Part 2: Chapter Seven ~A New World~

k guys, i'm not sure what's happoning but the layout for these is not very good. I hope it's still readable without a headach and such. Here is a chapter that shows more about the relastionship between Safyra and Amy.


The dark tan leather dress she wore, very similar to the one Safyra had on, bended easily with her body as she stepped daintily down the hard, emerald steps. The many green steps spiraled down till it stopped and flattened out into a big hall. Tall pillars of a soft of-white wood spread out evenly among the room, seeming to be grown from the tree itself.
The huge room was actually inside a tree. Amy still was marveling at this. Safyra had explained how the trees grew tall and strong and wouldn’t actually die once you carved into its surface. Apparently they used some sort of magic (from what she gathered) called jaharah to bend the wood to a certain shape. It all amazed her, and she smiled at the thought that she could barely comprehend anything larger then a tree house at home, and now she lived in one. Each TreeHold was as big as a skyscraper, its top branches embracing the very sky. Below, on the ground under the trees the sky was blocked and the forest of tree trunks was darkened and held only a soft glow of light. As Amy looked around the huge room she felt amazed that they had fit everything inside of a tree…
She smiled as she realized she had been standing stricken for at least a minute and her white teeth flashed through her lips. The people surrounding the long marble tables looked up and Safyra motioned to her. From what Amy gathered, the elves did not get visitors very often.
She felt strange, like her body didn’t fit her quite yet. As her friends had told her, and she had observed as she had looked in a mirror, she had, well, changed a great deal when she had been in her coma like state. She resisted an erg to reach up and stroke her now pointed ears. How strange that she should have changed. Safyra said that the only thing that could explain it was that the medicine Tayon had used to heal her got into her blood stream and changed her. Somehow, that just didn’t seem possible.
Amy tried to ignore the many eyes starring at her. A blush crept across her already rosy cheeks. Her hair slid forward as she leaned slightly to pick up her skirts as she reached the bottom.
She saw Safyra looking surprised as she examined Amy coming down. She sat at one of the tables below her. Her booted feet made no noise as she glided down the aisles till she reached Safyra.
“Am I doing okay?” she whispered softly as she reached Safyra’s chair. Safyra shrugged, nodding simply. A tall handsome elf that sat by Safyra stood, and pulled out the chair next to Safyra.
She smiled at him gratefully and sat, smoothing out the wrinkles in the lap of her dress. Her head turned and her eyes looked into Safyra’s icy blue eyes. Safyra smiled rather distantly at her then turned her attention to another elf.
The dark haired elf king sat at the head of the table but as Amy found her seat he stood. The music faded away and any sort of talking diminished almost immediately.
“Welcome my friends to another day. I great you in this way for we have a guest who is unknown to our silent ways.” His voice was full and loud, but had a soft husky tone to it with a slight accent. His very words seemed to shake the very tree and echo through the its interior.
“Now, as common courtesy I would like you all to meet our guest. Amy?” Amy stood rather awkwardly feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. Even if they didn’t get visitors, it was still embarrassing to be treated this way.
“She is to be treated with respect and love and to be spoken to out loud. Now, let us begin our morning feast!” noise erupted from the hall as he sat. Most of it was not voices though, but the sound of plates clattering and knives dancing with the forks.
Amy got a chance to look at the dark haired king over for the first time since she had glimpsed him briefly in the clearing when Valk and Tayon had arrived. He was probably in his late forties. His hair was dark and almost a black brown. It was long, and almost reached his elbows. His proud face was weather worn but still beautiful. Even though he was apparently old, it was hard to tell at all. It seemed that his age didn’t show on his handsome face. He held no wrinkles and no white hairs sprinkled his hair. Amy wondered how long elves actually lived.
He, and everybody else in the room, was fairer then any human. Suddenly his soft brown eyes meet hers. She blushed, ashamed that she had been staring at him. He didn’t seem mad though, his eyes just examined her closely, and then his thin lips smiled. She smiled back and took her eyes away from his to her meal.
It was some sort of meat in bite size chunks side by side with some sort of odd purple vegetable. It looked like a fat asparagus. She picked it up and daringly took a bite. It tasted so wonderfully sweet and sour that she almost gagged on the rich taste.
She devoured the rest and took a bite of the meat. It to was strongly flavored, with many exotic spices it didn’t taste like the bland fatty meat she had eaten so much back home. She gladly ate the rest. She hadn’t realized how hungry she really was!
A chair squeaked softly on the marble tile and she looked up. Her eyes meet Tayon’s as he sat down and she quickly looked away. She felt her cheeks burn as she fumbled with her fork.
It had been three days since Tayon had arrived and she had changed. She had spent those last days in bed, recovering. This was the first day she had been up and around the castle. Her back felt amazingly better but still hurt painfully when she overworked herself. She did not let this on, for she wanted them to believe she was healed.
She felt strangely shy around Tayon. She had never known a boy to be so nice and reasonable. She could still remember those dolts that Brianna had called her boyfriends.
The fact was that Amy didn’t know what to do with Tayon. He was so exiting, always wanting to do stuff, and well, very handsome. She found it weird that he was so kind and funny. The only jokes Brianna’s boyfriends had found funny were mean ones about her.
“How are you?” the voice that was clearly Tayon’s broke her thoughts.
“Well, better, thanks to you.” He just smiled back at her. Realizing she had frozen, she shyly went back to the weird green plum looking thing that she found rather funny tasting. Along side her the elves looked at each other, making facial expressions though they didn’t talk out-loud. Amy found it un-nerving to see the people silent but looking so like they were deep in conversation.
“Amy? I was wondering if you would like a tour of the TreeHold’s and the Trydony forest of Aletheaon.” It was Safyra, she was talking slowly, as if talking to a simple minded fool. Amy frowned inside but she really did want to see the city in the woods! What was an elves home like?
The elves here were different then the beautiful fleet footed elves of the stories and movies. Maybe it was just the fact that they were real that made them so different, so, alien like. The elves she had read about were just changed humans who had a talent of magic. These ones…well, didn’t seem human at all. They seemed to think the whole world had spirits and they were “one” with them. Now though, she looked like them. So did that make her an elf? Her thoughts cleared and she realized that she hadn’t answered Safyra’s question yet.
“That would be great. When do you want to go?” She stuttered out quickly.
“Now. I can take Bleki Taeke and you can be on another dishora” Amy nodded, she was finished with her exotic food. Amy loved riding, even though these dishoras were nothing like horses.
“May I come too?” Safyra and Amy looked toward the voice. A very tall and very black haired elf stood near them. He must have sneaked up on them while they were talking Amy thought.
“Gearion” was Safyra’s only response but Amy felt that something was going on between the two for Gearion frowned at something that Amy couldn’t hear.
Amy felt surprised as she saw the unhappiness on his face. Who was he? She felt kind of bad as his face seemed to fall even more as he stared at her with big orange eyes and then walked off.
A frown flitted on Safyra’s lips and she hurried to straighten her face back to its serious demeanor.
“That is the very first time Gearion has talked to me for another reason then answering me.” Safyra said as if to explain the conversation. Amy shook her head and went back to eating.
“Clueless aren’t you?” At Safyra’s words Amy looked up guiltily.
“Sorry, did you say anything that I missed?” Safyra snorted in a lady like way that Amy didn’t think possible and went back to her food.
Amy shrugged but decided to leave it at that. Her mind was elsewhere. What would Aletheaon be like? She couldn’t wait to be back on a horse again, it had been awhile since Dona had let her ride.
“Ready?” Safyra asked, standing in her graceful way.
“Ready.”


