The Final Chapter of The Silver Flower!!!! *DRUM ROLL*

So here you are: the last one! Chapter 12. Have fun! :)

Chapter Twelve: Goodbyes

Justin was asked to say his speech first, and Valkin translated for the few elves there that didn’t know the human language. Justin began after clearing his throat.

“Well, I be not really sure what to say aboot this whole affair, except that I be pretty glad it’s over.” There were scattered chuckles, so Justin grinned amiably and continued. “I would like to say that it has been a verra good experience, and I be verra pleased to have kenned an’ been able to assist Shetta an’ Glevanne, an’ Valkin. Not to mention Dusak an’ Vinea as well as all the other secret aides of the princess and my friends. I feel honored to be able to say that I ken these great elves, an’ was actually able to help them.”

He stopped again to catch his breath, and there was applause. Justin bowed, and then continued, turning to Valkin, the newly crowned king, Shetta and Glevanne, in a blissful, happy state, Dusak and Vinea, proud helpers of the king, and lastly to his siblings.

“It has been the most wonderful adventure in my life to be able to come along side these elves, an’ with the help of my siblings, free this land from its worst enemy. I ken that if any more things like this happen, although we will all hope that it never will, then ye can surly count on us to help again.” He walked over to Valkin, and gripped his hand firmly.

“I feel it a great honor to have kenned ye, Valkin. Ye’ve been a good an’ loyal friend, an’ I be sure that if anyone ‘ould deserve this throne it be ye. I hope ye’ll never lose it until ye have a worthy son to give it to.” Valkin returned Justin’s hand shake, but before Justin knew what happened, enveloped him in a hug.

“I could not have conquered this throne without your help.” He replied huskily as he let the surprised Justin go. Justin gave him a quick nod, feeling the tears start stinging his own eyes. Before anyone could see them, he told Duncan it was his turn. Duncan stood, his hands rolling and unrolling his napkin nervously.

“I also be glad to have been able to help Valkin conquer the throne, an’ Shetta an’ Glevanne get married.” He said, slightly red in his face. “I ‘ould say more things aboot them; all the things they did to help us complete our mission, but I’m not as good a talker as Justin.” He stopped, and hung his head sheepishly. “But, all Justin said, it be the same fer me. ‘T was an honor to ken all ye elves, an’ an even greater honor to ken Valkin an’ the princess an’ Glevanne. They’ve been the best of companions, and I couldnae have asked fer better.” He quickly turned and shook hands with Valkin. “I’ll miss ye.” He said simply, but Valkin hugged him anyways.

“I’ll also miss you, Duncan. As with your brother, I never could have done it without you, you’ve both been great friends, and I’ll never forget it.” Mary now stepped forward as if on signal.

“I’m also not a verra good talker.” She said, smiling gently around at the elves. “But it has been a great honor to come here, and it makes me so happy to see the fruits of our work.” She gestured around the room. “I see all elves wearing happy smiles instead o’ worried frowns. I see merriness, where once was sorrow. I see Shetta and Glevanne married, instead o’ being kept apart by a man fer his own good. I see a king that is sure to rule his subjects wisely and well.” She paused. “Niver have I felt so glad to help, and niver have I been so willing to be home again.” Applause was given as Mary turned to the new king, an anxious look on her face. “Ye will be kind to them?” she asked. Valkin shook her hand heartily.

“I promise.” He replied. Mary smiled.

“It really has been, not just an honor, but a pleasure to have kenned ye.” She said, retuning his handshake with a firm grip. “I’ll niver forget my adventure here, and I’ll niver forget any of ye elves.” Valkin smiled.

“And I won’t forget our adventure or you humans either.” He said, his eyes twinkling. Mary laughed.

“I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not!” she exclaimed. Valkin grinned.

“Whichever will give you the most pleasure.” He said. Mary turned back to her brothers with a sigh.

“We should probably go.” She said. Valkin nodded.

“Yes, Felin has agreed to escort you back to your stone circle. You know the way back to your home from there?” Mary smiled, yes, she knew. Those woods she had been practically living in since she was a toddler. Valkin understood the smile, and beckoned the elf closer. Mary gasped slightly in surprise. Felin, the once almost fearsome creature, was now a perfectly nice elf. His beard was gone, and his clothes were no longer ragged. He didn’t look as if he would die of starvation or filth. Felin smiled when he felt her stare.

“I look a lot better now?” he asked quietly. Mary blushed, realizing she had been staring.

“I’m sorry.” She said hastily. “But ye gave me such a turn! Ye are different.” The elf threw back his head with a merry laugh at the expression on the human’s faces.

“Nothing like having a set of good meals and a change of clothes after a long, hot bath.” He said after recovering somewhat. Mary smiled.

“I be verra glad to have you healthy again.” She said, still a little timidly. Felin returned her smile.

“Me too.” He said. “Shall we go?” Mary nodded.

“Aye. I cannae wait to see mother an’ father again.” A wave of homesickness swept over the humans, and after another goodbye, Felin led them back to the stone circle.

As they parted from Felin with one last round of handshakes, Mary turned to the elf.

“Let us come back again.” She said, pleadingly. The elf nodded and a glint of mischief appeared in his eyes.

“How is Valkin going to rule without you?” he asked, as a way of reply. Mary raised her eyebrow.

“Soon?” she asked. Felin’s eyes met hers and stayed there while he thought carefully about his answer.

“I hope so.” He said.

The human’s left the circle, and at the edge of the clearing, Justin turned to say one last goodbye to Felin, but he was gone. He sighed heavily.

“I miss home, but I miss the elves too. Will we ever see them again?” Mary looked ahead at the cheery lights of home, and smiled.

“I dinnae ken, but right now, I think home is the best place fer me!” Justin and Duncan looked at her. She cocked an eyebrow at them. “Race?” she asked. Grinning, the boys nodded, and away the three siblings flew toward home.

