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The morning sun rose from the eastern sky bathing the valley in all its glory, the nighttime clouds raced off to the west as if being chased by the winds. To the northeast, the sky above the mountains looked black and menacing. The higher elevations would soon see snow, closing the passes and the lower elevations a drenching rain. The sawgrass is leaning away from the wind with the cottongrass seed heads and their fluffy mass of cotton spreading their seeds across the valley in a puffy cloud of white floating through the air. The heather with their umbrella shaped flowers pointing downward in pink, gray and green, mixed with the marigold with its yellow flowers and kidney shaped leaves, the beautiful starflower with its one or two white flowers shaped like stars made up a many colors on the valley floor. Celedryl stood watching the sun move across the valley as it rose over the mountains knowing this might be the last time she may ever see this valley again. She loved this valley with all her heart and now this part of her life was at an end. With tears in her eyes, she turned and walked back into her tent.
Feigning sleep, not to disturb Celedryl’s reflections, Ethan lay there enthralled with her beauty. The wind was blowing her dark hair around her face making her even lovelier in the morning sun. All he could think about is how beautiful she was looking over the valley like a sentinel. He thought he was starting to fall in love with Danielle but now he is not so sure. Celedryl captivated him; she is a mystery he had to understand. She is certainly complex, exciting and full of life but there had to be more. He did not know her age nor did he care, she is intelligent, strong and brave the way she fought those brigands on the trail and now with her father's death. He did not want to hurt Danielle especially with the loss of her brother but he could not keep his mind off Celedryl. He felt ashamed that he had not spent much time thinking about Mitch. With everything that has occurred it is not my fault, he thought trying to rationalize away his guilt. Besides, he thought I barely knew him anyway. With that thought, he was even more ashamed with himself getting up angrily throwing his blanket off him.
“Guid mornin, Eatin!
“Good morning Hobnobby,” he replied with a startled expression.
“She is mighty bonnie dornt ye know?”
“Yes Hobnobby she is beautiful too beautiful”
“Why is she tay bonnie fur ye, Dae ye loove 'er laddie?”
“Hobnobby, I thought I was starting to fall in love with Danielle and now I am not so sure. I care for Danielle very much but now I am second-guessing my feelings.”
“Ye shoods walk in ‘at tent and teel Celedryl ye loove ‘er if ye knew what wus guid fur ye! Ye dae loove ‘er ah can see it in yer eyes but ye be tae thick headed tae realize it be true.”
“I am beginning to think it is true Hobnobby but she may not feel the same about me. Things are occurring too fast, where I come from it could take months or years for two people to finally figure out they are in love.”
“Ye must tak forever tae hae wee lassies an laddies in yer warld. Ah hae knoon th' lassie since she be a wee child in 'er mither’s arms. Ah loove 'er like ma own an ah want whit is guid fur 'er. Ah jist know ye two ur meant fur each other.”
Unknown to them their voices carried to the two girls listening at their tent flap. Danielle was not surprised at hearing this, but on the other hand, Celedryl is clearly uncomfortable with the revelations. Danielle had noticed a change in Ethan; she could tell that he was struggling with something. When they came back from Celedryl’s village and she saw how he half greeted her and how he held Celedryl in his arms caressing her she knew he had changed then. The rest of the evening, she noticed how he could not keep his eyes off her looking at her furtively every chance he got. At first she was hurt and the longer she thought about it she realized she was infatuated with Ethan nothing more. It would have dreadful mistake if she had let her emotions rule her and acted on her desires.
“Celedryl I am ok with Ethan falling in love with you,” she whispered.
“I did not mean for this to happen Danielle, I am as truly shocked as you are,” Celedryl said still mortified.
“Do you love him?”
“I am not sure. When I look at him, I get this rush of feeling that starts in my stomach and races to my heart and for a moment I cannot breathe then it passes. After that I am left with this aching inside me that makes me want to go to him.”
