The Elf Girl

by Grabo, Markelle

I knocked on Aaliyah’s front door, though I knew I didn’t have to; I still hadn’t broken the human habit of knocking. I didn’t think I ever would. It just seemed respectful to me, and I wanted to remember and honor a few of my human customs. They were a lasting part of me.

  I hoped Stellan would like his gift. I was still very new to this Realm, so I had relied on Mac, who had decided to remain in the orchard, for Stellan’s present. As a gnome, Mac had spent a lot of time underground before coming to the Elf Realm. In his travels he befriended a dwarf who gave him a special talisman. It was a flat disk, rimmed with silver and with a gold center, which hung from a string as a sort of necklace. Mac said it protected the wearer from evil.

  After explaining the difficulties I had searching for the right gift, Mac had decided to give his treasure to me. The talisman was a perfect gift, and I was grateful to Mac. Stellan would surely be happy with it as well.

  I was surprised when Zora and not Aaliyah greeted me at the door. Usually, the gentle elfen would be there to greet her house guests. I wondered if she was just too busy getting ready for Stellan’s birthday dinner.

  Zora had a solemn look on her face, but this didn’t surprise me all that much. Since her return to Birchwood, she was wary of Stellan, still hurting from his betrayal. I didn’t blame her, nor did I expect her to forget anytime soon, but I hoped she would eventually be able to make peace with the situation and move forward. She deserved peace after everything she had gone through during her abduction.

  Zora liked to keep a safe distance from Stellan, only coming around Aaliyah’s when he wasn’t home, which was usually when he was with me. I did my best to spend time with Zora – without Stellan – but it was sometimes hard to find a good balance, considering I wanted to be around those I loved most all the time. I wanted Zora to be happy, so I would continue to find ways to even things out until she was ready to leave the past where it belonged.

  I stepped through the doorway, ready to be greeted by smiling faces and party decorations, but I received the exact opposite.

  Aaliyah had tears in her eyes, and her face was almost drained of color. She looked way too pale, even for an elfen. Addison wasn’t much better. She also looked teary-eyed, and her expression was that of pure despair and worry. What was going on?

  I looked over to Stellan, whose own expression was grim. He was holding a letter in his hands, and I wondered how it was tied to their sad moods.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Aditi just dropped off this letter,” Stellan told me. “It’s from Queen Taryn.”

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Brielle? Is everyone okay?” I asked, starting to panic.

  “Everyone in Tarlore is fine,” Addison said, with a slight sharpness in her tone. “But everyone here…is not.”

  “What is she talking about? What does the letter say?”

  “You had better take her outside, Stellan. Talk to her in private. This is…a very delicate subject,” Aaliyah said.

  Now I was full-on panicking. My hands began to shake, so I quickly set down the present onto the dining room table.

  Stellan nodded and took my right hand, keeping the letter clutched in his left.

  “Mother is right,” he said, and then a rush of wind crashed over me and we were outside the house.

  I needed a moment to catch my breath. When I was steady, I looked up at him.

  “What does the letter say?” I asked again, my voice quivering with every word.

  “It…Look, Ramsey, this letter doesn’t change anything. Times may be rough for a little while, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get past it….”

  “Stellan, just tell me what the letter says,” I pleaded, fear gripping me so hard that I found it difficult to breathe. “Please.”

  “It says that it’s time for me to go to war,” he said solemnly.

  “What?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why?”

  “I’m eighteen, Ramsey. Most elves must go at this age and serve for two years. Only elves with powers needed in the war are requested, and I am one of those powers. My ‘teleporting’ will allow me to escape and reach enemies quickly. My power will help the war effort. I used to think my ability was important to me, special…Not anymore….”

  “No,” I said. “Queen Taryn can’t do this. She knows how much we’ve been through….She can’t do this.”

  “She doesn’t have a choice either. She has to do what’s best for the Elf Realm,” he told me.

  My heart was breaking. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Stellan and I had gone through so much in a short amount of time. We were just beginning to truly connect again after what had happened between us. He couldn’t leave me now. He simply couldn’t.

  “Don’t go,” I told him. “Don’t leave me.”

  “Ramsey, I don’t want to, but it’s not that simple. I have a duty to this Realm. I have a duty to fight for the safety of all elves, for your safety. I can’t just ignore that.”

  “But I need you here. I need you with me. I still haven’t found out my secret…I might need your help. What if Finn comes back for me? He’s still alive….”

  I thought of every excuse possible to make him stay, but even as I rattled them off one by one, I knew they weren’t good enough.

  “Stellan, please…I’ll do anything…”

  “Stop, Ramsey. You’re just making this harder. You…you have to accept this,” he said.

  “How can you say it so simply? How can you talk about leaving so calmly as if it doesn’t matter?” I asked.

  Stellan threw his hands in the air as he cried, “Don’t you think this is difficult for me? I don’t want to leave you, Ramsey! I don’t want to leave knowing you could be in danger, knowing you could need my help. Just the thought of it scares me. But I have to go.”

