Chapter two: Wishes granted
Cali awoke the next morning to a pounding on her door. She threw back the covers and walked swiftly to the door. She unlatched the lock and opened the door to reveal her friends from the village. They were all dressed in peasant's clothing. Cali ran a hand through her hair, attempting to tame it and asked, "Hey, what are you guys doing here?"
The four females standing there, Leanna, Sida, Jenae, and Cora, all rushed into Cali's room. The tallest was Leanna at 5'9. She had straight black hair to slightly below her shoulder blades with blue streaks; her eyes were brown with some specks of gold in them. Next was Sida at 5'7 sporting wavy blonde hair with purple tips and clear blue eyes. Jenae was the same height as Sida and Cali. Her straight hair was a mousy brown with green streaks and her eyes were hazel. Last came Cora who was the shortest. She was 5'4 with cropped red hair that had blonde streaks. Her eyes were green. Their clothing was all alike. An off white chemise covered by a black bodice, easily showing off their assets, and a multi-layered skirt matching the color in their hair. The females also wore an assortment of necklaces, bracelets, and bells. Three of them went straight to her closet while Sida placed a hand on Cali's shoulder. "As if you didn't know, Cal. The festival is today, remember?"
Cali groaned and sat heavily on her bed. She placed her head in her hands and groaned again. "Don't remind me." She looked at Sida. "Neil is going to be there along with his parents. Besides, you all know that I've made it a point in my life to never go. I'll probably just end up getting into another fight with one of the local boys again."
Leanna turned from her task and looked at her friend with sympathy, then smiled brightly. "Well, that is going to change. And no worries, you won't have to be anywhere near them." Cali raised an eyebrow in confusion. Leanna smiled. "You, my strange friend, are going to be our Elven Maiden this year. You're perfect for it!"
Cali shook her head furiously. "No I'm not!"
Sida grinned and nodded. "Yes you are! Not only do you look like one-"
"Oh that's encouraging."
Sida pointed to her ears. "Well, you have the ears and facial features,"
"The ears are probably just a genetic defect from my so-called birth parents who abandoned me in the forest since they could obviously care less about me," interrupted Cali.
"-and you have the grace like one," continued Sida.
Cali snorted. "Sida, I can't even curtsy much less have the grace of an Elf."
"You play your flute like no one else around here. Not to mention your music and your voice when you sing is utterly enchanting."
Cali shook her head. "Playing the flute is one of the only things I'm good at because I've been playing since I understood what a flute was. And when did you hear me sing!? I only sing when no one is around!"
Sida ignored the last remark. "Come on! You have to do it! Lisa, the girl who normally does it, is sick and can't do it this year. So you have to!"
Cali stood and walked over to her window. The sun was just rising, making it about six o'clock in the morning. She watched as some squirrels chased each other through the trees, and she caught a glimpse of a deer grazing near one of the cherry trees. She opened it to allow some of the morning air to flow into her room. The air was cool and sweet, and smelled of the woodland. The young woman turned to face her four friends. Jenae and Cora had already laid out an outfit on her bed, and Leanna and Sida were staring at her pleadingly.
Why shouldn't she do this? It would give her a chance to be herself around others for once. She could actually let her ears show without fear of being stared at like a freak. She shook her head, sometimes she gave into her friends' requests too easily. Cali laughed silently to herself. "Alright," she said softly. "I'll do it." The other females jumped up, squealing with joy and ran over to her enveloping her in a large hug. Jenae then lead her over to the bed where they had laid her outfit.
"Put this on," she commanded. "It's perfect. I'll find the accessories while you change." Cali just nodded and made her way to her bathroom to shower and change.
Two hours later, the girls pushed Cali in front of the mirror to admire their handiwork. Cali was wearing a flowing green dress with see-through sleeves, which billowed out at her elbows, one end reaching her knees. The neckline came off her shoulders enough to reveal a leaf-like symbol on both her shoulders. It was then covered with a deep, forest green leather lace-up bodice. The hems of the sleeves, neckline, and the bottom of the dress were embroidered with green leaves surrounded with Celtic symbols. She wore a green silk sash, the same green as her bodice, around her waist. The ends of the sash were nicely frayed and reached to just a foot above the ground. Underneath the dress, she wore knee-high brown boots.
Her hair had been blown dry so it would dry into long, soft curls. The hair right above her ears had been braided to the back of her head, revealing her pointed ears. In each ear lobe was a small green leaf dangling on the end of a short silver chain. Along with the pendant around her neck, she wore a black velvet choker with a green and silver leaf (like her earrings) in the middle. Also there was a short necklace made up of green and silver leaves. Her eyes had been lined with a dark green pencil, and shadowed with brown and green eye shadow. And last, her hair and face were sprinkled with silver glitter.