“You must be careful that could be nothing more than infatuation or it could be that you are in love with him. Ethan has a good heart but he has always been what we call a ladies’ man. Women have been chasing him and fallen at his feet as long as I have known him. I realize now I do not love him that way and it is a good thing I found out now before I made a terrible mistake, I care for him certainly but I do not love him that way. Celedryl how old are you?”
“Next spring I will be eighteen winters, I am of marrying age,” she replied proudly.
“You are young and have much to learn when it comes to men. Even if you marry Ethan, there will be many men who fall for you and many more will want you for their lover.” The shocked expression on her face told Danielle all she needed to know about this young woman. “You need to ask yourself whether want Ethan or not. I think you certainly could have him if you wanted to, he seems to care for you though now he is a little confused. The most important thing is to make sure you love him unless you do not care if you hurt him.”
“Oh no, I would not feign love for him then abandon him,” Celedryl insisted.
“Here is what you can do, keep being yourself and be a little hard to get. Make him come to you but you have to be careful you need to balance being hard to get and still give him the impression in a flirtatious way you welcome his advances toward you, it is an art to do this and to succeed at it. The other thing you can do is take him aside and ask him if he loves you or tell him you love him. The final thing might be is act as if we did not hear a thing letting nature take its course and what comes of it does. Your uncle already seems to think you two are meant for each other.”
“I will think on it. You have truly been a good friend to me,” Celedryl said giving Danielle a hug that she returned with warmth.
“My brother is lost here,” Danielle said with a forlorn expression. That simple and unexpected statement took Celedryl aback. She had wanted to know more about her new friends and now maybe she would. Taking Danielle by the hand, she led her to their sleeping pallet to sit.
“He was with us when we came here. He could be dead or lost on this world with no one to help him. What is the name of this world Celedryl?”
“We call it Rhewan and the land we live in is called Volmoria. The dwarfs, elves, and humans all have names in their language but I think they mean the same.”
“We came through a spiraling bright light to end up above your world in our ship. Our ship is one of many that allow us to travel from one world to another with ease and when it became disabled, we had to abandon it. You saw how we arrived, the escape pods one received damaged in battle so my brother chose to stay with the ship. You know the whole captain going down with the ship routine. My only hope is he managed to find a way to the surface of your world and survives. I keep thinking that without you we would be having a much harder time," she concluded gratefully.
“We must try to find him Danielle and not give up hope. Is he as handsome as you are beautiful or did you get all the beauty in your family?” she giggled. Danielle had laugh at the girl’s attempt to make her laugh.
“Come I think we had better go outside and make sure the men do not burn our breakfast and the camp to boot. I will tell you more of where I come from and yes my brother is very handsome,” she said with a sly wink and a smile. Celedryl laughing followed Danielle from the tent.
Leaving the tent, they were astonished at what they saw. The men were not burning the food or the camp, but quite to the contrary, they were cooking pans of eggs, bacon, pork sausage links, and it smelled delicious. Celedryl smelled the food from her village and her stoma
ch growled. This could very well be the last time she may ever eat this fare again vowing she would enjoy it while it lasted and move on with her life wherever it takes her. Finishing breakfast, they quickly broke camp the day windy and already getting cloudier promising rain before nightfall. Heading south toward the edge of the valley and the mountains lining the southern end they made good time walking over the small rolling hills.
Before reaching the mountains, Farwalker came running up to them from that direction stopping in front of Celedryl. He barked this low tone bark not like a dog bark but one in which she understood. Looking toward the trail leading into the mountains she let her gaze travel as far as possible toward the high pass, staring off into the distance she absently began scratching his head. Farwalker started with a low pitch whine smoothly changing octave lower then higher in a language all its own. Listening intently to him for a few moments, Celedryl knew something bothered him and if it bothered him, chances are it would be bad for all concerned.
