Seeing how shaken the others were at these words, he added quietly, though emphatically, ‘Nothing remains to all free peoples but to fight. To slay the Elf King and his followers, if we can.’
This was followed by shocked silence. To even think of killing a figure like the Elf King was hazardous, for he was both powerful and resourceful. Failure would be rewarded by certain death for all.
‘Olwynn,’ said Elgar, ‘are you saying that we have the strength or the means to attempt such a thing?’
‘We have the strength to fight,’ replied Olwynn with conviction, ‘and thanks to Ralph, the Human who is now husband to one of the Faerie Folk,’ he emphasised this last, ‘we now possess the means. Who can say what the outcome will be if we aid those Elves who have willingly left the Elf Kingdom.’
‘Help them!’ cried Uma, ‘After the years of suffering we have endured at their hands? That is not a choice many of us will willingly make.’
‘I believe the choice has already been made for us,’ replied Olwynn. ‘Regrettably, the hard truth is that we will all live or die by their success or failure in the coming battle against their King. They have already paid dearly for the excesses of a few of their kind. We would be doing those of their number who have always had our best interest at heart a great wrong if we didn’t come to their aid.’