  Tears fell from my eyes as he put his arms around me. I held on to him tightly, not ever wanting to let go.

  “When do you have to leave?” I asked quietly.

  “The last week in August,” he said.

  “That’s only a little more than a month from now. It’s too soon.”

  “I know.”

  “I want to go with you,” I decided.

  He held me tighter. “You can’t, Ramsey. You have to go to school in September. Your place is here with Zora. She’s waited fifteen years for you to come home. The two of you need each other.”

  “I need you,” I said.

  “It’s only two years. I know our love is strong enough to last…to wait.”

  “I don’t want to have to test it,” I told him outright.

  “I don’t either, but I can’t escape this. You know it as well as I do.”

  I nodded, although I wished I didn’t have to accept it.

  “My birthday present to you makes perfect sense now; before I thought of it more as a novelty gift. Now it will come in handy,” I said sarcastically, remembering that the talisman supposedly warded off evil. Stellan would soon be facing a lot of evil.

  “What’s the present?” he asked.

  “I can’t tell you. You have to open it yourself. That’s how birthday presents work,” I teased.

  “Then let’s go open it,” he suggested, a smile finally reaching his features.

  He took one of my hands once more, and then led me back into the house as if nothing had happened. As if nothing had changed.

  But it had.

  ~24~

  One Answered Question

  It was July fifteenth, the day of Danica and Thane’s wedding. I sat in a church pew, Stellan on my right, and Zora on my left. I waved to Brielle, who was sitting near the church altar with Queen Taryn. We had arrived yesterday in the capital, after another long journey from Birchwood City. It felt great to be back. Tarlore was like a second home to me now.

  I remembered my first visit here. So much had happened since then. I could hardly believe how little time had passed since I rescued my sister and then found out Stellan was going to
war.

  Zora and I finally cleaned out our parents’ room. I realized that keeping busy kept my mind off Stellan’s inevitable departure. We gave most of our parents’ belongings to Aaliyah, but kept a few personal items for ourselves, including our mother’s jewelry. Actually, Zora took most of it, because she was the hoarder. We kept those few things safe in our vanity drawers and turned the room into an incubator for our dragon eggs. They grew closer to hatching with each passing day. We set up two nests for them to lie in and always had a fire lit to keep them warm. We were both excited for their hatching. We had even started thinking about names but hadn’t decided on our favorites yet.

  Addison had come to Tarlore this time with all of her belongings. The Queen had requested that Addison be her personal messenger. Only a day after Stellan’s letter arrived, Addison received her own, this one summoning her to Tarlore as soon as possible. Queen Taryn valued Addison’s power and wanted her to live at the palace and stay by her side, as a special member of her high guard.

  Two elves I loved would now be leaving Birchwood – both Addison and Stellan. However, Aaliyah, Zora, and I knew Addison had to accept. It was a wonderful opportunity for her, an honor. Things wouldn’t be the same without Addison, but I trusted Brielle to keep her company and send letters with Aditi about how she and everyone at the palace were doing. Addison could even use her ability to write us herself. Even so, it was hard to imagine Addison not returning home with us after the wedding. I felt like a part of me would stay in Tarlore with her when we left.

  Thinking of Addison leaving Birchwood reminded me yet again of Stellan going off to war. I felt my eyes dampen just thinking about how soon it would be until he left. We had only until the end of summer….

  Stellan noticed my despair right away. He leaned over and whispered, “This is a joyous occasion, Ramsey. Forget about me leaving for a little while, all right? Please?”

  I nodded, and promised to try my best, and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I squeezed his hand even tighter. I was surprised it hadn’t started turning purple.

  Stellan was wearing the talisman. When he first put it on, he swore never to take it off, especially while he was away at war. I liked the idea and hoped it would comfort him somehow, even though it was just a piece of rock.

  I rid my mind of sad thoughts when the music began playing the traditional wedding march, but with a bit of an elfin touch to it. The musicians played medieval fiddles, and the elegant sound comforted me and kept me from shedding any more tears.

  Everyone turned to watch as Danica walked down the aisle. Thane proudly escorted her. Many of the most traditional customs in the Human Realm had their own flair in the Elf Realm.

  Danica looked radiant in her white gown. At least that doesn’t change, I thought to myself. However, as she walked closer to us, I noticed a green flower in the center of her abdomen tied onto the dress by a green sash around her waist. Elves just can’t live without green, I thought to myself, almost giggling. Her black hair was pinned up in an elegant fashion, and a diamond tiara added to her sparkling beauty. I knew the tiara was Brielle’s idea. I could see her grinning as she admired the jewels atop Danica’s head.

  Thane was handsome in his brown suit, which suited him perfectly. Their personalities came to the forefront on this happy day – and I realized I had never seen them without their guard uniforms until now.

  As I watched the happy couple recite their marriage vows, my mind buzzed once again, but my thoughts settled on a different aspect of my new life. Perhaps it was because I was back in Tarlore, back to the place where I had finally figured out where to find my sister in the Human Realm. For a dark moment, I was back on the palace bridge where Lura had threatened me, saying that Finn would come back for me someday soon.

