lexi. She’s a magical elf for God’s sake. My Da’s drinking. It’s rank here. She bit her lip then blurted, “I’ll go with ya. Yah a cannie lass and ya did save me bum but answer me this, why did your High Council ask ya to save a human life?

    Lexi exhaled a deep breath and said, “I dishonored myself and caused the death of a fellow comrade-in-arms. I showed mercy to an enemy and so doing, that enemy later killed my friend. Haft, I didst my job my comrade would still haft lived. Thy life saved now balance the life lost.”

    “Aye but your mercy to that enemy is a life. Doesn’t that count?”

    “Nay, his life should haft ended. In war, it is the life of thy comrades that count.”

    “But why save a human life? Why not an elf’s life?”

    “That, I may not tell thee. Call thy coppers. We will be back before they come.

***

Lexi and Tessa moved through the woods to the rock face with the Elven Imperial crest on it. Lexi pointed to the shining mountain peak that she admired earlier. “Why dost that mountain shine like a star in the moonlight?”

    Tessa said, “That peak’s name is Beinn Eighe. Its cap is made of quartzite, a crystal that reflects light. A bonnie sight isn’t it. It doesn’t normally shine that bright.”

    “Aye, that’s because it shines for thee. Err…I meant you.”

    “Now you’re learning.”

    Lexi lit her torch and then placed her pendant key into the rock face’s indentation. A burst of light and the mountainside rumbled opened. Tessa placed her hand on the entrance looked at Lexi for assurance then took small steps inside.   

    Out of the moss cave behind the waterfall, they emerged. Tessa followed Lexi down the stony path into the morning world of the Elven homeland of Mira Tish. Tessa climbed a nearby rock ledge and said in a loud voice, “Aye, it’s a braw sight, forests and streams, and green grass, as green as the Highlands of Torridon.” Tessa viewed in the distance, an elven town of cottages with thatched roofs and smoke rising out of their chimneys. “Are we going to your home now?”

    Lexi enjoyed the wonderment on Tessa’s face. “Aye, we shall go around and then meet the Royal Commander of the Guard.”

    Lexi gave Tessa the grand tour of her elven kingdom. During the tour, Tessa said to Lexi, “May I ask ya a personal question?” Lexi nodded yes. “Why did ya spared your enemy?”

    Lexi became quiet then said, “Because I loved him. We met at our embassy as children and years later became lovers. Then war broke out between our kingdoms. Major Merriwyth had to fight against us, against me. I could not kill him and let him escape.” She wiped her eyes and said, “Let us be off now.”

     Lexi brought Tessa to Ivor and introduced her. Ivor bowed to Tessa and said, “It is a great honor to meet thee, Tessa McLeay. Tomorrow we shall attend the High Council of Twelve. Her Royal Highness, Queen Elspeth will hear of your rescue by her Sergeant Major.” Ivor glanced over to Lexi and smiled.

***

Tessa stood by Lexi's side as the full moon revealed before them the Grand Grotto where the Council of Twelve Elders sat. Drums sounded behind them. Tessa felt her chest thump to every beat as the tempo and intensity increased. She leaned close to Lexi and said, “The drums sound absolutely savage.”

    Lexi nodded, “Aye, Her Highness entrance is about to begin.”

    String instruments joined in followed by trumpets. The crescendo rose to a frenzy as the cymbals crashed and then a grand pause with only the strings vibrating gently to silence. The torches flickered out and then ping, a burst of white light. Her Royal Highness Elspeth appeared the middle of the Council. She spread her arms wide and surveyed her royal subjects in the amphitheater that surrounded the grotto.

Her multi-tonal voice filled the air, “Sergeant Major Lexi of the House of Isobel has presented her evidence to the Council of saving one life and not only that, she has brought with her the very human she saved who testified on her behalf. A most remarkable achievement.” Queen Elspeth motioned to Tessa to come forward. The Queen said in old English, “Tessa McLeay of Scotland, it is a great honor that thou grace us with thy presence. And now behold the rising moon.”

    All her subjects in the amphitheater fixed their gaze on the moon. A distant mountain peak started to glow until it shone like a bright star. The Queen then said, “Tessa McLeay, Daughter of Adam, wilt thou stay with us in our Elven land of Mira Tish?”

   Tessa felt her face flush and said, “Why would yah ask me to stay your Majesty?”

    “Thou knowest not? Thou art the Daughter of Adam, child of the Most High God. Because of thy inheritance, we shalt be honored to serve thee.”

    Tessa turned and surveyed the elves' eager faces in the amphitheater. I could live this life. She then turned back to Her Highness and said, “Aye, your Majesty, I’ll stay with yah for a while but it is I who will be serving. My teaching you’ll need if yah be going to my world.”

THE END