The Rite of Elves

By Amanda Ranae'

When a young Elve named Lyra is sent to the human world to complete three sacred rites, she gets more than she bargained for in the form of human named Callum...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Ranae'
• Release date: Jun 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540129994

Amanda Ranae'

Amanda Ranae' is a YA fantasy author from North Carolina, USA. She has two daughters and lives with her boyfriend and a spoiled Boston Terrier named Maggie. Amanda has several other fantasy series in the works, including Children of Danu and Hawthorne Grove. You can follow Amanda on twitter @ImAmandaRanae as well as support her on Patreon

Book preview

Chapter One

Lyra chewed her nails nervously as she leaned against the ancient stone wall of the temple. It was properly called Arduinna's Chamber, because it was the sacred temple designated to worship Arduinna, goddess of all dwellers of Ninthalor Forest.

Lyra knew better than to eavesdrop, but oh, how she wished to press her ear against the heavy wooden door and listen to the hushed whispers and tones that currently floated through that temple. They were, after all, talking about her. Lyra had pushed and pushed her father to talk to Andarta, the high priestess of their clan, to convince her that Lyra was ready to undergo the Three Sacred Rites. She was nearly nineteen, after all, and all the other members of her clan that were her age had already undertaken them, and passed. She was sick of being considered a child!

Lyra was small, even by standards of Elves, barely coming to five feet off the ground, with a thick mass of long red hair she preferred to keep tightly plaited so it would stay out of her face. It was hard to run, practice fighting, or do anything at all with that fluffy pile of hair always getting in her way. She reached up to tuck a loose strand behind her pointed ear, and then continued to bite her nails.

Okay, so maybe she was a little bit...different than the others. At least the Elven women. She was not reserved at all, and she definitely didn't carry herself with grace. And perhaps Andarta had been hesitant to allow her to undertake the rites because of it. Because she lacked the decorum of a grown Elve. But what she lacked in decorum, she made up for in spirit, in dedication, in skill – at least she liked to think so.

Lyra was unable to continue pondering over the matter, because the massive wooden door to the temple suddenly creaked open with a slow, skreaking sound. Lyra looked up to find her father staring at her intently.

Lyra, he said simply, motioning with his hand. Come, child.

Lyra pushed off the stone wall suddenly, giving her father an annoyed look. I am not a child.

Ogmios shook his head at his daughter, not daring to show the amused expression threatening to supplant itself onto his face. That is what we are here to discuss. Now come along.

Lyra just sighed, before following her father inside the temple.

Made of ancient white stone and floored with old, faded wooden planks, the temple was one of the oldest buildings in the Ninthalor Forest. It had been here for nearly two thousand years. The floor had been replenished with new wood every three hundred years or so, the thatched roof as well, but the stones that made up the walls had been here since the beginning. It was the only stone building in Ninthalor, but it had to be. Sometimes Andarta worked herself into too much of a frenzy during her rituals, a wooden structure wouldn't have stood a chance against the divine power of Arduinna coursing through the priestess. Even when she didn't have the spirit of the goddess flowing through her, Andarta could be quite intimidating. Lyra hoped, for her sake, that the priestess would be in a good mood today.

Lyra followed a few steps behind her father, head bowed respectfully. She could not afford to offend Andarta's tender sensibilities today, too much was at stake. If Andarta denied her the sacred rites today, who knew when the priestess would finally approve her? Lyra could bare it no longer, she was already catching flack from other members of her clan. She was constantly fighting the urge to give any one of them a good zap of piun draoidheil...the way they constantly tormented her, they deserved it! Of course, a responsible Elve did not assault others with magick for mere tauntings, so it probably would not help her case of being seen as an adult, Lyra surmised.

The priestess Andarta was occupied with casting glamours over a few white flowers, her body turned at an angle so that Lyra and her father Ogmios could not see Andarta's face. Andarta had her arm outstretched, hand poised over the flowers, and as she fluttered her fingers to and fro over the delicate blooms, tiny shimmers could be seen falling from her fingertips. The flowers continued to grow bigger and more beautiful, as each tiny speck of silver light dripped onto their petals. Ogmios cleared his throat lightly, but the Priestess seemed to not even notice.

Have you brought the youngling? Andarta asked in a monotone, not bothering to look up from the ever-growing plants.

I am not a youngling , Lyra thought bitterly to herself, and her eyes widened when Andarta's head went up, turning sharply to look at her and giving the young Elve a dirty look.

Shite.

