by Liara Woo
She nodded. Looking back through the trees, she saw a black and white horse galloping across the field with Halthren on his back, looking pale. She saw Halthren slide to the ground, stumbling and falling to his knees before standing again. One hand was pressing at the wound in his side as he ran haltingly across the grass. Even from a distance, she could see the desperation written all over his face. "Katie! Wait!" he shouted.
Katie whipped her head back around. "Please, send me now!" she exclaimed. Having to say goodbye to Halthren would be too painful.
Acinoron transformed into a horse once more and lowered his head to the ground, gently touching his horn to the grass. Then, straightening, he pranced in very tight circles around the area his horn had touched. A nearly opaque pillar of shining white light appeared where his horn had met the grass, glittering and spiraling upwards, into the sunlight. It seemed almost like a miniature snowstorm, where gravity was reversed and the grass was clouds, and the blue sky was the ground. The 'snowflakes', the bright specks of light, were spiraling upwards. "Step in, Katie. Focus really hard on precisely where and when you wish to return to Earth."
"Wait!" Halthren shouted. He'd almost reached the cover of the trees. Katie didn't pause to look back at him; she stepped into the cold pillar of light and vanished. Halthren stumbled into the woods, his breathing ragged and uneven. Both hands held the wound in his side now, and they were soon soaked in blood. For a moment he was going to leap in after her, but then the pillar vanished.
"She's gone, Halthren," Joran said in a voice choked with sadness. "She…she won't come back."
Acinoron bowed his head.
Halthren sank to his knees. The pain in his side was becoming more and more pronounced, but it was nowhere near as painful as the agony in his heart. I have found the deepest love of my heart, and now it has been taken from me forever.
The pain was too great. He knew that he would never recover; there would always be anguish in his heart. He'd given his heart to Katie, and now she was gone, taking it with her. He felt as if he had been torn into two. She doesn't love me back. I love her, but she has no feelings for me. She didn't even think I was worth enough to stay, just for me to say farewell. He felt tears come into his eyes and was instantly ashamed. So many have lost their lives today. I'm being selfish. It's a miracle that I'm not dead! If I'd held on to that sword a moment longer I would be a star now. I must move on, if I can.
But deep down he knew that he could never move on.
Suddenly, from where he'd been hiding in the trees, Blacknack lunged out and pinned Halthren to the ground. Instantly he started digging at the wound in Halthren's side and tearing the flesh even worse. Halthren screamed in agony and thrashed in the grass, scrabbling for any weapon as Joran and Acinoron tried to help him. Joran grabbed at the demon (his weapons had been abandoned since he believed the battle was over) and Acinoron swung his spear, but Blacknack swung his meaty fist and punched them aside, knocking the spear to the ground. Halthren's hands found the slender weapon in the grass and he plunged it upwards, landing a glancing blow to Blacknack's side. The demon merely growled and bit his shoulder, cracking his collarbone.
With a surge of strength Halthren pushed Blacknack off of him and quickly dealt him a blow to the heart. The demon's body convulsed and then grew still.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Halthren unsteadily got to his feet and leaned against a tree. Blood covered his shoulder and his side. He closed his eyes, found that he couldn't stand anymore, and sank to his knees. Then, slowly, he looked up. After gazing one last time at the place where the pillar of light had vanished, he tore his eyes away and said, "What can I do to help?"
Joran met his gaze. "For now, you can get back to Velana and rest. I'm so grateful you're alive, Halthren. No words could ever…"
He fell silent as he, too, looked at the spot where Katie had vanished. He rushed to Halthren and gently embraced him to hide the tears running down his face. "Everything will be fine," he told himself. "She's in a better place now."
Back On Earth
Back on Earth
Katie focused hard as the storm swirled all around her. I want to return to the moment right after I conjured a storm at the bottom of the lake with Joran; I want to be in my cabin, on my bunk, on the exact same day that I left.
Gradually the whirling snowflakes and freezing wind were replaced by soft, warm cloth. She opened her eyes and found herself lying on a thin, wiry mattress, lumpy and hard yet still more comfortable than the hard ground she'd spent so many nights sleeping on in Kylaras. The musty scent of a log cabin filled her nose as she felt a fresh summer breeze blowing in through the open window at her side. She saw thick timbers going across a wooden ceiling, criss-crossing in the shape of an A. Somewhere a Great Horned Owl was awakening his hatchlings with soft, gentle hoots that pierced the quiet night, finding their way through her window.
Several other girls lay in other bunks throughout the one-roomed cabin. She could see the bluish-white glow of iPod screens and the earbuds going from the tiny machines to the girls' ears.
Katie looked at the jeans and t-shirts, neatly folded, at the end of her bed. She saw her flashlight, her pocketknife, her duffel bag, and other tools of Earth. I'm back. Or maybe it was all just a dream. But she touched her neck and found the pendant Loriina had given her still hanging there. Her journey had been many things…but it certainly wasn't a dream.
