A long string of islands, like hopping stones across a pond, appeared off the bow of the ancient elven scout ship. MistyTrail roused Mistake from her nap and pointed to them. Mistake sat up and stared at the islands.
“Those must be the Barrier Islands,” Mistake said as she peered over the bow rail. “It doesn’t look like anyone lives on them. Are we getting close to Elvangar?”
“I don’t know,” shrugged the Sakovan warrior as she nodded towards the stern. “I suspect that we might be. Eltor and Caldal have been arguing for over an hour.”
“What about?” asked Mistake.
“I am not sure,” replied MistyTrail, “but I think it has to do with the trouble they are going to be in when we get to Elvangar. I guess they hadn’t really thought much about it until they were actually on their way home.”
“What do you think it will be like?” asked Mistake. “Elvangar I mean. Eltor and Caldal have talked so little about it that I do not know what to expect.”
“I have no idea,” frowned MistyTrail. “Part of me is curious to discover it, but another part of me is anxious about it. If the elves are forbidden from passing these Barrier Islands, how will we ever get home?”
“Home,” Mistake echoed forlornly. “I never really had a home. I envy the life that you have had. Do you miss it?”
“I do,” MistyTrail admitted after a long pause. “I would not leave your side to return there, but I do think about my friends often. It was a home.”
“I didn’t give the Sakova a fair chance,” frowned Mistake. “I am sorry for the way I acted while I was there. Perhaps we will return there someday. Let’s go see what Eltor and Caldal are arguing about.”
Mistake and MistyTrail moved to the stern. Eltor and Caldal stopped talking when they saw that they had company.
“Don’t stop arguing on our account,” said Mistake. “We want to listen in and see where our future lies.”
“We weren’t arguing,” retorted Caldal.
“Yes, we were,” argued Eltor. “They may not understand what we are discussing, but they have a stake in this decision as well as we do.”
“What were you discussing?” asked MistyTrail.
“Our approach to Elvangar,” answered Eltor. “There are two ways that we can go home. One is safe, but will lead to immediate capture by the elders. The other is more dangerous, but will allow us to see our friends and family before we give ourselves up.”
“Perhaps we can help you talk this through,” suggested Mistake. “Tell us of the two approaches.”
“Elvangar has only one approach from the sea,” replied Caldal. “There is a magical entrance through the jungle to the Gates of Elvangar.”
“The Gates of Elvangar are not really gates,” interrupted Eltor. “There is a narrow channel that passes through a towering cliff. That channel is called the Gates of Elvangar. Sentries are always posted atop the cliffs, and they see every vessel approaching. After we pass through the channel, we will be immediately seized and hauled before the elders.”
“Can’t you sail to someplace other than the docks?” asked Mistake. “Is the harbor so small that you will not be able to?”
“The harbor is huge,” replied Eltor, “but we will not be free to sail anywhere. Two armed ships will meet us, one on each side. They will lash our ship to one of them and tow us to a dock. If we try to deviate from the course, or jump overboard to swim somewhere else, they will kill us. That is why we will not be able to talk to anyone before we are imprisoned.”
“The other approach is by foot,” frowned Caldal. “We would have to abandon this magnificent ship along the coast and then trek through a dangerous jungle. There is a good chance that we would not survive to get to Elvangar.”
“We would survive,” interrupted Eltor. “We have been in jungles before and survived. Besides, we would reach our village before the elders knew that we had returned.”
“There are no guards to stop you?” asked MistyTrail. “That sounds rather lax for a people who cherish their isolation.”
“There are guards,” nodded Eltor, “but they are guards from our village. They will capture us and then send a runner to the city. The elders will send guards to take us away. Still, we will have a few hours to greet old friends and let them know that we are alright.”
“That means a lot to you, doesn’t it, Eltor?” asked MistyTrail.
“It does,” nodded Eltor. “We are likely to be imprisoned for some time. It is the only way that we will have to say goodbye to those we love.”
“And you want to just give yourselves up, Caldal?” asked MistyTrail.
