// DALARAN //


It is another day of worship. This time the girl will approach me, I can feel her anxiety gnarled up inside her like a knot.

The service concludes and people begin to file out. The girl lingers about, waiting for her aisle to empty. Some talk to each other, creating pockets of socializers that just must be avoided.

AI’REE

EXCUSE ME, HIGH PRIEST.


I turn my head to make eye contact, acknowledging her request for an audience. It is clear she understands that she has my ear. She’s afraid.

In the recesses of my self-awareness, I can see myself a rather imposing figure, cloaked in white fur, face stiff with undeath. Around me the warmth seems to be drained from the room.

AI’REE

I WAS WONDERING IF YOU’D BE WILLING TO PRAY FOR ME.


It was not unusual that I’d be asked to provide such an act of diplomacy, but it is unusual that the girl has approached me.

She’d been sitting practically in the rafters for nearly two years, watching me. Waiting to see what I’d do.

But I did nothing.

FINEUS

PRAY FOR YOU?

I’M SURE THERE ARE MANY HERE ABLE TO PERFORM THAT SERVICE FOR YOU.

AI’REE

NO SIR, I…

I HAVE SOUGHT YOU SPECIFICALLY.

FINEUS

I WAS AFRAID YOU MIGHT SAY THAT.


The chapel was quickly emptying. Once their spiritual duty had been fulfilled, most would hurry back to the rest of the day’s tasks.

The troll wizard before me is small for her race. She has bright blue skin and hair; by her coloration, she’s from the jungle tribes. One of her eyes is misty and inoperative.

FINEUS

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

AI’REE

AI’REE. AI’REE A’LANA.


Yes. It was fortuitous to the girl that she’d decided not to lie. I wasn’t sure how I’d have reacted if she had.

Instead, she told the truth. I happened to already know her name; one does not have an admirer for the better part of two years without doing some investigation of one’s own.

FINEUS

AI’REE. IT’S GOOD TO FINALLY MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE.

AI’REE

OF COURSE, I’M SURE YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH MY MOTHER.


The girl’s tribe, like many, often included the name of the mother or father in the child’s name. Aï’ree’s mother was called Lana, and was a fairly well-known warlock among those who knew anything of those who hailed from the jungle.

But I was hardly interested in her parentage.

FINEUS

ARE YOU HAVING A FAMILY ISSUE?

IF SO, I MUST REGRETFULLY INFORM YOU –

AI’REE

NO, NO, NOTHING LIKE THAT.

I JUST…

MY MOTHER’S NAME OFTEN COMES BEFORE MINE.

FINEUS

I ASSURE YOU THAT WAS NOT THE CASE HERE.


She looks down, blushing.

FINEUS

YOU OUGHT TO MAKE IT LESS OBVIOUS WHO YOU’RE TRACKING.


She tries to change the subject.

AI’REE

SO THEN, YOU’VE HEARD OF ME.


A nightborne woman eyes us as we talk. She walks past, having no alibi to disguise her eavesdropping.

FINEUS

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION SOMEWHERE ELSE?

AI’REE

I DON’T…

I HADN’T PLANNED…


I raise my eyebrow at her.

AI’REE

LET’S GET SOMETHING TO EAT.

OF COURSE… IF YOU’RE OKAY WITH THAT.

FINEUS

UNLESS YOU’D RATHER SPEAK IN ONE OF THE OFFICES.


I motion toward the rear of the cathedral.

AI’REE

NO, IT’S… UH… PART OF THE REASON I’M IN SUCH A PICKLE.



At a small café, Aï’ree orders soup and salad. She barely touches it as she remains mostly silent, refusing to force small talk upon me.

Finally, she speaks up.

AI’REE

SO WHAT IS IT THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?

FINEUS

I KNOW THAT YOU IMPERSONATED AN ALLIANCE SOLDIER, WAS FOUND OUT, AND BANISHED FROM THEIR LANDS.


