Elf’s houses by nikyelisey httpsorig00.deviantart.netb9d8f2010008a8elf__s_houses_by_nikyeliseyev.jpg

See Part 1 here.

Part 36

They hustled through the woods as best they could in the dark, circling around the castle until they were headed in the direction of the camp on the road they’d come in on. “What if they aren’t there?” Delia asked Kaya?

“Then we’ll head home. Not much else to do if we don’t know where they are.” After a moment she asked, “Your strength?”

“Fire. I saw Iyuno drawing power from fire. That’s why they have torches all over instead of the magic lights.”

“Oh my.”

“Yes. I puzzled over those torches from the first.”

“You think all of his forces can do that?”

“I don’t think so. Just Iyuno, Nethene and Ceinno.”

They walked along in silence until they reached the spot where the camp was. Delia looked around at the spot where her tent once stood and sighed. “It’s going to be a long walk home.”

“You’re right.” Kaya took a deep breath. “Let’s walk farther tonight. I still feel too close to that castle.”

Delia nodded. “Agreed.”

They headed off side by side, stopping very late to sleep. They woke at dawn and continued on their way. It took ten days to get back. They stopped on a hillside overlooking the valley where the palace was. “It doesn’t look like it’s under attack. Maybe Iyuno lied about fighting with my father. Maybe he’s not dead.”

“It would be just like Iyuno to tell us that. Making us grieve.” Kaya crossed her arms. “Let’s go. I’m looking forward to something to eat besides berries.”

Delia laughed. “And just splashing my face in cold streams.”

As they approached the gate, Delia felt as though something was off. “The gate is shut. Why would that be?”

Kaya shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s always open during the day.”

Switching to her magical sight, Delia gasped. “It has a protection spell over it. I can’t feel anyone inside!”

“Oh no,” Kaya said. She grabbed Delia’s arm. “Don’t go any closer.”

“What happened here?”

“No idea.” Kaya turned to leave. “We can’t stay here.”

“Where did everyone go?” Delia felt crushed. She so wanted to find her mother, take a bath, eat, and she wasn’t sure in what order.

“We’ll go to my family’s home.”

Delia nodded, fighting back her tears. “Of course.”

She followed Kaya back down the road. Her feet hurt and she was hungry and worse, she didn’t know if her parents were alive or dead. And what about Mage Kaepli and Sisruo? The tears leaked down her face.

Kaya put an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll figure it out, Delia.”

Delia nodded but at the moment, she just felt exhausted.

It was another five days before they reached Kaya’s home. Even in her exhaustion and hunger, she was amazed at the woodland setting that Kaya called home. The house was in a huge tree. They climbed up stairs that wound around the trunk until they reached a platform. Kaya opened the door. “Mother! Father!”

A dog came running, it’s whole body gyrating in welcome. Kaya squatted down to greet the dog. “Sandy, Sandy. Hello, girl. Hello!”

“Kaya!” An elf appeared in the doorway across the room.

“Mother!” Kaya left the dog and hurried across the room. She embraced her mother in a bear hug. “I’m so happy to see you.”

The two hugged and hugged, finally separating. “This is my friend, Princess Delia. Delia, this is my mother, Phara.”

Delia stepped forward extending her hand. She felt shy and a little out of place. Phara wrapped her arms around Delia. “Welcome. Welcome.”

When Phara finally let her loose, Delia had to sniff back tears. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

Phara looked at both of them. “We heard you were captured or lost.”

“We were captured, Mother. But can we tell the tale later? We’re starved.”

“Of course. Of course, how silly of me. Come. We’ll get you something quick, then you can bathe and we’ll eat again. Your father is out in the woods.” She patted Kaya’s arm. “He’ll be so happy to see you.”

After a quick snack of bread and cheese, they bathed and Kaya loaned Delia a dress. They finished at supper-time and Kaya led Delia to the dining room. There they found Kaya’s father.

“Father!” Kaya dashed across the room and in a repeat of earlier with her mother, embraced him in a huge hug.

She introduced Delia. “My father, Aduello.”

