Apollo and I stayed in the dwarf gren for a couple days. The settlement didn't bother me one bit; although I was no goddess down here, everyone I met was warm and kind and always insisting on feeding me. I swear I gained like ten pounds in the few days we stayed. However, I might have lost it all playing with all the dwarf children who were extremely attached to me.
While Apollo and Mognem had important meetings with a stream of dwarf leaders from other grens, I found myself caught up in a whirlwind of small bodies constantly laughing and pulling and chasing me. I didn't mind though; all the children were huge eyed and plump, and so adorably cute I could play tag and dress up all day.
There was one boy I grew especially attached to. It was the boy with the harmonica; his name was Renbow, and as it turned out, he was Mognem's youngest son. He was only seven, so unlike the rest of the male dwarf population, he was immune to my supposed beauty. I spent the most time with him; whenever I got tired of the smaller dwarves never ending energy, he found ways to sneak me away to somewhere quieter. He was exceptionally brilliant for his age. I constantly thought of the boys I knew when I was seven, and let's just say they were dumber than a box of rocks.
"Do you think there'll be a war soon?" Renbow asked me seriously. We were seated right next to the giant fireplace in the Mess Hall. It wasn't eating hours yet, so the hall was way emptier than the day I arrived. Besides our solitary figures, only a few old matrons shuffle around, and a few humming mothers with four or five little ones trailing them like ducklings.
I paused before I answered. I knew there was a war coming, if it hadn't started already; Apollo's serious green eyes had yet to lie to me. I didn't want to scare him though - the boy was smart, but he was still a kid.
He was too smart for his own good; his green eyes watched my face and saw the answer before I could form it with my lips.
"Do you think I'll have to go fight?" He asked me seriously. He didn't even sound scared.
I looked at him. "I don't know, Renbow. You could be lucky and the faeries won't be able to find you."
"I don't know about that." He replied matter-of-factly. He pulled out his harmonica and played with it, which I was beginning to learn as what he did when he was thinking really hard. "My dad's worried that we were too nice to people in the past. A lot of people know where the entrance is, and they could break in if they wanted."
I silently agreed to this. Mognem could've possibly been the culprit of this; I could remember Apollo saying that he'd told Apollo of it after he'd found the dwarf drunk.
"Well, if they do, I'll be ready." He looked up and smiled at me earnestly. "My big brothers have been teaching me to fight since I was a young one."
I laughed and ruffled his hair."You're still a young one, silly."
He turned his nose up indignantly. "Well, since I was a younger young one, then. Want me to show you how good I am, Lilah? I can show those stupid faeries out the door, real quick."
I laughed again, but it was subdued. What had the world come to when a seven year old was contemplating fighting in a war?
"You shouldn't call them stupid, Renbow." I told him quietly. "They're just frightened and worried. They're scared if they don't do anything, someone's going to keep killing their young ones. That isn't stupid."
What was stupid was that mysterious hooded figure, flying around killing people as if it meant nothing. Stupid hooded guy.
"Okay, you're right." Renbow sounded thoughtful as he looked at me. His eyes were wide and deep and intelligent; I suddenly remembered the picture of Gantris' daughter, Lily, and felt terribly sad. "Do you have any little brothers or sisters?"
I was surprised at the sudden question. "No, it's just me. Why?"
He shrugged his wide shoulders, the giant fire turning his pale skin orange. "You would be a great big sister if you had little brothers or sisters."
I couldn't answer him around the sudden lump that had risen to my throat. I'd always wanted a little sibling; the home I'd grew up in with my father was always lonely and quiet. As if sensing my inability to speak, Renbow raised the harmonica to his lips and began playing. The notes were beautiful and mournful, and I let my eyes get lost staring at the flames as I listened.
"Lilah!"
We both turned at Apollo's voice. He was emerging from one of the tunnels with a group of dwarf men who only reached his waist in height. However, there was a tall figure beside him who seemed to be shimmering in the dusky gloom of the Mess Hall.
"Edilara?" I called, excited.
The lovely elf grinned in response and waved daintily. As they made their way through the maze of tables and stools, Renbow stared curiously beside me.
"Who's that?" He asked me, his little forehead scrunched up in a frown.
I absently smoothed the lines on his skin with my fingers. "It's a friend of mine. Her name's Edilara, and she's an elf."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, young sir." She reached us first and curtseyed to my young friend. Behind her, the group of dwarves tittered happily, as if she'd uttered something absolutely delightful. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I didn't.
"Hello." I could see Renbow eyeing the blue markings on her forearms. "My name is Renbow."
