• 1.

    As I walked stealthily through the dew-covered forest in the early morning, I heard several things at once. First was the sound of hooves on the ground, strong and fast. Second was the swooshing of a stranger’s arrow, heading towards the pack. Lastly were my own feet, running at full speed towards the pack of deer, knife in hand.
    By the time I’d gotten there, into a small clearing, the pack was far away, disappearing behind trees and shrubs. There was one dead deer with an arrow through its neck lying on the ground. It was someone else’s kill, and I wouldn’t take it.
    “Damn,” I cursed. Now I’ll have to eat from my supplies, I thought.
    The forest I had been in for the past three days was quite beautiful. The trees towered fifty feet into the air, they were probably more than a thousand years old. The ground was covered in lush, green moss and the tree trunks were massive. It would take more than five grown men to circle around one trunk. The rest of the forest was such a dark green, that at night it seemed black.
    Being an assassin wasn’t the best job, but it wasn’t the worst. I made an honest amount of money; it was enough to keep me alive. And I made due with my little possessions, though there was a very dangerous risk. All I had with me was a bag of one hundred Eves, one change of clothes, my twin knifes, a water canter, a blanket, my bow, and a quiver with arrows.
    I wasn’t very good with a bow, but I was decent enough that it was worth having a good yew bow. On the other hand, I was highly skilled with my knifes. They were probably the only reason I wasn’t rotting in a ditch right now.
    My own attire was perfect for my line of work. I had on a black cape over my black leather pants and billowy white shirt - which had a brown canvas like material type thing over it - along with mid-calf length black boots. My belt held my knifes and small food supply, while everything else was on a small rucksack I hung on my left shoulder.
    I waited for the stranger who had shot the arrow to come into the beautiful clearing. It was a boy. He came within two minutes.
    “Nice kill,” I commented as he broke into the clearing.
    I had to admit he had a pretty face. He had shaggy blond hair that shimmered in the rising sun and green eyes like emeralds. His complexion was pale, like mine, and he had high cheekbones. The stranger was tall, and lean. Though he wasn’t lanky, and only had a bit of muscle. Because of an earring in his right ear, he had the look of a rebel. Through the mess of shaggy hair in front of his face I could see that his face was very handsome. As for age, he looked about twenty-ish, like me.
    “Thanks,” he said cautiously, walking over slowly.
    I was leaning casually against a tree well away from the deer on the ground. He went over to the deer and quickly drew a knife.
    “I was just guarding it. I’ll be, well, not seeing you, I’ve got to catch up to that pack,” I said while walking to the other side of the clearing, kicking my foot against the tree before I started moving. It was going to be a long hunt, and I was particularly tired.
    “Wait,” he called. I stopped and turned. He continued, “Did I scare them away?” I nodded stiffly, talking to complete strangers wasn’t my specialty, and I didn’t enjoy it much. “Sorry, do you want to have some of this? I’ll never eat it all,” he asked nicely.
    I wasn’t quite sure whether or not to trust him yet, but I nodded anyways, and I quickly pulled out one of my knifes, and told him, “I can’t eat it for free. You killed it, I’ll skin it.”
    He was okay with that and he leaned back to clear room for me. “I’m Aiden Garish,” he offered after a long silence.
    “Lee,” I told him, starting on the deer. “Can you start a fire?”
    “Sure,” he got to that job. While he was gone collecting sticks I pondered over trusting this stranger, I still couldn’t decide when he came back. He asked me, “What’s a pretty young lady like you doing out here?”
    Pretty? Me? I thought. I was decent-looking, but not pretty, especially not when I’ve been in a giant forest for three days. My amber hair rolled off of my shoulder in slight waves, and my sapphire blue eyes shone in the light. If I was being honest with myself, I was short. I was only five feet tall, but I was still a fast runner. You had to be fast when you have my job. My waist was tiny, like the rest of my body. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have freckles on my pale face, but in the end I wouldn’t change anything. And the gross scar that went over my nose and under both eyes in a long line didn’t help anything.
    “I . . . was delivering a message to someone in Kioka,” I settled on saying. “What about you?”
    “I’m looking for someone,” he replied. “Do you have a last name Lee?”
    “No, at least not one that I‘m allowed to use. Besides, even if I was, I wouldn‘t feel right using it,” I frowned.
    “You’re not allowed to use your last name?” he asked incredulously.
    “Yeah, my mother never wanted me to use hers or my fathers. She said it was a disgrace to use his out in the world and hers had to stay with her.”
    “Is that why you’re in the assassin business instead of working on a farm like any other twenty-something girl would be?”