She sat up, her eyes drawn to the mud (and blood) spattered hem of her tunic. I'd better get rid of this before anyone sees. Quickly and silently she changed into normal human pajamas. Then she stole down the ladder leading up to her bunk and turned to walk out the door, drawn, perhaps, by a longing to see the familiar short, stumpy pine trees of Earth, to see the much smaller moon—
"Katie! You're back!"
That voice was familiar. She turned to see a thin blonde girl on the lower bunk. Katie stared intently at her, probing her memory. I know her. But who is she? "Your name is…Cami, right?"
The girl nodded slowly, her relieved smile fading into a frown. "Um, yeah. Are you okay? We've known each other for a few days now. Remember the horses?"
Katie thought back. "Y-yes, I believe so."
"You're speaking differently. Where's the elf guy?"
It took her a moment to realize she was talking about Joran. "Safe," Katie answered. "Along with all of his kin. They're in their world, and I am in mine…as it should be." Involuntarily her hand went to her neck, where the elf pendant from Loriina hung. She sighed deeply; the image of Halthren's desperate, pleading face as she left Allagandria was seared in her mind's eye. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Halthren, for what I had you feel. I wish you could understand that I did it so you wouldn't have to choose.
"Did you get that necklace in the elf world?" Cami asked incredulously.
Katie nodded. "It was a gift from a drag… from a friend."
Cami's eyes widened. "You've been gone longer than I think you have, haven't you? How? What will Mrs. Sorenson say?"
Katie was confused for a moment; then she remembered: Mrs. Sorenson was the camp director.
"The entire camp knows what happened," Cami continued eagerly. "They all think you were kidnapped by a mysterious stranger who somehow shone like the moon!"
Katie laughed. "I certainly wasn't kidnapped. I…"
Her voice faded away. Something made her hesitate…somehow she thought that her adventure should remain a secret to her, and only her. "I went with him of my own free will."
"Enchanting," Cami said, batting her eyelashes. "Imagine…to be swept away by a handsome prince. I always read that he'd be wearing shining armor, but this one shone without armor!" She giggled ridiculously.
Katie laughed halfheartedly. She climbed back into her bunk and crawled down into her sleeping bag. It was a long time before she felt like sleeping.
* * *
Mrs. Sorenson was astonished to find Katie waking up in her own cabin. "How did you escape from that—that—h
orrid creature?!" she asked.
Katie instantly felt anger at one of her good friends being called a 'horrid creature'. "He's my friend," she answered stiffly. "And he isn't a monster. I didn't escape from him; I did what I could to help him and then I left."
Mrs. Sorenson shook her head. "Maybe it's best for us to forget all about this. I'll tell anyone who asks that because you had prior experience in the woods, I allowed you to go on an observational camping excursion on your own, not far from camp."
Katie laughed, but there was no humor in her voice. That's almost the truth, she thought to herself. "Fine with me," she responded with a tight grin.
That day was the last one at camp. The girls packed their things and waited for their parents to come and take them home. When her father arrived in his pickup truck, Katie ran to him and hugged him tightly before he'd even been able to take a single step. "Dad!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe how much I missed you! It won't take long to get home, will it?"
Her father laughed. "Wow, Katie! I thought you'd love nothing more than to escape for a week into the woods!"
Katie only laughed. It had been much, much, much longer than a week since she'd last seen him. She'd spent at least three months in Allagandria. "I missed being with my family," she explained truthfully. "I made so many wonderful friends, Dad, but I belong at home." A pang of unhappiness shot through her as she realized the sad truth: Kylaras was just as much her home as Flagstaff was.
"Perhaps we can invite some of your new friends over sometime," her father suggested. "Then you can still hang out with them."
If only it were possible, she thought mournfully. "I don't think so," she said with a nervous laugh, climbing into the front seat of her father's truck. "I'll just play with my sisters all summer. I'd like to spend more time with them."
Mr. Smalls blinked in surprise. "I thought they drove you crazy."
"They do. And that's one of the reasons I love them so much."
Her father smiled. "You're a gem, Ash."
* * *
Halthren opened his eyes. Above him he could see wooden beams crisscrossing beneath a thatched straw roof…he was inside of a cottage.
He could feel light clothes covering his throbbing, aching body…tight bandages were wrapped around his shoulder and his side…he felt a sticky paste over his numerous cuts and the several whiplashes on his body…he was freezing cold, all over. He was in anguish…but the pain in his body couldn't compare with the pain in his heart. It was as if…no, he couldn't find words to describe it. But it was the worst thing he'd ever experienced. Worse than any torture Nashgor could have designed.
She'd barely even glanced at him when she left. Hadn't she cared? He must've looked awful; at death's door, even. Didn't she care if he was alright? And he'd just saved her and everyone else. Couldn't she at least have said farewell?
He closed his eyes and rolled his head to the side. Soon he felt a gentle touch rest on his shoulder.