THE END

Happy New Year/ The Silver Flower: Chapter's 10&11

I know, this is a lot to stuff into just one post, but...well, I thought I might as well try. :) Here it goes:
Happy New Year to you all! I hope that your last year has been as eventful and exciting as mine was. I decided to do a monthly review of each month last year as my New Year Post:

 
January: Not a lot happened this month, but we did have Sarah turn 18.
February: I got to help out in the valentine's banquet for the first time! It was really fun. No birthdays.
March: William and Samuel had birthdays, William turned 6 and Sam turned 4.
April: I found out I got to go on a missions trip with Dad and some others from our church to Ethiopia! We also had an Easter Cantata at our church, which most of our family participated in.
May: The big trip was upon us! We had a great time fellowshipping with other believers, my biggest experience was having to wash my hair with a water bottle. :) School was finished.
June: Margaret graduated from high school, and summer stuff began!
July: We went on a couple trips to Eastern WA. A trip to Leavenworth for Marta's 8th birthday, and a trip to Penial Ranch with some of our church family! Ah, good times.
August: A big month of birthdays for us, Margaret turned 17, Mom had a birthday, and I turned 15.
September: Andrew came back from his missions trip to visit Uncle Richard and Aunty Christy and the cousins in Indonesia, Bible Bee, Janelle Hageman got married, and my Aunty Sarah got married. Also, this was a big month for birthdays too: Dad, Maxwell turned 13, and Tabitha turned 10.
October: We went to the Blossey's pumpkin patch, Miracle Ranch's Fall Festival, and our own Harvest party at our church!
November: Andrew turned 20 this month, and Mom, Dad, Sarah, and Margaret all got to go down to Bible Bee Nationals. Andrew and I babysat. :)
December: Typical Christmas stuff happened. One of these was our Christmas Cantata. Also, to Welcome in our New Year, our church did a Watch Night service that included a lot of Round Robin, and Apples to Apples. :) We had lots of Fun!
 
Like I said, I hope your year was a fun one too. God Bless!
(And now the TWO chapters of The Silver Flower: Enjoy!)

Chapter Ten: The Escape

The door swung open, and Valkin led the group down the prison hall. Mary was behind Valkin, followed by Duncan, and then Justin, Vinea and Dusak were the last in the line. They made their way carefully through the prison.

Quietly, at the next door, Duncan held the pendant to the lock and the door also opened as if never closed. They filed their way through.  Mary almost fell on the rough floor once, but Valkin quickly steadied her with his arm before they went on. A guard almost walked right into them, but the humans and elves flattened themselves against the wall while Duncan held the pendant in front of them as a shield, keeping the guard’s eyes from them. The guard passed after mumbling something about black magic, and the group went on.

Suddenly, Justin stopped. The line stopped when he did and he turned to them, frowning as he just remembered something.

“Wait a bit.” He said. “We be forgettin’ somethin’.” Mary looked at her brother.

“What be we forgettin’?” she asked the question on everyone’s mind. Justin looked at them.

“We have to tell the princess that Valkin be her brother!” he said. “It’s part o’ our mission!” Mary slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand.

“Ah, I kenned we were forgettin’ somethin’.” She said, giving Justin a grateful look and then turned to Valkin. “Let’s escape the prison and then get to the castle an’ find the princess. She’ll want to ken she has a brother, an’ I think she’d prefer to ken sooner rather than later if I had to guess.” Valkin replied to this statement with a quick nod, and the procession continued, carefully but with speed through the prison.

Suddenly, the procession stopped again. Valkin held up a hand, and the group became still. In the cell next to them their came a consistent scratching sound, Valkin laid his ear next to the wall, listening closely. Scratch…scratch, scratch, scratch…scratch…scratch, scratch...scratch…scratch…scratch…scratch, scratch, scratch. Valkin’s face was grim, and he motioned the others to come closer.

“Duncan,” he whispered. “The elf in this cell is one of the king’s mother’s men. He is to be killed tomorrow. We must rescue him.” Duncan gave him a puzzled look.

“How could ye ken that be what he said?” he asked. Valkin chuckled.

“It’s a secret code we elves on the princess’s side use to communicate with others of the same loyalty.” He replied. The humans were impressed.

“Can we learn?” Justin asked. “After all, we be on the princess’s side.” Valkin smiled.

“Yes, you could learn.” He said. “But shouldn’t we let this poor man out first?” Duncan hastily apologized and held the pendant up to the lock. The door swung out silently and a haggard elf stumbled out.

At the sight of him, Mary drew back, a bit frightened, for the elf was thin and pale, his clothes hanging loosely on him, worn and ragged. But when his hollow, hungry eyes looked at her white face, he smiled, and his entire frightening figure melted away under the kind smile.

“I am afraid I do look a sight,” he said, his eyes somehow twinkling from the depths of his face, “For I have been starved and tortured for many, many days.” A cloud passed over his cheerful face, but only for a moment. “I had almost given up when I heard this young man’s voice.” He smiled at Justin, and Justin smiled at him. “I am very grateful to you all.” He gave a deep bow, and made Mary smile, despite her timidity. Valkin laid out a palm facing upwards, and the elf solemnly laid his own hand on top. The same procedure occurred for the elves, but for Justin, Duncan, and Mary, he gave them all a proper handshake. In reply to their astonished looks, he said, “I learned how to greet humans from Elliot. He was a great friend of mine.” 

Suddenly, Mary looked over a Valkin. “Come on!” she said. “We need to get to the princess withoot further delay! It’ll be morning afore long!” Valkin agreed and explained to the new elf their mission quickly as they continued. The elf looked at the castle as if an idea was coming to him. He turned to Valkin.

“I’ve an idea, why don’t we free all the elves that are still loyal to the king’s mother.” He said quietly. Valkin smiled, this was an idea he liked, after all, they had the Silver Flower, and with that, who needed the keys. He turned to the humans.

“Can we?” he asked. The siblings exchanged looks. It would definitely delay the princess knowing she had a brother, but all the prisoners could be on their way to death by be-heading or hanging. With an anonymous decision, Mary turned to Valkin.

“Aye.” She said. “Let’s free the prisoners. The princess has waited this long, surely she can wait a wee bit longer.” The elves exchanged smiles, and they went to work, quietly and swiftly.

The human’s helped as they could and soon the jail was free of all loyal elves. They all ran through the prison and over the wall while the humans kept watch and soon were gone. That was one thing about elves that the humans learned: not only were elves quick, but they were always efficient. The jail was now mostly empty, and the loyal prisoners free. The one elf they had freed earlier decided to help them rescue the princess, so they now went to the castle. Mary still had some of her left over supper in her pocket, so she gave this to the prisoner (they found out his name was Felin Deena: Acorn Hill) who devoured it.

