While the elves traveled through the snow with little effort, Annlynn struggled to keep up. Her weakness annoyed her, although she tried not to let it show. She longed to ask the elves for help, but she feared she would be exposing herself further. Instead, she remained quiet, trying her best to keep up with them.
When they paused that night, exhaustion overcame her. She should have helped the elves as they unpacked and settled for the night. But her legs ached from the journey, and her entire body felt weak. She could hear her step mother chastising her for not helping. After all, the elves protected her and cooked a meal for her. It was only right that she gave them something in return. A heavy guilt grew inside her.
“I wonder if the king’s forces will show up,” she murmured. “It’s been a day. I feel like we should have seen something.”
“The snowstorm has likely given us an advantage. Either way, there are three elves here who have magic,” Asonya–the white elf–said. “We will try to bargain first, but when there are three or more elves, the magic of each elf amplifies itself. The magic is then whole. Trust us. You will be safe.”
“And what can I do?” Annlynn said. She sighed. “I don’t want to just sit here and watch. I was taught to be better. I could help us pack up tomorrow morning?”
Sylvani–the red-haired elf–nodded. “It’s okay if you need to save your energy for travelling. I know this journey has been a struggle for you. But it would be great if you would help.”
“I just don’t want to be useless,” Annlynn said.
“You don’t need to be anything,” the third elf–Valaris–said. “We will take care of you, but we appreciate your help.”
Annlynn almost felt uncomfortable with their generosity. Even though she loved her step mother, her own step mother gave her less than they did at times, often asking her to work to receive help. Nevertheless, it felt wrong to argue with the elves.
Next morning, as Annlynn helped pack up, she found a small green stone next to a satchel. She gently picked it up and grabbed the bag. A current of electricity shot through her, her entire body shaking from the contact. She shrieked, dropping the stone. It shattered with a loud explosion, sending a sharp pain through her leg. She doubled over, then collapsed on the ground after she attempted to put weight on her left side.
In her old village, she would have received ten lashes for breaking someone’s possession. She wondered if she should attempt to kneel to the elves despite her new weakness. She sobbed. Fear coursed through her. She should have apologized, but she found it challenging to speak.
Sylvani knelt next to Annlynn, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. Annlynn deserved to be scolded. Instead, there was silence as she whimpered. She still couldn’t bring herself to look Sylvani in the eye. But the gentle presence never left.
“Are you okay?” Sylvani asked.
“I’m sorry,” Annlynn mumbled. “I didn’t know the stone had magic.”
“I know,” Sylvani said softly. She sat down next to Annlynn after glancing at the ground around her, likely making sure she didn’t sit on a glass shard. “Magic stones are known to kill people when they explode. You seem hurt, Youngling.”
Annlynn nodded. “My leg. Do I–do I need to repay you?”
“Let’s take care of the leg,” Sylvani said.
“I just wanted to help. Instead, I made everything much harder on us. I’m sorry.”
“Let’s focus on healing you, rather than focusing on your mistake.” Sylvani said. She grabbed some herbs, rubbing them on the broken leg. Magic tingled in Annlynn’s leg, but the pain became too intense. Sylvani dropped the plants and grimaced. “I cannot heal your leg. Your own internal magic is not what I thought it would be, and it seems to be in deep turmoil beyond my skills. If I attempted it, I could easily kill you. However, I can make a cast and a wooden cane to help you get around, though. We need to get you to the elven world as soon as possible, Youngling.”
“It’s probably broken from when the king tried to torture it out of me. I want to go to the elven world, but what if I don’t get in?” Annlynn asked.“I thought the last human entered a thousand years ago.”
“You need a healer,” Sylvani said. She gave a long, sympathetic sigh. “No one should deal with that amount of pain, especially a child. Annlynn, we’re here to help in any way we can along the journey.”
It took time for her to grasp what Sylvani said. The deep wounding should have made far too much sense to her, but denial shielded her from acknowledging the truth. She should have asked Sylvani more questions, gaining a deeper understanding of what was going on inside her. Instead, she was too afraid.
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