Willow's End - Jera Skyspear
Elvish words/phrases linked to Glossary OR hover mouse to see translation.
The Library: Part Four

Ashe escorted Jera out the door and into a corridor which was brightly lit by stained glass windows set high up near the roof. He walked with her to the left, then toward a door diagonally across from the door to his childhood room. Grinning, Ashe rapped upon one of the two huge door panels. "Master Qwert? Are you in there?"

Looking at the door panels, Jera whispered, "I was here. I stood once at these doors... with my mother."

Qwert stuck his head out of the door, "And most like behaved much more politely than this rapscallion! Well, what is it, Young Ashe? I was deep into Canto the Fifth."

Jera blinked as her reverie made her forget they were expecting an answer to Ashe's rap. She was further surprised that the face which appeared was vaguely familiar. Surely it could not be.

Ashevathallion nodded most politely. "And a fine vintage I'm sure it is, but I have a friend who wants to see the Library... and there's this book, you see... I'm certain I had returned it, but it keeps popping up back in my old room."

Qwert reached out a hand to take the book and reading the title proclaimed, "THERE it is! I thought your father had this!" He then looked at Jera. "Friend, eh. Well, bring her in! Don't stand out here dawdling!" He opened the doors wide and bowed, "I am called Chronicler by most, but my friends call me Qwertvamorion."

Jera bowed, in fact, she stooped considerably and quite respectfully, "Master Qwert," then reading his demeanor over her surprise, she smiled. "I go by Jera. Jerasahyandakalan, though you can understand how it is simplified to Jera Skyspear in common speech."

Qwertvamorion is an old elf, but still lively, back straight, deep blue eyes seeming to take Jera in at a glance. "Hmm... You have never been here before, mestra?"

"I now believe I have been here once. My mother had research and I was allowed to come along and assist, but, that has been... I know not how many turns."

"Come along, come along. There's some chairs over by the window." But Qwert made it a point to first stop and shelve the missing book next to some others bound like it, in brown leather cover. He turned to look at Jera again, "Mother? What was her name, child?

"Kumori," she could barely think to speak as the pale memories tried to form. "My father was Uuringar, though I think he may not have visited here."

Qwert nodded, "Yes, yes. I do recall now. A fine scholar."

"Thank you, She was indeed. It is her study of languages which brought her here and caught my interest as well."

"AH, yes. Now I recall. She came to consult Huil's 'Codex Linguistica'."

Jera raised her brows, surprised and pleased. "How suited you are to this charge, if I may say. I can scarce recall how many years and yet you have singled out the very text!"

"Not a very old work. Influenced greatly by his readings from the humans, but still, brilliant." Qwert seemed pleased at her compliment. "It's what I am expected to know. Please sit, both of you."

"Yes, yes, that was indeed the value of it though. We were working between three distinct groups, humans being one of them. She had to be precise in her translations with the other races." Jera took her seat even as her eyes could not leave the amazing elder. Ashe waited then took the seat beside her. He was content to listen to the two and see that they were accepting of each other, particularly that the Chronicler was accepting of Jera's visit.

At last Qwert sat with them too. "Yes, I remember commenting to my assistant about how meticulous a scholar she was." He then rang a small silver bell.

Ashe recalled this from the Chronicler's habits, "Ah, I take it we arrived in time for tea?"

Qwertvamorion snorted, "Young `thallion, it's always time for tea... well... except when it's busy."

Jera smiled, "Had we known, perhaps we'd have brought something to go with."

In short shrift, a younger elf approached with a tray of tea cups and a teapot, then poured them each a cup.

"You have!" Qwert declared as he picked up a tea for himself. "You brought this reprobate Prince back, as well as a book that I thought missing for decades! More than enough." He took a sip then looked over his cup at her, "So, do you have something you need to research, Lady Jera?"

"Mostly this Prince's interest in your library?" She grinned over her own cup. "He thought to share it with me. I am grateful for the opportunity and to see that you are still in charge."

"Of course I'm still in charge! My dear, I've worked here since the time of Evaynan's grandsire. Where else would I be?" he smiled gently.

"Ah, the question is... where would this place be without you?"

"Nowhere else, of course." Ashe grinned to Jera, then looked again to the Chronicler, "But she can stay, can't she, Qwert? She loves books as much as you, I know, and she'll respect them."

Qwert beamed, "Of course she can! What good is a library if no one uses it? And I imagine this place would get along well enough, but thank you." He set his tea down and tilted his head to one side, "Now, milady, is there any particular subject? The Histories? Perhaps the 'Observations of Borvo'?"

"Borvo?" Jera had no recollection of this tome at all.

"Aye, Borvovavoon, the collector of the histories of the various cultures we have encountered? Your mother never mentioned it?"

"Oh, so sorry. Surely she had. It would have been pertinent." She paused a moment then braved her thought, "Might I... might we... be permitted to browse? I promise not to disturb." She looked around and in a more hushed tone added, "Just being permitted to breathe-in such a place... if you would nae mind?"

"Of course, I don't. Please, feel free to browse about. There's some other rooms that are nearby that you can use if you decide to stay a bit. I'm sure Ashe will gladly bestir himself..." he fell silent a moment with a distracted look and from behind them came the sound of a quill scratching over parchment, yet there was no one visibly writing. "Umm..." he continued, "...bestir himself to summon a maid to air one of them out."

"Of course," Ashe added, "Stay as long as you want, love. I'll have to head back to Camelot to keep an eye on the Horde, but I can come and go while they sleep."

Jera arched a brow, having noted the movement and sound behind them and relating it to the Chronicler's pause. "Please do not let us keep you from your business, Master Qwert. You have been ever so gracious."

The Chronicler waved a hand, "Just an entry in the Book of Green Silences. Nothing catastrophic."

Looking again at what she could see of the library from here, Jera smiled at the thought of needing any place else to be, "How could anyone rest with all this to peruse?"

Qwert grinned. "Even I rest. Fatigue makes the eyes blur and the hand sloppy."

"True enough," she nodded, "True enough. I'd not get to a whit of what I'd like to read, but... a start."

Ashe set his tea down, "We've got the rest of the day, Jera. Get your bearings here. I'll stay tonight. Ian knew I would be away at least tonight."

Qwert seemed genuinely pleased all around, "Good! That's settled then!"

Jera ran her fingertips idly around the rim of her tea cup as she looked around at shelves and shelves of books and scrolls. "I just have no idea where to begin."

"Well, let me show you the stacks." The Chronicler stood up and smiled, "We've scrolls from the earliest days of the Sithryn, all the way up to the great bound annals..." Of course, Jera rose to follow wherever he might lead, still fascinated with the man and his domain, while he continued, "... as well as works from the different Planes we've Walked--"

Jera's curiosity interrupted, "All such documents are kept here? All?"

There was both mirth and pride in the librarian's voice, "Yes... all," as he led her down the nearest aisle and they turned the corner.

(from 2002 1115) © DHP and Bill West

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