Darien and the Lost Paints of Telinoria

by Jeanna Kunce

  They also used a little of the water to clean Audric’s wound. Will and Saara examined it, and though the bleeding seemed to be under control, they said they were worried that their continued flying would make it worse. They left the arrow in until they could properly tend to the injury, but feared the increased swelling would soon lead to infection if they left it much longer.

  “As far as I can tell, Audric is not injured too seriously,” Will reported, “but we really need to get him in the hands of a skilled healer or it will get worse. I don’t know anything about healing dragons, but I know the swelling isn’t a good sign.”

  “So where do we find a healer?” Darien asked.

  “Well, there are human healers in the settlements on the other side of Mount Garddrock, where we used to live,” Will said, “but I think it would lead us too close to danger to return that way right now. Besides, it is doubtful any of them would know what to do with an injured dragon anyway.”

  “What we really need is to find the elves,” Cora said.

  “That’s a great idea,” Amani said sarcastically. “Do you know where to find them?”

  “Of course not,” Cora replied, sounding slightly offended at Amani’s tone. “You know they all but disappeared after King Dex was gone and we dragons had our . . . ah . . . disagreement. I was just saying it because the elves had the best healers. I don’t know where to find them, but sometimes they find you.”

  “If you believe the stories,” Tomai added.

  “What do you mean?” Darien asked. She was feeling a little lost. “Amani, you mentioned elves earlier, but we never got a chance to talk about them.”

  “Well, some claim to have encountered elves in the years since they disappeared,” Tomai explained, “but their stories seem vague and the details blurry. Afterward, they could never really say where they had been or what had happened. It’s as if they were not sure if they had had a real experience or if it had been only a dream.”

  “Don’t be too quick to discount the elves,” Audric said. “Brisa and I are old enough to remember when elves lived among us, though even in those days most of them were secretive and kept to themselves. They possess a powerful magic very few others in the world can understand. I have only known of two humans in my time who could equal the elves in magic; one is almost certainly dead, and the other disappeared from our land many years ago. If luck finds us, perhaps someone will sense our need and decide to help. Until then, let us be off. I am rested enough, and I know my wife is anxious to close the distance between us and our newborn child.”

  They all agreed and prepared to fly again. Will took one last look at Audric’s wound while Darien helped Saara get back on Cora’s shoulders without waking Qwinn. When they were done, Darien had to cover a laugh as she watched Rian studying Tomai. The boy was boldly looking up at the blue dragon with awe while Tomai tried to stoically ignore his admirer.

  “Rian! Leave the dragon alone,” Saara scolded in a loud whisper. Darien took his hand and together they settled back in with Amani. Soon the little band of travelers was high over the forest, each one secretly hoping to find help from a vanished race of mysterious people.

  * * *

  Time became hard to tell once again as they flew through the night sky. The moon had risen high in the sky, and they cast oddly shifting shadows on the endless sea of trees below. Qwinn had awakened with a muffled cry when they had taken off, then she fell back to sleep with the gentle motion of her dragon. Rian was less alert now, and as Darien kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t fall asleep and slip off, she too felt herself fighting not to yawn. Tomai was in the lead like before, but after a while he fell back to where Audric was slowly slipping behind the others.

  “Audric,” Tomai said under his breath, “we really should take a break for the night and get some rest. I know you’re anxious to get back, but the young ones cannot fly all night, even if we dragons could. What do you say?”

  “What you say is true,” Audric said with a sigh. “We will stop as soon as you can find a suitable place for us to land.” He saw Tomai nod and fly back to the head of the group. They all began scanning the ground below, but for the moment they had little luck. They appeared to be flying over the densest heart of the forest, and even the dragons began to feel discouraged.

  Audric suddenly called out in a clear, deep voice, “People of the Elvish race: Hear our need! We are weary and,” he faltered for a moment, “and injured travelers. If you remember Audric, formerly of the good King Dex’s guard, and friend, in times past, to the elf Macadrien, please come to our aid.”

  The minutes passed with no answer. They continued to fly in silence until Cora called out to Tomai, “I don’t think you’re leading us quite in the right direction.”

  “I know,” Tomai replied, “but I feel as though I’m being gradually pulled off course. I wasn’t sure at first—I thought maybe I was just getting tired—but now I can really feel it.” Once he said it, all the dragons noticed they felt the same way, like some force was almost imperceptibly drawing them in.

  Before they could discuss whether to resist the force or yield to it, the invisible pull became much stronger. The humans clutched tightly to their dragons as they all were swept into a whirling vortex. They whipped around at a terrifying speed until none of the humans could hold on any longer, though Saara wrapped her arms protectively around her disoriented child and Darien grasped Rian’s wrist with both hands.

  The dragons twisted and contorted strangely in the unnatural whirlwind. The more they tried to control their flight, the worse it seemed to get. Brisa, too exhausted to fight it, tucked her wings in and simply let the drafts pull her along. Finding this way much easier, she called to the others to follow her lead so they wouldn’t end up with broken or torn wings.