They soon came to the same wooded area they had used for cover the other time and Valkin shinnied up the wall with the help of his elfish rope again. The other elves followed, and then helped the children. At last they were inside the castle again. Valkin led the way, and in single file they made their way carefully to the princess’s room. The guards were awake this time, but with the stealth that only elves could have, Valkin, Dusak, and the Felin had all the guards knocked out and tied up in no time at all, and with little noise. Mary gently opened the door, and they crept into the princess’s room again.

She was standing with her back toward them, looking out the window behind her desk. A small sigh of longing escaped her lips and she turned sorrowfully back to her bed. Then she saw the elves, and her hand flew to her mouth in surprise when she recognized the humans.

“You are here again?” she said, somewhat breathlessly. Mary smiled.

“We delivered yer letter.” She said. “And now we’ve come fer ye.” The princess gasped, and a smile of utter happiness came over her face making her seem even more radiant than usual, but Mary wasn’t finished. “Shetta, meet yer brother, Valkin.” Valkin stepped forward, and Shetta almost fainted, but he explained to her quickly the history of his birth and answered her questions until she was satisfied.

“I have longed for this day of freedom for many months, it seems as if it a beautiful dream.” She clasped her hands blissfully in front of her. “If it is a dream, I never want to awaken.” Justin grunted.

“Dream or nay, we’d better go, or it’ll become a nightmare.” The elves and his siblings chuckled together, and the princess hurriedly donned her cloak and gathered all her money. In reply to the sibling’s questioning looks as to why she took her money, she smiled in grim satisfaction.

“I’m not going to leave anything of value here for the counselor to claim.” She said, and her eyes began to sparkle dangerously. “He’s claimed far too many things that aren’t his, and I don’t intend to reward him by fleeing. No, he shall suffer even more with me gone.” She paused and flung her sack over her slender shoulder, despite Justin’s offer to carry it for her. “I am ready to go.” She said with a triumphant ring in her voice. Valkin smiled, and beckoned the group to form into a line yet again.

Through the castle and into the star-filled night the procession went. The princess’s face was pale with fear and excitement, but a reassuring squeeze from Mary’s hand brought a hopeful smile back into her eyes, and she gave a grateful look to Mary, who replied with a warm smile. They arrived back at Dusak and Vinea’s house, but realized it would not be safe to be there anymore. The sky was starting to grow brighter, and a thin line of gray showed on the horizon. They had to find shelter before daylight, or they would be found.

Valkin quickly led them deeper into the wood for a ways, switching directions so often it made Mary feel dizzy. He at last stopped in front of a house. The house was nearly invisible, even as they were standing right in front of it, for it seemed to be a part of the hill it sat in front of, and it was covered in brush of all kinds. Valkin scratched a signal of some kind on the door, and it was opened by a very old elf. He smiled through his many wrinkles, showing his missing teeth, and showed them in. He bowed respectfully to the princess, and kissed her hand as if he was still a gallant young knight. She smiled and he led her into his humble abode.

They gathered around the crackling fireplace and the old elf served them all some delicious soup. While he bustled around his home making them as comfortable as possible, Valkin told him their story. He was quite happy to see them all safe, and Dusak quickly whispered to the humans that the old elf was the midwife’s husband, and so he was Valkin’s foster father. They chatted in elfin tongue for a while and Mary provided the two boys’, who still hadn’t learned the language, with translation.

Finally, when all three humans were beginning to nod, the old elf showed them their sleeping quarters for the night, and they soon went into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 

Chapter Eleven: The Kingdom’s New King

Duncan awoke first, and for a bit he couldn’t remember where he was. As his mind slowly came into focus, he sat up and took a good look at his surroundings.

Right now, his two siblings and the four elves were sleeping in a medium sized room with beds lined up along the walls. It looked as if Valkin’s foster father was used to a lot of guests at the same time. There were three empty cots, but only one of them looked like it had been slept in. Duncan realized that must have been where Valkin’s foster father slept.

Duncan’s gaze wandered from the beds to the widow, which he could hardly see out of because it was almost completely covered with some sort of vine and a few different types of tree branches.

Now fully awake, he jumped out of his bed, making no noise in his stocking feet and found that he had slept in his clothes. A step saved, he merely shrugged and ran a hand through his hair quickly before opening the door.

He was greeted silently by the old elf that smiled at him and gave him a bowl of some sort of mushy substance. He shuddered inwardly, but only smiled back at his host, afraid to hurt his feelings, and hoped against hope that it would taste better then it looked. He warily tried a spoonful, and then quickly finished the dish off while the elf looked on in some amusement. It tasted like a pancake with maple syrup drizzled over the top and milk. He was also quite full by the time he finished, and pushed his plate away with a satisfied sigh.

The old elf was looking at him curiously, so he decided to introduce himself. “I be Duncan.” He said, pointing to himself. The elf nodded to communicate he had understood.

“j klos Wenkin.” (I am Wenkin.) He said, pointing to himself. Duncan, who had been picking up a few elfish words here and there decided to try his hand at speaking it now.

“j…fetick…desh…gresi…adenk…dessinkae.” (I…do…not…speak…your…language.) He said slowly. The elf smiled.

“A cesik?” (a little?) he asked, and Duncan closed his eyes to remember what those words meant. There was a moment of silence, and he heard the others getting up. Then he remembered.

“Nedin…a…vennae…cesik.” (Yes…a…very…little.) Just then, Mary came in followed by Justin and the elves. They all sat down, and Duncan thoroughly enjoyed watching his siblings’ reactions to the mush. He asked Dusak behind the host’s back what it was made of, and Dusak told him it was made out of a special kind of moss found deep within the forest. Duncan raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

After breakfast, Valkin stood up, and cleared his throat. He spoke first to his foster father, explaining why they were leaving, and then spoke in the children’s language so they would be able to understand their plans.

“We will leave the princess here where she is safe and Vinea is going to stay and help my foster father with the house and care for the princess. Dusak, Felin, you children, and I, will get into a disguise and go to the king to tell him his daughter is free and he can give up his throne.” Mary was chewing on her lip thoughtfully and she finally looked up from her musings.