    I froze as he said ‘assassin‘. How did he find out what I was? I thought.
    “You‘re very well known,” he answered to the question in my head. “’The fire assassin‘. Did you know that‘s what people call you? Because of your red hair and quick kills. There has been so much news about you lately, I’m surprised you haven’t been caught yet.”
    Of course I knew I was well known, how stupid of me to trust some stranger. I realized my face was still frozen and willed back to normal. I laughed, trying to shake of the last of the sudden dread. “I suppose that’s as good a reason as any,” I answered his question.
    We were silent the rest of the time I skinned. Though I made sure to keep my guard up in case he tried anything. The fire was crackling by the time I was ready to roast the dear. I put it on the spit Aiden had made, and let it get thoroughly cooked.
    When my job was done I took the blanket from my bag, leaned against a tree, and covered myself up. I watched Aiden’s strong back as he turned the deer on the spit. He really was a good-looking guy. It made me sad that I couldn’t be with anyone.
    Once during the time I was fighting with my eyes he slipped a peak at me. I thought about what it meant, but dismissed it. I couldn’t react anyways, because it was too much work to fight my eyes and give him a response.
    By the time it was done it was dark. My eyes were drooping and I was fighting to keep them opened. After all, I hadn’t had a good nights sleep in days. Fighting even more than normal to stay alert was hard on me. I hadn’t realized how tired I was. Though, an early rise and late sleep would do that to a person.
    I crawled into to circle of firelight and grabbed a piece of done meat. “Thanks,” I mumbled as I bit into it. The flavors burst out at me. It was one of the best deer I’d ever had.
    “No, thank you,” he said, his first word in over an hour. “You saved me a lot of trouble.” He grabbed a piece too.
    “So,” I began, “where are you headed?”
    “I don’t know yet, actually. I need to find his trail,” Aiden answered.
    “Oh.”
    “What about you?”
    “I was thinking,” I pondered for a moment whether or not to tell him, but continued, “I would go to Shina.”
    “What’s in Shina?” he asked with a leer.
    “Nothing of consequence,” I said, trying to fight a smile.
    “I see,” was all he said, fighting off a smile of his own.
    “Hey Lee,” Aiden asked after a moment.
    “Yeah?”
    “I have two questions for you, will you promise you’ll answer them?”
    “Um . . .” I tried to think of a polite way to say no, but couldn’t so I said after I‘d swollowed the last bite I‘d taken, “it depends on the question.”
    “Alright,” he said, “why are you an assassin?”
    “Why? Because it gets me enough money to live, it requires speed and wit, which I am good at, and I get to go all over the world.”
    “But you’re killing someone,” he pushed.
    “Listen Aiden,” I began, the firelight dancing on my face, “I watch the target for at least a week before I do anything to them. If I think the target deserves what my client wants me to do, then I’ll do it. But if the target seems perfectly innocent, then I’ll go back to my client and tell them I don’t think the target deserves to die. Believe me, I’m not a heartless person who kills whoever, whenever just for some cash. I listen to the story first; I don’t just accept the job. Plus, I make it perfectly clear to my client that I’m going to do that.”
    As I finished I saw that his face was thinking; probably about what I’d said. “I see,” he mumbled.
    “What about your other question?” I asked.
    “Right!” he exclaimed, snapping out of whatever he was doing. “Okay. So, I was wondering, would you like to travel together?”
    “What? Why?” I was severely confused.
    “It’s safer to travel as a group,” he commented.
    “Not for you when you’re with me. Plus, I am perfectly capable of keeping myself safe. Need I mention that I’ve been doing it for over five years?” that was only a partial lie
    “I know, but still. Also, I think you might be able to help me find my friend.”
    “But . . . why? Why would you want to travel with me?” I was still incredulous.
    “Listen, yes or no?”
    “Um . . . no?” I didn’t mean for it to come out like a question.
    “How about yes?” he asked, his tone the slightest bit condescending.
    I was extremely uncomfortable now. “Alright.”
    “Good. Now, go to sleep,” he ordered.
    “No.”
    “You’re exhausted. Sleep,” he pushed.
    “I won’t budge on this. I don’t know you well. You might try something,” I countered.
    “Smart girl,” he said, “but you wouldn’t want me use my sleeping powder on you would you? I have some, and let me tell you, it’s not that hard to put on a half conscious person. So go to sleep,” he insisted.
    “Why do you want me to sleep so badly?”
    “Because if you don’t, you’ll be dead on your feet tomorrow.”
    “Then just don’t travel with me,” I retorted.
    “No way, you’re a very good tracker by reputation, I want to see if that’s true, and I need your help.”
    “Fine!” I exclaimed, tired of fighting, “But if you do anything to me while I sleep, I’ll hurt you so badly, you won‘t be recognizable.”

