**** IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!!!!!!! MUST READ TO UNDERSTAND STORY!!!!!****
I had to edit chapter 28. Some of you read the original ending, which I posted at 10 pm and took down at 8:30 pm one day. So if you read the 'cliff' ending, reread chapter 28 right now! Alrighty, thanks.
Anniya 29
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" West?"
" Yes?"
" I am truly sorry. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way," Anniya told him as they walked back toward the inn. Although West was no longer angry at her, he was still a bit stiff.
He didn't say that it was fine like she wished he would, but then again, Anniya couldn't exactly expect him to. Walking along the moonlit river, Anniya was feeling slight bits of empathy. She had broken his trust, and she had to accept that. Even if she didn't want to.
"I shouldn't of yelled at you. I don't place most of the blame on you," West replied. The icy tone was gone, and now his deep voice was mellow.
" It's really not Robert's fault at all. I should of told you, and I didn't."
West laughed. Although it was no longer mocking, it aggravated Anniya for some reason.
" Well, it's true. Don't try and blame Robert for it."
" Tell me honestly, Anniya. Is that what you think?"
" Of course it's what I bloody think, and what's more is it's true. Why?," she asked curiously.
West just shook his head and kept on walking. She scurried to catch up with him. She had never had to walk this fast before they had fought. It annoyed Anniya excessively now that she realized he had always slowed down to keep her pace.
" When do you think we should leave town," Anniya asked, hastily changing the subject despite her annoyance.
" How's an hour," he replied, still walking fast. Anniya stopped.
" An hour? For gods sake West, what's so urgent that we have to leave town in an hour?"
West paused, and looked out into the cold, crisp forest beyond them. Even with the crescent moon shining into the sparkling river, it was impossible to see anything that may have dwelt inside. It was literally just a blur of black. It made Anniya uneasy to think that Gleex was out there, but then she reminded herself that any dangerous creature would probably think the same thing of her beloved dragon. He could now, after all, shoot fire into the sky like a full grown adult. She studied West's face as his eyes scanned the forest.
" There's something out there. I don't know what it is, or how long it's been watching us. But it's out there," West finally said, and continued walking.
Anniya stood for a moment and peered out at the forest once again. The same inky blackness met her eyes.
Suddenly it seemed as if it were daylight outside, for a moment. In that moment Anniya looked into the forest and saw several ogres. One of them towered above the others, and had a skull attached to his belt. The sky dimmed again and it became dark again a moment later. But Anniya remained rooted to the spot, terrified.
If she had seen any other creature, the Count, a blood thirsty dragon, or even a goblin, Anniya would not have been frightened. Alarmed certainly, but not afraid. It took a lot to make Anniya break out into a sweat. But since that fateful day, the last day with her parents, Anniya had a fear of ogres that was greater then anyone in Kyrria's.
" Anniya. Move along," West called out from ahead, not noticing her distress yet.
Anniya didn't move an inch.
" West. There's something out there. I just saw it," she told him shakily. West gave her a quizzical look.
" Did it come out? It's impossible to see through these woods."
Anniya shook her head.
" It's like I had that ' vision' thing, the one telling me to avoid the water caverns. Only it was different. For a moment, it was like it was the brightest day, not a cloud in the sky. I saw what was in the woods, West. I saw Ogres," she told him, her eyes darting out in the forest.
West looked alarmed, and took out his bow. He scanned the forest, then spoke to Anniya.
" Where did you see them," he asked quietly, pivoting.
" They were straight ahead. Not more then thirty feet away from here."
" Can you see anything anymore?"
" No."
" Could you try and make it happen again?"
" I don't think so. I wasn't even trying to see anything. It just happened."
West nodded, and lowered his bow. This action surprised Anniya somewhat.
" You believe me?"
Anniya had been certain that any illusion of trust that there had been had disappeared. West shrugged his shoulders.
" No one is every completely honest, just like no person is completely angelic or completely devilish. That's what makes us so different from animals. It's the faults that make a person perfect," he told her, still keeping a close eye on the woods. But the more Anniya contemplated what he had said, the more it made sense. The thought sounded as if it came from a philosopher, not the rag tag brigand she knew.
