by K T Durham
Mrs Silverwinkle put a hand to her forehead. “After you fell through the portal, your Grandpapa, Mr Huerin, and Blaine had to stay put to safeguard Alendria. We had no idea how deep the infiltration had gone, you see. The High Council demanded their presence, for the greater good. After you crossed over to Gaya, the full effects of the poison finally struck me down, and I could not teleport and bring you back to Alendria. Besides, since I had to bow out of the channeling process, the Tree needed your Grandpapa and these two gentleman here more than ever.” She flashed a faint, sardonic smile. “As the humans would say—we were in a pickle.”
Nodding, Grandpapa sighed. “Yes, Larabeth’s condition deteriorated rapidly after you fell through the portal. If the healers and the Vierran had not come to her aid so quickly, she would have died.”
Elly swallowed, clutching the goblet in her hands. She glanced at the Vierran. He had helped to save Larabeth Goldberry.
Mrs Silverwinkle’s lower lip trembled at the memory. “I was bedridden for almost a whole month. I only began to regain my old strength several days before the full moon. After you returned, I had just recovered enough to teleport to Gaya so I could sort out the loose ends with Lily and so forth. But even that short visit left me depleted once again. I’m afraid the black poison may have stained me forever. It has certainly weakened my powers.”
Elly stared down at her hands. “I am so sorry,” she whispered. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so foolish… If I hadn’t been so easily lured by that goblin…” Tears burned her eyes and spilled over.
Mrs Silverwinkle stood up and put her arms around Elly. “Oh, my dear! You are young, and mistakes are always there to be made. What child has done nothing of which they are ashamed? The most important thing is that you always learn from your mistakes. The goblin was determined to do what it set out to do—if not you, Gutz might well have targeted another innocent elfling.”
Elly’s sobbing began to subside as she thought about what Mrs Silverwinkle was saying. “I suppose this… quest . . . will have its share of dangers?” she asked with a wry smile.
The Vierran nodded. “Yes, it will be dangerous, at times greatly so. We do not deny that. But we shall try our utmost to protect you with our powers from afar.”
Mr Huerin nodded vigorously. “Hear, hear!”
Then Elly’s heart suddenly lurched. “Wait. Grandpapa, you entrusted something very important to Greymore on my birthday. Was it… ?”
Grandpapa nodded. “Yes. The orbs of power. I had to hide them after we extracted the poison. If the goblins discover that the orbs had not been destroyed—and they will find out, eventually—then they’ll try to return and finish off what they started. We agreed that one of the safest places to conceal the orbs is a Royan, something portable and inconspicuous that we can move from place to place for safekeeping. Concealing them in Greymore during your bonding ceremony was opportune, as it wouldn’t have provoked suspicion. A goblin can never touch a Royan without getting its hands burned off. And a Royan will always stay loyal to their keeper.”
He smiled. “You and Greymore share an unusually strong bond. You certainly have a very fine Royan; one that you can trust with your life.” Elly felt Greymore rumble with pride.
“And that is why I put a secron on Greymore to keep track of the orbs, to make sure they were safe. Little did I know you would end up in Gaya! I’m sorry that I did not tell you about it, dear. It was supposed to be a temporary measure until I figured out a permanent solution.” He chuckled wryly. “Anyhow, it worked out for the best. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to track you while you were stranded in Gaya.”
Elly licked her parched lips as she placed a hand on her Royan. It seemed unreal that all this time she had had the orbs in her possession.
Suddenly, her Royan seemed to weigh much more heavily on her belt. Then she scowled. “Could Gutz have known that you concealed the orbs in my Royan? Is that why it tried to take Greymore?”
Grandpapa shook his head. “No, I do not believe Gutz actually knew the orbs were hidden in Greymore. Otherwise, Gutz would have tried much harder to take the Royan from you—or else to destroy it.”
He smiled grimly. “I believe Gutz wanted to possess your Royan out of vanity. The goblin may have craved a trophy to take back to the underworld, to offer it as a gift to its beast master, or gloat of its exploits and achievements to its peers. You would be surprised how far some will go to prove their superiority.”