    2.

    Waking up was nicer than it had ever been before. Maybe it was because of the full day of rest yesterday, but it was nice nonetheless.
    When I sat up with a groan from laying on the ground Aiden said cheerfully, “’Morning sleepy!”
    “Right,” was all I said. I got up to put my blanket away, realizing I suddenly had two. It had to be his. I went over to him and said sleepily, “thank you.”
    He took the blanket when I offered.
    I ran my fingers through my hair. I knew it was messy; it was always messy when I woke up. When I thought it felt reasonable I began, “So, who is this guy you’re looking for?”
    “His name is Torah. He is my friend who ran away from home to search for someone named Selena. His mother asked me to get him and bring him home.”
    “Okay, who is Selena?” I asked. He wasn’t being very helpful.
    “She is a healer and an elf. Torah is a mage. I think Torah went West, to Yew land, where the elves live.”
    Yew land? No, no no no. I couldn’t go to Yew land. I knew my expression was very readable, but I didn’t care, not at that moment.
    Aiden must have seen the distress on my face and asked, “What’s wrong?”
    “I can’t go to Yew land,” I said slowly, trying to will my face into a hard mask.
    “What? Why?” he asked, confused.
    Of course he was confused. No one knew my past, why would he? I bit my lip, willing the tears not to come.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, he was distressed now.
    “Aiden, I want to help you, believe me. But I can’t go to Yew land,” I explained.
    “Why not? I need your help. I promised Torah’s mother. Please? We won’t stay long I promise. I won’t ask you why you don’t want to go either, not even once. Just, please? I am not a good tracker, and I need to find Torah,” he was begging and holding one of my hands between his two.
    I sat on my knees, shaking my head back and forth, letting my hair go everywhere.
    “Please?” he pleaded again.
    “Okay,” I whispered. “Only for two days at max. I won’t stay there for longer than that.” Yew land, crap.
    Aiden wore a triumphant smile on his face.
    “So, we should go,” he said, still smiling.
    “Fine,” I said reluctantly.
    “Actually, Lee?” Aiden asked.
    “What?” I said through gritted teeth.
    “Do you know how to get to Yew land?” he asked with an half-smile. “’Cause I don’t.”
    “Unfortunately, I do.”

