DISCLAIMER: I do not earn any money from this story.

Eleanor's thoughts are italicized.

.oOo.

Chapter IV

Mysterious Discoveries

Here we are. Don't turn away now.

We are the warriors that built this town.

~Imagine Dragons

.oOo.

It had been a week and a half since I left home when I learned the full new language from Darcy. The language itself was called Braric and the town was called Denholm. The people here call themselves Eastrons. Which when I heard that word, I felt a string sensation of deja vu. 'I know I've heard that before, but where?'

Over the worst of my grief, I finally gathered up enough courage to take out my journal again. I flipped through the pages and admired my past work as I sat in the loft and showed Darcy my favorite ones.

"Who are they?" Darcy pointed to the two pictures on the next page.

I felt a twinge in my heart as I took out my brothers' photo, "These are my brothers."

She smiled as I let her hold the picture, "What were they like?" she asked innocently.

I smiled myself, "Funny,... protective, and... brave." I pointed to William, "That's William. He's the eldest and the most serious. And there's Lewis. He always knew how to make me laugh. Michael is there. We always get into fights about logical matters."

"And who are they?" she pointed to my parent's photo.

"Those are my parents."

Darcy grinned, "Your mother looks so beautiful. I can see where you got your looks from."

"Who? My father?" I smiled back.

She laughed, "No! You're mother!"

I laughed along with her, "Thank you. By the way, you look beautiful as well."

She giggled and gently set my pictures back onto the sketch book.

"What is your brother like?" I suddenly asked after a moment of silence.

"Well... his name is Adelmo. He's very serious and looks tough on the outside but once you get past that, he is very caring of others. He didn't want to leave here because of that. He knew without him the town would have one less man to protect the people and especially me. He's very protective." she blushed.

I smiled, "So were my brothers." I internally winced at my use of past tense but I forged ahead.

I turned my focus back to her, "I hope I get to meet him."

She smiled, "Me too."

That night I decided to document my stay here, however long it was, by drawing the events as they happened. So in light of my resolution I took my book to the market the next morning and began to sketch the square, the buildings, even the people. This carried on for another two days and over that time I had taken up five pages of drawings and journal entries. There was still more than half of the book left though, so I had plenty of room to spare.

At the end of two days I had run out of things to draw, but on the third day I had an all together new subject to sketch. Darcy and I had just arrived in the market when I noticed a new table had been set up and all around it were tall men fully cloaked in midnight blue with dark blue scarves that were covering the lower half of their face. Their eyes were a mixture of either sky blue and silver, or dark blue and purple.

I leaned over to Darcy, "Who are they?"

She looked at where I was pointing but quickly turned away and swatted down my hand.

I tried to gain her attention again, "So...?"

She leaned in close to me and whispered, "They come here every now and then, and stay for a few days at a time. They sell mostly weapons and jewelry which the nobles enjoy. We don't really know a lot about them, but I've heard a rumor that they are Darali."

"Darali?" I asked.

She nodded but quickly looked around before speaking, "We think they live in the forest up that way, but no one has been brave enough to enter there for a while now."

"Why?" I questioned leaning in closer.

"People who've entered there have gone missing. They say that if you go in; you never come back out. That's why it's called the Dead Wood."

"Miss?" a smooth voice from above made both of us jerk around in surprise. My heart immediately leaped into my throat and my stomach dropped below my feet at the sight of one of the "Darali" standing directly in front of our table.

"Y...yes...?" Darcy stammered at the man.

I saw his eye brow twitch slightly, "I would like some of your sage."

"Um... Right." she forced a shaky smile as she gave him her sage and received her payment.

I, of course, was still in shock. 'I didn't even hear him walk up.' I wondered

As he was turning away he looked at me and I saw the tiniest glint of humor in his eyes. That alone broke me out of my suspicion and I smiled at him. He seemed to smile back and continued back to his table.

After a few moments of debating with myself I finally decided to walk over and talk to them. 'What could go wrong?' So I began to walk their way when Darcy snagged my arm, "What are you doing?" she said in a rushed whisper.

"I'm going over to talk to them." I explained.

"No! You can't!" She pulled me back behind the table, "We don't know anything about them."

I rolled my eyes, "Well then that's the perfect reason to talk to them to begin with."

"Elanor, please?" she pleaded, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

I sighed, "Alright. I'll stay. Just for you." I smiled. She smiled in return and went back to work and I decided that if I couldn't talk to them I'd study them instead. So I took my journal out of the inside pocket of my dress, which I had made with the help of Darcy, and sat down on a wooden crate to the right of Darcy's table.

