by K T Durham
Then Elly caught the sight of cloudy white hair. “Mrs Silverwinkle!” she called out happily. The old lady turned and smiled. Even in the dim light, she noticed that Mrs Silverwinkle still looked pale; in fact, paler than she had seen her in the afternoon. She hesitated before asking. “Mrs Silverwinkle, are you feeling all right?”
Mrs Silverwinkle touched a hand to her face. “Yes, yes. Of course. Just a little tired, dear. I haven’t been to a party as splendid as this one in a very long time.” She paused, as though she wanted to ask Elly something. Then her gaze shifted, and she smiled broadly at someone behind Elly.
To Elly’s surprise, Grandpapa strode up to Mrs Silverwinkle, who clasped his big gnarled hands in her own small ones. “Galdor! It’s been a long time since we last met on such a splendid occasion. I am ever so glad to see you looking so well!” she cried, beaming.
Grandpapa chuckled. “I’ve still got many a year left in me, my dear friend!”
Elly stared at them. They actually knew each other?
Before she could enquire, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and almost jumped in surprise as she looked into the bright sapphire-blue eyes of Kaelan.
“Hello Kaelan,” she said uncertainly, wondering what he wanted with her. Maybe he was so bored he wanted to leave early.
To her amazement, he bowed and offered his hand. “May I have the pleasure of dancing with the birthday girl?” he asked with a smile. Elly was so taken aback that she just gulped foolishly. Kaelan grinned and took her hand. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said. The Three Flamingos stared in disbelief as he led Elly to the dance floor.
Kaelan was a year older and quite a bit taller than Elly, with broad shoulders and wiry arms. His light golden hair fell over one of his eyes, tied up at the back in a long braid. Elly was speechless. An air of unreality descended upon her. Before the presentation, Kaelan wouldn’t have given her a second look. Why couldn’t she think of something clever or interesting to say?
But Kaelan didn’t seem to mind the silence as he smiled down at her. Elly noticed that his hands were calloused, rough to the touch. One of her favourite songs was playing.
He started talking first.
“My father is a craftsman, and he’s been teaching me his trade. He takes great pride in the buildings he forges, as he should, for he is very gifted. But to be frank, I take after my mother more. She was a painter. I don’t believe I’ll be half as good as she was, though.”
Elly noticed the use of past tense. “Does she not paint anymore?”
Kaelan’s face darkened. “She vanished when I was very young, taken by goblins when they infiltrated through one of the cross points. She was in the forest doing her landscape painting. I guess she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Elly blushed. “Oh, I—I’m so sorry,” she stammered. She bit her lip, feeling terrible.
Then she realized that Kaelan’s mother must have vanished around the time her Papa rescued Marlow from the goblins in the Celestan Forest eleven years ago.
He smiled. “It’s all right. Don’t feel bad. I haven’t talked about it with anyone, though everybody knows about it. Ever since I lost my mother, I’ve mostly kept to myself. I know my father worries about me because I don’t really have friends—not anyone I can talk to, anyway.” He paused, then looked into her eyes. “Today when you talked about becoming an explorer, it made me think. Perhaps I can accomplish something that I had never really thought possible before.”
Elly wondered how someone as handsome and likeable as Kaelan didn’t have any real friends. She nodded. “My grandpapa and my parents have always encouraged me to pursue my dream. I mean,” she said, warming up, “who says I can’t become an explorer like Larabeth Goldberry? I know I shouldn’t let anyone put me down. Grandpapa is always telling me to become the scriptwriter of my own life, not let others do it for me.” She smiled sheepishly. “But it’s easier said than done.”
Kaelan nodded. “You’re right. We shouldn’t give in to what others think is best for us,” he said quietly. He shook his head. “It was terrible, what Darrius talked about in class. You shouldn’t be judged for what others in your family once did.”
Elly smiled. “Thank you for defending me. That was really the first time a classmate has ever done something like that for me.”
