by K T Durham
So the night before she embarked on what was the scariest and most perilous journey of her life thus far, she spent a quiet hour with her best friend as they sat at the bank of the Shevanie River, with the crickets chirruping noisily and the stars twinkling down at them.
“I wish I could go with you,” he said quietly. She sighed and leaned against his shoulder. For some reason, at that moment it occurred to her he wasn’t really a boy anymore. Flustered, she sat up and tucked her legs under her. “I wish that, too. But rules are rules.”
He smiled wryly. “Well, at least you’ll have Marlow with you. Even if he has been turned into a hamster.” At that, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
She rolled her eyes. “Let’s see whether he’ll be more a source of comfort than grief. I guess he’s taking his new look really badly.” Then they proceeded to talk about mundane things, such as what transpired at school that day and what grade he got for his history paper on the ancient alliance between the Vierran and the white dragons. Aron had always been an exceptional student, particularly excelling at history, but he admitted that his grades had suffered since he became hawk-eye for Seaul. “I guess we can’t always have the best of both worlds,” he lamented. Elly told him about how annoying Darrius had been and how Luca had been unusually sweet to her in the past two days. But she left out the part about the kiss.
When she met with Kaelan at the weeping willows yesterday after school, he had completely taken her by surprise when he kissed her softly on the cheek just as they were parting. Her face burned so hot she could’ve sworn smoke was coming out of her ears. She stood there, speechless, and felt like a total imbecile as she kept her eyes fixed to the ground at her feet. Thankfully, Kaelan just smiled and squeezed her hand. “Take care, Elly. I’ll be waiting for you to come home.” Then he let go and walked away and didn’t look back while she stared at his retreating back for several long moments until he disappeared from view.
What did the kiss mean? It was on the cheek, after all. Could it have been just a friendly kiss?
She wasn’t exactly sure why she didn’t tell Aron about it. He was her best friend; surely, she should be able to tell him everything? But Aron wasn’t much fond of Kaelan, and she chalked it down to jealousy. After all, if Aron suddenly got close with another girl, she would get jealous, too. That was normal, since they were best friends … right?
The next two days went by in a hazy blur. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye again. Not yet.
On the morning of her departure, Elly stood trembling and white-faced in front of her home. Her long, untameable black curls stood up in several places, and her green eyes burned bright as she swallowed down the lump in her throat and rearranged her features into a smile. Then she turned to face her family.
Papa, Mama, and Luca were huddled together at the front door of the Celendis house, looking pale in the silver twilight. She glanced towards the gate nervously. She couldn’t see them, but she knew the four protectors were there waiting for her, invisible and armed.
Mrs Silverwinkle had debriefed her the night before. “You will be escorted to the white dome by four protectors at twilight before the silver lark calls, Elly. They will be invisible, but do not worry – they will let you sense their presence.”
Elly fidgeted nervously. “Why do they need to be invisible?”
The headmistress raised an eyebrow. “This mission must be carried out with the utmost discretion. We have sealed off the dome, and we’ve tightened security measures. You’ll see what I mean when you get there,” she said mysteriously. Then she added, “You’ll need to be invisible, too. We don’t want you to be followed. We have to be most careful.”
Luca burst into tears first. It was this unexpected crack in the dam that tipped the scales, and Elly felt herself crumble. In that moment, the enormity of what was ahead finally dawned in searing clarity, crushing the breath out of her. Her knees buckled. Papa grasped her by the shoulders, and Mama encircled her with slender arms, joined by a sniffling Luca. For several minutes, the family of four stayed locked in a silent embrace, the parents already mourning the departure of their daughter. When had she become old enough to do her part in protecting their homeland? It felt like only yesterday when she was just a baby, tucked up snugly in that little yellow basket, the golden ellanor brooch clasped to the woollen blanket …
Papa broke out of the embrace first. Wordlessly, they all stood up. His voice was husky with emotion when he spoke. “I have something to give you, Elly.” He was grasping something in his hand, and he dropped it on her extended palm. She stared. “Oh, it is so beautiful,” she said softly.
