ELO

by E. A. Cross

  Eli burst into tears. "The king is coming for my Mama and me. She said so today. She is ready to go to the King's land." Bree comforted him. She spoke and signed at the same time. "You'll be okay..."

  Eli wiped his eyes. "I don't want to leave, I don't want to leave the fae, you, Elo or Faelorn."

  He began to wail, Bree held him. "Eli….do you know where the elves went?" Eli wiped his eyes, listening as Bree softly said. "They journey all from many many worlds. They flew in boats that could touch the sky, and they came here, and they went to the spring. Then the King opened the door, and the elves went to the King's Land, where they now live peacefully."

  Eli dried his eyes. "Yeah, but what about you and Cael."

  Bree held him. "One day I'll be going to the King's Land, and so will everybody here. It is the cycle of this world, and for the worlds that connect to this forest." Eli looked glum. Bree said, "I want you to go with your mother. I want you to have adventures. I want you to have so many adventures there that you will have many stories to tell me when I finally get there." Eli looked at her tears in his eyes. " While we're apart, I'll have as many adventures as I can, and when I find you again, we'll have many stories to tell each other." Eli stared at her, he looked down at the spring. He said, "you promise, I'll see you again." Bree smiled, hiding her tears. "I promise..." Holding his hand, Bree lead the little boy back to the spring.

  Joltrun, Moira, Eli, and a few others from the herd waited in the spring. An elderly man and five white deer stood together apart from everyone else. Bakura cried, "We bid our brothers and sisters well, travel safely, and finally find rest in the King's Lands." The other deer raised their heads.

  "Amen." There was a flash, and the King rose from the water. To Bree, he was just as magnificent as the day that she first saw him. The spring seemed to reflect itself on the wall. Bree realized that it was not a trick of the light but that the wall opened, and the spring flooded farther. A golden boat entered the spring with two hooded figures propelling it. Bree could not see their faces and their entire bodies where covered head to toe. Bree did see dark pointy ears from the sides of the cowl. Faelorn looked away, when they lifted Joltrun into the boat, and then one by one, the deer transformed into their human forms. Each person, including Eli, was raised into the ship. The fairies that desired to leave flew through the wall's opening. Bree wiped her eyes, and the deer watched as the boat paddled away, silently gliding. The last thing Bree saw before the wall closed itself up was little Eli waving at her. The King stepped onto the water, standing on it. The deer bowed their heads to him, and he was gone. Elo, Bree, and Faelorn each held each other, and a cry of grief rose from the spring.

  It was late at night when Elo walked the forest. Fae rode on her back, and her pale fur was a shining light among the dark trees. The forest breathed quietly, and Elo felt oddly at peace. She was still shaken by everything that had happened, and her heart ached for Joltrun.

  Bree and Faelorn sat high up in a tree. They held each other, watching the stars. Cael climbed the branches over them, complaining about the height. "What will you do now?" Faelorn asked Bree. "I will stay with Tharin; he's going to teach me how to use my magic properly. I'm taking the queen's seed there so it can be cared for properly." Faelorn sorted, "Tharin's is going to have an infestation of fairy's living with him…." Bree looked at Faelorn, "what about you?"

  Faelorn looked at her, then the stars and at Elo who was passing beneath. He said, "For the first time, I will have to simply find out. I always knew my path, but now...it's mine to decide." Bree touched the spot on his neck where his vines were at.

  "Do you still have magic?" Faelorn shrugged, "I'll have to find out. I am the first lord of the forest to still live after relinquishing my power. The spirit loved you too, Bree, maybe a piece of him stayed with me so that he could be with you."

  Bree rolled her eyes. "That's silly..."

  Faelorn buried his face in her neck. He said, "We’ll, see…"

  Bree looked at the spring and the cave. She signed, "Come with me, Tharin has given me a room, you can stay there and find out what you want to do." Faelorn squeezed her; he signed, letting her go. "I don't think Tharin will want me around. We disagree on everything. He helped Joltrun raise me, but he never approved of me being half-elf." Bree argued, "Well, he'll have to put up with you if he wants me around. I'm going to help him heal so that he can lift the time spell from his body. That way, Yavi will be able to power the castle with their tree on their own." Faelorn shook his head in wonder. "I can't believe so much happened while I was guarding the forest. I didn't even know Yavi was awake until you told me. I wonder why Tharin never bothered to tell me."

