Elena blinked her eyes slowly open, and adjusted herself to stretch her stiff back. Her body ached. She was on the ground staring at the "walls" of a makeshift shelter. It took her a moment but then she suddenly remembered where she was. She had fallen asleep on an unknown island. Everything was unknown. The fate of family and friends, the fate of Avalor, where she would go next, how she would get there. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky. It was so blue and clear. Not a cloud in sight. But Elena found no joy in it's perfection. Instead, she grew angry that there could be such peace and beauty in such an evil, violent and selfish world. She wondered what it would be like to not have the weight of a kingdom on her shoulders. What would it be like to wake up and have someone else come up with all the solutions.
"WHAT?!" Elena heard outside of her shelter. It was Gabe.
"They're all gone? Everyone?" Gabe asked, completely shocked. The three jaquins hung their heads with sorrow.
"Shuriki and her army came for us first" Luna explained. "She destroyed the portal to Vallestrella and then massacred the jaquins on the mountain. We're the only ones who made it out."
Elena's heart sank at the news of the jaquins. They had been the protectors of Avalor for centuries. During Shuriki's last reign, it was no secret that she and the jaquins were not on friendly terms. They also had helped Elena reclaim the throne. It wasn't surprising that she would seek to destroy them.
Elena sat up finally. She couldn't just lie there sulking. She wasn't the only one who had lost loved ones. The jaquins had been completely wiped out. All Migs, Luna and Skylar had now was her. She needed to do something to avenge their dead. She looked at Gabe, he hung his head along side the trio and mourned with them. Gabe's parents lived in Avalor city. He had no idea what had happened to them either. Yet he never mentioned it. Elena knew how close he was to them. He must be going crazy with worry on the inside. She had to find a way to help them.
Elena quietly rose to her feet, suddenly finding strength through her desire to help her friends. There was no way she was going to give up. There was still too much unknown for her to fall into despair just yet. She would find a way to get home to whatever was left of Avalor.
"The five of us can't just storm Avalor by ourselves. We need a real plan and it's going to take some time" Migs explained to an anxious Skylar. Skylar was much like Elena, acting first rather than thinking things through.
Elena nodded slightly at Migs' statement but kept to herself as she made her way over to her companions. Listening to their conversation intently.
"But what if we are too late? We need to act now" Skylar argued.
"Migs is right" Elena said firmly. Her friends hadn't seen her coming and they all startled as she approached them. She stood tall and regal, her feet grounded on the beach. She had the aura of a true leader that made them all suddenly gain confidence in their predicament.
Elena was feeling empowered once again as she spoke, "The last time Shuriki invaded Avalor, the people waited forty one years before they were freed from her terror. Surely they can wait again. This time, I guarantee you that they won't have to wait as long. Yeah... there are going to be lives lost. But if we don't succeed those lives lost will be in much greater numbers. We have to take our time and do this right. We're not going back to Avalor without an army. Not just any army, we need to have the strength and numbers to march in there with no chance of failing. We will win! We will avenge those we lost! We will take back what is ours!"
Migs, Luna and Skylar hung onto Elena's every word. Gabe grinned as he listened to the vigor in Elena's voice. He had been worried about the princess the night before. He had never seen her so defeated. But now she was back in all her glory. This was the woman that he had fallen in love with and would follow anywhere.
The details of Elena's plan weren't quite figured out yet and it was determined that in the mean time, they needed to find a change of clothes. Elena's signature red gown and Gabe's royal guard uniform stood out entirely. Then there was the matter of the jaquins. Large jaguars with wings were not exactly inconspicuous. If word got out that Elena was alive, she would surely become a target. It was important that no one knew who she was until they were certain trust could be established.
Migs set out on his own to fly above the closely grouped islands, trying to stay out of sight as he did. He was looking to see if there were any signs of villages or settlements of any kind. He saw what looked like a port and small market place on the island just to the south.
"We need to start somewhere" Gabe told Elena, in reference to the marketplace that Migs had reported back to them about. "The sooner we can make allies, the sooner we can figure out where to go next"
Elena was a bit reluctant to begin trusting people they didn't know so quickly, but Gabe was right. They needed a starting point. "OK" She agreed.
Before heading over to the island, Gabe and Elena tried their best to alter their appearances. Elena tore all the pink ruffles from her dress making it just a plain red one. She then removed her gold belt and gold hoop earrings. Gabe removed his uniform jacket and ripped off the red stripe that ran down the outer side of his pants. They looked at each other and both shrugged. It wasn't much of a difference but it was the best that they could do. Hopefully it was enough for them to not stand out too much until they could find something better.
Skylar flew them south and landed on a secluded part of the island as to not be seen. He would stay there and remain out of sight until Elena and Gabe could return.
