Elle ran to her room without a word to the others and tried to go to sleep. She didn't want to think about what happened between her and Elwood at the beach. Instead she thought back to her childhood, seemed a lot more innocent with no worries in the world. Before she left her Dad she used to run around the Golden forest with the elder Elves and her father. She used to shoot blunt arrows at the trees but without the need to kill.
She remembered how her mother used to tie her hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon and dress her in cute dresses. Then the break up, she remembered crying and crying because she had to move. The long journey to Raycrest was torturous for her. She could see those dark was in the carriage surrounding her again, enclosed in sorrow. She hugged a pillow like she would have hugged her mother if she were there. She thought of what Raycrest was like, working on a small farm for little money. But then Alura came into her life an things started to get better.
"Are you alright?" Alura came in and asked, sitting down on Elle's bedside. "Whats happened? you're all wet!"
"Um, there were mermaids and they lured Elwood in and I had to dive in to save him." Elle replied stuttering, her teeth chattering.
"What?" Alura shouted then put her hand over her mouth to shut herself up, "That mermaid myth is true." she said.
"Apparently so." Elle let off a small smile.
"You look really upset that can't be it, Elle."
"I'm fine just gotta get changed, that's all." Elle said getting up and going into her bag for clean, dry clothes. "Tell Ferafel what happened."
"Okay."
Elle went to the bathroom and locked the door. She stood in front of the old mirror and slowly undressed, pulling yuk faces from the soggy cloth. Her dress slapped the floor and she went to the Bath and filled it with water and light a fire under the metal bath to heat up the water. After it was hot enough she put of the flame and hopped in the bath. Letting off a sigh of relaxation she cleaned herself with lavender soap and sunk into the warm water.
* * * *
Elwood finally came back to the palace and was quickly bombarded by Alura and Ferafel.
"Are you stupid or something?" Ferafel said waving her hands around.
"Yeah, getting lured by the mermaids!" Alura added. "You could have been drowned, luckily Elle saved you."
"Well it's not my fault!" Elwood said pushing through them to get to the room. "It was their magic luring powers."
'Excuses." Alura said while rolling her eyes.
Ferafel watched Elwood go into this room and slam the door. "Well, we must ask Elle for some more details! Since he doesn't seem to want to talk."
Elle came out of the bathroom with a towel around her head. Ferafel rushed over to her and pulled her to the table in the hall.
"Tell me all about the mermaids." Ferafel asked her.
Elle knew that was coming. "Alright, well first off me and Elwood were just sitting on the beach. Then I saw a green tail slip out of the water then disappear quickly." Elle paused.
"And then what?" Alura asked.
"Um, then Elwood wanted a closer look you see so he walked off and I followed him. But on the way a mermaid jumped out at me and distracted me while another mermaid dragged him into the water. I dived in after him and my necklace made the mermaid hiss and I took Elwood's sword and cut the mermaid and she swam away."
"Wow," Alura said. "You really did save him."
"Is he back yet?" Elle asked.
"Yeah, why did he come in later than you though, if you were together?"
"Um.. he wanted to see something but I wanted to get home for a bath." Elle had to lie through her teeth.
"Oh, we should all be off to bed now then." Ferafel said shooing Alura and Elle into their room.
Elle avoided Elwood's gaze and jumped into her bed. Elwood was just sitting on him bed in dry clothes, he didn't bother a bath. Gale went to bed soon after them. Elle lay in bed facing away from Elwood as much as possible. She soon slipped into a dream.
She was at the lake, standing alone in the sand. It was peaceful and calm. But from the lake a shadow rose from the lake. The Naudin who she though had gone forever back to stalking her dreams. She missed the one goodnights sleep she got. A laugh echoed through her head from the Naudin.
"You thought I was gone." Bomon said.
"Get out of my head!" Elle screamed.
"Stop letting me in, honey."
Elle gripped her fists together, digging her nails into her palm. It was true she kept letting Bomon in. She let lots of things get in her head and it distracted her. She closed her eyes, tight shut.
"Get out!" She gave a final scream and Bomon was gone, "Phew." she said whipping her forehead.
She sat down on the beach and relaxed in her safe dream again.
* * * *
The next morning Elle awoke to being alone in the room with Elwood. The tension between them was high.
"I'm sorry, Elle." Elwood finally said to her.
"It's okay, just those mermaid juices, yeah." Elle said.
"Yeah I guess it was," Elwood said pacing the room. "but what if it wasn't."
"Listen, just forget about it, ok?" Elle said, "Nothing should happen between us because we have to focus on the journey." she got up and left the room.
"Ok." Elwood said.
They all stayed for another breakfast in the palace and packed new provisions. Elle and Elwood exchanged a few awkward looks but then tension died down a little. Elle knew they would get back to normal and forget about it soon, at least she hoped they would.
Elle, Alura, Gale and Elwood set off without Balasie, who would join them later. Ferafel showed them a safe path too Heros Pass as they led their horses. A pass through the Valton ridge to get to the city of Valton.
"The journey should take you around five or more days on horse back." Ferafel said.
Ferafel gave Gale a horse before they set off and she named it Wildfire. Its coat an almost red chestnut colour. His tail and mane like flames trailing behind him in the wind.
So they started their journey through Heros Pass. Elle thought about all the advice Balasie had given then before hand. "Go fast but make sure you get rest. Try your best to always have fresh water and only use provisions if needed, hunt for food instead. And never take a short cut in Heros Pass, no matter what."
"Another night through this forest." Alura said. "I'm sure nothing bad will happen again though cause we are on a safe path."
"Yes, then it's south through the fields and to the mountains where Heros pass is and through another stretch of field then it's New Valton." Elle replied pointing their path through on a old tan map.