He shook his head. “I only wish I had come to your defence sooner.” He paused. “You never got to meet your grand-uncle, did you?”
Elly grimaced. “No. He died before I was born. My parents—even my grandpapa—they don’t talk about him. I suppose that’s not surprising, seeing how he must have caused everyone in the family a great deal of grief. Don’t all the history books say Idril Gailfrin Celendis vanished straight after the War of Wrath? Presumed dead?”
Kaelan nodded and fell quiet. “I’m sorry to have brought this up, Elly. Let’s not talk about this.”
He hesitated. “I realized today that I want to become a protector. But my father is against it. I want to do my best to keep Alendria safe from the goblins. If I become a protector, perhaps… perhaps I’ll find my mother. If she’s still alive, that is.”
Elly stared up at him, astounded by this admission. “That’s really brave. Wow.” She paused thoughtfully. “But isn’t it terribly difficult to qualify as a protector? I’ve been told that one needs to go through years of gruelling training, and even then, you might not qualify unless you prove to be exceptional. They only choose the most elite…” She stopped short, mortified. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to discourage you,” she said apologetically. “I tend to ramble on about facts, it’s a bad habit of mine.” She could have kicked herself.
Kaelan grinned. “It’s nice to get our facts straight, Elly. Thanks for not trying to flatter me.” He was about to say something else when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and saw Aron standing there, unsmiling.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Didn’t expect to find you here,” he said with a frown, giving Kaelan a furtive glance. As if it was an afterthought, he added, “Sorry for interrupting.”
Elly thought he didn’t sound sorry at all. She pursed her lips in annoyance, wishing Aron could have left her alone. She plastered a smile on her face. “Kaelan, this is my friend Aron.”
Aron nodded curtly, half a head shorter than Kaelan. “Her best friend.”
Kaelan nodded back with a polite smile. Elly scowled. “Listen, Aron, do you think you could…”
Suddenly the lights dimmed. Kaelan leaned down and whispered, “Congratulations, Elly,” before letting go of her waist and stepping back into the shadows. The music had died down, and a hush fell over the crowd. A spotlight appeared on Elly. She held her breath.
In the darkened room, fireflies appeared like floating lights. Grandpapa Galdor, tall and regal, walked slowly over to Elly and placed a hand gently over her head. “It is time, my dear grandchild.”
Before Elly could respond, they were suddenly bathed in a magnificent, warm, golden light, and everything around her began swirling round and round, while she and Grandpapa seemed to stay rooted to the spot.
Then the swirling stopped, the golden light receded, and she found herself standing under a brilliant array of silver branches and thick leaves, from which gleaming, chestnut-brown acorns the size of her head dangled like bells. She gasped. These must be the royal acorns! She was standing under the Grand Canopy of the Tree, and the bonding ceremony was about to begin.
Elly bowed her head in reverence, her heart thumping with anticipation and awe. It was said that the Grand Canopy was the most sacred part of the Tree, because it was closest to the heavens, where the Star of Freya shone like a brilliant diamond, giving the illusion that it was just within reach.
In her peripheral vision, she could see Aron standing with her parents at a distance. Papa gave her a thumbs up. Mama had her hands clasped to her chest, her
eyes shiny with happy tears.
Grandpapa grasped her shoulder. “Go and stand right at the centre, Elly. I shall wait for you.”
Swallowing nervously, she walked towards the centre, where there was a small circular patch of grass that was much greener than the rest. She stood there and closed her eyes, hands clasped against her chest, head bowed.
There was a silence, followed by a throbbing sound that grew louder and louder.
Then a deep, resounding voice sounded in her ears.
Ellanor Celendis.
Awestruck and somewhat afraid, she bowed deeper.
She had the strange sensation that somebody was looking at her and considering her carefully.
Well, well. Very interesting, indeed.
The voice of the Tree was in her head.
Elly licked her parched lips nervously.
Split in two, yes, split in two. Do you wish to be whole, Ellanor?
She panicked. The Tree was actually asking her a question? She hadn’t expected this.