  Once she was dislodged from Amani’s back, Darien thought she would feel a stomach-lurching drop like she had before, but she was surprised to find herself floating down and around the narrowing spiral. She feared that as the circles got smaller at the bottom she and her friends would race into a dizzying speed and be thrown to the ever-approaching ground, but she was surprised again when they drifted past the treetops and touched gently down in a small clearing that hadn’t been visible moments earlier. She would’ve even kept her footing had she not been awkwardly trying to keep a hold on Rian.

  With the dizzy and slightly nauseated feeling of getting off an amusement-park ride, Darien got to her feet and heard the quiet thumps of her friends joining her on the ground. Amani went from one to the other, reassuring himself that they had all made it safely. Even Qwinn wasn’t crying, though she blinked drowsily around as her mother calmed her with a whispered song.

  They began to regroup in the middle of the clearing when the dragons sensed something and became alert.

  “Be very still and quiet,” Audric whispered, his body crouched low and tense.

  Darien looked where the dragons were looking but couldn’t see anything in the deep shadows of the trees. Gradually, they heard a female voice singing beautifully in a different language. The words were strange, but the melody was light and friendly. As the song got louder and the singer seemed closer, they saw a shimmer in the air and felt something tingle on their skin. The little hairs rose up on Darien’s arms like they were charged with static electricity. The woods began to glow with a warm, welcoming light radiating from everywhere. The moon was now hidden by patchy clouds, but with the increasing light below they could start to make out a distant village in the trees.

  As they looked at it in wonder, a girl about Darien’s height startled them by lightly dropping down in front of them from the trees above. When she stepped closer, they saw she was not a girl, but a small woman with lean limbs and large eyes that seemed wiser than her years, yet danced with amusement as she saw the humans and dragons regarding her.

  Darien knew in an instant this had to be an elf. T
he woman’s hair was a thick coppery tangle entwined with braids, leaves, and vines, which swept back from her heart-shaped face. She wore no jewelry or proper clothes, though more vines and leaves wrapped her thin frame modestly. Oddly enough, the greenery that she wore appeared to still be alive, continuing to thrive even though it was not planted in any way. The elf’s skin was smooth and tan, contrasting with the bright aqua blue of her eyes. Her fingers and bare toes were long and slender, her ears were slightly pointed at the tops, and her lips were the color of summer roses. Darien thought that, aside from the dragons, this was the most enchanting and interesting creature she’d ever seen.

  The elf looked pleasantly at the group of dragons and humans until she saw Darien, upon which she tilted her head to the side and gave a strange, puzzled look. Audric bowed his head toward the elf, joined first by the other dragons, then the humans.

  The elven maiden laughed. “Do not lower your head to me, Audric True-Heart,” she said, and her voice sounded like music. “Your honor and loyalty are well-known in the elf realm. We could talk all night of your great services, but if I’m not mistaken, you’re in need of healing. Follow, if you wish, and I will meet your companions on the way.”

  She turned and headed toward the secret village. As she walked, the trees and plants leaned slightly toward her and she touched them with her fingertips, making them shiver faintly from their roots to the ends of their branches.

  At first, their way led through a wooded part of the forest where the dragons had to follow single-file along the narrow path. The elf instructed Audric, who was first, to keep to the path, and she informed them all that they would reach the elves’ gathering place very soon. Audric nodded, and the elf sprang back to meet Brisa, who was keeping a watchful eye on her husband’s injured side. One by one, the elf danced through the line of dragons, speaking softly to each and, Darien noticed, touching them briefly on the side, making them tremble for an instant, just like the plants and trees did.

  Darien watched the elf’s every move as if entranced. The way she walked was graceful and nimble, like she was almost as light as air. She held herself confidently, yet she also seemed playful and quick to laugh. Darien saw the elf smile warmly as she met Saara and Qwinn; when she touched the child’s cheek, Qwinn snuggled pleasantly back into her mother’s arms and fell fast asleep. Will now carried Rian, who was struggling hard to stay awake in his new surroundings, even though he normally would have been asleep hours ago. But, like his sister, he couldn’t resist the soothing touch of the elf, and he too fell asleep just before they reached the outer edges of the village.

  Darien eagerly anticipated her meeting with the elf, but was disappointed when the elf became wary and coolly polite with her. She introduced herself as Kalani, and she asked Darien’s name in return. But she didn’t ask anything else. She noticeably avoided touching Darien. Before they could continue their conversation, Audric called out that their way was blocked, so Kalani excused herself and skipped away to the front of the line.

  Darien stood next to Will feeling weary and despondent. She couldn’t see anything ahead that was in the way, and her patience was wearing thin. In addition to being tired, she was also very hungry—not surprising, considering how little she had eaten that day. Fortunately, it only took a minute for the dragons to begin entering the village, and Darien grew hopeful of some rest and food. These elves better eat something more than dewdrops and flower petals, she thought.

  Soon enough she could see what had held them up. Surrounding the gathering place, as Kalani had called it, was an enormous dome-shaped membrane that was clear except for the same transparent swirling colors as a soap bubble. The big difference was this one was incredibly strong, bending slightly at a strong push but impossible to break.