Kneeling in front of him she whined using the same tones and inflections, with him quickly responding with mournful tones more high pitch and deeply sad. Ethan and Danielle watched in amazement as Celedryl communicated with the wolf and both dwarfs had concerned looks on their faces. Wrapping her arms around him with his head resting on her shoulder she sobbed. Truly shaken with what had happened to her village and now this she stayed like that until she could calm herself enough explain what had happened. With one last hug, she whined in Farwalker’s ear that she loved him.
“Farwalker’s entire adopted pack was killed by orcs in their den, all of them including pups and older adults. It appears there may have been far more orcs moving south than I first thought," she said rising brushing the dirt and grass from her knees.
“Aye lassie ‘at it does ah hink that we wull need tae warn th’ elves, humans an dwarfs mebbe even th’ trolls. We must mak ready fur war,” Hairytoes stated flatly.
“Ah wull go an warn them an ye bide an safeguard Celedryl,” Hobnobby ordered.
“Dinnae be a galoot Hobnobby! Ah have th’ Orcslayer an ‘at wull be better served haur tae stop th’ orcs from movin’ sooth an tae protect th’ clans,” Hairytoes asserted firmly.
“Aye me brither ye be right,” Hobnobby reluctantly agreed.
“We will go to Pine Hallow Trading Post and use the gold you brought from the village to buy supplies. Uncle Hairy you take some supplies with you for your long journey.” Turning to her new friends she said, “We will need to go to the trading post to resupply then from there we will travel south to Qenildor Castle home of Duke Sutherland to advise him of the events that have occurred recently. You both have learned the language sufficiently and by the time we get there you should have a better command of it. My father and he were very good friends and I visited the court as a child, he will be grieved when he learns of my father’s death,” she concluded rather wistfully.
“Since we are walking is the journey to the duke’s castle going to take a long time?” Ethan asked.
“I have not been there since I was a child and back then all journeys took forever. We will travel two or three days to reach the trading post. We must clear these mountains first then we will cross-hilly country until we get there. If we have luck on our side, we might be able to buy passage on a barge going south on the river leading to the castle. If not we will have a long walk before us,” Celedryl answered.
Saying their good-byes to Hairytoes they headed southwest to the trail that leads through the mountains and eventually to the trading post. The trail is a well-used during the summer months frequented by many a traveler and trader but this time of year there should not be too many travelers on the trail. Reaching the base of the mountain they started up the trail in the direction of where Celedryl thought the wolf pack lived, she wanted to find the site and bury the remains. More important, she had to be sure in her mind that orcs are responsible. She knew Farwalker would not be wrong but she wanted to see for herself so when she informed the duke she could say she saw the orcs bodies or a sign that they were there. It might sound strange to the duke if she told him that Farwalker had told her what happened.
She stopped gazing at the white fir with silver blue-green needles and light colored bark growing thick all the way up the mountain with the trail winding its way through them. Interspersed among them are various types of firs some as short as twenty feet to others reaching seventy feet tall. Scatted all over the ground in patches, the wild grass and silver-green juniper added a stark contrast to the white of the fir trees. Birds flitted through the trees with flashes of blue, red, and orange colors dazzling the eye. Looking deeper into the trees, she could barely see a small heard of deer moving quickly away from them, disappearing deeper into the trees.
“We need to be careful from this point on. I do not think the orcs are still in the area for the same reasons as before they need to get through the high passes like anyone else. I have numerous misgivings about why the orcs are doing this considering they have not done so in what a thousand years or more,” she paused quickly moving along the trail. "What do you say uncle?"
“Aye lassie 'at is mah feelin' tay,” Hobnobby answered.
“I know we cannot tell the future but something tells me this orc incursion is not going to be good for anyone. What has me confused is why now and for what reason do they do this?"
“I think it is a probing attack and a chance to bloody some of the Orc warriors to give them a taste of battle so they can return to their campfires and brag to their fellows about killing and maiming weak humans. It will keep them busy during the long winter months until the thaw, and then they can return in mass.” Startled and pleased at the same time having Ethan suddenly walking next to her, Celedryl looked at Ethan with more respect at his insight. Danielle smiled to herself walking behind them with Hobnobby.
