Update 07/16/12: fixed some spelling errors

Update: fixed spelling and grammar issues in last paragraphs

Hey guys! Finally got Chapter 6 up! Yay! I personally think this one turned out quite nice. Don't forget to review, Alert+, Favorite, etc! Hope you enjoy. Plus, I made a FaceBook Page for The Inheritance Cycle: The White Fire Chronicles. I don't expect to get many likes on it but I figured it would be cool haha. Thanks to all 700+ readers so far, it's awesome that people actually enjoy my writing XD

Chapter 6:

Awakening

Fenrir's eyes snapped open as breath flooded through his lungs. He sat up and tried to calm his body from the shock of being conscious after so long. He slowly took control of his breathing and after some sore stretching, felt at ease back in his physical body. He looked around the shack he had been sleeping in. The three windows that dotted the rough walls were drawn shut, allowing only a minimal amount of sunlight to thread through the various cracks and gaps that littered the building. Through the darkness he could make out only vague details of the room. There were three small cots spread around the dirt floor. Cobwebs filled the empty spaces in every corner and crevice. He savored each sight, glad to be back from his slumber.

Fenrir eased his tense legs onto the floor. His boots scuffed along the dirt as he ungracefully shuffled his way to the door. The rusted hinges shrieked in protest as he forced the rotted door open. Crimson afternoon sunlight flooded in as he made his way outside. His eyes burned as they tried to adjust. He stumbled forward blindly as the blurred scenery began to focus.

There was a small fire pit a few yards from the shack, filled with faintly glowing embers. The ground was loose and sandy, spotted with half-dead grass and weeds. The air was warm and dry, and the sky was devoid of all clouds, with distant stars spread across its dull red canvas.

"Fenrir!" a familiar voice shouted.

He had just enough time to turn towards the voice before he was almost knocked over by his sister's unnecessarily tight embrace.

"Hello Evalettte. I have missed you sorely as well but could you possibly not crush me?" Fenrir said with a painful chuckle.

Evalette immediately released him.

"Oh, yes, of course. Guess you were out much longer than I was huh?" she laughed with a joyous gleam in her deep green eyes.

"Just a little, sister" he chuckled. "Did you hear from mother?" he added with a grin.

"Yes! She spoke to me while I slept. I can't wait to visit Elesmera and see her!" Evalette replied with a smile that practically split her face.

They sat by the dimming fire sharing the events that had taken place in each others absence. Each was equally filled with gasps, sympathy, amusement, and numerous other reactions at the happenings and triumphs of their sibling. After they had been adequately caught up with each others experiences, they simply sat enjoying being back together.

After some time, Fenrir heard footsteps approaching.

"Look who finally decided to wake up" the newcomer said.

Fenrir stood and turned to face the speaker. It was immediately obvious that this was Valeria, the Elven Huntress his mother had left to safeguard them during their recovery. She had the smoothly angled features of a typical Elf. Her glistening black hair was bound in a long braid that fell to the middle of her back. She had bright, piercing blue eyes that perfectly accented her pale white skin and dark hair. She had a light brown sleeveless tunic and black leggings, brought together by a light green cloth belt that wrapped around her slim waist and hung from one hip. On the other side hung a small sheath which held a beautifully crafted hunting knife. Her hands were partially concealed in fingerless leather bracers, the insides of which were worn from constant release of arrows. From her neck hung an olive green cloak and looped around all of it was a small quiver and an elegant Elven hunting bow. She looked to be no older than Evalette, but Fenrir knew that Elves did not age as humans do.

Still, in an intimidating way, she is quite beautiful.

Fenrir caught himself and shook away his childish observation.

"You must be Valeria" he finally said.

"Indeed I am. I trust you have recovered from your rather long nap?" Valeria replied sternly.

"Aye, I have" he said slightly taken back by her serious tone.

"Good. We will depart for Elesmera at first light. By pure luck I was able to find us breakfast in this wasteland" she said as she tossed three small mouse-like creatures into a cloth bag and stuck the bag in the shack. She began to place her weapons and cloak inside as well.

"Despite your slumber, I suggest you go to sleep now. I'll not be slowing down, so if you wish to follow me to Elesmera, I suggest you rest up" she added harshly.

Fenrir could not figure out why she was being so hostile towards them, but he decided she was right. The three of them went to their respective cots inside the shack and soon Fenrir found himself giving in to natural sleep for the first time in forever.

Fenrir awoke to the sound of the quiet popping of a fire. He immediately panicked but soon realized it was only the campfire outside. He let out a sigh of relief. After slipping on his boots and packing his things, he made his way outside. The air was cooler this morning, if only slightly. A fog lay over the landscape in the early hours of the morning.

"Morning Fenrir!" Evalette called from her spot by the fire.

Fenrir sleepily smiled in response.

Valeria tossed him a freshly cooked mouse-creature from where she sat eating hers. Fenrir caught it and sat down to breakfast. After a few minutes he looked up at Valeria.

"Valeria, I thought the Elves didn't eat meat?" he inquired.

She finished chewing and gulped down the remainder of her meal.

"The Huntress's are allowed certain privileges in their line of work. While we still obey Elven customs within Elesmera, our work outside is more strenuous than other Elven warriors and we must keep up our energy by any means necessary" she replied without looking at him.

"And what exactly is the purpose of the Huntresses?" Fenrir pressed on.

"We are the elite of the Elven warriors. We are the royal guards of the queen when needed, peacemakers in the rare occasion of a disagreement among Elves, and even assassins when diplomacy fails. To put it simply, we are whatever we need to be. We are trained to handle any situation as quickly and cleanly as possible" she replied, this time looking him in the eye, clearly annoyed at his questioning.

Fenrir made a mental note not to anger the Huntresses.

"Unless the grand inquisition has any more questions, I suggest we gather our things and depart" Valeria said as she stood and shoved her remaining equipment into her bag. Clearly it was more than a suggestion.

Fenrir and Evalette took the hint and gathered their things. Within a half hour they were packed and set out towards the towering forests of Du Weldenvarden. Valeria kept them moving at a breakneck pace. They eventually got out of the sandy outskirts of the Hadarac Desert and back out onto the grassy plains that dominated the Alagaesian landscape. They rested for only a few hours each night, and within two weeks they could make out the edge of the massive tree line in the distance. Thanks to Valeria's insistence on such a swift pace, they made it the forest in another two weeks. Immediately Fenrir could feel the layers of wards that surrounded the woods, spells thousands of years old that still stood their ground against any foe who might harm the Elven homeland. Fenrir had stayed in part of Du Weldenvarden before in his travels, but the huge trees he had seen dwarfed in comparison to the ancient Pines that surrounded Elesmera.

As they approached, two Elves stepped out from the forest. They seemed to have come out of the trees themselves. After what Fenrir thought was a brief Telepathic conversation between the Elves and Valeria, they stepped aside and Valeria led Fenrir and Evalette into the forest. He had no idea how Valeria knew where she was going, the untamed woods were so thick and looked the same in every direction. He managed to suppress his claustrophobia however, and in another two weeks of stomping through the dense underbrush, the forest opened up into a clearing. Another group of Elves approached them, this time four warriors clad in very intimidating Elven plate mail. While the elves preferred not to constrict their amazing speed and agility, that did not mean they were not fearsome in heavy armor. After another silent exchange with Valeria, the four Elves stepped back and turned towards the opposite end of the clearing. After some ominous murmuring, they stepped back into the forest from whence they came, and the air before Fenrir shimmered. The end of the clearing in front of them slowly blurred and shifted until the veil cleared.

Behind where the illusion had been now lay the Elven city of Elesmera.