Of Faes and Foes (CC, TEEN, Fantasy) new part 09/19 [WIP]

[silverofroswell]

Of Faes and Foes

Author: Silver
Category: AU, CC
Summary: Liz is the spoiled daughter of the Elven King, Maria is her cousin, while Max and Michael are knights in (not so) shining armor. What else needed to be said? It’s a light fantasy fic. Alex is a wizard, and Isabel is an elven priestess. I’ll alternate the POVs every chapter.
Rating: TEEN at the moment, MATURE in the long run

Chapter One

The fun of fairyhood


`Liz! Wait up!` I jump to the next tree. The branch is slippery from the moss and I nearly fall down. Let the packs of Hell have it! I leap and spread my wings. With a few forceful beats I’m through the green cover of the Forest.
I blink in the blinding sunlight, and shade my eyes with my hand. The lush green carpet stretches to the horizon. Birds dance above and around, and I’m inclined to join them. Instead I sigh and tear my gaze from them and begin to scout around. My feet brush the highest leaves of the ancient oak trees as I fly a big lap, calling her name. I can only hope that she’ll turn up, if she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be.
I’m about to give up and return to the castle, when she finally pokes her head out.
`Stop shouting ‘Ria, I’m here!`
`At last! You know how long I’ve been chasing you?`
`Yep,` she says nodding fervently. `Since you saw me near the fountain. Though I thought I lost you near Grandfather Oak. How did you know which way to come?` Oh, so she was just playing the fool, I knew it! I knew all the way that she knew I was after her. Then why did I have to run after her for miles and miles? There are questions best left unasked, if I don’t want to work up myself anymore. Instead I just say:
`I asked the Grandfather.` She looks surprised, like the thought had never occurred to her.` Look, we’ve got to go back. Your father is already on the edge…` I try to explain, but she interrupts me.
`No way. There’s simply no way that I’ll be attending another party tonight.`
`But, Liz, think of the fun we could have...` I try weakly.
`No. I’m sure there’ll be some prince or other to introduce me to, and then everyone will watch us and talk about it for weeks. I’m not going home tonight. I order you to stop trying to persuade me.`
`Look, your father commanded me to bring you home, so that one won’t work on me.` She nods and grins.
`Yes, but I’m sure Pop never said “persuade her”. So I can forbid you to do that. And because you can’t try to talk me out of this, and physical violence is out of the question, you can come with me and we can disappear for a while.`
I sigh. Honestly, I tried, Sire. I whisper then I shrug mentally. If I can’t bring her home, then the least I can do is keep an eye on her.
`Okay, that’s settled then. And if we don’t go back, what will we do?`
`Steal the gold of the Kobolds?`
`No way, we did that last month, (and the month before that, and the month before that ), they’ll be guarding it like… well, like it’s treasure.`
`Then we should party with the pixies!` She says, brightened by the new idea. It’d be sure fun, the pixies host the best parties, from a certain point of view, if I might add.
`Hello, anyone home?, ` I wave my hands in front of her face. `The pixies will be at the ball held in your honor, your Highness. You know, the place where you’re supposed to be?.`
`Don’t be such spoilsport, `Ria,` she says. She folds bright amber wings and sits down on the top of a particularly tall oak. She is thinking hard, going over our usual hobbies. Her face lights up again, and I know what she is going to propose.
`Forget it, Liz. Your father will think of that one too. There’ll be guards all over the place.` I’ve guessed right. She sticks out her tongue at me; then her face brightens again.
`I’ve got it! Let’s play with humans! We haven’t done that in ages!` I’m about to protest, then I reconsider. It’s harmless, at least more harmless than anything else she would come up with, and it might be fun, so I nod.
Now that she has a plan, she jumps up from the tree she was sitting on and spreads her wings in one fluid motion.
`Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go to the Old Road!` With a few beats we rise high over the trees. Soaring high, we fly towards the boundary of the Forest, away from the castle.
Liz is unbeatable among the trees, she is light and agile, but I’m stronger and my opalescent wings carry me faster… not that she’ll ever admit that.
Soon we race, high above the greenery. Father Sun is slowly returning to Mother Earth, and his light reflects on the upper leaves, flashing in a million colors, coating them in liquid gold. It’s the most beautiful sight of the world, the sunset over the Forest. When we are finished with our little competition, (Guess who won? Guess who?), we glide above our homeland with open wings, letting Brother Wind carry us in his arms.
As the hours pass, the horizon draws nearer. Instead of the endless sea of trees, green and yellow fields of corn and wheat lay under us. We cover ourselves in a coat of glamour, making ourselves invisible to the common eye. Though we cannot be seen, we watch, with rapt attention. Like little ants, peasants head home from their fields, their skin brown from toiling under the watching eye of Father Sun, their hands are calloused, their cloths rough and dirty. With a few forceful beats, we leave them far behind.
A girl walks alone on the road, with a heavy basket full of peaches on her shoulder. Brother Wind plays with her dirty-blond hair, while she sings a song. We slow and descend, enthralled by this simple music. The tune is hoarse and a bit false to my ears accustomed to the best singers of the elvish kingdoms, but it strikes a chord in my heart. The song is about a princess setting out to find her one true love. She journeys the world from east to west; from north to south, from the highest mountaintops to the deepest dungeons, but to no avail. In the end, tired and hopeless, she slowly gives in to desperation and on a cold, winter morning, leaves this world behind forever. When the last notes die away, I shed a tear, and then we glide away in the evening breeze. We are sisters to this folk, and yet how much we differ! I’m amazed and bewitched by their world, and maybe that’s why I let her take us on this adventure.

Hi everyone! It's been a year since the end of Queen of the Stars, but finally I've seem to overcome my writer's block. Here is the first piece of my new fic. please, FB!

[silverofroswell]

A/N This part is twice as long as the one before, and that's the last of the first chapter, the second will be from Alex's POV. What do you think?

We fly onward, leaving the fields and the villages far behind. I’m beginning to wonder how far she intends to go, when tall towers appear on the horizon. We descend, laughing at the huge stone wall encasing the town. Why would anyone gather so many boulders, and not even try to make it pretty? Humans are so senseless beings! Landing in the bushes, we throw off the glamour of invisibility, just to replace it with another.
Giggling, we fold our wings and form clothes that’ll hide us. I copy the plain plaid blouse, and the cotton skirt of the girl we saw, while Liz retains her own robes, making them only a bit more solid, more fitted to this heavy and rigid world of mortals.
Peeping out of the bush, I look around. There’s no one to spot us; so I run up the wall, and jump down on the other side, with Liz following me closely. There are butterflies in my stomach – we are entering the forbidden world of men.
I look at her, and we grin together. We walk out of the back alley, onto the street. The sun has barely set and the cobble-stoned street is bustling with life. Men and women are hurrying home, clutching their bags tight, never looking around to marvel and enjoy life, wasting it in a mad rush from one place to another. We join the stream of people. Liz, being so short jumps up and down, trying to see above the other’s head. I drag her down.
`Stop, you are going to get us caught?`, I hiss to her.
`I can’t see a thing, `Ria!`, she complains. The crowd pushes us out to the edge of the street.
`Look, Maria, food!` she exclaims loudly, seeing a bakery stand. Several heads turn, and I try to look inconspicuous, while I kick her ankle. What the hell is up with her, that she can’t shut up? I’m the one called blabbermouth!
The cakes on the stand look delicious, and the handsome young baker running the shop looks cute enough. I don’t know which one to bite in first – the merchant or the merchandise.
So we anchor ourselves in front of the wooden stand and examine the wares closely. Pastries, buns, and all kind of cakes and breads fill the white linen cover of the rough, wooden table.
`May I help you, my Lady?` He asks Liz, so I guess I’ll have to play the role of the servant.
`Hmmm. Maybe one of those, and two of those round things, and that cake with marmalade on it, please. Maria, you?` I point out a few cakes for myself, then the baker names a price, which doesn’t mean a thing to us.
Liz reaches into her purse, takes out a gold piece, and hands it to him.
`Will this be enough?`, she asks, when probably it’s worth more than all the pastries, the stand and another ten stands full with wares. The baker boy is looking at with eyes greater than Sister Moon herself.
`I…I’m sorry, milady, I do-don’t have change for that,` he stutters, he probably never held a gold coin before, I fumble for a silver in my pocket, but Liz solves the problem in her usual, off-hand way.
`Then keep the change,` she shrugs. The guy is about to protest, then thinks better of it.
`Th-Thank you, milady,` he bows deeply. `May you have a pleasant evening!`
He twirls his sudden riches with his fingers.
`Where are these coins from, milady, if I might ask?`
`From fa… ouch, why did you do that?` This time I was quick enough, I kick her in the shin.
`From a far, far away land. Good bye!` I begin to drag my Princess away, who is a little slow on the uptake.
`Why did you kick me?`
`Come on!` I hiss to her, but she digs his heel in.
`I refuse to move a step until you explain to me why did you kick me!`
`Because you were about to say “From fairyland”, and we can’t have that, can we?`
`Oh,` she says, `then thanks, I guess.` She looks thoughtful for a moment. I know her moods, she’ll turn the problem around in her pretty head, then forget it altogether. `So what now?`
`I don’t know about you, but I’ll eat some of these beauties,` I say, waving one of the macaroons in the air.
So we sit down at the base of a wall and begin our late dinner. The last rays of Father Sun disappear, covering the streets with the dark velvet of night. Fewer people walk the road, and when I finally wipe off the crumbs (I’ve always been a slow eater), and stand up, there’s no one around us.
`We should have saved at least one for the palace cooks to copy,` Liz says, a little regretfully.
`Maybe we should have. But then, we would have had one less.`
`You have a point.` We contemplate this for a while. If you save a cookie for later, then you can have it until the end of your days, any time you want. But if you eat it right away, then, well, you can eat one more cookie. When you understand that a fae will eat that cookie, then you’ve grasped the basic nature of our kind.
`Let’s look for some fun!`, she suggests, and she couldn’t have spoken better. Standing on a dark, cold, empty, not to mention filthy street, is definitely not my way to spend a night. We begin to wander the streets, looking for, well, a party.
We don’t find any. However we find that a human city is much more dangerous than you had first suspected. This danger manifests itself as three thugs holding knives.
Iron knives.
I could talk about the relation of the fae-folk and cold iron, but my mind is currently too occupied with the presence of those knives. Did I mention the fact that they were forged of iron? Not bronze, not steel, but iron.
Somewhere we turned into an alley, and it seems that we disturbed three predators. With iron knives. I’m sorry, if I seem too preoccupied with those knives, but I have a good reason to. For example, the bearers of aforementioned blades (still iron! Damn it!) request our money and our bodies. I’d be willing to part with the former, but I definitely won’t share the latter. The question is how can we convince these gentlemen to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
Liz crouching low and is nearly hissing. I see that she is ready to lash out and attack. She is a formidable swordsman (pardon, woman), but these thugs have iron. I don’t want to lose my immortalily in a back alley of a nameless human town.
I don’t know how we would solve the problem, but someone takes the burden off our shoulders. Ancient words echo in the alley, in a deep, mercyless tone. Words of High Magic.
Red-hot firesnakes rush forth from the darkness, burning the flesh of our assaulters. As they scream in agony, purple bolts of energy follow, finding their marks without fault. The barrage of magic continues, and soon all the three robbers lay at our feet, out cold, or dead.
I begin to gather energy – I am vulnerable to cold iron, but I know how to fight hot magic, and if the wizard has less-than-noble motivations, he will taste the fire of the fairies.
`Are you all right?` A voice calls out, a little high-pitched and not very manly. A tall figure emerges from the darkness. It’s a young man, nearly six feet tall, and he couldn’t weigh more than a hundred and forty pounds. He murmurs something and suddenly, there is light in the backstreet. The face it illuminates is beardless, and suspiciously young-looking for a wizard.
`Are you all right?`, he repeats the question.
`Umm, I guess we are fine,` Liz answers sheepishly. He looks around and seems a bit nervous.
`Come with me! I’ll escort you home. Where do you live?` Blast! We’ve to come up with something real fast. I try to think very hard, but nothing comes to my mind. Liz saves the day.
`We’ve just come to town, and got lost.`
`And where are your bags?`
`Umm, I don’t know…` okay, now we are in trouble. `they were over there… I think I saw some figures running away with it.`
`I doubt we’ll ever find them. Was there anything of value in those sacks?`
`No, just clothes and such.` she answers.
`Thank goodness. This is a dangerous city at night. We are nearly at the border and things are wilder out here.` We are still standing in the middle of the alley, and the shadows promise nothing good. I yearn to create light, to illuminate this dark place, but until the wizard is gone, I can do no such thing.
`I’ll take you to our inn and we’ll think out something. Follow me, please, I’d rather not stand around here.` Not really knowing what to do, we nod.
The inn is several blocks away, and while we hurry on the dark street, I shoot nervous glances at every doorway. I have to admit that I’m frightened, and still in shock. I know that I could open my wings if I wished, and fly away. Still, danger emanates from the cold stone walls of the houses.
The wizard, Alexander, as he introduces himself, leads us to a two-stories high brick building, the Two Dragons Inn. He opens the door for us, and courteously lets us in first.
I enter, with Liz on my heels. The tavern is filled with smoke from pipes and cigars. The stench grabs my throat and I suddenly have an urge to cough. I look left and right, there are humans everywhere, sitting in small groups around small, ugly cut tables. Carpenters, potters, smiths, bakers, not really the high folk. Alexander stands out of this crowd, and so do we.
He makes way to one of the back tables. Seeing his sorcerer’s robes, the crowd parts before him, and we slip through in his wake. He gestures us to sit down at an empty table.
`Wait a second please, I’ll be right back,` he says and hurries up on the stairs. The moment he is out of our sight, I stand up.
`I think this is our cue to leave, princess.`
`No, wait, Maria.`
`Are you out of your mind? What are we waiting for?`
`Let’s remain for a while, and see what happens!` What would happen? What is she talking about?
`I had enough adventure for one night, thank you.` I try to say adventure with as much contempt as I can.
`I had not! And don’t you think that wizard was cute? Rushing to save us... It was so romantic...,` she says, all dreamy.
`This is it. You officially lost it. Let’s go home and find a priest and a healing spell for your mind. What the hell do you mean by romantic?`
`You know, we are damsels in distress, and he saved us from certain death, risking his own life...`
`First, though it was a tight situation, there was no such thing as certain death around. They were just a couple of street thugs. Second, `I count on my fingers ` he never risked his life. It was nice of him to deal with those jackasses, so we can send him a letter later saying thank you, but let’s get out of here before he comes back.` Neither of us is shouting, which is a small wonder considering that our arguments tend to be quite loud.
`Oh, why do you have to be so… so iron-minded? Don’t you feel the pull of the stars?`
`Yeah, I do. And they say that let’s pull out of here, and fast!` But I’m too late.
The wizard is trotting down on the stairs, followed by two men. I sit back and try to smile, hoping that we’ll get out of this mess in one piece.
`Ladies, these are my companion, Sir Michael and Sir Maximilian.` They know quite a few tricks, for example they recognize their own names, so when they hear them, they bob. The dark one is Maximilian (what kind of stupid name is that?), the other is Michael. Or they might have mixed up and bobbed at the wrong times. We might never find out, I doubt if either of them is intelligent enough to speak.
Liz’s attitude is a lot friendlier than mine.
`I am Elizabeth, and she is my friend Maria.`
`Pleased to meet you, Lady Elizabeth,` says the dark one, earning another black point at me. Hmpfh. She is a lady, and I am? I am the faithful companion as always. He is so gonna get it!
`Pleased to meet you too, good knight.` Good knight? She has been reading too many faerie tales for her own good!
`Tell me again, why are we bothering with these?` says the blond knight, in a bored voice. He can speak! A marvel!
`Because the Code says that we must.` He manages to say Code with a capital C. So not just a stupid knight, but a bloody paladin! That’s exactly what I need: a self-proclaimed doer of good and upholder of justice. A hypocrite, in other words. He turns to Liz, `Alex said you were robbed.`
`Yep,` she says, nodding eagerly. She is not playing the scared lady very well.
`Where were you going, when they attacked you?` I already thought of that question, so I answer before she could say something bloody stupid. If we are going to play this, then we should better play well.
`We just came to town. We are heading north, through the Forest, to our Uncle.`
`To your Uncle?` Michael asks, doubtfully. Whoops. I sneak a peak at Liz. She is in a golden gown, while I wear the exact copy of the servant girl’s clothes.
`Yes. We are distant cousins,` she says, which is about the first true thing she said tonight, but I’m not sure they bought it.
`And you traveled all alone?` Can’t this guy just get the clue and leave our story alone? I glance at Liz, and I just know she is about to invent some companions, then it will be me who has to come up with an other lie when they ask their whereabouts. So I cut in.
`Exactly.`
`On foot?` This Michael guy is getting more and more annoying every minute.
`No, on horses, but they were stolen, with our packs.`
`We are heading north as well. Maybe we could escort you for a while,` says Max, almost bored. That’s exactly what I expected from a paladin. They simply must solve every problem they encounter.
`Thanks, but no.` `Oh, thank you very much,` we say at once. Luckily, they didn’t understand either of us.
`Sorry guys, but we need a minute alone,` I say quickly and begin to drag Liz away. When you have a best friend like her, you learn to act quickly, before she does something that both of us (especially me) would regret later. She can say anything that comes to her mind with a straight face, and expect people to believe it. And the surprising thing is, that they usually do. Either because, well, an honest, goody two-shoes little princess, or because you simply don’t go around calling your future queen a fibber.
`What the heck are you doing?,` I hiss the moment we get out of their earshot.
`Hey, why don’t we tag along? It’d be fun.`
`Are you out of your mind? With a wizard, and a paladin? We’d be caught on the first day!`
`Just look at them! They are so hopeless! They could do with a bit of fun. And besides, I don’t think anyone really believes in fairies anymore.`
`Well, a few days with you, and they’ll be sure ready to believe in anything.`
`Oh come, on, even we deserve some fun, once in a while!` I look at her dumbstruck. This was a tad bit strong even for her.
`What? What…? What in the world are you talking about? You’ve had non-stop fun since the day you were born!`
`Okay, okay. Maria, please! Let’s go with them! It’d be much more exciting than anything we ever did.`
`Yes, and you know why? Because it’s more dangerous than anything we ever did before. No. Simply no. I refuse to go along with this ridiculous plan of yours. This is my final word.`