“Ethan I see you have the daggers that we took from those brigands do you know how to use them?”
“I am not trained in the use of the sword or these daggers. I fought with knives so I am sure I can add them to my fighting ability but as for being very proficient with them that will remain to be seen. I could probably use some instruction in the use of them.”
“Ethan something tells me these orc movements are bigger than simply some orcs testing themselves in battle and coming out of the frozen wastes to go on a rampage. Mayhap it is bigger than all of us but I think we will face grave danger before this over.”
“Then will face it together,” he declared gingerly taking Celedryl‘s hand in his continuing up the trail. At first, she hesitated to take it but soon warmed to his touch and squeezed his hand in reassurance. The couple in front did not see Danielle smiling at the sight.
“Celedryl, can you tell me more about where we are and the countryside ahead?” Danielle asked quizzically.
“This trade route is one of many crisscrossing through the mountains eventually leading back to Pine Hallow. Once we leave these mountains, the trail skirts in between the mountains to the north and hilly country to the south. The trading post is near the Brookmoor River and I hope to get a ride on one of the barges that ply the river moving trade goods both north and south. In the spring the trade goods are barged to the north although barges travel back and forth trading throughout the summer,” pausing she scanned the forest before continuing. “This late in the year there should only be last minute barges heading south through the winter resupply barges will occasionally come north. For this reason, we may not find a barge heading south and have to walk to the castle. The road south is called Barge Road and is well maintained and besides we might to meet the dukes twin sons riding to Brookmoor,” the look on Ethan’s face made her laugh so she squeezed his hand in reassurance. “Brookmoor Village is a small village used as a waypoint not quite half-way there," she added quickly changing the subject away from the duke's sons.
"Celedryl, can you tell about the duke and his family?” Danielle asked intrigued.
“I
have not been to the castle since I was a little girl so I am sure things have changed. He has a daughter around my age and twin sons three or four years older than I am. I presume they have grown to be handsome young paladins by now wearing their burnished armor,” she said wistfully. That sent a pang of jealously a second time in the last moment straight through Ethan’s heart nearly causing him to pull his hand away from Celedryl. What is wrong with me he thought, glad he did not jerk his had away from hers.
“What are their names Celedryl?” Danielle asked even more intrigued.
“The boy’s well I should rightly say men are Doric and Dorin and their sister’s name is Shaylee Breena but when we were children we called her Lee but I am sure that will not be the case now. She was always beautiful so she has likely grown to be a beautiful woman of the court. I imagine she has the most beautiful dresses in the world. Up here we have no need for court dresses so I have never worn one. I have always wanted to try on some of those dresses the high-born women wear to court functions.”
“That sounds exciting they might have a ball when we arrive and we can try on some of those gowns and prance around so all the men of the court can acknowledge our great beauty and bow before us,” Danielle laughed sounding like the old Danielle.
“I can see you doing that Danielle,” Ethan said laughing. “I seem to recall at the officer’s ball you wore a gown that might rival one from the court. You had all the men stuttering when they tried to talk to you and more than a few women red with jealously,” he laughed even more at the remembrance of that night.
“I assure you it did not really happen that way,” Daniele said her turn to blush a bright crimson thoroughly embarrassed. They had stopped walking at this point staring at each other, Celedryl with an incredulous look on her face and Ethan well he was Ethan trying very hard not to burst out laughing at Danielle’s embarrassment. Then as if on cue, they burst out laughing even Hobnobby who had been silent taking in the conversation could not help but laugh.
Chuckling under their breaths, the much-needed lightheadedness lightened their steps making their way up the steady incline winding through the forest of fir enjoying each other’s company. By midday, they found a good place to stop and have lunch in a small draw with a sparkling spring running down the middle of it. The fur trees were thick near the draw so if they remained quiet they would be unseen by any passersby moving up or down the trail. The light rain that had begun to fall earlier did not seem to make it through the tops of the trees keeping them dry for the moment.
