There were trees around her and the sound of a stream trickling nearby
sounded like music. The girl who had asked her if she could hear her was
sitting next to her. She was beautiful and her face seemed welcoming and
radiant. Her clothes were black and her long wavy hair cascaded down her
back. But there were more people. Isabel saw another girl around her age
looking at her. Her red streaked brown hair was loose on her shoulders. Her
eyes were a deep green color and for a minute, Isabel couldn't remember why
those eyes seemed so familiar to her. She was also beautiful, but her eyes
seemed guarded. Isabel smiled at her and was glad that she smiled back. The
girl seemed like she had no emotion at all. But when she smiled, she looked
even more attractive. Isabel saw the little girl.
"Hello," she said to her. "What's your name?" The little girl said in a small voice, "Graciela, but I like Gracie." She pointed at the friendly looking girl. "She made my nickname." Isabel looked at her. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly to Isabel. "I'm Taja. This is..." she trailed off and looked at the other girl, the serious one. "Raine," The serious girl supplied. "Raine," Taja repeated.
"I'm Isabel," Isabel said. Her head was feeling much better. Raine looked at her. "What happened to you?" She pointed at her arm. Isabel noticed that it was bandaged with a wet cloth. She looked at Taja questionly. Taja said, "I did that. You had a scrape." Isabel nodded her thanks and turned to Raine. "I think I tried to save Gracie. She was too close to all the fighting. And a horse came out of nowhere and I jumped to the side. Then everything went black." "You got knocked out when you hit the ground," Taja said. "I got on a horse." She stopped suddenly. "I got on a horse," she said again but more softly.
"Is something wrong?" Raine asked, a hint of concern in her voice. Raine was beginning to feel friendly with the two girls. She didn't really know them, but something seemed familiar with them. Taja smiled. "It's probably nothing," she said. Raine looked at her. "You'll think I'm crazy." Raine thought of the soldier throwing fire. "I'm crazy," she said, half smiling. Taja looked at her, not sure if she was joking or not. "Promise you won't laugh?" she asked Raine and Isabel. They both nodded. "Okay. After the horse nearly hurt you," she said, looking at Isabel. "She ran towards me and I was about to get run down. But then, I... said something." Isabel looked confused. "What exactly did you say?"
Taja looked from Raine to Isabel. "I said something, but in, like, a different language. I don't know. You think I'm crazy right?" Isabel shook her head. "I believe you. I believe in magic. But not Magic that is too fantastic. But speaking another language is okay. But it's not really magical. Maybe it's another language that came from a memory. I don't know. But maybe, it is magic, " she said thoughtfully. Raine nodded to. "Me too. I mean, I believe in magic. All kinds. In fact I thought I saw a soldier--- ," suddenly, she stopped. "Wait a minute, can you hear something?" Taja turned and listened. "People are coming." Raine's face was once again emotionless, but Isabel spotted a faint sign of alarm in her eyes. "A lot of people. I think the enemy is retreating." The girls quickly gathered their belongings and Taja took the horse's rein and Gracie's hand. All of them hid in bushes, hoping they wouldn't be seen. Taja stroked the horse, willing it to be quiet.
As the footsteps came closer, the sound of voices became clearer. Soon, the three young women could hear the words they were saying. To their surprise, the way they talked was not at all like soldiers.
Raine tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword as she listened. "That should serve as a warning to those mortals. It's a good thing for them that we aren't as cruel as they are." Another person spoke up. "I wanted to kill them all. Make sure that they never mess with us again." Sounds of murmuring greeted these words. "Higara, my brother and companion, I am shocked to hear these words come from your mouth. Are you one of us? Our kind is never murderous. We only kill the evil people. I am sure many of the citizens have no idea how spiteful their king is." Raine noted that the person speaking had a more lordly tone of voice. He was most likely the captain.
Taja leaned closer, but making sure she made no sound. How was their king malicious? Who were these people? They didn't sound like the soldiers in her kingdom. Her thoughts were interrupted when Higara spoke again. "Taurus, these people killed our kind---"
"Only the soldiers did. Do my words slipped from your mind so easily? The king is evil and his soldiers cruel. The others are probably just like us."
Higara scoffed. "Just like us? Brother, they are mere mortals! We are more superior then they are!" A few soldiers muttered in agreement.
Another voice spoke up. "I believe being treated like a prince has gone all to your head. Someone must deflate it for you!"
