Here is the next chapter :)
Next day
She breathed out through her nose.
The sound of Temper's hooves beating against the ground somewhat calmed her.
As the trees glided by them, her eyes searched.
Temper slowed to a stop. Huffing at the girl.
Wendy huffed too. She was not sure what she was doing.
There were a lot of chores that needed to be done, and there was not a real need for her to hunt yet.
Are you searching for me...?
Wendy nearly fell off Temper.
The elven queen appeared just a foot from Temper and studied the two of them.
Wendy stared at the beautiful being confused and slowly and trance-like glided down from Temper.
The horse was oddly calm. Normally it would kick and huff at anything, especially strangers, but he grassed calmly next to the elven queen.
Wendy didn't know what to do and just patted Temper's neck.
The elven queen did not talk either and just watched her.
Or Wendy thought she did. The lack of pupils made it hard to figure out.
After some time Wendy stepped towards the beautiful elven and bowed her head.
"I am really sorry..."
The elven queen leaned her head to one side. I do not understand...?
She sounded genuinely puzzled, but Wendy dared not to look up.
"I am sorry for hunting..." She peaked up at the fairy creature.
Though her eyes were hard to read, the elven queen looked puzzled.
Then she laughed.
It sounded like small bells ringing all around them.
Why would that displease me...? She asked with a smile.
Wendy fidgeted and wished she had pulled off the quiver.
"Did the man in the lake not try to take my brother, because I hunt the animals in your forest," she said.
The elven queen studied her for a moment.
Just like you hunt the animals … he lures the lonely closer...
She gestured with her hand as if they were standing by the lake.
"So … it was not because I hunt in your forest?"
She could feel the glittering blue eyes staring straight into hers.
That is nature...
Two months later.
Wendy checked one last time that the prey was tied securely and threw herself in the grass.
She had managed to catch something rather quickly and now she could relax in the midday sun.
Content...
The elven queen was sitting next to her leaning over her, but not giving her any shade.
She closed her eyes.
"Your majesty..." She greeted.
The elven queen appeared from time to time when she in the forest.
At first Wendy had been nervous, but the elven queen's presence now felt calming.
Wendy's eyes flickered open to the beautiful glittering eyes and she sat up.
She really looked like a painting come to life, as she sat in the sunlight, her elegant dress lightly billowing in the wind.
"I thought you disappeared when people looked away from you."
The elven queen gazed at her, then lifted her hand to study it. I tend to...
Wendy raised an eyebrow. "But you didn't just now."
She looked at Wendy will her deep endless eyes. I did not...?
Wendy just smiled. "You are very strange, your highness."
You are fascinating...
Her words seemed like an echo of Wendy's.
"I am fascinating?" Wendy asked.
Yes... the elven replied as a butterfly landed on her fingertip. So beautiful and full of life and yet so frail...
Wendy didn't know if she was talking about her or the butterfly.
"How am I frail?" She asked.
She had only ever heard that word use about old people.
The elven queen turned her face to her and reached out.
Her fingers touched a lock of Wendy's hair that had been pulled from her braid when she had laid down in the grass.
The slightest force can mar your skin... Her long fingers tucked the lock back into place. You could grow old before my eyes...
Wendy pulled back a bit. "I will not grow old for a while."
The elven regarded her for a while before she pulled and watched the butterfly still sitting on her finger. Everything does … with time...
The butterfly took off and the two girls watched as it disappeared between the trees.
"That is rather somber..." Wendy said and got up.
Indeed... The elven queen's voice echoed around the meadow. Time tends to leave somber and regret in his wake...
She turned her head and watched the tree line.
Wendy followed her gaze and saw something move. She instinctively grabbed at her bow, but a soft hand stopped her.
A doe stepped into the meadow. It did not seem to notice either of them and started grassing on the tall grass.
And yet he gives you beautiful moments … does he not...
Wendy looked at the elven confused.
"You use that word a lot," she said softly, not wanting to startle the doe.
I see many beautiful things... the elven queen's eyes gazed up at her.
Wendy felt her cheeks grow warm.
The elven queen said that to her a lot. She had been called beautiful before, both her parents and grandmother and even people in the village had called her a beautiful girl. It was different when it was the elven queen said it though.
"Well the land of fairies is filled with beautiful things, is it not?" Wendy said and tried to hide her cheeks.
The elven queen leaned her head to one side. You know of my kingdom...?
Wendy shrugged, as the beautiful creature elegantly rose from the ground. "My grandmother told me stories about it..."
Grandmother... the queen seemed puzzled.
Temper huffed and stomped.
Wendy looked at the irritated horse. "I should get home..."
As she pulled herself onto the saddle, the fairy creature's glittering eyes looked up at her. Do you wish to see it … my kingdom...?
Wendy froze.
The kingdom of the elven queen? She could not even imagine what kind of wonders she could see there. Would her grandmother's stories even compare?
The queen smiled and turned around. One day I will show you...
Her words echoed through the forest, even after she had disappeared.
Two weeks later
Wendy scrubbed the floor.
The few guests that had stayed the night had just left, and she and Eva had started cleaning the hall.
Someone's muddy boots had left marks on the floor.
Their mother came into the hall. She was about to say something when her hand suddenly flew to her mouth.
The two girls looked at her with concern.
She quickly stepped out the door and closed it behind her.
Eva stopped washing the tables off. "Is there something wrong with mother?"
Wendy didn't know but forced a smile. "I think she just remembered something."
Eva still seemed unsure, but eventually, she went back to cleaning.
Soon after their mother came back in. She seemed very content that her daughters had almost finished their chores.
