Ryllae Elessedil looked to her sister, Amberle, as they were preparing to run the Gauntlet, "Do you think both of us can land in the first seven spots?"
Amberle shook her head, "Don't think that way. Run your hardest and see what happens."
Ryllae laughed, "You are quite right. Shall we tie each other up or ask Catania to do it?"
"Catania has agreed to get us both ready. Go and see if she's ready," Amberle began, "I have to let Lorin know that I am competing. I don't want him to be blindsided at the start of the race."
Ryllae nodded as she stood and made her way through the palace to find Catania so that they could head to the start of the course together. She walked through the halls until she reached Amberle's bedroom, she peeked her head in the door and saw Catania with both of their blindfolds, preparing.
"Catania, are you ready?" Ryllae asked as she entered the room the rest of the way to announce her presence.
Catania looked up, a bright smile crossing her lips, "I am, Princess. Is Amberle with you?"
"She went to see Lorin," Ryllae replied but she told us she would be at the front gates awaiting us."
Catania nodded as she moved to follow Ryllae down through the palace halls outside where Amberle was waiting.
"Are you ready?" Amberlee asked as the three made their way to the beginning of the race.
Ryllae nodded, "Uncle Ander has gotten us a ready as we'll ever be."
Catania moved quietly between the sisters as she tied them each up, Amberle in royal purple and Ryllae in emerald green. The sisters moved to the front of the race to stand with the other competitors to await the signal to go.
"Go!" a voice yelled. Ryllae took off quickly but someone had tripped Amberle and she was still on the ground. Ryllae didn't know the course backwards and forwards like Amberle so she was forced to keep racing forth dodging and weaving as the others tried to knock her off of her feet. Ryllae raced through the woods using only her other senses to guide her. She made the large jump in the middle and bounded up the hill to the finish. As she neared she could hear the people yelling numbers and she knew that others had already finished the race. She focused in on running instead of the numbers as she barrelled forward toward the end of the race. She crashed into another body as she heard the voice yell, "Six!"
Ryllae exhaled, beginning to catch her breath as she waited for the number seven to be called. She could hear a tussle going on and she hoped whoever came out of it would be Amberlee. Moments later she heard the same voice yell, "Seven!" The bodies the now Chosen had crashed into guided them into the Temple of the Ellcrys where their blindfolds were removed and they were able to look on the majestic tree and the King who was awaiting them.
Amberle and Ryllae both glanced at eachother briefly once their Grandfather, the King, realized that were now members of the Chosen.
King Eventine began his speech, "You seven have been chosen because of your bravery and loyalty to the Kingdom to protect the Ellcrys and care for it. Your only duty for the next year is to it and to the continued protection of our world from the demons. You, now all, must walk up and lay a hand on the tree as an oath to protect her."
Ryllae watched as the five men before her walked up to touch the Ellcrys before she took her turn. She walked up slowly and gently placed a hand on the tree, closing her eyes briefly, before letting it go and walking away so that Amberle could take her turn. Ryllae and the others watched as Amberle touched the tree. Her body jerked as she let out a scream before dropping to the ground, passed out.
"Amberle!" Ryllae yelled as she began racing to her sister only to be stopped by Lorin.
"I'll get your sister to her room," he said, "It's been a big day but she will be ok. Go celebrate."
Ryllae hesitated but allowed Lorin to tend to her sister while she walked out of the Temple and back to her room to change into clean clothing.
Once Ryllae was fresh, she left her room and walked down to Amberle's to see how she was doing. As she walked in, Lorin was leaving.
"How is she?" Ryllae asked.
Lorin shook his head, "She's struggling. A visit from you should do her some good."
Ryllae smiled as she walked in to see her sister sitting on her bed looking at a drawing. "What's that?"
Amberle seemed spooked until she saw it was her sister, "I saw this today."
"We've been together for almost this whole day," Ryllae replied, "I think I would remember seeing something like that."
Amberle shook her head, "No, sister. I saw this when I touched the tree. The Ellcrys speaks to me. It hasn't since we were young girls but it did today. I saw the end of our world and demons ruling the land, feasting on the bodies of the dead," she shuddered as she finished retelling her vision.
"Have you told this to anyone?" Ryllae asked, looking deep into her sister's eyes.
Amberle shook her head, "No, not a soul except for you. They will all think I am crazy," she admitted, "Tonight, though, after I make my appearance at the party, I will go back to the tree and see if she has another message for me."
Ryllae was about to protest when they were interrupted by Ander, "Congratulations girls! Are you two ready to celebrate becoming Chosen?"
Amberle took that opportunity to smile broadly as she stood and accepted one of Uncle Ander's offered arms. Ryllae glanced at her sister briefly before putting on a smile of her own and accepting his other arm so that he could escort them into the celebration.
Ryllae lost track of Amberle quickly in the crowd at the celebration and she had no one to confide in as Ander preferred Amberle, Arion loved nothing except the crown and her grandfather was always consumed with his dog. The night dragged on as Ryllae made pleasantries with all of the guests who were so proud of the two girls for not only running the Gauntlet but winning.
As the middle of the night loomed, Lorin came into the party looking for Ryllae. "What is it?" she asked, as she took in his panicked expression.
"Amberle is gone," he replied, "She said something about the Ellcrys and then she disappeared. We need to gather a search party."
Ryllae nodded, "Go and tell the King. I'll meet him in the throne room after I check her room to ensure she has left."
Lorin nodded as Ryllae walked out of the party to her sister's room. She looked through what things of hers she had left behind and found that she had indeed taken everything of value to her. Ryllae sighed deeply as she gathered herself, knowing she could not afford to allow emotion, and began her journey to the throne room.
When she entered, she saw many familiar faces but the back of one's heads, she did not recognize. She saw a tall, strong man with scars or carvings along the back of his neck. He was talking to the King and she heard the phrase 'Druid' and the name 'Allanon' as she listened. Ryllae was very unsure about what it could mean if a Druid, who they thought were gone, would appear just after Amberle had a vision of the end of the Elves.
Allanon explained what he knew to the King and that he had someone else to find in order to ensure the Elve's safety. "I must see the Ellcrys," he finished causing Arion to scoff.
"You can not just come into this kingdom and expect us to let you do whatever you want to do," Arion protested, "You say you can do magic. Show us."
"Arion, leave him be," Ryllae snapped as Allanon turned to see who belonged to that voice.
As he turned to face her, Ryllae felt their eyes meet and as she was about to smile as a normal sign of pleasantries, she felt a pain in the pit of her stomach and her temperature rise at a rapid rate.
Ryllae screamed out in pain before she doubled over onto the icy floor of the throne room. "How dare you use your magic on her!?" Arion yelled as he made his way to her.
"Do not touch her," Allanon warned as he walked over, himself, and knelt down at the girl's side. Ryllae wanted to look up to defend him but her body was screaming for her to do something, however she had no idea what.
Allanon laid a hand gently on her back as he said, "Sh, it will pass in a moment."
Through gritted teeth, Ryllae spoke, "I need to find my sister. I can not afford to be sick."
"You are far from sick, Lady Ryllae," Allanon replied as the rest of the court looked on, "I can tell you exactly what has happened once it passes and we don't have an audience watching our every move." He stood and looked to King Elessedil and said, "I will take her with me to examine the Ellcrys. We must be uninterrupted while we are in there. Do you understand?"
The King nodded as he gestured for Allanon to do whatever was necessary.