Isabel smiled slightly at these words. She couldn't help but agree with the person who had retorted. She did not know Higara, but he seemed like an arrogant fool anyhow. Isabel chanced a quick peek behind the trunk of her tree. The soldiers were standing in the clearing where she, Raine, and Taja had stood a few moments ago. She saw a tall, muscular young man with blond hair and a raised chin stand before a slightly shorter young Man. Isabel couldn't see the face of Higara, for the blond man must be Higara, but she could clearly see the face of the man who had talked back. His dark brown hair was messy and his jaw set. His blue-green eyes sparkled, almost mockingly, at Higara. Isabel ducked her head behind the trunk again.
"Why you little—," The sound of a sword being unsheathed met Raine's ears. "Higara! Put away your sword. I am sure Aries didn't mean any harm." Taurus's voice was stern. After a few moments of silence Higara hissed, "I will let you fool go this time, but next time you insult me, it would be the last."
"Let's move out! My orders from Lady Gem were to hurry back as soon as our duty is done." Higara gave Aries a look of pure venom before following the lead of his brother. Aries smiled at him, making the man even more furious. "I'll get you. You better watch your back," Higara snarled. Aries raised an eyebrow, nonplussed. Higara stalked away, leaving Aries behind. Aries started walking, and someone overtook him.
"You better watch out, Aries. Higara is serious this time." Aries smiled at his best friend, Tobias. "Isn't he serious every time he threatens me?" Tobias tried to smile back, but the worry showed on his face. "You better watch your back all the same. Higara has been waiting for the chance to do you in ever since you met at training. In this foreign land, he can easily make it seem like an accident." Aries started walking faster. "You forget one thing, my friend, I am Aries."
Taja waited a few more minutes after the sounds of footsteps faded away before coming out into the open. Gracie tottered behind her. She looked around for her friends. "I think it's okay now. You can come out." Taja heard the sound of leaves and turned around. Raine was coming out from a thicket of bushes. Her face was still emotionless and her hand gripped her sword. Taja flashed a smile. "Raine, relax. No one is going to get you." Raine gave her a look before loosening her hold on her sword. Suddenly, she looked tired and drained of energy. Isabel emerged from behind a tree. Taja looked at Isabel and then back at Raine. Her smile faded. "Are you alright?" she asked Raine, her voice concerned. Raine shook her head. "Yes I am. Just tired." Isabel turned towards the direction where the kingdom is. "Come on," she said. "Let's go back. It's over." Taja looked at Raine. The girl didn't make any motion that she heard Isabel.
"Raine?" Taja said. "It's time to go." Raine jerked out of a reverie. "What?" "Time to go," Isabel repeated to her. Raine stood up straighter and raised her chin defiantly. "I'm not going back." Isabel stopped and turned around. She started walking back. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not going back! Look, when I got packed, it was before the kingdom was attacked. I was going to run away. My plans are still the same." Isabel looked at her. "Raine, it's too dangerous. It's better to go back."
A flash of anger went through her. Better to go back? Back to her parents? "Maybe it's better for you to go back. You're probably all rich and have servants waiting on you. I—," Raine stopped. "I have nothing. I'm leaving." She turned to go.
Taja watched Raine retreat. She opened her mouth to say something, but Isabel was quicker. "Me? Having servants? Raine, you have no idea." Taja looked at Isabel. She had a strange look on her face. "I'm a servant. And not to just anybody, but my own mother!"
Raine stopped and turned around. "Then why go back? You can come with me." Isabel started to speak, but stopped. Why did she want to go back? Like Raine, she had almost nothing. She looked at Raine uncertainly. But she hardly knew this teenager. Can she just leave with a stranger?"
Raine looked at Taja, who was standing off to the side, her face unreadable. Gracie was looking at Taja to Raine and then to Isabel. She looked like she was scared a little from the shouting. "You can come too," Raine said to Taja, more softly slightly ashamed at alarming Gracie. Taja looked at her, her eyes seemed unsure. But as Raine stared back, back into the same colored eyes she had, the last bit of wariness faded away.
What had she got to loose? She was just a lowly gardener in the city. She had no life too. This was her chance for adventure. Taja nodded, a bright smile emerging on her face, brightening her features. "I'll come with you." Raine then turned to Isabel. Isabel nodded too. "Okay," she said. She started to smile too. "All right."
Something was nagging Isabel though. "Where are we going?" she asked suddenly. Raine hesitated before pulling out a scroll from her pack. "We're going to see the elves." "Elves?" Isabel repeated. Raine nodded. "No, no. Elves aren't real Raine." Raine pulled out something from her pack again and showed it to sable and Taja. It was a leather bound book. "This is proof," She said. "It's a diary of a girl who once lived with the elves." Isabel looked down at the book and then at Raine's face. No, it was too farfetched. But something told Isabel to trust Raine. She remembered the note she had received. Maybe she was meant to go with Raine. Finally, she nodded. "Let's go see the elves." Taja nodded too, bright smile lighting up her features. "Elves," she said softly. "It's a dream come true."