"Just stay close to me" Gabe told Elena as they approached the marketplace, Gabe positioning himself slightly in front of Elena as if to shield her. She rolled her eyes at him and stepped ahead of him instead. Sometimes she felt like he treated her like such a child. She was perfectly capable of handling herself in a new environment and was well aware of their task.
"I'll be fine" She insisted. "annnd... you trying to 'guard' me isn't really going to help us disguise ourselves. I'm not a princess right now which means you are not my guard"
"fine" Gabe said in a huff. She never wanted him to "guard" her anyways, in any situation, so he supposed this wasn't much different. "We'll walk in together. Keep your ears open, try to listen for any information about what's been going on or if there's anywhere we can go on the island. We need to find anyone who might support Avalor"
Elena nodded and she and Gabe walked silently into the marketplace. They browsed some new clothes. They were mostly all the same and exactly what everyone surrounding them seemed to be wearing. Brown and neutral colored muslin tops, pants and skirts with no particular design or style. Just simple and functional. Elena scrunched up her face and frowned at the unflattering attire. Gabe responded to her look with one of his own that seemed to say "Suck it up Princess. We're not in Avalor anymore" Elena shrugged and gave him an innocent look, apologizing with her large brown puppy dog eyes. Gabe smiled at her, a bit humored by the sweet youthfulness that she was maintaining that day despite their current situation. He picked up some clothes for himself and then urged her to do the same. It didn't matter at all what they looked like, just as long as they could get rid of their current clothes. They both picked out off white colored tops, Elena's a sleeveless v neck and Gabe's a short sleeve pull over shirt. Elena chose a brown knee length skirt with a draw string tie at the waist. She also grabbed a pair of simple black leather slip on shoes. Gabe decided that he could get away with keeping his current pants and boots.
Elena offered to trade her gown for the new clothes as it was made with fine materials. The tradesman agreed and allowed Elena and Gabe to change their clothes in his small tent.
"How do I look? Will I blend in?" Elena asked Gabe nervously as she stepped out of the tent, desperately not wanting to be the one to give away their identities. He could only gawk at her. She was still stunningly beautiful to him.
"You, will always stand out where ever you go" Gabe told her and she blushed slightly as their eyes connected and locked on each other in a way that they so often did. A way that made their hearts skip a beat in unison and a way that made them forget there was anyone else around or any troubles awaiting them once their moment was over. "At least you look more like one of the locals though" He continued and turned from Elena, bringing them both back to reality.
"Good" Elena replied, as she nodded with satisfaction. "Your turn" she told him, motioning towards the tent.
"Oh no" Gabe said, almost laughing. "There is no way I'm leaving you alone out here. I'll change later. Once I know we're both safe."
Elena rolled her eyes at him once again and after thanking the clothing tradesman, continued making her way through the marketplace.
They browsed each merchant's goods and lingered a bit longer if there seemed to be interesting conversation nearby. At first, they weren't hearing anything of use but finally, as they browsed some woven blankets they heard two men talking about Cariza. Shuriki's army had taken over and now controlled the entire kingdom. The king and queen were still alive but they no longer had any power.
"It's only a matter of time before they move on to Avalor" They heard one of the men say.
"That's good" Gabe whispered as he leaned in close to Elena who too had overheard but was pretending to look at a pink, red and white striped blanket with fringe on the ends. "They don't know about Avalor which means no one is looking for you yet. We should be safe here at least for the night"
Elena nodded in agreement.
"Miss?" Said the voice of a small but broad woman. "Are you interested in that blanket? It's made of very fine wool"
"Oh" Was all Elena could say as she had been so wrapped up in listening to the two men that she hadn't realized she was holding it and had nearly walked away with it. "Well, it is very pretty but I'm sorry I have nothing to give you in return"
"Here" Gabe interrupted, before the woman could accuse Elena of stealing and cause a scene. He reached into his pocket and pulled out several of the buttons that he had torn off his uniform. "They're real silver. Is it enough?"
The woman nodded that it was. Elena took the blanket and they continued on their way.
"Not everyday I get to buy something for a princess" Gabe whispered in her ear "Besides, who knows how long we are going to have to set up outdoor shelters. A blanket is probably something we're going to want to have."
Elena smiled up at Gabe with gratitude. It would be nice to have something to sleep on that night rather than in the dirt.
They walked around for some time but heard nothing more of any value. Gabe traded a few more of his buttons for some food and they decided that it was time for them to leave. They would return in a day or so to see if they could learn anything new.
Upon returning to their original camp, Elena, Gabe and Skylar relayed what they had heard while at the marketplace. They all agreed that they should return the next day and actually talk to some people. They needed to find out how the natives felt about Avalor and if they could be trusted. They needed to know which direction to head in order to find someone willing to fight for them.