“What aboot the counselor?” she asked. Valkin’s eyes darkened.

“He will be thrown into prison.” He replied.

“What aboot his followers?” Valkin smiled grimly and looked over at Felin, the newest addition to their group.

“Did your men take care of the dangerous ones?” he asked. Felin nodded with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.

“Yes.” He said. “Last night they were put into the cells we were taken out of.” He replied. The human’s glanced at each other. Elves really were efficient; they thought of everything.

“So…” Justin was now speaking. “Do we just march into the king’s throne room and demand that he give up his throne?” he asked. Valkin smiled, but shook his head.

“It’s not going to be quite that easy, Justin.” He said. “It will take some caution. Just follow my lead and you’ll do fine.” He rose and spoke to his foster father, Wenkin. He turned to a smaller door and led them into another room that had a huge chest in the middle of it and a few smaller chests. The walls had several different mirrors on them and the chests were opened to reveal clothing, fake hair, and fake jewelry of all shapes and colors.

The three siblings had fun, too much fun, trying on different outfits over their own, and finally Valkin had to stop their games when Justin tried on a beard and a cape that were much too long. Mary finally settled on a simple brown peasant gown, a fake black braid, a dark blue cloak, and a small dagger that fit into a beautiful silver sheath. Justin chose a dark green shirt and brown pants, with the finishing touch of a dark blue cloak and dagger in a sliver sheath. Duncan dressed similarly to Justin, and they both had a small beard applied on them by Valkin to hide their facial features that may give them away.

The elves all wore outfits that matched the boys’ outfits, but they had swords as well as daggers. Mary was allowed to bring a bow and arrows when she told them she could shoot them better than use a knife, and Justin and Duncan were allowed another dagger, hidden in their cloaks. The adventurers looked themselves over and were quite pleased with their looks, but Mary had to put a hand over her mouth to keep her laughter hidden at the sight of her brother’s in beards. She could barely recognize herself in one of the mirrors with her fake black braid hanging down over her shoulder and the cloak shadowing her face. She suddenly felt years older. Here she was in a strange land, helping others and endangering herself by doing so. It made her feel queer to think she may die in the attempt, so she shook off the feeling and followed Valkin, Dusak, Felin and her brothers outside after a hurried goodbye to the princess and Vinea.

Valkin again lead them in a zig-zag pattern through the forest, and they were soon back inside the village. The castle came into view and Mary swallowed her fear as she thought of the many elves depending on them. Sadan Flettica, the guard let them past, and Mary suddenly realized that he was one of the loyal elves. She smiled at him, but he merely shrugged slightly and gave a small salute.

They went on down the hall, and stopped outside the king’s throne room. The guards gave the procession a curious look and opened the doors. Down the rich carpet they continued and stopped in front of the throne. The king was sitting in his throne still, but it was obvious his time was up and he was finished. Glevanne stood to one side of the king, and the counselor on the other. The latter frowned at the new comers menacingly, but Glevanne seemed to see through the disguise and gave a small salute behind the king and counselor’s back. Valkin spoke first, his voice ringing clearly through the room.

“Your Majesty, I am here.” He said. The king looked at Valkin.

“Who are you?” he asked hoarsely. Mary stepped forward on Valkin’s signal, and threw off her cloak and fake braid. The king sat bolt upright in his seat when he recognized her. She gestured towards Valkin.

“As ye ordered me.” She said. “I’ve brought yer son, the rightful heir o’ yer throne.” The counselor turned white, whether from fright or rage, Mary was not sure, but the king was undecided as to cry or to laugh and finally ended up doing both at the same time. Glevanne was grinning widely as were the children and the elves. The king and Valkin embraced for a long time; the king apologizing, and Valkin forgiving. The counselor tried to sneak off, but Glevanne caught him and he was soon locked up in one of the deepest dungeons.

The hours went by as Valkin explained everything, from beginning to end, about the children, about Shetta, about Glevanne, about the history of his birth. The king just kept having tears of joy running down his old cheeks, and embracing his new son.

Valkin was given the crown by the king himself showing he willingly gave his throne and kingdom to his son. Shetta and Glevanne were married, Mary was the maid of honor, and Valkin was the best man.

The day ended much happier then it started, and the children felt that they had at least one mission that finished well. Shetta and Valkin insisted that they stay the night at the castle before leaving, and were told to make a speech at the wedding feast that night. How could they refuse?

The Silver Flower: Chapter 9

Another Chapter from my book: only three more to go! Enjoy it while it lasts. :P
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! :D

Chapter Nine: The Legend of the Silver Flower

“The legend of the Silver Flower is a story well worth listening to, and many believe it to be as true as you or I.” Valkin started, his eyes closed and he had a gentle smile on his face as he remembered how he was told the legend by an old elf. Finally Justin broke the silence.

“Ye still havnae told us o’ the legend!” he exclaimed impatiently. Valkin laughed quietly and opened his eyes.

“Alright, I shall tell you the legend. It’s long, be prepared.” The children merely sat closer and let the story sink into their minds. Valkin began:

“Yes, a long and complicated legend is the legend of the Silver Flower.” He paused. The children exchanged looks, and he continued.

“The legend started as a simple story, a story easily believed, for we are a magical people. It is said that a long, long time ago, when elves were more plentiful than men in this country, there lived an old, wise elf. His name is not known, but back then he was an important person.

“One day, while working as usual on some odd concoction or another, the elf discovered a magical metal substance deep within his cave where he did all his work. He excitedly dug all of the metal out of the rock, but was somewhat disappointed how little there was. Only enough,” Valkin paused and ran his finger over the delicate flower pendant, “To make one silver pendant. The elf went right to work, melting the metal, cleaning it, crafting it. When he finished the pendant, he was pleased. The pendant, as I have said, was crafted out of a magical metal found only deep within certain caves, and it is extremely rare, even for magical folk like elves, to find it. The substance’s magical power is this: It can create anything you ask, it opens all locked doors, and it acts as an invisible shield to the one who wears it, however, it only works if the ones using it can come up with believable reasons to do it for others.”