“This is Silesia; she will be the one you’ll ride today.” Amy nodded back nervously, pulling on the sleeve of her riding dress.
“Do you know how to ride?”
“Of course.” Amy said smiling.
“Good. Let’s go then, follow me.” Amy led Silesia after Safyra pulling her dishoras after her.
Silesia was a pale silver dishora, unlike the black one that Safyra held. She noticed that a shaved stump of a horn was poking out of the back of its head. She felt strangely small beside these great beasts. They were easily bigger then even the largest horse on earth was.
She found this underground stable very interesting. It was dark, yet light shone without a light source anywhere. To her right were stalls and stalls of both beautiful horses and black or grey dishoras. Then a thought crossed her mind. In this bizarre world, could there be all animals of fantasy?
“How come there are no unicorns?” She asked after they had passed all the stalls.
“That is a sad subject you have chosen.” Safyra answered softly. “It isn’t a bedtime story that’s for sure.” She was silent for such a long time that Amy wondered if she had forgotten the question. Finally she spoke.
“Long ago we used to walk among the unicorns. They were the grandest of all creatures and considered sacred. They had a talesteia, the most beautiful of unicorns. Her name was Kendora. To us, a talesteia is a ruler, or a queen in Kendora’s case. She watched the world from the unicorn land, Ralesia, in the sky. She governed the passage way from earth to Baldemoore.”
“Is that what I came through?” Amy interrupted before she could think. She was excited to know more about this gateway, maybe she could go home.
Safyra had impatiently explained to Amy that she didn’t know how she got through, she just used powerful jaharah of some sort. This Amy found perfectly ridicules but had not told the serious faced elf her views. This whole magic thing was stupid and couldn’t be true. They didn’t even had the same name for magic. What kind of name was jaharah?
But then again, if it was true, then she could maybe go home? But was earth really her home? She felt otherwise. This place, even though she had been here for so little of a time, felt like home.
“Anyway, she was the Baldemoore’s guardian. An evil was arising though; many unicorns were hunted for their horns until they all but disappeared. Then, a certain man, who was king at the time, became evil. He killed his wife and daughter and then trapped the unicorns in a dark place. They cannot escape ever. Some say that they are waiting for the right person to come and release them from their dark prison. It is said that that person has to have the key to the place.” Amy resisted a strong urge to reach up and grab her necklace as Safyra gave her a strange look. “I told you it was dark tale. I did not mean to give you such a story on a day like this. Now, let us continue on.” They walked down the musty isles until they reached another set of stalls. They were a strange metal instead of the usual wood stalls.
Amy curiously peered inside but quickly jumped back as teeth snapped two inches from her face.
“What in the world was that?!” She shrieked at Safyra as the black nose with the mouth full of fangs retreated with a grunt back into the shadows.
“I’m sorry, I should have told you. Are you alright?” Safyra didn’t really seemed bothered though.
“I’m fine, but what is that thing?” Amy shuddered as a furious snort came from within the shadows.
“Well…it’s kind of hard to explain, let me show you.”
“Noooo way! I’m not going any where near that thing.” Amy muttered. Safyra gave her a strange look and walked over to the stall door. No teeth emerged this time, just a neigh that seemed to rumble the earth.
“Tankdom you little fowlger. That is no way to greet someone. You never know if they’ll bite back!” The neigh that returned made it clear that he didn’t think anyone would challenge him. Safyra smiled softly. The flash of emotion was nice to see on the stone face that she had seen the last couple of hours.
“Here, come over here. Don’t worry; I think he was just jumpy. He won’t hurt you now.” Amy slowly walked over to the huge stall.
“You sooo owe me for this.” Safyra frowned this time and waved her hand motioning that she should come closer.
Slowly Amy walked over to the door. She felt a slight pressure on her lead rope that told her that Silesia didn’t want to get closer either.
Finally she reached the door and peered inside straining her eyes to see through the dim light of the stall.
Inside was the most amazing creature that she had ever seen. It was a dishora, but slightly altered. Fangs hung over its top lip and its eyes burned red inside the eerie stall. Unlike the dishora she held in her hand, this one didn’t have its back horn shaved off. Both its horns pointed out. Each one was black at the base and blood red at the tip.
What threw her off the most was the fact that it didn’t have front legs. A huge muscular chest curved out with no sign of front legs. It stood with absolute balance on its two back legs.
“Is this a dishora?” Amy managed to gasp out. Safyra snorted again, which she seemed to be doing a lot lately.
“It is a war dishora, we use them for battles or when we need to fly somewhere fast and know that you are on a beast that will cause your enemies a fright. They are cousins to the dishoras that you’ve seen. Only these ones do not have their horns shaved, and the fact that they don’t have front legs.” Amy snorted. Yeah, just the small fact that they don’t have front legs…honestly! She said that as if she didn’t care, Amy thought wildly.
“How come they don’t fall over?” Now Amy was more interested then scared. She enjoyed finding the sources of her dreams in such a world.
“Their wings act like a balance source for them. Each wing is weighted just enough to keep them from tipping over but not heavy enough to weigh them down. See how huge their back legs are? They’re so heavily muscles that the weight doesn’t bother them at all. They are our most prized livestock. Watch what you say to them too, they are almost as smart as a dragon. Now, no more questions or we’ll never get out on our ride!” Amy obediently tore her eyes from Tankdom and followed Safyra. She found that the longer she got Safyra to talk the more she did. Maybe she was just hidden behind her poker face. Amy wondered just what kind of thoughts went through her mind.
They walked down the metal isle, each stall filled with a huge war dishora. There seemed to be an endless row of them, each glaring back at her with red eyes.
Finally, they reached the end of the stable and pushed through the doors and out into the morning light.
Walking out into the clear air was like walking out of fog. She hadn’t realized how dusty the stable really had been.
Safyra quickly explained how to mount a dishora without hurting there wings. It was an interesting business and once they were finished Amy felt a sense of pride that she was able to do it right. She was so high though. The ground seemed forever away.
Suddenly Safyra’s head snapped up, her eyes glaring at an approaching figure.
Just then a sharp voice cut into her thoughts.
“Sorry visitor, I forgot your mind is weak and you can’t speak in thoughts. No matter, I haven’t come to discuss that. Where do you think you’re going, cousin?” The last part was directed at Safyra. Safyra rolled her eyes and turned around. Amy watched curiously as a tall black haired elf walked over to them. She had sharp features, high cheek bones, a long, straight nose and piercing purple eyes. There was something young in her features though, and Amy sensed that the elf was younger then Safyra.
“None of your business Kaprie” Safyra said sharply as if talking to a naughty child. “And no, you can’t take over my duties as princess while I’m gone so leave be!” Safyra growled impatiently.
The elf, Kaprie, sniffed airily “who said I was going to ask you that?” Safyra gave her a withering look. “You were thinking it” she muttered under her breath. This response surprised Amy. Could the elves actually hear each others thoughts? Wouldn’t that explain their silence though? The new idea sparked her curiosity faster then fire on paper. Kaprie pretended she didn’t hear the whispered words and turned to Amy. Amy felt uneasy under the sever gaze.
“Funny that you have the little tag along human who looks like an elf. I don’t know why they keep talking about. There is nothing ‘special’ about you.” She said eyeing her like she was an animal for sale.
“And who might you be? I haven’t heard about you, but there’s nothing ‘special’ about you so I guess that’s not a surprise.” Amy’s own sarcasm shocked her. She had never stood up to Brianna, or Dona. So why now against an elf she hardly knew? Maybe Safyra’s attitude was rubbing of on her.
Safyra’s hand went to her mouth, Amy was sure it was covering a grimace. Kaprie was not so amused.
“I find your snippety very childish. I’m Safyra’s cousin, Kaprie. I am the next in line to being the princess.”
“Good for you” Amy muttered under her breath. A low chuckle escaped Safyra’s mouth and she met Amy’s eyes.
“Well, we’ve wasted time Kaprie, we’d better be off” and she kicked her dishora into a prancing trot down the long dirt road. Amy, with a last glace back at Kaprie followed. She hadn’t missed Kaprie’s look either, one of pure hatred.
“She doesn’t like you” Amy said as she caught up to Safyra.
“Nope, not a bit. I bet you’re on her bad side too now. You shouldn’t have done that, even if it was…interesting.” Safyra grimaced then turned to look back at Amy.
“How come she hates you?” Amy wondered. Safyra frowned, back into her stone faced self.
“It’s because I’m the princess. She wants to be the ruler of Aletheaon and I’m in her way. She thinks she would do a better job. She will never get her way.” Safyra glanced briefly at Amy, her alien like eyes hard. Amy flinched under her gaze even if it seemed to reach past her, a place that only the elf could see.
When the elf turned away Amy felt funnily unwanted. She hadn’t missed the look in her eyes though. Why had Safyra looked so weird? As if she herself was strange. She wasn’t the one who was strange though.
As they rode on towards the clearing where they would start to fly Amy got the chance to really examine the face of her companion.
Such strange features. What she had thought before as beautiful was really just crisp and flawless features. Her eyes were actually rather slanted and held a strange thoughtful glance. She was so different, as were the other elves. Was she so sure that they were good? Or were her friendly fairy tale version elves just stories and were these elves really vicious? She wasn’t sure she liked having such strange and different people around her.
She remembered the strange looks Safyra had given her. Was she just as strange and alien to her?
Safyra caught her glance and eyed her suspiciously then kicked Bleaki Taeke into a faster paced walk. Amy followed and they walked through the forest, and into a new world.
But was this the kind of world Amy could except?

Part 2: Chapter six ~The Meeting~

I'm very sorry about the format of this chapter. I'm not sure what's wrong, it won't do anything i want. From here on is Part Two, which should mostly be in Amy's point of view with a couple juicy moments from Kevyn and Safyra.