She looks at me and blinks a few times. Her milky false eye seems less unnerving among the rest of her rather gentle façade. It was hard to believe this young troll had the gumption to pass underneath enemy lines as it was claimed she had.

FINEUS

WHEN DID THIS ALL HAPPEN?

AI’REE

SHORTLY AFTER THE CATACLYSM.


Ten years was enough to turn a boy into a man but it was not long enough to erase some grudges.

AI’REE

THEY TOOK MY EYE.

ITS TWIN IS HELD BY MY OLD FRIENDS AND WILL REVEAL –

FINEUS

ARE THEY TRULY YOUR FRIENDS?

YOU FED THEM FALSEHOOD.


She is surprised by my boldness.

AI’REE

THEY WERE MY FRIENDS, WHEN I WAS –

FINEUS

PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE KINDLY TO LIARS.

AI’REE

WHAT IF AN ILLUSION BECOMES REALITY?

FINEUS

YOU’D BE HARD-PRESSED TO CONVINCE YOUR ‘OLD FRIENDS’ THAT YOU ARE IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS.

I SUPPOSE THAT’S PART OF THE REASON YOU’VE COME LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE.

AI’REE

WELL, NOT EXACTLY.

I’VE BEEN HAVING DISTRESSING DREAMS.

FINEUS

DREAMS ARE OFTEN BORNE FROM OUR CONSCIENCE OBSERVING WHAT WE DO IN OUR WAKING HOURS, DESPERATE TO BE FREED FROM THE CHAINS WE PLACE AROUND IT…


I hestitate, quieting myself. It seems she will not be persuaded by my usual boilerplate.

FINEUS

OF COURSE, IF YOU DO NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE DONE –

AI’REE

IT’S NOT THAT I DON’T FEEL GUILTY, BUT THAT THE DREAMS SEEM TO HAVE A DIFFERENT SORT OF QUALITY TO THEM.

AND THEY’RE NOT MEMORIES, THEY’RE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT HAPPENINGS.

FINEUS

THE MIND IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF CREATING NEW SCENES BASED ON THAT WHICH YOU ALREADY KNOW…

AI’REE

THEY’RE NOT SIMPLE DREAMS!


All the fire burning in the girl’s heart was concentrated in her one good eye.

AI’REE

HAVEN’T YOU EVER HAD A DREAM YOU WERE CONVINCED WAS A VISION AND NOT SIMPLY A REVISITATION OF THE DAY’S EVENTS?

A VISION THAT FELT AS IF IT CAME FROM THE GODS THEMSELVES?


I had. And it took all my will to convince myself not to listen to those ravings.

AI’REE

I HAVE HEARD GREAT THINGS ABOUT YOU, HIGH PRIEST.

I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME.

FINEUS

I AM SURE WHATEVER YOU’VE HEARD OF ME HAS BEEN ENTIRELY BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION.

AI’REE

I DOUBT IT.

I’VE HEARD YOU’VE TRAVELLED TO WORLDS BEYOND.

FINEUS

I’VE HEARD YOU HAVE TOO.


I supposed we were at an impasse.

FINEUS

I AM WARY TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR DREAMS BUT IF YOU INSIST PERHAPS WE CAN FIND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE.

IT IS NOT INACCURATE TO OBSERVE THAT YOU AND I HAVE CERTAIN… CHARACTERISTICS IN COMMON.

CERTAINLY I MUST COMMENT ON YOUR DEDICATION –

UNLESS OF COURSE YOU’VE BEEN ENJOYING THE SERMONS COMING OUT OF THE CHAPEL.

AI’REE

WELL, I AM SOMETHING OF A DEVOTEE MYSELF.

FINEUS

ARE YOU?

FEW AMONG YOUR KIND –

AI’REE

“MY KIND”?

AND WHAT IS MY KIND?


She seemed to assume I was making commentary about her race.

FINEUS

YOU INVOKE THE AID OF THE ELEMENTS BUT I DO NOT SEE THAT YOU’RE –

AI’REE

I WAS.

I WAS BEFORE I WAS EXILED.

