The Sacred Woods of Silvernarion (Book 1)

Chapter 6 Unexpected Visitor

An Unexpected Visitor

Glenadale throws back his head, savoring the smell of a bed of wild flowers that surrounds the many trees in the forest. The sound of ruffling leaves added with a crisp air provides all the necessities every wood elf needs.

He will never forget the unpleasant sights of how humans hold up dead animals and the unbearable stench smells he encountered that night in town. He cannot imagine living anywhere else but the forest, yet for Gloriana he would unwillingly make the sacrifice to be like a human if necessary.

“Wait! Slow down Glenadale!” screams Gloriana as she turns back to look why Billibon is so far away from the group.

Gloriana was silent for most of the day pondering in her own thoughts, as light continues to fade into a breezy evening sky.

The walk has been long and Billibon’s short legs were showing it, as he dragged farther behind, just enough for Gloriana to see him. When it was too dark for Billibon to see ahead comfortably, he would shout and whine for a break. Gloriana would continue to urge Glenadale to wait.

He would ignore most of the whining throughout the day, pressing forward and enjoying the scenery of a new territory. Eventually he would realize that he was alone and would have to track back to discovery Gloriana and Billibon sitting at the edge of an unclear path near a huge oak tree.

“We should make camp here,’ Gloriana suggests as she gets up to look at Glenadale.

“All right,” Glenadale replies halfheartedly.
“I don’t think it is wise to camp on the road,” he suggests.

“I am not moving. I cannot even feel my legs,” complains the halfling once again, daring not to move from his spot and stubbornly leaning against a huge oak tree.

An eerie sound of an owl begins to hoot followed by a growl, which echoes through the forest making Billibon jump suddenly to his feet.

“I suggest we should move to a safer area,” Glenadale suggests again now looking at the frightened halfling with annoyance.

Without complaint, everyone follows the wood elf into the woods.

He finds a spot near an old tree that had fallen against another tree. It had somehow managed to withstand the blow without breaking its bark.

They sit together leaning on it as Gloriana digs into her satchel to take the last pieces of cheese, fruit, and bread that her mother had prepared two days ago. She offers everyone fair portions and begins to eat immediately afterwards. Glenadale’s face shrivels, as he smells the cheese and gives it back to Gloriana who laughs. He then nibbles on some fruit smiling.

Billibon enjoys the presence of Fierce who occasionally screeches at him wanting more then what the halfling can offer on his fair portion given to him.

“Now, now Fierce, don’t be so greedy,” he urges as he watches the falcon snip at the bread before pecking his finger.

“Ouch!” he screams as the falcon flies off with his portion of bread.

“Did you see that?” asks Billibon as Gloriana begins to laugh.

Glenadale joins in shortly after looking at the falcon that flew high on the branch with the whole piece of bread Billibon had.

“How far do we still have to go to get to Sinatorium?” asks Gloriana rubbing her bruised leg.

“I fear it is still far. I mean we haven’t even passed these woods yet. I told you we should have gone with a caravan. It is quicker and safer,” Billibon finishes looking at Gloriana.

“What is Sinatorium like?” she finally asks after a long silence.

“It is truly a town to adore. It lies not far on the edge of the Dwanen Mountains. The mountains are often mined by dwarves who bring the town precious stones,” Billibon replies putting away the hard cheese into his pocket.

“What do you mean by stones?” asks the wood elf.
Gloriana takes the elves rough hand and looks into his blue eyes.

“These stones are hard to find. They are such stones like rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and even gold and silver,” she replies.

“Why do you value these so called stones?” the wood elf asks even more curiously.

Gloriana ponders for a reasonable answer.

“It is a type of commodity I suppose,” the halfling replies for Gloriana.

“If sold, we could buy many other things that we value.

The wood elf looks at the halfling confused.

“How do you make a living in the woods?” asks Billibon now adjusting his posture to look at the wood elf more directly.

“We don’t make a living. We actually live,” replies the wood elf slowly.

The halfling looks at the wood elf with a confused expression. He shakes his head before yawning. Gloriana begins to laugh.

“I have seen too many confused expressions in one day. We should rest for tonight, so we can have a fresh start tomorrow,” Gloriana suggests.

Billibon laughs as he watches Gloriana cheerfully drop the subject.

“I will take the first watch,” the wood elf offers as Billibon already prepares to sleep.

Gloriana looks at Glenadale disappointingly.

“Who will keep me warm for the night?” she asks looking at the wood elf who manages to blush for the second time since they have met.

“It can be dangerous if no one takes watch,” he replies looking at the halfling disappointingly who is already in a deep sleep.

“Do not worry about our safety. Fierce watches over me all the time. He has already saved my life at least twice in two days,” she reassures.
Glenadale smiles as he looks into her radiant brown eyes.