Amy’s eyes snapped open as she quickly sat up. Her muscles trembled with the effort. Her head ached and a constant pounding made her feel woozy. She raised a heavily bandaged arm up to her face. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and she quickly brushed it away. Still the face of a wolf burned her mind.
But she couldn’t remember what it was doing in her memory. She was so confused.
Amy’s limbs shook violently as she lay back down on her soft bed. Bed! Ignoring her pain, Amy shot out of bed. Where was she?
She walked over to the stone dresser and lifted up a small glass jar. It had beautiful designs of flowers carved into it. She set it back on the dresser and backed up.
Her whole body ached, and as she walked, icy stabs of pain shot up her back and into her chest and stomach. Amy clenched her teeth, willing the pain to go away. She lifted up one of her bandaged arms and tried to pull the strange fabric back, but it held tightly. She moved a step closer to the door.
Something on her neck swung slightly and an icy coolness touched her skin. She reached into her bloodstained, ripped shirt and pulled out a necklace. It was beautiful and she marveled at its finery. There was a rainbow stone in the middle of it, and she reached out and touched it with her finger. She had to find Kara. She had to get out of this place.
She rammed into the wooden door, trying to grasp the door handle, but there was none. The sudden movement pulled her injuries apart.
Amy gasped as pain, like none that she had ever before felt, crawled through her. She screamed, unable to keep it in and clawed at her body. Desperately she tried to keep her body from ripping apart.
She fell back on to the floor, crying softly.
She heard footsteps , but no words. The door swung open and a silvery-blue haired, smooth-faced girl ran into the room. She instantly recognized the face of the girl who clamed to be an elf. She had been the one who had found her in that forest called Trydony. Safyra.
“What’s wrong with me…?” she choked out through rasped breaths.
“Shh,” the girl said, her voice slightly hoarse, examining her from a distance. With quickness that startled her Safyra set her hand on Amy’s forehead then pulled it away hurriedly.
“Fever...you’re delirious; back to bed.” The girls choppy speech seemed strained. Amy was still confused. Was she at Safyra’s home?
Safyra helped her to her feet, ignoring Amy’s protests. The elf girl seemed stiff, and hurt herself.
Yet she made no noise or indicated she was in pain.
“Do you remember what happened?” Amy nodded, then, frowning shook her head. Safyra grimaced.
“I thought as much. I found you in the forest. We were attacked by a wolf, you were knocked out then…” she frowned and her words trailed off. The girl absently touched her rips, and Amy knew the girl had been hurt.
“I see. Well, um, have you found Kara?” She wanted desperately to see her nod her head, but instead the girl frowned and shook her head.
Amy saw the confusion behind those deep eyes.
“I don’t…know who she is, much less where she is. We’ve tried to scry her but nothing comes up, just an unusual darkness.” The girl seemed annoyed. Amy didn’t understand what the girl was talking about, just that Kara hadn’t been found. She was lost, but was Kara totally lost? Maybe if she explained who Kara was.
“You can’t not find her though. She’s my friend. She…came with me here.” Amy said, feeling anxiously run around in her stomach. Safyra smiled sadly in a hidden way. Then she shook her head, her long hair slipping from its place behind her curved shoulders.
Safyra reached forward and set cold rags soaked with a strange sticky substance on her head.
“The rag is soaked with Fever-yai, it will help your fever. Now sleep. No one can hurt you, I promise.” Amy smiled and had the strength to snort at the absurdity of the promise.
“That’s a stupid promise.” She said. Safyra frowned, seeming offended.
“It was no promise like the one you speak of. I am just…letting you know we won’t hurt you. Now, back to sleep. You need rest,” Safyra said after many long minutes.
The elf stood, cringing slightly and stretching her stomach experimentally. Amy examined the rest of the tall girl.
She was tall, not amazingly towering but as in around six feet. She had long silver hair that had a tint of blue behind its white glare. She had an oval face, with high, sharp cheek bones and slim cheeks. Her eyes were dark blue, but they seemed tired. There was paleness to her cheeks, as if she hadn’t slept well in months.
Her eyebrows were forever in a brooding arc that made her look like she was deep in thought. Her lips were full and a strange, soft green. A cloudy white jewel was placed in the middle of her forehead, peaking out from beneath her long bangs. She had a silver crown that was made of leaves, twisting around a silver rod.
She was dressed in simple black leather-looking clothing. It didn’t seem to have any seems but looked as if it was just slipped over her head. It had long, stretchy black sleeves that ended just below the elbow and the neckline was open except for straps wrapping around her neck. It ended at her knees and then she had long, animal skin boots that laced up the front. She was unbelievably beautiful in a sharp, alien way.
Safyra, oblivious to the fact that she was being observed, frowned slightly. She tilted her head to one side, and Amy was suddenly aware of a strange fuzziness in her mind that she remembered from when she had first met Safyra. She quickly pushed the tingling out of her head and Safyra let a small gasp of pain escaped her lips.
Serves her right for messing with me, Amy thought angrily. Safyra quickly walked out of the room, not looking back.


Safyra walked through the small halls carved into the huge tree until she reached a large silver door. She sighed and leaned against the wall beside it, recovering herself. Her ribs ached terribly and she laid a hand over them as if trying to quail its pain.
Her thoughts were on Amy though, and the pain slipped away as she was occupied.
She couldn’t understand the strange girl. Those green eyes haunted her every time she gazed into them. How come Amy had those same green eyes that had followed her in her dream?
Half of her still yearned for answers. But some of her…most of her, just wanted the girl gone. She had almost died trying to save a girl she had barely met. Plus she was sick of hearing the words “help her” echo through her head.
What if she didn’t want to help her anymore? Safyra had obligations, problems of her own. Shaking her head, frustrated, she pushed off the wall and looked at the tall door in front of her. Was she ready to face her uncle?
Whether she was ready or not she pressed her hand up against the cool wood and muttered “unarkyia”. The doors shimmered slightly then disappeared completely. She walked through the open doorway and once she was through the door materialized back into place.
The room had no furniture except a table and chairs, which stood in the middle of the room. Maps and papers littered the walls. At the table sat her uncle and aunt, the queen and king. She was the last living descendent of them, so therefore the heir for Aletheaon.
Sitting at the table was also Denner, the warrior captain, and Kevyn, sat at ether side of them.
Kevyn smiled when he noticed her and she nodded sharply, ignoring his casualty. His eyes were questioning and she slightly rolled her eyes in answer to his secret question. He frowned and eyed her sharply but she wasn’t willing to talk right then. She had a job to do.
Her uncle had fallen silent as she walked in through the door.
Welcome princess Denner thought-spoke, and they all nodded to acknowledge her. Safyra was thankful they talked in thought speech, she wasn’t sure if she could take anymore talking out loud.
Her uncle lifted his arm and flipped his wrist. Another chair appeared at the table. It clinked to the ground, and Safyra sat in it, scooting her chair up.
She stared at the large map of Baldemoore laid out in front of her. Red and blue dots were scattered around the surface. The enemy was growing stronger, she noticed, as she counted the red dots. Denner, with a sigh, rolled up the map and put it behind him then turned back to them. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together.
How is the girl doing? Have you got anything out of her? Safyra sighed at her uncles words and shook her head.
I’m afraid we’ll lose her soon unless her blood flow is stopped .Then there’s the problem with the rest of her body. Her uncle shook his head sadly.
I have noticed some… things about her though. She has an unusual necklace that she wears under her shirt.. He rose his rigged black eyebrows, considering her words.
I’ve tried everything I can to heal her but so far nothing is working. I’m afraid she might die. He stood at her words and began passing back and forth.
I can’t help but keep thinking about her injures. How could someone deliver such a strange wound? Kevyn said, shaking his head. Safyra caught his eye and they shared an idea.
Wait, most of them don’t seem to be man-made. Only a couple scrapes on her arms and the slashes on her back are healing. But the other marks…inside her…they seem to be made from something else altogether. So what if this is jaharah we’re dealing with, a kind we’ve never seen? Safyra watched her uncle closely, his expression didn’t change but he seemed to be considering the idea.
I’ll think on that Safyra, but it isn’t very probable. Safyra nodded, her outward mask blank. At least he would think about it.
It would be nice if this girl could remember how she got here. This Amy is very irregular, going with Safyra’s idea about her strange injuries; there could be a secret weapon we could use against Glodrian.
Kevyn stood, looking serious as he grabbed the map again.
“There is something else to consider,” he said out-load, his voice hurting her ears. His head was bent, his hair falling in front of his face. Safyra glared haughtily at him as he slowly as he laid out them map.
The enemy is growing stronger and stronger in the west, especially around Glodrian. We think he must be gathering his army there where he will have a direct hit at us.
What is irregular is that everywhere in the Glodrian forest there are red dots, except around the tip here. His finger pointing to a small portion of forestland that was cut off of the rest of the forest by the Astrauff River. We think this might be evidence that some of the Glodrian elves escaped Sletheyon’s raid and are hidden there. Safyra raised an eyebrow. The thought was wonderful; if it was true…there would be more people to help them fight in the war.
That’s wonderful of course but what are we going to do about it? And how could they possibly have gone unnoticed by the Glodrians’? There has to be a reason why there is no solider camps there, and the Glodrian’s would know if something stood in there way. They all looked at each other, frowning.
We don’t know yet. Denner thought and the whole table drifted off into their own thoughts on the unoccupied part of the map.
Suddenly cries broke into her mind and even more filled the air.
All the elves jumped up, knocking their chairs to the ground.
Kevyn was first to race to the window. He looked out then pulled his head back in and turned towards them. His shaggy hair fell down his furrowed brow. His face was pale and shocked.
It’s a dragon. She could feel his astonishment even in her mind.
Everyone moved immediately into action.
Denner pulled out his sword and ran out of the room with everyone closely following. Safyra grabbed at her sword but felt Kevyn’s hand on her shoulder.
Safyra stay inside. He said softly in her mind, but she still felt the power of his words.
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head stubbornly, she wasn’t going to miss a battle. He sighed, shaking his head at her then the two quickly raced after their companions.
They reached one of the overhanging rock patios jutting out of the tree and jumped out on its wide patio, looking around.
Soldiers were shouting orders at the base of the TreeHold, archers cocked their arrows. Safyra stared with wonder at the great red dragon that was steadily flying towards them. What could this attack mean? Was the war finally going to come to her home land?


