Find Edward

Chapter Eleven: Orenda

Normally I didn't mind the long important meetings that Father made me attend, I learned a lot from them. Only, now that I have a boy hiding in my room I felt very nervous. I didn't have many secrets and this felt like I was betraying Father somehow. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I felt like I was about to go on this big adventure but at the same time if anyone found Reed then my life would be over.

I hoped I looked normal as I walked down the stairs. I dressed the way I normally did, with a simple blue dress and flats, but I didn't know how to act. I found myself constantly looking in the direction of my room before correcting myself. Sitting still went from something I easily did to a struggle. I wanted nothing more than to go running to my room to make sure Reed was okay. Only I was stuck at these meetings where I had to force myself to pretend that everything was okay.

"Onto our next item of business, there have been reports from the outer walls of our border. I invited the person to repeat what they have to say for the entire counsel." The doors opened and a farmer walked in. He was my age and seemed to be in awe. His eyes kept looking around at his surroundings as if he couldn't believe that he was standing in the castle.

"Sir, can you tell us what you saw?" Father seemed impatient as if this report was the bane of his existence.

"I was walking through the forest when I came across a clearing in the middle of the forest. I thought it was strange since there hadn't been a clearing there the other days I walked there. So I looked around and noticed this path that led straight to the castle. As I kept looking around I noticed all this ash that was lying on the ground. I believe that someone turned all those trees to ash somehow. I believe there is a great danger on its way or already here. That's why I'm warning you. I can feel a great disturbance in the forest." The boy seemed sure of himself but Father seemed uninterested.

"Thank you for the report I'll look into it. Orenda, please escort this boy outside and take the day off. I can't have you attending these meetings when you're constantly fidgeting." I wanted to sigh in relief but decided against it. I stood, grabbed my bag, and walked to the doors. The boy followed close behind. As soon as we exited the room and the door closed behind us I asked the question that was on my mind.

"Do you believe that we are in danger?" I turned to face the boy. He was frozen still and staring at me with some fear in his eyes. He was Basselt and not horrible looking. He had long brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail. His generic green eyes were darker than other Basselts but that was expected. His skin was paler which made me reconsider him as a farmer.

"I do, the way those trees disappeared isn't natural. Something is coming here and it isn't friendly." That's what I was afraid of. I grabbed his wrist and started heading towards the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I didn't let go of his wrist as we approached the staircase.

"I have someone I want to introduce you to." I could feel his heartbeat on his wrist, it was fast which meant he was nervous. I guess that was expected, I doubt he woke up knowing the crown princess was going to drag him through the castle. I took him to my room and stopped nervously at the door.

"What's your name?" I asked because I was just now realizing that I dragged this guy all the way here without asking him his name. That was rude, I'm going to have to work on that.

"My name is Cypress, what are we doing here?" I looked at Cypress and asked myself the same question. There was something about Cypress that made me think to bring us here. Some bond between the two of us.

"You'll see in a minute." I turned to the door and opened it. Inside was normal, it looked like my normal room. Only something was different, a Keeper was hiding in my second room.

"Close the door and follow me please." Cypress did so and willingly followed me. I guess this meant he was a little curious. I walked over to the second room and opened the door. I was greeted with a wet floor and Reed standing in the middle of the room with a lot of water ready to be launched. I felt bad for any maid that would've opened the door. She would've had a horrible day. Cypress let out a strangled noise and I dragged him into the room and closed the door.

"Cypress this is Reed, the Keeper of the Water. Reed, this is Cypress, you could say I kidnapped him in a way." Neither of the two boys in the room seemed to have heard me. Instead, they were staring at each other with a strange intensity. Reed did look intimidating with his glowing blue eyes and magic floating water but Cypress

was acting strange.

" Crown Princess Orenda," Reed's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. I looked at him and tried not to gasp. He had turned back into a mer only he was floating. His eyes went from blue to a silvery opal color. I watched in fascination as Reed grasped water into his hands and clenched them into a fist. When he opened them was a gem that looked similar to his eye color.

"Elf, you found me for a reason and the reason is this: You are the Keeper of all the Elements, you have been chosen to protect and rule over the elements with fairness. You shall join me and together we will go and find the rest of the Keepers as duty says we shall. Once we find them we shall present them with their gems as I am doing to you." I reached out and took the gem from Reed, it was warm in my hands, alive magic. Then Reed turned to Cypress.

"Elf, you have been brought here for a reason and the reason is this: You are the Keeper of the Earth. You have been chosen to guard and protect the Earth with fairness. You shall join us and help us find the four remaining guardians unclaimed. Once found we shall present them with their gems as I have done to you and the Keeper of all the Elements." This gem was an earth green that matched Cypress's eyes. He wordlessly took the gem from Reed. He looked down at the gem with awe written all over his face. This poor guy was dragged into this.

I was about to turn back to Reed when Cypress let out a cry of pain. I turned back to him and cried out in shock. Cypress was changing, his hair was turning into what looked like leaves while his skin seemed to be hardening and turning into what looked like bark. A pair of short horns sprouted from his head and the transformation was complete. Cypress still looked like an elf but now it was hard to miss him. His skin was a light brown color that was now smooth bark. His hair was green leaves that hung from thin branches. He still had pointed ears, fingers, and toes. He was an elf but not an elf. He was a Keeper now.

"Why didn't I transform into something cool?" I looked down at my body to discover that it was the same. I frowned in frustration, this wasn't fair. Then I felt a twinge of pain in my back. I didn't think much about it until it got worse. Soon I was doubled over in agony. I heard some gasps of shock but not much else. The pain left as fast as it arrived. I felt a strange new weight on my back as I straightened. Both of the boys were staring at me in shock. I reached back and felt something soft touch my fingers. I turned my head and saw a pair of feathered wings. They twitched in response to my thought. I also felt faster and stronger.

"This is so cool!" I was magic! I had wings again! I could fly above the trees and be normal... oh no. Father would not be happy to see his daughter with wings. He'd find some way to hide me until he couldn't anymore.

"I can't stay here." Reed was back to his human form and Cypress was staring at his new body in shock.

"If I can't stay here then you can't either. We need to leave before someone sees us." Reed nodded as if he had a feeling this would happen all along.

"We need to find the four Keepers who haven't been chosen yet. With the Great Evil coming we need to find everyone as fast as we can." I turned to Cypress who looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown.

"Are you in?" He looked at me.

"You're joking, right? You kidnap me and then I get transformed into this and you think I'm going to go home and pretend like none of this happened? As much as I hate you I have nowhere else to go."

"So there are five Keepers who have been claimed counting us three? We should go find those other two Keepers, then travel to find the four unclaimed Keepers." The two boys nodded, we were officially on Keeper business and nothing would stand in our way.