by Mike Ezekiel
“Harpies are fast fliers and they are intelligent; they can be used as messengers. Now please get over here and heal her before it’s too late,” said Master Sernett pointedly.
Korowai went to the harpy and laid her hands upon her and, as she did so, a light started to glow under Korowai’s hands. The harpy called out in pain as the arrow started to extract itself. The arrow got longer and longer and then finally dropped out of the wound. Her injuries started to close up and the harpy started to waken.
“Squawk! Oh that hurts,” said the harpy, “You tried to kill me and now you heal me. Why?”
“Because you are one of Mother Nature’s creatures and we didn’t mean you any harm, but you started a fight with us, and it got out of hand,” replied Master Sernett.
“We are harpies and we’re supposed to start fights. It’s what we do,” she explained.
“Anyway, enough about that; now that you are healed, please tell us where were you headed because that is where your flock has gone when they thought you were dead,” Master Sernett said.
“We are heading back to the Harpy Nation. The Tree of Life has fallen and we were on our way to report that the end of the world is coming. The evil has awakened and is back in our world. Can’t you feel it? This forest stinks of evil,” she said.
From a little ways off, Durin said to Elden, “I don’t know how she can smell anything at all with the way she stinks.”
Elden started to laugh and the harpy turned to glare at Elden. Not only was he laughing at her but also he had been the one who had brought her down with the bow and arrow in the first place.
“Sorry about shooting you, Mam, but you did start it first,” Elden said once he realized that she was glaring at him for laughing.
“Like I said, we are all sorry for hurting you and now we can all be friends. It was a misunderstanding so let bygones be bygones and move on,” said Master Sernett.
“Squawk!” said the Harpy and the rest of the party all nodded their heads in agreement.
Master Sernett called for the group to set up a small fire so they could cook their noon meal. After they all had their fill and all the hurtful feelings were fixed, the harpy said her goodbyes and took to the air, heading in the direction of the Harpy Nation. After the episode with the harpies there were no other disturbances as they walked back towards the forest Elvin barrier.
Standing outside of the barrier, Kerwyn walked up to it and asked the barrier if they could all be allowed through. Hearing his voice the barrier said that it had already sent word to the queen that Kerwyn and his party had returned. The barrier dropped and there was Erlina standing there waiting for Kerwyn’s return. Running out to greet him she threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug.
The queen coming up for behind Erlina called out to her, “Erlina, remember what I told you: act like a princess. I am very sorry for my daughter’s outburst Master Sernett and Master Kerwyn. I trust that you got the answers you were seeking,” said Elysia, the Forest Elf Queen.
“No we did not; we only ended up with more questions. Druantia the witch is dead and it turns out that she was the guardian of the Tree of Life. With her dying words, she named Kerwyn Guardian of the new Tree of Life and the protector of its acorn.
“It is a great honour to be a Tree of Life Guardian, and to be named one by the witch Druantia. You have a very special future in store for you,” said the queen.
Korowai and Erlina had been staring at each other, each one sizing the other up. Erlina looked from Korowai to Kerwyn then back to Korowai. It was a knowing glance showing that she knew that they were fighting over the same man, as some things do not require words to say.
Looking back at Kerwyn and waiting to catch his eyes, as she needed to know his thoughts about this strange woman who also wanted his affections. Kerwyn feeling Erlina stare at him, turned to look at her. In that brief instant Erlina knew that he was unsure of which of the two women he was in love with more. Tilting her head to the left she gave him that a look that said she knew about Korowai and that they were going to talk about it later.
Kerwyn turning, two shades of red, turned his gaze away from her and concentrated on what the queen was saying, knowing that their conversation later was going to be... complicated.
“So, Master Sernett, when are you planning on going to see Fafnir the forest dragon?” asked the queen
“I was hoping that we could stay just a few days here with you, to rest and to regain our strength,” answered the wizard.
“You are more then welcome to stay with us and when you do leave, we will fully restock your supplies. Also, please send our regards to Fafnir. We Elves and the dragon have a respect for each other because of our long lives. Erlina, please run to the kitchen and let them know that we have guests and that they are hungry,” said the queen.
“Yes, Mother,” and with one more look towards Kerwyn and this strange woman, Erlina turned and headed for the kitchens.
“Now, Master Sernett, please introduce me to this young woman and tell me what happened to Baldred as I see he is no longer with the party.” As the queen said this, she looked at Cyclopes and saw their grief-stricken looks. “Ah, I see ill tidings have befallen our friend. We will morn your loss with you and we will give him an Elvin tribute,” said the queen.
“To answer the first question Your Majesty, this wooden woman is the Druid Korowai from Papua, the great forest. She has come in search of the vile evil that is plaguing our world. She seeks the Legendary Wizard as Cernunnos has told her that he is the only one who can stop the evil from taking over the world,” said Master Sernett.
“The Legendary Wizard maybe closer then she would think,” said to Master Sernett with a wink.
Korowai saw the wink and looked back and forth from the queen to Master Sernett and then back again. Thinking that she had just witnessed a secret, she looked at Master Sernett a lot closer, searching for the legendary quality about him.