Amy, in her bed, heard the shouts and a feint buzzing in her head and stood up hesitantly; pulling on a blue shawl that hung on a chair by her bed. She clenched her fist as her muscles strained and sharp stings went up her body.
She ignored it and rushed out of the room, holding on to the objects on the walls to support her aching body. She had no idea where she was or where to get to the screaming people. She instead climbed stair after stair until she saw a glass door leading out to an empty patio.
She opened the door and stood out into the wind.
She was on a rather small patio overlooking the whole forest. She was in the largest tree in the whole forest, but still the trees she looked out at were huge, hundreds of feet tall. Beautiful vines and foliage covered most of the forest floor. She looked down and saw Safyra and several more people with swords in their hands standing on a overhanging much like hers. Archers below them held their ground ready to shoot.
She grabbed onto the stone that was in front of her and looked out across the tops of the many trees. A huge red dragon was soaring swiftly at them. She didn’t question why there was a dragon but merely looked for a rider.
She saw a small figure on its back and raised her hand to shield the rays of light shining off the dragon’s scales.
What she saw was incredible, the dragon was huge, and so beautiful. It was like one of those picture dragons, flown out of the book. It had such grace in the air, twisting and its huge wings beating the air.
She felt something in her head, a slight disturbance, and she relaxed, letting it somehow in, not knowing what it was but merely that it wouldn’t hurt her. Automatically, a boy’s voice filled her head.
I come in peace. Don’t shoot! The presence went away and suddenly Amy’s body seemed not to be her own and some alien instant kicked in. Thinking intensely she opened her mind and called out as strong as she could.
STOP! The words burst from her mind, like she was sending them out into the world, losing them somehow.
She half expected for nothing to happen, but instead she feel many eyes on her, but she kept hers on the dragon and its cloaked rider, feeling a faint flush creep across her cheeks. What had she just done? Now that the strange presence in her was gone she was left with an uncertainty.
Most of all, Amy felt Safyra’s iron gaze on her. Amy didn’t let her eyes down and instead stood tall.
The dragon rider was closer now and Amy saw him grip on to the dragon’s many black spikes. He seemed to have heard Amy’s shout and was glancing from the lone girl on the balcony to the archers who were hesitantly lowering their bows at a signal from a tall green robed girl standing below the tower. Amy ignored the murmurings below her and stood tall, erect and proud and having no idea why.
The wind flipped her midnight black hair to and fro making it slap her face as it twirled around her waist. For a few minutes she forgot the pains in her body and could think clearly.
The beautiful red dragon began his decent, flying to the open field below.
Amy kept studying the dragon and its rider. She felt like she had falling into one of her fairytale books she kept hidden back at Dona’s house. Was she really dreaming…or was this real. She sure hoped she had done the right thing. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Safyra walk back into the castle and disappear.
A dark, handsome elf boy seemed to lean after Safyra, as if calling to her.
Amy kept gazing down as the dragon hit the ground, neatly folding its huge wings. She heard another rush of wings beating and saw Safyra flying up to her on a black unicorn with bat wings. It was fierce looking and made her quiver. It’s horn could have easily passed through her.
Safyra pulled the unicorn up against the wall and looked up at Amy. Finally Amy tore her whole gaze to the dragon surrounded by armed elves and to Safyra.
“What are you doing?” she asked, surprised. Safyra sighed and her thin eyebrows tilted farther downward.
“I should be asking the same question. Why are you not in your room resting?” Amy shrugged at this, seeming to not care.
“I heard shouts. What’s going on? And what kind of animal is that?” Amy asked as she noticed a second horn, shaved down to only a stub, coming out of the back of its head. Safyra sighed, acting calm and composed. Her marble face didn’t even crease now.
“A dishora. Come with me. I’ll get someone to help carry you back to your room.”
Amy hid a scowl, there was no way that she was going to go now that she was curious about the dragon. A real dragon. Instead of protesting she awkwardly grabbed Safyra’s arm and allowed her to swing her up behind her. She awkwardly, and painfully, situated her legs around the thick black wings and clutched Safyra around her thin waist. She tried her best at ignoring her body’s cries of displeasure as she did this.
Safyra pulled down on the reins and they dove slowly to the ground where they glided across the ground until they reached the dragon’s landing sight.
The dragon rider, who was eyeing the arrows of the surrounding elves, looked up and a burning pair of golden eyes broke through the darkness of the hood covering his head. He met Amy’s gaze as the dishora thundered unto the ground in a jerked landing. Amy grabbed her elf friend’s wrists and swung down. She hit the ground then crumpled, crying out in pain. The elf princess jumped off and helped her to stand. Amy couldn’t help but notice the elf’s obvious annoyance. Feeling hurt by the hard look in Safyra’s eyes Amy took strong steps towards the dragon, and Safyra let her hands fall.
The rider jumped down, landing gracefully on his feet. His long black cloak had billowed around him when he had jumped but now it settled around his figure, making him seem dark and mysterious. Everyone tensed up. The elf who had been with Safyra stood forward and Amy felt the buzzing again. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Safyra stood forward, and looked like she was trying to say something. A murmur went through the crowd around them then the elf-boy spoke.
“State your name and business and throw down your sword,” Kevyn growled, walking up to Safyra’s side, his sword at the ready.
The hooded boy looked at Kevyn and said slowly, in a deep, musical voice:
“If I do, promise me that I will get it back.” Kevyn stared at the hooded figure. He was grasping the hilt of his sword.
“I make no promises.”
The boy seemed to sizzle at those words and unsheathed his sword, then handed it hesitantly to Kevyn.
Amy saw the sun glint of many jewels and the smooth metal of the sharp sides. It was very beautiful. Kevyn seemed to be marveling at its perfect balance and beautiful design. Amy noticed that Kevyn’s and Safyra met each other’s eyes and the beautiful elf rose one of her eyebrows at him.
“Nice sword,” he said bluntly turning back to the cloaked dragon rider. The boy nodded, his face still hidden.
“My brother made it for me. Also, my name is Tayon, son of Joeag, the seer.” A round of gasps filled the huge clearing and the very trees seemed to lean forward, their branches at the ready for more. Then the boy called Tayon continued. “I was on a search for my father, who was captured by the Glodrian elves when I felt a slight disturbance here.”
“This disturbance is why I am off track of my destination. I am a….sencer. I felt a great evil here and needed to know what it is. I thought it might be something to do with my father but I’m not sure. Even my abilities are limited. But what seems most peculiar is that it is no longer here, and hasn’t been for over twenty-four hours I believe.”
A tall elf with dark hair and a golden crown stepped forward. Amy immediately knew he was a king, or at the very least someone who was royal. When he spoke his voice was husky, even with the slight accent that hinted smoothness behind his words.
“I know very well of your father, young Tayon. We have a spy in the Glodrian castle. Your father is not dead.”
Tayon seemed to be much relived for his shoulders sagged in relief under his cloak.
This time, Safyra stepped forward, surprising Amy.
“I am Princess Safyra Nardelea of Aletheaon. I was present at the time. That great evil was a Rakeer.” Amy noticed offhandedly that Safyra’s voice was so much more hoarse then the others.
There were more gasps and murmurs. Tayon seemed to be none to happy now. As he sighed he leaned back against the side of his dragon that was still silent.
“If you will excuse us, but please may we see your face? We are no threat to you, but are you a threat to us?” It was the black-haired boy who asked it, Kevyn.
Tayon seemed to be toying with the idea of reviling himself, and then decided he would for he answered this time.
“I will revel myself, if you promise not to judge me for my fenter.” Amy wondered what a fenter was as she considered her position behind Safyra. She found that her view point was hidden by Safyra’s silver haired head and she realized that she was hidden from view from Tayon. Slowly she limped around Safyra, but kept her eyes on the ground. What would he think of her anyways? Would he just see some lonely girl that didn’t have half the looks of the elves around her? Would he even recognize her as the one who he had…thought too and asked for his safety?
She looked up though as the boy, Tayon, pulled off his hood. She was astonished at what she saw. He was definitely an elf, but different somehow, strange.
Long shaggy, brownish blond hair fell almost to his shoulders and over his forehead. He had a big black stone on his forehead like the white stones on all the elves around her. His eyes had a base color of gold, and light and dark blue specks were scattered around in the liquid gold. His pupils were lined with purple, making his eyes stand out from the white around them. He was strange, his whole being alien to her. He had long eyelashes and an oval face. High cheek bones and pointed ears revealed him as an elf.
He was about sixteen or seventeen, just barely older than her. He had tan, perfect skin that was strangely more olive like then the other elves around her.
She heard slight gasps and realized it was the black stone on his forehead that upset them.
“Glodrian filth!” someone shouted.
“I told you not to judge me because of my fenter. My family and I are outcasts of the Gordian city because of our powers. I am not one of them.” His dark eyebrows furrowed and Amy thought it made him even more handsome.
Amy felt Safyra relax and saw that some of the other elves had done the same. Apparently the elves believed his story.
The king stepped forward once again.
“So… you say that you are not an enemy, is that true? You speak no lies, either that or you’re a very good liar…but how did you come across a dragon?”
Tayon laughed. It was a deep pleasant sound that made Amy’s stomach do flip-flops. He still hadn’t noticed her rigid figure, standing among the huge tree’s shadows.
“If that is what is bothering you, do not worry. He is evil-free. I found him about a year ago, rejected from his home. I have cared for him since, and he has pledged to be my companion till death. His name is Valk.” Valk lowered his head to eye-level and gently nuzzled Tayon’s shoulder. He then sent a gentle growl to his audience. It sounded more like a purr to Amy then a growl though.
“No such thing as a nice dragon.” A man standing under a huge silver tree murmured, unsettled.
Many of the people in the audience murmured also, no one seemed to like the thought of a nice dragon. Either that or they were too frightened to agree.
The silence was broken as a man on a gray dishora came out of nowhere and landed swiftly on the ground beside the dragon. The dishora didn’t seem to be bothered whatsoever about the dragon, Valk, and just sniffed disdainfully at him. His rider was a dark haired elf with a long face and rather small elf ears. He jumped off his dishora and ran to the king.
“Your majesty,” he bowed then straightened.
“We have just received word from Beaumune; they have captured a girl who doesn’t seem to be from this world. They are still collecting young girls to be examined by Iserack and she is one of them.” Amy’s eyes darkened and her forehead furrowed as she gazed back at the man. He couldn’t mean…Kara? Had she really gotten here just like her? Was she as lost and hurt as Amy was herself? The thought of Kara with her in this bizarre fairy-tale land made her over fill with emotion. Before she could stop herself Kara’s name burst from her pale lips.
The dark haired elf looked over to her for the first time. His eyes traveled down to her neck where the necklace hung. She clutched it and starred intensely back at him.
“Yes, that’s her name.” He murmured softly, his eyes deeply curious. The whole clearing was dead silent now. The very birds and plants had stopped moving, stopped breathing. Each elf in the clearing had its eyes trained on her.
She was very conscious of the fact of a certain pair of golden purple eyes trained on her.
Amy stepped forward, feeling very shy of the stares and dared to ask Tayon a question that she was longing to ask.
“Tayon?” she paused, the name felt funny on her tongue. She dared a glance up and met his golden gaze, its purple edges swallowing her whole. “Your goin’ to this Glodrian place right?” He nodded slowly. His eyes still held her in shackles.
Amy hesitated for a moment. She could barely form her question in her mind with those eyes watching her. “I…I want to go with you. To help you get your, a, lost father, and to get Kara. It is my fault she is here anyway.” Everyone seemed stunned. With the looks that went around the circle Amy was sure they had all heard of her sudden appearance in the forest. Amy had no doubt that many rumors had been told, the funny thing was that she didn’t know the truth anyways. Safyra seemed to finally find her voice and she stepped forward, a strange look in her eyes.
“No,” was all she said.
Amy clenched her fist and finally tore her gaze from Tayon’s to Safyra’s outraged gaze. The effort of standing was starting to drain on her of strength. “Why not?”
“You are hurt, that’s why. You can barely walk as it is and much less travel. You shouldn’t even be out here!” Her blue gaze smoked a hole through Amy but she refuse to yield. She HAD to go find Kara. The longing for her friend almost overwhelmed her to tears.
“I have to go!” Then she dropped into a dead faint. Safyra moved with unnatural speed and caught the falling girl letting out a annoyed sigh.



