The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose

by Fabi Ghittoni

  Copyright

  The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © Fabi Ghittoni

  Cover & Layout design by Mirella Santana

  www.mirellasantana.com.br

  (Stocks from Shutterstock & depositphotos)

  Map design by Maria Gandolfo | Renflowergrapx

  Editing: Sofia Kelly

  For more infomation, please contact at:

  www.fabighittoni.com

  ISBN: 978-987-42-3305-9

  ISBN: 978-987-42-3306-6

  Ghittoni, Fabiana

  The Elven Tales: The company of the Rose / Fabiana Ghittoni. – 1st Edition.

  Paso de los Libres: Fabiana Ghittoni, 2017.

  Digital Book, Amazon | Kindle Archive Digital: ISBN 978-987-42-3304-2

  1.Fantastic Literature. 2. Epic Narrative. 3. Fantastic Creatures. I. Title.

  CDD 398.2

  Dedication

  To Mom, for her infinite love and support and for being the best role model and the most unconditional number one fan always and forever. To Dad, Nati and Jose, for always trusting my crazy dreams. To my grandparents: I miss you a lot. Finally, to Eliel: you are my whole life.

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 1

  It was the first day of winter when it happened. It may have been a perfectly typical morning for the normal people out there, but it certainly wasn’t for those who were far from ordinary. Nervous people could be seen everywhere in the streets of England, whispering, gasping in disbelief, and hurriedly searching for someone to deny the undeniable. Could it be true? Or was it just some ridiculous rumor being spread by even more ridiculous mouths? How could it be possible? Morgadot was known as the safest prison of the Five Kingdoms, the kind of place prisoners could only dream of escaping. Even then, Alanel was above them all — he was the most guarded prisoner in history. He was also the most dangerous and evil. Nobody wanted to believe that he had escaped from confinement. Not only was it nearly impossible, but if true, his escape would mean a catastrophic event for everyone. That, of course, was only acknowledged by unusual people. And they were the only ones worried about it, until three days later, the horror began.

  It even appeared in the news. Thirteen children had suddenly disappeared. Franklin, Debra, and Spencer were only a few names on a list that seemed to grow larger each passing hour. It was heartbreaking to hear the desperate parents on the news who knew nothing of the whereabouts of their children. “What was happening?” was the question in every mouth in the country. What had those children done? Why them? All those questions were left unanswered. Among many doubts, there was a fact: All of them were seventeen years old.

  Suddenly, everyone was in a panic. From the north to the south of England, horrified parents were glued in front of the TV, desperate to know where the last disappearance had occurred. They relied on the alerts to tell them whether to further strengthen the security of their homes. The truth is that children were evaporating as if the night had swallowed them, as it does with the frozen breath of night walkers.

  No one seemed to go for evening walks in those days, as the authorities had recommended not to. Each house was sealed by sundown, as though in preparation for a real battle. The windows were covered to prevent anyone who might have been looking in from outside.

  Families slept together in one room to protect each other in case something strange happened, or they took turns keeping vigil. The scene was repeated in every home, and that of the Percivals was no exception.

  “What are you reading?” Maddie asked, taking Prudence by surprise as she took the book away.

  "Give it back!" Prudence demanded, her slender and delicate figure jumping to try to snatch the book back. Her forest green gaze was fixed on the book, and her hair the same color as almonds glowed under the light of her reading lamp. There were few things that bothered Prudence, and one of them was touching her books. Obviously, anyone who loved books so much as she did would hate their prized possessions being manipulated by hands able to hurt them.

  "This is not funny, Madeleine," said Prudence. She only used Maddie’s full name when she was angry with her.

  "Of course it is. Brunhild used her magical skills to control the swords of their enemies," Maddie read in a loud, mocking voice, which made Prudence angrier.

  "Better use your magic powers to move your feet down the stairs and to the dining room. Dinner is ready," she said finally.

  The aromas of a delicious dinner wafted up the stairs.

  Sitting around the table were Bram and Doreen Percival, with their two children, Maddie and Carter, who were seventeen- and ten-years-old respectively.

  The Percivals were a typical family of Cambridge. Bram was an employee of Cambridge Alliance Bank, and Doreen had used to be a renowned local artist. Her paintings had sold well, until osteoarthritis seized her hands and she couldn’t paint anymore, due to the sudden tremors and constant pain in her joints. Lately, she spent her time as a mother, wife, and homemaker.

  The Percivals occupied a three-story house with four rooms on Chesterton Road. It had belonged to the family for the past eighty years.

  Prudence Clarke stayed with them. She and Maddie had become best friends during a summer vacation that the Percivals had spent at Cotswolds, where Prudence lived with her grandparents. Since then, they had maintained their friendship over the years by sending letters and emails, talking on the phone, and having visits during the summers. They had planned to attend the University of Cambridge together, but this time, their plan was thwarted. Maddie had received her acceptance letter to Cambridge, and this was a source of pride for her parents. Sadly, Prudence was not so lucky.

