Summer of Elves

by Joanne Vruno

  “Years went by. Humans began fighting among themselves for land. The light elves decided to move to uninhabited areas. Trolls moved to the country, not appearing in public as much. Dwarves stayed up in the mountains with the rock elves. As time passed, humans eventually forgot about the creatures that had once lived among them. Their existence became folklore and myths.

  “Eventually, a human kingdom moved close to the light elf kingdom. The two kingdoms flourished and lived in harmony. Although across the country most mythical creatures had been forgotten and lived in solitude, the light elves held on to their friendship with humans.

  “The rock elves became angry and decided to attack the light elves. Jealousy was the culprit, as it is in so many wars.” said Dolph with a saddened face.

  “Were you alive during that time?”

  “Yes, that’s when we left our homes within the kingdom and ventured out as nine bands of light elves, each with our human guardian. The light king felt it was a way to ensure the light elves could not be completely eliminated. If the kingdom fell, the nine bands would still survive, and in time grow. The rock elves didn’t know we had left and, therefore, wouldn’t be hunting for us. We have lived in secrecy to protect our existence and to guarantee that the earth will have the healing we provide.”

  “Grandma said the war between the light elves and rock elves is still going on today.”

  “She’s right. It is. That’s why we’re on such high alert right now. Somehow the rock elves have realized that not all the light elves are in the kingdom of Ijus. They’re searching for us throughout the world. We have no idea how or why their search began, but they have come across one light elf band in Nova Scotia. Luckily, their guardian acted quickly, and two rock elves have now met the same fate as the dwarf. We believe there were only two but aren’t sure.”

  “So that’s why my training has been more intense. Two guardians are stronger than one,” I proudly stated.

  Dolph smiled. “That’s true, and we’re more fortunate than other bands. It doesn’t mean we can let down our guard though.”

  “Was the dwarf searching for us?”

  “Aly, that’s the question we all wish we had the answer for. It could have been just a coincidence that he was passing through. We’ll never know, but we’re leery of dwarves. History has shown us how much they value their friendship with rock elves. Any dwarf could easily reveal our location if we were discovered,” said Dolph.

  “So, basically, they could be our second biggest threat after rock elves.”

  “Exactly, though other creatures could be more fierce in battle,” said Dolph.

  “That dwarf was as fierce as I ever want to experience! What techniques are you going to teach me to survive another dwarf encounter? I almost didn’t make it through the last one, not until the trees took over.” I shuddered as I remembered it all.

  “Well, you have experienced their speed and have probably guessed most creatures move more rapidly than a human does. You have also seen the number of weapons a dwarf is known to carry. These two things together make them very strong in an attack. They normally never attack humans just because their paths cross. Usually it’s only because humans recognize and acknowledge them. Remember, you spoke to him. So, ignoring a dwarf is always the number one form of defense. The second is trickery, like Silver used, or to transporting him back in time to another location, like you did with the first encounter. The one thing you should never do is fall for any story about them needing your help or kindness. If they notice you in advance and detect that you can see them, they may make up a story to get you to feel sorry for them. This is a ploy used often to lure a human away and into captivity. Dwarves can be very cunning.”

  That statement shocked me. I couldn’t imagine the dwarf I met ever coming across as anything but angry or crude. That dwarf actually sneered, and he spoke with pure disgust and hatred for me, Chica, and Silver.

  “We also should have warned you that Chica does see mythical creatures. All animals have that ability. You must have been surprised to find out she was chasing a dwarf.”

  “That’s for sure! I was positive it was a rabbit. I stood in shock at the sight of the dwarf holding her.”

  “Chica is used to creatures but can detect which ones are friendly and which aren’t. I’d guess she sensed you were in danger and that’s why she charged after the dwarf. I’m sure Chica felt she could scare it away but instead she was captured. Dwarves are expert hunters—they need to be to stay alive. They also are very inventive with creating traps, so always be wary when a dwarf is near. Chica had no chance of escape without your help,” said Dolph.

  “I think I will always stay in more open areas and on paths when I walk her. What would the dwarf have done if I hadn’t seen him? Would I have seen Chica just hanging in air?”

  “He would have probably either dropped the dog and run off or fled with Chica, would be my guess. Just like us, he doesn’t want to bring attention to himself. I know whatever he did, he would’ve been using a lot of foul language. Dwarves are not known for politeness. They grumble about anything they find annoying. That’s an advantage for us—they’re easily detected.”

  My thoughts brought me back to the woods, making me relive being caught by the dwarf. “Dolph, why did the dwarf not recognize me? I’m positive it was the same dwarf that cornered Silver the other day.”

  “You erased his memory of the incident when you transported him. He may have sensed there was something not right in the area so he hung around because of a feeling, but the actual encounter was completely removed from his memory. So you’re sure it was the same dwarf?” asked Dolph.

  “I didn’t get a really good look at him the first time in the woods with Silver, but I could never forget that voice. Unless all dwarves’ voices are the same, it was definitely the same dwarf. This time I saw his face and those angry eyes burning into me. My shoulders tensed and I shuddered at the memory. Dolph must have noticed, because we soon changed the subject and moved on to practicing other techniques.