FIVE MINUTES LATER

`We are really thankful, that you offered your help, and we gladly take it,` she says, smiling at the men, as we sit back. I shoot a warning glare at her. Don’t go too far, lady.
She bought me, fair and simple. She tempted me with more than I could resist. But this doesn’t mean that she can gloat about it!
I sit, staring straight ahead, resolved to be passive in the conversation. It seems that Liz wants to buy some horses and clothes next morning. Imagine. The bartender brings out another round of beer, and Liz in the middle of a wild tale about our “Uncle”.
I take a good measure of the humans sitting on the other side of the table.
Michael is more occupied with his beer. He doesn’t look like much of a threat to our disguise. He’s clearly strong and stupid, your average fighter. His armor is shining, but his eyes are all cloudy, he is clearly somewhere else. I bet he’d have trouble writing his name down.
Maximilian (I think I’ll call him Maxie. Hope he’ll hate it), on the other hand, is clinging to Liz’s every word. He is completely infatuated with her already. Well, I have some bad news, Sir Knight, this lady doesn’t even know the word love. She just plays with men, but never lets them touch her heart. Liz in love. What a ridiculous thought. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble with him.
Alex seems the most dangerous of the three of them. As a magic-user, he might know a few things about our kind. I’ll have to watch him very carefully. He seems completely harmless, but I’ve never met a human wizard before, and I’ve no idea what he is capable of.
My attention focuses on the conversation. It seems that Liz needs some time to think about her next story, so she asks something. She always does that, to gain some time, but she never listens. Sometimes she doesn’t even listen to herself; she can ask the same question again and again. No, our princess isn’t superficial. Not at all.
`So why are you traveling north? Not many people come up this way nowadays.` I take a good sip of my beer. Hmmm. Tastes fine. Let’s make that sip a draught. Meanwhile they exchange meaningful glances. Max shrugs finally, and says simply nonchalantly
`Well, we are going to hunt fairies.`
This is the moment I spit out my beer.

[silverofroswell]

Thanks for the FB guys!
Here is the next part, there is more coming up. (already written, but I'm still rewriting it every day)
BTW I'm looking for, a beta, if any of you could help me out, I'd be very grateful!

Part 3

Chapter 2


Now, that I grew in power and years, sometimes I still wonder, what would have happened differently, if I stayed in that inn that night with Max and Michael.
We did not save the world. We haven’t liberated any countries from oppression. Our names won’t get into the volumes of history. We crossed the paths of a few villains, that’s true, and mostly we came out victorious. But did what we did, in the end, really matter ? I don’t think so.
But all the same, it was one hell of an adventure, that I’m about to share with you. I’ve survived and I’m glad for it. Not everyone was so lucky. The life rhythm of the Faes is not for mortal men to follow.
So caveat lector! Don’t get any foolish ideas and go to seek out Them! The paths that lead to the elven realms are forgotten for a good reason.
There are the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, but they hold as much danger as beauty, and. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, if you get yourself tangled up in web of the faeries terminally and without a chance of escaping!

And with that, let me really begin my story, a story of high adventure, heroes and villains, magic and mundane, elves and humans. A story about love and loss.

A story about Faes and their Foes.

Foreword from the memoires of Archmage Alexander
Library of the Academy


Wizard Alexander

`What do you reckon?, I ask Michael.
`No way. Lord Harding would sooner eat dung than give her hand to him.`
`He can’t simply deny his request. He saved her life not once, but twice.`
`Well, we shall see. Any minute now.` He glances at the double doors of the audience chamber for the hundredth time. Max has been in for half an hour, and there is still no sign of him. Though I love the guy, you have to admit his chances are slim at best. My current employer is a stingy old miser, and won’t let his sole, precious daughter marry a nameless knight, no matter how noble he is in his heart.
The door wings swing open and Max steps out. His expression is neither joyful, nor downright rejected, I’d stay he looks determined. Michael jumps up from the stone-bench we’ve been sitting on.
`How did it go?`, he asks impatiently.
`Better than I imagined. He is ready to announce our engagement,` he says slowly.
`That’s excellent news Max, isn’t it?`
`But first I have to prove my prowess with a heroic act.`
`A heroic act? Haven’t you proved yourself enough times already? On the bastions of Castle Eger? At the battle of Whitefort?` Michael is clearly outraged. I think a step further. Why would Lord Harding demand something like this from him? Unless…
`What do you have to do Max?`, I ask, suddenly suspicious.
`He’ll give me Tess’s hand, his lands and his castle if I provide him with a worthy bride’s price.`
`And you agreed.`
`Of course! It is only proper.`
`And what is worthy of Tess’s hand according to him?` I ask, already dreading the answer.
`The brightest jewel of the Elven Kingdoms.`
`That is impossible! There are no such things as faeries!` Michael’s bellowing voice fills the courtyard as we step outside. I place my hand on his arm.
`Calm down, Michael. There must still be faeries in the northern wilderness. Their kind is long-lived, and has deeper roots than us, younger races. But it’s still absurd. Why would he set such infeasible task?`
`Search me. But there’s no quest to dangerous, no obstacle too difficult to overcome if the prize is Lady Theresa’s hand! I love her more than my life, my friends!`
Before he could really get into it, Michael interrupts him.
`So, what are we waiting for? Which way is fairyland?`
`No, Michael, thanks but no. This quest is for me alone.`
`Don’t worry, I don’t want to steal your Tess, I’d rather take on a dragon one-on-one than to marry her.` That wasn’t really polite of Michael, but I basically agree with him. I’ve never understood why he fancies her. She is a mean little bitch, while Max is a true Paladin. Love is truly blind.
`Yeah, you’ll need us. Besides, this job sucks with anyways. A trip to faerieland, now that would make a change!`

------

The next few days became blurred in my memory. We were preparing all night and day for the departure. I informed Lord Harding, that I wish to leave his services for an indefinite time, and drowned myself in the library, trying to gather every tidbit of knowledge available about the mystical race of elves.
There wasn’t much to find. The last time when men definitely saw elves was in the Demon War. They came out of Forest and down from their castles in the clouds, riding pegasii and unicorns, charging right into the back of the demon army. They’ve won the battle and turned the course of the war, then disappeared again like mists in the morning.
After the Prince of Darkness was defeated, High King Elcarion issued a royal decree that no human is to enter the Forest or the highest peaks of the Arg`Shaza mountains. And no one had.
But that was more than nine hundred years ago. Since then – nothing. Not a trace that the Fae Folk still walks this Earth. But they had to go somewhere, hadn’t they? And they are certainly long-lived. More accurate would be to say immortal – at least according to the legends.
The legends also say that they can only be killed permanently by cold iron, forged without any heat whatsoever. Steel and regular iron blinds them and binds them as well, but even a touch of cold iron can leave the greatest of the elvenkind weak and powerless. This seems to be a bit of an exaggeration to my ears, but who knows? Legends usually have a bit of truth to them.
What worried me, was that I know practically nothing of their magic. Children’s tales tell us of illusions, tricks and deceits, but they are an old people, far older than humanity. They were born when the world was younger and rich with Wild Magic. Heck, they are magic born to life. The more time I spent in the library, the more worried I became about this adventure; instead of finding solutions, I became more and more convinced that we stand no chance.

[silverofroswell]

Anyway, the day came when we couldn’t keep putting departure off. We left Castle Harding at dawn, well before anyone woke. I think it was the best that way.
Our journey to the north was long, tedious, and mostly uneventful. Two knights in full plate armour and me, in my traveling robes (I made a point of dressing as a wizard – which I usually don’t do) could frighten off a lot of bandits. After crossing most of the human kingdoms, we made it finally to a nameless town, the last cesspit of civilization before the northern wilderness. The tavern we found was filthy, the innkeeper greedy and the townsfolk as obnoxious as they get.
After settling down and washing off the dust in a basin of lukewarm water, I was eager to get a bit of fresh air; and though it was clear that it is unadvisable to stroll these streets at night, I thought that there could be a few things out there that would be more dangerous than me.
I’m not a battle-mage, my specialty is fertility spells, and before you start to think about anything naughty, I’d like to make unmistakably clear that I mean <i>crop </i> fertility spells. For better harvest and such. It’s not really an interesting branch of wizardry, but I hadn’t had what it takes to become a dimensional mage, and it was as good as a second choice as any other. It pays well, and I have to work only a few hours a week, and you can’t really expect anything more from a job.
<i>Anyways</i> before I got side-tracked, I was saying that I went out for a little fresh air. Maybe it was just pure luck, maybe the gods themselves set me on a path that led so far. Oh, so far!

------

I turn the corner and I sense the danger before I actually spot it. Three thugs surround their prey, two petite women. I melt into the shadows, trying to decide what to do. Maybe it’s the routine of being friends with Max and Michael, maybe I’m just paranoid, but I first check the rooftops for hidden archers. I’d hate to go down with an arrow in my back in the middle of a spell.
I see no snipers, so I begin to gather energy. Light flashes around my hands as I weave the strands of magic together. I keep it simple, but effective. The good ‘ole magic missile will do. The years of practice take over, and the energy is ready to fly in a few seconds. I let it go, and <i>will </i> it to home on the nearest thug.
The missile is a few inches big sphere of raw, radiant energy. It’s meant for capture, rather than to kill. I have visual on the target, and my aim is flawless. The magic missile explodes and sends the cutthroat flying. I see in almost slow motion, as they turn towards me. They are quick – trained, or at least instructed in dealing with mages – raising their knives, but neither of them has a chance to hurl it at me.
The countless hours spent in self-defence classes were not in vain. They are soon out cold.
`Are you all right?` I call out, and I step closer. I ignite a light spell; this darkness creeps me out. After a quick glance that assures me that the thugs won’t get up soon for a re-match, I take a better look at the ladies.

