Chapter One: Rowan

I woke up to find myself lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by tubes and cords. I immediately sat up and blinked.

How did I get here?

I looked around groggily, and then was pushed down gently. Looking up I saw a middle-aged nurse kindly smiling down at me.

"Uhh, hi. Do you know why I'm here?" I asked.

"Well," began the nurse, "Someone found you in a ditch, with an injury to your head and a really bad scratch across back. The scratch was deep, and you lost a considerable amount of blood. Luckily, the person rushed you here in time."

"Oh. By any chance, did you get his or her name?"

"Nope," replied the redheaded nurse shaking her head, "Sorry."

I sighed and looked over the nurse. Her curly red hair was streaked with gray, and was pulled back in a messy bun. Her light green eyes had dark green flecks in them. Considering she had wrinkles above her brow, she must have worried a lot.

"You remind me of someone." I said quietly.

"Oh. I do?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"I can't quite place the name."

"Rowan?"

I gasped. "How do you know my real name?!"

"Calm down, Rory. You told me, remember? I'm your best friend. Joy."

I blinked slowly, and then rubbed my chocolate-brown eyes. "But. I'm sixteen. and you look like. like your thirty-something."

"Oh, the wonders of magic."

"Be quiet!" I hissed, remembering something suddenly, "You mustn't give out the secret!"

"It's okay. I sound-proofed the room," she replied.

But the rules. She broke the rules: Never say that you can do magic, while in a different world. Never use magic when you're in a different world, unless under extreme need. Do not reveal you are elfin or half-elfin. Blend into the cultures, by changing your appearance. Never, ever do revenge!

Revenge feeds the evil forces in our world, I remembered.

"You.. you broke the rules!" I stuttered.

"I know, but you were losing your memory. you almost became mortal. Rowan, you almost died!"

Joy broke out into tears, and brushed a few strands of my brown hair out of my face.

"But I'm alive now."

"Yes, I know that."

"So, why are you crying?"

"Because. because we almost lost you."

I closed my eyes and wished I could return home. I felt a sudden push of cold, and my hair began to fly up. Shivering, I closed my eyes, and after a few moments of cold, it suddenly became hot. I was still shivering while drops of sweat rolled down my tanned face and arms. There was a searing pain, starting from my feet all the way up to the top of my head. I resisted the urge to cry out and fail around. The pain subsided, and I felt firm ground underneath my feet. I opened my eyes, and then keeled backwards.

I awoke to find myself lying in a finely furnished room. The queen sized four-poster bed had a royal blue canopy with a light purple, wisteria valance. On each corner there was a long, golden tassel. The bed was made out of mahogany, and the headboard had an intricate carving of a flowering vine. The comforter was made with goose down, and was colored royal blue with a wisteria colored paisley print all over it. Piled in front of the headboard were many pillows. There were two large, plain pillows. They were located at the back and were colored royal blue with a golden fringe around each. Two medium, wisteria pillows were in the middle of the pile. They too had the golden fringe. Before these were three small pillows: one royal blue, one gold and one wisteria. These did not have the golden fringe like the others. And right smack dab in the front of the pile was a round cylinder pillow, with the same royal blue and wisteria pattern as the comforter- but each paisley had been traced around with gold.

Sitting up I noticed the large chimney with the same intricate pattern as the headboard had, except it had Rowan underneath it. It sparkled as bright as the golden sun, and it was gold. Pure gold. Looking at the eastern side I saw a huge window with wisteria curtains with a royal blue valance with the wisteria paisley pattern. They were kept open with the golden tassels, so one could see the whole countryside. I got up and walked to the window. There was a royal purple window seat, which I sat myself upon. Placing my arms on my legs, and my chin in my hands, I looked over the country.

The grass was a bright emerald green, with ever rolling hills. To the east, you could see a babbling brook fed by spring water, flowing by. I threw open the windows and stuck my face out into the gentle breeze, making my hair waft out of my face. Then I heard a yell.

"Oi! Rory! Is that you?" called a redheaded peasant-elf.

"Yes! It's me, Rory! Who are you?" I called back in response.

"What?! You don't remember me?"

"No, I don't. Sorry!"

"It be I, John!"

I put on a thinking face and mumbled, "John.. John.." under my breath. My eyes widened in remembrance.

"John!! How much I've missed you!"

John chuckled. "You got any lucky man yet?"

I blinked. "No, I'm not in any sort of relationship."

"Well, then. How about me?"

I giggled. "Silly John! You know I can't!"

"Oh well.. it was worth a shot." replied John, flashing a smile and waving.

I waved back as he ran off to meet up with a group of peasant boys.

"Hello, sister." The voice came from behind me.