  Chapter 27

  Luckily there were no more visits from creatures for the rest of the summer. Grandma and Dolph had me practicing every day, and I felt stronger and more in con­trol. I took every lesson very seriously now due to my experiences. Today I felt like I was finally getting my reward for all the hard work. Our family was going up north for a week. The car was packed with camping and fishing gear, and Chica had been dropped off at Grandma’s house where she would stay while we were gone.

  The car ride from the Twin Cities to the Sawbill Trail in Superior National Park was an all-day journey. We made several stops along the way. We ate lunch at a restaurant in Duluth and spent an hour at the harbor park enjoying the southern part of Lake Superior before following its shoreline north. Our second stop was Gooseberry Falls, where we got out and hiked the trails. When we reached the upper falls, the roar of the water made them seem alive. Something about the spray of water seemed to relax and rejuvenate me at the same time. I was getting more excited as we headed north.

  We finally arrived at the Sawbill Lake Campground around five o’clock. Dad set up our tent while Mom, Emily, and I explored the campground. When we returned, it was our turn to unpack the car. We took out our clothes and sleeping bags. Dad had already taken care of inflating the air mattresses and was busy reading the map of where everything was located at the national park.

  Dad asked Emily and me if we wanted to drive with him to the canoe rental place. I decided to go, while Emily stayed with Mom. Our ride was through some dense stands of birch and pines, which were absolutely breathtaking. I thought of the elves and how they would absolutely love this natural setting. Maybe when I grow up and move out of my parents’ house, I’ll choose a location out in the woods.

  We arrived at the rustic wooden building of the Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and were met by a park worker w
ho asked if we’d like two canoes or one large one. My Dad chose two canoes because only three people could fit into one. He told me he’d canoe with Emily while I would be with Mom in the other canoe. The man from the outfitters and Dad carefully tied the canoes to the top of our car and we headed back to the campsite. On our way we were treated to the unusual sight of a young moose standing in the middle of the road. The animal was huge. Much larger than a full-size horse. I never realized how large a baby moose was and wasn’t sure I wanted to cross paths with a full-grown moose. After eyeing us as we observed it, the moose moved off into the forest and soon was out of sight.

  “Aly, I hope you know how lucky we are. I’ve never met anyone who’s had an encounter with a moose. I’m sure the townspeople and park rangers have probably experienced moose sightings, but for us city folk this is rare.”

  I smiled at Dad. He was right. Seeing the incredible animal had been an unforgettable moment, especially considering that the moose population had declined. At the beginning of summer, we had read in the St. Paul Pioneer Press about the fewer numbers of moose and how naturalists were trying to figure out the cause.

  We weren’t only lucky that day. For the rest of the trip, we didn’t encountered a single mythical creature. The raw beauty of the natural surrounding was something I had never experienced. We paddled across lakes grace­fully and saw loons, turtles, geese, and eagles up close. The lakes seemed pristine and the fishing was great. We had walleye for dinner every night. Then, in the evening we watched the meteor showers pass among the millions of stars. It was spectacular without the interference from city lights.

  Being out in nature was a real eye opener for me. The knowledge of what could disappear if I didn’t give my all as a guardian became clear to me that week. I finally accepted my guardianship role and now looked at the natural surroundings as my responsibility. My determination to be the strongest guardian possible grew as the week went on. I was not taking any of the beautiful sights I viewed for granted. Instead I realized how precious they were.

  I was also proud of Minnesota for having so much respect for nature that it had carefully reserved this land to remain wild. No motorized boats were allowed, just canoes and kayaks. Every item brought into the park needed to be carried in, and then carried out. Nothing could be left behind, or you would be fined. Dolph had taught me the importance of respecting nature, and it pleased me to know his values were shared by others. I couldn’t wait to tell him about the rules created for this special park.

  Chapter 28

  Your Royal Majesties, we just received a scroll from Silver in North America,” announced Borg.

  “Please tell us of her news,” said Queen Astrid eagerly.

  “Your Highnesses, I am pleased to report our new little guardian is proving to be a great guardian. She has had the strength to ignore a troll’s presence to escape detection while being with her human friends. The young girl has developed her powers more quickly than any other guardian we have trained and has the ability to hear our thoughts and transport herself and others. She has calmly saved me from an encounter I had with a dwarf by helping me escape and then transporting the dwarf away from the village. A week later she actually confronted that same dwarf in another location and was aided by the trees in seeing to the dwarf’s demise. I believe she will be our strongest guardian ever. Her name is Aly and she is the granddaughter of Alice. I must tell you, Dolph and I are very impressed with this girl.

  Silver

  “Finally some good news! My dear, I know you were as concerned as I was about having a new guardian in training at this difficult time. For Silver to compliment this young girl means she has to be exceptional. We both know Silver rarely gives praise to others,” said the king.