<i>By the way it looked, I’ve saved a noble’s daughter and her chambermaid. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to the details, but alas, I have not. They didn’t look a bit frightened, nor relieved, that they’ve been rescued by such a powerful mage (that would be me). Instead, the brunette watched me with the wide open eyed curiosity of a kitten, while the blonde surveyed me as a warrior surveys her future opponent. But I was young and naïve, so I overlooked all the signs that screamed into my face that something’s not right.
Instead, I fell into the “Chivalrous Saviour Scheme”. After being a sidekick to Max and Michael for years, I just wanted to be the applauded hero who saves the ladies from mortal peril. Watch, and learn from my mistakes. </i>

`Are you all right?` I ask again. They must be in shock from the attack. Poor souls!
`I.. I guess we are fine,` says the brunette. She looks around, frightened of the shadows. Who knows what dangers lurk still in these alleys!
After a quick conversation, it becomes clear that the lady and her friend were robbed. I’m so glad that I’ve been here! Their packages are lost, but at least they came out of this incident unscratched. They’ve just arrived, and now that they’ve lost everything, it’s without doubt that they need protection. My breast is swelling with pride as I shepherd the ladies towards the inn. I’m so proud of myself, that I nearly pat me on the shoulder.
Way to go, Alex! Saving damsels in distress from the clutches of mighty villains then escorting them back to safety. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit, but that’s the gist of it. Just wait `till Max and Michael see me!

------
Five minutes later

In the light of the tavern, I have to re-evaluate the ladies – Maria’s (that’s the name belonging to the blonde one) hands are too fine for a maid, and her stature is surprisingly noble for her simple clothes. You can put on any disguise, but you’ll walk the way you were raised. So I’m not surprised when I find out that they are distant cousins.
But there is definitely something strange about them. There story has quite a few holes in it, and while Max is too polite, Michael points them out one-by-one, and I can’t honestly say that they are answered correctly.
I put my concerns aside; though they must hold a few secrets (who doesn’t), they are definitely in need of our help.
Well, Max is Saint Max as always, all for doing the good thing and offers our protection, while Michael couldn’t care less. I think he just wants to go home. I miss my library too and I’ve slept one night too many in flea-infested beds in roadside inns like this to disagree with him. But we are nearing to the borders of the Empire, and the adventure is already beginning!
Our offer is not as warmly received as I expected. After a quick debate in low tones, Maria drags of Elizabeth to a corner.
I look at the others
`So, what do you think?`
`The blond is definitely cute. I wonder if she is a good lay,` says Michael.
`I don’t think it’d be appropriate to…`
`Chill, Maxwell. I didn’t mean anything. Don’t worry, I’ll keep in mind the trauma they went through, et cetera, et cetera` cuts in Michael, reciting as he was reading it from a book. `Whatcha you think?`
`If their Uncle indeed lives in the Forest, I’m sure he can provide us with information. And anyways, it is our Duty to escort them.` He is the guy, who can pronounce duty with a capital D. I think that says all about him.
`Do we really have to take every lost soul under our wings? Aren’t we moving slowly enough as it is?` It is an old row of theirs, and Max clearly doesn’t want to go through it again.
So he just says `we do` nonchalantly, and that’s the end of it as far as he is concerned.
There’s a moment of uncomfortable silence, which is broken by the return of the ladies. Or should I say girls? They are maidens, without doubt, and I wouldn’t bet on that either of them has seen twenty winters.
Liz is leading the way, with Maria following grumpily. Liz hops down on the chair and informs us enthusiastically, that they accept us as traveling companions. I can’t fail to recognize, that a “thank you” is not part of the package. What did I expect of women?
The conversation drones on, and honestly, I’m more occupied with my beer than anything else. The adrenalin rush wore off and I’m damn tired. It’s been a long day, and an even longer night. The inn is warm, the beer is cool, the chair is comfy and I’m in safety with my friends. Suddenly I can’t think of anything else I need, apart from a good night’s sleep. I already feel that I’m dozing off.
Then there is a sudden moment of silence. I’m instantly wide awake again. Looking up, I see Michael and Max changing a look. What did I miss?
`Well, we are going to hunt fairies,` Max answers to the question unknown. Maria, well there is no better expression, spits out her beer (where did she get it? I sure did not order it for her!) and Liz’s expression changes to something… peculiar.
`Did I say something wrong?`
There is another long look, but this time between Elizabeth and Maria. An agreement is found, a decision is made, I don’t know. What the hell has just happened?
`It’s unwise to say such things,` Liz says carefully, as if looking for the right words. `Even as a joke.` She is looking questioningly at Max.
`I wasn’t joking. I’ve sworn to bring back the brightest jewel of the King of the Faes.`
Elizabeth bursts out laughing. Whoops. Now as he says it, with a straight, honest face, it does sound quite silly.
`Oh, you had me. For a moment I really thought that you mean it…,` she says, still chuckling. Then when she realizes that no one is laughing with her, she stops suddenly, and the air is full of tension once again.
`You did mean it.` This is a statement. `But why?` Before Max could begin in his own style, I cut in hurriedly.
`He wants to marry the boss’s daughter, but the boss won’t let him until he does something terribly brave and equally stupid; namely this.`
`It is bad luck to go against the elves.`
`Very bad luck indeed!` Maria seems… hostile? I think we hit a wasp’s nest with this one. Elizabeth shoots her a warning glance, and again, I wonder about their relationship. She isn’t behaving anyway like a poor cousin should, much more like an equal, but it’s clear that the decisive voice is Lady Elizabeth’s.
`No one returned from the Forest who had ill will towards the faeries.`
`I’ll still attempt it, and any help you could give would be more than welcome.`
`Don’t count on me,` says Maria, folding her arms.
`Come on Maria, they saved our lives, I’m sure should return the favor,` she scolds her, then turns back to us. `We’ve been through the Forest many times, and I know a few paths that may lead you to the elves. But how do you plan to get the jewels of the King, if there is indeed a such king?` She has asked the very same question we’ve been pondering on the last few weeks.
`I don’t know yet, but I hope I’ll get it without blood being shed. And if you could set me on a path leading to winning my Theresa’s hand, then I’ll thank the gods ‘till the end of my days for our serendipitous meeting!`
Okay, even I couldn’t have phrased “Thanks, it would be nice” better. But I think it’s best for everyone if we shot down Max right now, he could go on like a raving minstrel for hours if it’s about Tess. So I grab his wrist and try to jerk him back into this reality.
`Max, I think the ladies are tired, and now that we have the table cleared, we should retire for the night. We have a long day ahead tomorrow.`
`You are right, my friend! I’m deeply sorry. You must be exhausted! Allow me to show you to your room!,` and while Liz and Maria try to protest meekly, he leads them away.`
If he can be so obsessed about someone with the qualities of Tess, I’d like to see what he’ll be like, when he finds someone worthy of him.

<i> Many a year have passed, but my memories of that night are still crystal clear. The flickering flames of the fireplace in the inn, the sour taste of the mead, the thick smell of sweat and dust. I remember every word that has been said, and I still marvel that I’ve ever been so naïve and innocent. There we were, sitting between two of the Fair Folk, boasting about our plans to the first pretty eyes we met, feeling daring and adventurous. Sometimes I still wonder how Liz and Maria could play it keeping a straight face.
The next few days passed in a blur. After getting a few things for our new companions, we left that sorry excuse for a city and traveled north, following the road leading nowhere. During our journey, we’ve heard legends and fairy tales, but nothing of real value. No one knew what lay behind the edge of the Forest.
There were strange events that took place during our ride, which I’ll get back to later, but with luck and courage, we reached the boundary separating the domains of mankind and elvenkind in four days, and then, on a sunny summer afternoon, we finally overstepped that boundary …</i>

[silverofroswell]

Interlude

The golden coin danced between his fingers. From his thumb to his little finger, back and forth. It reflected the light of the torches illuminating the room.
`Tell me again, where did you get this.`
`I told you, on the market. A lady gave it to me. I did not steal!` The anger in the boy’s voice was masking his fear poorly.
`Calm down, my son. No one is accusing you. I’m just merely curious how did you earn such a strange coin.` At his hand signal, the two watchmen released the young baker. He drew himself up, straightened his shirt.
`There was a lady, and her maid. They bought some cakes off me. She gave it to me. I told her that I don’t have change for gold, and she said that then I could keep it.` He finished, looking the man behind the desk straight in the eye.
`Then please tell me, son, what did the lady and her maid look like?` The baker frowned as he was trying to remember his customers.
`’t was clear that she was a noblewoman. She had very fine features. She wasn’t tall at all, and she had long, brown hair.’
‘And her maid? Please, tell me of her too.’
‘She was taller, but not much. She had simple brown clothes, and… and she was a blonde.’
‘Thank you,’ said the man calmly, ‘is there anything else you could tell me? Where did they go? Did you here anything they said?’
‘No Sir. I already told you everything they said.’ He risked a glance at the coin now resting on the table. ‘The lady told me that I could keep the gold, and that was all.’
‘Thank you again. You’ve been very helpful. Really helpful.’ The man stood up slowly, pushing his chair back. The baker took a step back, retreating into the guards.
‘And you can have your coin back.’ The gold flew through the air, and landed in the boy’s expectant palm.
The man sat back into his armchair and nodded to the watchmen.
‘Bury him with it,` he said coldly.
‘Where? No! Wait, nooo!’

Michael

`Watch out, he doesn’t like strangers.`
`Oh, but he likes me, don’t you, horsey?`, she says, stroking his face. I turn away; mentally bracing myself for the scream she’ll cry when Whirlwind bites her, but it doesn’t come. I look back and see my warhorse nuzzle against Maria’s hands.
This woman will never cease to amaze me. Whirlwind has a mean temper, and has been well known back home for biting pieces out of the unwary. A warhorse has to be as tough as his master, you see. And I’m one tough guy, anyone can tell you that.
`You like me really-really, horsey, `cos I smell nice, not like that ugly, sweaty warrior.`
Make that one pissed off tough guy.
`Would you just leave him alone?! And don’t call him horsey! His name is Whirlwind.` She just shakes her head and gives me that strange look.
`No, his name is „Galopping-under-the-Oaks”, but horsey is okay with him. Isn’t it, horsey?` One more word in that cooing voice and I’ll strangle her here and now.
Why on earth did we have to take up this fool’s errand as well? Like we don’t have enough problems of our own already.
That’s the problem with Max. He acts first and thinks later. (And the bigger problem is that when he does think beforehand, we tend to get into an ever bigger mess.) Him and his Code. He can stuff the Code where the sun does not shine.
He would just deserve this. But what did I do? Oh, Helm in the High Heavens, hear your humble servant’s prayer! I’ve served you in all my life, I’ve kept your laws and walked your path, so couldn’t you, just for once, do something for me? Make her disappear, for example.
Sigh.
I think the gods would have a lot more followers, if they’d actually granted wishes.
Hey, where did she go?
Thank you Helm, thank you!

Liz

`I’ll be fine, Sir Maximillian, I don’t need a chaperone.`
`I insist, Lady Elizabeth. This town is not as secure as the main cities of the Kingdom.`
I don’t want him to tag along! I already managed to lose Maria, and I want to have some time finally on my own, without anyone holding me back. I take a long, assessing look of him. His adamant, brown eyes meet my stare boldly. We continue the staring contest, and as the seconds drag by, I realize, that maybe, just maybe I want him to tag along. I rationalize quickly that he is such an eye candy, and looks like he could do with some serious fun. I’m good at loosening people up; that’s my specialty. I’m famous for it. And even better, he doesn’t suspect that I’m famous for it. So with a sudden change of heart, I say:
`Then have it your way. But I warn you that it’ll be a long and boring mission.`
`May it be so, I’ll still escort you everywhere you go until we are out of this… unwelcoming place.` Cesspit. Say it. Cesspit. Lang syne it was enthralling, bewitching and miraculous, but today I see for what it really is: the filthy, rotten fringe of the human kingdoms.
`Even when I try on undies?` I know my eyes twinkle, I can’t help but tease him. He is so… righteous. But I must say for him, that he meets my gaze with open, innocent eyes.
`Of course not. It wouldn’t be proper.` Is this man really made of ice? Shall I press on, or postpone the attack? Postpone.
`Then we should go, if we indeed want to leave this wretched place behind us by noon.`
`Lady Elizabeth,` he bows his head. No unnecessary pleasantries, just a nod. He leaves it up to me to interpret it as I see fit. I take it as an agreement, and without further ado, I turn on my heels and we set on a new, bold adventure together, side by side to… find some new clothes.
He is wearing “only” a breastplate, and I must confess he looks magnificent in it. He is totally unconscious of the stares he gets from the ladies. Alas, I have to confess that even I’m moved by this fine specimen. He wears the armour so easily as if it was a tunic. He lacks the feline grace of our men, but he more than makes up for it with his build. Tall, and muscular. He must be near a hundred and eighty pounds and there is not an ounce of fat on him. As he is the best looking thing in miles (except for me, of course), I admire him on all the way to the marketplace, carefully examining every detail of his body.
He leads the way, which gives me the excellent opportunity to check out his butt. Yummy.
This will be fun.