Knowing they needed to move on and find the den, Celedryl reluctantly stood removing the string from her bow placing it in her pack to keep it dry from the rain. Throwing her pack and quiver of arrows across her back, signaled to the others their short rest is over and each of them quickly made ready to travel. Soon, she stepped off the trail with Farwalker leading the way heading due west toward the wolves den, each fearing at what they might find when they arrived.
After about a furlong, they came to a small clearing with a huge boulder to one side with two fir trees on either side of it. In front of the large boulder, a hole in the ground ran from there under one of the trees disappearing into darkness. Strewn in front of the den were the bodies of wolves and orcs. The wolves gave a good accounting of themselves at a great loss of life. Farwalker went directly to a young female, sniffing her body he lay down next to her with his head on her side, her neck had been broken. With tears in her eyes, Celedryl sat next to Farwalker caressing him gently across the top of his head her hand stopping to rub the back of his neck.
Suddenly, they heard a faint growl coming from the den. Leaping up with his ears perked, Farwalker listened intently. They heard it again a tiny growl of warning coming from the den. Farwalker was off like a shot into the den followed by a little commotion from inside then silence. A moment later Farwalker came out gently holding a pup by the scruff of the neck with his teeth. The girls squealed in delight at seeing the cute and cuddly little survivor, all gray with splotches of light-brown fur and white on each of its paws possibly the cutest thing they had ever seen. Farwalker set the pup down in front of them and the brave little thing stood its ground watching them closely.
“Danielle slowly not to frighten the little beast take your backpack off and get some of the dried meat that we packed away for emergencies, Celedryl said quietly. Danielle did as told setting the pack gently on the ground beside her. Sitting next to it, she retrieved the meat from the pack.
“Now when I move away from you call Farwalker over and hand-feed him, he is gentle so do not concern yourself he will not harm you. Then call the pup over and see whether it will take the food. If it does not give some to Farwalker then try again with the pup,” Celedryl instructed.
Farwalker gently took the meat from her outstretched hand while the pup watched with growing interest lifting its muzzle sniffing the air around it. Taking a small piece of meat Danielle slowly extended her hand toward the pup. Stretching its neck out as far as it could without moving its feet; the pup sniffed the meat then the tips of her fingers. Gingerly it opened its mouth gently taking the meat from her outstretched fingers greedily chewing the food and swallowing it. Before long, the cub is standing next to Farwalker gently taking food from her fingers.
Meanwhile, the others were gathering the dead wolves gently putting them in the den. One after another, they pushed them in and at the last; they rolled a large stone in front of the hole sealing it. The grim work done they rested while Danielle made friends with her new charge. By this time, the pup as it turned out is a little girl sat on Danielle’s lap eating from the palm of her hand. Farwalker still sat next to them waiting for his share of the dried meat. When the meat was gone, she gently picked up the squirming pup hugging it close to her chest all the while it licked her face and wagged its tail.
“You seem to have a gift human from another world that few have.” They looked in astonishment at the beautiful wood nymph suddenly emerging from the fir tree. She is normal human height with a slight greenish tint to her naked skin wearing a thin gossamer silk like covering that flowed around her like water as she moved. Her long blond hair reached her buttocks framing out her magnificent body enthralling even the girls with her beauty.
“What gift do you mean?” Danielle asked in an awed tone.
“A gift, much like the gift your female friend has with her wolf. I have been sheltering this pack for a very long time and it pains me to see it wantonly destroyed for no other reason than to cause death. This little one is all that I could save from death hiding in my branches while the others bravely fought the evil visited on them. I would help you if you wish to find this gift within you so you may bond with this child of the forest. If you accept this gift, you and she will share each other’s feelings, you will know her happiness and she will know yours. You will also know the other’s deaths and when one of you dies, the bond is broken forever and the other will live on as the other half but while each of you live, you are whole. One last thing you must know, she will have a longer than normal life for creature such as her in a large part owing to the bond with you. Do you wish to have this bond?”