"Hello," she said to her. "What's your name?" The little girl said in a small voice, "Graciela, but I like Gracie." She pointed at the friendly looking girl. "She made my nickname." Isabel looked at her. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly to Isabel. "I'm Taja. This is..." she trailed off and looked at the other girl, the serious one. "Raine," The serious girl supplied. "Raine," Taja repeated.
"I'm Isabel," Isabel said. Her head was feeling much better. Raine looked at her. "What happened to you?" She pointed at her arm. Isabel noticed that it was bandaged with a wet cloth. She looked at Taja questionly. Taja said, "I did that. You had a scrape." Isabel nodded her thanks and turned to Raine. "I think I tried to save Gracie. She was too close to all the fighting. And a horse came out of nowhere and I jumped to the side. Then everything went black." "You got knocked out when you hit the ground," Taja said. "I got on a horse." She stopped suddenly. "I got on a horse," she said again but more softly.
"Is something wrong?" Raine asked, a hint of concern in her voice. Raine was beginning to feel friendly with the two girls. She didn't really know them, but something seemed familiar with them. Taja smiled. "It's probably nothing," she said. Raine looked at her. "You'll think I'm crazy." Raine thought of the soldier throwing fire. "I'm crazy," she said, half smiling. Taja looked at her, not sure if she was joking or not. "Promise you won't laugh?" she asked Raine and Isabel. They both nodded. "Okay. After the horse nearly hurt you," she said, looking at Isabel. "She ran towards me and I was about to get run down. But then, I... said something." Isabel looked confused. "What exactly did you say?"
Taja looked from Raine to Isabel. "I said something, but in, like, a different language. I don't know. You think I'm crazy right?" Isabel shook her head. "I believe you. I believe in magic. But not Magic that is too fantastic. But speaking another language is okay. But it's not really magical. Maybe it's another language that came from a memory. I don't know. But maybe, it is magic, " she said thoughtfully. Raine nodded to. "Me too. I mean, I believe in magic. All kinds. In fact I thought I saw a soldier--- ," suddenly, she stopped. "Wait a minute, can you hear something?" Taja turned and listened. "People are coming." Raine's face was once again emotionless, but Isabel spotted a faint sign of alarm in her eyes. "A lot of people. I think the enemy is retreating." The girls quickly gathered their belongings and Taja took the horse's rein and Gracie's hand. All of them hid in bushes, hoping they wouldn't be seen. Taja stroked the horse, willing it to be quiet.
As the footsteps came closer, the sound of voices became clearer. Soon, the three young women could hear the words they were saying. To their surprise, the way they talked was not at all like soldiers.
Raine tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword as she listened. "That should serve as a warning to those mortals. It's a good thing for them that we aren't as cruel as they are." Another person spoke up. "I wanted to kill them all. Make sure that they never mess with us again." Sounds of murmuring greeted these words. "Higara, my brother and companion, I am shocked to hear these words come from your mouth. Are you one of us? Our kind is never murderous. We only kill the evil people. I am sure many of the citizens have no idea how spiteful their king is." Raine noted that the person speaking had a more lordly tone of voice. He was most likely the captain.
Taja leaned closer, but making sure she made no sound. How was their king malicious? Who were these people? They didn't sound like the soldiers in her kingdom. Her thoughts were interrupted when Higara spoke again. "Taurus, these people killed our kind---"
"Only the soldiers did. Do my words slipped from your mind so easily? The king is evil and his soldiers cruel. The others are probably just like us."
Higara scoffed. "Just like us? Brother, they are mere mortals! We are more superior then they are!" A few soldiers muttered in agreement.
Another voice spoke up. "I believe being treated like a prince has gone all to your head. Someone must deflate it for you!"
Isabel smiled slightly at these words. She couldn't help but agree with the person who had retorted. She did not know Higara, but he seemed like an arrogant fool anyhow. Isabel chanced a quick peek behind the trunk of her tree. The soldiers were standing in the clearing where she, Raine, and Taja had stood a few moments ago. She saw a tall, muscular young man with blond hair and a raised chin stand before a slightly shorter young Man. Isabel couldn't see the face of Higara, for the blond man must be Higara, but she could clearly see the face of the man who had talked back. His dark brown hair was messy and his jaw set. His blue-green eyes sparkled, almost mockingly, at Higara. Isabel ducked her head behind the trunk again.