------

The fun is of course spoiled by my good-for-nothing cousin (currently cousin, if I might add), who turns up before I could ask Max’s opinion on what lingerie to acquire. That’s exactly why I put her in that other human’s care. I don’t need a chaperone. Why does everyone insist on accompanying me wherever I go? Even people, who don’t yet know me; like Max. I’m an adult faerie, I can take care of myself. I’ve so had it with everyone acting like I’m a big baby, or worse, a loose cannon. I swear, the next time anyone tries to do anything even remotely patronizing to me, I’ll do something really nasty to them. Woe onto them! Now back to reality.
My inquiries about Sir Michael’s whereabouts are only met by shrugs. It’s clear that Maria lost him somewhere. She is good as losing people, we honed this skill to perfection in the last centuries.
On the other hand, now that my partner in crime rejoined me, I feel like shopping. Fluttering from stall to stall, mining the depth of chests, trying on clothes one after the other. I could spin them all out of thin air, but it’s just more fun to actually buy them. While I enjoy my new purchases mostly, Maria gets off on haggling. Whether it’s on a copper or a dozen gold coins, she would be ready to spend the entire day bargaining. For the first time in her life, she can shout at people who don’t shout back. She’s like a kid who’s been just told that chocolate is not just for free but it’s actually healthy.
All the while, Sir Maximillian hovers around us like a shining, personal angel. He doesn’t show a single sign of boredom, not even once which earns him another brownie point. Anyone who can wait up on us patiently while we are shopping deserves another. Soon I’ll have to get a parchment and start noting them, because he already has like a dozen and he is gaining them fast.
But unlike him, I get easily bored. It’s one of my few slight character flaws. (According to Maria, I have the attention span of a freshly hatched duckling) While my ‘cuz is calling the storekeeper names, I look around. From time to time, I forget my wandering eyes on him. He’s turned away from us; brown eyes scanning the crowd; hand resting on the pommel of his longsword. Classic guard position. As if he felt my gaze, he looks back over his shoulder, and gives me a small smile.
`Lady Elizabeth, are you tired? Shouldn’t we rest for a while?` There is true concern ringing in his voice which earns him just another brownie point. I really should keep track of them.
`Umm.. No thanks, but I think I’ll need a sheet of papyrus.`
`Excuse me?`, he asks back.
`Papyrus. To write. I think…` I want to give you brownie points. No, that doesn’t sound… cohesive enough, `I want to start a journal.`
`Uh. I think I saw a paper merchant back that way.` Wow, tour guide, bodyguard and Yellow Pages in one person. He’d be sure handy to have back home. Wish I had someone like him around all the times. It’d make life so much simpler. Now there’s a thought!
`Then let’s go! Maria are you done yet?` She shoots a last, wistful look towards the jeweler’s desk, then she seems to control of herself. Right.
`Yep, I’ve everything I need.` Max leads us through the throng while Maria shows me her latest acquisition: a lovely little earpiece. I suddenly wish I took a closer look on the jeweler’s wares. I’m ready to turn back, when I reconsider again. I said aloud that I need papyrus, so that’s what we’ll buy. I have a plan and I’ll stick to it. That’s me, Elizabeth, Princess of Plans.
`There is the paper merchant, Lady Elizabeth,` he says, pointing to the stall. Not without ulterior motive, I give him my warmest smile and say a heartfelt `Thank you`. Alas, he is not appreciating the gesture, just nods politely, so I proceed to inspect the wares.
`Good afternoon, Milady, how can I be of service?` The shopkeeper a bald, small man, with serious looking clothes and a funny looking pair of glass eyes sitting on his nose. I’m about to ask him, why on Earth, does he need another pair of eyes, when he already has one. Is it a magic item? Or a fashion statement? BUT, though curiosity is eating me, I do not, repeat do not ask. I’m sure there’s a simple, logical explanation to this particular phenomenon and I’d feel real silly if I asked and it turned out that Maria already knew. So, I just say:
`I’d like some papyrus, a pen and a squid-stone.` The merchant looks surprised.
`I’m sorry my Lady, but I don’t sell papyrus, I have only paper in stock.`
`Oh, that’d be this?` I look down at the deceptively papyrus-like sheets. Or at least they had me deceived. While I’m examining it, Maria butts in.
`Then we’d like a few sheets of paper, please.`
`How many?` Why is she looking at me? Oh, yea, she doesn’t know how many I need. Neither do I, to be honest.
`Two dozen will be enough, I think.` He counts the papers and puts my sheets on the stall, then puts a pen and a bottle of ink beside them. I touch the material experimenting. It’s definitely not papyrus. Lighter, smoother, and it’s texture is completely different. This actually looks something that we should learn from the humans.
`These sheets look rather fragile. Are you sure you don’t have papyrus?`
`But, Milady, nobody used papyrus in the last three hundred years.` Err… What can you say to that? That I’ve never even heard about it? I don’t think that it would be a great idea.
`So, how much will it be?`
`The pen is two silver, the ink is a silver a bottle, the paper is three silvers by the dozen, so it’s nine silver pieces altogether.` I hand him a gold.
`Keep the change.` Mother Sky, please don’t let Maria start a debate over a silver. Thankfully, she remains silent.
`Thank, you milady.`
I feel real silly.

[silverofroswell]

Maria

Liz told me to “take care of Sir Michael”, but I don’t think she meant it. When I asked her where should I hide the body, she just laughed me off.
I feel lonely. I need some non-human company. I go to the stables and start making acquaintances. My first new friend is a bay stallion. He is a real beauty, well-kept, well-trained. He never smelled an elf before, so at first he is a bit distrustful, but I can convince him soon that I’m a friend. I introduce myself, and he tells me that his name is Galloping-under-the-Oaks, but his rider calls him Whirlwind. Who in his right mind would name a horse Whirlwind? It’s so kitschy.
`Watch out, he doesn’t like strangers.`
I should have known. Not wanting to start an argument I decide on a neutral response.
`Oh, but he likes me, don’t you, horsey?` I turn back to the more intelligent of the two males. `You like me really-really, horsey, `cos I smell nice, not like that ugly, sweaty warrior.`
`Would you just leave him alone?! And don’t call him horsey! His name is Whirlwind.` I seem to have hurt his feelings. So bad.
`No, his name is „Galopping-under-the-Oaks”, but horsey is okay with him. Isn’t it, horsey?` The guy looks like he is about to have stroke. Despite my earlier idea, I’d rather not have him dead in the middle of the stables on such a hot day like this. He would start to smell bad real fast, and I think the horses wouldn’t like that.
So I do the reasonable thing and walk out without saying another word.
I’m temporalily blinded as I step out into the light of Father Sun. Okay. I’ve successfully avoided resorting to physical violence, I think I should get an award for that. However, I can’t rest on my laurels. I have to do something productive. Liz mentioned she wanted to go to the marketplace. That’s it! I’ll go and find her, and we can continue exploring this charming little town!
Five minutes later it turns out that I got my hopes up in vain: Liz is nowhere to be found, which means that she went shopping alone. I sigh inwardly and throw myself into the maze of streets and alleys that make up a human city.

It takes me nearly half an hour to find her in the crowd of the marketplace. In the meantime, a thousand bodies brush against me, dozen hands grope me. I feel sickened by the sheer mass of people. I wish I could just run back to the forest and wash all the filth away in the crystal-clear water of a stream.
But, at last, I spot Max. And if Max is here I bet Liz isn’t that far either. And I was right, she is right there, explaining something animatedly. After saying hi, we spend the morning emptying our purses and filling Max’s backpack things we are unlikely to ever wear, but this is perfectly normal. The goal of shopping isn’t to acquire useful additions to our wardrobe, but to reach a certain peaceful, sated state of mind. And from that point of view, I can say mission’s accomplished. I think I’m ready to call it a day.
No, wait! There’s a jeweler here! No one told me that there was a jeweler around! Jewelry is my weak point. Anything that glitters, twinkles or jingles, I must have it. I’m instantly taken by the little beauties. The storekeeper probably notices right away that I’m an addict; he puts his entire collection out on the stall. Rings, earpieces, bracelets, tiaras, gold, silver, and platinum all shine before my eyes. And I have problem keeping a straight face when he names their prize. An elf artisan would ask for ten times more. If I could set up a trade route, I’d make thousands of gold pieces on every run. I’m sure these little ones would sell like candy in the Forest! It’s been so long since we had seen any refreshingly new design.
While I feel in heaven raking through the wares, the others are getting bored. (Or at least I’m sure Liz is. Her attention span’s like a freshly hatched duckling’s) She is probably acting like she is about to faint, ‘cause I hear Max say:
`Lady Elizabeth, are you tired? Shouldn’t we rest for a while?` Or it can simply mean: it’s too hot in here, I’m sweating and I had enough of you and your friend and wish that we never met you. You can just never know with humans.
`Umm.. No thanks, but I think I’ll need a sheet of papyrus.`
`Excuse me?` I tear my gaze from the treasures in front of me, this might prove interesting.
He looks completely baffled. I actually feel sorry for the guy, I have absolutely no idea what does rest have to do with papyrus, and if I don’t see the connection, I bet my virginity that he doesn’t either. Okay, I can’t bet my virginity for obvious reasons, but if I still had it, I would. You get the picture.
`Papyrus. To write. I think… I want to start a journal.`
The slight pause means that she has invented the journal thing on the fly. Princess, I pity everyone who crosses your path. A casual liar of your caliber shouldn’t be set loose upon unsuspecting mortals. Our favorite knight shows the first sign of actual emotion today: bewilderment.
`Uh. I think I saw a paper merchant back that way.`
`Then let’s go! Maria are you done yet?`
I shoot a last, wistful look towards the jeweler’s merchandise, and then sigh. A beautiful sapphire earpiece already came into my possession today; but I could <i>so </i> buy up the entire shop. You just got to love these native human artists. Their work is awfully primitive, of course, but that’s the charm of it. I can’t wait to show off these little beauties at the home. I could spend the entire day here, just browsing through them, but I have to be strong. I have to move on, and forget them.
`Yep, I’ve everything I need. `
It can make such difference if a six feet tall, armed knight is making way for you. There seem to be a lot less people who want to brush up against me. Max is the first to spot our destination.
`There is the paper merchant, Lady Elizabeth.`
`Thank you,` she says and gives him her daddy’s-only-daughter smile. She uses it rarely, because it’s so powerful that it’s unfair to us, other girls. No magic, just good ‘ole fashioned charm. For a moment, his carefully maintained mask drops. The guy is ready to melt into a puddle. Then, in a blink, it’s back in its place. I’d bet my virginity she didn’t even take notice. She has him wrapped around her little finger. Funny, didn’t he mention something about a fiancée earlier?
`Good afternoon, Milady, how can I be of service?`

I’d rather spare you of the account of what became known later as the “paper-incident”. I was so frightened first. I thought Max would draw on us any minute and with him being wrapped up in steel, there wouldn’t have been a lot of things we could have done. I thought at that time that it was a close call, but time proved me that it wasn’t even <i>close</i> to a close call.
I totally froze down; I don’t think I’ve said even one word on our way back to the tavern. Elizabeth could control herself better, but later she told me that she was just as frightened as I had been. She was trying to make small talk, but both of us were casting nervous glances at Max.

--------

Back at the tavern

`Huh. This was close,` she says as the door closes behind us.
`Let’s just get the hell out of here, okay?`
`What are you talking, this is only getting interesting.` No. No. No. This is not possible. She can’t mean it.
`Are you out of your mind? They probably discussing right now how to capture us!`
`Don’t be ridiculous, Maria! He didn’t even notice! We can pull this off.`
`I don’t want to pull this off, not at all. This had been enough of adventure for me for quite a while, thank you!` We are both nearly shouting.
`That’s why it’s so exciting, don’t you see...` I cut in.
`Have you gone completely mad? Exciting? I’d never been more frightened!`
`That’s it! Don’t you see? When did we do anything even remotely dangerous?`
`You always get us into all kinds of danger!`
`No. That’s just faerie stuff. If we are caught at home, there will be a few headshakes, a little rumor, but nothing else. It doesn’t matter. It’s not real. This is real.`
` It’s not real enough for you at home? What the hell are you talking about? We are going to get killed, you idiot!`
`So what? Do you always want to live a little sheltered life in the Forest?`
`So what??? Yes, I want to live! Unlike these monkeys I’m an immortal, and I want to remain one, thank you!`
`Well, I want to live, even if means taking some risks. Don’t you see Maria? We’ve been running the same sick circle for centuries. Is there anything that we haven’t done a dozen times? When did we try anything new?`
`You do remember Isabel’s unicorn, don’t you?` She nearly turns scarlet, but manages not. I rarely bring up the unicorn incident, and it usually shuts her up, but I’m not so lucky this time.
`Okay, I grant you that, that was an exception. But apart from that, nothing. We are repeating everything over and over, and I’m so sick of it. If this awaits me for an eternity, then I don’t want to be immortal!` I don’t have anything to say to that. The way she said it, it was like she actually meant it.
Silence settles on the room for a while, then I ask, much quieter.
`So what do you want to do?` Two tears run down on her cheeks.
`I don’t know Maria. I really don’t know.`
`Come here,` I draw her close and she rests her head on my shoulders.
`I don’t know Maria. I don’t want to go back now. I want to see how this turns out.` I push her a little away, and wipe away her tears with the sleeve of my robe.
`Then if it is this important for you then I guess we can stick around for a little longer, okay?` I smile at her, and she smiles back weakly.
`Thanks Maria. You are a really great friend, you know?`
`Tell me about it.`

[silverofroswell]

Its been almost a year since I updated, i have been really busy IRL, and world of warcraft has taken up the rest of my free time. (If u play WoW feel free to drop in to Arathor EU and say hello to Ezust)
I managed to grab nips of time here and there and continue this fanfic but i didnt feel like i could post regularly so, well, i didnt. I hope i will be able to keep up a steady stream of updates now, but we all know how these promises turn out.. anyways here is the next part, enjoy.

