I was sliding and sliding fast. Literally.
“How do we stop?” I shrieked as the green forest flew past me.
“We stop when we reach the bottom!” Will shouted back.
“What?!”
Will and I found ourselves sliding down a muddy embankment at a pace only slightly slower than the speed of light. The bottom was hidden by the greenery, the branches of which created a dark tunnel effect, blocking out all hope of light and escape. Poor Will got the worst of the trip as I was seated in his lap and his butt scraped across the hard, swig-strewn ground. My higher position, however, meant I had to duck to avoid my face being smacked by those light-blocking branches.
After half a minute of terror, I saw light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, the color was a murky blue.
“Water!” I shouted one second before splashdown.
We crashed into the water and quickly discovered it was well above my height. Will discovered that I wasn't a good swimmer.
“Will!” I gasped before my head dipped below the surface.
Will's strong arm looped around my waist, and he drew me against him. He kicked us upward back to the surface, and I took in some much-needed air. I clung to him as he paddled one-handed to the shore and deposited me on the grassy slope. He wasn't long in joining me with a sloppy flop at my side.
We lay there for a long moment, catching our breath and trying to gather our thoughts. There was only one thought in my head, however.
I parted my soggy strands of hair from my face and gave Will a pleading look. “Is there an easier way to the elf kingdom?”
He shook his head. “I'm afraid not. They are a very reclusive people, and only those most hardy are allowed into their domain.”
“Don't they have one road?” I wondered as I sat up to look over our surroundings.
The steep hill down which we'd slid rose in front of us. The brae was covered in a thick bed of bushes and tall trees. I could just barely make out where we had stood at the top before my poor footing had doomed us to a long slide.
“I'm really sorry about grabbing you,” I apologized as Will plopped himself on the shore beside me. “It was just instinct.”
He smiled and shook his head. “There's no need to apologize. I would not have allowed you to travel alone regardless.”
I studied our new location and found we had slid into a pond some hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. The surface glistened once more, and I could see the deep bottom with its myriad of stones and rotting wood. The shadows down there reminded me of a bog, and I couldn't help but shudder.
Will stood and offered me a hand. “We should continue onward. It shouldn't be far now.”
I accepted his help, and he pulled me to my feet. A teasing smile slipped onto my lips. “Didn't you say that a few hours ago?”
He grinned. “This time isn't merely to lift your spirits. I would guess we are only half a mile from the edge of their domain.”
I brushed off some of the greenery from my thick pants and sighed. “Then we should get going before I start growing moss.”
Without a trail, the going was slow and rough. Will went first, and I paused several times to watch him wrestle with vines and branches. These woods were thick with the smells of moss and damp leaves. Everywhere I looked, there was a curtain of green. Birds sang, and a few wild deer raced away from us, but outside of those, we were all alone. It felt like we were the last two people on earth or the first to crawl out of the primeval sludge.
It'd been that way for almost three days.
I brushed my wet hair out of my face and winced when the tangled mess entrapped my fingers. “Are the elves good at combing hair?”
“They're quite proficient at a great many skills,” Will assured me as he ducked beneath a thick low branch. “Their great age allows them to become masters.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “How old do they live? As long as you?”
He shook his head. “No. They ‘return to the air,' as they say, after several thousand years. Some have been quite old indeed before their passing.”
“And you've known them for a long time?” I guessed.
“As long as I can remember.” He paused and tilted his head back to admire the greenery around us. “I should have visited far sooner than this. I only hope Alisa will forgive my tardiness.”
“Not likely!”
We snapped our heads to the left, and some color left Will's face.
“Cease your gawking and come over here to help an old woman!”
Will sighed and took my hand. “Let us see what she desires.”
He led me leftward, and we meandered through the thick undergrowth before the way opened to a small clearing. Sunlight shone down through the trees and cast a gentle light over the myriad of flowers. There were all the colors of the rainbow and more, and they grew in clusters or alone to create a dazzling display of random colors.
A single stump sat in the middle of the meadow of green grass, and a tiny old woman sat on its top. She had pointed ears, and a soft aura seemed to surround her. The woman was attired in a simple white dress and soft slippers. A wreath of flowers lay atop her gray hair, the strands of which shone as brilliantly as the flower petals that surrounded her.
The old woman held a rope in one hand, which had a bucket attached to it that sat on the ground near her. A bit of water splashed about as she shook her wagged her finger at Will. “You have not visited me in a good century, young man!”
Will smiled as he guided me over to our new acquaintance. “My apologies, Alisa. I had meant to come sooner but-”
“But nothing,” she scolded him as she kicked the bucket with one foot. “Now help an old woman with this water.”
“You still prefer the stream to the river?” he teased as he picked up the bucket and offered her an arm.
Her corners twitched upward at his offer, but she tamped down her smile and used his arm to stand. “Of course. You know I despise the sweet taste of those lilypads.”
“May we accompany you back to the capital?” he offered.
She lifted her twinkling eyes to him. “Has your memory failed you after so long an absence?”
He grinned at her. “Let us just say that I would prefer a guide to walking alone.”
She scoffed. “Then I suppose I will do the task, but I expect something more favorable than a simple bucket carry for the trouble, and we both know you are trouble.” Her attention fell on me. “And who is this young beauty you have brought?” She leaned forward and squinted at me before her eyes widened. “My goodness!” Alisa whipped her face up to Will, who was all smiles. “You have finally found her!”
He bowed his head. “Indeed, and my patience has been worth the wait.”
“And what is your name, my dear?” Alisa asked me.
“Rose,” I told her.
She gave a nod. “A good name. Humans so rarely give their children proper names. Now then, let us be off before I find myself covered in grass.”
Alisa traipsed northward in the general direction of where we had headed. Will and I followed behind her, and I was about to suggest he lead the way through the thick foliage when a miracle happened. Just as she reached the edge of the meadow, the trees and bushes ahead of her parted. Their absence revealed a long stretch of road that disappeared around a gentle corner.
“Wow,” I breathed.
Alisa paused long enough to look over her shoulder and smile at me. “A simple friendship with the woods will make a path easier. Now come along.”
The old woman walked down the path with us following behind, and Will struck up a conversation with our guide. “How are things in the kingdom?”
A dark cloud settled on her brow as she stared ahead. “Not good, Will. Something has come into the woods, and we have naught to fight against its darkness.”
Will lifted an eyebrow. “Is there any way we might help matters?”
She pursed her lips. “I hope so, but we shall see.”
We continued onward until we reached the gentle corner. The path turned, and the way opened to reveal a valley hidden in the forest growth. My mouth really dropped open as I beheld a glistening city of white marble situated against a tall mountain. Even the streets were paved with the precious stones and elegant homes dotted the mountainside, creating tiers where beautiful gardens cast their color against the white. Blocks and blocks of elegance stretched in all directions down the narrow valley and blended perfectly with the formation, creating a seamless transition from city to forest and vice versa.
A huge tower with a spired top stood in the very middle tier with a large open square at its base. The stones of that tower were not of marble but some grayish rock that was as smooth as a mirror. It reflected the light but didn't shine it back; otherwise, everyone would have been blinded by its brilliance. There were no windows or doors that I could see, but the spire was open like a lighthouse with an empty observatory.
Alisa led us to the edge of the path where it gently dipped down to the main road and smiled. “Welcome to Turva, the land of my people since time immemorial.”