Amy flinched and moaned in her sleeping state. As Safyra laid her down Tayon walked over, ignoring the crowds protest. Amy resurfaced barely and could slightly understand what was going on around her.
“She’s injured and we can’t seem to heal her. It is slowly killing her, I’m afraid.” Safyra whispered, all pervious irritation gone. Tayon knelt at Amy’s side. Kevyn stepped forward protectively, thinking of Safyra.
Amy was now on her stomach and was softly moaning.
Tayon slowly reached out to touch Amy’s forehead. Safyra reached forward and grabbed his hand, her grasp firm and biting.
“What do you think you doing!?” She said glaring at the strange boy with the evil fenter. He sighed and gestured to the small bottle hanging from his neck.
“I have a special ointment that I think should heal this wound. I know that you’ve probably already tried healing this with magic, which is why it won’t work. Even I can tell that she is not from this world, so, I know that she probably got hurt in her other world, am I right?” Safyra gave him one of her penetrating gazes.
“Her injuries are healing fine on the outside. Something in her is wrong.” Tayon seemed to be confused by this and bit his lip in thought.
“What if I poor the potion into her mouth?” Safyra glared this time.
“I don’t know, would it help? It’s not my potion.” He seemed a little taken aback by her biting words, but quickly recovered. Kevyn was glaring at Safyra but she refused to meet his gaze.
“Fine, I’m going to try.” He reached for his neck but Safyra stopped him.
“How do we know that’s not poison.” Her hidden meaning that she didn’t trust him was so clear it was almost embarrassing to listen to.
Tayon sighed, but reached for his neck.
“Then you’re just going to have to trust me.” Safyra stared into his eyes for several seconds then nodded.
“Do it.” Was her only words.
Amy felt cool feeling of fingers around her mouth gently pry her lips apart. She shuddered and breathed in sharply.
Tayon reached up and quickly pulled the necklace from his neck, unscrewing the small, black lid.
Tayon let a single yellow drop fall from the bottle into Amy’s mouth.
It dropped very slowly as if it was as light as a feather. It turned black then gold then settled on a deep orange. It dripped perfectly between Amy’s pale lips.
A choking coughing erupted from Amy’s throat and her body heaved with the violent coughs.
Then, everything was silent.
“It’s not helping is it?” Safyra said watching Amy’s still body. Tayon shushed her, still watching Amy’s still figure.
Then slowly Amy’s skin began to glow and before their eyes she began to change.


They sat in silence watching and waiting. For hours they sat, concentrating on the changed girl in front of them.
After several more hours, after they had brought Amy in, Tayon broke the silence.
What do you think my potion did? He said as Safyra sighed and looked up at him. She frowned and then shrugged.
I have no idea. I knew she was different when I first found her but I didn’t think she could possible be an elf! Maybe your potion was so strong it changed her too. Tayon frowned at her words, considering.
Then, a low moan brought both sets of eyes to the bed again.
Amy rolled slightly, her neck twisting slightly more into the pillow. Her dark black hair slid back to revel her new pointed elf ears. Tayon reached forward and brushed a dark lock of hair out of Amy’s face. Safyra felt her face burn as she watched Tayon’s simple gesture.
Are you going to let her go with me to find her friend? Tayon said abruptly. Safyra looked at him, her lips drawn tight.
I don’t think I really have a choice in the matter” Tayon nodded at this, smiling inside.
“Valk can carry up to three on his back; she will be safer on his back than with a million jaharah-trained solders.” Safyra jerked her head up as he spoke out loud. She practically hissed her next words.
Don’t speak out loud. Tayon was taken back by her words, puzzled. Only hours ago she had been speaking out loud, why the indifference now?
She saw his confused look and glared back at him.
I don’t like to speak out loud. I only do it when it is necessary for everyone to hear me. Plus, Amy doesn’t speak though minds. She seemed to be thinking the last words to herself more then Tayon. Tayon’s brow furrowed at her words.
But she does speak thought speech. I saw her on the balcony when I was coming in and asked her to tell people not to shoot. I mistook her as the princess…He seemed lost in his own thoughts as he gazed down at the elf-Amy.
Impossible. Safyra shot back, remember how when ever she had tried to mind communicate with Amy the girl had torn her mind apart as soon as it had touched hers.
Safyra glared down at the sleeping Amy to avoid Tayon’s exasperated look. She couldn’t help wondering why in the world Tayon would think her royalty.
But what she saw made her confused.
Amy had indeed changed. Her cheekbones, which had once been slightly high, were now had the sharp raise of an elf’s. Her face was longer, her eyelashes long and a sooty black. Even her dark black hair seemed more full and soft.
There was a strange air about the girl. Once again, Safyra’s thoughts jumped to her old dream and wondered why this girl needed help.
She sighed inwardly. No matter how much she fought against herself she knew she would help her. But helping the girl was turning out to be a huge task by itself. After all, Amy now wanted to travel half-way around Baldemoore to find her friend.
Well, she was just going to have to go with her wasn’t she?
This dragon of yours, he can carry up to three? Are you sure about that? Safyra stood, straitening her dress.
Tayon nodded, looking perplexed. He saw a strange look cross her face but it disappeared as the skilled girl let her face relax into its powerful set.
Thank you, I’m going to go make arrangements for some matters of business. Goodbye. Tayon nodded as she turned to go.
She had almost made it to the door when Kevyn walked in. He smiled in greeting towards Tayon then reached out and took Safyra’s arm.
I was just coming to check on you. He said softly for only her to hear. She smiled and motioned for him to follow her out into the hallway. The two walked out, Safyra sending one last glance back at Tayon and Amy before she closed the door behind her.
What do you need me for? he asked looking slightly worried. You have one of those stubborn looks on your face. Safyra smiled at this and the two walked down the halls.
I was just talking to Tayon about Amy. He says that his dragon can fit three people on it. That means room for me to come with Amy. I’ve thought about it and decided I’m going with her.
“You are not.” He said quickly grabbing her arm and turning her to face him. “There is no way your uncle or anyone else for that matter will let you go. You have things to do here! For Kendora’s sake you’re a princess, you can’t go off on adventures whenever you want!”
She glared at him and pulled her arm out of his grasp.
How dare you command me about like one of your little solders and tell me no! She felt so hurt; she had thought he would understand!
“Some times even a princess needs to be ordered around, especially you. How dare you be so selfish in running off when your kingdom needs you? Sometimes I wonder if you really have what it takes to be Queen you stubborn…” He was cut off by messenger who was running up to Safyra.
My princess, you are wanted in the council room. The young elf body said with a small bow. He glanced nervously at the two enraged elves in front of him.
“Yes princess, go take care of you kingdom” Kevyn spat and then turned on his heal and walked quickly away.
Safyra was so mad she didn’t even have time to yell back at him. She turned to the messenger and dismissed him quickly and half ran to the council room.