Max

`Ahh. Fresh air,` sighs Lady Elizabeth, as we leave the gates behind. The road stretches ahead, if you can call it a road. From the south, we came on paved highways, but now, our horses trod on a dirty path that is scarcely more than a trail.
This is the end of civilization; no more cities stand between us and the Forest. My heart beats faster at the thought. I can see snow-topped mountains in the distance: the spine of the world. The last barrier on every map; no one knows what lies behind those peaks. Another mystery that we may solve in the coming weeks.
I’ve asked around in the tavern: there are still a few villages ahead, but nothing else. From now on, we are on our own.
Well, our bags are full, and I think we came prepared for everything that the winds of Fate could blow our way.
I take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. I give a squeeze with my knees to Stormcloud, and he starts in a slow, easy trot. Whirlwind falls in line automatically, and in a few moments Alex and the two ladies form up as well. I always ride with Michael on my right, he is my other half. He guards my right, as I protect his left. I don’t even look that way anymore, I trust him to keep his eye on that half of the world. I’d ease into the routine – riding in comfortable silence – if not for our new companions.
I sneak a peek to my left. Lady Elizabeth is barely holding the reins, she controls her new horse with surprising skill. Her delicate hands rest in her lap, and she sways in the saddle in rhythm with her steed’s step. An easy smile appears on her face, as she dazes ahead of us. I watch as the light breeze plays with her hair. She unconsciously reaches up and tugs the stray lock behind her ears. Funny. For a moment I could’ve sworn that something’s wrong with her ears. I scrunch my brow, trying to concentrate, but I can’t get my mind to focus.
What was I thinking about anyways?
I forget everything when she tilts her head and smiles at me coyly through the dark stresses falling in her face. I smile back, and ask:
`How do you do, Lady Elizabeth?`
`Thank you, everything is just fine. It’s so good to be out in the open again. But please don’t Lady Elizabeth me. You can call me Liz.` Reflexes kick in, and I answer the proper thing without thinking.
`Lady Elizabeth, you honor me beyond my merit.`
`It seems that we’ll spend a few days together and I’ll bear none of this Lady this and my lady that. Please call me Liz, and in turn I won’t call you Sir Maximillian. Is this okay with you?`
`Yes, my… Liz.`
`The same goes to you two, Michael and Alex. You can call us on our first names.` She gets an enthusiastic ‘Aye’ from Alex, and a grumble from Michael, that could be interpreted as a yes.
`Lady… Liz, may I ask you a question?`
`Of course, Max, and stop ‘ladying’ me. Ask away.`
`Do you often visit your uncle?` She crunches her brow, then says:
`Almost every year, since I was a little girl.`
`And what does he do in the Forest? I mean does he have a castle?` The thought seems to amuse her.
`A castle? Oh, god forbid. He lives in this very old tower all alone. And, honestly, I’ve no idea what he is doing when we are not there to entertain him.`
`And will he be able to help us find the fairies?`
`After all those years he spent in the Forest? If there are indeed fairies under those trees, he’ll know them where to find them. He sure told us a lot of stories.`
`What kind of stories?`
`Do you always interrogate everyone so thoroughly?`
Oh, how could I’ve been so rude? I must apologize.
`I’m deeply sorry, Lady Elizabeth, I didn’t intend to cause you distress.`
`It’s okay, I gladly answer all your questions, but you seemed… zealous, maybe?`
`I just became overexcited, that we are nearing our goal, and now for the first time in weeks, there is a real chance that I can win Theresa’s hands.` Her expression suddenly darkens.
`You know what, let’s talk about you instead. Where were you born? Which part of the Kingdoms do you come from? I want to know everything about you!`


The shadows grow slowly longer and longer as the day turns into afternoon and then the afternoon slides into evening, and the air begins to get cooler. We talk through the afternoon with Lady Elizabeth, and soon Lady Maria (I just can’t bring myself to call them on their first names) and Alex join in. Michael just sulks a few paces behind us.
Conveniently, we find a perfect camping spot just when the sun disappears behind the horizon. The last troupe who set camp here left us firewood, just as we’ll do in the morning, as the ancient tradition among travelers.
We dismount the horses, and Michael puts the feed-bags on their head. I strap down the saddle and my backpack from Stormcloud’s back, and then I’m about to do the same for Liz’s neuter, but I am surprised to see that she’s already done that. Even more, she is already unpacking her tent.
`Lady Elizabeth, please let me handle it.` I crouch beside her.
`Oh, don’t worry Max, I got it covered.` I’m going to insist. I can’t let a noble lady traveling in my company do menial work herself. That’s what we men are here for.
`Liz, can you help me?` I can’t find my iron tent-pegs.` Maria asks her, from the other side of the camp. `Oh here they are! Alex could you help me set it up?`
`No, I’m gonna see if there is a spring nearby. Both us and the horses could do with some fresh water. Michael, could you help Maria?` Alex has no problem with first names as it seems.
`Yeah, like I’ve nothing better to do,` He grumbles, still plodding away with the straps of his pack. Whirlwind is just like his master, and he seems to be in one of his moods again; he just won’t stay put.
`You know what, I’ll go with Alex, while you pitch the tents. I’m dying to stretch my legs, anyway,` says Liz to me. I look back and nod, glad that she won’t have to struggle with this thing. I seriously hope that someday someone will invent something instead of these, because putting a tent together from six sheets of canvas, a dozen pegs and four ropes isn’t an experience I’d wish to anyone. There just has to be an easier solution, one that lets you sleep more time in the tent than you spend putting it together.
`Horsey, calm down,` I hear a strange cooing voice. Looking up, I see Maria holding Whirlwind’s head in her petite hands.
`Watch out, he has a nasty temper!`, I shout the warning across the campsite. I search for Michael, how could he let her near him? He knows what he usually does to strangers. He is standing on the other side of the warhorse, watching with a smug expression.
`Michael, get her away from him!`
`Don’t worry, he won’t bite her. I’ll be damned if I know why, but he didn’t last time either.
Maria looks up, and sticks her tongue out. I’m positively flabbergasted. A lady of noble upbringing shouldn’t do such things. Of course, I have no right to judge her.
`Oh please, don’t worry yourself to death, Mikey. It’s touching, but really, there’s no need,` her words are full of sarcasm, I certainly haven’t expected language like this from a lady, `I know what I’m doing.` And with that she places a final kiss on the forehead of Whirlwind. He seems to have calmed down; he stands still, while Michael gets the rest of his stuff off him.
`I really like him, and I don’t know why he keeps putting up with you. If I were him, I’d throw you off at the first corner, then gallop to freedom.`
Michael just grunts, and I’m grateful for that. I don’t think that anything he could say would actually improve the situation. I’ll have to take control, before he offends our companion any more.
`Lady Maria, I sincerely apologize, if Michael has slighted you in any way.`
`See, that’s what a true knight is like,` she says to him. I hear him mutter `as if` darkly. I think I’ll have a talk Michael that neither of us will like. She turns back to me, with a wide smile.
`Thank you, Sir Maximillian. But don’t worry, he can’t say or do anything onto me that I can’t make him regret later tenfold.`
`Oh yeah, then how about this?`, he snaps. He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her close for a kiss.
`Michael!` I shout, but Lady Maria doesn’t seem to mind. She kicks him in the shin a few times, just on principle, then forgets resisting entirely and kisses him back fiercely. I don’t know what I should do. Should I turn away, or shout at Michael? As the lady in question isn’t asking for help I decide for the former course of action. Or maybe I could just get a bucket of icy water to cool them off.
Speaking of water where did Lady Elizabeth and Alex go?

Alex

I wake next morning to bright rays of sunlight caressing my face. After getting dressed I wandered downstairs, only to find a fuming Michael there, though he wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. Putting it down to his usual crappy self, I engage him in a deep and meaningful conversation on the topic that currently occupies both of our minds.
`So, whatcha think?` I ask him. He just sighs, and throws up his hand in exasperation.
`Don’t get me started on it, okay. Why on Earth do we have to…?`
`Yeah, tell me about it. It’s partly my fault though.`
`No, it’s Max’s fault. You man. You save girls. You get sex in return. That’s the deal. End of story. But he has to complicate it. Always.`
`It’s not a big deal Michael. It’s not like we have a tight schedule anyways.`
`But getting more baggage won’t get us any nearer. And I don’t like them. I don’t trust them. They’ve got something to hide, and it’ll all end in disaster, mark my words.`
`Oh, come on, Michael! There were a few strange moments yesterday, but `end in disaster`? Be serious. They are just two girls who got robbed.`
`Don’t tell me, I didn’t warn you. Something fishy is going on.`
`If you say so,` and with that I let it rest. Michael is paranoid, but his paranoia saved our asses quite a few times. He had always been the mistrustful one. Max goes with his heart and believes the best of everyone, and everyone does their best to live up to his expectations. And I… I strive to be the voice of reason.
Max and our new companions return from the marketplace shortly after noon, laden with new purchases. I get only a weary sigh as an answer from Max when I ask how the shopping did go and the girls are strangely silent too. The mood only thaws when we leave the city gates behind. We spend the afternoon chatting away, agreeing with Elizabeth and Maria that we should continue on first name terms. We’ll be traveling together for a while, it only makes sense
With nightfall, comes camp-setting time, and time for my escape. I’m a goddamn wizard and as such, I can’t subject my frail body to the hardships of menial work. So under the pretense of looking for water, I leave the camp. Surprisingly, Elizabeth joins me. I don’t want to belittle myself, but I assumed that she would rather spend quality time in the company of our resident paladin.
`Where should we start?` I’m a man of the civilization; I feel very out place surrounded by so much greenery.
`Let’s go away from the road, if there was a spring running diagonal to the road, we would have crossed it. Our best chance is that there is one parallel to the road; but I don’t think we’ll find one.`
`Umm. Why shouldn’t we? I mean these need a lot of water, right? It’s only logical that there is a source of water nearby.` From her expression I know I must have said something very stupid; I’m a fertility wizard, my job is to make green things grow, but I don’t know shit about them. If someone asks for rain, I ask when, where, and how much rain exactly.
`Because, silly, trees don’t need that much water. Flowers maybe, but the trees can go on for quite long without water. They are strong, stubborn creatures,` she says, putting her hands on the bark of an oak. (Maybe an oak, maybe a beech. You can just never tell.)
`Anyways,` she continues,` I don’t think that there is a spring nearby, because they would have made the road along it.` It makes sense I guess. Five minutes later we stumble on a spring. (Liz stumbles on it. I stumble into it.)
`So what now? How do we bring the water back? Or will we lead the horses through the thick of the forest?`
This is my moment. I roll up my sleeves. I give her a long-practiced look,
`Watch and learn, Lady Elizabeth.`
I gather energy, form it, and then release it. A spontaneous spell, fit only for this occasion, will do.
`Rego aquam!` I love the way my voice changes when I use magic. It gets deeper, and there is this powerful, aggressive overtone to it.
Blue strands of magic shoot forth from my fingers and dive into the stream. Soon, my web begins to fill with water. Confident in my control over the spell, I sneak a peek at Liz. Alas, she doesn’t look sufficiently impressed with my amazing command of unearthly energies. She looks interested, even curious, but not at all impressed. I’m a little hurt. I mean, it was one of my flashiest effects.
`And now what?`
`Now we go back to the camp`, I snap my fingers, tearing the big ball of water out of the stream. The blue sphere glides through the air, without losing a single drop of its precious contents, and finally settles in the air two feet away. I nod to myself proudly, then I start off, with the sphere of water following me in the air.
`Alex?`
`Yes?`
`The camp is <i>that</i> way.`
Oh.

------

We come back to a silent camp; the tents are erected , and there is a fire burning. Max, Michael and Maria all sit around the fire, watching it mutely. When we break through the bushes, Maria jumps up, almost squealing, and Max rises as well, though he does it with a lot more grace. He nods in greeting, and I nod back, then – reassured that there is no danger – he sits back without saying another word. Maria is the complete opposite; she immediately grabs Liz and drags her away to the other end of the clearing. After giving water to the horses and filing our flasks I plop down on the ground beside Max, and look at him with raised eyebrows.
`Did anything happen I should know of?`
`Nothing in particular. Just Michael being unnecessarily rude to Lady Maria.`
`And I guess you just had to intervene?` I ask, voice full of sarcasm. We’ve been through this before. Max won’t suffer any injustice, especially not if it happens in his presence.
`No, actually not; though I was about to. Well, to cut a long story short, he kissed her.` I hear a loud “What?!” from the other end of the camp; I guess Maria just reached this part of her story.
`Oh.` We contemplate this for a while. `It was bound to happen,` I say, stoically.
`You mean?,` he asks without any apparent interest whatsoever. I may be overanalyzing, but I think I’m currently partaking in a “tough-guy” conversation, where we both stare into nothingness and say meaningful things with maximum two-syllable words.
`She is his type,` I say in the same monotonous voice. I can get into the spirit of this thing, see?
`True.`
We stare into the fire again for a while, and I feel all macho. Liz and Maria are talking in hushed tones, some thirty feet from us, while Michael is doing the tough-guy thing alone; sitting on the other side of the fire. As the minutes drag by, I start to feel uncomfortable. I sat down all wrong, and now my feet are falling asleep. Would mentioning such earthly matters break the mood? I try a safer topic instead.
`I’m hungry,`
`There’s mutton in my saddlebag,` he says. So talking about food is allowed according to the rules of the tough-guy etiquette. We sit in silence for a while again. Maybe I could shift my weight, so I could get more comfortable. Or maybe I should spit into the fire. I can’t remember if I ever saw Max spitting into the fire. Michael? He does it all the time. Which role-model should I choose to follow? But Max doesn’t leave me enough time to weigh all the pros and cons.
`You should ask the ladies, whether they want some,` he offers.
I slowly rise. Damn! Now it feels like a thousand needles danced on my skin! It totally breaks the mood.
I limp over to Maria and Liz, resisting the urge to scratch like mad. They are still whispering (debating?) in low tones. I call out.
`Uhm, Ladies?` When I’m confident that I have their full attention, I continue.
`Would you like some cold mutton?`
`Yes, of course`, `No I’m not hungry,` are their answers.
`Sorry?`
`We <b>both </b> would like some, thank you,` says Liz. Maria just glares at her. What’s up with them? Women.
Soon after we fill our stomachs, I begin to feel the weariness in my bones. Another long day passed, and many others lay ahead of us. Saying goodbye to my fellow travelers, I go to sleep in the firm belief that they’ll manage to behave themselves in my absence.