  The End . . . but not really

  Autumn of Elves

  The vacation ended too soon and so had summer. School was to start on Tuesday, and today was Saturday. Our last big adventure was the great Minnesota get-together: The Minnesota State Fair. We picked Grandma up at eight o’clock in the morning for a day of walking, eating, people-watching, music, and rides. Our state fair was known to be one of the largest in the country and was located right in the capital city of St. Paul and its northern suburb of Falcon Heights. People came in from all over the state for the annual twelve-day celebration. Every year we visited our favorite exhibits and buildings and made a list of all the new places we wanted to check out. A flyer was sent out in all of the state’s newspapers informing everyone of the new food items, band performances, and daily events at the fair.

  After parking in one of the many fair parking lots, we walked to the closest gate, which was at Machinery Hill. Being a city kid, I was always amazed at the size of some of the farm machinery. It reminded me of the wide variety of lifestyles in our state. That was also very apparent in the exhibits. On one end of the fair were all the barns for judging livestock and the coliseum for rodeo skills, and in other areas were booths with the latest technology, video arcades, and model building made with green products.

  As we traveled down the hills, we stopped to view the newest models of Fords, Chevrolets, Hondas, and Toyotas on display. The RVs and campers were next in line to be viewed.

  Dad picked up this year’s map at an information booth and we all sat down at a picnic table to decide to map out our route. I wanted to see the DNR Forestry Building, Grandma the Horticulture Building, and Dad and Emily the Midway. They so loved trying to beat the carnies at the games. Mom wanted to go to the International Bizarre. We all enjoyed checking out the House of the Future and the shopping area under the Grandstand. We decided our lunch should be at the new Mancini’s restaurant so we could check out their steak sandwiches. We had loved their steak house for years, and this is their first year at the fair. Emily also wanted to make sure we got our usual bucket of Sweet Martha’s cookies before we left the fair.

  After all of our choices were voiced, we decided to head for the Midway first. It was too crowded in the afternoon to get up close to all the carnival games. But in the mornings there were only a hundred or so people, so we had the place pretty much to ourselves.

  Emily and Dad were in their glory trying to figure out the key to each game. They tried the ones where they knew they had a shot at winning, like the water pistols, and throwing darts at balloons. I challenged Dad to the basketball throw and won a miniature basketball as a prize. Emily, being so petite, won a stuffed fish at a booth where they guessed people’s ages within a year. The guy figured she was eight, which angered her some, since she was now ten.

  We all went on the tilt-a-whirl ride and Dad, Emily, and I tested our balancing skills at the Magic Maze Fun House. Mom and Grandma stood and watched, laughing at our wobbly legs making their way across the moving walkways.

  Our next stop was the Forestry Building, where we all took a fish identification test. Dad out-scored all of us. We moved inside to look at all the wild animals on display. I felt sorry for their lives spent in confinement after having viewed their real habitat last week in the wild.

  We quickly moved on to the Horticulture Building and viewed all the winning vegetables and flowers and purchased some honey sticks. Grandma and Mom picked up some recipes for jams before Dad swept us along to the Dairy Building, where we each got a milkshake in a different flavor. We wondered how long it had taken for the artist to carve the Princess Kay of the Milky Way’s bust in butter. Every year there was a pageant to choose a new princess for the year, and one of her most memorable moments was having someone carve her face in butter. It was on view during the whole fair in a glass-enclosed refrigerated room.

  We decided to stop for lunch and were very impressed with the fair’s version of the Mancini Char House. Everyone ordered their own steak sandwiches to their taste and of course one order of their famous garlic bread. We found some seats close to the stage area and listened to music as we ate. We treated ourselves to small conta
iners of gelato. When the meal was finished we unanimously voted that this was definitely our new favorite meal place at the fair and plan on returning next year.

  The International Bazaare was our next stop. A Mexican Mariachi band greeted us as we entered the adobe walls. We took our time checking out all the booths from around the world. They were selling purses, jewelry, wooden carvings, clothes, hats, unique musical instru­ments, blankets, and foods I’d never heard of before. Strolling through the crowds were minstrels playing tunes from their homeland. Mom purchased small purses for us, and Dad bought some cinnamon-coated almonds.

  After we exited the International Bizarre, we stopped and listened to the music at two different band­stands and then we headed towards the Grandstand. Emily noticed two television stations on the way so we stopped and entered our names for their free giveaways.

  Finally we made it to the fountain courtyard near the entrance to the Grandstand. Children were enjoying being sprayed as they stood underneath the fountains of water shooting up in the air. The area was packed with people and it was very hard to maneuver through the crowds, so we stopped to buy glasses of fresh-squeezed lemonade that we drank sitting on a bench watching the crowds. From there we moved to the big Sweet Martha’s Cookies stand. Sweet Martha was known throughout the state for making the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies. They had been at the state fair all my twelve years, and probably more. The cookies were sold in various containers, from small buckets to large ones. Mom and Dad went up to the booth to purchase the largest bucket available while Grandma, Emily, and I rested at a picnic table under a shade tree.