He shook Delia’s hand, clasping her’s in both of his. “Welcome. Thank you for bringing our daughter home.”

Delia could only nod she was so overcome with the warmth of her welcome.

“Sit, please. Your mother is bringing out dinner.”

They sat and he poured them each a glass of wine, just as Phara brought in a platter of roasted venison and vegetables. “There. Eat till you’re full.” She beamed at the two of them.

Delia could hardly restrain herself as she loaded her plate with meat and vegetables.

Phara left and returned with a bowl of gravy. “This should help.”

Delia poured a generous amount on her food and passed it to Kaya. “Thank you so much. It’s been a very hungry fortnight.”

After dinner, they retired to a study. There, Aduello poured more wine and they all sat in front of the fireplace. “Are you ready to tell your tale?”

“We are,” Kaya said. She related the whole story to her parents and when she finished, both of her parent’s faces were full of worry. “But what happened to the king and the palace? Do you know?”

Aduello shook his head. “We know the king left the battle at Iyunno’s castle, but the entire army and the king just disappeared. The palace was attacked by Iyunno’s forces, but no word has come about what happened. And you say there’s a spell over the palace.” He sat back in his armchair and sighed.

Delia didn’t know what to think. “No one returned from the battle and no one escaped from the palace? Are they still in there? Frozen or worse?”

Phara shrugged. “We just don’t know.”

Delia rubbed her finger at the spot between her eyes. “I’m too tired to think.”

Phara and Aduello rose. “We’ve kept you up too long. Rest. We’ll figure this out in the morning.”

Delia stood. “Thank you for taking me in.”

Phara gave her a hug. “Don’t be silly. We welcome you.”

In her room, Delia climbed into bed in her borrowed nightgown and stared at the ceiling. What happened? Were her parents alive or not?

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 37.

1092 Words

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Moon and Clouds by Randy Cockrell

See Part One here.

Part 35

She ran, Kaya following, hit the guard with a magic blast and with her magic, began to raise the portcullis. The clanging and banging brought more shouts. She saw Kaya look behind her and throw a blast at the first black elf out of the kitchen door.

When the gate was four feet off of the ground, Delia charged forward, Kaya on her heels. She let the portcullis drop as soon as they passed. “We have to get into the woods and hide.”

Panting, Kaya said, “That didn’t work so well the last time.”

“It will this time.”

They covered the half mile of open land quickly though Kaya was tiring fast. “Where?”

“There.” Delia pointed into the woods. It was the wrong side of the castle from their old camp but they needed to hide first.

Into the woods, Delia led them. She held Kaya’s hand and passed some of her strength to her friend. Kaya nodded and ran.

Delia used her sight. She could see the tunnels the black elves used. There, she thought. On the granite outcropping. She pulled Kaya to a granite mound and hid behind some boulders. She lifted one to make an impromptu cave. They sat, out of breath, listening.

“Will this work?” Kaya asked.

“Yes,” Delia whispered. “Shh.” She used her sight to follow their trackers. Iyunno was so angry, she could feel him from here. Delia pulled her magic around them, making them as granite. For hours they could hear the black elves casting back and forth. Ceinno and then Nethene riding by berating the black elves.

By dark, the hunters had retreated to the castle. Delia pulled her magical hide down. “Let’s go.”

“You have strength after all of that?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you how once we get farther away.”

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 36.

299 Words

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Celebration by S Tar Maiden via DeviantArt.com

See Part 1 here.

Part 33

Iyunno placed his napkin on the table. “I do hope you’ve enjoyed your meal. It will be the last for a while.” He nodded and the black elves surrounded Delia.

Her heart pounded as her hands grew slick.

“No!” Kaya leapt up.

At a simple wave of Iyunno’s hand, she froze, face in a grimace of both anger and fear.

That made Delia even more afraid. “What are you doing?”

Iyunno sniffed as both Nethene and Ceinno chuckled. “We’re going to bring you over to our side.”

Delia’s head shook no of its own accord. “No. No I won’t.”