“It is the right thing to do,” nodded Caldal. “We have broken the law. I think we should eagerly surrender and ask for mercy from the elders. If we enter through the jungle, it will appear that we were trying to sneak back into Elvangar and hide our transgressions from the elders. I doubt that any mercy would be extended towards us.”
“What will happen to MistyTrail and me?” asked Mistake. “We haven’t broken any laws yet.”
“You will be hailed as heroes,” replied Eltor. “Or special guests. I am not sure which.”
“Heroes?” frowned Mistake. “Why?”
“Because you rescued us from the Island of Darkness,” explained Eltor. “You are heroes. You are also special because you are elves born in a foreign land. The elders will have many questions for you. You will probably dine with the queen on more than one occasion.”
“Regardless of our method of entry?” asked MistyTrail. “People sneaking into the Sakova were never warmly welcomed.”
“Another reason to give ourselves up,” frowned Caldal.
“I don’t think it matters,” argued Eltor. “It will be obvious that we brought Mistake and MistyTrail to Elvangar. How we decide to enter will have no reflection on them.”
“I have to agree with Caldal,” volunteered MistyTrail. “If Elvangar is similar to the Sakova, it is best to be upfront and get it over with. It removes all doubt about your sincerity and your willingness to face up to your punishment.”
Eltor sighed and hung his head. He stared at the floorboards and said nothing. Mistake’s lips pressed tightly together as she watched him.
“I think it is important for Eltor to say goodbye to his friends and family,” Mistake declared. “The jungle may be dangerous, but we have faced danger before and persevered. It is not like he is trying to avoid his punishment. He is just using his free time wisely before he is sentenced.”
“That brings us back to a stalemate,” Caldal shook his head. “How will we decide this?”
“What is there to decide?” asked Mistake. “We are all going to end up in the same place. MistyTrail can sail with Caldal through the Gates of Elvangar. I will trek through the jungle with Eltor. We will meet in the city, and everyone will be happy.”
Eltor brightened considerably and took Mistake’s hand. He looked up and smiled at her. Caldal smiled and nodded.
“So it shall be then,” Caldal declared. “To each his own.”
“I cannot leave Mistake,” frowned MistyTrail. “I promised.”
“You are not leaving me, MistyTrail,” smiled Mistake. “We are going to the same place, but by different routes.”
“You will only be apart for a day,” added Eltor. “Set course for Alamanda.”
Caldal nodded happily and complied. The ship turned slightly as the Barrier Islands grew small behind them. Several hours later, a coastline came into view. They watched as the land drew closer. Several tiny white spots ran along the coast, visible only because they contrasted with foliage of the jungle behind them.
“What are they?” asked Mistake as she pointed to the white areas.
“Ancient elven cities,” replied Eltor. “At one time the elves lived along the coast as well as the interior. That was before the attack by Angragar.”
“Vand,” frowned Mistake.
“Vand,” agreed Eltor. “The ruins stand as a testament to the elven need to remain isolated. We are forbidden to live outside the jungle ring that surrounds us. Oh, how I would love to live on the coast with my ship anchored in front of my house. That can never be, though.”
“Is Alamanda one of the ruins?” asked MistyTrail. “Is that where we are heading?”
“It is the most famous of the ruins,” nodded Eltor. “It is famous not for being attacked, but as the birthplace of Kieran. Only one elf escaped the slaughter that day. It was a young lad named Kieran. He ran all day to carry the word of the attack by ships flying the flag of Angragar.”
“And for this his name is remembered after thousands of years?” questioned Mistake.
“No,” Caldal shook his head. “He is not remembered for his heroic feat. In fact, he is not remembered because of Alamanda, but Alamanda is remembered as his birthplace. Kieran is revered as the greatest elven magician to have ever lived. He was but a student when the attack destroyed the city. He grew up to be not only a great magician, but also the king of the elven people.”
They watched silently as the ruins grew larger. Eventually, Eltor ran to the bow as the ship entered a small natural harbor. He pointed to something unseen, and Caldal steered away from it.
“There are still remnants of stone pillars underwater,” Caldal said as he answered the unasked question. “It is best to avoid them. We have sailed into this harbor many times before. It is our favorite overnight spot when we go fishing.”