Elly pulled a face. “But why me? Out of all the elflings in Alendria, why did Gutz choose to latch onto me and masquerade as my friend?”
Grandpapa sighed. “I believe I am partly to be blamed for that. I speculate Gutz was ordered to single you out and get close to you because you are my granddaughter, and you are sweet-natured and trusting, and a little lonely for some female companionship. The goblin was clever to masquerade as someone like Edellina, wandering around the land with you, watching and observing. Who would be suspicious of a little elfling girl, especially one so fair of face who kept such innocent company, like you and Aron?” He shook his head. “Gutz must have known about my position on the High Council and the likelihood that I knew where the orbs were hidden.”
The Vierran nodded. “Your grandfather—in fact, the House of Celendis—was descended from one of the high elves, chosen by Freya herself, who were entrusted with the secret locations of the orbs.”
Mrs Silverwinkle spoke up. “Servants of the Beast may look fair, but feel foul.” She looked at Elly thoughtfully. “We believe Gutz wanted to use you to get into the dome and teleport to Gaya through the portal. By the time it was your twelfth birthday, Gutz must have finally discovered the locations of all four orbs. But as a goblin, it could not have passed the anti-goblin enchantments at the dome. The key alone would have burned off its hands. So you see, Gutz needed you to reach the portal. I suspect it was given orders to destroy every way that the orbs could be replenished, thus ensuring our doom. It was probably sent to Gaya to cause havoc, perhaps even masquerading as you, Elly—and somehow make the guardians believe the elves had waged war on them. Such a move would have severed all ties with the guardians. Perhaps Gutz even wanted to destroy the portals to stop elves from entering Gaya.”
There was a ringing silence as Elly tried to process everything. Then she smiled wanly. “I suppose this gives me a head start to becoming a full-blown explorer.”
Mrs Silverwinkle laughed. Some colour had returned to her face, and her eyes had a nostalgic gleam.
“When I was a student at Arvellon Academy, I was sent to Gaya as part of my training. Like you, I discovered many wonderful things, and made wonderful friends. Then the humans got caught up in war after war against each other, and finally, just before their First World War, many elves came to conclude it was best that Alendria cut off contact. Your grandpapa and I were against this, but we were overruled by the majority on the High Council.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “I can’t help but think that decision ultimately did us much more harm than good, especially in light of the fact that we now need the Four Guardians of Gaya to help us save Alendria.”
Elly glanced at the Vierran, who had fixed his golden eyes on her. She took a deep breath. “I understand there is a lot that is wrong with the human realm. But there’s so, so much in their world that is good, too, and it’s worth fighting for. Who are we to judge and say humans are worthless? Even elves aren’t perfect. We aren’t blameless for the mistakes we’ve made. If we were created by the same Maker, doesn’t that sort of make us family? Shouldn’t… Shouldn’t we look out for each other?”
A look of surprise crossed the Vierran’s face for a split second; then the shades snapped shut again. Grandpapa and Mrs Silverwinkle raised their eyebrows. Mr Huerin clapped. “Well said!” he cried, beaming.
Grandpapa was nodding, looking very proud. Mrs Silverwinkle smiled. “Very true, Elly. I just wish the High
Council would’ve come to this conclusion all those years ago,” she murmured.
Elly steeled herself. “How much time do I have to restore the orbs of power before… before it’s too late?”
Grandpapa cleared his throat. “In its dormant state, the Beast can still communicate with its servants—the goblins—and get them to do its bidding. And even when dormant, the Beast can still exercise powers to torture—which is something the goblins only know too well.”
At this, he sighed deeply. “But the Beast is slowly coming out of hibernation. We believe it is not a coincidence—the Beast must have ordered the goblins to destroy the orbs, after all. It must be able to sense that the Tree has been compromised, and it will strive to regain strength to overcome the Tree in its diminished state.”
Elly gripped the arms of her chair to keep herself from shaking.