FINEUS

YOU REALLY MUST TRY NOT TO INTERRUPT THE SPEECH OF ANOTHER.

IT’S DREADFULLY RUDE.


She looks at me but says nothing.

FINEUS

BESIDES, I COULDN’T POSSIBLY SPEAK THAT SLOWLY.

AI’REE

I’M SORRY, I’M JUST SO EXCITED TO FINALLY SPEAK TO YOU.

FINEUS

IF YOU ARE SO EAGER TO PROVE YOURSELF AS DIFFERENT, THEN YOU MUST ACT IT.

IN ALL MOMENTS.

REGARDLESS OF THE INNER TORRENT.

AI’REE

YES, SIR.

FINEUS

AND PLEASE DON’T CALL ME “SIR”.

THIS IS ENTIRELY A PERSONAL MATTER.

THE MILITARY DOESN’T FIGURE INTO IT. YOU’LL GET NO FAVOR FROM ME BY INVOKING TITLES AND FORMALISMS.

TELL ME ABOUT ERIOLANNA.


She looks at me, seeming a bit dumbfounded.

AI’REE

ERIOLANNA?


I was growing impatient.

FINEUS

YES, ERIOLANNA.

THAT WAS YOUR NAME, WAS IT NOT?

AI’REE

IT WASN’T MY NAME.

FINEUS

YOU MUST THINK. YOU MUST FOCUS.

I KNOW IT’S BEEN DIFFICULT SINCE HAVING YOUR EYE REMOVED BUT IF I’M TO STAND ANY CHANCE OF HELPING YOU, YOU MUST COOPERATE AND TELL ME THE TRUTH AMONG THE MANY LIES.

AI’REE

‘ERIOLANNA’ WAS THE NAME I CHOSE FOR MY CREATION.

FINEUS

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU? WHY DID YOU DISGUISE YOURSELF?

AI’REE

CURIOSITY. KNOWLEDGE.

FINEUS

BEAUTY?

AI’REE

I’VE NEVER SEEN EYE TO EYE WITH MY FAMILY. NEVER FIT IN WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

FINEUS

YOU WANTED SOMETHING MORE.

AI’REE

I WANTED SOMETHING MORE.

FINEUS

YOUR MOTHER IS A PRACTIONER OF THE DARK ARTS?

AI’REE

MY MOTHER DABBLES IN THE FEL.

FINEUS

BUT YOU’VE SEPARATED YOURSELF FROM HER.

AND IF YOU’VE BECOME AN ADEPT…

AI’REE

I’VE NOT PRACTICED IN MANY YEARS.

SINCE MY RETURN.

I’VE BEEN AFRAID.

AFRAID THE LIGHT WON’T COME TO ME, AFRAID I’D MAKE SOME OTHER MISTAKE.

FINEUS

THE LIGHT KNEW YOU WERE NO ELF.

AND YET, IT STILL ANSWERED YOUR CALL.


She looks at me with the deflated expression of the penitent.

FINEUS

WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR A RESOLUTION?

DO YOU SIMPLY WANT THE DREAMS TO CEASE?

AI’REE

I NEED CLARITY ON WHAT THE DREAMS MEAN.

I AM NOT SO SURE I WANT THEM TO END; THEY’RE ALL I HAVE OF THAT TIME AND PLACE.

FINEUS

YOU MAY HAVE NO OPTION.

ONCE WE START PRYING, THERE’S NO TELLING WHAT WE’LL FIND.

IF YOU HAD WANTED SOUVENIRS, IT WAS BEST TO LEAVE WELL-ENOUGH ALONE.

YOU’LL LEARN, IN TIME, THAT OUR SCARS ARE A PART OF US.

WE MAY WALK THE STARS BUT WE ARE NEVER ALONE, ALWAYS CARRYING WITH US OUR MEMORIES AND SINS.

TO WISH THEM GONE IS FOLLY.

THE LIGHT IS ALL-SEEING. THE LIGHT IS ALL-KNOWING.