Cali looked at her reflection in amazement. "That's a lot of green," she commented. "And leaves. There are a lot of leaves."
"Now you truly look like an Elf Maiden," said Jenae.
"Oh joy," Cali said, sarcasm lacing her voice.
"Come on then, let's get going. Everyone else helping at the fair has already been there since a few hours before dawn," said Cora.
That struck a thought into Cali mind. "That reminds me, how did you guys get here without waking up my parents?"
Sida grinned at looked at the others. "That's easy. We rode. And then we used the stairway hidden behind the bushes and trees in the back of the house; remember? The door is hidden behind that large tapestry in the upstairs hall." Cali nodded. She had forgotten that there was a door hidden behind it, leading to a stairway outside.
"You're right, I'd forgotten. Let me get a few things first, since I know that I'll probably be spending the entire week down there, and then you guys can help me get Astalder saddled and ready." The five females then quietly rushed about the room, gathering things to place in the saddlebags. They gathered several outfits of clothing, an extra pair of black boots, some small knives (for protection), her cd player and cds, her flute, and some essentials like a hair brush, a small make-up bag (at Cora's prodding), and other small things. "I think that's it," Cali remarked. "And I have a small first aid-kit and some dried food down in the stables. Let's go." Quietly they exited the room, and crept down the stairs as to not wake her parents. Slipping behind the tapestry and down the stairway, they made their way to the stables.
The other girls ran to get her equipment while Cali carefully opened the stall door to reveal her black Friesian horse, Astalder, which meant 'valiant one'. They all worked together to brush him, place the saddle and bridal on him, put the clothing and essentials in one bag, with the kit, food, knives, one outfit and her flute in the other bag. Cali then hiked up her skirts and mounted her horse. As the others went to get their horses, Cali suddenly called out as she smoothed her skirts around her to stay decent looking. "Wait! Leanna, could you get that white rope over there and stuff it into one of the bags for me?"
"What's it for?" Leanna asked and she grabbed the rope.
Cali shrugged. "Make-shift halter." The others laughed and finished mounting. About thirty minutes later of riding, the five girls arrived in the village where the fair was to take place. All of the banners and flags were up and flying, and several stands and booths had been set up. Cali breathed in the sight and followed the girls to the main stage area where several young men were setting up benches.
"Hey Ryan!" Sida called out to one of them. "We found our replacement for our Elven Maiden!"
A tall young man with brown hair stood and ran over to them. "Great! Who is it, Sida?" Sida pointed to Cali who sat straight in her saddle and gazed down at the one called Ryan. "This is Calithradë, our new Elven Maiden!"
Ryan stared at her, mostly her pointed ears of course. "Calithradë? You mean the girl off of Brand S road?"
"The one and the same."
Ryan continued to stare at Cali who in return narrowed her eyes and glared back. After a few minutes, Ryan said, "You're right Sida, she is perfect."
Jenae nudged her horse near Cali's, and threw her arms around her. "You hear that?! You're perfect! Plus it was a 'male' who said it! Come on, we'll show you around the place and explain what you have to do." She then led Cali to the stables where she could keep her horse. After making sure Astalder was set, Jenae lead Cali back to the main area. The other had already dismounted and some of the young men were leading the horses away. Sida turned to Cali and smiled.
"Good, you're back. Take a seat and we'll explain what's going to be happening. The fair officially starts at nine o'clock when the Elven Maiden walks onto the stage and introduces herself. In your case, you'll come on playing your flute to capture everyone attention. You'll play one or two songs, and then welcome the audience to the fair. You will then introduce us, as your subjects and servants, who will guide them around the fair. After that, you'll be free to wonder around until lunch, when we have a sort of play put on. Then again at sun set. Ryan, I'm sure, will tell you about the play when it gets close to the time. Think you can do this, Cali?"
Cali sighed and nodded. "Sure." She stood and gazed out to the rest of the fair. "I'm going to take a walk and see some of the sights, okay?" But before the others could answer, Cali walked off. After walking for a few minutes, Cali wondered why she never came to the fair in the previous years. It was amazing. There were at least a hundred booths all together. Some sold food, others art, jewelry, clothing, and other trinkets. There were even some blacksmith shops. One of them in particular, caught Cali's interest. The blacksmith had several daggers and swords hanging about his booth and he was currently working on a new one. Cali walked up to admire the various blades. Suddenly, a flicker caught her gaze. She glided over to a table and to the weapon that had caught her eye. It was actually a set consisting of a long bow, a sword and two long knives. The metal, of which the three blades were made from, seemed to almost glow. Cali then noticed the symbols on the blades. They were almost similar to the language she was studying, but different somehow. The bow, she figured to be at least four or five feet long. It's long handle a silvery blue with small vines winding their way around it.