"Since it is a beautiful day today, you two should go play outside, when you are done with the cleaning."
Eva beamed at her. "Really?"
"Until the afternoon," the mother added.
Eva went straight to the edge of the forest, where Arthur was crawling around under the watchful eye of their grandmother.
The little boy giggled and stretched out his arms.
Eva hugged the toddler and they rolled around in the grass together.
The grandmother scolded the 5-year-old. "You have to be gentle with the little ones."
The little girl smiled innocently, while Arthur tried to crawl on top of her.
The old woman's frown melted into a smile and she leaned back in the rocking chair, that had been sat out for her.
Wendy sat down in the grass beside her siblings and picked the flowers that surrounded her.
She tied two flowers together, as Eva grabbed Arthur's hands and tried to make him stand up.
Their grandmother warned her to be careful. That baby his age still cannot walk.
Arthur just giggled and babbled at his sister as he swayed back and forth.
Eva took a few steps backward, which caused Arthur to stumble into her and they both fell to the ground.
The grandmother quickly rose from the chair, but Eva sat up with a smile.
She wiped the small tears off Arthur's face and hugged him.
The grandmother sat down relieved.
"You used to do the same thing with Edward and David when you were little." She told Wendy who had stopped bund flowers together for a moment to make sure they were all right.
Eva looked up from Arthur's tiny face. "She did?"
The grandmother smiled warmly and nodded. "From when Edward was old enough to sit by himself, she would try and get him to stand up..." The grandmother laughed lightly.
Wendy smiled.
The laughter reminded her of the elven queen.
"Oh, the times they fell … it is a miracle those two boys ever learn to walk..." The grandmother continued and looked toward the inn where the boys were playing with their father.
Wendy felt her cheeks grow warm, but Eva laughed and smiled contently. "So I am just like Wendy?"
Arthur put his hands on Eva's face and babbled at her.
"He is telling you that you are Eva." Wendy laughed.
Eva smiled brightly at her and then saw what was in her sister's hands.
"Is that for me?"
Arthur looked over at Wendy and started crawling toward her.
He leaned on her thigh and was awed at the half-finished flower crown.
Wendy patted his head and gently kept his little hands away from the flower crown. "I think this one is for Arthur."
Eva sat next to her sister and did not say a word, but she seemed sad.
Wendy added a few more flowers to the crown and then closed the ring.
She gently placed the crown on Arthur's head.
The little boy smiled brightly and bobbed his head from left to right to get the crown down.
Eva looked on with a sad frown.
"Turn around," Wendy said gently.
Eva looked at her confused. "Why?"
Wendy smiled at Arthur and then at Eva. "Because I am going to make you a special flower crown."
Eva did not seem to understand but turned away from her sister.
Wendy turned toward Eva's back and undid her sister's ponytail and plucked a few flowers out of the ground.
She had become a lot better at braiding over the winter and could even tie her own hair in a loose braid, but this new idea she had never tried.
As she gathered the hair on one side of Eva's head and parted it three ways, Arthur threw himself over her knees knocking the flower crown off his head.
"You silly little thing." Wendy smiled and patted his back, as he winkled around on her knees and giggled to his heart's content.
A stifled laughter came from Eva and her shoulders shook slightly.
Wendy smiled and started braiding her hair, sticking little flowers in the braids here and there. All the while Arthur crawled around on the two of them babbling and giggling.
"E … ty!" He exclaimed as Wendy tied the hair string around the end of the braid.
Eva giggled and whipped her head from side to side to see the result.
Wendy gently placed the flower crown back on Arthur's head. "Now you both look pretty."
Their grandmother sighed contently. "It is a good thing the elven folk dwells deep in the forest. They would steal you away in a heartbeat."
Wendy smiled and lay down on the grass. "Have you ever met an elven, grandmother?"
A light flashed through the old woman's eyes and she smiled. "Once, just once."
Wendy sat up and looked at her grandmother. "When?"
"Please do not eat your flower crown." She added and pried the flower crown from Arthur, as he tried to bite into it.
He started whining.
The grandmother shook her head. "The little ones can be so unreasonable..."
"I did see an elven once though … " She continued after Arthur had calmed down.
"Was she pretty?" Eva asked interested in the mention of magical creatures.
"It was a green child..." The grandmother explained and rocked back and forth in the chair. "I think it was a boy from what I saw … but it was a long time ago when I was first pregnant with your father..."
"Father was a baby?" Eva asked and looked at Arthur like she could not believe her father had been that size.
Wendy eyed her irritated.
She really wanted to hear the story.
"I was just over there..." the grandmother said and pointed toward the clothesline behind the inn. "I noticed the little one staring at me from the edge of the trees..." She smiled. "He looked very confused and came closer … I was so scared I ran as fast as I could … He probably would not have harmed me, but the stories of the elven folk were warning enough for me."
"So you have never spoken to an elven before?" Wendy asked.
The grandmother shook her head. "I wish I had spoken to the green child. Not many people even get blessed with seeing an elven."
Wendy laid back on the ground.
Arthur crawled on top of her giggling and squirming.
She smiled and started tickling him.
Eva joined in a playful attempt to 'save' Arthur.
As Wendy got the upper hand on the two of them, she got distracted by Edward yelling from the inn.
Eva tickled her until her stomach hurt, while Arthur either tried to eat her or kiss her.
She managed to gently push them off her and sat up to see what Edward was yelling about.
Edward was jumping around yelling something about having shot the mark. He had a bow in his hand.
"Oh," The grandmother said. "Edward is already this good at archery? Your father is teaching them well."
So ... tell me what you think...
The next chapter will probably come out in two weeks time.