The Emerald Obelisk: An Elf Story >>-->7

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"I do not want to go in there," Faye said. Fear made her voice tremble and she clutched the back of Zaara's cloak with white knuckles. "I cannot go in there."

"Faye, remember what I told you," Alinair admonished. "This is only a spell. The forest is not dangerous."

"You are a shameless liar, Alinair Belin," Faye retorted. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest; her breath was coming in quick gasps. She could not go in there. It was dangerous. It went against every instinct in her body to continue.

"Should we contact the mages and ask them to lift the spell?" Zaara asked the group, gazing worriedly at the panicking girl who sat behind her.

"They cannot be contacted from here," Orrin said. "One of us would have to go in, and even then there is no guarantee that they would lift the spell."

"Leave the girl here," Runehn suggested. "It is obvious that she is too afraid to go in, and we haven't time to waste."

"Hand her to me," Orrin told Zaara.

Faye was clinging so tightly that Zaara was unable to get off her horse, let alone move the girl. Alinair had to do it. She kicked and screamed the whole way, calling him an array of names that none of the elves had imagined were in the young girl's vocabulary.

Alinair finally managed to wrestle her up onto Orrin's horse. The messy-haired elf quickly restrained the girl, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

"Shhhhhh, nai'lo," he murmured. "I will not let anything happen to you."

The one foreign word pierced through Faye's fog of fear. While traveling with the elves, she had heard them speaking in their native language, but Orrin had always made sure that Faye could understand every word he spoke. He had never spoken even one elfin word when she was within earshot.

She stopped struggling, but the fear remained. When Orrin removed one of his arms to take the reins, she gasped and shot out a hand after it, seizing his sleeve with strength that even she had not known she had.

Orrin was patient. He took up the reins in his hand and then returned his arm to the girl's waist. It would be an awkward way to ride, but the spell only reached a few yards into the forest, so the discomfort would not last long.

"Let's go," he told the other elves, who had watched the scene with interest, amazement, and in one case, disgust. "As fast as you can," he said to his horse.

With a barely perceived signal, all three horses leapt into the forest, tearing along the trail at the greatest speed they could muster. Faye's terrified scream ripped through the air. It sounded too much like she was dying a painful death.

In a few seconds, it was over. Faye had stopped screaming and was beginning to calm down, taking slow, deep breaths. Her death grip on Orrin's sleeve was gone and her heart rate was beginning to slow down.

"Are you all right?" Alinair asked, gazing warily at the girl.

"I have never been so afraid of anything in my entire life," Faye responded. "It may have only been a spell, but it was terribly fearsome." She looked backwards at the forest and shivered.

"If I had known how much it would upset you, I would have had the mages lift the spell," Orrin said apologetically. "I apologize, Miss Faye."

"I have never seen a human's reaction to the spell," Zaara commented. "I did not know it would be so severe."

"It is not your fault," Faye consoled.

"At least we know it works," Alinair said with a grin.

"It does not even need to work half as well to be effective," Faye replied dryly. "I could look into the face of death and be half as fearful."

The rest of the journey to the elven city was carried out without a hitch. The forest was dark, due to the thickness of the trees, but it had no feel of danger to it. The paths were well worn by elf and animal. Even the constant noise of birds and other, less identifiable animals seemed pleasant and welcoming. Faye caught each of her companions smiling to themselves at some point or another. They must have been away from home for quite some time.

"We are getting close," Zaara suddenly announced.

"Really?" Faye asked. She could detect no difference in the forest, but all her companions seemed to sense it, including the horses.

"Yes," Orrin answered. "We should be there very shortly."

There was a sudden break in the trees and all the elves slowed their horses. They stepped out of the thick forest and into what was unmistakably the elfin city. Like Alinair had said, the city truly was made entirely of trees. There were all kinds, all colors of bark and foliage.

The elves didn't cut trees down to build with like humans so often did. It was as if the trees had grown into buildings of their own accord. It must have been some sort of magic, Faye decided. For unless the elves could talk to the trees, there was no other way for them to grow in such a manner.

The girl stared in awe at the city around her. Of course, she had read extensively about the elven cities, but descriptions in books did nothing to convey the real thing. She had never thought she would live to see this place, and though the reason she was here was truly a terrible one, she couldn't help but be delighted. Daughters of blacksmiths do not travel the world, and they certainly do not visit elven cities.

All of the four elves were gazing at their home contentedly. Even the ever angry Runehn seemed happy to be back.

Finally, Zaara spoke.

"We must go to King Buriec."

Alinair sighed heavily. "I suppose so."

"Come then," Zaara stated. "The sooner we have started, the sooner it will be over."

Orrin smiled at Faye and urged his horse forward, towards the palace where she would meet the king.