Caldal slid the ship onto the beach. Eltor jumped off and dragged the anchor onto the beach and set it. He returned to help Mistake and MistyTrail off the ship. Caldal jumped down and the four of them walked along the beach. Eltor spotted a raft and pointed to it. He ran towards it with Caldal on his heels. Mistake and MistyTrail walked towards them.
“It is crude,” remarked Caldal as he gazed at the simple raft.
It had a mast of sorts and a tattered sail still flapping in the gentle breeze. Fish skeletons littered the roughhewn deck.
“What do you make of it?” asked Eltor. “I have never seen such a sight here before.”
“Nor I,” agreed Caldal. “I suspect that it just washed up here. It is hard to imagine anyone sailing the seas on it.”
“It would be fine for along the coast,” mused Eltor. “Maybe we should secure it. After we give up the elven scouting ship, we won’t have a boat any more. At least we could sail along the coast on it.”
“Along the coast would be fine,” nodded Caldal as if he had another thought entirely. “We will talk about it later. Let’s build a fire and cook a meal.”
Mistake and MistyTrail explored the ruins while Eltor and Caldal built a fire and cooked a meal. The ruins were not much to look at. There were no partially formed buildings to investigate. Instead all that was left of the city of Alamanda were piles of sun-bleached rocks. Some piles were higher than others, but it was not an interesting walk. They returned to the beach.
The four adventurers ate a warm meal and relaxed on the sand. Caldal spent some time cleaning up the abandoned raft and then returned.
“Why did you bother?” asked Eltor. “The sea is only going to reclaim it soon.”
“I don’t think so,” grinned Caldal. “I think the elders will reclaim it.”
“The elders?” frowned Eltor. “Why would they ever bother?”
“Because it is what MistyTrail and I are going to sail through the Gates of Elvangar tomorrow,” he replied enthusiastically. “What we arrive on will be confiscated by the elders as part of our punishment. Why give up the scout ship when we can offer up an old raft?”
“And we can moor the scout ship here at Alamanda,” Eltor nodded excitedly. “That is brilliant. When our punishments have been fulfilled, we will find the ship here and claim it.”
“Exactly,” nodded Caldal.
“Won’t someone else discover it in the meantime?” asked Mistake.
“I don’t think so,” answered Eltor as he pointed along the beach. “Down there is the outlet of a small river. We can drag the ship up the river and hide it in the jungle foliage. No one will ever find it unless they know where to look. It will still be there when we want it.”
The four adventurers talked for a couple of hours while the sun disappeared and the stars came out. They slept on the beach and woke with the first rays of dawn. Eltor and Caldal walked the elven scout ship along the beach and disappeared into the jungle. MistyTrail stared at the old raft with disdain.
“Having second thoughts?” chuckled Mistake.
“I have seen better rafts in ponds,” frowned MistyTrail. “The people who built it were not very skilled in woodworking. I wonder which trip will be more dangerous?”
“I imagine that they will both be interesting,” replied Mistake. “I think it is important for each of them do as they wish. Don’t worry, sister, we will be together again tomorrow.”
MistyTrail sniffed and hugged Mistake. When Eltor and Caldal returned, MistyTrail broke the embrace and rose. Caldal offered his hand, and MistyTrail took it.
“Tomorrow,” MistyTrail smiled thinly as Caldal led her towards the raft.
Eltor and Mistake watched as the small raft left the harbor and turned along the coast.
“She will be fine,” consoled Eltor. “Let’s get started so we are not late to the village.”
They climbed over the rocks of the ruined city and slid into the jungle. Eltor led the way while Mistake followed several paces behind. The trail was narrow, nothing more than a game trail leading deeper into the jungle. Mistake marveled at how much the jungle was like the Qubari Jungle, and yet unlike the jungle on the Island of Darkness. She noticed the same plants and animals as the Qubari Jungle. She soon realized that the jungle was probably created with magic as the Qubari jungle had been. That was the difference. The jungle on the Island of Darkness was probably a natural jungle.
“Are there tyriks in this jungle?” Mistake asked Eltor.