Lyra had forgotten to block. Most of her clansmen did not bother to read Lyra's mind; as far as they were concerned, there was nothing in it worth knowing. Not even rumors, as Lyra did not care to socialize with them much. It wasn't that she thought herself better than them, just different. Like they truly had nothing in common. Still, Lyra was rusty on guarding her mind from inquisitive Elves, and she'd just left herself wide open for Andarta. The priestess might as well have just opened up her head and walked around in it! Lyra silently cursed herself for not having her guard up, but just like that, Lyra steadied herself, the doors on her mind slamming shut like a snaretrap. Lyra could see Andarta's head whip back from the force...being shut out of a mind while reading it was not a pleasant thing to feel, and Lyra began to wonder if it would have been better for her to just leave it open.

A long, tense moment went by, before an amused look crossed Andarta's face, and she simply shook her head.

You recovered from that well, she said, looking over the small Elven girl, and Lyra just shrugged.

Andarta walked toward her in a slow, regal gait until she was only two feet or so away from her, and Lyra just looked up at the intimidating priestess looming over her. Andarta was just under six feet tall, but to Lyra, she may as well have been a giant. But a beautiful giant, with her gleeming silver hair, olive skin that glimmered with just a hint of the goddess Arduinna's power within her. And her eyes. Those deep amber eyes that seemed to look right through to Lyra's soul. Lyra felt positively helpless...and slightly unattractive, when she compared herself with Andarta. The most powerful Elven woman in the clan, the leader, arguably the most beautiful, and able to take any man as her consort that she wanted. Lyra's comparison of herself to the mighty clan leader was prematurely interrupted as Andarta suddenly spoke.

You will be nineteen by the next Full Moon, is that right, dear child? she asked, smirking a little when she noticed Lyra tense up at the word 'child'.

Yes, Lyra responded after a brief moment of trying to grasp at her composure. I will.

Andarta did not respond, just continued to stare, testing Lyra's patience. To her left, Ogmios let out a groan as Lyra finally caved, exploding into a fitfully nervous monologue.

I am a full-grown Elve, Priestess Andarta. I am ready to undergo the Rites. Maybe I don't act like the other Elves, maybe I do spend a little bit too much time climbing trees and I don't carry myself all... royally, but I'm an adult! I deserve to undergo these Rites! You must let me! I'm going to go crazy if I don't get the chance, and...

Oh, do calm down, Andarta said with a wave of her hand, sounding annoyed. If you are so determined to undergo the trials, then who am I to stand in your way?

Lyra was speechless for a moment, a rare trait to be found in the girl, but she finally recovered, staring at the priestess in disbelief.

You're serious?

Of course. Though I must tell you something.

Tell me what? Lyra responded, beginning to feel slightly giddy at the idea of finally undergoing the Three Sacred Rites and being seen as an adult amongst her clan. Tell me!

Your nineteenth birthday falls on a Blood Moon, Andarta replied with a big smile, her pearly teeth glimmering in the candlelit glow of the darkened temple.

Lyra looked at her curiously. Blood Moons were important, of course. There were special festivals to raise glory to Camalus, the god of war on those nights. But what was the importance of her birthday falling on a Blood Moon?

So....

So you have special tasks, my youngling, Andarta replied. Special tasks indeed.

Ugh, this did not sound good, Lyra thought. Ten minutes ago, Andarta had looked at her like she were some sort of bug, and now the priestess had an expression on her face similar to a goblin who'd gotten ahold of the Elven wine. It did not look promising, but Lyra did not care, she had to do whatever necessary to pass into adulthood, to finally earn the respect of her clan.

What are the tasks you ask me, Priestess? Lyra asked bravely, her chin going up a proud notch, and Andarta smiled again.

One, you will go into the forbidden realm of Ninthalor and bring back the Golden Orchid.

Okay, go into the back of the forest, pluck enchanted flower, return to Priestess. That didn't sound too bad.

Two, you will track and defeat a Manticore.

Oh, mother of Arduinna. That did NOT sound good at all. Manticores were ferocious monsters, and besides that, they were terribly smart, cunning, could distract with dark secrets the Manticores could dig up right from Elven souls. Lyra had never even seen one, but she'd heard the tales, how chilling the sound of their voices could be. How on earth would she DEFEAT a MANTICORE?!? Had Andarta lost her mind, or was she trying to make this as difficult as possible?

But your first task, that will be the most interesting.

Lyra's brow furrowed. Don't you mean third? Third task? she asked, and Andarta simply shook her head.

Goodness, no. I was saving the best for last.