Valkin took another deep breath, and looked at the children sitting in front of him. He smiled, took a drink of water, and proceeded.

“Because the Silver Flower is so rare and powerful, there were many who wanted to take the pendant from the wise elf and use it for their own gain. The elf knew this, and thought long on how he could protect it from the ones who would use it wrongly. At last, he came up with a plan. He took the Silver Flower out of its resting place. Donning on a disguise, he travelled the world for a time, getting to know men and their ways. After many years of this, he found at last a trustworthy family. They lived in a small Scottish village at the edge of a thick forest. Though poor, they were honest and hardworking. The elf liked what he saw, and as a parting gift bestowed the Silver Flower to the father, Flannigan Elliot. The man did not know what a powerful thing he had, and life went on as usual for the Elliot family.

“However, after a few generations, when men prospered in the land and the elves retreated to the forest for safety, their came another man, He was the great-great-great grandson of Flannigan Elliot. His name was Grant Elliot, and he was a fine hunter. He stumbled across a stone circle one day, and stepped inside it for a moment for there was a deer he had been following for some time just ahead of him through some bushes. Imagine his surprise when an elf stepped out from behind a bush and asked his business. Elliot told him the truth, being honest, but still he was brought before the king. Elliot was soon loved by all the elfish people and many gifts were exchanged. He had heard stories from his father and grandfather about the Magical Folk and had interest in their lives. He learned their language, made many good friends, including the mother and wife of the king. His name was spoken over the entire elfish kingdom of Dunnion, which is the kingdom we are in right now.” Valkin turned to Mary with a smile, and took another drink of water, stopping the legend long enough for a passing guard to leave.

“As a quick side note, though Mary and we elves already know this, our kingdom’s name means ‘Strength’. We are very proud of our defensive abilities.” He cleared his throat. The three children leaned forward again, eager for him to continue the story.

“Grant Elliot decided to look into his past, feeling that he must have been linked with the elves somehow, and found that a certain elf had given a gift to his great-great-great grandfather. He searched over his house for it and at last found it in a secluded closet in a little used room. He took out the Silver Flower, and decided to find out what exactly it was.”

“During a long conversation with the king’s mother, she mentioned a mysterious legend about a silver pendent. He casually prodded for more about it, and she told him the legend, he realized that when the elf seemingly ‘disappeared from the elfish kingdom’ he really was travelling throughout the world and at last came to Scotland on his way back, he thought from a failed mission. He then met Flannigan, Grant’s great-great-great grandfather, and found him to be an honest, hardworking man. He gave the priceless pendant to him, and then promptly left. Flannigan didn’t know how precious a possession he had, and the Silver Flower was soon forgotten. That is, it was forgotten until now. Grant now knew how precious the pendant was, and he kept it safe for a long time.”

“But he grew to be an old man, and had no children to hand the pendant down to, he had to find someone who was honest and kind, and wouldn’t try to use the pendant for their own gain. After a few years, he at last found three people, siblings, who he knew would use the pendant wisely. So when the time came for the kingdom to be saved, he sent those certain humans to help our kingdom.” Valkin stopped and looked into the siblings eyes. He smiled.

“Yes, you three are those certain people. He gave you that pendant for such a time as this, using it you can get out.” His eyes scanned over the three humans, and he nodded his head as if agreeing to some unspoken thought of his. “He made a wise decision I think, there is no evil in any of you.” Justin frowned slightly.

“How can we use the pendant to get us oot!” he said. Valkin smiled.

“You are always thinking ahead, Justin, this is good.” He sighed. “Now, to answer your question, the pendent can help you in many ways. It can blind the guards’ eyes as we escape under their very noses, it can be used as a file to get through the bars of out window, it can be used as a key and unlock our door. Any of these things it will do, but only if it is for others that you do it.”

The three children exchanged glances, and Duncan chewed his lip thoughtfully. There was a moment of silence before Duncan spoke.

“We need to get oot so ye can be crowned king.” He said. Mary’s head shot up, and she smiled.

“Aye and we need to get oot so Shetta can marry Glevanne!” she said. Justin grinned, and he slapped his knee.

“An’ let’s not forget our own parents. If we be stuck in here forever or be-headed, then they’d niver get over it.” The elves laughed as the three humans came up with their reasons and the siblings were now full of vigor and ready to leave, but the elves had to think of who they needed to get out for. There was another silence, and the siblings waited, somewhat impatiently until the elves came up with an answer. Dusak spoke first.

“I need to be free so I can help Valkin rule.” He said, stealing a mischievous glance at Valkin out of the corner of his eye. “He’ll need lots of advice.” Valkin gave his brother in law a playful punch in his shoulder, but then sobered as he said his reason.

“I need to be free for the kingdom.” He said. “If I don’t become king, our land will perish under the evil counselor’s lust for power.” The children and elves both nodded their heads; this was the best reason yet. Vinea said her reason as Duncan pulled the pendant off his neck.

“My reason seems so small compared to all of yours.” She said softly. “But I need to escape for my child.” Dusak, who was sitting on the very edge of the prison’s cot, jumped so high that he would have fallen onto the floor if Valkin hadn’t caught hold of the hood of his cape.

“W-what did you say?” he asked breathlessly. Vinea smiled.

“We’re going to have a child, Dusak.” He nearly fell off again.

“That’s what I thought you said! But I didn’t believe my ears.” He replied. He enveloped his wife in a hug, and tears of joy ran down both their faces. The children and Valkin discreetly remained silent, and Duncan clapped a hand over his mouth to suppress a laugh. The children and Valkin exchanged smiles of happy surprise. Duncan held the pendant to the lock, and the door opened as if it had never been closed and locked.

The Silver Flower: Chapter 8

Finally! I'm on schedule! Here is chapter 8: have fun!

Chapter Eight: The Counselor’s Move

Evening fell and supper was served cold by a red-eyed Vinea. Valkin and Dusak hardly said anything, and the three children were silent also. Mary was worried. She had figured out who the prince was, so now her mind went back to the king. How could they help him, and would he get rid of the counselor?

She glanced over at Valkin, still puzzling over all this. His eyes met hers, and he gave a slight nod in the direction of the door. Mary frowned slightly, but looked away from him towards her brothers. Had they seen Valkin’s sign? She was relieved to see that they both had their attention on her, and she gave a quick nod. The boy’s exchanged glances, and they all went back to eating.