"Why you little—," The sound of a sword being unsheathed met Raine's ears. "Higara! Put away your sword. I am sure Aries didn't mean any harm." Taurus's voice was stern. After a few moments of silence Higara hissed, "I will let you fool go this time, but next time you insult me, it would be the last."
"Let's move out! My orders from Lady Gem were to hurry back as soon as our duty is done." Higara gave Aries a look of pure venom before following the lead of his brother. Aries smiled at him, making the man even more furious. "I'll get you. You better watch your back," Higara snarled. Aries raised an eyebrow, nonplussed. Higara stalked away, leaving Aries behind. Aries started walking, and someone overtook him.
"You better watch out, Aries. Higara is serious this time." Aries smiled at his best friend, Tobias. "Isn't he serious every time he threatens me?" Tobias tried to smile back, but the worry showed on his face. "You better watch your back all the same. Higara has been waiting for the chance to do you in ever since you met at training. In this foreign land, he can easily make it seem like an accident." Aries started walking faster. "You forget one thing, my friend, I am Aries."
Taja waited a few more minutes after the sounds of footsteps faded away before coming out into the open. Gracie tottered behind her. She looked around for her friends. "I think it's okay now. You can come out." Taja heard the sound of leaves and turned around. Raine was coming out from a thicket of bushes. Her face was still emotionless and her hand gripped her sword. Taja flashed a smile. "Raine, relax. No one is going to get you." Raine gave her a look before loosening her hold on her sword. Suddenly, she looked tired and drained of energy. Isabel emerged from behind a tree. Taja looked at Isabel and then back at Raine. Her smile faded. "Are you alright?" she asked Raine, her voice concerned. Raine shook her head. "Yes I am. Just tired." Isabel turned towards the direction where the kingdom is. "Come on," she said. "Let's go back. It's over." Taja looked at Raine. The girl didn't make any motion that she heard Isabel.
"Raine?" Taja said. "It's time to go." Raine jerked out of a reverie. "What?" "Time to go," Isabel repeated to her. Raine stood up straighter and raised her chin defiantly. "I'm not going back." Isabel stopped and turned around. She started walking back. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not going back! Look, when I got packed, it was before the kingdom was attacked. I was going to run away. My plans are still the same." Isabel looked at her. "Raine, it's too dangerous. It's better to go back."
A flash of anger went through her. Better to go back? Back to her parents? "Maybe it's better for you to go back. You're probably all rich and have servants waiting on you. I—," Raine stopped. "I have nothing. I'm leaving." She turned to go.
Taja watched Raine retreat. She opened her mouth to say something, but Isabel was quicker. "Me? Having servants? Raine, you have no idea." Taja looked at Isabel. She had a strange look on her face. "I'm a servant. And not to just anybody, but my own mother!"
Raine stopped and turned around. "Then why go back? You can come with me." Isabel started to speak, but stopped. Why did she want to go back? Like Raine, she had almost nothing. She looked at Raine uncertainly. But she hardly knew this teenager. Can she just leave with a stranger?"
Raine looked at Taja, who was standing off to the side, her face unreadable. Gracie was looking at Taja to Raine and then to Isabel. She looked like she was scared a little from the shouting. "You can come too," Raine said to Taja, more softly slightly ashamed at alarming Gracie. Taja looked at her, her eyes seemed unsure. But as Raine stared back, back into the same colored eyes she had, the last bit of wariness faded away.
What had she got to loose? She was just a lowly gardener in the city. She had no life too. This was her chance for adventure. Taja nodded, a bright smile emerging on her face, brightening her features. "I'll come with you." Raine then turned to Isabel. Isabel nodded too. "Okay," she said. She started to smile too. "All right."
Something was nagging Isabel though. "Where are we going?" she asked suddenly. Raine hesitated before pulling out a scroll from her pack. "We're going to see the elves." "Elves?" Isabel repeated. Raine nodded. "No, no. Elves aren't real Raine." Raine pulled out something from her pack again and showed it to sable and Taja. It was a leather bound book. "This is proof," She said. "It's a diary of a girl who once lived with the elves." Isabel looked down at the book and then at Raine's face. No, it was too farfetched. But something told Isabel to trust Raine. She remembered the note she had received. Maybe she was meant to go with Raine. Finally, she nodded. "Let's go see the elves." Taja nodded too, bright smile lighting up her features. "Elves," she said softly. "It's a dream come true."