Papa smiled. “As you can see, it is wrought in the shape of the ellanor flower, your namesake. This brooch is a family heirloom, passed down from your great-great-grandmother, a renowned woman in her own right. One day, I shall tell you all about her.” At this, her eyes widened. She had a famous female relative? How come she was only being told about this now? Papa continued, “The golden-yellow stone is made of nahren, the strongest gemstone in Alendria, and represents seaul – the treasure of life itself.” He grasped her small hand. “Wherever you go, I want you to remember you are most precious to us, and I would give my life for you if it means I could keep you safe.” His blue eyes grew shiny. “To human eyes, the brooch will look dull, ordinary. But to you, its full beauty is unravelled.”
Her throat tightened as tears stung her eyes. “Oh, Papa,” she cried, throwing her arms around him. He chuckled and hugged her. Then Luca, still sniffling, kissed her on the nose, and Mama pressed her lips to her forehead. Marlow, perched on her shoulder, looked on with narrowed eyes, stoic as ever, which actually looked quite comical for a rotund hamster. Just yesterday, he had grunted at her, as if to say she better think twice before taking him along to Gaya as a hamster. “We’ve been through this a hundred times, Marlow,” she snapped. “You can’t very well accompany me to Gaya as a griffin! Freya knows what I have to put up with, so quit complaining!” At this, Marlow glared at her before diving back into her coat pocket.
Nidah had spent the past several weeks sewing new frocks for Elly. Finally having accepted that her strong-willed daughter would never wear anything pink, she made all the clothes in Elly’s favourite colours: black, silver, and a range of subdued purples and blues. So there Elly stood in one of those new outfits, ready for the freezing cold weather that was awaiting her in Gaya.
Mama made sure that her clothes would blend in with the humans this time. Elly wore a long-sleeved, deep purple frock over dark green leggings, high black boots, and a long, hooded, velvet black coat with the golden ellanor brooch clasped at the throat. The compact quiver of arrows was strapped snugly against her body, as was her bow, wrought from silver and tree bark. They were given to her by the Order at her last training session, as a replacement for the worn bow and quiver of arrows she had been using. Her Royan was strapped to the new, sturdy brown belt given to her by Papa. Whatever she needed on her mission – an ample supply of clothes, books, water, food – Greymore carried for her in his trusted pages. Unlike last time when she was fooled by the goblin and pushed into Gaya through the portal, this time she was more than well equipped for her expedition.
Elly sensed the invisible protectors’ restlessness. “I have to go,” she mumbled, pulling herself away reluctantly.
“Don’t forget to put on the invisibility perfume,” Mama reminded, her eyes flickering towards the gate. Elly gulped; she had almost forgotten. Quickly, she retrieved the tiny glass vial from her pocket, dabbed some of the fragrant oil on her neck, and watched as her mother’s eyes grew round; it was then she knew that the potion had done its job. “I love you all so much,” she whispered tearfully. Then she turned away before they could respond, and started walking.
“See you soon, Elly-Belly! I love you!” Luca called out telepathically, brother to sister. Elly’s throat constricted as she charged ahead, and it took every ounc
e of strength not to turn back.
At the gate, she jumped when a low voice spoke close to her ear. “Ellanor Celendis, we are to escort you to the white dome on the orders of the High Council. I shall lead you. Come.” Then Elly felt a large hand grasp her left shoulder, and she gulped as she was being gently but firmly steered forward. The stealthy protectors must have surrounded her; she vaguely sensed the proximity of warm bodies, and she could just barely hear their footsteps tread the soft grass beneath. She walked with bated breath, afraid that her breathing might be too audible, that spying goblins might be able to hear her, smell her anxiety …
Ever since Gutz the goblin infiltrated Alendria a year ago, security measures had tightened significantly. On a daily basis, all guards and protectors had to drink an antidote to render themselves impervious to the potent sleeping spells that goblins were notorious for casting.