“I am truly happy to be with you. You have offered me a different perspective of life and how to see things with an open mind,” he replies.

“You have left everything you have known just to see me again,” she says rubbing his hand in appreciation.

“I never thought I would feel this way either until I met you,” she finishes.

He smiles revealing a dazzling set of teeth.

“I needed to get away anyway. My people are missing so much by not leaving the Cederdale,” he replies.

They begin to hug each other as suddenly a flash occurs followed by a whizzing sound. The wood elf jumps up quickly.

Billibon only rolls over and continues to sleep unaware of the possible danger. Gloriana grabs her staff.

Two more sparks happen before a tiny creature floats in front of the group. Glenadale’s quick elfin eyes partially sees that it is has curly blonde hair and light blue eyes. It giggles before disappearing and then reappearing.

“Did you see that?” asks Glenadale who is having difficulty spotting the small creature.

Gloriana doesn’t reply trying to keep guard by raising her staff a bit higher.

The small creature continues to giggle as it teases and finally stops in front of the wood elf. He looks perplex staring at it.

Its wings are the source of the small buzzing sound as they flap extremely fast like that of a hummingbird.

It holds a small wand, which sparkles along with its wings. It floats in front of Glenadale and smiles.

“It seems like the creature is a female and likes you,” says Gloriana now lowering her staff.

Billibon snorts a few times before turning on his back to continue his sleep.

Oddly Fierce observes the creature high on the branch, but doesn’t find the creature a threat.
“That is amazing! Could that be a pixie?” Glenadale asks trying to touch it.

She giggles dancing around the elf’s finger. Gloriana looks at the pixie in amazement as she shakes the halfling to witness the experience. Billibon slowly awakens a bit annoyed.

He rubs his eyes before sitting up. The small pixie flies towards the halfling greeting him before returning to Glenadale.

“I never thought that I would witness such an event,” says Billibon now standing looking at the tiny creature in wonder.

Gloriana sheds one tear looking at the delicate and beautiful pixie.

“She is so pure and full of cheer. It is if she could brighten anyone’s spirits,” she says.

Glenadale reaches out, as the pixie stands on his finger. She then slowly sits on it looking at her wings. Glenadale looks at her in awe, amazed that she feels safe and comfortable on his finger.

“Do you have a name?” he whispers.

The pixie looks up and nods quickly. She then stands to jump off his finger and flies in front of Gloriana’s face.

With a wave of her wand many firebugs appear and begin to quickly spell out C-h-e-r-r-y-b-l-o-s-s-o-m.

“That is a beautiful name,” says Gloriana.

The pixie giggles and begins to emit a faint light before flying in front of the wood elf. The light is pleasant in the night, as if it provides security in their small area that everyone is standing on.

“This is Billibon, Gloriana, and Fierce. My name is Glenadale,” the wood elf in introduces.
Screech!

“Oh and that is Fierce,” Glenadale points at the falcon high on the branch.

Gloriana and Billibon laugh. The pixie giggles, as various assortment of flowers begin to blossom around everyone’s feet.

The scenery begins to change, as butterflies begin to fly in patterns giving an arrangement of more colors in the sky. The creaking bark and ruffling of the branches of the two fallen trees begin to show life, as they harmoniously rise and straighten back up.

Cherryblossom begins to hum a small tune waving her wand bringing a delightful scenery to her new friends.

“Why do you think the pixie is here Glenadale?” asks Gloriana without looking at him still dazed at the wonders the pixies is creating.
Small peaceful animals show themselves.

“I don’t know, but I will ask if you want,” Glenadale replies.

“Don’t you normally live in the Sacred Woods of Silvernarion like legend tells it?” he asks after a long moment.

The pixie stops waving her wand and flies to Glenadale nodding her head sadly. She then waves her wand again as firebugs appear. They begin to spell out her reason of her stay in the woods.

“Oh that poor pixie,” says Gloriana as the pixies helpers finish spelling out the last words in the air.

“If she is lost then we should try to bring her back home. We are heading in that direction anyway. She couldn’t have found better people!” Gloriana exclaims.

Billibon nods in agreement, as he continues to watch the beauty the pixie provides in the surrounding area.

He then kneels down to pluck some mushrooms that suddenly appeared. The pixie claps her hand excited to have new friends and the help she needs to get back home. She then suddenly shows a worried expression and quickly flies away.

Everyone stares intently for her to return yet nothing happens. As the wait is long, they begin to sit down together still hypnotized at what they had just experienced.
“That was so amazing!” Gloriana says.

“A true rare event indeed,” Billibon follows.

“Look how beautiful everything is here,” Gloriana continues.

“I wish we could just stay here forever,” Glenadale says earnestly.