There was something, or someone, watching the house, and Mary did not like it. She felt a prickly sensation go down her back, and she knew she was being watched. She shuddered slightly, and glanced again at Valkin. The meal went on in silence.

Suddenly there was a crash, and the front door was flung open. Valkin, Dusak, Justin and Duncan all jumped from their seats and stood, ready to put up a fight if it came to that.  Ten heavily armed men came into the house and the leader spoke first, his voice rough.

“j seeta deddicae ru digumsy adeck tu pretik tendelle.” (I have orders to take you all to my master/leader) he said, his eyes sweeping over the elves and resting on the children. Mary’s eyes were ice, and she returned his stare, making him look away quickly. They didn’t have much choice in the matter, and accepted the fact that they were captured.

They were heavily guarded on all sides, making it clear that they were not to escape. The guards had tied their hands securely, and Mary’s hands ached. Duncan watched the guard nearest to him warily, and Justin did likewise. They were furious to not be able to do anything, especially when they saw their sister in pain. Their fierce eyes clearly told the guards to keep away from their sister, and so they kept their distance. Valkin, Dusak, and Vinea were kept separate from the children, and Mary was worried about the three elves. Undoubtedly, the counselor had a special punishment for them. She glanced worriedly up at her brothers, but they could only console her with a grim smile.

Duncan was looking straight ahead with his head held high, when he suddenly remembered Elliot’s gift, the Silver Flower. Immediately, he had hope. He stepped closer to Mary, the sibling closest to him.

“Mary, we still ha’ the Silver Flower!” he whispered softly. Mary’s eyes lit up. She turned to Justin, and told him. He smiled with satisfaction, but suddenly, his face clouded, and he whispered something to Mary. Her smile also disappeared, and she turned to Duncan.

“Where be it?” she asked softly. Duncan was relieved that was all that was wrong.

“‘Tis around my neck on a string fer safe keepin’!” he said, and Mary quickly told Justin. Now hopeful, the trio followed their captors all the way to the castle. A password was said softly, and the gate opened. Saden Flettica glanced at the children in some surprise, but pretended not to recognize them. Mary, Justin and Duncan did the same, merely glancing at him. They continued up to the throne room, but turned before actually entering it, into a smaller hall. The door was opened by another guard, and when the door shut with a bang the children and the elves were together again.

They found themselves in a fairly large room, and the windows on either side filled the room with daylight. On the far end sat the counselor behind a desk, and to one side of him stood Glevanne Addets. His eyes met with the children and elves’ only a moment before looking away again. Duncan racked his brain for a way to deliver the note from the princess he still had before he was searched.

The counselor was looking at them smugly. He turned to Glevanne and whispered something in his ear, to which the elf gave him a quick nod and walked over to them, and then the counselor spoke.

“My agent will now search you for any illegal items.” He said, with a triumphant gleam in his eye. Duncan swallowed a smile. It was perfect. Glevanne would find the note, and all would be well. Glevanne made a big show of searching the elves, taking Valkin and Dusak’s daggers and Vinea’s locket. He searched Mary and Justin, finding their pocket knives and taking them, and then he came to Duncan. He felt him over, and took his knife. He left the silver flower around his neck, hiding it more efficiently before moving on, and found the letter. His face only slightly changed and he hastily concealed the letter on his own person.

The search was now complete, and Mary looked at Duncan, who gave her a quick nod while the counselor wasn’t looking. The letter was delivered, now the pendant would come into play.

The children and the elves were put in the same cell, which they were all very grateful of, and Mary spoke to Valkin as soon as they had their bonds off and heard the echo of the guards’ footsteps end and then silence.

“Valkin,” she whispered, her eyes shining. “Before we went on this mission, Old Elliot gave us a silver pendant to protect us. It be a silver flower. Will it help?” Valkin’s eyes suddenly lit up with hope.

“A silver flower you said?” he asked. Mary nodded.

“Aye! He gave it to the boy’s. Duncan has it around his neck as we speak.” She replied. Valkin smiled.

“Yes, it will help! The Silver Flower is a legend older than the kingdom itself.” Mary was puzzled.

“It be a legend?” she asked. Valkin nodded, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! You have not heard it?” the three children shook their heads; even Elliot had not told them this elfish story. Valkin smiled, leaning his head back against the damp prison walls and began the story.

Back Again/ The Silver Flower: Chapters 6&7

Yes, I am back again, at long last. The ending weeks of November and beginning week of December have been very, excruciatingly to be exact, busy.
First, I had some of my family gone for almost a week, and then we had relatives from Indiana coming for thanksgiving. Yeah, not the most relaxing thing right after a trying week of baby-sitting. (Not to mention one of my older sisters had her wisdom teeth extracted which means our family was down a helper, not good if there is a lot of baking to be done and extra cousins to be watched.) All that adds up to equal a very busy few weeks.
Anyways, all that to say, I'm am very sorry to have neglected you all shamefully the last couple of weeks, I beg your pardon, and now will continue to make up for it by posting two whole chapters of The Silver Flower. Enjoy! :)

Chapter Six: The King and the Counselor

The door creaked open a crack, and Mary heard the familiar voice of Saden Flettica.

“Halden kassit?” (What is your business?) He asked. Mary replied.

“j hesik tu gresi tu adenk tendelle.” (I want to speak to your master/leader.) She said. Saden recognized her, and with a smile, he opened the door.

“j lasen adenne gretae.” (I wish you [feminine] luck.) He said. Mary smiled gratefully.

“Adigen.” (Thank you.) She replied. “je reton ti.” (We need it.) They continued on, Saden helpfully pointed out the way. They recognized Glevanne’s door, and saw a glimpse of Dusak behind it, but they dared to show they knew him and continued on their way without so much as a glance in his direction.

They passed the tapestry of the queen, and Mary looked at it with a new respect in her eyes. The queen seemed to smile down at her, encouraging her to do the mission well. Next to this poster, Mary saw another for the first time. It was smaller, but the lady was dressed in rich gowns and looked like an older version of the princess, Shetta. She guessed that this must be the king’s young wife. She studied the faces of both women, frowning. There was something about those two faces that reminded her of someone, but she just could not place them. Next to the young bride was a picture of the princess herself, but after this there was a gap, as if someone had removed one of the tapestries, and then a tapestry of the king. She puzzled over this for a moment, but the boys were anxious, and pulled her away.

