I made this part less drawn out, otherwise it would take me forever and you would be bored to death (hopefully you're not bored to death now, right? Right?). So, I made two months fly by in this chapter. Sound good? Hope so!

Oh, and continue reviewing, please, because if not I don't know if I'm boring you to death and need to do something different or if you really like it and want me to keep it the way it is! Thanx to all the people who are reviewing and telling me how much they like it!!! It makes me so happy that people like this story!!! Anyway, this is a shorter chapter… just looks longer because of short word conversations and stuff.

Lela-of-Bast: I run to my computer every day, too! And I love Jump5 (I don't have all of their albums, though)! That's AWESOME!!!

grins sheepishly before continuing with story :-)

A few nights later, long after midnight, John handed me a bunch of grapes before we settled into our hay beds after another exhausting day.

"The Mistress said you couldn't have snacks only in-between lunch and dinner, right?" He asked, and I could feel him grinning at me.

I ate them hungrily.

"Elisa?"

"Hmm?" I asked, stuffing two more grapes in my mouth.

"Do you know how to speak Elfian?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Fluently?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

There was a silence. The grapes were almost finished.

"I think you have some elf blood in you."

I almost choked on the last grape. "John, you have got to be kidding me."

"All right. You think I'm kidding? Speak some Elfian."

I sighed. Then I spoke in Elfian, "I have no elf blood in me, and you are crazy to think so."

"Yes you do have elf blood in you! You have the perfect accent. Plus you have magic with animals like all elves do."

"Thanks, but I'm human, not elf."

There was another silence. I began to fall asleep immediately (I was that tired).

"Elisa?"

"Yes?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

I sat up. "What?"

"Promise not to scream?"

"Why?"

"Just promise me."

"All right, all right, I promise. What is it?"

John looked around to make sure that no one else was watching. Then, he slowly took down his hood.

I blinked, but kept my face expressionless. "So… you're…"

"An elf, I know, I know." John quickly put his hood back up, hiding his pointy ears and flecks of green in his hair.

"And… that's something to scream about?" I asked.

"Well, um, maybe… Oh, I don't know."

There was a short silence.

"So that's why you have that accent, and your eyes gleam!" I exclaimed randomly. Then I paused. "I'm stupid."

"No, I don't think you're stupid. Anyway, you must be part elf. Your eyes gleam a little, too."

"I doubt it."

John grunted, and stretched out.

"Oh, Elisa?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell anybody about this, all right?"

"Okay."

And I was just about to fall asleep, when John asked another question.

"Elisa, can you read?"

"What? Oh, no. But I'd really like to," I replied, not really paying attention to the conversation anymore.

"I can teach you. All elves should know how to read."

I shot out of the hay, wide-awake. "You can?!" I didn't even pay attention to the remark about the elf.

"Of course. We shall start lessons tomorrow. What do you think?"

"Yes!"

I sank back down in the hay, breathing hard from the excitement. Now, someone was finally going to teach me how to read, and I almost forgot completely about my curse… well, for a moment.

Two months passed. I had been counting down the hours and the days and the weeks for two whole months.

I had changed. I could read a little, and was getting much better. I talked to John more and more in Elfian, until we felt like Elfian was the only language in the world. Sometimes, when I talked to Lou and Amelia, I'd speak Elifan instead of Kyrrian. Lou would smile and Amelia would look at me as if I was from a different planet. I was covered in dirt and grime, and my hands and feet had hardened to leather (because I had had only sandals on, but they had worn to the ground, and Amelia refused to give me new ones. Lou had said something about it, but I had told him that I was fine. I really wasn't fine, but I couldn't tell Lou that.), and my heart had also hardened to leather towards Amelia.

She had made sure for the past two months that I never had a single break. There was always something else for me to do. The horses and goats needed more water, the cows needed to be taken to a different spot in the field, some servants needed help making the grapes into wine, she needed a horse from the pasture to ride so I had to groom and tack up the horse (ever since I commented on her not being able to ride, she had started to practice riding horseback. Ha! She couldn't ride to save her life!), or something else like that. And I missed Emma so much! I had been taking special care of Ginger as well as Moonlight for Emma's sake.

Then Amelia and Lou came over, looking serious.

"Elisa, we have something to tell you." Amelia said sweetly. I knew something was up. "Well, first of all, tomorrow we're moving in for the summer. But you only have one more month to stay. I was wishing you could stay longer, because I know you like it so much here."

"So, we were wondering…" Lou started.

"And we worked it all out with your mother and father…" Amelia said.

"What?!" I asked, growing impatient, and yet at the same time dreading an answer.

"How would you like to stay for the summer?" Lou asked excitedly.

My mouth dropped open. Amelia glared at me.

"But-"

"Don't worry. Your mother has some business up here, so you can see her soon," Amelia said quickly.

"Oh, and did you know that I managed to get enough money for a mansion? (With a little help from Amelia) Can you believe it?" Lou exclaimed.

"That's great!" I said, although not feeling as enthusiastic as I sounded.

Lou beamed. He was so excited. I felt guilty.

"Well, we have to get ready! Good-bye!" Amelia said.

They left. I wished I could've died right then. Four… more… months.