Gloriana smells a rose that had just recently grown from behind a bush. Glenadale senses something as he remembers the pixies last expression before disappearing.

“Something must be wrong! I can sense it!” he finally says.

Billibon begins to chew on a mushroom enjoying it with the cheese he saved a short while ago. Gloriana looks at the wood elf as Fierce suddenly screeches.

“You are right, something is wrong,” as she stands up taking her staff.

Billibon quickly drops his food and grabs for his dagger. The sound of crunching leaves and branches begin as Gloriana tightens her grip on the staff.

Glenadale begins to climb up the tree to stand silently on top of a heavy branch. Fierce flies off the branch to circle around the area using its own tactic for a sound attack if needed.

“We are being watched by something?” Billibon finally says getting closer to Gloriana’s side and trying to figure out which way to hold his dagger correctly.

Many animals jump out of their bushes towards Billibon and Gloriana fleeing in the opposite direction.

They jump back shocked as the small animals run past them. Billibon lets out a sigh of relief lowering his dagger.

“Just a few animals playing in the woods,” he says.

Gloriana laughs lowering her staff.

“You can come down Glenadale. It was only little wood animals playing in groups,” Gloriana explains now sitting down.

Glenadale jumps from the tree landing on the ground with a huge thump that makes everything on the ground that was loose fly in the air. Everyone looks oddly at the wood elf.

“Did you do that?” Billibon asks.

Another stomp occurs as a tree in a distant crackles falling hard on the ground. A large belch follows as the earth vibrates.

Gloriana grabs Glenadale frightened. The ground continues to shake as everyone looks at each other.

“It is a giant! We must run!” Glenadale screams.

“Come follow me!” he urges running the opposite direction the giant is coming from.

Trees begin to fall and the sounds of crunching branches get louder. Frightened, everyone runs quickly, trying to keep up with the agile wood elf.

“Raaar!” screams the huge giant who is seen towering over the trees from a distant.

He brushes the trees aside, as if he is walking through a wheat field. He gains ground suddenly, as he stomps some of the smaller trees to the ground.

“Come on Billibon!” Gloriana screams, as she watches Billibon trying to keep up with his short strides.

“Just keep running and don’t worry about me,” the halfling manages to say before turning a different direction.

Gloriana looks in shock and runs into some stubborn bushes almost falling, as she tries to keep up with Glenadale.

She then gets out of the entanglement and locates Glenadale with the help of Fierce screeching ahead. The giant then trips and falls as the earth shakes violently.

“Daaah, stay out of my woods,” the giant says clumsily trying to get back up.

Glenadale and Gloriana finally make distance between the huge giant.

“I can’t run anymore,” says Gloriana breathing harder. Her head gets dizzy and her knee throbs, as she bends down to hold it.

Glenadale grabs her, as she was about to fall from exhaustion.

“This journey is just too difficult for me. I will never make it to the Sacred Woods of Silvernarion,” she says breathing hard.

“Please just rest. We are now far away from the wood giant,” Glenadale replies calmly showing no sign of tiredness.

As Gloriana catches her breath, Fierce lands on the ground next to her.

“Go find Billibon,” Gloriana orders.

The falcon jumps back into the air immediately and starts his search for the halfling.

“We are back on the road at least,” says Glenadale pointing ahead. Gloriana tries to smile yet shows she is worried about Billibon.

“The poor lad came with us and couldn’t keep up,” she says disappointingly.

“We can’t go back looking for him though,” Glenadale replies.

“It is too dangerous. I remember when a wood giant entered the Cederdale Forest. We tried to fight.

The giant wiped out a whole lot of us and we had to get our queen to force it out of our woods. These beasts are extremely strong and feel little pain with our weapons,” explains Glenadale.

Gloriana eventually sighs agreeing. She then stops showing a worried expression.

“Oh no, where is my staff? The blue wizard is going to kill me!” she screams.

Glenadale looks concerned watching her face turn red for the first time.

“This is a terrible day!” she continues.

“Where is Cherryblossom when the giant attacked us?” she complains trying to find someone responsible for her loss.

“I lost Billibon and now my staff,” she continues almost not able to breathe.

Glenadale holds her trying to help her settle down. She sits down on the ground and controls her breathing.

The wood elf sits next to her and strokes her curly brown hair.

“You didn’t lose everything,” Glenadale says after a long silence. Gloriana looks up and manages to give a faint smile.

“Oh you are so sweet Glenadale. You know how to calm me down,” she says softly.

She then gets back up and looks down the long dirt road.

“I hope this road draws us closer to the Sacred Woods of Silvernarion,” she says halfheartedly.

“I will find out with you Gloriana,” Glenadale replies grabbing her hand.

She smiles as they walk side by side along the road.


to continue go to chapter 7 Sinatorium - http://mingle2.com/topic/show/195602