Ashwa awoke in a daze. Last night she had just fallen down from the second floor of her wooden house and thought that she had died. She hadn’t expected to wake up and remember the things she had done. She didn’t know exactly how she was going to explain that she knew she had started the fire in her nightmare?

Explaining anything wasn’t what she was going to do now. Plus, her mind was still fuzzy. Right now, she didn’t know where she was and why. 

Looking around her new surroundings, she gasped. She was on an old cart, pulled by horses. And in front, two men were talking as the horses trotted on the road. Her hands were locked in heavy steel chains, and she was covered in a purple blanket, which fell onto her side as she tried to stand.

When she heard the men talking, she paused.

“We’re getting as much money as we can from that lady,” the man in black robes said gruffly.

“I do think she’s useless, so thin and that. Must’ve been out for a day or two. Good that the black people didn’t get ‘em,” his companion mumbled.

“Take her to Grey mountains then we’re done. Earn some bucks and off we go!” the man answered.

“Enough of talking, Manly. We need to get there faster.”

The talking paused and her two captors picked up speed with the horses. Ashwa buried her chained hands onto her face. There was no going anywhere, and her kidnappers were going to sell her at somewhere called Grey Mountains.

She started to cry, softly, which the two men did not hear. Out of the blue, the men stopped the horses. They jumped down from the cart then walked away from the road, nearing to the trees. They listened, as some strange singing could be heard beyond the trees. It grew louder, and a fair young elf appeared in front of the men.

Ashwa made her own pointy ears listen too. The lady had stopped singing and was talking to the men in hushed whispers. It seemed like she had put them under a spell. Or perhaps the men were filled with greed that an offer she made had pleased them.

“Give me the lady on the cart, young men. I will pay five Trishkas,” her voice was like a thousand bells chiming, giving a peaceful feeling to the conversation.

“We will decide,” the two men’s giddy voice, filled with greed could be heard.

Quietly, Ashwa tried to climb down from the cart. Her chains jingled, and the lady turned toward the cart.

She knows! She thought, quickly shrinking back into the purple cloth, covering. But the lady turned back on the talking men a second later.

“Trishkas is a lot, Manly! Especially five Trishkas!”

“But we can’t disobey the lord, Asco! We must obey it!”

“Think of the money, Manly! Think!”

“Fine, but the lord will know. And he will come after us!”

“It doesn’t matter right now, I want the money, Asco. Think of our families!”

“Fine!”

“Have you decided yet?” the mysterious lady said.

“Yes. We have. We will take the gold,” the two men nodded in unison.

“Good,” the lady said. “Here, five Trishkas. Give me the girl.”

For a moment there was the sound of feet shuffling, and Ashwa shut her eyes tightly. If she was going to get caught, she was going to pretend.

The two men then shook her, and she pretended to have been asleep. Her eyes flickered and she yelped.

“Who are you?” she asked innocently.

“You know yourself, young elf. Let’s go. You are sold to me,” the elf lady said, pulling her toward her. Ashwa’s chains fell to the ground as she was freed. She looked at the cart one last time as the men rode the cart off, with five bags of gold coins. Then she saw the elf lady signalling her to follow. She treaded barefoot, across the broken twigs and scattered thorns.

After about an hour, the two finally reached the elf lady’s home. It was deep in the forest, and her cottage was small and warm. She stepped inside.

“Hello, my dear elf. Let me introduce myself formally first, As Kayla of the Woods.”