    * * *

    As we traveled through the forest I found out that Aiden wasn’t a very fast runner. I was jogging to keep up with his running, and he asked for a break often. For his defense though, I was a very fast runner.
    On one stop I leaned against a tree, not even a drop of sweat on my face, as he sat down panting.
    “How . . . can you . . . run so much?” he asked through pants.
    “I can’t tell you,” I said through gritted teeth. “My mother would kill me if anyone knew.”
    “Why?” he asked. It was really funny to watch him try to figure out my family.
    “You’ll never understand,” I told him.
    “If I guess, will you tell me if I got it right or wrong?” he asked.
    He would never guess, so I said exactly that, “You’ll never guess.”
    “Will you?” he asked again.
    “I’ll think about it,” I said as I started walking.
    “Wait!” he called after me. “Okay, my first guess is, your mother is ashamed she gave birth to you?”
    “Hm,” I said, “nope, more like the other way around.” Ha, let him make what he can out of that. We were both walking now.
    “Okay, your mother was suffocating you so you left,” he tried again.
    “That’s a part of it. Think about it though, my mother won‘t let me use my father‘s or her last name, how could she love me so much that I would leave?” this was more fun than I thought it would be.
    “Hm,” his face showed how confused he was. I couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t laugh. You aren’t being the most helpful.”
    “Of course not. I don’t want you to know about my past,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone. He should have known that.
    “Fine, your father left your mother,” he tried yet again.
    “Nope.”
    “Your mother left your father?”
    “Nope.”
    “Okay,” he looked very frustrated, “your parents weren’t supposed to be together but they loved each other too much to let that stop them,” he said confidently.
    “When does that ever happen?” I asked while laughing.
    “I give up for now,” he sighed. “Your past is a giant, muddy puddle to me.”
    “Good, I like it better when people aren’t trying to figure me out,” I commented. We walked in silence for a long time. We didn’t run either; I didn’t think Aiden could handle anymore.
    I stopped suddenly in front of a tree, sensing the hidden walls of Yew land. Aiden took a couple more steps but stopped when he realized I was standing in front of a tree.
    The tree was taller than most, and thicker.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “Shh!” I hissed.
    “What is it?” he whispered.
    “The hidden door of Yew land,” I explained in a whisper. I sighed, “You have to have an invitation from a resident or know the elfish words to open it.”
    “Do you know the words?” he asked.
    “Yes,” I said. “It‘s: open your doors to a friend and accept us into your woodland home. Except you have to say it in Elfish,” I explained.
    “Stay here.” I walked to the tree and put my small hand on the trunk. “Una de parelis repa sa imnua hir sisantu yo ritala frina woonata jinta,” I recited. I never thought I would have to say those words again.
    The ground started shaking, trees sprouted out of the ground next to the one with my hand on it. The trees formed a giant wall surrounding Yew land, and the original tree sank into the ground, creating one large opening to walk into.
    “Come on Aiden. You have two days,” I said, walking reluctantly into the fortress.

    3.

    I walked as swiftly as possible without leaving Aiden behind or running, but it was hard. I heard whispers from people on the roads. I ignored the fragrant smell of the city and walked on, also ignoring the scenery I knew Aiden wanted to look at. Well, he’d have plenty of time while he searched for that Torah guy.
    The familiar tree’s that were used as homes hung above my head, high and tall and thick. Elves wandered the streets doing their daily business, some looking at us as we passed, others ignoring us completely.
    Brown ground was below me, green canopy was above me, and giant brown tree trunks hung next to me as houses and shops. These things haunted me, and I’d sworn I’d never have to see them again. I guess I broke my promise to myself.
    I heard a few people whisper things like, “Does that woman look familiar to you?” and, “what are humans doing here?” and, “is she an elf?” which just made me go faster.
    “Lee!” Aiden almost yelled. “What’s wrong with you?” he ran to catch up with me, and then examined my face.
    “Just come on!” I told him loudly, grabbing his hand and dragging him onward.
    Finally, I stood in front of the Orchid Inn. It had its usual purple and white orchids in front of it giving off a wonderful aroma. I smiled and walked in.
    “Hello,” I said to the handsome young elf in front of the counter, “a room please?”
    He looked up from the counter and locked his deep brown eyes on me. He looked almost twenty.
    “You are humans though. How did you get into the city?” he was getting frantic.
    “Thomas! It’s me, Lee,” I said. That calmed him down immediately. I’d missed him. His shaggy brown hair flopped in his face just like it had before.
    “Lee! It’s been way to long! I thought you said you weren’t coming back? Oh I’m sorry, I forgot my manners, your ma-”
    “Thomas!” I shouted. Thomas could be such a meathead sometimes. I continued saying, “I don’t want anyone knowing who I am while I’m here. Or that I’m here, for that matter. Plus I told you to call me Lee.”
    “Right, sorry Lee. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you,” he apologized. “We’ve all missed you. My mom and dad have too.”
    “Thanks Thomas, but I’m not staying for long. Aiden,” I nodded towards Aiden, “is looking for someone and he didn’t know how to get into Yew land, so I said I’d help him. I gave him two days to find his friend.”
    “Two days?! Can’t you stay longer? I’m turning two hundred next week!”
    “Really? Let me tell you happy birthday now because I can’t stay for longer. You know somehow, someone is going to tell her I’m here and then she’ll make a big deal and I don’t want that. I’m really sorry.” I wondered what Aiden was making of this whole conversation.
    “Oh, all right,” he pouted, looking adorable as always. “One room, you said?” he asked.
    “Yes, please.” Thomas was my best friend before I left.
    He handed me a key and I took it and led Aiden up the carved stairs.
    “Okay,” Aiden said once I’d closed the door, “explain to me please. I know I said I wouldn’t pry, but how does an elf know you so well. Aren’t humans shunned here? Why would he be so friendly? And what was he about to call you?” he practically exploded.
    “Aiden. I don’t want to tell you. All right? I don’t want to be here. All right? I only came because you begged for my help. I could leave you here at anytime I wanted to and then you’d be trapped, because, do you know elfish? I didn’t think so!” I yelled back into his face.
    “Explain the bare minimum then, please. I can’t know nothing about you,” he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.
    “You do know about me though,” I said, I wouldn’t calm down until he didn’t say another word about this. “You know that I’m an assassin, you know that I judge my targets, you know my mother is absolutely insane. That qualifies as nothing?”
    “No. I meant about how you know this place,” he was calm at least.
    “Well I hope you like being disappointed, because I’m not telling you a word,” I said, trying to calm down myself unsuccessfully.
    “I could ask Thomas downstairs,” he threatened.
    “No, because I run faster than you, Thomas knows me, and Thomas wouldn’t tell you after I tell him not to,” I countered. Why was he prying like this? He promised he wouldn’t.
    Nothing more could be said though, because Thomas knocked on the door.