She swallowed. Umm, I don’t know. It depends on what you mean by whole.
What do you mean by that, Ellanor? She sensed that the Tree already knew what she really meant, though.
Well, a poisonous flower can be whole but unwholesome for one who chances upon it. Another flower that has been battered about by a strong wind may have lost some petals, but still be wholesome for one who seeks its healing powers.
There was a deep vibration, and Elly had to clench her fists to keep her knees from buckling.
Yes, yes. Very good, Ellanor. What looks whole, may not really be wholesome with its layers stripped bare.
There was a silence, as though the Tree was deep in thought.
Then suddenly Elly felt compelled to look up. She did, and found herself staring at a small cluster of golden-brown acorns, glistening and silent, scrutinising her with invisible eyes.
Then her gaze locked onto one particular acorn. It was smaller than the others, its shell somewhat less shiny, a little less symmetrical. But she could not take her eyes off of it.
Ahh, yes. Good, good. That is my dear child Greymore, whom I love. He may be slight and less handsome, but he is twice as sturdy and stout-hearted. Yes, yes.
At that moment, the acorn quivered as if it was taking a shuddering breath; then it fell. Ellanor gasped and caught it with both hands. It was surprisingly heavy.
In her hands, the acorn glowed golden and slowly flowered into a brown leather-bound book with a golden clasp. She stared. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
Her Royan.
Then Grandpapa was standing next to her, and he gently lifted the glowing book from her hands. With his back to her, he cradled the Royan and spoke rapidly in Yahana under his breath, blessing it with words that Elly could not quite catch. Then he gave the Royan back to her, and she kneeled ceremoniously, keeping her head bowed as she clutched the book with both hands.
In a strong voice that those standing at a distance could hear, Grandpapa spoke. “Ellanor Celendis, my dear granddaughter, today is your coming of age. I hereby present you the Royan named Greymore, ordained to you by our beloved Tree.”
“Thank you, Grandfather. It is an honour,” she said softly in Yahana. Then Grandpapa held her face gently between his hands and kissed her on the forehead. He smiled. “Freya looks down upon Alendria and rejoices at this occasion. Do you pledge to do your utmost to love and protect your people and your homeland?”
Elly nodded solemnly and bowed deeply, both arms crossed over her chest. “Yes. I, Ellanor Celendis, pledge to love and protect Alendria to the best of my ability.”
She put her hand on the Royan, feeling its smooth, cool surface. To her surprise, it seemed to be vibrating slightly.
Greetings, Ellanor.
Elly blinked at the voice, unfamiliar yet warm, authoritative yet comforting.
Grandpapa Galdor smiled down at her. “Journey well with Greymore, Elly. You are bound to each other now.” He squeezed her hand and whispered, “Greymore will take some getting used to, my dear. But trust me, he always has your best interests at heart, even if he might seem harsh at times.”
Elly looked at the Royan in her hands and caressed the sleek leather. Then she strapped it to her belt; it fit perfectly. She grinned. Suddenly, she felt very grown up.
Once again, she was bathed in a magnificent golden light, and everything before her swirled. Then they were back in the living room of her house.
She was suddenly surrounded by a crowd extending their congratulations. Kaelan joined the fray, followed by Aron and her parents. Papa lifted her up easily and twirled her around. “My darling girl is no longer so little, pledging to help protect our world! Be good to your Royan, Elly. He’ll prove to be invaluable to you, as mine was to me.”
Luca was jumping up and down impatiently as he tugged on Papa’s robes. “What about me?” he demanded, pouting. “Where’s my Royan?”
Papa chuckled and lifted him up with one arm. “Don’t worry, your time will come, my boy!”
When Papa went over to speak to Grandpapa Galdor, Mama turned to Kaelan. “So!” she said with a smile. “You’re Kaelan. How come I’d never heard Elly speak of you before?”