  Anyway, the Percivals offered to host Prudence in their home, so she had the opportunity to prepare better and try again the next year. Bram and Doreen were not rich, but they had much affection for Prudence, and they welcomed her with open arms as if she were a daughter. In the meantime, Prudence had gotten a job as a librarian at the Jerwood Library, where she spent hours devouring all the books that passed by in front of her.

  “How’s the moving going?” Doreen asked Prudence as she served a plate of baked chicken with potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and roasted endive. Doreen was a great cook, and wasn’t modest about showing off her fantastic skills at every opportunity that presented itself.

  “I still haven’t unpacked everything. But it goes well, luckily.”

  "We should buy another closet. What do you say, Bram? To make the girls more comfortable,” Doreen asked her husband.

  "We could go look for one Saturday morning," Bram answered.

  “Oh, you don’t need to do that. The space Maddie left me in hers is more than enough. I don’t own many clothes,” Prudence objected.

  "We’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Maddie added.

  “This dinner is delicious, Doreen,” said Pru
dence.

  “Oh, thank you, but you’ve seen nothing yet. Wait until tomorrow night. I’m preparing something really good for Maddie’s birthday.”

  “I can’t wait to wear my new dress. It is so beautiful!” Maddie exclaimed, then some upsetting thought crossed her mind. Her expression darkened.

  A brief silence ensued. Everyone at the table seemed to try to avoid the subject, but it was inevitable. It was Maddie who initiated the discussion.

  "Have you heard the latest news?"

  "No, I haven’t heard, if you’re talking about the kidnappings," said Doreen, looking a bit nervous. "And I don’t want to. I have not one, but two seventeen-year-old girls in this house. Don’t you think I’m terrified enough? Talking about this will ruin the family meal with bad news, and I don’t want it to ruin your birthday party as well.”

  "But..." Maddie protested.

  "I want to hear the latest news," said Carter.

  "Enough! Carter, if you do, you'll have nightmares later," said his mother.

  "When I came back home today, I heard that the last disappearance has been on this same street."

  All were silent. Bram struggled to swallow the morsel in his mouth. Carter's eyes were like two spheres about to roll out of their sockets. Doreen covered her mouth with both her hands, and Prudence stopped breathing altogether.

  "Are you sure about that?" Bram asked.

  "I am."

  Doreen and Carter hugged. Both of them almost fell from their chairs.

  "Oh my God, this is bad. This is very bad. Bram, what do we do now? How are we going to celebrate Maddie’s birthday with such danger surrounding us?"

  "Relax," Bram said in an attempt to restore peace to the table. "Everyone will sleep in their rooms, just like every night. I'll stay awake watching. Nothing is going to happen. We will have a nice celebration tomorrow. Everything stays as it always has been." Bram ended the conversation by taking a bite of food. Doreen nodded enthusiastically.

  The subject was left behind. Everyone tried hard to change the mood of the conversation. The rest of the dinner was spent swapping childhood stories of Maddie and Prudence during their endless summers in the Cotswolds, when they camped in the countryside or made long night rides or stayed outside and enjoyed their picnics on the banks of the stream.

  After dinner, Maddie and Prudence helped Doreen with the dishes. After they had retired, Doreen and her husband shared a glass of brandy in the kitchen.

  "I don’t want anything bad to happen, Bram. I dread to think that something could happen to the girls. I'm so happy to have Prudence with us. She’s a wonderful girl," said Doreen.

  Prudence heard the murmurs from the room on the second floor where she continued reading her book, curled up in an armchair under the light of a candle.

  "I always felt a little bad for her," Doreen continued as she left her empty glass in the sink.

  "Surely it must be very hard growing up without her parents there," Bram contributed.

  "That's what I mean. My heart breaks just imagining how bad it must have felt not to receive the admission letter. After so many years of planning it, Prudence and Maddie really wanted to do this together."

  A few minutes later, each of the members of the family retired to their rooms. Doreen and Carter slept in the main room, which was located next to the reading room on the second floor of the house. On the ground floor, there was a visitor’s room and also a game room.

  On the first floor was the kitchen, the living room and a small bathroom. The girls shared a room on the third floor, next to little Carter’s room. Maddie had not allowed Prudence to occupy the guest room, because they never considered her as a visitor, but rather as part of their family.

  Prudence slept on the bed that was by the window that faced the street. She had accommodated some of her most prized possessions on the windowsill, among which was a small chest of leather and cherry wood, which her father had made for her. She kept a jewel inside, which she removed from her neck every night before going to bed. The jewel was truly beautiful. It had a blue-green gem in the middle and each end was crimped by an elaborate wrought ramification of a shiny metal.

  Maddie slept in the bed that was on one of the side walls. Apparently, her rest was placid and deep. The same could not be said for Prudence; usually she had very strange dreams, nightmares from which she found it difficult to wake up. That night, her dream was so vivid and real that she never truly knew whether it had happened or if it was only figments of her imagination.