"My youngest son." Mognem piped up, a ridiculous smile on his face. Renbow made a face beside me as Edilara turned to smiled delightedly at his father. I caught the look and we giggled.
"How delightful! He's as handsome as his father!" Edilara, bless her, was completely oblivious to all the dwarf leaders drooling around her. Mognem flushed a deep red at her words.
I caught Apollo's eye and he winked at me, his face barely containing his amusement. He tilted so his lips were at my ear. "They've been like this ever since she arrived. I wish you could have seen them when she first walked in."
"What was that, Apollo?" We looked up to find Edilara's large hazel eyes on us. She looked like she wanted to laugh too; I guess she wasn't as oblivious as I'd thought.
"I was just telling Lilah that you were escorting us to your dren." Apollo didn't miss a beat. "We're looking forward to visiting everyone there."
"You're leaving?" Renbow suddenly exclaimed. Everyone looked down at him in surprise, but the young dwarf had eyes only for me. "So soon?"
"Renbow, my son." Mognem's voice was gentle, and his eyes were soft. "They can't stay forever, you know that."
"But they just got here." He replied dejectedly. I felt my heart break a little as his lower lip began to tremble. He was just so darn cute!
"We'll come back and visit as much as we can." I told him earnestly, hoping to cheer him up.
But he was too upset. With his eyes downcast, the dwarf boy jumped to his feet and scurried towards an exit.
"Renbow!" Mognem called after him imploringly. His son ignored him and disappeared into the darkness of a tunnel.
"Oh, poor thing." Edilara pouted. "He's grown so attached to you two!"
"I think it's more about Lilah leaving, not so much me." Apollo took my hand and smiled wryly. "I've got to keep an eye on her before every man we run into falls in love with her."
Everyone laughed at his words, but I squeezed his hand as hard as I could. Only I knew that he was making fun of me about Jed.
"Well, we best be going quickly then." Edilara winked at me. "You don't want to have to fight everyone off you much longer, do you, Lilah?"
I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I just shrugged.
Edilara clapped her hands like an excited school girl. "Alright! Off we go then!"
I blinked in surprise. Right this instant? I thought of Renbow and wished I'd said goodbye before he ran off. He was like the brother I never had, and it made me sad to have to leave him so quick.
However, it was clear that he'd deciphered our immediate departure before I had. When we reached the entrance to the tunnel, his little green harmonica was sitting neatly on the floor of the cavern inside the hill, the swinging lamp shining on it beautifully.
I was the only one who seemed to notice it. As Mognem opened the earthen door, urging us to return whenever we needed to, I picked it up discreetly and slipped it into my pocket. The weight of it was comforting, and I silently bade the little boy goodbye as we stepped out into the fresh air and sunshine.
---
After the windy vortex spat us out of it's windy grip, it took me a moment to take in our surroundings. A heady, beautiful golden light filtered through thin, tall trees, and everything seemed to be drenched in amber particles that sparkled. The trees and the light went on forever, and it looked like a fantasyland; somewhere you dreamt about as a little child. As I turned to Edilara and Apollo, I swore I could hear a little girl's tinkling laughter floating through the sparkling air.
"Where are we?" I asked Edilara in awe.
She seemed barely perturbed by her surroundings; I guess she was used to it, having lived her for who knows how long. "We're in the Twilight Isles, my dear."
"You're dren is beautiful." I told her as the three of us began moving forward.
Her long inky hair swished as she turned to smile in amusement at me. "Oh, this isn't our dren, Lilah. This is just the space outside of it. It would do you well not to stay here for very long; it was grown so that our enemies would get lost and disoriented before they found us. You can only find our dren with an elvish guide."
I brooded this silently as we made our way through the trees. It made sense what she was saying; we'd only been here a few minutes, and the edges of my mind were already growing hazy. It was a brilliant defence tactic.
I wasn't worried about going crazy, though. Apollo's hand was solid and real in my grip, and as if sensing my unease at Edilara's words, he brought my hand to his lips and left them there. The touch of his searing skin was enough to keep anyone sane.
I was wondering how long we would have to walk through this glittering trap - my eyes were staring to see things - when Edilara walked through the gap between two trees and promptly disappeared. I blinked in confusion, thinking I was seeing things, but Apollo pulled me firmly but gently after him as he followed.