She knew that he was a great and powerful wizard and now believed that she had just figured out that Master Sernett was the Legendary Wizard. At first she thought that it might have been Kerwyn as he had Mother Nature protecting him but she had almost forgotten that Master Sernett was carrying one of the legendary Relicts of Power. It is one of Mother Nature's own God weapons.
It all started to make sense; Master Sernett had to be the Legendary Wizard. He had been in charge of their mission the whole time and she hadn’t seen it. How could she have missed such a thing? Here was the great and powerful Legendary Wizard and she had been too blind to see it. Now that she knew who Master Sernett really was, she was going to make sure that she stuck close to him and not get distracted by Kerwyn. After seeing the exchange between Kerwyn and Erlina, Korowai knew that she still had a good chance of winning Kerwyn.
Kerwyn felt the tension building in his back and neck and turned to look at Korowai. He saw her looking at him and then she smiled at him with a flutter of her eyelashes and a knowing grin that almost said that she had won and he was now and forever hers.
Turning away he saw his master and the queen start to walk towards the main hall. Following them, he lost himself deep in thought.
Upon reaching the Main Hall, Kerwyn noticed that the Cyclopes had already taken their normal seats and had already started into the food as it arrived. There was roasted pork, broiled pheasant, baked quail and smoked salmon along with plus all the other vegetables that were plentiful in the forest. The smells of the fresh cooked food was enough to make Kerwyn’s mouth water. Sitting down at the table in his usual spot, he started to dish up a plate for himself, not noticing that the spot beside him was vacant. Turning to his left he saw Erlina sitting there watching him. She hadn’t reached for any of the food but she was just sitting there quietly looking at him. Kerwyn put down his plate and turned so he could look at her fully.
Reaching over he tried to touch her hand but she pulled it away and in a small whisper said, “Have I been replaced so easily? Have you now ch
anged your mind and are in love with a tree girl? I will not interfere with you and her but I want you to know that I still care for you and I still think that our futures are intertwined. I believe that you and I are meant to be together.”
“Erlina, I have not replaced you with anyone. I find both of you women intriguing and both of you are beautiful women. Your mother has forbidden us to be together, and I do not want the wrath of the Forest Elvin Queen on me. I know that you and I could have something very special, but until your mother allows it, we will never be together,” said Kerwyn.
“But you know that I love you so what does it matter what my mother says?” Erlina said this in an almost inaudible whisper that only Kerwyn could hear.
“Erlina, you know that I think very highly of you and that I am in love with you as well. But you are royalty and I am just a commoner. Your mother wants you to be with someone much, well... better than me. I have nothing to offer you, and I am just a poor commoner. Yes, I know that I am a great wizards apprentice and I am very proud of that fact but I am not royalty. Princesses do not mix with common folk, especially Elvish Princesses who will live for thousands of years while her common husband will die in less than a thousand years.
I understand what your mother is concerned with. She wants you to have a man that will always be there for you. I am not that man. I love you too, but I am a mortal who is destined to die one day,” Kerwyn said.
Erlina reached over and took Kerwyn’s hand in her own. Holding it she looked him in the eyes and said, “You are special, very special and a man that I have given my heart too. No matter what the future holds, you and I, we will always be connected. We might be forbidden to be together for now. But one day we will be married as one. Go enjoy this other woman’s company but know this; you and I are meant for each other, so no matter how much you think this Korowai is you life mate, know that it is I, not her, who will be your wife. Even if I have to wait for her to die of old age, I will wait for you always.” As she spoke her last words, she got up and hurried from the room, not wanting anyone to see her cry.
Korowai sitting down the table from Kerwyn and Erlina listened to the whole conversation while making it look like she was just enjoying the food. Putting the fresh vegetables into her mouth without even tasting them she smiled. She knew that Kerwyn was hers now. Erlina had backed out of the competition gracefully and that left Kerwyn up for grabs.
Korowai moved to the seat where Erlina had been only moments before had been sitting and got comfortable next to Kerwyn. Reaching over she touched his hand and said, “I understand how much she means to you and I am not trying to take her place. I am only trying to show you that she isn’t the only woman that loves you.
I am not royalty and I am not eternal; I will die one day as well because I am a mortal, just like you. Please don’t push me away for I can be a loving woman as well and one that can satisfy your every want and desire. I love you, Kerwyn, and I want to be with you.”
chapter fourteen
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
From that moment on Erlina, made herself very scarce. Even when Kerwyn went out looking for her she was nowhere to be found. He asked the guards where she was one day and they wouldn’t tell him either. He was finding it harder and harder to see her. Korowai on the other hand happened to be everywhere he was. It was almost like she knew where he was going before he did.
One day he wanted to get away from everyone after a frustrating search for Erlina so he went to the chicken coop to gather eggs for the cooks. Once he got there, Korowai was already there doing the same thing: gathering eggs. The only place where he had any peace and quiet was in his bedchamber. But even there his thoughts were of Erlina and it was Korowai that came looking for him when it was time for supper.
“Come on, Kerwyn, it’s time for supper. Master Sernett sent me to get you,” Korowai said coming into his room.
