The Elves of Valin: Elfin Gifts Book 1

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The Elves of Valin: Elfin Gifts—Book 1

Copyright © 2024 by Lydia Joan Croteau.

Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024911826

ISBN Paperback: 979-8-89091-629-7

ISBN eBook: 979-8-89091-630-3

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Contents

Disclaimers

Introduction

Chapter 1:Sildur, The Defender

Chapter 2:The Birth Of The First Half-Human, Half-Elfin Child In Valin

Chapter 3:Belin’s Healing Abilities

Chapter 4:Sildur, an Overseer

Chapter 5:Mother and Daughter Together

Chapter 6:Training with the King

Chapter 7:Confusion

Chapter 8:Life on the Farm in Oakland

Chapter 9:Farm Irrigation Plans

Chapter 10:Belin’s Birthday Party

Chapter 11:Back to Oakland and the Farm

Chapter 12:A Healer is Initiated

Chapter 13:Chicken Pox in Berryland

Chapter 14:Three Drunkards’ Thawed

Chapter 15:Trouble back in Ashland

Chapter 16:A New Defender

Chapter 17:Forces of Good and Evil

Chapter 18:Land of Grapevine

Chapter 19:The Village of Grapevine

Chapter 20:Grapevine’s Storyteller

Chapter 21:Making new Friends

Chapter 22:Homeward Bound

Chapter 23:Back home

Chapter 24:Reporting to the King

Epilogue

Apendix I

Apendix II

Disclaimers

The Elves of Valin: Elfin Gifts, is a work of fantasy fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons is entirely coincidental.

Copyright by Lydia Joan Croteau

The remedies for ailments, noted in this book, are from: The Complete Guide to Natural Healing

Garlic: Group 6 Card 7

Onion: Group 8 Card 70

Potato: Group 8 Card 29

Cucumber: Group 8 Card 12

In this book the recipes are not written exactly as they are on the cards. Since this is a book of fiction, I have taken the liberty to change them, making them also fiction. These are not exact measurements; therefore, I highly recommend that you do not use them. When ill, call your physician.

Introduction

There is a kingdom called Valin that lies just beyond the eye’s sight. This kingdom is the Land of the Elves.

These elves are a mysterious race, and they only show themselves on Earth in dire circumstances: when Mother Earth needs them to intervene in the affairs of men, which can only be solved through the knowledge and powers they possess. Humans can’t see these creatures unless they choose to be seen.

Elves possess powers far greater than man has ever seen: their thoughts can become actions; earth, air, fire, and water do their bidding; a touch of their hand can heal an ailment (it can also leave a person helpless); when invisible they can walk through solid objects, buildings, stonewalls, wood, and mountains; and finally, some elves have the ability to see the good and evil within a person’s soul.

These elves range from one inch to seven feet in size. They all have wings and pointed ears. They’re immortal; however, if they’re not careful, they can be destroyed. They live for hundreds and hundreds of years and then pass on to Alfheim in the skies.

Not all elves are the same and their jobs vary. The tiny ones, one to three inches tall, take care of the flowers that grow in the fields. Their pale skin takes on the color of the plants they are tending. Others are a little taller, one to two feet in height, and they care for the trees. They become one with them and radiate the seasonal color of the leaves. Still, others, ranging from three to seven feet tall, have pale skin with a slight blue aura surrounding them. Their purpose is to help Mother Earth. They come between her and the people causing the wars and conflicts; they do their best to stop the spilling of blood upon her soil.

Down through the ages they performed their tasks upon the lands of Oakland, Mapleville, Ashland, Grapevine, and Berryville. When men created war: the elves, using their many powers, stopped them.

Chapter 1

Sildur, The Defender

King Oberon’s guard, with the king standing behind him, knocked on the door to the lodge devoted to training young elfin adults for missionary work in the human world. When the door opened, the guard stepped aside, and the king entered the room.

The master bowed low before the king, Please enter, sir. It’s an honor to see you.