“A few,” nodded Eltor, “but do not worry about them. They do not inhabit this area of the jungle. Wild boars and large cats are the main troubles that we will face. I will be ready for them.”
“And snakes?” asked Mistake as she saw a long, fat snake hanging from a moss covered tree.
“Oh, yeah,” nodded Eltor. “And snakes. I forgot about them. Caldal and I use to play in the jungle when we were younger. It has been some time since we have been through here. After we learned to sail, we spent much time doing that rather than hiking.”
“You played in the jungle as youngsters?” frowned Mistake. “Why?”
“Because it was there,” shrugged Eltor. “There were older kids who protected us, and we never went very far. Whenever we went to the coast, we had a very large group. The animals are not foolish. They avoided the large groups, so we were pretty safe.”
“Is there any chance that you can sneak into your village without getting caught?” Mistake asked after several hours of silent walking.
“None,” Eltor shook his head. “Elvangar is very well protected. It has always been so.”
“Since the attack of Vand,” corrected Mistake.
“Yes,” conceded Eltor, “since Vand. I wish Vand had never lived. I now know that humans and elves once lived in peace. I wish it were still so. The people who raised you are honest decent folks. I think they have much in common with the elves.”
“Well,” replied Mistake, “not actually the people who raised me. They were despicable people. Well, the woman was anyway. The man died when I was young. But I don’t think they were typical of humans. I used to think that they were, but I have learned different since. I imagine the elves are much the same. There must be good and bad elves?”
“There are,” nodded Eltor. “Why else would we need laws and prisons? We will talk about it after we leave the jungle. I must remain vigilant for now.”
A short while later, a figure grabbed Eltor as he walked past a large tree. The elf turned to stare at his attacker. The creature was as large as an elf, but it was not an elf. It had smooth leathery skin and an odd orange tuft astride its head. Its ears were sharp and pointy, and its mouth was as small as a button. Eltor frowned at the strange creature. It did not appear to be threatening even though it had grabbed him. It mostly held him close while it sniffed the air around him. Suddenly, the creature opened its mouth to speak.
“Elf, Tokak!” yelled the creature. “I have an elf!”
Eltor saw the button of a mouth open to a wide cavern of long sharp teeth. The creature’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and spittle sprayed the elf. Eltor screamed and tried to back away, but the creature’s hold was too strong. Its sharp teeth descended towards Eltor’s neck.
“Tiny!” shouted Mistake. “Put Eltor down immediately.”
The creature turned to stare at Mistake, who had just appeared on the trail. Its mouth instantly closed to a button, and its forehead creased in confusion. Slowly, it released its hold on Eltor. The elf scrambled backwards until he was alongside Mistake. He started to pull his sword.
“Leave it sheathed,” Mistake warned softly. “Tiny is a friend. Aren’t you, Tiny?”
“I remember you,” Tiny said, still frowning with confusion, “but that was a different place.”
Suddenly, the ground rumbled. Mistake knew what was coming, but Eltor did not. She took his hand calmly and squeezed it.
“Be polite,” she warned Eltor. “The mother is coming.”
Eltor tried to calm himself as he watched the huge creature push her way through the underbrush. Tiny looked expectantly and grinned as the massive troll emerged from the bushes and blocked the trail.
“Elf, Tokak!” grinned Tiny. “I smelt it real close. It is elf.”
Tokak’s large bulbous nose sniffed the air. Her large ears flapped, and her eyes stared at Eltor.
“Hello, Tokak,” Mistake said as she spread her lips in a broad smile. “How did you and Tiny get across the sea?”
Tokak seemed to notice Mistake for the first time. Her eyes shifted to the female elf and she shook her head.
“You said that you were not an elf,” Tokak said accusingly. “There is no fire to mask the smell this day. You are elf.”
“I didn’t know anything about elves before,” replied Mistake. “How could I possibly have known that I was one? I was raised by humans.”
Tokak did not reply. Her mouth yawned open, and Eltor twitched at the sight of massive sharp teeth. The huge troll seemed to be weighing some unasked question. Mistake decided to interrupt before the troll came to a decision.