I knew instantly that we'd entered the elvish dren. The light here was completely different from the Twilight Isles; it was pure and bright, and it illuminated the lush green foliage and ancient, thick trees. Everything here seemed significantly more substantial - I could see where the moss was eating away at an old tree trunk, and the feathers of a beautiful hummingbird that zipped passed were in striking detail. There was the roar of a shining waterfall directly in front of us - at its base was a wide, crystal clear pool that divided into streams and twisted and twirled around the earth like veins. I looked up to the top of the waterfall to find a magnificent stone palace - I could see perfect archways and delicate bridges connecting spired towers like a giant connected city.
It was absolutely magnificent.
Edilara laughed at my slack jaw. "This is my dren, lovely girl."
---
"This way!" Enilai called after me, her beautiful voice echoing off the delicate walls.
I watched her white blonde braid whip around the wall and disappear sceptically. Edilara had introduced me to her daughter before disappearing with Apollo, and I was slightly disgruntled that they would dump me with her so unceremoniously. Enilai looked nice enough though; she had long wispy white blonde hair that shimmered every time she moved, and her huge pale blue eyes were warm and excited.
She moved ridiculously fast, though. I already had a stitch in my side and I'd only met her ten minutes ago.
As I followed her down a spiralling set of ivy covered stairs, I could hear her humming something pretty under her breath. She was obviously extremely happy to be given the job of keeping me entertained. I was beginning to wonder if the steps would lead us to the molten centre of the earth when she abruptly stopped in a large antechamber with a single arched door set into the stone opposite us.
Enilai turned and took my hand; she was obviously way more trusting than anyone I'd ever known. "Let me do the talking; the guards are usually grumpy."
"Guards?" I repeated dumbly, but she had pulled out a key and was already pulling the heavy door open with surprising strength.
An elf decked out in shiny silver armour jumped up from a stool at our entrance, but I barely noticed him. We were now in a narrow alcove set into the inside of the waterfall; I was reminded of the waterfall close to the house in the woods, with its stone bench and magical glow. Here though, the light was bright and bluish, and the sound was strangely muffled, as if I was watching the waterfall from behind a thick wall of glass. I knew that such a wall didn't exist though - a faint breeze that smelled wonderful wafted over me with the touch of a feather.
"Wow." I breathed.
Enilai was deep in conversation with the elf guard when I finally turned to the two of them. He was the opposite of the luminous pale girl - he had thick black hair under his helmet, and his eyes were huge and hazel. His attractive face was sullen as he talked to Enilai.
"I gave you that key for when there was an emergency and you had to reach me, not for bringing strangers in the hope of impressing them - "
"Oh, don't be such a fuss, Eidric." Enilai rolled her eyes. "She's an important guest, and mum absolutely adores her, so she won't mind one bit that I brought her down here."
Eidric shifted his eyes to me, and they narrowed in suspicion. "How do you know she's not one of their spies? You heard what happened in the other dren - "
"Oh, bug off!" Enilai swatted at his arm playfully. Her pale eyes found mine. "Lilah, this is my stuffy older brother Eidric. We got lucky! His partner's sick today."
Eidric scowled at her but held up a hand in greeting to me. "Greetings, Lilah."
I waved my own hand in greeting." Hi, Eidric. If it makes you feel better, I'm not a spy."
"Spies wouldn't announce their presence, so that did little to appease me." His voice was cool and lofty.
Enilai swatted his arm again, her face reproachful. "Well she's with Apollo! If that doesn't shame you into silence, nothing will!"
I watched his eyes widen in surprise, and the hand I hadn't noticed gripping the sword in its sheath by his side relaxed. "Apollo Ambrosia?"
His little sister rolled her eyes again." What other Apollo do you know? Now if you'll excuse us-" She leaned back and grabbed my hand, "- Lilah and I are going up to the cubby."
She pulled me brashly passed Eidric, but not fast enough that I couldn't catch the sheepish look on his face.
"Yeah, go up to the cubby!" He called after us gruffly. "I won't have to deal with your childish behaviour!"
Enilai sighed dramatically as she led me up a narrow flight of stairs I hadn't noticed. "I apologize deeply, Lilah. He thinks he's the most important elf in the world ever since my dad let him join the guard registry."
"He's just doing his job." I said amiably.
Enilai tucked a few wispy blond hairs away from her face. "I guess so."
She led me into a smaller alcove that seemed to be a little to the right of the bigger one we had just left. There were too tall stools that someone - probably Enilai - had brought up, and the cliff wall jutted up suddenly to provide a sort of balcony. The waterfall roared passed in front of us, oblivious to us and strangely muffled. I leaned over it; there was a perfect view of Eidric muttering to himself as he plopped down on his stool again. His armour shone like liquid silver. It was clear he couldn't see me.