  Dozens of questions ran through my mind as the elfin couple said their vows. I couldn’t ignore the questions, because I desperately wanted answers. Even though I had rescued my sister from Element fairies – the reason I was brought here in the first place – confusion still clouded my life.

  When would Finn return? Would I be prepared?

  When would Zora finally tell me about my secret, and was the wooden trunk connected in some way? A few days after my return to Birchwood, I tried breaking the lock, with no success. I uttered the words to a spell in the book, but when I reached my hands out to touch the lock, they were burned severely, making me cry out in pain. I threw the book away and didn’t try again.

  Other than that one occasion, I hadn’t paid much attention to my secret since bringing Zora home, especially with Stellan leaving so soon. I was putting myself on hold for now. Soon, however, I knew I would have to face the hazy details of my past that surrounded me, waiting to be discovered.

  Would I ever see Eder again, whom I noticed wasn’t present at the wedding? Would I ever learn the answers I still wanted from him? He had told me that rescuing Zora was only one piece of the puzzle; how would I find the other pieces? He had also said that he knew my secret, and that someone had informed him to wait for Zora to tell me. Who was that someone, and would I ever find out?

  Why couldn’t I stop thinking about the Stranger, even when Stellan would soon leave for war? What was his significance, and would I ever encounter him again?

  Most importantly, would I ever have one day without anything major to think about? A day where all that mattered was the weather outside and the company I shared? Probably not, I decided. That was my life, at least for now.

  Until I figured a few things out, problems and issues would follow me wherever I went. Nevertheless, I could be happy at the same time. It would work out if I found a balance. I would make it work.

  I was the Elf Girl, and no matter what troubles came my way, I would be the one to shape my future.

  A future I was prepared to fight for with endless determination.

  ***

  I received an answer to one of my questions when we returned home, without Addison, a few days later. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good answer.

  I walked into my room while Zora checked on the eggs. Stellan planned to take me out to his restaurant later that night, and I was excited about seeing him. We wanted to spend as much time together as possible before he had to go.

  As I opened my wardrobe to choose an outfit, my eyes briefly scanned the room. I noticed something unusual, something out of place.

  Lying on my bed, perfectly centered on my pillow, was a note. Confused, I picked it up, wondering who could have left it there:

  See you again soon, Ramsey. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget me.

  I dropped the note and screamed. Zora ran into the room to see what was wrong, and I looked down at the note, now lying on the wooden floor. Shaking, I could still read the name signed at the bottom, the one name that could unnerve me so completely.

  Finn…

  Acknowledgements

  Words cannot even express the gratitude I feel for the many people who have contributed to my successes today. However, I will do my best to give them the thanks they deserve.

  First, to Maryanne Grabo, my mother, my reason for existence, my support system, who acted as my reader, my agent, my proofreader…and a bunch of other positions I can’t remember because there are so many. She has been with me every step of the way, and without her, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be a published author.

  To Scott, my father, who encouraged me to write, even though he isn’t much of a reader. And for introducing me to coffee. It really helped with the writer’s block!

  To Yia Yia, my grandmother, who read my book for teens and loved it anyway. To my family, for supporting me and promising to buy my book even when they had no idea what it was about…as long as I autographed it for them.

  To my closest friends, for being great marketers for the book, giving me my personality, and keeping me sane through all the stress. I, “Marcel” (happy now?), am very grateful for all you have done for me.

  To my fellow choir geeks, for ta
king the edge off as we belted out choral numbers and for putting great songs in my head as I sat down to write.

  To my English teachers, Mrs. Hudaj and Mrs. Schwane, for cacophony and countless other big words.

  To Emily Young, my best friend, proofreader, and original cover designer. Through all the ups and downs of writing, editing, and publishing, she has remained by my side, continually providing the added encouragement, hope, and strength only a best friend can do, and giving me a good laugh when I desperately needed one. Without her, my life would be far less interesting.

  To my editor, Patricia Lantier, PhD. She taught me so much, helping me grow as a writer. She transformed my manuscript of ideas into something readable. With her help, my writing became a novel.

  To Vasilena Slavova, my graphic artist. You brought my creativity to life in the cover and portrayed the perfect vision.

  To Angela and Booklocker.com. for believing that my novel was worth publishing. They made my dream a reality.

  To everyone who has supported me by buying my book, spreading the word, or even just saying congratulations or asking me about my writing – every bit has made a difference.

  Finally, to God. It always comes back to Him. Without Him, I wouldn’t have this passion for writing. Without Him, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Thank you.

  About the Author

  When she’s not spending countless hours writing or absorbing book after book, Markelle is active in Chamber Choir, Theater, Varsity Tennis, Bible Club, Destination Imagination, running, taking care of her two cats and four rabbits, and spending time with friends and family. At the age of fourteen, she began taking a serious interest in writing. Two years later she completed this, her first novel, as a Junior in high school. Her plans are to attend a 4-year private college in Wisconsin and earn her degree in Creative Writing. And yes, she definitely believes in fairies.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  ~1~ The Water