They're all MINE! MINE! MIIIINEEE! MWAHAHAHAA! coughs Um... right then.
Arty looked at the stranger and decided that yes, this creature was definitely an elf. There was no way about it. Looking at him, it made her wonder how she could have ever mistaken Alec for an elf. Kalic was full of an unearthly grace and glow that seemed to invite worship. Everything about him, from his clothes to his hair to, she supposed, his toenails were perfect. He gave them all a perfect smile… that didn't seem to reach his eyes, while perfect seemed to be cold and calculating. Hands behind his back, he walked up to Ori, Chloe and Jenny.
"What do we have here?" he purred. "You don't understand me, do you?" He frowned as he got blanks from the adoring girls "Well we can't have that, now can we." His smile widened. And then faster than Arty could see, he had glided over to the girls and given them each a big kiss on the lips, leaving each girl stunned.
Greywolf and the woman's reactions were instantaneous. Greywolf lept up from the couch he was sitting on and put himself between the elf and the girls. His eyes were raging. Zaladine strode at the elf yelling at him about not touching the girls, that they had a promise and a treaty… though what this had to do with touching Arty couldn't tell. The elf just looked smug.
"Enough," Kalic said finally, with such a force in his voice that mystra Kindess fell silent and Greywolf took a step back. "I have not Touched them. I merely gave them the ability to speak and understand. I remember our treaties and will not cross my Queen by violating them."
Miffed looking, mystra Kindess said, "Sometimes I wonder about that," she said. He smiled at her.
"My dear Zaladine, you have my word, I have not hurt the children."
Arty looked over at the other girls. Jenny looked like she was about to faint, Ori and Chloe were dumbstruck. But other thank that, they seemed fine to her. A look of understanding dawned on Ori's face as she realized that she could understand what was being said.
"So you say," mystra Kindess said.
Ignoring her Kalic looked over at Greywolf, "Where is your brother?"
"He's at the temple."
"I don't like that boy that is courting him. He distracts him too much from his duties. Tell your brother to be rid of him."
"You seem to be under the impression that I have a say in their relationship," Greywolf said coolly.
"Then I will take the matter upon myself."
"You will not," Zaladine interrupted. "This is a problem, if it is one, for our people to deal with, not yours."
"Alexander is my people. He belongs to us," the elf said before turning on heel and leaving.
Arty watched the interplay, confused as to what was going on. No one seemed to be interested in enlightening her. Chloe gave a sad sigh as the elf left, murmuring something about "he kissed me". Zaladine watched him go before turning back to Greywolf.
"That is going to be trouble," she said.
"When is it not?" Greywolf answered before shaking his head. "I have a mystery for you. These four girls, Alec and I found, in the End Woods. They are not from around here."
"Oh? And where are they from?" Zaladine took a good look at them now. Arty could see her evaluating them.
"Another world… I think," Arty said.
"Los Angeles," Chloe said. "We were in the bathroom and when we left it, we found ourselves in the woods of Mirkwood."
"Mirkwood?" Zaladine asked, confused.
Arty gave a sigh of disgust and rounded on the other three girls. "We're not in Middle Earth!" she snapped. "Get that through your thick heads! This isn't the Lord of the Rings. Legolas isn't going to come and rescue you make you his bride. We're stuck in some… God only knows world… and we need to find a way back home!"
"And how do you know that!" Ori challenged.
"Look around you! For God's sake! Look at them. Look they have no idea what we're talking about. Nothing they say has anything to do with the Lord of the Rings. The world is completely different! They wouldn't know the One Ring if it fell into their laps!" Arty wanted to scream. But the other girls looked subdued and thoughtful.
"If I may interrupt?" Zaladine said. "And perhaps get some explanations?"
"We're from another world. They thought we were in a world from a book that they really like. We don't know how we got here. We'd like to go home."
"That sums it up rather nicely," Greywolf quipped. Zaladine glared at him.
"That is a conundrum. Traveling to other worlds is not a providence of ours, but there have been mention of it. It is possible, but the way has been lost to us. This will take some research." Zaladine tapped her chin thoughtfully, "The fey have ways to do it, but I'm reluctant to bring them into this. Perhaps your brother?" She looked at Greywolf, who shrugged back at her.
"I can speak with him… though I imagine he is busy now."