  Kalani was hanging upside-down from a branch and holding the invisible edge of the bubble up like a heavy curtain while the dragons passed below. Darien hesitated at the last minute before entering, wondering whether they would let her in, but the elf continued holding the bubble to allow Darien to pass through. With a quick twist, Kalani dropped from the tree, landing nimbly on her green-stained feet, and let the bubble fall back to the ground, sealing them in.

  Before Darien could fully take in the wonders of the elf village, they were approached by another elf who looked almost exactly like a male version of Kalani. Darien wondered if all the elves looked so much alike until he introduced himself as Kalani’s twin brother, Kalob. He welcomed them and made a curious gesture, first forming a circle with his two hands, then gracefully sweeping his arms wide open.

  He led them to the center of the gathering place where they found a blazing fire ready for them and more elves arriving with bowls full of food and drinks. The largest bowls, meant for the dragons of course, looked like cooking pots and required three elves each to carry them.

  Climbing a woven rope ladder, Kalani ascended one of the massive trees nearby and was soon lost in the maze of walkways that connected the higher limbs and dwellings above. A few moments later, she twirled back down to the ground on a vine followed by another female elf. This elf was their healer who, along with Kalani, led Audric and Brisa to another part of the village. Meanwhile, a small group of elves had brought basins of water and soft cloths for the humans. Darien gratefully washed the dust from her hands and face, while the elves showed Will and Saara to a tree house where they tucked their children in for a long peaceful night’s sleep.

  Darien looked with interest at the forest village and tried to wait patiently for Will and Saara to return. She was awed by the elves’ style of building and how everything seemed to flow with the natural landscape. The tree houses were large and circular, surrounding the thick trunks of the trees that supported them. The outer walls of the houses were smooth and polished except where they were beautifully carved into intricate shapes. The roofs were made from giant green leaves woven together. Dangling from the tree branches were delicate metalwork lanterns surrounding crystalline orbs that glowed with a soft white light, making it seem as though there were hundreds of tiny moons dancing in the air.

  Darien could feel some of the tension of her journey draining away in the tranquility of the village, though her shoulder throbbed and her legs were trembling with exhaustion. When her stomach growled out loud, Kalob surprised her by taking her by the elbow and leading her to a large woven ottoman near the fire.

  “Your sister didn’t seem to want to touch me,” Darien remarked.

  Kalob nodded knowingly, “Yes, my sister is rare among elves. She is valpas, meaning a gateway for energy between living creatures and the deep energy of our planet. She gives and receives the energy through her touch, but she must also guard herself from any negative or unknown energy, as it could harm not only her but also the others she touches. We elves can all clearly see that your energy is completely different from other humans, but it cannot harm us the way it could her.”

  It was strange to know that she had some kind of energy the elves could see and she couldn’t, but Darien felt a little better at least knowing why Kalani had acted so distant toward her. Darien looked down at herself, but couldn’t see anything different, except for her disheveled clothes. She didn’t have more time to muse on it, however, as the elves had started to bring over plates of the most delicious-smelling food.

  Will and Saara returned and shared an ottoman next to Darien, while the remaining three dragons arranged themselves around the fire. They were joined by Kalob and another elf whose name was Hemmel. Soon after, Kalani returned to report that they had been successful removing the arrow from Audric’s side and were just finishing the final steps before bandaging his wound.

  Darien, Saara, and Will dug into their food as if they hadn’t eaten for a week. Fully prepared for more spicy food, Darien was surprised that this food, while very flavorful, was not heavily spiced the way the market food had been. Using a pair of small metal tongs, she tasted all the fruits
and vegetables on her plate, finding each one more delicious than the last. She had no trouble filling up, especially when Hemmel came around with a basket of sweet cinnamon-like spiced bread and a cup of fizzing fruit juice. It didn’t take long before they were all pleasantly stuffed full, and the dragons excused themselves to go wash. (It turns out that dragons are somewhat messy eaters, but quite meticulous about cleaning up afterward.)

  During the meal, the elves had listened attentively while the others shared the story of how they had come to the elf kingdom. When they were finished, Kalob asked Will and Saara what their next plans were.

  Will glanced at Saara, “We haven’t had a chance to talk about it, but it’s clear we can’t go back home safely,” he said. “On the other hand, they took us with nothing except the clothes on our backs. I’ve been trying to figure out how I could go back to get at least a small bag of our things to start fresh somewhere new.” He squeezed a comforting arm around Saara as they shared a moment of grief over the loss of their home.

  “I will take you,” Tomai offered. “I know what it’s like to want to protect those you love.” No one except Darien noticed the way his eyes glanced toward Cora. She wondered if Cora knew how Tomai felt, whether they were too proud or too afraid to break away from the pure dragons. It made her sad to think of them having to live apart, hiding and trying to deny their true feelings.

  Darien’s thoughts were interrupted as Kalob addressed Will and Saara. “We can offer you a safe haven for a while until you find a new home among your kind. Saara, you and your children are welcome to stay while your husband retrieves your belongings.”

  Saara’s eyes welled up with tears, and she thanked the elves. She started to question Will further, but he reassured her that they didn’t need to figure it all out that night; they would have time to work out the details now that the elves had agreed to let them stay.