" We need to move. Follow me closely," West told her.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Odd enough, Anniya saw nor heard any more from Ogres.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the table, Anniya was more aware then ever of the heavy silence, and the heavy anger between West and Robert. It had been a dead silence since she and West had come back. She had made West promise that not one word would be said. Of course, Anniya didn't know that West had no intention of keeping that promise, at least when she wasn't around. But now, both of them were at a deadlock. Esperanza's nervous chattering only made things worse. Anniya merely sat there in silence. Eventually even Esperanza fell silent. She caught Anniya's eyes and raised her eyebrows. Anniya shook her head slightly, indicating that she would tell her what was going on later. After several more moments of silence, a barmaid came up to table.
" Can Ah get ya'll something, hmm," she asked them, tilting her head towards West and smiling at him. Anniya studied her. Despite the girl's heavy commoner accent, she was pretty. Only a few inches shorter then West instead of a foot, and wavy brown hair framed by thick eyelashes. Yes, she was very pretty.
" Whiskey," West replied immediately. The girl grinned , hardly taking her eyes off him as she asked Robert what he wanted. Robert shook his head slightly, and the girl moved on.
" Wait," Anniya called out after her. The girl swivelled around, looking annoyed.
" Yes?"
" Could I have some of that delicious bread I saw you serving earlier," Anniya asked her, proud of herself for being polite to the stuck up serving maid.
For some reason Anniya's simple request for food cracked a smile from her companions, leading to Robert finally speaking.
" The winter ball is in ten days. We need to get there on the ninth day, if possible. Although we have solid evidence, that isn't enough. I have reason to believe that he holds power over half the court right now, mainly through blackmail."
" We're in Banlieu right now. The ride to Frell is at least eighteen days, at a hard ride. There's no possible way we could get to it in time. Any one with the slightest bit of intelligence would be aware of that," West cut in sharply.
Anniya glared at him and kicked him underneath the table. He didn't look the least bit phased, but discontinued the monologue. However, she had been thinking the same thing herself, at least about the impossible time to get to Frell. But she was one step ahead of both of them, and had thought of the one path that could get them there early.
" Oh yes there is."
Apparently West had been on the same step with Anniya.
" I know what you've thought of, and I'll bloody roast in hell before I do it," he told her simply, taking his angry glare at Robert for several minutes to arch his eyebrows.
Anniya merely grinned, happy that West was back to his normal self.
" The Fens. We'll cut straight through them, and we'll get there three days early."
She got the reaction she was expecting. Esperanza laughed, Robert stared, and West arched his eyebrows once again.
" The Fens? As in that place where the largest Ogre clans run free? That's a lovely idea, Anniya. Perhaps while we're at it, we can slit our throats," Esperanza chirped, sharing the same thinking as West.
But not Robert. " That's the only way. Anniya's right, we can just cut through the Fens. We've all seen worse."
" Yes, in my nightmares," West said dryly.
" It's the only way," Anniya shot back.
There was yet another silence, as the fellowship contemplated what to do. As they thought over her idea, Anniya mused about how odd they all looked together. Robert was a prince that was heir to one of the most powerful country in these lands. West was a wild and well known brigand. Esperanza was a outcast and a former prostitute. And Anniya..... Anniya didn't know what she was. The girl.
" And we'll have Gleex too," she added. Gleex was about ten times the size of anything of any danger in that the Fens.
" Oh that's comforting. I'll be protected from something that wants to eat me by something else that wants to eat me," Esperanza grumbled, brushing a wispy black hair out of her face.
" He was probably just trying to do the impossible, also known as trying to make you be quiet," Anniya shot back jokingly. Talking to Esperanza was like talking to herself at times. " But seriously. It's our only chance. We risk our lives now, or we risk Char's and the rest of the royal family. Not to mention we may place Kyrria in the hands of a tyrant," Anniya added.
" I don't get it," West said matter-of-fact. Anniya arched her eyebrow at him.
" I don't get why your doing this. It's damn nice your helping out the monarchs, but you've known them all for a year. You couldn't even speak their language a year ago. Why are you doing it," West asked her. Anniya had thought about the question before. But even now she still didn't know the answer.
" Do you always need a reason to help somebody? Did Robert need a reason to yank me out of the forest and attempt to educate me? Did Esperanza need a reason to watch over me when I was sick with the fever? Did you need a reason to help us get to the capital city," Anniya asked him. West didn't reply, but looked at Esperanza.
" I am simply too nice," Esperanza sighed, and nodded her head. " Count me in."