So I plan on making a side-track during our travels and meeting up with these elves. What better protection for me then a dragon and this boy Tayon. I will be safer with him then with huge numbers of soldiers. This way I can make sure Amy is safely taken to Glodrian and also help find Tayon’s dad. It is my responsibility to keep her safe since I found her.
I can bring back news of these hiding elves and a Seer. Think of what benefits there will be in these actions alone! Safyra glanced around the room, feeling confidence growing in her. It was a perfect excuse, one that they couldn’t disagree on.
Take that, she thought to herself as she thought of Kevyn. She was still fuming at there conversation.
Her uncle stood and faced the rest of the members of the council.
Her mission seems sound and good, I propose she goes. The rest of the council nodded and Safyra felt relief overcome her. She was going!
But, I still think she should have a personal body guard of Aletheaon. Safyra barely kept from scowling. Her uncle seemed to think her incapable of anything!
Why don’t you take a guard with you? More nods came to this suggestion and it was made official. He began listing many different soilders, half of them Safyra didn’t trust. Well, I guess this is for the better. She thought quickly to herself then stood up.
Why don’t I take Kevyn Ushartree? I know him well and trust him. Her uncle thought slowly then nodded.
The council dispersed and Safyra quickly ran down the halls in search of Kevyn. She found him outside practicing sword fighting.
When he saw her his mouth set into a hard line and he turned away from her.
“Kevyn…” he jumped at the sound of her voice. He turned slowly and stared at her.
“What do I owe the pleasure of your talking out loud and to such a lowly person as I?” She ignored his sarcasm and walked up to him.
“Kevyn, I thought about what you said…”
“Ha, were you even listening?” He said quickly.
“Yes…” she shook her head and glared.
“I am going, they agreed on it.” He didn’t reply but his mouth was set in a grim smile.
“It’s a fine idea.” His voice was gruff and Safyra rolled her eyes behind his back. “Have fun on your adventure Princess, you made it possible.” Safyra sighed and reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Kev, I asked if you could go with me and they said yes.” His shoulder tensed under her hand and he turned.
“Really?” His voice was surprised. She nodded grimly, watching his eyes.
“Really” She smiled and moved to walk away but he grabbed her into a huge bear-hug and laughed.
Safyra, momentarily shocked hugged him back, and then she laughed as he set her back down.
“I should have known you were only throwing a tantrum because you couldn’t come along.” She said teasingly. He laughed and fingered a lock of her hair in his brown hands.
“Well I couldn’t let you off for no reason and leave me behind.” He smiled and Safyra looked down smiling in return.
He dropped her hair and cupped her chin in his hands and she looked up. He gave her a heart shattering smile and Safyra felt her breath become uneven as he slowly leaned down.
Uh…princess? The thought speech brought them quickly to their senses and they quickly tore apart, Safyra blushing deeply.
Safyra’s hand-maid, Hecrahse, stood awkwardly playing with her dress. Safyra breathed deeply, refusing to look over at Kevyn.
Yes Hecrahse? What is it? The girl seemed terribly embarrassed that Safyra almost forgave her for interrupting. What would have happened if the girl hadn’t? Pushing that thought from her mind she forced a smile at the girl.
The King says you are to go get packed and I’m to assist you…She glanced quickly up at her then looked down again.
Thank you, I’ll be up in my room in a second. The girl nodded but stayed where she was. Safyra sighed, annoyed and quickly snuck a look over at Kevyn, he was grinning at her and she gave him a little wave.
I’ll see you later, get packed yourself. He nodded, giving her a look she didn’t understand and she quickly ran after Hecrahse.


Flashing trees, and a light, so close. A tall women smiling down at her…a face so familiar, screaming threats…another face, stern and threatening but calling to her, her arms open wide, a tall staff in her hand…different images flashed in her head. She didn’t understand and slowly she began to resurface and the scary dreams turned to simple thoughts

Tayon watched aghast as Amy reached up and grabbed something at her neck. Then he heard her softly moan and twitch. Tayon leaned forward, concerned.
Then, Amy slowly opened her eyes.

Part 1: Chapter Five ~Lost and Found~

ahah, back to Kara, who you should remember from chapter one, we find out what happened to her..or what will.

jeska

Thunder clashed overhead and small beads of rain began falling to the earth.

“Ug,” Kara groaned and rolled over. Her hips hurt and she had a feeling that her head had a rather large bump on it.

“What happened?” Kara mumbled. Silence answered her.

“Amy?” All was quiet except for the pitter-patter of rain and an occasional roll of thunder. Kara sat up, ignoring the pain on her head. There was no Amy, anywhere. She groaned and laid back down, trying to remember what had happened.

Amy had woken her and had showed her something, a necklace. Something had happened. The necklace had been spinning…something had snapped beside her, it had sounded like it had come from Amy…then she couldn’t remember. Everything had begun to disappear; now she had no idea where she was.

Hearing shouts from behind her, she quickly crawled over to a small bush. The ground was muddy and she slipped but hurriedly got up, but she was shoved back to the ground. Out of nowhere a heavy boot ground into her back.

“AAhhhh,” she cried and clawed the ground, trying to get away. The boot lifted up and she crawled away as fast as she could go, not daring to look back.

She came to an abrupt stop. A large, pointed, black boot slammed in front of her face, pressing down into the muddy earth. She looked up into the blinding rain and realized for the first time that she was drenched.

A tall white-haired man stood before her. He had a thin leering face, and with a jolt, she realized he had black eyes.

“Oh jeez,” she muttered under her breath and began backing up but bumped into something else. She turned and looked into the eyes of a tall, lean, fair-haired man. He had to be around eighteen or nineteen. His mouth was in a sly grin, one that no one could help but hate. Kara sent him a death look, which only made him smile wider.

“Look what we have guys. A little runaway who thinks she can make it past the guards.”

She heard laughter and realized that she was surrounded. His voice was smooth and would have been pleasant except for the hard evil edge to it. They had to be some sort of gangsters. After all, they were all wearing the same, weird black armor stuff. “Jeez guys, let me go. Go spray graffiti on a tree somewhere else” she said through clenched teeth, narrowing her eyes.

The guy snorted, seeming to not be amused by her words, or not understanding them, she couldn’t tell. He laughed softly. “Pull her up,” he commanded, and she was automatically pulled to her feet.

He stepped closer to her. He was about a head taller than her and was defiantly stronger. She noticed that there was a scabbard at his side. These people must be crazy. They were using swords, were they mental or had she been taking back in time to the castle times? He cupped her chin with his hand and pulled her chin up to examine her. His hands were ruff with calluses.

“Looks like our little princess needs to learn some manners.” He raised his blond eyebrows mockingly. Kara glared.

She jerked her arm out of the man behind hers grasp hands and slapped his hand off her cheek.

“Don’t touch me weirdo. How can you act so crude, making fun of me and touching me without permission? What kind of human are you!” She spat at his foot.

The man snapped his fingers and her hands were whipped behind her back again. Someone kicked her behind her knees, making her fall to the ground. The man knelt down so he was eye to eye with her. She had to admit the man was very, very handsome; his eyes were gray with slits of blue and green. They shook her insides, making her limbs feel like jelly.

“You are very daring, pet, and as for your statement about us not being human, you were right.” He grinned and leaned closer to her so that his face was just an inch away. He had a black stone on his forehead, but as he leaned in, she could see a little bit of white, shinning through the black, as if someone had rubbed oil on the white.

His breath was pleasant and she smelled the cologne that he was wearing. She was suddenly shy of him being this close, and she leaned as far back as she was able. He grinned at her then shook the water from his hair like a dog.

“We’re not humans.” He stood up and laughed.

She looked up and for the first time noticed his ears. They were small and sloped up to a point. She had not noticed their point because of his long shaggy hair that fell over his eyes in long strips and covered his forehead and mingled with his eyelashes. When he had shook his hair it allowed her to see his ears. Not man, but elf.

She gasped. Elves were not real. They were fairytale creatures, and not so crude, of that she was sure. But she had to admit she had never seen any human as handsome as him.

Wait, she thought, she wasn’t where she used to be, and could she be on another planet or another world? She was somewhere else, and she didn’t know if she liked this place.

The rain had stopped but now her long blond hair fell down, thoroughly soaked. Her clothes clung to her skin. She began to shiver, whether from cold or from shock she wasn’t sure.

“Let’s go.” The elf turned and began marching away. She was jerked back up and her head flipped back as she was thrown into something hard. She looked up. Another elf leered down at her.

“We are going for a little walk. Think you can keep up?” he laughed. Kara ignored him and pushed out of his arms and began walking.

The trip to their destination was rough. As they walked farther and farther, the trees began thinning out until only an occasional tree could be found.

There were stomps everywhere though. They were black as if they had been burned after they had been cut. Cutting and burning? It was like adding salt to a wound.

A large, tall, gray wall towered over their heads, getting taller and taller. Kara hoped this was where they were headed. Her shoeless feet hurt and she needed water, but at the same time, she did not want to know what was behind that towering wall.