Best? Or worst? With Andarta, you never could tell. She was quite crafty, and a little vindictive. She'd been called a bhidse many times behind her back, though one would have to have a death wish to say it to her face. Lyra didn't respond, just looked at her curiously.

You will venture into Mil, where you will give...assistance, to whomever may need it.

Lyra wanted to turn her back on this entire thing then and there, and just run out of the temple. Go to MIL?!? Why would she do that? Mil was home to the dreaded Milesians, or humans, as they preferred to call themselves. Elves were supposed to make every effort to stay out of Mil! And if for some reason a human were to accidentally stumble into Faerie, they were supposed to send him packing, right back to where ever he came from! Humans were trouble, everyone knew it. How was she expected to ASSIST a HUMAN?!? What could she have possibly done to deserve this?!?

Ogmios must have anticipated his daughter's looming protest to the three rites laid out before her, because he swiftly grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the priestess, bowing slightly. His hand went to Lyra's upper back and gave it a good push, signaling it was HER turn to bow before the clan leader. Lyra did so dutifully, but the entire time she was biting her tongue. Lyra was sure this had to be a joke somehow. A supposed youngling would not be sent into Mil, even if it were for a rite of passage. Mil was dangerous, particularly for Faeriekind. They had been driven into their realm by the Milesians, or humans, whatever, eons ago, ne'er to return.

Once upon a time Faeriekind lived among the humans happily, until winds of change brought along different humans, the sort who were frightened by them. By the way they looked, by their magick. It was a people of one god who had brought so much sorrow upon them...apparently this god did not appreciate healthy competition. Of course, the murmurings of the Gods and Goddesses were misconstrued so often, perhaps those people had simply gotten the message wrong, Lyra surmised. But it would do no good to question it now. Faeriekind had been absent from Mil for so long, they'd been reduced to mere legends, myths. Comical caricatures, ridiculous versions of their mighty selves. The word Elve was not even taken seriously in Mil now, how would Lyra be able to assist a human if they considered her a joke?

Of course, none of her clansmen took her seriously either, and Lyra still managed to make it through every single day. Maybe that was why Andarta had given her such a task, because the priestess knew Lyra would be unable to see it through. Well, screw that! Andarta was wrong! Not only would Lyra complete the first rite, she'd complete all three! Fetch the stupid flower! Kill the Manticore! Help the human! She would do it all, and she would rub it right in her clansmen's faces when she finished. No one would DARE doubt her again!

A final bow to Andarta, and Lyra and Ogmios backed out of the temple carefully, bowing lowly the entire time. As soon as they exited, however, Ogmios gave his daughter a weary look.

I had hoped she would go easy on you, he sighed, before glaring at her. You should have guarded yourself, what were you thinking, leaving your mind open like that?!?

Lyra just glared right back.

Since when do people care what I think, Father? I'm invisible, unless they are making fun of me, remember?

Stupid girl, the priestess can see right inside you without so much as an effort, and you had to make it easier on her? And then suddenly closing her out? Lyra, you're not thinking! And now look what's happened!

What, Father? What has happened? Lyra replied, being deliberately obtuse.

You have been given impossible rites!!! he roared. The goddess will NOT be on your side for this! Because of your insolence!

They will not be impossible! Lyra shouted back. I can do this! I know I can!

You know nothing of Mil! You know nothing of humans! How in the name of Arduinna do you expect to accomplish anything? And defeating a Manticore? Do you have any idea how fierce those creatures can be?

Yes, I do! And I am NOT afraid!

All right, that was a lie. A big one. Honestly, the idea of facing a Manticore with nothing but a sword and her magick to protect her scared the wits out of Lyra, but how else could she expect to be recognized as an adult? She truthfully had no choice. Lyra sighed a little, twisting her long braid around her fingers and staring down at her boots, before looking back up at Ogmios.

Father, no one will ever take me seriously unless I do this. And I want that. I want to be taken seriously.

Perhaps if you behaved seriously instead of running around Ninthalor all day like a common Pixie and playing about with Fauns, you would be, Ogmios pointed out, and Lyra rolled her eyes.

I do not act like a Pixie...and Corb is my best friend!

He is a FAUN, Lyra! Elves and Fauns have no business interacting with each other!

That's your opinion, not mine! Lyra shot back. Corb is fun! He's smart too, and he treats me better than any of our clansmen. Why does it matter if he is a Faun?

If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were...involved, Ogmios growled with a raise of his eyebrow, and Lyra couldn't help but laugh.

"I can assure you, Father, we are not involved in that sort of way. He is