They all looked at West. Well, at least Anniya and Esperanza did. Robert glared at West, and vice versa.
" Sure," he said finally. " I'm in." Anniya's smile lit up.
" Alright, here's what we do. We'll have to leave tomorrow morning, early as possible. Rent a few more horses, stay on the edge, and with Gleex, we'll be perfectly fine......"
" Your whiskey, green eyes," the pretty barmaid told West, interrupting the conversation. West flashed her the famous grin that had broken so many hearts before him.
Anniya stood up, the brunette towering above her. " I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when we leave in the morning," she informed the table, then marched away. As she passed near the stairs, a man old enough to be her father stopped her.
" I can tell that you want me," he told her. This seemed to only be the final straw in Anniya's horrid day.
" True. I want you to go away," Anniya replied, giving him her nastiest dirty look. He backed off. Anniya could throw a pretty mean glare.
Stepping into the room, she saw it had four beds.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Oh for god's sake, Esperanza. You act like he's going to kill you," Anniya told her dark haired friend after she had shrieked for the tenth time when Gleex came near her. She conveniently ignored the fact that Gleex had already indeed attempted to do this.
The sun was just sinking over the dark mountain tops. They had started out at dawn in order to make it as far as they could. None of them had anticipated that it would take this long to reach the forest.
The Fens was perhaps one of the most dangerous lands in this part of the world. More then ogres dwelt there. There were underground caves filled with goblins and river serpents as well. But even with them, Ogres were the true danger.
As they rode toward the borderline, they passed many warning signs written in all languages.
" This is quite the tourist attraction, isn't it," Robert remarked after passing the tenth one. Anniya nodded, and wished that Gleex wouldn't fly so high.
An several out of Banlieu, they came to the border.
" I might not be a fancy scholar, but I can tell you straight on that nothing good is going on in there," Esperanza declared, speaking for everyone.
Even at night, one could tell that the forest was different from most. Robert swung a lantern around, trying to find a path in the thick brush. It was dark, darker then the coming night. It was nearly impossible to see inside. Not a bird song, not a cricket chirp came from within. Occasionally the wind whistled eerily, and leaves blew by.
" Is the entire tract of land like this," Anniya asked curiously. She wanted to know if she was going to have to be glancing over her shoulder constantly.
Robert shook his head. " According to several books I've read, the land is divided up into three parts. The first part is the forest of the night. It doesn't matter how bright it is, the trees block out the light. It's mainly goblins in this part, but we have no advantage against them because they can see in the dark. Lots of caves too. The second part is where the main Ogre tribes run. It has small forests on a gigantic, open plain. Not too many places to hide. The third part is much like a normal forest, and the minor ogre tribes dwell there. Much more then the other two, which makes it extremely dangerous. From what I've heard, we don't have a high percentage of getting out of this place alive," Robert told her.
" From what my buddies have told me, it's more then a ' high percentage'. What he means is that we have a one out of ten chances going in there and surviving. Even for dire emergencies, this is never used a quick route to Kyrria. This is the way the foolish or the foolhardy take because their too damn lazy to go the longer way. Maybe having this overgrown lizard with us will push up on the food chain. But even a dragon can't protect us against an entire ogre tribe. This isn't a statistic," West shot at Robert immediately after he finished speaking.
Gleex shot a snort of smoke at them, and that ended the conversation quickly. Anniya looked over the forest, and bit her lip. Hearing about all these deaths didn't change anything. They would still have to go through there.
Robert's lantern swung accidently to the left. Anniya's quick green eyes spotted something the average eye would not of seen. Covered by the thick, thick brush, there was a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared in the dense black trees.
" There! Robert, back there," she called out to him. Robert moved the lantern in the direction of her hand. Sure enough, through the huddled, shadowy trees there was a path.
" Come on. Maybe we can get out of this perpetual night place before dawn," Anniya told them, and stepped into the forest.
The hot Ayorthorian air left her as Anniya was swept up in a rush of coolness. She frowned, and stepped out. The hot air came back. She let out a small laugh.
" This is absurd. It can't be chilly in there when it's hot out here."
" Well, if there was one place in this world where it could happen, it'd be here," Robert told her, and he stepped inside the borderlines of the forest. He waved over his shoulder, motioning for the others to follow them. Robert, Anniya, and Gleex led the front, while West, Esperanza, and the horses were in the back.