Walking to the front of the room, King Oberon addressed the students, There are rumors going around Valin about Sildur’s accomplishments. Today, I will tell you the true story for he is a hero, and the honoring ceremony is tonight. I expect every person in the ministry to put his or her full heart and soul into the celebration, whether a builder, a healer, a warrior, a defender, or a street sweeper. As elves we have unique gifts and abilities, your masters work hard to develop these traits among you for the good of others. Soon, appointments to serve in communities will be administered and I expect exciting work from everyone. Now, put your books and tools away; get comfortable in your seats and I will speak of Sildur’s feat in Ashland.

The king waited until they were ready and then continued, "Not too many years ago Overlord Conrad, a short, stout man with long black hair and black eyes, was getting greedier day by day. Although the counting house, where he kept his treasures, had more gold, silver, and jewels than the other kingdoms - it still wasn’t enough to satisfy his obsession. One day Conrad sent a messenger into the villages and farmlands who announced to the people, ‘From this day on, your levy will double, and the due date is in a fortnight.’ Frank, Chancellor of Ashland, said, ‘It is extremely difficult to pay the coins we give now. This tax most certainly will drive some of us out of their homes; I’m sure of that.’ The agent replied in anger, ‘Each family is responsible for their taxes. The dungeon awaits the people who do not pay.’ Everyone banded together trying to find ways to pay the extra taxes, but not all were able come up with the payment. Two weeks later, Conrad’s men marched those families to the dungeon and placed them in dark, cold, damp, cells with thieves and murderers. Then, in the following days to come, these peoples’ lands and belongings were auctioned off to the highest bidder. If that didn’t bring in enough money, the men and older boys worked in the mines. Babies, small children, and women remained in the dungeons at the mercy of gatekeepers. It was only in the evening that they received nourishment: the scraps from the tables of the overlord and his men. As there wasn’t enough food to feed all of them, some, mostly babies and the elderly, became sick. Villagers and farmers, who had scrapped enough coins for this levy, upon hearing of the terrible treatment of their relatives and friends, began rioting in the square. They knew it was only a matter of time before the agents dragged them to the dungeon for not paying their next dues.

King Oberon paused and then continued, "These people were not always treated this way. It was different when Conrad’s father Jacob was in charge. He was the greatest overlord in all the five lands. On occasion, people saw Jacob working alongside the men on a farm or walking through the village greeting the folks. At times he even gathered the children together and brought them to the marketplace to tell them a story. He was a fair overlord, and he taught his people that every action had a consequence. His favorite parable was: If a farmer plows his fields, plants seeds, cares for them, he will have a good harvest. On the other hand, if he does not plow and plant, nothing will grow but weeds. The weeds are the result of neglect. So, it is in every aspect of life. And … Be good to your neighbors, help them when they need it, and they will not forget the kindnesses showed them. Be learned in rearing your children. Treat them as one would like to be treated and they will follow your example. Jacob put a levy upon his people in Ashland, but he metered it out according to a person’s income. A poor person did not pay as much as a rich person, and everyone knew that Jacob would help them out if they had a problem."

The young elves sat around the king hanging on to every word he spoke. The King shifted in his seat and carried on, After Jacob died everything changed when his son Conrad became overlord. Life got worse year by year. Finally, the day came when Mother Earth summoned us elves to aid the humans. Being a close friend of Jacob’s, I sent Sildur, my bravest and most powerful elf to Ashland to solve the problems. Sildur changed into a human being before entering the village. He didn’t want them to know he was an elf until after he had time to see what was happening. A stranger in any village usually catches the attention of the people, and as elves aren’t accepted by most of the population, he became like one of the neighboring folks. He became six and a half feet tall, thin, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He dressed like a farmer and wore a bandana on his head. One of the villagers commented, ‘Who can he be? He is at least six feet tall. Look at his clothes. He dresses like a farmer, but he doesn’t come from any of the farms around here. I know all the farmers in this area. Maybe he comes from the other side of the mountains. That would explain his walking stick.’