I turned around to see a boy with the same features I had, sitting in one of the royal purple, squishy chairs next to my bed, which I never noticed. Dark brown hair with natural red highlights, same crescent eyebrows, and full lips. Only one difference, he had green eyes, and I had chocolate brown eyes. I shook my head. The boy came over and sat down next to me. I studied him and he looked about nine or ten years old.

"Its nice to see you again," he said calmly.

"Ryan you silly ten year old! How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my room?" I said turning into big sister mode. He really doesn't get in the way, but he has to learn to stay out when I tell him to!

"Why sister? I don't even get in the way!" he replied, making a pouting face.

In reply, I said, "You'll understand, when you get older." I got up and pushed him gently out of the mahogany door. Outside there was a golden trim around the door, with Rowan elegantly engraved into the trim.

"Rory!!!" came a little girl's high-pitched voice.

"Ruby?" I asked cautiously.

A little girl with brown hair and blue eyes catapulted into my arms. "Rory, Rory! I missed you so much!!" she cried hugging me.

"Oh, Ruby.I missed you too."

"Can you take me out to pick flowers?"

"Sure."

I placed down the five-year-old girl. She grabbed my hand, and I led her out.

"Rory.Has Daddy told you yet?"

"Tell me what?"

"Oh. he hasn't. Never mind."

"Come on, Ruby. How come you can't tell me?"

Ruby shook her head. "I'm not supposed to."

I sighed. Ruby and I walked over to the bank of the brook. While I sat with my feet dangling in the brook, Ruby ran around picking flowers. I let my hands drift around in the water making rings. There was a voice from behind me; it was a deep baritone.

"Is that my one and only, Rory?" said a man.

"Daddy?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes, it's me."

I jumped up and ran into the man's arms. He hugged me and pulled back. "You look so much like your mother. You have the same face. the same wavy hair. But you have my eyes and hair color," said my father.

"Ruby said you wanted to tell me something. What is it?" I said searchingly. I blinked and waited for a reply.

My fathers mouth opened, then he closed it as tears began streaming down his face. He opened his mouth once more and said slowly and sadly, "Your. your mother died."

"What?!" I said surprised. "No, she couldn't have. she was so healthy. so happy. so eager."

"I know," my father replied, pushing my head into his chest. I pulled back shivering, shaking my head, and choking back tears, denying my mother had died.

"They found her, in her room, silently laying on her bed. Just laying there. No blood. Nothing. But she's dead.I denied it too. She was so healthy. I wanted to do something! Anything! But she is gone now and we can do nothing about it. We elves can't raise people from death, we can try to stop death. but in your mother's case, it was too late," said my father watching me. He bent his head down when I refused to reply, and walked silently into the castle we call home.

Ruby ran up to me with her bouquet of flowers. "I'm all done. Isn't it pretty?" She held up the bouquet of violets, daisies and pansies.

"Yes very," I replied in monotones. "You go on inside," I said snapping out of it, "I'll come there later."

"Okay!" was her careless reply. Ruby ran off skipping into our home, holding the bouquet and stopping every once in a while to sniff it.

I picked a violet and sat on the edge of the brook. I pulled the petals off one by one, and dropped them into the brook. I watched each and every one of the petals drift off with the current. I sat staring at the brook to stunned to cry.

"Oi, Rowan. so he finally told you." came John's voice.

John crept up behind me, and sat down next to me. He put a reassuring arm around me, and I sobbed into his chest. "Oh, John. Why did she have to die? Why her? Why?"

"Shhh. Rory. it's ok," said John softly into my hair as he pulled me closer. "It'll be alright, you'll live through it. Just think, she's on a great adventure, and she's looking down on you right now. She loved you, and she always will. You're her daughter, death won't change that."

"I know your right, but she's not here anymore." I said in between sobs.

"Calm down, Rory. everything's just fine. I'm here for you."

I looked up into John's eyes, it was obvious he loved me, but I didn't realize, not then anyway - I was too wrapped up in my thoughts of my mother. I closed my eyes, and sobbed. John picked me up, and carried me into my home. I knew Ryan, Ruby, and my father were staring at him and were opening their mouths to ask John. "Shh. she needs to cry. Let her be."

John carried me up to my room and placed me on the bed. He sat down into one of the squishy, wisteria chairs and watched me silently. I wished I could just go to the famous London in the place mortals call England.

Once again there was the rush of cold as my brown hair flew up, and out of my face. I heard John's yells in the background saying for me to stay here and not go. But I couldn't stop now. The sudden change of cold into extreme heat, made me sweat even more than the last time, and I was still shivering. There was firm ground underneath my feet, and I regained consciousness. I walked around dizzily, and fell onto a pole. Everything went black, but I heard gasps and yells of, "Harry! Harry! Come over here and help me get this girl into the Leaky Cauldron." Then I lost my hearing and went completely unconscious.