by Joanne Vruno
“Does your stomach hurt? You don’t feel warm,” said my mother, as she held her hand on my forehead.
“I just feel a bit dizzy. Maybe it’s just the heat. I think I’ll read in bed this morning and see if it goes away.” I wanted to drop the conversation by escaping to my room. Mom looked worried, which made me feel guilty.
“Well, here—-take a glass of water with you. Let me know if you want me to make you something to eat later on. I love you,” Mom said and hugged me.
I felt more guilt by the moment. I grabbed the water and retreated to my room. I had a whole day of hiding inside from creatures and from Mom—not what I would call a fun day. I looked at my bookshelf for a book. I figured I’d read about demigods and chose the new book in the Percy Jackson series. Why not switch it up and learn about Greek gods instead of the Norse. Can they be real too? With this new world I live in, anything might be possible. Those gods live on Mount Olympus, though. I laughed to myself, picturing meeting them.
After I had made it through three chapters, my mom walked into my room. “I just wanted you to know I’m taking Emily to her swimming lesson and then we are going to check in on Grandma, so we’ll be gone a couple of hours. Are you feeling any better? Do you want to come along?”
“I feel a bit better but I think I should just take it easy today.”
“Be sure to drink lots of water. There’s turkey in the fridge. You can make a sandwich if you get hungry.”
I smiled and said, “Thanks, Mom.”
She felt my forehead before she left the room.
As soon as I heard the car leave the driveway, I got up and went into the kitchen. Elsa and Enar appeared while I was making a sandwich. “Are you hungry? Nobody’s home, so I could make you two a sandwich also.”
They both hesitated and then said yes.
We sat in the kitchen, visiting as we ate. “It must be a nice for you when my family leaves you two alone in the house and you can do whatever you want.”
“Not really. You’re the only one who knows we’re present so we actually have freedom when they’re here,” said Elsa.
I had never thought of that. They actually could do anything they wanted.
All of a sudden I thought about what Dolph had said and had to ask them: “Dolph told me gnomes are faster than tomtes. Is that true?”
“Hmmm, I really don’t know. We’ve never raced each other,” said Enar.
“You and Alf should have a race sometime and see. How about today?” I asked, curious to know the results.
“Today’s not a good day. Maybe another. We’re on high alert today,” said Elsa, watching the excitement in my eyes and in Enar’s.
I thought awhile before I sharing, “Well, Aina could watch the whole yard. Nobody’s home but us at the moment. Elsa could stay in the house to guard it. You two run faster than the human eye can see, so no human would detect you. We should be safe. Maybe we could have the race today.”
Enar replied, “That’s true. We could take precautions, and the race would only be a second, if that.” He rubbed his beard as he made his decision. “I’ll go see what Alf says,” and away he went.
“Aly, I’m not sure this is a good idea,” stated Elsa. “Today’s the day of strong magic, when we’re all supposed to stay hidden. We should honor Silver’s request on that.”
“Silver will be in the village and won’t even know about the race unless you, Enar, Aina, or Alf tell her. Are you going to tell her?”
“Of course not, but she has eyes everywhere and will probably know. Somehow I think this will displease her. I for one don’t want to be on her bad side. She has a way of making one feel guilty like nobody else can,” said Elsa.
“Tell me about it! She’s brutal.” I started to see Elsa’s point, and was doubting the decision.
Just then Enar returned excitedly, his face beaming. “Alf said he’s up to the challenge. Aly and I are to go out back in five minutes. Both Aina and Alf are patrolling the yard to find the best spot for Aina to view the entire yard during the race.”
Enar’s statements erased the doubt I had. I loved competitions and wanted to know the results of this one. If Alf and Aina felt we were all safe outside for a few minutes, I did too.
Elsa gave both Enar and me a look of dread as we headed outside. I wasn’t sure if Enar even noticed though. His thoughts were focused on the race at this point. Alf was waiting for us, and Aina was somewhere guarding us, but completely out of sight. I quickly showed them where the race track was. They were to run from the sidewalk to the fence and back. Whoever gave me a high five on my hand first was the winner.