I sat there for a while and sketched the mysterious travelers for hours. Every now and then the one that had bought sage would look over at me with the same twinkle in his dark blue eyes. I drew him in particular and I think he knew that I did.

Soon after I was happy with my sketch, I helped Darcy clean off the table and carry the leftover herbs back to the house. I cast one last look towards the stranger's way then walked out feeling the man's eyes follow me out of the square.

Once we organized everything again back at the house Cardia sent us out to the edge of the forest to pick the blueberries that grew in the shade of the ancient oak trees.

It wasn't long before Darcy had her basket completely full; partially because she didn't keep eating her's. She offered to help me with mine but I declined. I needed some time alone, "No, I'll be fine. You can go on ahead and take your's home. I won't be long."

She nodded and cast a nervous glance to the woods, "Alright. Just be careful."

I smiled, "I will."

I continued picking berries once I saw her disappear over the hill, but stopped my task when a figure caught my eye.

There entering the forest a few yards away, was the man from the market. His feet made no sound as he melted into the shadows of the trees. 'Why is he going in there? What even is in those woods?' I mentally questioned.

Even though I had nagging caution at the back of my mind, curiosity won over in the end. I waited for a few minutes to make sure he had gone on far enough to where he wouldn't hear me, and leaving my basket behind, I snuck out from my hiding place in the bushes, and walked into the forest.

It took a little bit of time before my eyes adjusted to the change of light but when they did I was met with the beauties of nature. Nowhere felt quite like this place. It almost felt, magical. Like someone powerful used to live here.

Among the tree trunks I found the ruins of an ancient path. Letting my curiosity lead me, I followed it for a little while before coming to a massive ruin of white stone.

The mansion looked like it was intertwined with nature even in its current state of decay. Huge green vines stretched across the statues of long lost people, and the trees' branches cast cool shadows across the pale rock.

I came to the entrance and slipped inside; up the stairs into the house.

The ceiling had fallen through and vines were stretching down into the main hall. But what caught my attention most was the piano off to the side of the room. It was white like mother of pearl and sat under a ledge along with some other instruments.

I walked over to it and played a scale. I winced, "Out of tune." I then lifted the lid and saw the years of dust that had piled up inside and on the strings, "It probably hasn't been tuned in years." I said to myself, "Or played for that matter."

I replaced the lid on the piano then continued my exploring of the palace or whatever it was. I walked out of the main hall and into the next room directly to the back of the hall. In it stood two white chairs on a raised platform. 'I wonder if a king and queen used to sit there.' I thought as I ran my hand across the intricate carving on one of the chairs.

I then continued my tour around the mansion and I eventually ended back at the great hall with the piano. I slowly brushed my fingers across the ivory keys. 'Finally something good to remind me of home.' I thought when I sat at the white bench and started playing Mozart's Melody of Love. Most of the keys were dreadfully out of tune, but by this time I didn't care much.

It was just a few minutes before the song finished and the forest was once again quiet except for the occasional twitter of a bird in the tree tops.

I sighed as I stood and resolved to come back the next day. This place was calming to me, and goodness knows I needed somewhere to relax. But right now I needed to go back to the house so Darcy wouldn't worry.

As I walked out the front gate I looked back at the mansion and smiled. Who knew something so old and decrepit would give me so much peace.

Once out of the forest I grabbed my half full basket and picked a few more berries then headed back to Darcy's house.

"Where have you been?" she questioned me as I walked through the front door.

I grinned and pulled her to the side when Cardia left the house for an ingredient for supper, "I went into the forest."

Darcy's eyes widened in shock, "What?" she exclaimed right before her mother returned and left again. After a few moments she leaned over to me in curiosity, "What did you find?"

"There were these old ruins in there. It was almost magical." I explained quickly.

"Wow." she wondered.

I smiled mischievously, "Do you want to come with me tomorrow?"

She thought about it for a moment but almost immediately said, "No. I don't want to go there. And neither should you!"

I laughed as she returned to the stew, "Why not?"

"Because...," she stuttered, "who knows what could be in there! The Darali might kidnap you."

"Aw I could handle them." I smirked. "Didn't I tell you my brothers taught me seventeen different types of kung fu?" I said while moving my hands in awkward chopping motions.

"What is kung fu?" she asked extremely confused.

I chuckled, "Don't worry about it."

She sighed, "Well, it's not like I can stop you. Just be careful."

I nudged her shoulder, "I will. I promise." I then helped put supper on the table as Cardia came in and announced it was done. As usual I helped clean the dishes after supper then climbed up into the loft with Darcy to sleep the night.