<i>Btw, as it turned out, I was wrong.<i>


-----------

Plz leave FB if u like! (and even if u dont)

[silverofroswell]

Chapter 5

Elizabeth

These guys want to invade the elven kingdoms? Come on. This is the worst joke of the century. I mean look at Alex tumbling through the forest undergrowth. Their wizard needs a map to find his own backside, and the two knights are quarreling constantly. I was horrified that iron-clad warriors will storm our palaces, backed by arch-mages, but they are more of a threat to themselves than to anyone else. Alex is only a meddler in the High Arts, even Maria could do better with a little practice, and trust me, she isn’t the brightest of our people. Michael is just a warrior; strong and sharp, but that’s not enough. Their weapons aren’t even cold iron. And Max… Well Max is the only one who holds some promise.
In many aspects he is just like Michael; same build, same bear-like movement, accustomed to the heavy weight of the full plate armor, but there is something else…A faint glimmer in his eyes, a glimmer I’m sure I’ve seen somewhere else, but I just can’t put my fingers on it. He reminds me very much of someone, but I’ll be damned if I know who.
I’ll not rest until I figure it out. After that, when I’ve put an end to this maddening feeling that I know him from somewhere else, I’ll forget him completely, and totally.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, girl.

The bushes open before us, and I step out onto the clearing. Maria jumps up when she sees me, rushing to me.
`Liz, you are back!`
`Apparently`, I say, bemused.
`Oh, we gotta talk!` What’s got into her?
`Okay, let’s talk, girlfriend,` she grabs my arm and begins to drag me away.
`Not here, let’s go over there.` What could’ve happened? Have she let on what we are or what? I sneak a peak at the humans. They are talking quietly among themselves. No sign of trouble there.
`So tell me what happened, then.`
`We were getting the saddle off poor Galloping-under-the-Oaks; and he was really upset and tired, so I was just trying to calm him down, I was singing him a little nursery rhyme, you know the one that goes dah-dah-duh-dah…`
`Maria, you are babbling.`
`I know, don’t you think I know, I know it perfectly well…` She will hyperventilate, without doubt, and fainting faeries emit lots of special effects, I`d rather not deal with right now.
`Okay, take a deep breath and start from the beginning again.`
`The beginning, yes. It is a good place to start.` If she passes out, then Max will want to give him mouth-to-mouth. Maybe if I passed out…
`Maria! Just tell me what happened!` I nearly shout at her, trying to get through.
`He kissed me.` She blurts out. Max kissed her? Why?
`Max kissed you?` Ouch. I shouldn’t have said that aloud. I should have said “Who?” instead. I so gonna regret this.
`No, of course not! Why would Max kiss me?` Huh. This is of course not relief that inundates me. Not at all.
`Then who kissed you.` Hmm. It wasn’t Max. Alex was with me. Then it could be just… `What!? Michael? You kissed Michael?` Whoops, maybe I was a bit too loud. I look up and see the three humans stareing right at me.
`Just for clarification, he kissed me.`
`And you were resisting with all your might.` The sarcasm is not entirely lost on Maria.
`Well, at first of course, then…`
`Then? Tell me everything.` We are squealing like little girls. It isn’t very fitting for a princess of the Fair Folk, but sue me. I may be three hundred years old, but when it comes to boys, I’m entitled to a little squealing.
`I’m trying to, but you keep interrupting! He kissed me, and it was fabulous, fantastic, and everything.`
`And then?`
`Then nothing. We broke away and continued as if nothing happened.`
`And what happens now?`
`If I knew!` she throws up her arm in exasperation.
`And what do you want to happen?`
`If I knew! I mean he is a hu…` Quick as lightning, I clamp my hand on her mouth.
`Don’t say the h-word,` I hiss. `He is a guy, okay?` She nods fervently; I release her.
`He is a guy. I guess we’ll see where it goes. And what about you?`
`What about me?`
`Tall, dark, handsome, staring at you across the camp? Rings a bell?` I glance in that direction. Max is staring into the fire.
`Max isn’t staring at me.`
`Who said anything about Max?` Damn! Busted! `Aaaand, if I remember correctly…` Uh-oh. `…who was the first person you thought about when I said he kissed me?`
`No one.`
`You have a thing for him.`
`I have not.`
`Yes, you do!` she says triumphantly.
`Okay, he intrigues me. That’s what you wanted to hear? Are you happy? But I don’t have a thing for him.`
`This is just perfect! But he isn’t even your type! I mean you like blondes.`
`So, as I keep telling you, I’m not interested him in that way, I’m… I’m just…` Err... `I just want to unravel him.`
`Unravel? Like from his clothes?` She asks incredulously, and with lot less respect that would be due to a royal princess.
`No! He is like a mystery, damn, I can’t explain it!`
`There is nothing to explain, sis. He is a nice piece of meat that you could chew on for quite a while. Wouldn’t you just love to take a bite of him…`
`Maria, you are overextending the metaphor,` I warn her. She is getting too graphic.
`… and feel the juices flow down your chin…`
`Maria, snap out of it.`
`…the blood warming your belly as it gushes down your throat…
`Maria, what the hell are you talking about?!?` Her eyes regain focus.
`Huh. Honestly, I have no idea,` she shakes her head.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my best friend. We both need to calm down a bit. I’m so hyped that I could fly around the Forest all tonight.
I sneak a peak at the boys again. Michael is prodding the fire with a stick, Max and Alex are kind of just staring into it. Like three sacks of potatoes, completely unmoved by the fact that we have a life-altering kind of crisis situation over here. Not that they know about it. Still…
Alex stands up slowly, stretches his leg, and then walks over to us.
`Uhm, ladies?` We both just stare at him. `Would you like some cold mutton?`
`Yes, of course.` `No, I’m not hungry,` We say simultaneously at the same time, and as usual, the completely opposite things. I give a pointed look to Maria, and then turn back to Alex.
`We both would like some, thank you,` I say stressing the word both. I suddenly have an idea, and we’ll need a lot of energy if we are going to pull it off tonight.

------

Later that night

`Maria, wake up! Wake up already!` I whisper urgently and shake her.
`Hmm? What is it?` she looks up with sleepy eyes.
`Come on, wake up and be quiet.`
`Oh, Liz, are you mad? It’s the dead of night.`
`I know, now get up!`
`Why on earth…? Oh, yeah.`
`At last you remember.`
`I’ve remembered totally, I just hoped you’ve forgotten.` I give her a look. `This is just a bad idea, I warn you.`
`I thought you would be all for it.`
`Yes, I’m all for going home, but I definitely don’t want to fly to the Castle and back in one night!`
`You already agreed to it,` I point out.
`I had no idea what was I agreeing to!`
`That’s too bad.`
`Ah,` she throws up her hand in exasperation, `what the hell, let’s do it!`
`That’s more like it,` I open the flap of the tent and peer out. I see darkness; only the embers of the fire are glowing slightly.
`Let’s go!` I whisper.
`Shouldn’t we leave a Glamour of us behind?` An interesting idea. Two illusions, looking just like us, seemingly sleeping peacefully in our tent. I think briefly, then nod.
`Okay.`
I flick my wrist, and suddenly there we are, laying on the ground-cloth.
`Aren’t we cute?` I hear Maria suddenly in my ear.
`Sure we are,` I look up. `The stars are calling.`
`Then let’s answer their call!`
`Don’t forget the clothes!`
`What about them?` She looks at me puzzled.
`How exactly do you plan to open your wings?` Realization dawns on her face. These are human clothes, and there are no holes in the appropriate places.
`Oh,` We go into separate bushes, to throw off our mundane clothes. Half naked, I shiver in the night air. Suddenly, inexplicably self-conscious, I look around, but everything is quiet. Again, I call on the glamour to envelop me, and reality bends at my whim. I feel the weight of brocade and silk against my skin; a brilliant, shimmering blouse covers my nudity. It’s all smoke and mirrors, but it feels real enough, and more importantly it looks real enough.
I step back to the clearing, adjusting my clothes. I wait a few seconds for Maria to emerge from her bush. We grin at each other, then I nod to her and she nods back. I stretch my arms and flex my muscles a certain way, pulling my shoulders back. There are no words in any language to describe the feeling of wings budding from the flesh of your back. Suddenly I feel tense muscles where have been nothing before, I’m conscious of the light breeze playing with my tresses, I see the emptiness above me, and I feel the silent pull that, whispers to me “Come, rise.” I hear, and I obey.
Flying on faerie wings is completely different from the flight of birds. There is so much magic involved; my wings are relatively small, and no matter how adorably slim I am, there is no way they could carry me. We need magic as well as muscles to fly, but that’s alright, because an elf is almost more magic than muscle herself. As a result our take offs are a lot less messier than birds’. With a few forceful beats, we rise gracefully above the trees.
We turn wordlessly and head for the Forest. For a few minutes I just enjoy the wind in my wings and the sight of trees streaming past under my feet; but we must hurry. The flight is long and time till dawn is short. I call out to Brother Wind, and he comes and takes us up in his air-arms, urging us forward. I lean into the new wind, stretching my wings. We will be in the castle in two hours, and with a little luck, we can make it back well before dawn.

[silverofroswell]

RhondaAnn: Hello and thanx for the feedback! i have been wondering if anyone is actually reading me! I have a couple more chapters ready (and i at least have a vague idea when Isabel will appear) but its yet to be written


Two white towers stand tall among the ancient tree-giants; the towers of the Forest Castle. I lean to the right a little, and on an elegant curve, we turn. Flying above the Garden of the Twelve Diamonds I look down and see the icy fountains showering the crystal statues with silvery droplets, passing the pegasus stables one of the winged steeds look up straight at me and tugs at his bridle, then there is the Grand Gate; the gateway leading to a myriad of worlds. I cast a nervous glance at the ever-threatening stone-arch then we turn upwards and fly until we reach one of the many balconies of my home, where we touch down lightly.
`Let’s meet here in half an hour, if that’s alright with you?` asks Maria the moment our feet touch the stones. After a moment of hesitation, I nod, and she takes off again, heading upwards toward the window of her room.
I take a deep breath and step through the curtains separating the balcony from the hall. There are only a few people in the grand chamber, eating late dinner or early breakfast; it’s around two in the morning, after all. Alas, the Lord Chancellor himself is there as usual, seated in his usual corner, doing the paperwork whenever he can find a quiet moment. I appreciate all he does for running the Forest Castle, but the man is such a pest! Silently I pray to the stars, do not allow him to look up. As usual, my prayer is ignored by the forces-that-be. As I edge towards the door leading to the stairs (I was denied a room with windows since I was old enough to fly, and I never got around moving to another chamber in the last hundred years. The place really grew on me), watching him nervously, I find myself suddenly staring into a pair of intense, purple eyes.
`Lady Elizabeth!` I cringe at my name. Now everyone is looking at me. Great, that’s what I needed, more publicity. `We’ve been looking for you all over the Forest, everyone has been worried sick!` Maybe I could make a run for it… I glance longingly at the door. No. Running away is not the answer.
`Amreth, can’t we just skip the lecture, for once? I really need to talk to my father.`
`Who do you think you are, for running off like a lunatic? Where have you been? And… What have you done to yourself?` He points in disgust at my legs. I look down. Hmm… I forgot to change skirts. The plain white of the cotton skirt I bought at the market stands out in comparison with my blouse’s constantly shifting, bright colors.
`Never you mind that, where is my father?`
`I guess he must be sleeping. But you mustn’t disturb him!` But he says it only to my back. I hear his footsteps catching up with me.
`Lady Elizabeth, you must learn to behave more responsibly. You are not a hundred years old child anymore. Your behaviour constantly ashames your father. The way you run off from that ball two days ago… we had to make excuses to at least a dozen dignitaries from other Realms…` Was it only two nights ago? It seems like at least a decade passed since...
I continue to climb the ever-ascending steps with the Lord Chancellor still trailing after me. The king’s chambers are in the exact middle of the palace. I open a side door when I’m at the right level, and begin to hurry down the corridor. Torches come alive as we approach and flicker out when we leave them behind.
`… Princess, you must listen to me! You have to consider your duties toward your people, one day you will sit on the Sapphire Throne, you have to learn how to rule the land…` Fat chance on that. My father is immortal, just as I am, and a young immortal, at the peak of his power. He will rule this land for many a millennia, I hope. He is the only ruler we have.
My mother passed on shortly after I was born. She was very old, even for us, who measure time in centuries. When she took a husband after ten thousand years of solitude, and a young fae, many were questioning her wisdom, whispering maybe age clouded her judgment. Shortly after she gave life to me, she left this world for good. She died. Died.
Even we can, if we are old enough and tired enough, and she bore the burden for long enough. It was the Demon War broke her finally, I’m afraid. They say she looked for death ever since. But first, she wanted to leave an heir behind, fulfilling her last duty to her people.
And fulfilled it she did. Now there was I, the first heir to the Sapphire Throne in ten thousand years and my father, a young warrior, a hero of the war. Technically a king, but he never even ruled as much as a village, and nobody knew what to do with us. There are quite a few voices in the court who want me to be crowned queen, and I’m sure they had some ideas how I should rule the land. Growing up in this castle, I’ve lost my political innocence early.
Amreth is okay though. He is our best ally. He was loyal to death to my mother and now he is loyal to us. Without him, I don’t know how my father would have grown up to the task. I just wish that he wouldn’t be so enthusiastic about my upbringing. I also wish that he had some children of his own; maybe he would stop pestering me all the time.
I learned early to filter out his monotonous lectures about what is befitting for a king’s daughter, but still…
Reaching the corridor leading to Dad’s chambers, we meet the first living souls since we stepped out the staircase: the two guards.
`Good morning, guys. Is Dad in?`
`Yes, milady!` They know better than to try stopping me. I push the double doors open, and walk in. I march through the antechamber, and knock on the bedroom door.
`Daddy? Daddy, please wake up!`
No response. I increase the volume.
`Lady Elizabeth, I beg you, don’t disturb your father in his sleep. It must wait ‘till dawn.` I pay no attention to him.
`Daddy?`
At last, I hear low grumbling. A few moments later, the door swings open, and I’m face to face with my father in his nightgown. His broad shoulders fill the doorway; in many aspects he is still the warrior who married the Queen of the Forest.
`Eliza-aaa-beth.` he says, suppressing a yawn. `How nice to see you.`
`Hello, Dad` I hug him, and I feel a little girl again.
`Care to explain where you’ve been?` I’ve been thinking on this part of the conversation all the way from the campsite, so I won’t have to tell the first lie that comes to my mind. See? I told you I’ll make plans from now on!
`Err… no. I just wanted to drop in and let you know I love you.`
`I love you too, sweetie, but couldn’t have it waited ‘till dawn?` He yawns hugely this sounds stupid, how do you say this?
`Err… no.`
`Because?`
`Because… I gotta go back, wherever I came from before dawn.`
`Is that so?` he asks, apparently bemused. He is not furious, and he is not digging up old, and long forgotten examples why should I be grounded (like that ball I skipped two nights ago); this is going better than I have expected.
`Yep.` I nod fervently.
`And where exactly do you want to go back?`
`A place I can’t really tell you about?` I ask, hoping.
`Wrong answer. Are you in trouble?`
`No.`
`Will you be?`
`I don’t plan to.`
`Is it dangerous?`
`Maybe a little. It wouldn’t be fun otherwise.`
`It’s settled then. You don’t have to tell me, but you take a company of guards and two dragons with you.`
`Dad!!!`
`I was just joking.`
`That’s good because-`
`You can’t go back at all.` What? `Lizzie, you disappear for days, and pop in in the dead of night, just to tell me that you want to leave god knows where before dawn. This is not the way things work.`
`Daaaddy,` I draw the word out pleadingly. `And if I promise I’ll be really good?`
`No.`
`Not even if I promise to take Maria with me?` I can easily promise that, since there is no way I could stop her from coming back with me.
`No.`
`Not even if I promise to check in every week?`
`No. Elizabeth, this is not open to discussion. You either tell me where have you been and where do you want to go back right now, or you won’t leave this castle for a month. Period.`