They both were on opposite sides of me. I held my open hands out down on each side of my body as I began the count down, “One, two, three go!” I didn’t see any movement, Alf fived me instantly after I said go with Enar immediately after. I didn’t even see them disappear. My eyes couldn’t detect the movement, the speed was so quick. I held Alf’s hand up as I declared. “Alf’s the winner!” Then I quickly leaned over and whispered, “You did run didn’t you?”
“Yes, I ran. Why do you ask? Didn’t you see me?” asked Alf with a smile.
I laughed, “No, it looked like you didn’t move! But, I trust you’re telling me the truth.”
The two were shaking hands when down swooped the familiar brown-and-white hawk that Silver rode. We all froze, waiting for it to land, but it just flew away. We were all filled with dread, knowing it was headed straight to its master. Enar turned to me and ordered me inside.
As soon as we entered the house, Elsa met us at the door and said, “I saw Asa, Silver’s hawk. This can’t be good. Whatever Asa sees, Silver knows.”
“Well, we were being careful, Aina was guarding the yard. She can’t get upset about that!”
“Aly, we forgot about one area not being guarded: the sky. We hadn’t even considered that. You don’t have an amulet like your grandmother. The sky was open for any bird to notice us. Silver knew you were unguarded that way. That is why she sent Asa here today. Alf and I should have thought about that, but we were too caught up in the race. We’re the ones who put you in danger,” Enar hung his head as he realized his mistake. “I let you down. I’m sorry.”
I went to his side and took his hand. “You didn’t let me down. This race was my idea. I should have listened to Elsa. Instead I encouraged it. I take full responsibility and will take Silver’s wrath. I acted immature again. Now I’ll have to prove my commitment to being a guardian all over again.”
We all sat in silence, wondering who would be contacted first to be reprimanded.
Chapter 15
I was afraid to look into Grandma’s eyes as I entered her house. I knew I’d see disappointment in them. I deserved it. I shyly said, “Hi, how are you doing this morning?”
“Fine. I had a quiet day yesterday so I got plenty of rest. How about you?”
I broke into tears at that point. “Grandma, I’m so sorry. We thought we had all the areas of protection covered. Elsa was guarding the house, and Aina the yard, but we forgot about the sky. We were just so excited about the race. I know we were wrong in what we did. It was all my idea to have the race. I take full responsibility for what happened.” Tears were running down my face as I looked at her.
“Oh, Aly, I know you didn’t think you were at risk. I’ve heard Alf’s and Enar’s statements from their parents. They too have taken complete responsibility. It’s good all three of you realize your mistake. We all make mistakes. Recognizing it is a way of learning never to repeat it. All three of you are young and got caught up in a competition. There’ll other times you’re drawn into taking a risk, breaking rules. Unfortunately for you, breaking the rules again is not a luxury you can afford. Your life has boundaries you need always respect. Nobody else can take your place, Aly. If something happens to you, the elves won
’t make it. So this risky behavior can’t happen again. I know it doesn’t seem fair when your friends have so much free time and yours is regulated, but that’s your life now.”
“I’m trying, Grandma, but it’s hard. All I do anymore is train. There’s never any fun time. This race was fun, and I felt safe while we did it. Summer hockey starts next week in the evenings, and I’m nervous about going. What if trolls are there? I get scared thinking about maybe seeing creatures wherever I go now. I just want to go outside and enjoy the world and not be afraid of it.”
“You will, in time. When you realize the extent of your power, nothing will be stronger than you. Or at least we haven’t come across any creature stronger than a guardian yet. That’s not to say you shouldn’t avoid creatures. Avoidance is the best defense, but if challenged, you’ll be ready.”
I looked up at her. “What powers do I have?”