They started a camp fire and shared a meal of some of the fruits and vegetables picked up at the marketplace. The mood was quiet and somber as they all ate. Everyone was deep in thought thinking of loved ones they knew were lost, loved ones who were left behind, all the unknowns that they had as a result of keeping Elena safe.
Elena's eyes drifted to each of her friends, knowing what they had done for her and knowing that they would continue to risk everything for her. Her heart sank with guilt and her head spun as she couldn't yet find a way to lead them.
After deciding who would take the first night watch, the jaquins nestled themselves away from the fire to get some sleep, leaving Elena and Gabe alone. Elena continued to stare at the trio as they walked away, pondering their situation.
"It's not your fault" Gabe told her.
"What?" Elena said softly but with surprise. Her head whipped towards him, in awe that he seemed to read her mind.
"None of this is your fault" Gabe repeated. "You did nothing wrong. The only thing you're guilty of is being our leader. We all knew what we were doing when we signed up to be protectors of Avalor and the royal family. We believe in you Elena."
"But what if I can't figure this all out? What if I let you all down? What if I fail?" Elena asked, putting voice to her concerns.
"No" Gabe said, shaking his head. "You won't fail. You are one of the strongest, people I've ever known. You don't fail. You'll figure out a way back to Avalor and we are going to do everything we can to help you do that."
Gabe's confidence in Elena was infectious. Every time she was starting to feel hopeless, he was there to pick her back up. She locked eyes with him and met his adoring stare with gratitude.
"Thank you" Elena whispered and Gabe just nodded.
"You should go get some rest" He suggested.
Elena agreed and made her way over to their shelter. She laid out the blanket that Gabe had purchased at the marketplace, laid down on one half of it and pulled the other half around her for warmth. Gabe continued to sit by the fire alone until it had dwindled down. Elena watched him. He always said the right things to her and she believed him without a doubt that he would follow her anywhere and do so without hesitation or regret. Yet, she still felt a sense of guilt as she could see the look on his face. He was scared. It wasn't a fear of their own situation or fear that Elena would fail, but a fear that was far away. It was back in Avalor with his family and friends. He feared that the worst had happened or would happen.
Gabe finally got up from his spot around the fire and headed over to the shelter. He laid down near Elena and turned onto his side, facing away from her. He had assumed she was sleeping. She was not. Her eyes were opened and stared at the back of his head. She wanted to do something to ease his mind just as he had always done for her.
"Are you OK Gabe?" She whispered.
Gabe startled a moment but then shook his head as he realized that he shouldn't be all that surprised that Elena was still up, wheels probably still turning in her head. "I'm fine princess" He told her but Elena knew better.
"Really?" Elena pushed, "Cause you haven't mentioned your family at all. I'm sure you're worri..."
"I don't want to think about it" Gabe interrupted her abruptly.
"I"m sorry, I just thought if you talked about it..." Elena said, still talking to the back of Gabe's head, hoping he would open up to her.
"It's alright" Gabe told her comfortingly, realizing that he snapped at her unnecessarily "There's just nothing I can do about it now so it's easier to put it in the back of my mind and focus on what we can do right now."
Elena nodded, though Gabe couldn't see. She then unwrapped the blanket from underneath her and spread it over Gabe too as she moved herself in close to him. He was a bit surprised by her gesture and tensed up a bit as he always felt a bit nervous when she was close to him. But he didn't argue against it. As he glanced over his shoulder and into her eyes, he could see that she simply wanted to do something nice for him. He knew that she was struggling with ways to give back to her friends who had lost everything for her. She wrapped an arm around his waist and reached for his hand. He took it and held it tight, it was a comfort to him that she cared so much. The embrace was just as much of a comfort to Elena though.
She rested her head on the back of Gabe's shoulder. As they lie in silence, thoughts wandering, their breath began to synchronize, growing deeper and longer, slowing their anxious heart rates and eventually they fell asleep finding solace in the power of touch.
"ELENA! WAKE UP!" Gabe directed urgently in the early morning hours. The ground rumbled and Gabe heard cries of help coming from all three of their jaquin friends.
"WHAT?!" Elena said as she jolted up to a seat with alarm, now feeling the shaking of the earth beneath her. She stared wide eyed at Gabe as he stood from where they had just been sleeping and a look of terror spread across his face. He silently offered Elena his hand as he stared towards the jungle behind their shelter. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Her jaw dropped too as the rumbles came to a halt. It had been horses. Hundreds of them. Each with a rider set on its back. Each armed with sword and shield, prepared to conquer whatever or whoever got in their way.