As Anniya stepped inside the forest, once again an icy wave swept over her. She shivered, not knowing if it was from the cold or from the fear. The ancient oaks were gigantic. Anniya felt even more dwarfed then she usually did.
None of them talked. Even Gleex had managed to stay quiet. The emerald dragon made no noise, released no smoke, and for the most part was perfect. Anniya dropped back to walk next to him after awhile. At first Anniya wondered if they all stayed quiet that they would increase their chances of gliding through unnoticed. But the further she went, the more she realized that it was impossible. Even if they did manage to stay unseen, they would eventually have to stop and sleep. And that would be when something found them.
After awhile, Anniya's eyes began adjusting to the dark. She was also aided by the slivers of moonlight that slipped through the tree tops. They should of comforted Anniya, but they just made her fear even more eerie. It was almost as if the forest wanted them to be seen. Occasionally she thought she saw shapes darting between trees, but she would of sensed something was wrong if they were a true threat.
The trees were even bigger now that Anniya's eyes had adjusted. Some of them were centuries old, with their great limbs touching the ground, completed with the delicate gray moss hanging off. Spots of moonlight shone through the tree tops, allowing her to see the dim path.
" The Fens is one of the oldest legends in my heritage," Esperanza whispered, her eyes filled with her gypsy spirit as well as her fear. Anniya nodded, indicating for her to continue. Esperanza continued in a hushed voice.
" It is said that the creation of the lands began at the Fens. The Fens was once a place of beauty, of perpetual light. The legend says that the faerie's themselves walked down here side by side with the ogres. But back then the ogres were beautiful, beautiful people. It was said that one could go blind by their beauty. They were told that they were a beautiful race, but alas, only the faerie's had mirrors, and only them. But a particular mischievous ogre, Bees, one day stole one from one of the highest princesses'. The king was enraged. And when Bees looked into that mirror, a horrible curse fell upon the ogres. They lost their beautiful, angelic skin, and their wide multi-color eyes, and their lovely brilliant hair of all different colors. They developed carnivorous teeth, losing their love for vegetables. Coarse black hair and beady eyes came. And their beautiful, angelic, honey colored skin turned a blue-green. With them, the land transformed. It grew dark, the flowers died, everything died. That is what we are walking in now. A dead land."
Anniya shivered again. She studied the trees most closely as they walked along.
Gleex suddenly let out an anxious cry, causing a large echo. On cue, Robert whipped out his sword and West his bow. Robert had been leaning toward using his sword since Anniya had seen him last. She recalled her eerie talent with a sword, one that she had long since abandoned.
" That wasn't a good move. The way he was hollering, something's going to find us ," Esperanza whispered when the echo finally died out. Anniya shook her head.
" Wrong. Something has already found us. We need to move."
No sooner did the words leave Anniya's lips did a horn sound. The way the forest echoed, one couldn't tell how far away it was. The group was silent as the ghostly, solemn horn was blown once, twice, then thrice.
" Go," Robert said, speaking for nearly all of them. Anniya shook her head violently.
" Where to? We have nowhere to run.
" Just go!," West told her, and pushed her forward.
At that instant all of them began running down the dark, winding path. They were easy targets, but Anniya was afraid if they went off course they wouldn't be able to get back on.
Noises were suddenly heard from the right side of the forest. Distant ones, but coming fast.
" Faster! Faster," Robert shouted, no longer bothering to keep his voice low. The moment had come when they were spotted.
Gleex suddenly shrieked, and took off into the air, heading towards the right side. In an instant Anniya knew that he was going to try and hold their attackers off.
" No!," she screamed, stopping. In an instant, Anniya took after him in the woods, not even thinking of the consequences.
" Anniya!," she heard Esperanza screaming after her, but she paid no mind. Branches tore at her dress and face, but it only made her more determined to run harder.
She didn't know how far off course she became, but she head Gleex's battle cry several minutes later, far off to her left. Anniya also heard her name being frantically called. She ran a few more steps before stumbling into an open clearing. That was when Anniya stopped running.
Anniya couldn't recall seeing a tree this big in her life. It stood in the center of a large, open clearing. It's drooping branches stretched out in every direction. It's trunk was the most magnificent. The width of it would of matched a cottage. It's bark was old and battered, but shone with a otherworldly beauty, a color that seemed like silver. Dead leaves surrounded it, but that only seemed to add to it's magnificence. It dwarfed the trees that surrounded the clearing. It must of been the oldest tree in the forest, possibly in Kyrria, Ayorthora, the Fairylands, Kellia, and Bast all put together.