The forest looked like it did before they came to Vertham city but there were no poisonous pink flowers in sight. A lot less purple moss covered the ground and trees and the canopy was less think allowing more light through.
"Any places we can stop before Valton?"
"Not before Heros Pass but theres a town called Tirron before Valton."
"Maybe we should make a stop there, never heard of the place though."
"It's quite like Valton but smaller," Elwood butted in. "we should stop there."
Elle gave Elwood a glare, "Thanks for the input." and coughed.
"Well I'm the most experienced traveler out of us now that Balasie isn't here."
"Great," Gale said. "go write a book." She giggled while Elle and Alura laughed along with her.
"Maybe I will." Elwood cleared his throat and rode off alone on Xyfare, ahead of the others.
Alura watched Elwood and quietly spoke to Elle. "Has something happened between you two?"
"Me and Elwood? No," Elle denied. "what makes you think that."
"Uh, you could cut the tension with a knife between you two."
"I don't know," Elle breathed out deeply. "I don't wanna talk about it."
"Just tell me Elle, I'm your best friend." Alura said in a gentle voice. "I'm here for you."
"Okay," Elle whispered. "He kissed me."
"Oh my, I knew it."
"Shh." Elle shushed Alura.
"Sorry, did you kiss him back?"
"Yes, but this morning I told him just to forget about it. Nothing can happen between us, we need to focus on the journey."
Alura squealed with girly excitement. "But you're probably right."
They stopped talking for a while then Alura looked at Elle's luggage. "Gosh, I almost forgot about that leather bag."
"Yeah me too, even though I'm having to carry it everywhere!" Elle replied, clutching Quests reins.
"Still don't know what to do with the stuff?" Alura asked.
"I could sell or trade them, I didn't have time in Vertham to do it. This baggage is really becoming a burden and reminds me of Westerfort and that Lord Merad."
"And don't mention that Cayton fellow who was quite fond of you, Elle." Alura said. "But he wanted to get you arrested which I don't get. Maybe he thought if he couldn't have you then no one could cause you would be locked up safe and sound in a jail cell."
"Eh," Elle shrugged her shoulders. "he was annoying."
They stopped for lunch after Elle and Elwood caught some squirrels for food. They finished their water but filled their canteens back up in a stream that flowed along the path. They made sure their horses drank and ate too. Gale feed them carrots and apples. Elle prepared them and cooked them over a fire. It gave them energy until they got to the edge of Vertham forest at night fall.
"We should stop here for the night." Elwood said while dismounting.
"Yeah, good thing we got though the forest by night." Alura said.
"Dinner?" Gale said.
"Use some provisions." Elwood said bluntly.
"Alright, light a fire though I'm getting cold." Gale said cosign her arms tightly.
"Fine." Elwood said and left to fetch some wood.
"I'm tired." Elle groaned and lay down on the soft grass a top a blanket.
Elle reached into her bag and took out some special berry bread from Vertham. She ate it silently while the others ate theirs and sat around the fire Elwood lit.
Elwood looked over at Elle and noticed how lovely she looked under the yellow light of the fire. Elle noticed him staring at her but she gave him a small smile and pushed her long hair behind her ear then trailed her eyes away to somewhere else.
That night Elle sept sound and safe with the song of crickets in the air. The ambers from the fire gave warmth to them and the cool, calm wind was relaxing all at once. In the morning Elle felt better, confident and refreshed when she woke up. Gale had woken up before her.
"Good morning Elle!" She said.
"Good morning, Gale." Elle replied. "How about we get some breakfast."
"Yeah! I'm starving."
Elle and Gale walked into the forest.
"Maybe we can find some berries and eggs." Elle said.
She knew what berries were safe or not from learning form her father and studying everything to do with hunting. Elle found a nest of eggs and took four of the eight, as she didn't want to take all of the poor birds eggs. Gale called over Elle when she found a bush with ripe red berries on it.
"Those are safe," Elle said. "lets get to picking."
They held open their shirts and dropped the picked berries in and carefully walked back to camp. Alura and Elwood woke up when they got back.
"Cooking us up a breakfast Elle?" Elwood asked with a wink.
"Sure but not for you." Elle replied throwing a berry at him playfully.
Elwood ate it and started chocking and clutching his neck. Elle freaked out that the berries were actually poisonous.
"Ah," Elle said as she didn't know what to do.
But then a devious smile took over Elwood's face. "Haha! I was only joking."
Elle stuck her tongue out at Elwood then turned to Alura who was giving her a look like her and Elwood were all good now. Elle gave Alura a small nod. Except in Elle's head things weren't really okay for her but she just put on a face to make everyone happy. But in the end she felt better than yesterday so that was a plus for her.
"Next time you won't get saving." She said crossing her arms.
Elle cooked the eggs on the pan with some bacon from their provisions. A good breakfast for being on the road.
"Lets go then!" Elle said pulling everyone up of their butts, after they finished eating.
"Alright bossy boots." Alura said feeling the tug of Elle's arm.
"It might be two days until we get to Heros Pass so we better go as fast as we can to make it less." Elle stressed.
They left the edge of Vertham forest to the far fields. Light yellowy long grass. It felt brittle but yet soft to lie on with a blanket on top. Trying to look out into the distance from where they were would only get you more fields. As they rode south they would sometimes see large hills of rough or smooth rocks. Black birds perched on them. Elle felt something evil about them.
"Shoot!" Elle shouted through the loud winds. "I hope we can find a water source some how on the way. We may run out."
"Don't worry there's bound to be something!" Elwood replied, shouting back.
Night cam quickly again after a few stops through the day. They were more than half way through the fields. The night was normal and calm. For dinner they had their provisions as there was nothing to hunt.