“Go away, I am not hungry,” said Kerwyn in a cold tone.
“Why are you avoiding me and why are you mad at me? I have done nothing wrong, other then to tell you that I am in love with you. I told you that I would not interfere with you or Erlina’s relationship but it looks to me like that relationship does not exist. She has been avoiding you like you have been avoiding me.
You know, we could have a lot more fun together if you would stop avoiding me. There are beautiful trails throughout the Elvin domain and I would love to walk them with you. Some of the plants and flowers that are here cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The forest elves' domain is like nothing that I have ever seen before; they have trees here, Kerwyn, that only exist here. They have been extinct everywhere else for generations due to being cut down for either building supplies or firewood. The forest elves respect all trees and plants and they would never completely use them up to the point of extinction. Come with me and I’ll show them all to you, they are beautiful,” pleaded Korowai.
“Korowai, it’s not that I don’t like you, it’s just that, well, I knew Erlina first and I didn’t want to hurt her. I still love her and hate the fact that I have hurt her enough that she doesn’t want to see me. I also don’t want to hurt or disrespect her more by you and I being together. She is the Princess of the Forest Elves and I don’t want to disrespect their hospitality either by hurting their princess,” Kerwyn said.
“Ok, Kerwyn I understand, but come for supper. I will keep my distance from you while we are here but if she shows you no more interest, then I have free reign to try and get you to love me once we leave for the forests dragon’s cave,” said Korowai.
“Agreed, “Nodded Kerwyn.
Getting up and heading for the Main Hall with Korowai, Kerwyn felt better about the whole situation. If the Princess Erlina wanted nothing more to do with him then he would be free to find his love interest elsewhere.
Arriving at the Main Hall, Kerwyn took his place beside his master who was in a conversation with the queen. They were talking about the dragon, Fafnir, and what they could probably expect once they got there.
“Like all dragons they sleep on a mountain of gold and gems. I would strongly advise you to not take any of it as that will anger the dragon for they are all very protective of their treasures. Fafnir maybe a Gold Dragon and the best to deal with humans and other creatures but just remember he is still a dragon and they will eat you if make them mad,” the queen advised.
“Have you ever met the dragon, Your Highness? Would it be better to approach him with just Kerwyn and myself?” asked Master Sernett.
“Yes, it would be better to approach him as a friend than as a bigger armed group; his defensive reaction will be much lower. Also, yes I have met him on many occasions throughout my years. He has even been here as a guest in the Elvin Domain a few times. Dragons have the ability to take on humanoid form when they choose to. The good dragons take on human form and wander the lands sometimes. They are always on the lookout for the evil dragons. Humans are known to gossip and what better way to find out if an evil dragon is around than to listen to the gossip? Also, many good dragons have become exceptional traders and they make a very high profit which increases their gold piles,” the queen said.
“I did not know that a dragon could take on humanoid form. That is very useful information. I will have to keep my eyes open the next time I am bartering with a trader. I might not want to barter too hard if I know that it is a dragon,” Master Sernett said.
“There have been many times when an evil dragon has taken on humanoid forms and caused all kinds of mischief in towns and cities. Many years ago one even took on human form and became a king over the very wealthy kingdom of Fylgia. It stole all the gold and jewels from the people and left the kingdom in ruins. Some say the dragon still resides there, hiding out in the lower catacombs with its huge stash of gold and jewels. They also say that there were a lot of magical items collected by the Fylgia Kingdom which would still be hidden among the dragon’s stash as well,” said the queen.
Kerwyn stopped listening
at that point as he was looking around for Erlina, seeing that she wasn’t in the Great Hall and she was nowhere to be. Kerwyn took this as a sign that it was over between he and Erlina. He didn’t feel all that good about it, even though he thought he would. He sat down heavily and started eating, not really tasting the food but he kept putting stuff into his mouth and chewed.
Once he had finished all that he could eat, he looked back over at his master and saw that he and the queen were still conversing about dragons. Getting up form the table he saw that Korowai was also getting up and was going to accompany him until he looked at her and shook his head. He saw that she was disappointed and she sat back down and watched Kerwyn walk out of the Main Hall.
Kerwyn was confused. He should have been happy that he could now try and start a relationship with Korowai but he just couldn’t get Erlina out of his mind. Everywhere he turned he hoped that she would be just beyond the corner and that he could talk to her. He remembered the letter she wrote him and pulled it out to read again.
Kerwyn,
I know that you and I are meant to be together, but for the time being my Mother has forbidden our union together. I know that you love me and I know that I love you. No matter what my mother says, you and I are destined for great things. I can feel it in my soul that you and I will one day be allowed to be together and I hold you in my heart until that day.
This broach will allow us to communicate with one another over distances.
Just look deeply into the broach and say my name three times and my broach will let me know that you are trying to contact me. The same will happen if I need to get a hold of you; your broach will light up and let you know that I am waiting to talk to you too. Please don’t be mad at me for breaking my mother’s decree. But I just have to know that you will be safe and I wanted you to know that I will be here waiting for you upon your return.