    4.

    “Lee,” Thomas said nervously. I was still fuming from my fight with Aiden, but I controlled my emotions and turned to face him.
    “What is it, Thomas?” I asked. Aiden had come up behind me and was looking at Thomas too. No doubt trying to figure out my relationship with him.
    “I don’t know how, but she found out you were here.”
    My eyes widened, and I knew my face was a mask of pure horror. “No! No no no! She wasn’t supposed to know! How?” I yelled.
    “Someone saw you come in and recognized you,” he told me. “Anyways, she’s on her way,” he concluded.
    “That’s it!” Aiden shouted suddenly. “Who is she?”
    “My mother,” I wailed, despair heavy in my voice. “What am I going to do? She wasn’t supposed to know I was here. She’ll never let me leave again.”
    “Lee-” Aiden was cut off by a carriage pulling up.
    I took in a deep breath, held myself up high, and walked out of the room and down the stairs.
    “Why does she hate her mother so much?” I heard Aiden ask.
    “She doesn’t hate her, she just wants to avoid her because of a family feud,” Thomas told him.
    Then I heard footsteps, they were coming down too.
    Just as I hit the last step, a woman came in the front door. She held herself regally like always, her brown hair was graying in places. She had the same deep brown eyes as me and was taller. Her body was slim like all elves, and she had pointed ears.
    “Your mother is an elf?” I heard Aiden gasp.
    “Told you you’d never guess Aiden,” I said as I walked over to the woman. “Mother,” I said while bowing, now only four feet away.
    “Lee! It’s been almost twenty-five years! You’ve aged so much! How old are you now? One hundred?” she said gleefully, gathering her dress up and running up and hugging me.
    “Yes, Mother.”
    “Queen Ina,” Thomas said, “it’s a pleasure to see you again.”
    “Queen?” Aiden asked.
    “I’ll explain later Aiden,” I chided.
    “Lee, you have to come back with me,” my mother said, oblivious to the others.
    “No,” I said, “Mother I’m only here for two days.”
    “Nonsense. Now that you’re home, you can train to take my place instead of your incompetent brother Alexander.”
    “Alexander is not incompetent Mother, and I’m not taking the throne, I told you that. I’m only going to live for five hundred years instead of one thousand. Training me would be a waste of time,” I said, my voice taking on a harsh tone.
    “Nonsense, nonsense. Come on now Dear.”
    “No.”
    “What?”
    Oh, crap. She was taking on her queen tone.
    “No, Mother,” I kept my resolve strong. I could feel Aiden’s confusion and Thomas’s want to help me, but it didn’t matter. Queen Ina, my mother was still going to try to force me to take the throne instead of my little brother Alexander.
    “Leanna Rin, grisa hiton kiona yonik rune.”
    She had said: you will take the throne. and she’d used my full name.
    I laughed. “I will not. That’s why I left, I don’t want it!”
    “It doesn’t matter, it’s your duty,” she said in a dangerously low voice.
    “I’m not even a full elf! How is it my duty? It should be Alexander’s! He is entirely an elf. Or did you forget about you running off with my human father for five years and having me?” My entire body was shaking with anger.
    “Leanna, don’t push me,” she threatened.
    “Why don’t you stop pushing me? I won’t take the throne.”
    “You will, Leanna.”
    I just sighed and said, “Please leave Mother. If you don’t want to, fine, but I’m going back up there where no doubt, my annoying companion will hassle me some more to tell him about my crazy, messed up, half elf life that I don’t want.” With that, I ran up the stairs, not pausing for a second to look back and see her reaction.

