Reflections; a KOTLC fanficion

Chapter 4

Caroline attempted to spit out the leaves, but they still left some not-so-pleasant residue behind. "I'll tell you if you take that sword away," she said, trying to sound brave.

"See, I don't think so, you just might go running to your friends," the girl replied. Her eyes were now unsteady.

Caroline tried moving away from the girl, but she moved with her. "You don't strike me as someone who would slit another's throat." That seemed to catch the girl and she lowered her sword. Caroline tried bolting, but the stranger spun in front of Caroline with incredible speed and held the sword to her hand.

"But you don't need your hand" she replied. "I would really like to know what these Lost Cities are, and if you're worried about confidentiality, I heard everything back there."

Caroline sat down in the manicured grass. The girl seemed human enough, but as far as Caroline knew, humans didn't use swords. She contemplated her decision. She and her friends were pretty desperate. Caroline was reluctant to tell this girl anything, but it would be useful for them to know someone who knew the forbidden cities. Plus, once they got back, Caroline could find a washer to wipe the girl's memory.

"Don't you have parents to go to?" Caroline asked, trying to get away from the situation.

"I live on my own," The girl insisted.

Caroline gave up. "It's a long story, so you should probably sit down." She motioned for the girl to sit down, but she shook her head. Her arm was shaking now under the weight of the sword.

"You're loss." Caroline started from the beginning, explaining what she was and where she and her friends came from. After a while, the young girl sat down facing Caroline. She didn't realize how much she and her friends had gone through in the last few months, until it all came pouring out. She had been sent a threatening letter, had a locker destroyed, broke into a giant egg, had a face-off with the Elvin science department, and was banished to the forbidden cities.

The girl's eyes got wider and wider, especially when Caroline started talking about the history of the elves.

"So, it's all real?" She asked. Her face lit up. "I've been waiting for something like this to happen to me ever since I was able to read!"

"Life here must be really boring if you want this much trouble," Caroline said.

The girl smiled and stood up. "I don't think of it as trouble, more of an adventure," she assured Caroline.

Caroline took the girl's hand and pulled herself out of the leaves. "Got a name I can call you?"

"Amelia, Amelia Renee."

Caroline stepped out of the alleyway and saw her friends at the end of the road, still calling her name. They started jogging towards the fumbling group. Amelia's sword swung behind her on a makeshift back sheath. A white symbol Caroline recognized from her card deck was painted on it. It was almost like a shovel, but more artistic. A name Caroline couldn't recognize was scrawled under it.

They came to the stop sign and Thor immediately ran and tried punching Amelia in the face, but the girl blocked him with her elbow.

"You've got nerve trying to kidnap my sister," Thor said. Christian tried stepping beside him, but Kyreen stopped him, a knowing, amused smile on her face.

Thor swung another punch at Amelia, but she gracefully sidestepped him.

"Trying to beat up kids I see? Very brotherly of you," Caroline laughed, stepping out from behind Amelia.

Thor's face turned tomato red for a second, and then he tried regaining his prankster air. "She looked older," he tried.

Amelia shrugged, amused by the transaction.

"And what human carries a sword? I thought for a second you were an elf," Christian said.

"I nicked it from my mom's wall when I fled. It's meant to be a decoration, but it's sharp enough to be real." Amelia waved the sword around gracefully, making everyone step back.

Eve leaned over. "I'm getting that you told her about us?" she whispered.

"What harm will she do?" Caroline answered.

"And you thought she could be useful?" Eve confirmed. Caroline nodded as they watched the boys play with Amelia's sword.

"Hey, boys! I'd like to get back home soon!" Caroline told them. They quickly gave back the sword and hurried behind her. Caroline handed Amelia the map. "Do you know how to read this? We're trying to find a man. He was taken to one of your healing centers yesterday after collapsing on the ground. We figured he was back by now and home somewhere around here." Caroline pointed to the crowded neighborhood.

Amelia pushed the map back. "He's probably not home yet. Our hospitals take a while on these things, and he might even be spending time under observation. Unless you know what hospital took him, you won't be seeing him for a while." Everyone's hopes sank into a deep hole.

"What do we do then?" Eve asked.

"Do you know where any of your houses are in human terms?" Amelia asked.

Everyone shook their heads. "They are well protected from humans; we wouldn't be able to get in."

"Are there any human places that you know have a way to talk to your Elvin friends?"

It dawned on Caroline, that there was a way. "Where is Paris?" A memorial was put on the bridge after the end of the Neverseen, and a permanent crystal was set there that led to Havenfield.

"We would need to take a plane. Paris is in Europe and that's across the Atlantic."

Christian's face lit up. "Planes, as in those flying vehicles? I've always wanted to fly on one of those."

Amelia laughed. "I've been on one lots of times. They're fun." She paused. "But the airport is across the city, and we would have to take a train or something. The nearest station is miles away."

Everyone nodded along, not completely following her, but they followed her as she started walking along the road. They walked on till the sun was setting in the distance.

 Amelia stopped at a park pavilion and gathered leaves and dried sticks, stacking them into an intricate teepee. She took a metal box and stick from her pocket and struck it against the box near the pyramid. The wood caught fire spreading warmth through their small camp.

"Here. My family made the best brats," Amelia tossed everyone a stick and something that looked like a hot dog. Caroline sat next to Ameillia and held the stick over the fire.

"We do this every year on my birthday," Caroline said. "Only with different foods."

"Oh, we roast all kinds of stuff. I have marshmallows too for dessert."

Just the sound of the food sounded so good. The group happily sat around the fire roasting their brats. "So," Eve started. "You've heard our story, what's yours? I get the feeling that runaway swordsmen aren't really a common thing in this world."

Amelia sat up and smiled awkwardly. "Well, I grew up in a small family. We lived in one of those fancy houses I was hiding nearby. It was all good until my dad died in a car crash a couple of years ago." She tried hiding her grief, but a small tear slipped down. "My mom went on a crazy route. It was as if she was worried, I was going to die too, and spoiled me, but she hardly ever interacted. Soon I was being shipped to whatever relative would take me. I was fed up, and when I came home, I tried telling her she should get some help, and she yelled at me. She sent me to my room and started dialing my grandma to come and pick me up. That's when I decided to run. I took my dad's sword and left, but I never seemed to get farther than the neighborhood. I was still hoping she would come back and want to be a family again." Tears were streaming down her face now. Caroline and Eve put their arms around her in a hug, making sure sure the girl had even a small sense of family.