There was the rough sound of wood against stone, and I turned to see Enilai dragging the stools close so that they were right beside the makeshift balcony. She climbed on one, and I sat on the other. From this height, we could both lean our elbows on the stone and look out contently at the rushing water.
"This is awesome!" I told the elf girl, smiling happily at her. She flashed her own smile in return.
"Isn't it? It's my favourite place in the whole dren - besides my room of course - and I knew you'd like it." Her pale skin was tinged blue behind the curtain of water in front of us, and she reminded me of Jed and all the other merpeople beneath the sea.
"How come there needs to be guards here? It's so pretty." I asked her.
Enilai shrugged, her pale eyes watching the water dreamily. "There's a secret door down there that Eidric and the rest of his squadron guard. It moves around all the time, and they're the only ones who know where the location is on any given day. It leads down to the Vita pond, the stillest part of the basin."
I tried to wrap my head around the idea of a shifting door. Talk about security!
"We've had instances in the past where some poor elf doesn't ration his vial properly, and tries to steal some more." Enilai goes on, her head leaning on her fist. "We're only supposed to refill our bottles every three months, when the waterfall turns white. That's when the water is safest, but some people keep ignoring that fact. They're just there to protect the water, and the people."
"What happens when you use the water before it's safe?" I asked curiously, wondering if it was poisoned or something.
Enilai turned to me, her eyes bright from some remembered gossip. "Oh, it's bad. The water does this queer thing where it boils upon contact with your skin, and it spreads all over your body. It's an instant death."
I stared in horror at her, and she nodded knowingly. "Have you met Isidre?"
I nodded.
"Well, this all happened before I was born, but she had a little brother named Iril who was in love with this girl in the dren, I forget her name. She got really sick suddenly, and all the healers said there was no way for her to survive, but Iril got this crazy idea in his head that if he just got the girl to bathe in the Vita pond she wouldn't be sick anymore." Enilai's voice was hushed. "So he picked her up and snuck down to the pond one night - this was before all the guards and the moving doors - and dunked her in. Obviously, neither of them survived."
"That's horrible!" I wasn't sure what I was more dismayed at; the story itself or the fact that Enilai seemed to enjoy telling it so much.
"Tell me about it." Enilai leaned in to me conspiratorially, as if she was afraid of being overheard even though it was just us up there. "That's why Isidre's such an ice queen."
I was silent at this. I could remember her irritation and iciness, and it all suddenly made sense. It completely changed my angle on her.
"Of course," Enilai was still talking as she began playing with the end of her silvery braid, "the whole situation with Apollo didn't help anything."
"What?" I asked blankly.
Her pale eyes were gleeful as she looked up at me. "He didn't tell you about it? Really?"
"Tell me about what?"
"Ohhh!" She laughed, and it sounded like tinkling china. "Well, I'll just tell you about it then. The last time he was here - before I was born of course - Isidre fell completely in love with him! She would dress in her finest clothes and follow him everywhere. It was rather pathetic, she looked like a silly little puppy. He barely even noticed her, and since then she's always moaning about how she'll never love anyone else and how he doesn't know what he let go."
"Did your mother never teach you to hold your tongue, you insolent little girl?"
Enilai and I both jumped at the icy voice. Turning around with dread, my eyes locked with none other than Isidre herself, standing stiffly at the top of the narrow staircase, her lips a thin line as she looked at us. She was devastatingly gorgeous in her long white gown, but I felt my heart drop into my stomach at the sight of her. How long had she been standing there?
Her eyes were the colour of frozen metal as she glared at the girl beside me. Enilai flushed a delicate pink.
"You." Her eyes snapped to me. "You're wanted in the Tower of Spires."
"Me?" I asked dumbly, even though she'd already clarified it.
Isidre didn't answer me; instead she turned with a flurry of her gown and headed briskly back down the stairs. I glanced at Enilai before I followed. She wouldn't look at me, her neck a faint pink.
Part of me kind of felt glad that Isidre had snapped at her though. The girl was a shameless gossip!
Eidric was standing at attention when Isidre and I reached the main alcove. Isidre swept by him without so much as a glance, but his eyes flicked to mine before looking away again. They looked somehow sympathetic.
Isidre didn't say a word as she lead me through the winding streets and delicate walkways of the dren. She blew by old couples out for strolls and little children playing in the streets, she coolly sidestepped mothers toting baskets full of fresh food from the market and silver covered guards doing their rounds. I was beginning to get dizzy, watching the tail of her gown whip around corners and slide up stairs, so I almost fell over when she suddenly whipped around.
