Swords Of Stealth Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I lay still, aware that I had woken but to afraid to open my eyes. I could still hear whispers though they were too soft to understand, the hands were still wrapped tightly around my throat I could no longer breathe. I tried to slowly open my eyes I was going to imprint every image and face and tree before my mind was blank forever. There was no man with the fire in his eyes, no tortured forest trees, I was no longer in a clearing, but laying upon a sofa in a room not my own, and the soft white fingers wrapped tightly around my neck belonged to me. I was never going to die, I had never ran into that old man but something still felt terribly wrong, somehow I knew that the old man still had all my memories.

Releasing my neck I tried not to gasp for air, unwilling to make my presence known to the shadows by the door, but to no avail as soon as my lungs felt the tiniest tendril of air I could not help but gasp, the relief in my chest spreading all the way to my toes. The shadows spun around startled, my skin prickled, fear settled in my stomach. This was not right, I had no idea where I was, what I was doing here and what they wanted.

Within seconds they had reached me, two beautiful girls, wearing clothes I had only seen in Victorian movies, stared down at me worried lines creasing their faces. The others seemed to be men, not so outrageously dressed, but still dressed for the Victorian period. Before I even knew what was happening I felt a deep rumble in my chest as I laughed. The surprise on their faces making tears role down my cheeks. Trust me, to laugh in a strange room, full of strangers. I caught another glimpse of the girls no longer looking as worried but definitely curious, when I saw her eyes, bluer than even the sky.


I scrambled to take control of the laughter, as though caught by your teacher reading comics under your desk, stopping dead pursing my lips together but I couldn’t hold it back and this time the others joined in a melodic laugh so beautiful I eventually stopped just to listen, a giddy smile plastered on my face. As I wiped the tears from my eyes I pulled myself into a sitting position ignoring the protest from every muscle in my body. The others had taken seats around me, looking calm, pleased and extremely curious, yet only one girl sat before me and her eyes were not blue.

“Where’s the girl with the blue eyes?” I demanded feeling embarrassed with four sets of eyes roaming over me, in my sweatpants and tatty save the planet Elmo shirt.

“This is not the time for questions.” Such a beautiful voice I presumed to come from the girl sitting to my left. The males where seated a little ways back to my right, one right next to me and two either side of an empty chair.

“Well I’m Ella-mae, will you tell me your names.” The beautiful girl stared straight into my eyes, then appeared to give permission to the men. The furthest on my right spoke first,

“I am Theodore, Son of Magda and Lucias.” I stifled a smile when I noted the sincerity on his face, and although handsome he appeared too serious and not likely to laugh with me.

“I am Simon, Son of Lucandra and Narcius, cousin to Theodore.”
Sitting to my right so close I could smell his cologne was one of the most mysterious men I had met his hair as white as snow and eyes the green of the forest. Something about him seemed familiar.

“I am Sheldon, Son of Esmerelda.” I could not take my eyes away from his the colour and the expression leading me to places I never wanted to leave “and protector of the Chosen.” Knowing I should turn to the girl for her reply I couldn’t take my eyes from Sheldon’s face feeling a slight colour creep up my cheeks I forced myself to look to my left.

“I am Oliva, Daughter of none and servant to the Chosen.” I smiled politely feeling that somehow despite my actions we would get along just fine. Hearing the scrape of a chair I spun to see the girl from my dreams seated between Simon and Theodore. A large braid sat coiled upon her head and her beauty stunned me,

“I am Esmerelda, Ruler of the Elves and mother to Sheldon.” My ears pricked at this but I knew this was not why I found him familiar for he looked nothing like his mother. Her voice was even better than I had dreamed, better than eating a whole tub of ice cream on your own. I willed her to go on never wanting the melody and harmony of her words to stop, thankfully she did but I soon wished that she had not.

“I believe you had a dream that brought you here to us, tell me what happened.” Then I realised what she had said before.
“Elves! What are you talking about?”
“Exactly that we are elves and you are in Alasmere”



I turned to Sheldon hoping that it was all a joke and they would tell me they found me in the park at the end of my street but his face was stern and his eyes void of the light I had seen only moments ago.
“Elves,” I hung my head and let my hair cover my face not wishing to look into their faces, “I think I’m going to go home now because this is England and I live in a small little house in a small little village” I was starting to feel trapped, cornered and threatened I felt a heat creep up from my chest, this was bad I had never let myself be seen when things changed in me and I became someone much more violent. I stood feeling Sheldon’s eyes follow my every move.

“I’m going to leave and you are going to let me and then were all going to forget this ever happened.” I began to walk toward the door when Sheldon stood
“You came to us Ella”

“Why on earth would I come to a bunch of crazies who think they are Elves?” I tried to stay calm but even I could hear the tension in my voice. Sheldon had stopped, the others had something in eyes fear, concern I couldn’t tell. When I refocused on Sheldon he was by my side, too close and I felt the heat in my body rise, I began to shake, the windows on the far wall flew open the wind rushing through and picking up my hair. My anger was growing and I knew Id make a terrible mess.

The bed sheets flew off the bed behind me, vases rolling off the tables, as the books slid out of the bookshelf and crashed to the floor. The others scattered running for the open door, it slammed nearly taking of Simons head, yet Esmerelda sat just staring completely unperturbed, relaxed and so god damn peaceful. The annoyance at her lack of fear sent new anger raging through me.

My hair whipping around my face, I turned to face the others and I caught sight of myself in a mirror, my hair a brilliant red billowing around my head and my eyes as though a green fire was burning within them and my skin pale as though I had not seen the sun in years. I did not look like Ella, I didn’t even look human. My anger webbed and shame aver rode me. Everything stopped, the windows shut steading the wind, the door flew open allowing the others to run but they too stood frozen.

I walked closer to the mirror staring at what I had become, what was happening to me, I had never seen myself in one of my episodes before, with the fire fading as fast as it had appeared and my hair returned to the natural fiery red I turned to face my audience realising I had just called them a bunch of crazies.

Sheldon walked slowly toward me his eyes concerned “Ella” he whispered “come and sit down I think we need to talk.” I walked back to the sofa and turned to the girl in blue, “my dream?” she gave a slight tilt of her head in agreement and I began right from the begging of the first day the dream troubled my sleep.