Her fair-haired elf came back to her when they had been marching for several minutes. He fell into step with her, matching his stride to hers. His hand was at his scabbard.

“Why are you capturing me? Am I trespassing or something?” She said glaring.

He looked at her sideways. She saw a little flash of interest in his eyes. But then it was gone, as fast as it had come.

“There is news that the princess has come back. The Great Sletheyon has ordered us to take all the maidens and place them in captivity till they are examined.”

She snorted. “This Sletheyon guy must be mental. Did you get laser surgery to make your ears that way?” She was starting to figure this out. They must be a gang who was absolutely insane and thought they were elves.

But her theory was shaken though when he stared at her weird.

“What is this lager surgery? You are one strange princess.” His lips curled in a mocking smile as if he thought she herself was mental. She growled at him, she was not mental.

“Whoever this princess is, I’m defiantly not her. I don’t even look like a princess, so lay off?” she snapped back.

He raised his eyebrows.

“You defiantly pass for one; you’re not as plain looking as you think. Ever looked in a mirror?” He gave her a teasing smile. She blushed. He thought her pretty. She twirled her fingers through her almost dry hair. She was trying to decide if this was good or a bad thing.

She walked faster but he walked faster too, his strides widened to match hers...

“What’s wrong?” He was toying with her.

“Why are yah asking? You know what’s wrong, and plus why are you pretending to be friendly to me?” She turned away, scowling.

Shock crossed his face then disappeared. His hard, leering face came back.

“I’m trying to make this situation better for you.”

“Then why don’t you just let me go so I can deal with my own problems!” She shoved him in the chest and turned away from him.

“Fine, forget about it!” He shoved past her and walked to the front of the line. She scoffed and kicked the dirt at her feet, stubbing her toe. She groaned and looked back up. He was looking back at her. She though she saw a smile of amusement touch his lips but then it was gone. His eyes were cold. She returned the stare, ignoring her pain. He was probably trying to get her to relax so she would come quietly. If he was going to play dirty, so was she.

To make time go by faster, she talked to a blue-haired elf that was guarding her.

“Where are we going?” she asked, trying to put on an innocent face. He glared at her. “It would help if I knew, just a question.”

He nodded crossly at her.

“Glodrian castle, it’s an elf city.” She could almost hear the un-said word, duh. He was staring at her as if she was crazy. She raised an eyebrow.

“Rather rude aren’t we?” she said sarcastically. He scowled at her.

“Yes. I don’t like speaking human, it is a frail language.”

“Well...excuse my “human” language then” she muttered. He nodded like he was accepting her apology. Too bad it wasn’t one.

“What’s his name?” she asked, pointing to her elf. She cursed to herself. Why was she calling him her elf!

“Greseion. He’s the captain. Better stay out of his way. I saw you talking to him, you’d better watch out; he’s vicious…”

Vicious, yes, that could describe him. But what else was he? He was so unspecific. She held back a growl of annoyance. She decided to test his patience and asked another question she was dieing to know.

“What is this land called? I mean, this continent, a place?” He snorted and she felt offended. She just wanted to make sure she was not dreaming.

“You’re strange; don’t you know we’re in Baldemoore?” Baldemoore, weird name, but it suited this place for some reason. She racked her brains to try to remember if there was a city named Baldemoore nearby, but found she didn’t know.

“Why...?”

He cut her off. Growling he moved away from her. She looked up and saw Greseion talking to the guards on top of the wall. So much for all the questions she had wanted answered still.

The doors creaked opened and they marched in. All was silent. No one moved. The city was dark, bleak. An invisible evil mist hung in the air, making her shiver.

The houses were large and fancy, but the elves that occupied them were stone-faced and glanced away when she tried to make eye contact with them. It was as if they were prisoners here, not residents. Something was wrong. There were no girls around the age of thirteen and up. She remembered Greseion saying that all girls over ten were captured to be examined.

They walked her up the stone roads up to a large black castle that was looming over the city. It looked forbidding, and she couldn’t help but hate and fear it.

She looked around and noticed a small black dot circling around the top of the castle. The guards were noticing it too, and she saw the people looking up and then retreating into their homes, locking their doors and windows. She was beginning to get nervous. What could it be? She felt dread crawl up her arms. An evil cloud seemed to swallow her up. Deep dark evil filled her mind, blurring her senses. She saw the figure in the sky descending. He was riding a coal black steed. She tried to focus, but her body wasn’t letting her. She couldn’t think clearly. The ground rushed at her, but she stopped suddenly and realized that someone had caught her.

A small buzzing entered her head and she shook her head trying to ride herself of it. It only increased though until the buzzing stopped and her mind suddenly felt separate from her head. It was as if her head had popped open and all her thoughts could room about. It was the strangest feeling Kara had ever experienced. She was aware of what her mind was thinking, doing. She was also aware of someone else’s mind in her own. She wasn’t quite sure what made her bring out this conclusion. It was the only thing that really made since.

She felt her body shiver. Then with a jolt, she remembered the other mind as it gently scooped her own mind up.

It was if someone had taken her arm and had ripped it away from her body. She screamed in pain and fury as the link between her mind and body snapped and she was pulled away through nothingness.

She fought hard. Then suddenly, the pressure on her mind was gone and the sickness and nausea slowly faded. Her eyes fluttered open. Greseion’s sweat lined face looked down at her.

“Are you alright?” His voice held no concern though, he looked furious.

“Ye….no” The nausea was back.

“What in the heck do you think you’re doing? Why do you keep struggling?”

She sat up, shoving him away so she had room to breath. She still felt nauseated, and when she sat up it made it worse.

“I was scared, and you can’t blame me! How in the world did you do that? It hurt!” The effort to yell made her head throb so she rubbed her temples with her hands.

“You fainted, what else was I suppose to do to wake you up!” She glared at him.

“I did not feint, I just got a little freaked.” He rolled his eyes at her lie.

“You did to feint. Never felt a Rakeer’s chill have you?” She sniffed, feeling like she was out of some inside joke.

“I don’t freaking know what a Rekeer is so stop rubbing it in and explain!” She wondered what Amy would say about this. Where was she anyway? She impatiently was waiting for Greseion to stop staring at her and start to talk to her again.

Her head hurt badly, but she tried to ignore it.

Greseion’s fingers were digging into her arm. She pulled away still mad at him for tricking her and pulling her into his mind. She still felt dizzy, and her head ached. She had probably hit it when she had fainted.

“Come with me,” Greseion hissed in her ear, grabbing her arm again and practically yanking her after him. Not like she had a choice.

He pulled her through the black doors of the castle and into the dead courtyard. He let go of her and slammed the doors shut. He turned back to her, grabbing her arms again, practically spitting out his next words.

“You caused me a lot of trouble, pretty. You shouldn’t have struggled when I took your mind.”

Kara shook him off her and walked away. Okay, she was definitely sure these people were MAD.

“You didn’t even warn me. What was I supposed to do? I’ve never had that done to me. Where I come from, people don’t pull other peoples minds out and into their own.” She shot back, cutting her arms through the air. She turned her back on him and starred furiously at the black wall in front of her.

His body tensed behind her, she caught a look at his shocked face. Her last words seemed to blow him away. He rushed to her and spun her around, grabbing her shoulders. He leaned forward, his breath warm on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed again and tried to pull away, but he held her fast.

“What do your mean you’ve never had it done before?” he said. Panic seemed to be overtaking him, and she saw wonder in his big grayish blue eyes. This was a completely different person from the man that she had met that morning.

“You heard what I said, elf boy.” She said glaring at him. She was starting to get fed up with the way these people were acting.

“You mean you really haven’t?” He clutched her even tighter. She stared at him wondering why he was acting so strange. Her left arm was starting to turn numb and she tried to wiggle her fingers. She nodded her head. He let go of her arm and slammed his fist into the wall, cursing.

“Temper temper,” she said mockingly. He had punched the wall very hard. He glared at her and grabbed her arm and dragged her along with him. Kara sighed and ran along, there was a lot more pulling and yanking then she liked.

They crossed the courtyard and went through the castle doors. As soon as they walked into the castle, she felt a cold shiver crawl up her arm. The air stank of mold, and the air was heavy with fear and evil.

He dragged her through many halls, and they ran down hundreds of stairs. The whole time it was getting colder and colder. Kara felt dizzy and tired. What was he going to do to her?

The stairs ended, and they walked down a long, drafty hall. Two guards jumped to attention as they ran by. Cells lined the walls. A cold thought came to her. They were putting her in the dungeon to die. Then she realized that other girls were looking out from their cells curiously.

She dug in her heels and struggled to get away with all the strength she could muster. He gripped her arm tighter and she had to stop.

They reached the end of the hall and stopped at a cell that was pitch black inside. The light of the torches on the wall couldn’t even penetrate its coldness. Greseion grabbed a ring of dusty keys off a hook on the wall and fingered through them. Finding the one he wanted, he stuck it into a tiny lock and turned it. The door popped open. He pushed her in and shut the cell door. It clinked as he locked it. Kara, who had fallen to the floor, jumped up grabbing the icy cold metal bars.

He hung the ring of keys on a small nail and turned to her.

“Let me out,” she said fury. He looked up at her, his face straight. He just stood there and didn’t answer.

“Why?” Her voice cracked, and he walked forward and leaned so his face was right up the bars. She didn’t move back this time. His warm breath felt good on her cold cheeks.