Shortly after Elly had been fooled by the shape-shifting Gutz who impersonated as Edellina, the guards captured the goblin and held it captive in a deep pit. Unfortunately, the goblin escaped. Had the guards been invulnerable to the powerful sleeping spell that Gutz – or somebody else – must have cast on them, they wouldn’t have fallen into a stupor, and Gutz would not have been able to break free. The High Council hadn’t been able to confirm whether Gutz had only one accomplice in her former class teacher, Mr Holle. But Elly knew that Grandpapa suspected there was a second accomplice. “Just a hunch,” he said with a grim smile when she asked.
In addition, every elf was screened on a daily basis to ensure none carried the aura of a goblin. Mrs Silverwinkle and the Vierran had invented the screening device that was mass produced and distributed all over Alendria, camouflaged in trees. A curfew had been set to ensure that all elves were safely home by nightfall. Elves were forbidden from travelling alone; instead, they always had to go in pairs or groups of three.
Despite the increased security measures, the citizens went about their lives normally, blissfully ignorant of what was brewing in the depths of Alendria. They looked to the protectors and guards to keep them safe. On the surface, their homeland seemed relatively calm and peaceful. As if to reinforce that illusion, there had been no reports of goblin sightings at any of the cross points in the past year, not since Gutz escaped.
Grandpapa once said that the calm before the storm was the quietest, often lulling people into a false sense of security.
Up ahead, the Celestan Forest waited. Elly’s heart skipped a beat as memories of Edellina and Gutz flooded her mind, and she gritted her teeth as she resisted the urge to turn and bolt. The chirruping of crickets and cicadas greeted her as she stepped into the dense woods. The eyes of the nocturnal world followed her warily as she ventured deeper. Her heart pounded like angry drums as her forehead grew clammy with nervous sweat.
Elly cringed when she passed the stone Mohawn bears, recalling Edellina having so disrespectfully sat on them. Why had I been so stupid, so blind to what she was? She trudged on, the chirruping of the crickets ringing in her ears, and she felt a strong sense of déjà vu descending upon her as she walked invisibly through the forest, flanked by four invisible protectors, taking the same route she took a year ago with Edellina, the imposter …
But once they arrived at the clearing where the great white dome was located, she gasped. Nothing was there! Before her was a vast, empty clearing of grass and trees, nothing more.
Fear clenched her throat, and she swivelled around. At that moment, one of the protectors materialized to her right. She vaguely recognized him as Randolin, a tall elf with chestnut-brown hair and bright dark eyes, dressed in sleek silver armour bearing the golden emblem of Alendria. He looked into her eyes and shook his head slightly, the simple gesture instantly dissolving her fears. Elly noticed the gleaming bow and the quiver of arrows at his back and the long sword sheathed at his belt.
He communicated first. Do not worry, Ellanor. This vacant land is only an illusion. To prevent common elves as well as goblin spies from locating the portal, an enchantment has been cast over this area to make it appear as an empty piece of land.
Elly recalled Mrs Silverwinkle’s cryptic words about security measures at the dome, and she relaxed. Marlow, who had been perched on her shoulder, breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. For a moment, I thought this was another ruse by the goblins … I thought I had been tricked!
Randolin smiled. No goblin will touch a hair on your head as long as we are here. Then he lifted his right arm, and something silver shot forth from his finger.
Suddenly, as though a painting was being unveiled before them, Elly saw everything that had always been there: the great white marble dome, glistening and foreboding in the twilight, and several yards away was a small wooden house carved into the massive, ancient cedar tree. It was the home of the key keeper, Sir Jarome, the wizened protector who had been guarding the dome for three centuries. The enchantment had been lifted, and it was then that Elly realized they were no longer invisible. She glanced at the other three protectors, whose faces were concealed behind masked helmets. They regarded her silently. Randolin nodded and gestured for her to step forward.
“Elly!” whispered a voice close to her ear.
She yelped, then stared at the place where the familiar voice had come from.