We were in an empty alleyway, and her eyes seemed so much colder now that we were alone. I thought back to when I'd first met her, and she'd called me lovely. She didn't look like she thought that now.
"Lilah Winters." She sneered, stepping delicately toward me. I was glued to the spot as she walked slowly around me, her eyes raking my profile as if I was the most offending thing in the world. "What is it exactly, that he sees in you? Unruly orange hair, freckled skin, fat lips. Your arms are too thin, your legs too long - the imperfections go on forever!"
I bit my lip, the back of my eyes burning. Dead brother or not, she was just plain mean.
"That silly little girl left out the details." She was right in front of me now, her face close enough that I could see the anger burning in her light eyes. "Your precious Apollo lead me on, let me think I had a chance with someone as perfect as him. Oh, he never said anything, but I knew it - it was in all those glances of his, those demure smiles. Then, when I'd finally brought up the wits to confront him with my feelings, he tosses me away! Lets out a speech about how I didn't belong with him, and he was too damaged for the likes of me."
She whipped around again, and the smell of mint drifted over me. "Silly fool. I was the most exquisite thing he's ever laid eyes on, and he has the audacity to tell me he's damaged. Pah! Then I accompany my cousin to escort him to Feloix Felaii, and what do I see! You, a plain little girl who could never compare to me."
Isidre moved lightning fast so that her face was suddenly a breath away from mine. "It disgusts me - you disgust me! You can have that wretch - you two deserve each other."
I hiccupped and blinked madly to keep the tears back. She absolutely horrible, but I'd be damned if she saw me cry. Her lip curled with disdain.
"Come along now, you pathetic human." She turned around again. "I've wasted enough time with you - "
"Isidre!"
At the entrance to the alleyway, a familiar figure stood with her hands on her hips. I blinked through the film of tears, and as I did Idrissa's shocked face came into focus. Isidre had stilled in front of me, her perfect figure like a statue. I watched Idrissa's face turn angry as she stalked toward us.
"What are you doing here, Idrissa?" Isidre asked coolly, her voice giving away nothing. I wish I could see what her face looked like.
"You bitter old buzzard!" I was shocked at the words that came out of Idrissa's lovely lips. "I knew something was wrong when you of all people offered to bring Lilah back - I came after you when everyone began to wonder what took you so long."
She was nose to nose with Isidre now, who still hadn't moved. "Still nursing a schoolgirl's grudge now, are we?" Her voice was acidic.
Isidre twitched, but nothing else, her back ram rod straight with pride.
Idrissa tilted her head so her eyes could meet mine. "She's a liar, Lilah. Apollo never even glanced her way, she was chasing after someone who didn't even notice her."
"That's a lie." Isidre snapped, breaking her facade of ice. "He tempted me with looks of longing, with eyes that spoke of lust - "
Idrissa rolled her hazel eyes. "You're delusional, cousin. Apollo Ambrosia was so focussed on finding his sister, he wouldn't have noticed you even if you sashayed naked on his lap."
"You little - "
"Enough!" Idrissa's voice was sharp. "You of all people should be more mature about this; this was decades ago! It shames me to know you find gratification in belittling an innocent human girl. You wonder why that gentle Apollo turned you away? It's because he saw that snide side of you that refuses to grow into the woman you should be. This young, lovely girl has three times the character you have. Get out of my sight!"
Isidre didn't need telling twice. She stepped around Idrissa's trembling figure and briskly stepped away; I watched the tail of her gown whip around the corner and then she was gone.
Idriss was immediately at my side, wrapping her arms around me and cooing in my ear. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Lilah. She just makes me so mad sometimes! Don't believe a word she said, alright?"
I nodded into her shoulder, my own arms curling around her slender frame. "Thank you, Idrissa."
"There, there." I felt her lips touch my hair. "If you ask me, you're five times more pretty and noble than the likes of my cousin. I could tell right away why Apollo loves you so. You two are perfect for each other."
It was an echo of what Isidre had told me, except this time my heart warmed at Idrissa's endearing voice. I hugged her harder because what she said was true; Apollo and I really did belong together.
Comment, vote, fan! (:
Sorry if I took longer than usual to upload! I had this ready on Thursday, but it was my boyfriend's 18th birthday last Monday and we were out all weekend to celebrate the fact he's legal :P Anyways, hope you all like this chapter!
BTW there's Enilai! Silly little gossip :P