------

`You are late. Is everything settled?` Maria asks on the balcony, thirty minutes later.
`Yes. We have to check in regularly and things like that, but otherwise we are cool.`
`Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!`
`Just a second.`
`We are waiting for…?` I look up, and see a bird the size of a small eagle descending from the highest tower. Except that it’s no bird.
`Him.` I point upwards.
`Oh no,` says Maria realizes what and who is she seeing. `What is he doing here?`
`He is one of the ‘things like that’ I mentioned. He is coming with us.`
`Oh no.` I can only agree with him.
The faerie dragon comes to a halt a few feet from us. Looking at us with his sparkling amber eyes completely lacking iris or pupil, he greets us in his usual cheery, chirping voice.
`Good morning to you two! How are my two favorite faeries doing? Where are we going?`
`Let’s just say it’s a long flight and the sooner we start, the sooner we get there.`
`Okay, my wings feel full of wind tonight. I bet you half a pretzel that I’ll beat you there!`
Ladies and gentlemen, give a big hand to Kyle, the most annoying dragon in the Five Realms.

------


Dear Sire,

I write this letter in haste, so forgive me that I get down business. Your daughter and I are traveling in the company of three humans, a wizard and two knights who are so far unaware of our real identity. The humans claim to come to steal the “brightest jewel of the elven kingdoms” or some such nonsense. In my assessment they are mostly harmless.
We are currently camping near the Old Road, not far from the first human city. I see no immediate threat to our well being.
Your daughter sees our companions as endless source of fun, and I think too that we should teach these humans a lesson about elvenkind that they’ll never forget. In that spirit, your daughter plans to lead them to Master Kardok’s tower. I know nothing about her further plans, and without meaning disrespect, Sire, I don’t think she has any idea what will happen when we get there.
I’ll leave the letter in the usual place in your study’s window, in the hope that you’ll find it soon.

Your faithful servant,
Maria de Luca

[silverofroswell]

Chapter 6

Max and Michael woke when the first rays of sunlight pierced the green canopy stretching high above their heads. They roused Alex and began to pack their tents. As the minutes dragged on, they worked in silence, and soon, three neat packages lay on the grass by the horses, but their new companions were yet to make an appearance.
`Wake them, Maxwell, or I will,` said Michael matter-of-factly after waiting five more minutes. The paladin sighed, and knowing his friend, he decided that it’d be gentler for the ladies if he roused them instead of letting Michael take matters into his own hand. He walked to the tent, and “knocked” on the flap.
`Ladies? Please wake up, it’s time to go!`
He waited for a few moments, then rattled the canvas stronger.
`Lady Elizabeth? Lady Maria?,` he called out, louder this time. `Please wake up!`
There was still no answer.
`Ladies, I’m going to open the tent…` He warned, and hoping for the best he reached to open the tent-flap.
`Max, we are over here!` Turning towards the forest, he saw Liz and Maria emerging from the bushes, panting. `We… we went to the spring to freshen up. We got lost on the way back… But now we are here, and everything is fine…`
`Uh, sure, `said Max, a little surprised. `Then I shall pack the tents.`
`Okay…NO! Nononono,` said Liz, suddenly panicked. There were still two statues of Glamour in the tent, and they couldn’t allow Max to see them. `We’ll handle it, don’t trouble yourself.`
`It’s no trouble. Have some breakfast, while I dismantle it.`
`No, please, you have done so much for us already.`
`Lady Elizabeth…`
`Max, I insist. We are big girls.` Reluctantly, he nodded. `Then at least allow me to saddle your horses.`
`Okay, you can do that,` she agreed quickly, which earned her a pointed look from Alex. `I mean, thank you,` she added. `Maria, first let’s help me with this one, then we can finish yours.`
While Liz struggled with the tent, (and dispelled the illusions discreetly), Michael ambled over to Alex.
`What was this all about? Did you get it?`
`Nope. I’ll be damned if I’ll ever understand women.`
`We won’t start before noon,` Michael said watching Liz swear as she touched one of the iron tent-pegs. She tried to yank it out with the hem of her skirt tied around her hand, but she just couldn’t get a good grip on it. He sighed wearily and walked to her.
`Let me help you,' he leaned down and with one forceful yank he got the peg out of the ground. Liz gladly stepped aside and let the warrior do the menial work. Soon Max joined in and two other packages joined the three already resting on the ground.
The sun was high in the air when the horses trotted off the campsite, following the seldom-used path into the depths of the forest.

Alex
The trees are watching us. I feel their presence weighing heavily on my mind; its not just paranoia... there is a <i>something</i> here. If I had any doubt that this is not a normal forest, well, color me convinced. The shadows are longer, deeper and the air tastes of inhuman magic; even the slight breeze seems to whisper forgotten and forbidden secrets into my ear.
Definitely creepy.
Max and Liz ride in the front with Maria trailing after them, trying to flow into their conversation but the path is simply too narrow for that. So, she is forced to ride behind them, almost sulking. Michael is trotting on Whirlwind beside me, giving threatening looks to every bush we pass. I swear to god that he will wake up one day and find his face permanently frozen into a scowl.
`You see anything?` I ask him.
`No. But something is watching us. I can feel it.`
`Me too. It is not malevolent... yet.` Maria tosses her blonde head back and turns back in the saddle.
`What were you expecting, a welcoming party? You are invaders here, nothing else.`
`And I except that you are loved by all those trees, aren't you?`
`They <i>know</i> me, don’t you get it? They don’t love or hate, they are just trees. But they know friend from foe.`
`It’s a really soothing thought that they consider me foes! Maybe I should consider them so myself, and test my sword on their trunks!`, Michael retorts.
`DONT YOU DARE!’, she screams at him, `Do you really have a death wish? If you raise your weapon against them you will never leave this forest alive!`
Max and Liz turn their horses, we came to halt in the middle of the forest.
`Maria, chill,` she says. `Michael it would be really unwise to anger these trees. They are the guardians of the border. Deeper in the Forest you will meet nicer trees.` He shakes his head incredulously.
`Nicer? What do you mean nicer?`
`Nicer in the sense that these trees are not nice, genius,` Maria butts in and I have to admit that she has a point.
`Whatever,` he says and he jumps to the lead. `Lets just get the hell out of here.`
Max turns to me.
`Alex, can you bring up the rear?` I nod. `Good. Michael and I’ll take the lead.’
We fall into formation, and whatever semblance of easy mood we had, it disappears like mist in the morning.
Michael is resting his hand on the pommel of his sword, while Max is watching the forest with unwavering gaze, willing it to reveal its secrets to us. I turn back and back again, waiting for an arrow from a hidden archer to fly, for the trap to spring on us, anything. The paranoia is slowly setting in, I jump at every rustle of the leaves, and I nearly fall out of the saddle when a bird flies across the path, just in front of me.
On the other hand the two ladies (girls?) are almost too relaxed. Even their horses know no fear; while Whirlwind and Stormcloud are just as tense as their masters, while the two mares move with an easy trot. I wonder if Michael was right about Liz and Maria… there is something definitely fishy about them. Maybe they are luring us into a trap, leading us towards our certain doom?
I sneak a peek behind us, just to catch something from the corner of the eye. I halt my horse, and turn him with my knees. Only leaves rustle where I saw the lightning-blue flash of movement a moment ago. I strain my eyes trying to make sense of something just beyond my reach.
`What is it Alex?`
`Nothing,` I shake my head,` probably only a bird.` I turn my head ahead, just missing the elongated head of the fairy dragon poking out from the canopy.

Max

The hours drag on as we ride, and the stifling air of these unwelcoming woods lays a heavy fog on our moods. Tensions rise to spark a fight between Michael and Lady Maria; I have to intervene so we can get a move on.
I sense the gaze of inhuman eyes on my nape, but that’s all I feel. It is strange, and it doesn’t trust anything it doesn’t know, but it’s not mal-aligned or evil, just very-very old and very-very different from us.
Still, I can’t help but check if my sword is loose in its scabbard; I rest my hand on the pommel as we pass under the ancient oaks and Stormcloud is just as tense as I am; his ears pointing backwards, scanning for sudden noises.
Nothing breaks the dark monotony of the journey save for Alex halting for a moment; we do not stop to eat or drink. I want to leave behind this part of the forest; if I can believe Elizabeth “nicer trees” will greet us soon.
Strange as it is, our companions don’t seem to be affected by the stifling air of the place. Maria and Elizabeth ride side by side, apparently deep in though but unmoved by the unspoken fear that drives us, men, to dictate a faster pace.
Instead, they seem almost bored with the silence that envelopes us. I turn back often to check on the rest of the company. Lady Elizabeth has an uncanny sixth sense; every time when I look at her, she looks up and meets my eye. She awards me with a tight-lipped smile that reaches her eyes, and I can’t help but smile back and nod to her.
Turning back in the saddle the Forest doesn’t seem so dangerous anymore. If two barely-women, almost-girls braved this journey alone, and not for the first time, what danger it could pose for two knights and a wizard?