“Yes," Danielle answered without hesitation holding the pup close to her chest.
Walking gracefully on bare feet her body moving with the ease and gentleness of a butterfly the wood nymph moved closer to them. Unmoving, reluctant to shatter the moment they watched the tableau unfold before them as if they were a part of something special that they may never experience again in their lifetime. Placing one hand on Danielle’s head and the other on the pups head the wood nymph began to glow slightly at first, as the moments passed the glow brightened to a bright-green color emanating from her. Slowly the green glow engulfed them and as the moments passed, nothing happened then suddenly Danielle was smiling with tears in her eyes while the happy pup is licking her all over the face.
The nymph stepped back from them with a smile on her face. “My name is Arethusa fare wel
l both of you,” she said disappearing into the tree.
In the shocked silence that followed, no one moved until Danielle set the squirming pup down on the ground. She ran and jumped around the clearing in a newfound freedom and security that she thought she had lost. She gained a new den mother to care for her and love her and she could feel her love for her as never before. Likewise, Danielle could feel her emotions and wanted to run with her but her dignity prevailed instead she laughed and smiled at her antics. Soon Farwalker could not restrain himself any longer. He chased her and nipped at her legs to make her run faster, making those present smile at the sight.
“It is a fine thing tae see lassies but we must be aboot,” Hobnobby hesitantly interrupting them bringing them back to the certainty of the danger they face.
Returning to the trail, they headed southwest listening to the birds squabble over winter nesting rights, thinking about what their futures might hold. Hobnobby did not seem to worry much he knew with certainty, that war is coming and men, elves and dwarfs alike would die. Celedryl wondered what it would be like to settle with Ethan, and he was likewise thinking about Celedryl realizing unquestionably, he was falling in love with her. In a world alone, Danielle is thinking about her newfound gift and her love for this pup obediently walking right next to her. It seemed they made a fine group to be traveling together and with the confidence they shared in each other they would eventually prevail over the trials they faced.
“You ok Danielle?” Ethan asked concernedly.
“Oh Ethan I am wonderful, I cannot explain exactly what happened, but is as if she released my ability to imagine things and bring them to fruition. She opened up a completely new world of imagination to me, I feel as if I could do other things but I do not know where to start.”
“I am sure as the time passes you will determine the best use of your gift. It seems this world has many gifts to offer along with the many dangers it holds,” he concluded wistfully. Danielle new in her heart what he was thinking about and is glad he is starting to come to terms with his growing love for Celedryl.
“After all that has occurred in such a short time I feel guilty about not mourning the loss of my brother. I am hesitant to do so because I am not so sure that he is dead. I know reason tells me that he burned up in atmospheric reentry but my heart tells me he somehow survived and is safe. Does that sound silly to you?”
“To my analytical mind it does sound silly, but I have ignored that since we got here and let hope rule my mind instead. Danielle we must have faith he survives and that we will eventually find him. Shoot for all we know he has found himself a rich princess living in a castle and sleeping in her warm bed every night,” he laughed jovially. Danielle smiled at his attempt at making her laugh.
They spent the rest on uneventful afternoon making their way around the mountain. The trees began to thin out and the ground turned rocky with small boulders and some sparse grass. By early evening, they reached a pass leading between two mountains on either side that would eventually take them out of the mountains. From there they would reach the rolling hills that lay to the south of the mountains. Celedryl knew the way well because she used to travel to the trading post with her father on trading missions. They found a place on the lee side of the mountain that helped keep the slight wind off them; the rain had stopped hours ago making it an enjoyable evening. Celedryl was secretly hoping more of the winter rain that she knew was coming would hold off at least until they were out of the mountains.