They continued down the hall, and at last came to what must be the throne room. They paused, for in front of the door stood two imposing guards. Mary spoke up tentatively.

“j hesik tu gresi tu adenk tendelle.” (I want to speak to your master/leader.) the guards exchanged surprised looks. A human, speaking their language? This had been unheard of since a man named Elliot came through. But these humans were children. Their surprise turned into curious excitement. For this was something exciting, and they wanted excitement. With a nod, the taller of the two guards swung open one of the doors, and the children stepped into a room far more magnificent than the hall.

It’s high ceilings were covered in beautiful, delicate designs, and from it hung glass lamps which had the appearance of icicles. Huge columns, also elaborately designed, supported the castle. Justin looked at the width and barely suppressed an admiring whistle. He knew he and Duncan could probably reach around the sides without being able to touch their fingertips together. 

They walked down the carpet that lay exactly down the middle of the room, and stood in front of the throne, waiting.

At the moment, the king was in a deep discussion with his counselor, and Mary could tell from the frantic movement of his hands and the telltale terror in his face that time was running short, the counselor was getting impatient and wanted the throne for himself soon. She cleared her throat with emphasis, and the king and counselor stopped immediately. Mary looked pointedly at the king when he asked their business in a still shaken voice.

“We wish this conversation to be private.” She said, and looked at the counselor. He whispered something into the king’s ear that made him turn pale, and then shuffled from the room with one last sneer toward the humans.

“What do you want?” the king asked, his voice tired and strained. Mary looked at him. She let her clear gaze meet his fearful one. The king dropped his eyes, and he motioned them closer. Mary’s gaze didn’t flicker.

“I have come with my brothers to tell ye a thing or two aboot yerself.” She said. The king’s face was a picture of confusion, and even Justin and Duncan wondered what Mary meant by that statement. She continued, pleased that the king didn’t know what she meant. “Ye have done something wrong.” She said, as if she was reading his guilty mind. The king started and looked at Mary, but she ignored this and continued, her blue eyes burning into the king’s brown eyes. “Ye think no one kens.” The king sat forward in his chair, and glanced nervously at the door the counselor had gone out from. Mary realized that her suspicion was correct, the counselor was eavesdropping. “Ye cannae hide no longer.” She said. “Others ken what went on in tha’ room where the good queen died.” The king jumped from his throne, and his eyes darted from Mary to her brothers and back again. He was worried. How much did they know, and how did they know it? Mary continued. “Aye.” She said with satisfaction. “Ye will not listen, fer ye dinnae believe me.” This was true, and the king’s attention was arrested again. “But ye had better, fer ye are a watched man, and ye have evil council.” There she had said it.

The king licked his lips and glanced again at the door. What did this girl mean? How could she be so bold in such danger filled times? He was puzzled, and concerned, but also somewhat glad. If another person was there, maybe he could be free from the oppression of his counselor.

Mary paused for a moment, her mind racing. What could she say to completely convince the king that he needed to get rid of the counselor? Suddenly, she remembered the princess, and the king’s young bride. She smiled to herself in triumph, yes; this would bring the king to himself. She took a deep breath, thinking her words over carefully.

“Ye ken yer daughter loves ye?” she asked, and was pleased to get an immediate reaction from the king. His head shot up again, and his brow furrowed in thought. “Aye,” she continued, nodding wisely. “An’ she was yer wife’s last gift to ye.” The king was glancing nervously from the door the Mary. But Mary was only beginning her reproof to the unfaithful king. “Aye, ‘twas her last gift to ye, an’ ye were glad, but ye needed a son. Yer wife gave birth to a girl, yet,” she now paused, realizing she was on very dangerous ground, and licked her lips. “Yer wife not only had a daughter, Shetta Gloriheem, but she also gave birth to a son. She had twins.” The kings rose slightly from his throne, and his hollow eyes searched Mary’s.

“How come you know this?” he demanded hoarsely. Mary smiled and returned the king’s stare evenly.

“How I came to know this?” she asked innocently. “Why didn’t ye ask yer mother?”  The king’s face turned livid and then a deadly pale.

This news was a shock to him. He had an heir? The counselor had been tricking him, and conniving against him, and pressuring him, for nothing? The king suddenly grew angry, at himself, at the counselor, at all those he had hired for his own gain. Suddenly he realized what a fool he had been. He realized that he needed to get rid of his counselor, the start of all his problems. His beautiful wife’s face came into his mind, and his mother’s gentle caring one. He felt he could no longer be a king, he wanted to give up, and he wanted to have someone else take over. He was finished, an old and worn king, used by many for their own profit.

In front of the children’s surprised faces, he broke down under the unseen strain, and he cried. All the years of a false face, and a weak ruler in the hands of a crafty counselor, the king finally gave in to his better judgment.

Awkwardly, the three children stood in front of him. When he finally looked up, he searched their faces carefully, and read in them honor, loyalty, and a plain honesty. This refreshed the king, who was so used to fear, manipulation, and flattery. He was actually relieved to see someone willing to stand up against him. He smiled for the first time in years, in fact, the first time since his mother died, and looked into Mary’s eyes. Her gaze still did not falter.

“Find the prince.” He said hoarsely. “Find him and bring him to me. I want to see him before I die.” The children turned as if to go, but the king’s next words stopped them. “Tell Shetta.” With that they left, and although they were aware of a sense of danger, no one molested them on their way out.

They went the long way back to Dusak and Vinea’s house and entered by the back door. They didn’t want to bring any trouble to their friends. Valkin greeted them, giving them all a smile.

“How did it go?” he asked. Mary shrugged.

“I dinnae ken, the king wants the prince back, and he wants us to tell the princess she has a brother.” She replied. Valkin’s brow creased slightly in surprise.

“There is a prince?” he asked. Mary raised an eyebrow.