Elly cringed and went bright red. But Kaelan just smiled and bowed deeply. “I wish I could’ve gotten to know Elly earlier. She gave a really impressive presentation today.”
As he began to talk about her collage, Edellina sidled up and pulled her towards a corner in the room. Mama hadn’t even noticed. Obviously, Kaelan had her undivided attention.
“Congratulations, Elly!” Edellina gushed with a wink. “Hey, I saw you dancing with that tall handsome boy. You should’ve seen Darrius staring at you both—she was so green in the face, she could’ve passed for a goblin!” Elly giggled; she could not imagine Darrius feeling jealous of her.
Edellina then lowered her voice. “We’re going on an adventure tonight! Just us two girls, okay?”
“You don’t want Aron to come with us?” Elly asked curiously. The three of them usually went everywhere together. She glanced around. Papa had joined Mama, and now both of them were deep in conversation with Kaelan. Aron had gone off to get some food in a huff, annoyed that everyone seemed to be interested in the tall, handsome boy.
At that moment, Kaelan looked up and caught her eye; he grinned and waved. Elly smiled at him shyly before turning back to Edellina. “Why don’t you want Aron to join us?”
Edellina shrugged. “We don’t have to do everything with him, do we? I mean, us girls should have some alone time too, don’t you think?” Before Elly could respond, Edellina’s gaze fell on the Royan on her belt. Her eyes gleamed.
“So this is your Royan!” she said softly, reaching out. To Elly’s surprise, the book seemed to give a shudder.
Edellina quickly retrieved her hand and smiled. “It’s so wonderful that you have your own Royan!” she said with a sigh. “I can’t wait till I get my hands on one.”
Elly grinned. “We can take a look at Greymore together tomorrow, if you’d like,” she said proudly, pleased that she finally had something Edellina did not have. Edellina hadn’t had her coming of age yet, as she was several months younger.
“By the way, what do you have up your sleeve? Something that would make it worth my while, I hope!” Elly joked.
Edellina smiled coyly. “It will definitely be worth our while. Meet me an hour before midnight by the stone bears in the Celestan Forest.” She lowered her voice further. “We’re taking a peek at the portal!”
Elly’s eyes went wide with shock. “But… but we’re forbidden to go there!” she cried softly.
The portal was the way through which elves travelled to Gaya, the human realm. Only some members of the High Council had crossed over before the portal was sealed over a hundred years ago, and fewer h
ad even laid eyes on it. Elly had always wondered what it might look like. A gigantic mirror? A towering doorway?
The portal was nestled in the middle of the Celestan Forest, housed within the great white marble dome. Its massive doors could be unlocked only with a key held by Sir Jarome, a wizened protector who guarded the portal. The dome was secured with powerful spells that ensured only elves could pass through.
Edellina rolled her eyes at Elly and crossed her arms. “Oh, come on! Haven’t you always wanted to find out more about the humans? You can just look, but not touch, right? There’s no harm in just looking. If you want to become an explorer, you’ll need to be a little daring and adventurous!” She looked at Elly challengingly. “Go on, promise me you’ll not be a scaredy-cat!”
Elly hesitated. Years ago, she’d discovered that elves generally are not fond of humans. “There was a time—long, long ago—when elves used to travel freely to the human realm through the portal, and some elves even befriended humans,” Grandpapa had once explained to Elly when she asked him to tell her about the humans as a substitute for a bedtime story. “But over time, the relationship soured, especially when humans began to build machines and cut down trees and pollute the seas, killing countless creatures and plant life. Eventually, the High Council declared that the humans had become too corrupt and deemed them unworthy of our friendship. ‘Animal and tree killers! Selfish, greedy, weak, slave-making creatures—that’s what they are!’ declared many elves on the High Council.” Grandpapa had not agreed with them, but he was in the minority. Soon after that, the portal to the human realm was sealed.
But it wouldn’t hurt to just take a peek, right? Edellina said it wouldn’t harm anyone. This was her twelfth birthday, after all. She was entitled to do something a little extraordinary… right?