“I can’t tell you until you’re ready. You’re in basic training now and still vulnerable to a creature attack. When you’ve mastered the basic training and show us you’re mentally ready, your powers will start appearing. That’s when we’ll teach you how to control them. After they’re under control, I’ll teach you the amulet’s powers. You’ll then take over my position, and I’ll become your advisor. That’s why this training’s so strict. The quicker you make it through the training, the safer you’ll be.”
I sat there absorbing all the information. But Grandma’s next words confused me.
“Every part of nature starts out vulnerable: plants, birds, animals, and even humans. As we grow, we strengthen. A bird breaks out of its shell, learns to fly, then learns to feed itself. It learns to migrate in the fall, and when it returns in the spring from its migration, it’s strong enough to make its own way in the world. You’re at the learning-to-fly stage. It may take many attempts to master a skill, but that’ll make you realize how much you want it. Determination is key to success. If a chick fails to learn how to fly on the first attempt, the parent insists it try again. For a bird, it’s a life-or-death situation. It must master the skill of flying to survive.
“You could survive without mastering all your skills, but you would constantly be at risk. If you remain determined, you’ll keep moving forward. Eventually you won’t have to live in fear of crossing paths with some creature. You’ll have the ability to handle any encounter you may experience with a mythical creature. So you need to get up and tell yourself you can do this no matter how difficult it may seem.”
The difficulty of my situation, then, was also part of my lessons. It had to be hard. “I’ll try, Grandma.”
“Good, because Dolph’s waiting for you, so hold your head high and show him you’re determined.”
I smiled at her and stood up tall, ready to face any consequences for my carelessness as I headed towards the door.
Lunt was by the side of the garage waiting for me to appear. He gave me his usual smile as I headed down the driveway. It was nice to see he wasn’t upset with me. Knowing Lunt and Grandma had faith in me did make me feel stronger.
I noticed a vine growing up the trunk of a tree and stopped to take a picture of it. I was determined to follow all directions today, and taking pictures was part of them.
Finding my way to the village seemed easier today, or maybe it was my new confidence. Grandma had given me determination with her speech. I didn’t want to live in fear. I wanted instead to find out what my powers were. I also hoped Dolph could see my determination. I didn’t want to see disappointment on his face, as I knew I would with Silver. Silver! The thought of seeing her just came into my thoughts. Please, please don’t have me see her today!
“Aly, I’m happy to see you,” said Dolph, smiling. “Was I correct in stating that gnomes are faster than tomtes?”
I smiled back. “Yes, you were correct, but not by much. Alf and Enar both disappeared and within a blink of an eye reappeared in the same spot. Alf and then Enar. There was hardly any time between appearances.”
Lunt cleared his throat, “A gnome’s speed has been a known fact for years, and I don’t know why it was tested. I’m leaving now.” And in a flash he was gone.
Dolph and I watched him disappear, and we both chuckled.
The day was spent learning about plants that were poisonous for humans, animals, and creatures. I had heard of poison ivy, but poison sumac and poison oak were new to me. Dolph also showed me a deadly nightshade vine which I recognized from a picture I had taken earlier that day. I scrolled through the photos and showed him. I had no idea how many plants we needed to be aware of. It had never crossed my mind that not all plants were safe to eat. Dolph had me taste some that were all right to eat, such as the honeysuckle flower, which was sweet, and another clover-type plant that had seed pods that were very sour when I nibbled on them.
Dolph was completely at ease in the woods and enjoyed sharing his love and knowledge of all aspects of it. He showed me with his words and expressions the importance of all nature. I had never spent much time just hiking through the woods before. I enjoyed flowers and vegetable gardens but only ventured on man-made paths while in the woods. I learned that the really majestic quality of the woods was deep in the most rugged areas, where only nature existed, untouched by humankind.