Grandpapa leaned back and continued. “However, the long imprisonment of the Beast has weakened it significantly. The Beast has resorted to other ways to feed and regenerate over such a long period of time. We don’t know how long we could withstand the Beast once it awakes. There is much urgency, but you’ll need time to carry out your mission.” He paused, frowning. “Obviously, we will remove the orbs from Greymore. It is far too dangerous for you to carry them around. If the goblins somehow discover that they were hidden in your Royan, they might try to pursue you on the assumption that the orbs are still with you. We will try our utmost to keep you protected, both here and in Gaya.”
Then he looked at her solemnly. “We must count on your discretion, Elly. Your mission in Gaya needs to be kept secret for as long as possible, to buy you time.”
Elly tried to keep her voice from trembling. “Yes, I will be discreet.”
Mr Huerin grinned. “The goblins would not be expecting an elfling like you to be sent to Gaya, Elly. They will likely monitor the comings and goings of the High Council members, including myself and the others in this room. But an elfling like you may well escape their scrutiny. For some time, at least. Hopefully, by the time they discover what we’re up to, it will be too late for them to pursue you in Gaya.”
Elly looked at them curiously. “But what will you tell the others? I mean, people might start noticing I’m not at school and all that.”
Mrs Silverwinkle spoke up as she refilled everyone’s goblets. “Don’t worry about that, Elly. We’ll take care of it.” Before Elly could enquire further, she continued. “There will be much trial and error, and you may face obstacles along the way that would delay the process. But it is crucial that you return to Alendria every time you’ve restored an orb. Reinstating them one by one will help the Tree regenerate.”
Elly shifted on her feet, her heart heavy as she asked the next question. “Does this mean… I will be away from home for a long time?”
The Vierran nodded. “Yes. Perhaps months or even years at a time, depending on how long it’ll take you to restore the orbs. As we have mentioned, each time you’ve restored an orb, you must return so that we can reinstate it and help the Tree regenerate. Whenever you return at those times, you’ll get to see your family. For a limited time.”
Grandpapa and Mrs Silverwinkle were nodding slightly, confirming what the Vierran had just said. Elly’s stomach twisted as she thought about leaving her family again.
“I have another question.”
Grandpapa smiled. “Good. You need to learn as much as you can, Elly.”
“Well, if the Beast does wake up and tries to destroy Alendria… won’t Freya try to save us?”
The Vierran raised his golden eyebrows. “The elves promised to be the Stewards of Alendria, Ellanor. Our ancestors pledged to protect this realm and make sure that the Beast remains imprisoned. Remember, Freya was grieving for the loss of her sister when she forsook her bodily form and transformed into a star. Freya cannot simply come down and intervene for us.”
Mrs Silverwinkle nodded. “Even if Freya does intervene, it will be a bitter battle beyond our reckoning. The Beast is powerful, fuelled with hate and rage, and Alendria may perish in the midst of such a colossal battle.”
“Also,” Mr Huerin chimed in, “it is possible that once the goblins discover that the elders have been channelling their powers to keep the Tree alive, they will wage war on us, knowing that our collective powers have been compromised.”
Elly was silent as she pondered this terrifying prospect.
Then she remembered what she had been burning to tell them. She had been drowning in information, and had just now regained some footing. “Umm, I came across several peculiar… entities . . . while I was in Gaya. I’m not sure who they were.”
She divulged about the strange old woman she had encountered at the park, and her hunch that she was the one who had given the Organoth blue amber necklace to Maddy’s mother over thirty years ago. She also told them about the Riddler at Lily’s school fair, and how he had spoken in Elvish. And finally, she told them about the nine-tailed fox on the roof of Lily’s house.
Everyone in the room listened in rapt attention. As they had only been able to track Elly intermittently through the earlingrand, they had not been able to observe all her comings and goings in Gaya. After she finished, Grandpapa leaned back in his arm chair and gave a roaring laugh. “Ah, I see you’ve already become acquainted with some of the Guardians! They must have been so intrigued by you that they sought you out!”
Mrs Silverwinkle was shaking her head in astonishment. “Well, well. Who would have expected that?” she murmured.
Elly’s jaw had dropped. “They… they were the Guardians?”