"Hrmm… until then we need a place for … I'm sorry, but I never got your names?"
The girls let Arty introduce them. They were quiet now; their cheerfulness seemed to have leaked out of them and the reality of the situation settling in. Zaladine nodded.
"We need a place for you to stay… there are some spare guest rooms here. And it'll keep you close in case something happens."
"Clothes…?" Chloe chirruped quietly. Arty guessed she was still holding out for that elven dress.
"I suppose, yes… I have some old things from my daughters that may fit you."
There was a wilt. Arty saw it. They weren't getting new dresses, but hand-me-downs. She almost smirked.
Despite being hand-me-downs the clothes were nice. The dresses were made from a soft fabric that was almost like cotton but not. There was a nice assortment to choose from. There were even pants for Jenny, who refused to wear the skirts. Arty found something that she didn't mind wearing.
"They are so pretty," Chloe said, smoothing out a blue-banded skirt as she looked through the clothes.
"They are," Arty found herself agreeing. Even worn they were still in good condition. She picked up a blouse that was a soft gray with flowers embroidered on the cuffs. It occurred to her that they were hand made. Every little stitch was done by hand.
Jenny came strutting in wearing tan pants and a red tunic with blue geometric designs. She had a belt and somewhere had found a knife to tie to the belt. Her feet were bare though. Spreading out her arms, she looked at the other girls and asked, "How do I look?"
"Oh! You look fantastic!" Chloe cried. "Those clothes really suit you."
Jenny beamed happily at this praise from her friend. "They're very comfortable too, not at all itchy like I thought they would be. I just wish that there were some shoes to go with it."
"Well you can't have everything," Arty said as she settled on a skirt with orange shaded bands to go with the shirt.
"No. I guess not," Ori said somewhat thoughtfully, which surprised Arty.
Chloe held up a full dress against her. It had a low bodice and flame designs on the collar and sleeves against a dark blue background. "I like this."
"It's pretty," Ori said.
"Sexy, I think," Chloe said. Apparently, Arty guessed, Chloe was still holding out for Legolas. Or someone else. Perhaps anyone. She laughed at this thought as she went to go change.
About an hour later, Ori, Chloe and Jenny were out in the city, exploring the marketplace. They had gotten permission from Zaladine to go out. Arty went out too, but she had wandered off somewhere else. The marketplace was amazing. There were hundreds of booths filled with everything from spices, to scarves to swords. They walked through the streets, peering at everything and touching everything that they felt safe in doing. Mostly the fabrics for the clothes (hardly any of it was pre-made!) and the jewelry. Jenny stopped at a weapons booth and looked at the bows with great longing. Unfortunately none of them had any money, and it didn't look like Mystra Kindess or Greywolf were just going to give them weapons or jewelry.
"It's so not fair," Chloe said as she looked at a booth with crystal pendants. "I don't see why they didn't give us money."
"Maybe they'll surprise us with it later," Ori suggested. She looked around, noticing that Jenny was missing and spotted her at another weapon's booth talking to someone.
"You mean like in a big ceremony or something?"
"Yeah. Like that!" She tugged Chloe over to where Jenny was. Much to their delight, it turned out that it was the elf Kalic that Jenny was talking to.
"Hello girls." Kalic said, "Ori and Chloe, am I right?"
Chloe giggled a little, but nodded.
"I was just talking to Jenny here, and I'm understanding that Maystra Kindess sent you out shopping with no money?"
"Well it was more letting us explore the city," Ori said.
"And what do you think of this fine city then?"
"It's wonderful!" Chloe cried.
"Magical!" Jenny added.
Kalic laughed, "Magical? This city is hardly magical. If you wanted to see real magic, you should come to my home."
"What's it like?" Ori asked.
"Words cannot describe it. You must see it to truly know it."
"I'd like to," Ori said wistfully.
"Would you? Really? I could show you if you'd like."
The three girls gave exclamations of delight at this idea. It was the best idea that they had heard. "And would we be able to meet Legolas?" Chloe asked.
"I'm sure something to that effect could be arranged," Kalic said with a smile. "Come now. We have to buy things that you'll need on the trip."
"Like weapons?"
"Of course, m'dear Jenny," he said smiling pleasantly, "Of course, whatever you girls want, you shall have."
So where is Arty? What does the elf want? Find out next time!