  Prudence stood with her back to the window, because somehow it made her feel more secure. Her blanket covered her shoulders and part of her face. Her toes began to tingle, and then her hands. She turned, to feel a knock on the window. It was an insect, something like a beetle. The insect was black, and its shell shone from the moonlight reflecting off it. A second later, there was another blow on the glass. It was another insect, which was followed by a third and a fourth. The noise stopped for a moment.

  Suddenly, an explosion was heard. It seemed that the window was being bombarded by hundreds of insects that crashed, disoriented, against it. Prudence stood, clutching one end of the blanket with her fist, while the rest hung out of the bed.

  She felt something walking on her feet. When she looked down at the floor, there were more insects. Prudence shook them off and jumped on the bed, while a hundred insects were crashing against the window. The noise from their impacts continued and was getting stronger and stronger. Prudence began to feel deafened by their tireless fluttering. The buzz came over her ears.

  Suddenly, the glass exploded into a thousand pieces. Prudence turned, covering her face with her hands to avoid being hit. After that, there was only silence; the only sound in the room was her intense breathing. She took her hands off of her face and turned to see the rest of the place. Everything seemed calm. The window was intact. There was nothing on the floor but a small crocheted circular rug that Maddie’s mother had insisted for weeks that they buy. There wasn’t a trace of any kind of insect.

  Absolutely nothing.

  Prudence looked out the window onto the street. The neighborhood was plunged in complete peace of the night. She leaned back in the bed that the Percivals had placed especially for her stay in their home. She turned, and returned to the position in which she had previously slept. She closed her eyes, certain that everything was normal again. However, it was impossible to sleep. A cup of hot milk would be a logical solution, so she went down to the kitchen.

  When Prudence was about to take her cup of hot milk that she had added a touch of cinnamon to, Bram descended the stairs.

  “Prudence, have you come down to replace me?" he joked.

  "I had nightmares, I couldn’t go back to sleep.”

  Bram poured some of the mixture Prudence had prepared. "I know it might seem scary, but you have nothing to worry about,” he said apologetically. “Your grandfather called today, he was concerned about these awful events. I told him I won’t let anything bad happen to any of you.”

  “I know that, Bram. I can’t thank you enough for everything you do for me.”

  Bram smiled. “Now be calm, go upstairs and try to get some rest. Besides, tomorrow is Maddie’s birthday. We’ll get together with the rest of the family and some friends. The house will be full of people. What could go wrong?”

  CHAPTER 2

  Prudence woke up thirty minutes before the alarm rang, happy that the night was over and the sun was finally out. She was exhausted from spending the entire night reliving her nightmare again and again. She got up and dressed reluctantly, taking care not to wake Maddie up on her birthday morning.

  As soon as she got downstairs, she had a bite of a sandwich that Doreen had already placed on the dining table with a cup of coffee.

  Doreen was staring out of the window with a cup of tea in her hands. She had a preoccupied expression on her face.

  “Doreen,” said Prudence, but she got no response.

  “Doreen,” she t
ried again. This time Doreen reacted as if she had been pulled out of a reverie.

  “Do you feel alright?” Prudence asked, concerned.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with Lobo.”

  Lobo was the Percivals pet. He was a two year-old black mini schnauzer.

  “What about him?”

  “He’s been looking fixedly at the bushes in the backyard. He hasn’t moved an inch since I got up.”

  “Maybe there’s a cat trapped behind the bushes.”

  “I don’t think so. He gets along well with cats, but I’ve never seen him so upset.”

  Carter appeared, still wearing his pajamas and rubbing his face. Just then, Lobo started barking furiously.

  “What’s wrong with Lobo?” Carter asked, opening the door to get outside.

  “Carter, get back in here! Prudence, please go check," Doreen pleaded while grabbing Carter by the arm.

  Lobo quickly disappeared among the plants. The bushes began to move violently, and Lobo’s barking became grunts. He seemed to be chasing something.

  After a few seconds, there was a groan. Lobo emerged from the plants, running scared into the house. He ran so quickly by Prudence that she couldn’t see if he was hurt. She followed him back inside the house.

  Carter kneeled next to his scared dog to calm him down. “It’s ok. It’s fine. Don’t be scared, little boy.”

  “I don’t like this,” Doreen said, and went upstairs to wake Bram up. A couple of minutes later both of them came back downstairs and they were arguing.

  “You’re being paranoid!”

  “I’m not being paranoid. This is seriously worrying me — there are kids in this house! What if we’re being watched?”

  “What are you talking about? This is a safe neighborhood. We have security patrolling our streets. Everything will be fine!”

  “Then fine! Don’t listen to me, and if something happens, you are not going to tell me I didn’t warn you.”

  "Okay, if something happens, which it will not, I won’t say you that you didn’t warn me."