“Then ye dinnae ken too?” she asked in some surprise. She looked at Vinea who was setting the table for an early supper. “Ye should ask yer sister aboot yer history Valkin, I ken ye’d find it mighty surprising.” Valkin stood in between Mary and Vinea and his eyes darted from one face to another. Finally, he turned and went to Vinea.

Poor Justin and Duncan were still in the dark, so Mary took them aside to explain her story. They went into the room that they were sharing during their stay, and she told them the short history as told by first Old Elliot, and then Valkin Tredhale.

 

Chapter Seven: The Mystery Solved

“It started that one bonnie day when I went doon to Old Elliot’s house to deliver some things Father had just mended fer him and fer my weekly language lesson. He opened the door and led me in with a troubled smile. Puzzled, I asked him what was wrong. He sighed wearily and ran a hand through his hair.

“‘Ah, ye’d not understand lass.’ He said, but I begged him to tell me, so he finally gave in and sat down heavily. ‘Ye ken tha’ I’m a great friend o’ the elves, aye?’ I nodded, so he continued. ‘Well, they’re a troubled people right now, an’ I want to help, but I’m an old man an’ cannae lift a finger to relieve them.’ I asked to know more, so he did his best to tell me.

“‘The kingdom began to fall when the king’s wife died o’ childbirth aboot twenty or so years ago. I was much younger then. She was a young lass, and couldnae bear the strain o’ given birth to two children. One was a boy, but he was a weak lad, and the midwife, a wonderful and wise woman, took him in as her own to train as a page until his time came. The girl was healthy and strong, and given to the king as his child. Only four people knew of there being two children. The queen, the king’s mother, the midwife, and myself, the king’s young wife was a friend of mine, and trusted me more than herself, bless the wee lass.’ He paused for a moment and I saw his eyes glisten some with unshed tears. He went on. ‘We all swore to one another that we would not tell another living soul that there were two unless it came to saving the kingdom from falling.’ He looked me directly in my eyes and I felt them go clean to my most inward thoughts. ‘I’m tellin’ ye this now, because the kingdom is falling, and fast, I just got word from an elf, one of my oldest friends, that the king’s mother has been dead these three years, and only now had they time to tell me. The prince be safe, but he must be put on the throne. The only way ye can save the kingdom and the prince is wi’ the help o’ yer brothers. Ye must work quickly; there be no time to lose. Go home now, for I see yer brother’s coming on doon the lane, it looks as if they’ve found somthin’, and probably want my help, I’ll tell them, an’ ye can fill them in on any other details. Go!’ He turned to the window as he finished all this, so I left quickly out the back way.

“My mind was racing over all this information and I tried to work it out. There were still many holes I had to fill when you came back with the note. It was the perfect opportunity to get into the kingdom without suspicion, and I forgot for a time to tell you all aboot what our conversation was aboot, I’m sorry. I was busy finding clues as to where the prince was, and who the prince was. After I had looked at the tapestries for the second time, and put two and two together aboot the seemingly missing tapestry, I figured oot who the prince was and where he was. I now just needed the throne to open up to him.” Mary paused to take a deep breath and moisten her lips. The boys were both leaning forward in their chairs, drinking in the information.

“Who is the prince?” Justin demanded when Mary paused. “How did ye guess, and what were the clues?” Mary smiled.

“Aye, well ye may ask.” She stopped again, her eyes sparkling. “You’ll never guess.”

“WHO IS THE PRINCE!” bellowed Justin; he was the one in the family gifted with healthy lungs. Mary smiled again.

“The former Valkin Tredhale, messenger for his Majesty the King.” There was a long silence. The boy’s mouth’s hung open. The clock on the wall ticked, and somewhere a rooster crowed. The silence was broken by a chuckle from Mary.

“Aye, ye weren’t expecting tha’ were ye?” she asked. The boy’s shook their head dumbly, still not over the shock. “As to yer other questions, I guessed when I took a second look at the tapestries. The first time I noticed a strange resemblance in the king’s mother’s face to someone I knew, so I kept a sharp look out for that person, and then I saw the one tapestry again, and the smaller one tha’ must be the king’s wife. The resemblance was so clear when I looked at it again, that I knew the prince must be Valkin. The clue was the missing tapestry. It wasn’t actually a missing tapestry as I had first guessed, but a space for a tapestry when the prince was on the throne; the space was put there, no doubt, by order of the king’s mother. As for how the Valkin ended up here, I think Vinea will have the answers to our questions.” She paused and sighed. “I think I shall go ask her next, would ye two like to come?” The boy’s, still somewhat in shock, stood and followed Mary mutely down the stairs.

As they came closer and closer to the kitchen, they started to hear muffled conversation. Mary knocked on the door, and it was opened by a somewhat flustered Vinea. The three children stepped in, and Mary looked squarely at Vinea.

“I’m ready to hear yer part o’ the story.” She said matter-of-factly. Vinea turned slightly pale, and darted nervous glances at Valkin, who had an angry frown on his face, and Mary, who stood in front of the door, her only chance of escape.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She said weakly. Mary cleared her throat.

“Aye, ye do.” She said. Vinea darted another look over at Valkin who was fuming silently over in a corner. Mary continued. “Start when ye got Valkin from the midwife.” Vinea saw that they knew, and saw that the secret was out.

“How do you know about that?” she asked, paling even more. Mary raised an eyebrow.

“Old Elliot told me, because it needed to be told.” She replied. Vinea sat down heavily in a chair looking like a cornered animal.

“Very well, I shall tell you. The midwife was my mother.” There was a gasp from behind Mary, and Vinea smiled grimly. “Yes, it was not supposed to be known. My mother and I raised Valkin up as a page, and then he stopped that to become a messenger for the king. For some reason he preferred that job. We have kept him a secret this long, everyone thinks that Valkin and I are brother and sister, and shall continue to until he is on the throne. My mother made me swear to tell no one until his time had come.” She looked at us and sighed. “I suppose this means his time has come.” There was a silence, and finally Valkin stepped out from his comer, trembling with carefully contained emotions. He went over to Vinea and looked into her downcast eyes.

“Why did you not tell me?” he asked. Vinea had a tear run down her cheek.

“Because mother told me not to.” She said softly. Mary and her brother’s drew back quietly, and left the two to sort things out in their own time. Dusak was sitting outside moodily, so they did not disturb him and went back up to their room.