The Vierran was frowning. “Possibly. Keep in mind, they sought you out. But they will not be found easily.”
Mr Huerin looked thoughtful. “It sounds like they wanted to check you out, to see who had crossed over from Alendria, the first time in a hundred years.”
Elly found this mind-boggling. It was possible that she had actually met some of the Guardians? “I don’t understand. If the old woman was the one who gave Victoria the Organoth blue amber necklace over thirty years ago, how could she have known that Victoria would one day meet me in the future? How could she have known that I would need it to repair the portal?”
Grandpapa smiled. “Elly, the Guardians are ancient beings that have existed for far longer than we could fathom. They do not abide by the same rules of time and space that constrain us. It is entirely possible that they can travel through time, and are aware of everything that could come to pass. In my understanding, however, even Guardians are not supposed to intervene in the course of the future. So they merely observe. But if the old woman did pass the Organoth blue amber to Maddy’s mother, knowing that she will give it to you, then that suggests intervention to some degree—and that is an enigma.”
Elly fell silent. Now that she came to think of it, everything was set into motion the moment she encountered the old woman at the park, who led her to Aunty Mabel’s Bakery. There she met Mabel’s daughter Lily, who suggested that Elly visit Westminster Abbey. When she did, she met Maddy and Teddy. They got Hobbes back because of her. And that prompted Victoria to give Elly the Organoth blue amber.
Elly frowned. “Do you think the girl in my dreams has anything to do with the Guardians?”
The Vierran looked up sharply. “What girl?”
Elly was about to tell him when Grandpapa stood up. “I’ll tell you about it later, Blaine,” he said cheerfully. “It is getting late, Elly. We have some other pressing matters to attend to. You should go home for supper. We fully understand this is a very difficult decision. It would change your life forever. But whether we like it or not, Alendria will be plunged into war, sooner or later.”
Mrs Silverwinkle took Elly’s hands and squeezed them. “You can inform us of your decision tomorrow. We shall count on your discretion. We are so sorry to place this burden on you, but we are in a rather desperate situation
. If I were able, I would pledge to go to Gaya in your stead.” She sighed and looked down at Elly’s hands. Then she froze.
“What is it?” Elly asked nervously. Mrs Silverwinkle was staring at her wrist. Then she mastered herself and smiled. “Nothing, dear. What a lovely bracelet. I have one just like it.”
“Oh!” Elly blushed and self-consciously touched the bracelet. “Yes, it is rather pretty, isn’t it?”
Before Elly left, Mrs Silverwinkle embraced her. “No matter what happens, I have no doubt you will make an outstanding explorer. Don’t ever lose sight of your dream. I hope this will serve as a reminder.” With a meaningful wink, she slipped something thick and heavy into Elly’s hands.
Elly gazed down at the first edition of Roaming the Worlds as a Chameleon, by Larabeth Goldberry.
“I wish I could tell Aron everything,” she lamented to Grandpapa as they walked home, flanked by several protectors. “Aron is my best friend, and I trust him with my life. Why can’t I tell him?”
Grandpapa put his arm around her. “He is your best friend, and it is fitting that he should not be left completely in the dark. I know Aron is honourable, my dear. But like you, he is young and trusting, and we don’t wish to risk another elfling knowing the truth in case the information falls into the wrong hands. When Aron is older and more mature, I believe it will be appropriate to tell him. For now, discretion is crucial.” He paused, and his face was grim. “I wouldn’t have chosen you, my dear granddaughter, to shoulder this burden. You are still so young. I don’t want to put you in any danger. But it seems you are the best chance we have, Elly.”
She nodded silently, still steeped in shock. It all seemed too surreal. Then she looked at him and pouted. “Why didn’t you tell me Mrs Silverwinkle is Larabeth Goldberry?” she demanded. “You know how much I’ve always wanted to meet her!”
He chuckled. “Other people’s secrets are not ours to tell, Elly. Mrs Silverwinkle wanted to keep a low profile when she returned. It was not an amicable departure when she left Evergreen all those years ago…” He stopped short, then smiled faintly. “Maybe one day, she will tell you all about it.”