    5.

    “Lee?” of course it was Aiden, looking for answers.
    “What?” I said harshly, my face buried in my pillow.
    “Can I come in?”
    “Sure,” I said bitterly.
    He walked in, pulled a chair to the foot of the bed I was lying on, and asked, “Are you alright?”
    That surprised me; I looked up from the pillow. I expected him to ask me a question concerning what had just happened. “I’m fine,” I answered, putting my head back.
    “Good. Do you mind if I take a little nap? There’s only one bed,” he asked, putting his feet on the bed and leaning back in the chair.
    What? He didn’t want to know anymore? Did he not care? Had he asked Thomas? Did Thomas tell him? These thoughts all rushed through my brain along with tons of others.
    “I owe you an explanation,” I finally said, sitting up and facing him.
    He opened his eyes slowly, smiled, and asked, “You think?”
    I smiled at that.
    “Only if you want to tell me though,” he added.
    “I do,” I said. “You deserve to know.”
    “Cool,” he said.
    I crawled across the bed until I was facing him and began, “First of all, Leanna is my real name, but you are never allowed to call me that. Rin is my mother’s last name. Earlier when she was speaking Elvin, she said: You will take the throne. My mother, that woman I was just yelling at, is the queen of elves.”
    “I got that part,” he teased.
    “Don’t interrupt,” I reprimanded. “Anyways, she’s the queen. About one hundred years ago she met this human. He had red hair and chocolate brown eyes and was the most beautiful thing my mother had ever seen. So she ran away with him for five years. And had me.
    “My lifespan is half of a full elf’s. To figure out how old a full elf is you take how old they look, and multiply it by ten. To figure out how old a half elf is, you take how old they look and multiply it by five. You see?”
    He was nodding along with me, so I kept going.
    “My father died while working on the wall surrounding Shina ninety-five years ago. Mother went back to Yew land and accepted the position of queen. She told me not to use my father’s last name because he was human and not to use hers outside because Elvin names were too sacred for the outside world. She has been hassling me my whole life to take over for her. I didn’t have a choice. Until, mother met an elf and had my little brother Alexander ten years later when I was fifteen but looked three.
    “When that happened, I asked my mother if I could leave and Alexander could take over. She said no, that the title and power belonged to me and me alone. So I dealt with it for another sixty years.”
    I sighed. My life was so depressing. I looked up at Aiden; he was patiently waiting for me to go on. Where had all this patience come from? Oh well, it works for me, I thought.
    “When I was seventy-five I left. I’ve been an assassin for the last five years, but before that I was a merchant, a fisherman, a maid, and much more. I traveled all over the world. It was something I loved.” I was aware that my voice had taken on a tone of self-pity, but I didn’t care.
    “Alexander must look only about nine years old now, even though he’s ninety.”
    I sighed. “So there you go.” Aiden was going to laugh at me and my sad, sad life, I knew it.
    “What’s the worse part?” he asked seriously.
    That surprised me. His faced looked sad. Did he feel bad for me? “The worse part?”
    He nodded.
    “I’ve never thought about it before. Probably that everyone that I become close to dies or is going to outlive me by a lot,” I told him.
    He looked shocked.
    “What?” I asked. Is that such a weird thing?
    “You’re crying,” he said.
    I touched my cheek, and sure enough, there they were. Tears.
    I went to wipe them off, but before I could Aiden leaned forward and wiped them with his thumb.
    “You’ll be fine,” he said. “In the two days that I’ve known you, you’ve proved to be a pretty tough person.”
    “Thanks,” I whispered.
    “Go to sleep. It’s late, and you’re tired.”
    And I did just that.

    6.