“Don’t be silly. You know exactly why you’re here. Enjoy your stay, princess” Then he turned around and walked away down the hall and up the stairs. When he disappeared from her sight, she sank to the hard stone floor, confused. She didn’t know what to do next. What did he mean?

She sat there on the cold floor until she started to get numb. She scooted over to the stone wall and leaned against it, letting her legs tingle from her laying on them too long. She went over all the events that had just happened. None of it made sense. A forest away from home, elves (or some freaks she was still deciding), magic, then there was Greseion. Was he good…or bad? How was she going to get home? Her poor grandmother was probably worried sick, wondering where she was.

The cell began to get even darker and she fell into an uneasy sleep. She awoke to a loud slamming sound as someone had pushed two bowls through a small opening in the door.

She crawled over to the bowls. A red substance with what looked like vegetables occupied it. She rubbed her arms, she was freezing.

As she reached for both bowls a gruff, hoarse voice stopped her.

“One of those will be mine, thank you.”

She jerked back in surprise. Her brown eyes jumped back and forth, searching the black room.

“W-whose t-there?” She began backing up. Something cold touched her back and she jumped, but it was only the stone wall.

“Don’t be frightened. I have seen you come, but where is the green-eyed one? The one that bears the sign.” There was a deep silence. What was this man taking about? The man lowered his voice so it was just a faint whisper.

“The Whisperer.” A kind of hope rang in his words.

The Whisperer. Who was that? What did it mean Whisperer? Was it someone who whispered or what? Surely, he couldn’t mean Amy? She was the person who had been with her…so where was she now. What had the man said, green eyes, and the sign? Well, Amy had green eyes, she didn’t have to think very hard on that one. The sign though….? She closed her eyes and a brief memory years ago echoed through her mind.

Kara sat alone on the tall fence around the pasture. She heard soft footsteps behind her, Amy leaned up against the fence, her eyes bright with laughter, and her cheeks still held some of her baby fat.

The two girls watched the horses grazing in the field for a while. Then Kara turned to Amy.

“Who are you suppose to catch?” Amy looked up, her eyes unfocused as if her thoughts had been far away.

“Genie” Amy held up the blue halter and crinkled her noise in exasperation. Kara smiled.

“I’m guessing you need my help?” Amy nodded and they slipped through the boards in the fence.

They spent several minutes chasing after the silly young filly until they had her cornered. Amy, talking softly walked slowly towards Genie and slid the lead rope around the white neck and quickly pulled the halter on.

Suddenly, Genie snapped out, grabbing Amy’s left hand in her teeth. Amy cried out and Kara ran over to help but Genie had already let go of Amy’s hand and pranced away, seemingly pleased with herself.

Kara snatched the lead rope away from Amy and bent down to look at the hand Amy was clutching. Half-moon circles of teeth marks were visible on her hand but there was no blood. Amy was muttering insults at Genie while gasping for breath through her pain. Kara wondered if she had broken anything.

She leaned forward to take a closer look at Amy’s hand. Suddenly it wasn’t the teeth marks that held her attention. On Amy’s hand, clearly visible between the teeth marks, her palm lines made an unusually strange arrangement under her thumb. Small lines on her hand twirled up by her thumb, making a clear star shape.

The man moved, breaking Kara’s thoughts. Yes, something had been wrong about Amy’s hand. She looked up at him, and he saw her answer in her eyes.

“You know then. Well, she is not here I suppose.” His words seemed final. Kara wondered if he was angry. She was glad though that the conversation was over with. It made her heart ach to thing of Amy, all alone, somewhere without her.

They sat there for a while in silence. Finally, startling Kara he came into the light, grabbing the bowl of soup. Kara gasped in shock; there were long scrapes and bruises all over his arms.

“Who are you?” Her voice sounded so small to her.

“Joeag.” He took a sip from his bowl, grimacing as he lifted it.

“W-what happened t-to your arm?” she said quietly, her voice a squeak.

“Oh don’t worry; they probably won’t do it to you….” He gave a feeble laugh. “Greseion seems to be quite taken with you. If he approves then you’ll be treated well. Though, I don’t know if you’d call that lucky.” She stared at him in confusion but decided to let it go.

Joeag moved more into the light. His hair was very black. His face was caved in by lack of food. She only saw a shimmer where his eyes were supposed to be and realized that his eyes were a deep, dark coal black like the very shadows on his face. His hair was long and almost reached his shoulders. He had a black jewel type circular stone that was somehow connected to his forehead. It was as black as his eyes. His face was pale and a large gash was across his cheek. Is he some sort of gothic? She couldn’t help but think. He seemed to be made of black everything.

Her gaze flew to his eyes again; something seemed to be pulling her there. In spite of their blackness, there was no absence of color. His eyes didn’t reflect her and the small cell, but green fields, mountains, blue skies and more. Scene after scene passed by in his eyes. They were so full of life. His intent eyes were staring at her, but they seemed to be looking through her, behind her, within her.

“What are you doing?” she said shaking her head, realizing that neither one of them had spoken for several minutes. His head jerked back and his eyes lost their far away look and focused on her. They had turned black and lifeless again.

“You have an interesting future.” His words were sad.

“What do you mean? Not a word you have told me has made sense.”

He laughed making his eyes twinkle and she seemed to be looking at a younger, happier man. She decided that she liked him, even if he was strange.

“I am what people call a seer.”

“A what?”

“Don’t interrupt and I’ll tell you. A seer is a person who can see the future and present and past. It is my gift.” He paused. “Do you understand?”

She nodded, like fortunetellers but…different, she decided.

“I will tell you more about your friend; I know you want to know why I call her the Whisperer.” Kara considered his words. Yes, she did want to know about that. She nodded and pulled up her knees hugging them tight to her chest. Right then she felt very much like a little lost child not the bold girl she used to be back at White Ivory Stables.

Joeag moved closer to her.

“Do you like stories?” he asked quietly, glancing through the cell bars to the other girls in the cells then back at her. Kara eyed him silently, and then nodded slowly.

“A long time ago, there lived a princess. Not just any princess, an elf. Her name was Loyelene. She, like many of her family, was given the gift of being a Whisperer.” He paused and took a sip from his soup.

“She was very beautiful and every man that saw her fell in love with her. Many men asked for her hand in marriage. She said no to every one except one.

“He was a poor farm boy and she felt sorry for him. She began spending time with him and realized that she loved him. They were married and lived together for many years. Then the old king died. And the princess took up the job of ruling the kingdom with her husband.

“They ruled for about two years and during that time it was calm and peaceful. But then a commotion started. Many people started saying that they didn’t think the queen was fit to be our leader and wanted her husband as ruler. Of course they were wrong. The elf queen was a wonderful, powerful leader. She had very many powers and could do things with them that I would not have thought possible. It was very clear that the king was behind it. He wanted power and was very clever, tricking the elf queen into loving him proved that.

“The queen, blinded by the fact that she loved him, did not think he would do such a thing. And then something the king didn’t expect to happen, happened. A baby girl was born with the obvious gift of Whisperer.” He stopped and took a sip from his bowl. Kara took one too. It didn’t taste half bad.

“The baby had hair as black as night, eyes as green as emeralds, and a growing power that no one could compare with. She had the legendary palm star. Her name was Aimielen, princess Aimielen.

“The king was furious and began planning to murder the little child, for it could only mean his destruction if he let her live. A war began and the queen began to realize the truth. A close friend told her the truth and she planned to escape to save her daughter, who would be the last of the Whisperers.” He held up a hand as she began to speak.

“Wait.” He moved closer, his voice getting even lower.

“She took the baby, Aimielen, and tried to ride off on her dishora but was stopped by the king. She let her feelings get the best of her and told him what she thought of him. Amdon was furious and charged his dishora at her. She spun a magical necklace that was around the baby’s neck and flung her into the air. Baby Aimielen disappeared, sent to another world.”

Kara gasped. It had to be the same necklace that Amy’s mother wore in the picture. Thinking of the picture, she had on idea of what Loyelene and Amdon had looked like. Joeag was right, both Amy’s parents had been amazingly fair and she remembered the beautiful dressings they had worn. She remembered almost to well the twists and turns of the necklace. That necklace that they had found in the willow tree and that had taken her and Amy here to Baldemoore.

“Even though she had saved her daughter, she had not saved herself. Amdon’s dishora’s horn pierced her heart. She threw fire at its belly, causing it to back off, but as it did, it broke the tip of its horn off. It was now lodged into Loyelene’s chest. She fell into forest below, to her death, or so some believe.” He stopped and took a sip from his bowl, all the time staring at her.

A long silence followed. Finally Kara couldn’t stand it anymore.

“So what is a Whisper?”

“it’s Whisperer. It is a gift. At birth every elf is given a special gift where their powers are strongest. Some, like a whisperer can tell what these gifts are from just looking. Whisperers are rare, and a special gift, a gift of having immense power, and being able to do many great things. They are called another name, but it has never been reveled. They are given the nickname Whisperer because one, they mutter magic words to work their magic, and two; they can speak to any animal alive.”

Kara gasped.

“But Amy doesn’t have any powers?!” He shook his head but frowned deeply.

“Perhaps living in the other world made her powers go deep inside her. She will find them at her very hour of need.” Kara was confused.

“But what if she doesn’t?”

“We shall pray she does.”