"Like what you see?" a soft voice said.
Cali gasped and jumped. She whirled around to see an old man standing there. He was much taller than she was with long gray-white hair, a long white beard, and kind gray eyes. He was draped in a gray cloak and held a white staff in his right hand. "Um, y-yes," Cali stammered still startled.
"Do you have any experience?" the old man asked.
She looked at him curiously. "I had some lessons when I was younger, but I think could hold my own for a short while if the situation called for it," Cali replied. The man nodded and walked over to where the blacksmith was working. They talked for a few moments and the old man handed the blacksmith a small bag. After looking at its contents, the smith nodded and they shook hands. The old man then walked back over to where Cali stood. He sheathed each of the blades, and picked up a sheath of arrows next to the table and laid it beside the bow. He then turned to Cali and smiled.
"These are yours now. Use them wisely." With that, the old man turned to leave when Cali caught his arm, stopping him.
"Wait. What?…..why?" she asked in confusion.
He smiled gently and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Because I have never met a more lovely Maiden in all my years of coming here, Calithradë."
Cali shrunk back a few steps. "How did you know my name? Who are you?"
"Ah, please forgive me." The man bent at the waist, slightly bowing. "I am Gandal White, the resident wizard of this fair. As for knowing your name, I heard it being mentioned by a young lady earlier this morning."
"Oh. Figures." Cali then tried to curtsy, but after an unsuccessful attempt she opted to just bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. White. But why did you get these for me? They must have cost a fortune."
Gandal White nodded. "If you would care to come with me to my own tent, I will explain." Cali consented. After showing her how to strap on and wear the various weapons, Mr. White led her out of the blacksmith's shop and to his own tent. The tent of the fair's wizard was huge. Though the outside was a plain brown, the inside of it was almost like she had stepped into another world. There were several shelves of thick leather-bound books, and piles of parchments. Jars filled with … things… lined other shelves, and crystals and other odds and ends littered the tent. There was a desk covered with parchment, a few chairs, a chest off to one side, several boxes filled with fireworks, and dare she think it, a crystal ball on a pedestal in the middle of the tent. A soft 'hoot' caused Cali to turn her head and see a white owl perched on a wooden stand next to the entrance. The animal stared at her with its large golden eyes, like it was saying, "I know something you don't".
"Here, we go," said Mr. White suddenly. Cali shifted her gazed to him where he was bending over the chest. He straightened up and turned around to reveal a ring in his hands. The ring was silver and held a large black stone. He walked over to Cali and handed her the ring. "Here, take this. Put it on and all of your questions will be answered this afternoon." Mr. White then glanced over her shoulder at the entrance. "You'd better get going. I believe some of your friends are looking for you." Cali looked at the entrance then back at Mr. White, only to find him gone. He wasn't anywhere in the tent. Startled and growing wary, she ran out of the tent, the owl's eyes watching her closely.
Later that day in the early afternoon, after the fair had officially started, Cali was sitting under a tree fingering her flute. The opening of the fair, according to everyone she came across, had been a success. She performed beautifully, taking the part to heart as if she truly were an Elf maiden. Cali had seen her parents and the Jensons in the crowd, but intentionally ignored them. She sighed and brought the flute to her lips. It was a simple instrument, given to her from an anonymous person on her tenth birthday. The flute was wooden, like an old fashioned one, smooth to the touch with small engravings that she could not recognize. Cali began to play a tune she heard in her dreams once. After the dream, she had awoken and tried to play the tune, finding it easily coming to her mind. She played it without fault. The tune was now her favorite and she played it often. Cali suddenly stopped playing when she thought of that strange man who had bought her the weapons and given her the ring. 'What questions were he talking about?' she thought to herself.
'That's easy,' her mind answered back. 'Who am I? Why am I here? And why am I so different from everyone else?' Cali thought on these while rubbing a finger against the black stone in the ring. She wondered if her questions really would be answered this afternoon. But how could a small thing like this help? Determined to find out, Cali stood and headed to the main tent where she was sure one of her friends was residing. Soon, she came to a large green and brown tent with two young men standing at the entrance, like guards. She walked up to them and with a light smile, was allowed in. Cali looked around until she spotted Leanna sitting on a trunk, braiding a smaller girl's hair.
"Hey, Leanna?" Cali asked.