    My dreams that night very strange. There was a man coming into my room, and another man trying to stop him. Then the first man was carrying me, and the second man was in front of him suddenly, but then the first person was carrying both of us. A woman had told the first person he’d done well, and I was set on a cot in a cell with the second person.
    When I woke up, I was in the cell. Aiden was on the floor next to me, asleep. What the heck had happened?
    The moon was shining through a small window, and there was one door with bars on it and a hole for a key.
    I got up and poked Aiden until he woke up. He groaned and turned onto his side, but then sat upright really quickly, as if remembering something important.
    “Lee! Are you all right?” he asked frantically.
    “Yeah,” I told him. “What happened?”
    “Thomas drugged you and was going to take you to you mother, but then I tried to stop him. So her drugged me. I think he did bring us to the queen, your mother. He was the one who told her you were here.”
    “Thomas? No, that can’t be true, I’ve known him since I was fifteen!” Thomas, gave me to my mother, I couldn‘t believe it.
    “He did,” a smooth, male voice said suddenly, “but we’re here to get you out.”
    Two figures stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of the door.
    The one who spoke was . . . different in his looks. He had dark skin, and curly brown hair. His eyes were so brown they were almost black. Was he from the mountains maybe?
    The second figure was a beautiful girl. She was an elf actually. Her curly, gorgeous, blond hair hung down to her waist, and she had green eyes like Aiden. Her ears pointed out and her body was perfectly proportioned.
    “Selena, Torah!” Aiden almost shouted. “How?”
    “The whole city has heard about it,” the woman, Selena, said.
    “Aiden, are these the people we were looking for?” I asked him.
    “Yes,” he told me. “We’ll do introductions later.”
    Aiden got to his feet and then helped me up while Torah chanted a few words. The lock opened with a simple click! And we were out the door.
    “We have to go back to the Orchid Inn!” I told them as we ran. Naturally Selena and I were at the front. We were faster and knew how to get out.
    The stone walls of my mothers palace rushed by as we hurried by. I’d admired them for long enough, so I didn’t even slow down to look around. I could remember the halls stones and rugs and candles perfectly as I led the way out.
    “We can’t,” Selena said, “we have to leave.”
    “I can’t leave my knifes, they’re all I have,” I argued.
    “Fine, we’ll go get them,” she agreed as we continued on.
    Once outside we slowed down to let Torah and Aiden catch their breaths. It was a quick walk to the Inn, and we got there in under a minute. I ran up the stairs, grabbed my bag, Aiden‘s bag, Aiden‘s bow and quiver, my bow and quiver, and my belt, and ran back down.
    Except when I got back down Thomas was there, and the queen.
    “Stop this Lee!” Mother shouted.
    “Let me go!” I yelled, joining Torah, Selena, and Aiden.
    “Lee,” Thomas said in a reasonable voice, “no one wants to hurt you. Just become queen.”
    “No, I want to be free from this place, you have Alexander. What’s wrong with him? Sure he’s young, but at least he’s a full-blood.”
    Aiden leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Distract them while Torah builds up his magic to help us escape.”
    I nodded.
    “You are the first born though,” Mother insisted.
    “I don’t care. I love you Mother, believe me, but I can‘t keep up this argument anymore.”
    “Lee . . .” Thomas and Mother both started.
    There was a blinding light then. The ground was lifted from underneath my feet, and everything was shaking. By the time the light cleared, we were far away from any people. I realized that Aiden was carrying me.
    Someone else was using magic though. Vines sprang from trees all around us. One grabbed Aiden’s foot, causing him to drop me. My leg twisted behind me as I fell face first into the ground. Something in my ankle snapped. I heard it and I felt it. I yelled out in pain.
    Torah tried to counter the magic, and it worked. The vines retracted.
    Aiden picked me up again, because he heard me scream and knew something was wrong, I guessed.
    When we reached the tree containing the entrance and exit Selena said, “I don’t know the words to get out.”
    “I do,” I said, Luckily I‘d had to use them before. Aiden carried me over to the tree where I put my hand on the same place as before. “Cin jiror girt litalia de woonata jinta ren cin frin he.”
    “We have enjoyed visiting your woodland home but we must go,” Selena repeated in English. “I see.
    The trees parted. All of them, except the one my hand was under, sunk back into the ground. We were free.
    Just in case we were followed we continued running until we were far, far away.
    I felt kind of bad that I didn’t meet with Alexander, but my ankle hurt very badly.