Time flew by quickly this day, and soon we were met by Lunt. We said a normal good-bye to Dolph, and soon were heading back to Grandma’s. I smiled with relief that I did not have to face Silver that day. I knew in my heart I would have to down the line, and it wouldn’t be an easy encounter. I was deep in my thoughts when I tripped on a tree root and took a tumble down the second hill. Because of the slope, I hadn’t been able to catch my balance.
Lunt was at my side when I came to a stop, looking at me carefully but not speaking.
Embarrassed and scraped up by brambles, I quickly stood up. My ankle hurt, and my hand and arms were scratched and bleeding a bit, but my focus went to the camera. It looked unharmed, but I checked it anyway. All the mechanisms seemed to work fine. “Clumsy me! I’m a bit banged up, but I’ll be fine. I guess I need to watch where I walk better,” I said, pretending to be talking to myself.
A bird call signaled us to keep moving without talking. Something had alerted a sentry. I quickly made it back to the path and hurried to Grandma’s house.
My heart was pounding again as I walked through her front door.
“Aly, what happened to you? You have cuts all over. Here, sit down while I get a washcloth and some Band-aids.”
I took a seat and told her about the fall and the signal while she cleaned me up.
“It was a good thing you exited the woods. We’ll get word of the reason for the alarm after the danger passes. You did well pretending to talk to yourself, as many of us humans do. You passed another test today.”
“Why can we speak out loud when we’re with Dolph? If Lunt hadn’t stayed silent as he checked on me for any major injuries, I would have spoken to him. Lunt does, however, speak out loud to both Dolph and me, but only if Dolph is present in the woods.”
“Dolph and Silver have extremely strong powers. They were chosen by the elf king to be in charge of the elves and to protect them. They have the magical ability to muffle all voices in close proximity. They also have the ability to sense danger to any of the elves or creatures in their charge.”
“So they can sense if you or I are in danger?”
“Yes, they will have known you fell today. They also will have known you weren’t hurt badly,” said Grandma. “Dolph might have also felt the oncoming presence of whatever set off the alarm and knew to send you back when he did.”
“Can they know my feelings, like when I’m mad or sad?”
“I don’t believe they can see into your soul or sense your feelings or thoughts. It’s just physical pain they may consider as a danger to you, and you need to be in close proximity for the
m to know that,” said Grandma.
I was relieved to hear that. I didn’t want them to sense my fear and then think I was weak. I already felt Silver disapproved of me being the new guardian. I didn’t want her to read my frustration. I wished she could treat me as Dolph did. He seemed to understand I was trying and didn’t judge me when I made a mistake.
Grandma broke into my thoughts with the announcement: “Look at the time! We must hurry. We’re late for Emily’s party. You look cleaned up now. All your scratches are hidden. Quickly go and brush your hair while I grab your sister’s present. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
We scrambled to the car and were soon off to my house. We arrived at the same time as my other grandparents. After giving them hugs, we all proceeded to the back yard. Mom had outdone herself with balloons as a centerpiece on the long table she had placed in the middle of the yard.
I quickly excused myself to run upstairs to wrap Emily’s gift, but to my surprise, Elsa must had already wrapped the video game and placed it on my bed for me to find. I’ll have to thank her later, I thought, as I ran back downstairs carrying the gift.
The evening was a great time with family. For the first time, Emily managed to blow out all of her candles. We all laughed that she had missed two on her ninth birthday, but had gotten all on her tenth.
Chapter 16
Grandma, what was the cause for the alarm yesterday?” I had wondered all night what creature had been noticed in the woods.
“Oh, it was just a man around twenty or so. With you being a young girl alone, the elves react to any possible danger. He was probably just out for a walk on the path and was no threat to anyone, but we always need to be cautious. Today we decided that as long as Lunt is still with you your route to the village should be different. We don’t want anyone to notice a pattern in your movements or for you to create a path through the woods. It may also be safer for you to stay off the walking path. So Dolph has asked that you enter the woods on the end, by the baseball diamond area of the playground. He said you’d know where to go. Lunt’ll be with you if you get off track.”
