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earindle

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I have been walking for three days now although it seems as if I’ve been doing this all my life. My feet ache as well as my whole body but I dare not stop and rest in fear of being caught up. I am alone and if I fell asleep no one would be able to keep watch. My pursuers could then take me away easily and I wouldn’t even notice until I would wake up, locked up tight in jail. That’s why I must go on until I reach the city and freedom. Or at least that’s what I hope.

I have left my village because one person told me to. Should I have trusted him? I mean, he is an Elf and I’ve always been taught that elves can’t be trusted. But then so many things have happened since few. First, the attack on my village and the disastrous fire killing all of my family and friends. Then, me leaving for Menila to work as a maid and surviving on breadcrumbs and a few pennies earned by cleaning the Lady’s room. In fact if it hadn’t been for Martha getting married I would never have left this horrible world. Nearly a week ago I was changed to outside duty, meaning I had to go pick apples in the orchard. It felt great to be outside again. I was born a farmer girl and used to spend my days in the fields or on Belock hill, which extends beyond the village. Mother hated to see me up there, she was afraid I would get eaten by a wolf. But I loved it. I could see everything from the coming and going of the merchants on market days to the road that brought back my father from the sea every week. The most interesting, however, were the mountains up north. They hide what lies beyond and sometimes I think I glimpse strange birds over there. My mum kept telling me that my imagination was playing me tricks but I keep thinking that those birds look like the dragons in the books at church. I wonder why I am going in this direction today; maybe that is where Fenraldia, the elf city is. I don’t know, I have never heard of it, but that’s the direction I was told to go.

Everything is peaceful around me. I walk on the margin of a small stream. The water licks the rocks and gains speed as I approach the waterfall of Gen. Sometimes deer come to drink. They do not mind me, as I am silent and do not break the peace. The scent of the flowers, a mix of daffodils, lilac, lavender and wild roses, as well as the shade of the trees lull me to sleep and I have trouble keeping my legs steady and my eyes open. It is so calm and quiet except for the birds that are singing spring. Their innocence makes me smile; they do not know what I know, what I have seen, and what is to happen.

My Lady had given me the afternoon off and I had decided to take a walk in Darlock forest behind the town. I wanted to be away from the noise and air of the human population. In the forest I knew I would find the tranquillity and fresh air that I was longing for. I walked for hours enjoying the wonders of nature. Dusk was starting to fall. I was heading home when all of the sudden, I saw out of the corner of my eye a great burst of light; millions of multicolour points filled the air like the many pieces of a stained glass in the sun. As I approached the source, I started to hear the flutter of many wings and the low buzzing of voices. I stared and what I saw surprised me so much that I fell backwards almost revealing myself. Down in the opening, where the trees parted to leave place for flowers and toadstools, were gathered hundreds of little creatures: Faeries. One of the Faeries, whom I assumed to be the Queen, had just given a speech. I did not hear all of it but I remember her saying that something had happened again and that, last time, it had lead to a war nearly destroying the world. There was talk of dragons, elves and dwarves, and of a girl who was in danger, a danger unknown to her. But why this secret cannot be revealed is because only the Faeries are supposed to know about it. The light attracted me and now I must keep my mouth shut.

After that everything happened extremely fast. I tried to learn as many things as I could about Faeries and the other creatures the Queen talked about. A few days afterwards, which actually was four days ago, I came back to where the Faeries had gathered. They had gone, of course, but I found someone else there. Him. The Elf, Erwin. He seemed to have been waiting for me but refused to answer my questions and just kept telling me to leave at dawn the next morning and follow the road to the Sper Mountains and that he would meet me further on. I still wonder why I did as he told me. Maybe was it the way he talked and looked at me, so intriguing…

The Menila police must be looking for me. I ran away stealing what I could take in the food storage. If they find me, I am done for the axe. If I find Erwin on time who knows what awaits me. I have escaped from a trap but might fall into another one; or could find what I’ve always dreamt for: freedom and glory.