“We’ll see.” Iyunno nodded again and one of the black elves grabbed her arm.

Her magic exploded. The elf holding her flew back, his sword flying through the air. Delia rounded on the others, using the push she’d just hit Ceinno with on the other black elves trying to surround her.

Ceinno and Nethene slid around the table, surrounding her and held her with their magic. She fought, but they held her arms to her sides and aside from a trembling whole body shield, she could do nothing. They walked her, Kaya still held in stasis, out of the room and to the dungeon. They shoved her onto a wooden table, slanted so one end was on the floor with a small platform for her feet and strapped her to the table. Helpless tears of anger and fear and frustration leaked from her eyes as they tilted the table up to a forty-five degree angle and wrapped her in a protection spell.

They laughed when they finished. “Not so much after all,” Nethene said.

“It took two of you to wrestle me down here,” Delia said. “And me with just a few months training.”

Ceinno made a movement with his hand.

Delia strained for breath.

“Careful, little one, or I’ll set the grid so small no air will get in.” He waved again, and her breathing became easier.

She glared but said nothing.

Nethene turned to leave. “Sleep well. We begin in the morning.”

Delia watched them leave, shutting the door and soon, a protection spell covered it. It was dark. She tried to remember what was in the room as they forced her into it. She closed her eyes to avoid the oppressive absence of light. On the wall behind her a table. There were things on it but she hadn’t really seen them in her struggle. To her right, a stone wall, not a few feet away. On her left, she tried to remember, but nothing came to her. A larger space than on her right. In front of her was the wall with the door. No windows, though it was dark, perhaps there was one on one of the walls but she just didn’t see. More tears slid silently down her face, dripping into her ears or along her jawline.

She sniffed and did her best to stop crying. Her heart was still pounding from the fight and the fear. What happened to Kaya? Is father really dead? What can mother do to defend the castle? What did Iyunno mean he can force me to turn? Delia struggled against the straps. She could feel her wrists grow wet and slick. Bloody, she thought, and tried to pull her hands through the straps. It didn’t help, they remained in place.

Delia grew tired with the struggle. As well, she wasn’t really standing and wasn’t lying down. The board at her feet wasn’t wide enough for her whole foot, just her heels and that was wearing as well. Her back began to hurt as well as her now injured wrists. She wished she could wipe her eyes and nose. Everything was a discomfort or pain.

It finally occurred to her that the protection field would hold her in place. When she tried it, it didn’t shock her as other protection fields had. She closed her eyes and tried to rest, a steady drip, drip, drip, from behind her a strangely comforting sound as she fell asleep.

At the sound of the door being unlocked, she woke, her eyes gummed together by last night’s tears and sleep. She squeezed her eyelids together then forced them apart just as the door opened. It was Ceinno and Nethene. They were followed by black elves with torches they put in brackets on the walls on each side of the bed and behind her.

Nethene clucked as he approached the table.  He clucked softly. “What’s this! Blood?” He looked over her to her right wrist. “And on this side too.” He shook his head. “Look Ceinno, she’s damaged herself.”

Ceinno shrugged. “She’ll heal. But look at her face! She must have been crying all night.” He laughed. “Afraid, little one? Afraid?”

If she hadn’t been so thirsty she’d have spit, then thought better of it. It wouldn’t get through the protection field anyway. Then she was surprised when Nethene took it down.

Her eyes must have shown the surprise as Nethene chuckled. “You think we’re so afraid of a child that we’d leave it up while we’re standing right here?”

Her mouth was too dry to reply.

Ceinno came back to her side from behind her. He held a mug to her lips. “Drink, little one.”

She tried to shake her head no but Nethene grabbed her by the hair and Ceinno forced her mouth open and poured the liquid in. Delia sputtered, water flying in every direction. It was water and she swallowed some but there was something else in it. Metallic tasting. Ceinno laughed. “There will be more, little one. Oh yes. And you will drink.”

“May you die a horrible death,” Delia managed to croak out.

They both chuckled. “Excellent,” Nethene said. “A good sign, there’s still fight in her yet.”

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 34.

969 Words

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