Aron’s head appeared in mid-air, startling her so much that she gasped and leapt back. The sight of his body-less head was so grotesque and comical at the same time that she would’ve burst out laughing were it not for the seriousness of the situation. “What are you doing here?” she cried softly. Then the rest of his body slowly materialized, and she saw that he was dressed in his red archensoar gear. That’s right; he had early training before school.
Aron draped an arm around her shoulders. “Your grandpapa gave me a heads-up to meet you here in secret, on account of the fact that I’m your best friend and everything.” He grinned, and Elly giggled. “He thought you might need some cheering up before you set off for Gaya. He even gave me the invisibility potion!” He winked, and Elly beamed, making a mental note to thank Grandpapa; he knew her too well.
Aron lowered his voice. “I couldn’t let you leave without a proper farewell,” he said, and she could see that his smile was a little strained now. Her heart ached. She was going to miss him so much. She glanced back at the protectors, who were waiting patiently. Grandpapa must have informed them of Aron’s surprise visit. Then she turned back to Aron. “I’m sorry I can’t make it to the finals,” she sighed. “I really, really wanted to watch you and Kaelan play.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah? And who would you be cheering for?”
The question took her off guard. It hadn’t occurred to her to choose sides. “Well … you’re my best friend, but he is my friend, too. I can cheer for the both of you, can’t I?”
Aron smiled wryly but said nothing. She frowned. “Look, I shouldn’t have to—”
Then Sir Jarome loomed up like a dark cloud, startling them. She bowed to him, flustered, and at that moment guilt and shame came flooding back anew as she recalled how she and Edellina had tricked him a year ago. Sir Jarome nodded imperceptibly at the protectors as he unhooked a large key from his thick belt. Then he sauntered over to the tall, white doors at the great white dome and unlocked them.
Sir Jarome turned and looked at Elly expectantly. She drew a shuddering breath as she walked over, reluctance tugging at her every step. Aron followed with the protectors.
At the doors, she stood clenching and unclenching her clammy fists. Then she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and she was surprised to see Sir Jarome towering over her.
“Elly. I wish I could do something for you,” he said ruefully in a low voice so that Aron, who was now talking with Randolin a few feet away, wouldn’t hear. Taken aback, her throat tightened to see the kindness in his eyes.
“Thank you,” she said softly, her heart swelling with gratitude
. “Sir Jarome, I know I’ve said this before, but I hope you know how very, very sorry I am about tricking you that time with Edellina. I was so foolish—”
“Don’t worry about it,” he interrupted. He smiled, and it amazed her how the sternness in his face instantly melted. “I understand. You have a lot to contend with ahead. You better come back in one piece, your hear me?” he said gruffly.
Choked up, she nodded and gave him a wobbly smile. He chuckled and bear-hugged her, and she wound her arms around his thick neck, wishing Sir Jarome could shield her from whatever dangers were ahead. “You are still the sweet Elly I know from the days you used to visit me bearing wild berries and your curiosity for everything. The way your eyes used to light up listening to my stories!” He grinned, and her arms tightened around his neck. “I will never forget that, my little friend.”
After untangling herself from him, she glanced over at Aron. Sir Jarome went over and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s all right, he can go down to the portal with you.” She smiled gratefully, and Aron beamed.
So with Aron close behind, she descended the narrow flight of steps to the brightly lit chamber with mirrors lining the high-ceilinged walls. The four protectors followed behind stealthily. She could hear the hammering of her heart and the faint whispered voices that floated over and past her as she walked towards the end of the chamber.
One Elfling,
Fair of Face
Missing the Other
Crossing Over
A Time Race
What nonsense were those voices spouting? She frowned and stared hard at the black wall that was now inches from her face. For several minutes she pored over the ebony surface of the massive door that was without handles or lock, and she finally found what she was looking for. Gently, she ran her fingers over the Yahana runes etched into the black wood, almost invisible, and remembered how she had not realized Edellina the goblin could not read the ancient runes before it was too late. If only she had been paying attention, if only she had not been so self-centred, she would have realized there was something very wrong.