The king continued, Another person commented, ‘But, he is wearing coveralls, a plaid shirt, and boots and it’s freezing this time of the year in the mountains. Plus, he doesn’t have a weapon, and everyone knows there are wild animals there. We will have to wait and see.’ Sildur went to the tavern and asked the keeper if he could rent a room for a few days. He was extremely exhausted and needed to rest. The owner gave him a room on the second floor with a window overlooking the village. While there, he went about meeting people in the marketplace and asking them, ‘On my way here I saw some men, women, and children herded like animals by some nasty men with weapons. What’s going on?’ Terribly upset, they told him about the doubled tax, ‘Our friends and neighbors do not have the coins to pay their levy. The soldiers are taking these people to the overlord’s dungeon until they pay their debts.’ Sildur spent the next three weeks in the village listening to the people. He even went unseen to the overlord’s place to further investigate. He didn’t like what he saw and heard from the overlord and his men. Then, it was mid-summer’s eve – the annual celebration in Valin to honor the elves that had passed on to Alfheim in the skies. As all elves return home for this celebration, Sildur returned to Valin. Usually it was a joyous event, but with the problems back in Ashland escalating Sildur’s heart was unusually heavy. Before the festival, he came to see me and asked for my advice.

The king asked the elves surrounding him, What do you think I told him?

The elves shook their heads in wonderment at the story.

I told him, it’s time to bring about justice. Go to the overlord’s place and demand he set the prisoners free, restore their property and belongings or face the consequences.

The elves nodded in agreement, Go on, they urged the king.

Two days later, after the celebration, Sildur returned to Ashland and suddenly appeared in Conrad’s bedroom. ‘Get out of your bed,’ he shouted. ‘It’s time to act rightly. The villagers and farmers are raging in the square. Your greedy ways are causing this. The people in your area are the poorest of the poor on Earth. The peace, which once flowed in their hearts, has vanished and a burning anger focused on vengeance has replaced it. Your only choice is to release those families from the dungeon, give them back their lands and possessions, and lower the levy rate or … face the consequences which will be severe.’

What happened next? the young elves asked.

Well, said King Oberon, Sildur left, and Conrad called his guards into the room and asked, ‘Did you see the elf that disturbed my sleep?’ ‘No,’ they answered as they gazed around the room. Conrad replied, ‘Send my chief warrior to me - now. No one is going to tell me what to do in my land!’ His soldier entered his bedroom and before he could speak the overlord said, ‘There is a riot in the village of Ashland. Take your men and stop it immediately!’

The king paused, "Meanwhile, Sildur entered the village and walked through the crowd. Now, as he was in his elf body, the folks gave way for him for they knew elves only intervene in dire emergencies. Sildur spoke, ‘I am here to help. Put down your weapons and listen to me. I talked with your overlord and demanded the release of your relatives and friends. Let us calmly wait and see what he does. Return home and tomorrow meet me here.’ However, before he finished speaking, the overlord’s men appeared on their horses and charged into the village with swords and axes in hand striking all those in their path. Sildur, pointed and raised his index finger at them and then yelled, ‘Stop!’ Instantly the warriors and horses froze like statues. Quickly speaking to the villagers, he said, ‘I can’t hold them back with this energy much longer. Bring the injured to the square and stay there with them. I will take care of this.’ He pointed at the ground and said, ‘Let the earth open wide,’ and it did, forming a gorge thirty feet wide and one hundred feet deep. Then, the overlord’s men broke through the energy field and fell in the gap while Sildur commanded, ‘Earth, close and become one again.’ Both sides of the gorge inched toward each other, closing in upon the men and horses: they were buried. With this finished, he turned and walked to the square. Kneeling before the injured, he touched people’s wounds and healed them one by one. Only two of the villagers perished in this skirmish, but according to Sildur it was two too many.

What happened next? asked the elves.

"He told the villagers, ‘It’s time to go back to your homes. I’m going to bring the news to the overlord, and I’ll come back here tomorrow.’ The overlord was eating his evening meal when Sildur appeared before him. ‘The price paid today for your greed and pigheadedness was extremely high. Your men injured several villagers before I had time to stop them, but now they will never attack another person for they are lying buried within the bowels of Mother Earth. Conrad, give in to my demands or these people will come here and take away your power.’ A shocked Conrad knew his own life depended on his answer, ‘I will set them free. Each family will be given coins to