Belanor

Belanor gives the lie to some of the most cherished and embellished myths exported worldwide by the High Elves of Aravia. They would have the world believe that they have tamed their base emotions, that they are beings of pure calculating logic and reason, and that their society is orderly and obedient because High Elves are inherently superior as governors and as citizens. But such proclamations do not align with the facts of day-to-day existence. No matter what the Aravians say, High Elf rebels, dreamers, misfits, and mavericks all exist. Thanks to the charm of a Dark Elf named Zavia, Belanor joined this little-discussed minority in the course of his duty at Felwin’s Wall. The Wall is almost entirely staffed by auxiliaries from abroad, but High Elves do live and work there in small numbers, mainly in administrative and supervisory positions. A small number of talented individuals sometimes serve as instructors for the defense forces, and drill their foreign legionnaires ruthlessly until they meet exacting Elven standards. Belanor, renowned as a master marksman and tactician, was among these martial tutors. Not long after his first season in post, his mind became occupied by stories of an intruder whose silhouette had been seen darting about the Wall. Curious, he took to nightly wanderings on the battlements. It wasn’t long before his vigilance bore fruit. One night, while gazing at the vast dark forest of Durham from atop the wall, Belanor’s eye was caught by something moving. He turned to see an astonishing sight: a Dark Elf woman standing on the Wall, gazing mischievously back at him and gently fluttering a pair of gray feathery wings. Stunned only briefly, he leveled his crossbow at the intruder and demanded her surrender, but she merely shot him a grin and told him she’d be seeing him again. With that, she darted away and made a seemingly-suicidal drop onto the Aravian side, only to glide to safety. Belanor could certainly have shot her down, but something stayed his hand. Instead he merely reported the security breach as protocol demanded, which earned him ridicule and disbelief. A winged Elf was, with magical augmentations or clever mechanisms not beyond the realm of possibility, but few believed the Dark Elves could have developed such a technique without Aravian reconnaissance learning of it. But the Dark Elf and her wings were undeniably real, and she made good on her promise to see Belanor again. The next time was on her return trip from Aravia back toward Durham, and this time Belanor was prepared, and lunged at her immediately. In their tussle she told him her name was Zavia and she was surmounting Felwin’s Wall to send a message: dividing their people was futile, and Elves deserved to be free. Their ongoing clash drew the attention of a nearby patrol group, and Zavia escaped. Belanor’s second failure to apprehend Zavia cast grave doubts upon him, and rumors of reprimand or dismissal swirled, but Belanor did not care. He grew obsessed with Zavia, and in time he realized he was infatuated with her. He envied her freedom, he was attracted to her impetuous and carefree ways, and as his superiors deliberated on how to handle her, he dreamed only of the chance to see her again. Who can predict or control love? Even the haughty Elves must bend to its tempestuous forces. On their third meeting, Belanor confessed his affections. Zavia laughed, but not with malice. Then she kissed him, and held his hand in hers. She told him to hold it tightly, and led him to the ledge. At that moment a furious Ogryn sergeant arrived on the scene and bellowed that Belanor would be charged with treason. But Belanor had made his choice and, after embracing Zavia tightly, they jumped. By the time the Ogryn reached the ledge and looked down, the pair were gone, into the world of outlawry. Was Belanor bewitched? How did Zavia gain the wings that gave her the freedom to pass over Felwin’s Wall? And does she have plans more complex and nefarious than simple disobedience? No one knows for sure, but in any case, Belanor has left his old life behind in search of a kind of freedom he could never have gained before.