“You have not greeted me as a friend,” sniffed Mistake. “Tokak declared that we would be friends for life. Doesn’t Tokak honor her word?”
Tokak frowned and stared at Mistake. Slowly she nodded her head.
“Mistake is a friend,” declared Tokak. “She will always be our friend, Tiny. You may not eat her.”
“I caught the other one,” pointed Tiny. “He is elf, too. Can I eat him?”
Tokak grinned broadly and nodded.
“Wait!” shouted Mistake. “Eltor is my friend. I would be very hurt if you ate my friend. Then we would not be friends anymore, and Tokak said we would always be friends. Therefore, you cannot eat Eltor.”
Tiny pressed her lips tightly together and began stomping her feet on the ground. Tokak frowned in confusion. She looked from Mistake to Eltor and back again.
“You are trying to trick Tokak,” the large troll said.
“I am just being friendly,” insisted Mistake. “A friend of a friend is a friend. Now Eltor is your friend, too. How did you cross the sea? And why?”
The troll seemed to accept the argument as she sighed, “Tyriks spread too far in the other jungle. Tiny almost ended up in a web. We could not stay there any more. Tokak built a raft and came here. No tyriks here. Tiny is very happy.”
“Many elf smells here,” Tiny nodded her head enthusiastically. “I like it here.”
“Hunting elves is dangerous,” warned Mistake. “There are thousands of them here. Eating them may cause them to hunt you down. I would not like to see that. I don’t want my friends hurt.”
“Thousands?” Tiny echoed gleefully.
“Elves are a delicacy,” shrugged Tokak. “Too many is not good for trolls, but they are tasty. We will be careful.”
“Right,” Mistake nodded as she swallowed hard. “Well, we need to get going. Maybe I will come back and visit if that is alright with you?”
“Mistake is a friend,” smiled Tokak. “You come back, and we will eat together.”
Mistake pulled Eltor along as she moved cautiously past Tokak.
“Mistake bring elf snack when she returns,” shouted Tiny. “No bring friends.”
Mistake and Eltor moved swiftly along the trail. When they were a decent ways beyond the trolls, and long out of sight, they began running. They ran for half an hour before Eltor stopped to catch his breath.
“So that is where the raft came from,” Mistake said.
“I cannot believe that you talked our way out of that,” Eltor shook his head. “Their teeth would slice right through our bones. Where did you meet them?”
“The first day we were in the Qubari Jungle,” answered Mistake. “Rejji, Bakhai, and I were asleep. Bakhai had set a trip wire around our camp. Tiny stumbled over it. We were trying to revive the little one when the mother showed up. They are really quite nice once you get past their desire to eat you.”
“I think that I will stay away from the jungle from now on,” replied Eltor.
“How much farther to go?” asked Mistake.
“Just a little bit,” answered Eltor. “If I shouted right now, we would have company soon. In a few minutes of walking, the guards will notice us. We might as well get this over with.”
Eltor turned and began walking along the trail. Mistake followed at a distance in case something else jumped out and grabbed Eltor. A few minutes later, Mistake thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. When she looked back at the trail, Eltor stood facing two heavily armed elves. She walked forward to stand beside her friend.
“You have long been feared dead,” smiled one of the guards. “You are in trouble, but we welcome you home. Who is the female?”
“She is my friend,” answered Eltor. “Her name is Mistake, and I owe my life to her. She rescued me from the Island of Darkness.”
“Then she is welcome in our village,” nodded the guard. “Come and visit while the elders are informed of your return to Elvangar.”
The guards led Mistake and Eltor out of the jungle and into a glade. The villagers watched with curiosity as the visitors were escorted into the village. Mistake gazed about and wondered where the village was. She saw children running around and playing, and older people walking to and from a well. Eventually she looked up. The homes of the elves were built within the stately trees of the glade. They were hard to notice unless you were looking for them. They seemed to blend into the canopy.
A rope dropped from one of the homes. Two young male elves a little younger than Eltor slid down the ropes and rushed to greet Eltor. He greeted them fondly. Soon, others appeared and a crowd welcoming him home surrounded Eltor.