"Hello, Halthren," he heard Joran whisper. "Do you think you can wake up and answer me this time?"
Groggily Halthren opened his eyes. "You mean you've been here more than once?" he croaked.
Joran nodded slowly. "Every day, for a few hours at least. This is the first time you've actually awakened. I'm glad, Halthren…it means you might live."
"How long…?"
"A week," Joran answered. Halthren felt the wind knocked out from him by the words. Seven days!
"I…didn't know it was that bad," he murmured hoarsely.
Joran nodded gravely. "Do you remembered what happened after Katie left? A demon tore a massive gash in your side and ripped open your shoulder with his teeth. Both wounds became infected. And that's only the worst of it. Besides that you have numerous bruises and lacerations… the usual."
Halthren cringed weakly at the memory of Blacknack lunging at him. "But…what about you? Are you alright?"
Joran nodded with a faint smile. "I'm fine. But Acinoron lost consciousness shortly after creating the portal…that was before you fainted, but I'd wager you don't remember it. I asked the naiads and dryads to heal you, but they refused on account of our imprisonment of Aspeniel—she was a spy, did you know?—and because too many of their kind were murdered during the war, so a griffin called Arian offered to fly back to Fliuviel and get some sort of magical water for you. He left two days ago and hasn't returned yet, so we did what we could with herbs and bandages. I'm glad you're awake. Like I said, it means you might live until Arian returns."
"Might?" Halthren asked uneasily.
Joran looked grim. "The wound in your side hasn't stopped bleeding in seven days. It's much slower now, but still…you're in danger of bleeding to death."
Halthren remembered the last time he'd been stabbed by a Dark knife, when his Light had been stolen. The wound, although small, hadn't stopped bleeding for weeks. Apparently this second Dark wound would be just the same, but worse, since it was so much larger. He shivered violently and a spasm of pain racked his body. He groaned in pain.
Joran touched his shoulder again, his face drawn and anxious. "I'll come back," he promised. "But now I need to leave. This country is in shambles and I must try to restore order." He stood slowly, leaving Halthren alone.
Exhausted, Halthren closed his eyes again. So much had happened…too much to comprehend. Katie was gone. Gone forever.
So now what do I do with my life?
A memory came to him… he was only twenty, sitting between his parents, and his father was telling him a story about a rampaging dragon that enslaved half the world, including Kylaras… about a group of elven rebels who survived only because they had on their side an elf who could heal all wounds using his Light in a different, ancient way…
His father had brought out a thick leather-bound book from its place in an iron-bound chest…
"This was that healer's journal," he'd said. "Within are all of the secrets of using Light for healing. Maybe someday, when you're older, I'll teach you how…"
Tears came to Halthren's eyes. His father never had the chance to teach him the arts of healing; he'd been murdered only a few years later. But perhaps now…or at least when he recovered…he could return to his old home, find the book, and become a healer. Then he could spend the rest of his life ensuring that no one else had to suffer as he did.
* * *
Throughout the summer, Katie made several trips to the local library, checking out books on drawing. She'd made it a goal to be able to draw everything she'd seen in Kylaras… her friends, magical creatures, different buildings, natural landmarks… everything. But she had to start at the beginning.
School began. Katie printed out her schedule from her high school's website and memorized it before the first day. Her mom drove her to the school, and she emptied her binders, Clorox wipes, and Kleenex boxes into her locker. She checked her lists of school supplies and bundled what she needed into her arms and hurried to first period.
Mr. Holmes was an unusual man in his late fifties, with piercing electric-blue eyes and a gray beard. He was the Algebra II teacher for the year, and Katie knew nothing about him. She sat down near the back of her classroom and placed a binder on her desk. Then she pulled a sharpie out of her pocket and wrote 'Algebra II' across it in capital letters.
Soon a bell sounded through the school's speaker systems, and more students filed into the classroom. Katie was disappointed to find that no one she knew from last year was in her math class, but she resolved to make the best of it. It's not as if I can sit around dreaming that Halthren will walk in to take me back to Kylaras and sweep me into his arms like he did in the burning forest …
Weeks passed, and as school got progressively more difficult, Katie had much more to do and think about than elves. It was beginning to seem as if her entire adventure had never happened—but all she had to do was feel the pendant around her neck and every detail would come rushing back.
She was beginning to make new friends. Two girls named Emma and
Hailey were especially nice to her; she started eating lunch with them. They didn't have much in common; Emma wanted to be an actress, Hailey loved chocolate, and Katie couldn't find much else to talk about beside elves.
"…and they have souls of pure goodness, so they can do no wrong," she said one day during the lunch break, her voice thick with admiration. "They're all so brave, and Halthren especially…"
Emma grinned. "You have an amazing imagination."
Katie's smile faltered. If I said that it was real, they'd think I was crazy. "Well…that's just what I wish was real," she said hesitantly. "If everyone was like an elf, the world would be perfect."