Just like Lady Elizabeth predicted, we clear the ring of dark trees just when the light begins to fade. Suddenly the trees are gone and we find ourselves on a green field, coated in golden light from the last rays of the sun. A fleeting shadow passes us, as a hawk makes a circle high above looking for prey, and cricket music reminds us how dead and mute the trees we just left were. Behind me, Liz laughs up in pure delight, her voice is clear and far carrying like churchbells on from a hilltop shrine; and I have the urge to laugh with her. I look back at her, and see her with eyes closed, face turned up, arms drawn back, her whole body turned towards the Sun with her hair majestically flowing down to her waist. My throat goes suddenly dry as I focus my gaze on her. Her laughter gradually dies away, and she slowly opens her eyes, with a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
She looks me straight in the eyes and whispers.
`Lets race!` though she is yards away, her voice rings clear in my ear and I almost feel her hot breath on my neck. I have no time to wonder, as she digs in her heels and her horse lurches forward. Stormcloud lead by his instincts jumps to follow and I let him.
We race wildly through the open field, her light traveling horse against my warhorse. Stormcloud is used to charging in full horse barding; now, unarmored, we quickly catch up with our fleeting prey, then she just looks back behind her shoulder, leans on the neck of her horse and suddenly we are left standing in the middle of the field, watching the distance grow between us.
Stormcloud wheezes and slows down to a trot, tossing his head from side to side. I pull in his reins and he stops, slightly shaking from the extortion. I hear hoofbeats behind us; Michael, Maria and Alex are catching up with us.
`Didn’t think that horse had it in her,` says Michael, and I’m forced to agree.
`She made a good deal with her,` I say watching Liz reel in her horse and start trotting back slowly. She is petting her wheezing mare’s neck and whispering to her as she comes to a halt beside us. Her hair is ruffled from the wind and a wild fire dances in her eyes.
`Couldn’t keep up, Sir Maxwell?`
`Alas, no, milady. We are no match for your speed and skill,` I say bowing to her. If it makes her happy to hear admit our defeat, so be it.
`Come, there is a stream running not far from here, we could spend the night there.`
I nod and she turns her horse and leads us through the field. Just like she said, the gurgle of a yet unseen stream soon reaches our ear. In a couple of minutes we find the perfect camping spot; a small, horizontal stretch of lush green grass. We dismount without a word and fall into the routine of setting a camp. After un-harnessing the horses, Michael and Maria lead them to the stream where they happily guzzle from the crystal-clear water, then they walk a little farther away and begin grazing. I feel no need for tether, Stormcloud and Whirlwind wouldn’t leave us no matter what and I trust them to keep the other horses in check as well.
Elizabeth and Maria tell us in no uncertain terms to leave the task of gathering wood to them, which earns them a raised eyebrow from Alex. They disappear into the forest, and we begin to set up the tents.
This is the first time since the night when the ladies joined us when we are alone together. I glance around; there is nothing suspicious about the wide open, lush green field stretching between two patches of forests; compared to our earlier experience this serene places is soothing to the soul. Alex is the first to speak up.
`Welcome to the Elven Lands, huh?`
`We knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasure cruise. We definitely left the human kingdoms behind us,` I say.
`This Forest is more ancient than any place I have ever been to.`
`Cut the mystical crap out Alex, this Forest hates us; period,` says Michael.
`You remember what Lady Elizabeth said. Those were the guardians of the Forest, Michael. I mean look around; does this place look even remotely dangerous to you?` I say.
`This is too quiet, too peaceful to my liking, I don’t trust neither this place nor your Liz, coming to think of it.` Suddenly two issues arise: since when is Lady Elizabeth “my Liz”, and since when don’t we trust her. I address the second problem first.
`What are you suggesting Michael?`
`I think we have to be careful with them. I don’t believe a word of their story. It just doesn’t fit. Two young girls traveling alone together? And they simply bump into us when we are heading to the Forest too? I’m not buying it.` Michael is too paranoid for his own good
`Michael, think; they didn’t “bump” into us; Alex rescued them. And it seems that they really know the Forest, I mean how else could Lady Elizabeth know that this stream is going to be here?` He throws up his hand in exasperation.
`I don’t know! Maybe she bluffed and got lucky.’
`You are irrational.`
`I still don’t trust them. Period.`
`You might not trust them, but don’t let them feel it, do you hear me, Michael?’
He turns away puffing; muttering something under his breath, busying himself with a sharpening stone and his knife.
`Max, he might be right,` Alex says beside me quietly. I turn to him with a questioning look.
`They know awfully lot about this place, lot more than I could gather with a month spent with research in the library. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t trust them, but we got to be really careful with them.`
`When are we not, my friend?` I sigh.
`One more thing Max… About their uncle. If anyone lives in this Forest for a long time, they won’t remain the same. Expect the unexpected.`
`I understand that and I promise we will be careful. And you keep your eye open too.`
`Aye, aye, will do.`

Maria

Passing the boundaries of our homeland lifts a heavy burden off my shoulders. I’m no longer alone to protect the princess, I can call in reinforcements at will if there is trouble. The guardian oaks lean above us, ready to fall on the invaders who violate our borders, but with a push of thought I calm them down and keep the stupid humans alive. They don’t appreciate the gesture, of course. Even their inferior senses notice that they are watched by hostile entities and it keeps them on the edge.
I think of it as a taste of what is to come. Returning with the “brightest jewel of the Elven Kingdoms” hmph. It would serve them right if I let the guardians have a go at them. I still don’t know what Liz’s plans are with the humans, and I’m sure that she has no idea either. Knowing that my letter reached the King by now, I’m sure that he has someone watching over us and will intervene if there is trouble. So to cap it, I can finally relax after the excitement of the last days.
Of course my cheerful mood doesn’t last long; I have to prevent “Sir” Michael from committing suicide. I wonder that a man so stupid how could have lasted so long in this unforgiving world.
My telling him off totally spoils the already rotten mood, which from the glances Liz keeps giving me, will surely turn out to be my fault when we set camp. I think she simply doesn’t appreciate that I had to stop Michael to go up against the guardians with a naked blade.
On top all of this is the fact that Kyle is following us not-so subtly. Both Alex and Michael occasionally managed to catch a glance of him through the coat of glamour he drew around himself. As a dragon, he should be a master of magic, but of course, even as a hatchling he has been too occupied with himself and his ego to listen to the wisdom of his elders in dragon school or wherever dragons learn all the stuff they just seem to know. There must be a sort of school for dragons, right? Maybe a big rock somewhere up in the mountains where they gather around a blind, old lizard who bores them to death with long, pointless speeches about days lang sine. I mean if they didn’t have to learn it, it would be just so amazingly unfair with us, who have to spend hours after hours listening to mind numbingly boring instructors in the first century of our existence.
By the time is was 99 years old I thought that if I have to analyze one more bloody poem about the setting suns last ray reflecting off a drop of water on a flowers petal, then I was gonna set the Forest on fire.
Of course there were good aspects of our education; I became a decent swordsman and if I have to I can call up enough magic to nuke a smaller army. Up until a few days ago, I was reasonably sure that I will never need those skills… Now that confidence is gone like the morning mist.
While I indulge myself in nostalgic remembering of my schooldays, we trot through the outmost layer of our beloved Forest. The humans are totally on the edge. I have to fight the urge to shout ‘Boo’ suddenly; they’d fall off the horses for sure! My chuckle at the thought earns me a raised eyebrow from Liz and when I shake my head that I don’t want to share the joke, she goes back watching our biggest problem: Sir Maximillian Evans.
I simply don’t get it what caught her attention. Nice body, tolerable face, overlarge ears; that’s the physique. And the psyche? He is the best imitation of an actual paladin I’ve ever seen. Absolute gentleman in every situation, always placing us, “ladies” first. Very, very convincing act, though I don’t want to know why. Paladins are born matey, not made. You are either one or not and knowing the Code back and forth won’t help it. So why the act? I simply don’t get it…
Of course the idea that he might be an actual paladin is completely out of the question. The only paladins nowadays are the elven knights and not even every one of them is a holy knight.
At least Michael is honest about what he is. A fighter. Born and bred to wield a sword. A simple, however very irritating soul.
We leave the guardians behind us late in the afternoon, and at last I can take a deep breath, and say “I’m home”. Well, I can’t for obvious reasons, but I could if I wanted to. Father Suns rays caress my face and Brother Wind plays with my hair. Liz throws back her head and lets her laugh fill the wide open face; of course it is completely fake; an act only for the benefit of a certain dark haired knight. I feel the waves of glamour in her voice, and that pose? It’s so unreal that I have to fight not to laugh aloud myself too. Though it’s a fake, it’s a <i>very</i> convincing fake, and so sensual that even my throat goes dry for a moment. Then the moment passes; the glamour isn’t directed upon me. The oldest magic of our kind is radiating from Liz, focused on only one person. I don’t know what he sees when their eyes lock, but its sure more then her brown stresses falling in her face (which is a totally fake gesture again).
I have seen Liz in action many times and I almost pity poor Max. Liz is a real pro, a tigress who honed her flirting skills on the best of the elven nobles. I have seen many unfortunate victims of her. I have even been on the receiving end on that mysterious smile once, so I know how Max feels now. Even though I knew it was only a dare, it set my blood on fire, and I wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss her soft, soft lips. She broke the glamour just the moment before our hungry lips met, and we shook our heads and laughed…
And if she could so simply walk through my magical defenses set in place by decades of training what resistance could a simple human offer to her? I don’t know what she hopes to gain by capturing a mortal’s heart then later crushing it, but there is no escape for Max if Liz set her sights on him. I glance at Alex to see if he noticed anything from the magics the princess used, and by the time I look back, the couple is halfway through the field and rapidly accelerating. I share a look with Alex and Michael, a moment of understanding, then we dig in our heels too and follow the two ahead of us. With a little “help” Liz easily wins their little race. She trots back to us, with a victorious smile playing on her lips, and her eyes doesn’t leave Max for a second.
After some banter, we leave the boys to set camp and head into the forest to gather wood; it would be too dangerous to have them walk around the place without supervision. Besides if they raised their axe against the wrong tree, they would find that oaks in the Forest don’t fall as easily prey to the human weapons as those in the world outside our realm.
We move through the trees, looking for fallen branches. The trees feel our presence, I feel the whisper of the oaks, a holly gently leans down and her leaves caress my face. I smile up and pet her bark. Fuzzy warmth envelopes me, and I take what is offered gladly, for a moment I share the tree’s life. Wind blows through my leaves, and my roots cling to the ground, seeking water and food. A sense of peace and completeness fills me. The holly has all she needs and seeks nothing else from life. Hers is a cycle of endless growth, of springs and autumns and the thought of bees fills my heart with longing. With a sigh, I break the contact.
‘Thank you, sister,` I whisper. I really needed this, the feel of another life besides my own. I pity the humans for living in the same boring body for their short lives, never really knowing what it is like to be someone else, something else. I have brothers and sister wherever I look, while they walk this beautiful world entrapped in their own bodies, careless of everyone else.
I’m shaken up from my musings by Liz.
`Are you going to help or not?`
`Sorry I was just lost in thought`, I say leaning down for another fallen branch, `Liz, there is something I wanted to ask you…`
`Shoot.`
`What’s going to happen?`
`Well, we are going to pay a visit to Kardok, then I don’t know…I never thought so far ahead.`
`And what about Max?`
`What about Max?` she looks at me with innocent eyes.
`Don’t give me that bull, I have eyes and know how to use them. This wasn’t just flirting anymore, this was seduction.` She immediately becomes defensive.
`Come on Maria, I was just fooling around.`
`Fooling around? Waves upon waves of hot, ancient magic was pouring from you dear friend, enough to get even me hot and bothered. Tell me you were not using your womanly viles to chain the mortal to you!`
`But he simply resisted all of it!` She throws her hand up exasperated, almost dropping the wood she gathered. `It was like trying to charm a brickwall! He should have become a love-sick puppy, but he didn’t even smile!`
`And how could have that come to pass? Have you lost your touch, dear princess?`
`My touch, I have lost not. Something else goes on here, Maria. Max is more than a simple knight, but we already knew that didn’t we?`
`Oh, did we?` I ask back with raised eyebrows.
`Have you not, Maria?`
`I only see you, loosing sleep over some human, princess of the Fair Folk, and it’s not befitting for you. What do you hope to gain by seducing him? If his will hadn’t been so strong would you be embracing him now under these trees instead of fallen branches?`
`Set the jokes aside, Maria, I had no such thing on my mind.`
`If you have not, then why the effort? Don’t play with fire Liz, for it will burn you.`
`Don’t set boundaries upon me, Maria, whom I should love and whom I should kiss, and I promise I will not do the same onto you.`
`Is it love now, that you are talking about? Has the human’s fire scorched your heart already?`
`Scorch me? Never! This heart beats free forever. Only fools love and fool I am not. Neither I am giving my heart away to a mortal man.`
`You say you are no fool, Liz, but you fool yourself, if you think that you can play with the hearts of man without being played one day.`
`Played? Me? Never. I would sooner be dead than love’s fool.`
`What goes around, comes around, and I will stand by and laugh when love smites thee at last, dear friend.`
`You say dear friend, but what friend are you if you wish me ill? I am hurt Maria.`
`If love is illness, let me be sick, let me be on my dying breath, for I want to love and be loved! If you don’t love, you don’t live, and don’t you be want to alive at last? Let me give you back your own words; let’s break this circle we walk, and do something new!`
`So you say that we should love the humans? Maria, you make less sense every day!`
`Don’t give me words that are not mine, I said no such thing. Entrusting my heart to a careless human is the farthest thing from my mind.`
`Mind that I would not mind stealing a kiss from Max…` she says dreamily.
`So you have in your sight indeed! But for what end cast you out your web on him? Is he the fish you hope to catch?’
‘I already caught him Maria, he is in my net, he just doesn’t know it yet. This steel-scaled fish won’t escape me.`
`And if this steel fish of yours realizes he is in your net, he will completely forget the fisher whom he left at home, waiting for her knight`s return. Thus our problem with invading humans will be gone, them having no need to stay, apart from your noble person of course! You are brilliant Liz!` Wow, I finally see some logic in her actions, this gotta be a first! The surprised look on the princess’s face tells me, that it was only I who saw the logic, not her. Does she ever plan anything at all?
`Indeed I am brilliant, though I have not thought of this.` Suddenly sober I ask her.
`But what will happen after? You seduce him, you take his heart and make him forget his lady love, then what? Love me and leave me?`
`Come on Maria, are you telling me off, for playing with men? He is only a human!’
‘He is a human; he has only one life, and a short life. If you bruise an elven ego, that’s a bruise and nothing else, and in a hundred years you both will just laugh at it, but if you wound a human heart, it might never stop bleeding, or stop beating too soon.` I don’t know if I got through her what I wanted to say. These people are so short lived that we have no right to rob years from them.
She looks at me with somber eyes.
`We shall talk of this more later. Now lets get some firewood to our boys before they come looking for us.`
And we returned to camp, as if nothing changed. We sat around the campfire, and we sang as the men prepared the food; soon Alex joined us as well, getting a lyre from his saddlebag. When I looked up, I saw familiar stars twinkling above us. I drifted off to sleep knowing that I am safe in our kingdom and no harm can come to us now.

INTERLUDE

`They spent a night here. Four tents, but only three of them has been slept in.` The ranger finished examining the campsite. He walked around until he finished a fresh piece of horse dropping.
`This isn’t more than half a day old. If we start out now we will catch up with them by morning.`
`No. We won’t venture into the Forest by night. We set camp here, and follow them in the morning.`
`Aye, sir.`
The company of guardsmen started dismounting from their horses. They all wore leather jerkins strengthened with iron plates, and on their sides the sun’s light reflected on not steel but iron swords.
`It was a mistake that you wandered into my city. By this time tomorrow you will be in my hands, and soon, your blood will make me young once again.`