Anniya stood there, breathless. How could such a beautiful, ancient thing of magic exist in, as Esperanza put it, a dead land?
" Anniya," yelled West as he burst into the clearing, abruptly slamming into the petite blonde herself. He grabbed her by her shoulders. " Are you bloody insane? You could of died! You could of been killed, we had no idea where you were, if a damn ogre got you or not," he ranted angrily. Esperanza and Robert appeared on the scene. Esperanza pushed West out of the way.
" Are you alright," she asked anxiously. Anniya nodded her head, and gestured to the tree.
For the next minute it was quiet as all of them stared at the tree.
" By god........," Robert began.
He abruptly dropped what he was saying when another horn was blown. This one was undeniably close. Less then half a mile away. They were, unquestionably, doomed.
" The tree! There's something on the tree," Esperanza said suddenly. Anniya whirled around and saw that what she had taking for scratches in the trees bark was, what looked like some sort of rune.
" Hurry! Maybe it can help us somehow," Robert told them, and took off for the tree. They reached it in less then a minute. The tree was even bigger up close then it did far away. Anniya knew that it was a weak plan, but at this point they really didn't have much choice. The noise in the forest became louder.
Anniya could see it clearly now. She wondered why she didn't notice it before. In the center of the great tree, a message had been inscribed in the ancient wood.
" I don't recognize this language. It's in an ancient tongue," Robert finally said, his voice grave. West had already given up, and Esperanza was listening to the dead leaves crunch as god knows what raced towards them. Anniya glanced at the runes again, and came to a startling realization: she knew what they said.
" I know this! I can read it," she exclaimed, moving in front of Robert. She moved her fingers over the carved runes as she spoke.
" I am in the...... beginning of.......eternity.... ," Anniya began, recalling more of the language as she went along.
Esperanza screamed at that moment. Anniya didn't turn around, but she heard Robert yank his sword out of his sheath, and West load his bow. She concentrated on the words.
" and at.....the end, I think......of time."
" Tell me thy...... answer.......and enter........or if wrong, I think that's what it says.......or if wrong, face they enemy which attacks thee."
She thought about it for a moment. " It's a riddle! We have to solve it! What is at the beginning of eternity and at the end of time," Anniya exclaimed, and started to turn around.
Just in time to see the first goblin come into the clearing.
It was hideous, almost worst then an ogre. It was nearly five feet tall, and had black, warty skin. It's slanted eyes glowed red, like rubies. It had pointed, black ears that only made it more hideous. More poured into the clearing.
" What about ending!," shouted West, firing arrows. The tree did nothing.
" good and evil!"
" Beginning!"
" The sun!"
None of the words did anything. Robert turned to Anniya and Esperanza.
" There are too many of them! Run, we'll hold them off!"
Privately, Anniya thought that if a fire-breathing dragon couldn't hold them off, then Robert and West certainly couldn't of. And even so, she refused to leave them.
" Think Esperanza! Think," Anniya shouted desperately. The goblins circled the tree more closely now, speaking to each other in their harsh, dry language.
At the sound of her name, Esperanza's eyes suddenly lit up. She pressed against the door, and shouted with all her strength, " E! E! E!"
For a moment Anniya was scared that her friend had lost her wits. But that was when she realized that the answer had been right in front of them. Eternity started with the letter E, and the word time ended it.
The inscription and the bark disappeared, revealing a passage way.
" Go," Anniya screamed as arrows flew pass them. She grabbed Esperanza's hand and dragged her into the passage way, Robert and West quickly behind her. The bark reappeared just as the goblins hit it, preventing them from following the group.
However, what awaited them inside here, they did not know.
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****Author's Note****
The Fens. The legendary home of the ogres. After you've read Ella enchanted 10 billion times, you tend to noticed the little details. For anyone who cares, the Fens is mentioned exactly one time in Ella Enchanted. For anyone who cares even more, it's on page 88. I obviously had to use some artistic license, but that's how I kinda imagine the Fens would be. Anyway, I thought I'd tell you guys that in case ' The Fens' rang a bell in your head.
Thanks for the landslide of reviews! A few chapters ago I was thrilled that I was at the 300 mark, and now I'm almost at the big 4-0-0. Thanks guys!