After she went to sleep I pulled out my sketches to view the Darali that I had drawn. 'Who is he?' I wondered, 'And why would he be interested in the forest if everyone else is afraid to go there?'

Something about him intrigued me so much. I knew I had to speak to him tomorrow. I just had to get around Darcy.

The next day I set about the plan I had made the night before. I walked with Darcy to the market and helped her set up shop. I then sat behind her and pulled out my sketch book to draw my surroundings once again. Every now and then I would cast a glance over to where the supposed Derali were stationed and every time the same man would catch my eye.

Thinking that I had waited long enough to ward off any suspicion from Darcy, I stood and started to walk around the square. In my wanderings I noticed that the Derali weren't the only new people in the square today. Traveling mercenaries were in and about looking for supplies they needed to get to the capital of the East, as Darcy called it. Forgetting about the Darali completely, I opened my book and sketched them as I leaned back against a wooden post. They were shady men with yellow hollowed out skin; greasy, strait black hair, and eyes the color of coal. They were all dressed in black coats with strips of scarlet cloth tied to their waists and around their right wrists.

I noticed one of them walk over to Darcy's table before I felt a slight tugging on the hem of my dress and a tiny voice calling out to me, "Missy. Missy." I looked down to see a girl about six years old looking up at me. I smiled at her, "Yes? Did you need something?"

She let go of my dress and twiddled her toe into the dirt road, "No. The man over there wanted me to give this to you." She pulled her hand into my view and revealed a tiny wild flower clenched tightly in her outstretched fist. I reached out for it and she handed it over.

I grinned at her gift, "Thank you so much! I love it."

She beamed back at me, "You're welcome!" then scampered away to her mother.

I placed the flower in my sketch book then looked to where she had pointed.

My eyes widened when I met eyes with the Darali I had drawn the day before. He was walking back to his stand across the way and passed me on his way. He revealed a piece of paper to me and me only then slipped it into a crack between the boards of a cottage. I narrowed my eyes at his retreating form and walked over to the wall when he disappeared from my view. I pulled the paper from the crack and opened it up to reveal a poem of sorts.

"Forever singing

Old songs are ringing

Rejoice with every note

Ethereal voices promote

Show your good skill

Today to thrill"

I stared in confusion at the words before me, 'What could this possibly mean?'

"Elanor!" I heard Darcy call out to me from across the way. 'Time to leave.' I surmised.

I walked over to where she had already packed up her things and helped her carry them back to her house. Once there I turned to her, "I'm going to go pick some more berries. I noticed a patch of them that weren't quite ripe yesterday but they should be good today."

She narrowed her eyes at me knowing fully well where I was really going but she gave me a basket anyway, "Alright. Just be careful, please."

I smiled, "You worry too much."

She raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. I sighed a laugh, "I promise I'll be careful."

"You had better be." she then smiled and walked inside the house while I strolled down the path to the forests edge.

Once there I walked into the forest and immediately found the road that led to the ruins and walked into the house. I turned the corner to the ball room and immediately saw that the piano had been dusted off and polished. I set my basket down on the floor and strolled over to the instrument. I played a scale and not one note was sour.

"Someone tuned it." I wondered aloud then remembered the poem. 'Could he have done this?' I thought.

I turned around to look into the underbrush through the gaping holes in the crumbling walls. No one was there, but I felt the urging of someone for me to play a song. Not wanting to refuse, I turned back around and sat at the bench. I took a deep breath before beginning the Butterfly Waltz. I closed my eyes and let the sound fill my soul as the notes flowed from my fingertips. I felt myself smile as I played through the second measure, but before I knew it the song was finished and I leaned back; my fingers dropped from the keys and my foot came off of the sustaining petal. I sighed one last smile as I stood from the bench and picked up my book and carefully ripped a section of a page out of the back. I laid it on the piano back but suddenly stopped.

I don't know how to write in Braric. 'Then how was I able to read it?' my confused mind asked. I then pulled open my book again and pulled out the note.

The note... the note he gave me is written in English.

My mouth dropped open in sudden shock then in happiness. "I... I found someone who speaks English!" I laughed in joy.

I looked back at the blank piece of paper I had torn from my sketch book and quickly wrote a thank you to the Darali and stuck it between the piano and the piano cover. I grinned as I skipped over to my basket and ran out of the palace.

I'm finally going home.

oOoOoOo

If you'd like to see who the Darali are, look on my profile under "Behind the Names", but don't do that if you don't like spoilers. You have been warned.