  Bree signed to him in elfish, " As long as my heart is with thee, I live for the morrow."

  Faelorn laughed, "is that elfish poetry?"

  Bree giggled " Yeah, it's terrible, but its how I feel right now..."

  Faelorn looked her in the eyes. He could see the light of the forest reflected in them; he kissed her on the lips. He said, "Bree, wherever you go, I will go too…."

  Elo made a retching sound. The great moss-covered giant looked up at them, "you two are disgusting!" Faelorn gave her a rude hand gesture, and Bree called down, signing, she said, "I love you too Elo..."

  Elo blushed flowers blooming on her cheeks. "Ah, gash… you make me feel bad, Bree."

  Faelorn leaped down onto Elo's great back. He helped Bree down, and she settled next to him.

  Bree leaned down and said in sign. Her voice ringing from the elvish letters that danced around her. She said, "Elo, wherever we will go, we will always come back to you." Elo snorted, hiding her embarrassment, "I think you just want me to carry you everywhere." Laughter erupted from the forest, and Elo carried them under the starlit sky.

  Epilogue

  The darkness was gone. Bree had no more nightmares; she had settled into her new room in Tharin's castle. Faelorn had been given his own room, but he opted to stay in hers. Bree sat up, looking out her window at the forest. Today it was bright, peaceful, and green; snow fell on Tharin's side of the barrier. Bree could faintly hear Yavi and Tharin arguing about what to prepare for breakfast. She dressed her naked body quietly, trying not to wake Faelorn, who was still sleeping peacefully. The forest map was in her room, and she would watch Elo's movement periodical making sure her friend was safe. Feanu knocked on the window, and Bree let the phoenix into her room. The massive red bird flew in with the cold, and Bree shut the window. Bree prepared for her journey. Faelorn slept curled up on her bed; he turned over, sitting up. He said, half-awake, "You're leaving already?" Bree looked at him; she signed, "I made a promise. Tharin and I will be home before nightfall..." Faelorn dressed, he signed," I will wait for you in the forest with Elo..."Bree squeezed his hand. "You don't have to..." Faelorn slipped on his boots. "If I have to listen to Yavi sing one more carol, I might die." Bree laughed, signing, "They're not that bad…." Faelorn slipped on his coat, "Suit yourself, my ears are still bleeding from when they tried to serenade us at dinner."

  The gray morning air hung over the village. Ara, with the help of one of the village men, helped her bury her father. Wordless, she sat by the grave, the gray soil staining her simple dress. The village people stared at her. She had to give up her home and the life that she knew. Her mother had not come to the funeral; Ara was alone. She wiped her wet face. She knew it was time to leave. She had nothing but her great grandmother's book that belonged to the aunt she had never really met. Ara walked up the road. For a moment, she thought she saw a mirage. Then two strangers appeared, down the road. One was tall and blond; his ears where oddly pointed. He wore a wide straw hat in a poor attempt to hide his face. The other Ara could see was her aunt. She walked up to them, her face dry and empty. The village folk gathered, watching them from afar.

  Her aunt offered her hand. She said, signing "Ara… did you say goodbye?"

  Ara nodded her dirty face red and swollen from crying. Bree nodded, signing. "Good, then come
with us. I want you to meet my friends. Starting with Tharin," Ara shook the tall strangers' hand. His hat was enormous, and he muttered a greeting shyly. Ara took one last glance back at the village. Already the villagers had begun to go into their huts. The rain started to fall, and she took her aunt's hand and followed her into the forest that lay just beyond the village.