Leanna looked up from what she was doing and smiled at Cali. "Hey, what can I do for you?"
"I'm going to go for a ride in the woods. I'll be back in about an hour, before the play starts."
The other girls nodded. "Alright. But take my cloak. There's a bit of a breeze going, so it's going to be a bit chillier in the woods." She motioned to a rack where a thick gray cloak was hanging. Cali thanked her and put the cloak on, suddenly warmer. Once at the stables, Cali had one of the stable boys help her saddle her horse. He also assisted her in strapping her saddlebags back on and her weapons. Cali wasn't sure why, but she just felt that when she went into the woods, she should have them with her, and soon she was heading toward the forest. After a few minutes of wondering around, Cali noticed a low fog starting to form. She pulled the cloak tighter around her; thankful Leanna had lent it to her. She soon came to a clearing, where she dismounted and began to lead her horse by the reins. After exiting the clearing, Cali noticed the fog beginning to rise and thicken. She at once decided to remount and head back before the fog became too thick and she became lost.
Once on her horse, Cali turned him around to head back, only realize that the fog had lifted so high, she could not recognize her surroundings. 'Great, I'm lost,' she scolded herself. Picking a direction, knowing that sooner or later it would lead her out of the forest, she urged Astalder forward at a brisk walk. But no avail. After what seemed like hours, Cali stopped and growled in frustration. This was not supposed to happen. She chose another direction when suddenly a strong wind blew through the trees. It blew her hair violently to the side and sent chills down her body. Trying to shield herself from the wind, Cali pressed on in the direction she chose. Soon another gust of wind blew, this time much stronger than the first and it was followed by a loud clap of thunder with a bright flash of white light, causing her horse to rear up. Holding tightly with her legs and the front of her saddle, Cali whispered soothing words to Astalder and stroked his neck until he calmed down.
Deciding that she had to get out of the woods now, Cali urged an all too eager Astalder into a trot. As they made their way through the trees, Cali noticed the fog had suddenly lifted. It fact, it was gone. The sun was shining through the tops of the trees, and the air was warmer than it had been. Knowing that she was not getting anywhere and as soon as she came to another clearing, Cali dismounted again to rest and stretch her legs. Before long, she was sitting on a rock nibbling on some dried fruit and her horse was grazing when a loud squeal rang through the clearing. It startled her and caused her horse to rear up again and this time bolt out of the clearing.
"Astalder!" Cali cried out after him but knew she could not catch him. Suddenly, the squealing noise sounded again, this time closer. Cali turned in the direction of the sound to see a creature at the edge of the clearing. Its skin was like rotten leather and smelled horrible. It had very little hair and its eyes glowed a blazing yellow. The creature's teeth were like razors and a blackish-green substance dribbled from one side of its mouth. Cali stared at the creature, terrified, as it slowly advanced on her. Quickly regaining her senses, she reached under her dress to her boot where she kept a spare dagger. She drew it out and kept the knife in front of her as the creature continued to creep forward. Unexpectedly, the creature broke into a run and lunged at Cali, knocking her to the ground. It pinned her arms to the side and grinned wickedly in her face.
As it slowly lowered its face to her neck with its teeth bared it, to her surprise, widened its eyes and slumped forward onto her chest, not breathing. Disgusted, Cali pushed the creature off her and quickly stood, backing away from it. She notice two arrows embedded in it, one from the creature's head, and the other from the neck. Her ears then picked up the slight sound of leaves rustling. Cali quickly picked her dagger back up from the ground and once again held it in front of her. No sooner than had her eyes darted to where she heard the sound, but two men on horseback entered the clearing. They were both supporting bows and one was leading Astalder by his reins. Cali backed until she felt her back hit the trunk of a tree. She watched as the two men dismounted and slowly walked over to her.
"Are you alright, Milady?" one of them asked. He had dark brown hair and light green eyes. Cali's breath quickened as they continued to get closer. "Did the creature hurt you?" he asked.
The other one, a blonde guy with blue eyes, brought Astalder over to her. "Is this your horse, Milady?" Cali quickly nodded, grateful that her horse was alright after he had run off. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked with gentle concern in his eyes.
"Y-yes," Cali managed to stammer out. "Thank you."
The blonde one bowed. "You're quite welcome, Milady. If you would allow me to introduce us, I am Legolas and this is my companion, Déorwin. Who are you and what were you doing out here without an escort of some kind?"
Cali just stared at them. Then she noticed their ears. They were slightly pointed, like hers. 'Whoa. Their ears are just like mine!' Still shaking because of the creature, scared of her surroundings, and uncertain about the two men in front of her, Cali did something she'd never done in her life. She fainted.