  Elo and Faelorn walked the forest together. Cael rode in a sling on Faelorn's back; the woodling looked very satisfied with having had a sizable elven breakfast. He burped loudly in Faelorn's ear, and Faelorn play swatted at him. The trees where already regenerating their leaves and the forest was filled with bright sunshine. The chattering of birds and whispers of the fae tongue comforted Faelorn as he surveyed the forest once more. A shadow slipped over him, and he looked up.

  Elo towered over him, and Faelorn wondered if he had ever been that tall once. Faelorn climbed a fallen log awkwardly. He was having trouble adjusting to being almost entirely mortal. Elo helped him shoving him over with her nuzzle. Faelorn scolded her, "Let me do it, I used to climb like this by myself as a child." Elo looked at him, worried. "Faelorn, are you happy not being the lord anymore?" Faelorn looked up at her. "Yes, I didn't want to disappoint Joltrun… it was a burden. When you are the lord, you stop to be human; I wasn't human long enough to really know how to be human. When the lord before Joltrun chose him. Joltrun had been a man already. When Joltrun started giving me his power, I was still a child. He wanted me to become just like him...but I want to see places beyond the forest."

  Elo looked at him tears in her eyes. "Faelorn, you won't leave me."

  Faelorn patted her head, "No, this is my home, I just want to see the other worlds. "Faelorn looked up at Elo; she was beautiful and strong; her antlers nearly touched the top of some of the smaller trees. "Elo...are you happy as the new lord?" Elo looked at the forest, then at all of the faes that surrounded them.

  "Yes, Faelorn. I feel like I have a purpose. When you and Bree slept after the battle, I told Bakura and whole herd my truth. You know what…Bree was right. They didn't care; they loved me anyways. They are my family. They are better than the family I left behind; the family that didn't want me and killed me when they found out I was different..."

  Elo nuzzled Faelorn's hair, he used her antlers to climb down the tree. He dropped landing roughly. Elo said, "I want to keep the darkness out, Faelorn. I don't want anyone to ever touch my family again. If that means being the new lord of the forest, even if it's for an eternity, then that is what I will do. I will protect you and your children, and your children’s children, and I will protect all the fae big and small." Faelorn turned red at the ears. "I don't think Bree and I will have any children..."

  Elo rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever you do, even if your children are a horde of woodlings, I will be here forever until time ends." Faelorn smacked her nose " The woodlings are my brothers, not my children." Elo looked down at him. "Says the man that is carrying a woodling around in a sling." Cael chatted at her in fae. Elo growled, "You watch your language, you hooligan, I'm the lord know you have to listen to me." Cael snorted and sulked in his sling, then seeing something from afar, he tugged on Faelorn's hair, pointing. It was three figures in the distance. Faelorn recognized Bree; she ran for him, grinning as she embraced him. Faelorn put her down, she glanced at the forest. She signed, "The forest is starting to heal."

  He signed back, "Yes, and so are we..." Bree looked at Faelorn and Elo. She embraced her friends and said softly, signing as she let them go. She said, "It good to be home. I have someone I want you to meet..." In the distance, an elf and a little girl walked together. Faelorn looked at Bree. "Did it go well?" Bree's lip trembled. "I didn't make the funeral." Elo nuzzled. "It's alright, love." Bree wiped her eyes and let Faelorn hold her. He said as they waited for Ara and Tharin. "Everything going to be okay. This is our second life, and I'm glad I get to share it with you." Bree looked up at him and kissed him, " I feel like I'm just starting to live." Faelorn smiled. "Me too." Bree turned to Elo, " Tonight, will you keep watch for souls at the gateway of my world?" Elo nodded, "Yes, love." Tharin was speaking softly to Ara as they neared. Elo lowered her head so that she was eye level with Bree. "Your ready for this, right?" Bree nodded, "As I'll ever be Elo. You'll be there to help, right?" The lord of the forest raised her head, "always love, I will always be there to help."

  Acknowledgement

  Special Thanks to: Family Promise and Catholic Charities. Santana Lebey, Joy Davis, Cortny Stark and all the others who helped me on my journey.

  Extra special thanks to my husband for all the support over the years.