In The Realm of The Elf

Chapter One

This is a new novel I am working on right now and this is the first draft. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think and if I should change anything. I will get the next chapter out next Thursday.

'It's so cold,' Lily thought holding her arms closer around her. The air seemed warm only moments before and the weather station said it would be warm today. Lily wore a light sweater knowing she would get warmer as she walked farther towards the stream. She loved going to the stream in the wooded area behind her families home. "It's been an hour, I should have gotten there and back with how far I've walked" Lily said out loud after checking the time on her watch. Looking up through the trees noticing the sun rising in the sky where it should be lower getting ready to set. "Something is very wrong." She said in a whisper. A cold wind blew around her whipping leaves from the trees, scattering them around the forest floor. She kept walking looking up at the tree line to follow the sun trying to keep going in the same direction she knew her home should be.

Crunch, crunch, crunch, she looked down noticing the cold forest had turned into a frozen forest. Turning to look behind her she saw the cold, none frozen forest only a couple of feet away. 'How on earth is that even possible.' Lily thought. Hugging her sweater closer to her she decided to go back the direction she came from. That is until she heard the voices.

"I saw a girl walking this direction,right here." The first voice, which sounded like a high pitch shrill, said.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you. I can see the foot prints myself. But if she gets to the Ice Trees before we can capture her-" A second, male, shrill voice spoke.

"Yes, she will be safe." The female voice interrupted.

Lily looked at the warmer part of the woods, sighed, and ran farther into the colder, frost covered trees. They heard the crunching of her foots steps and started running after her. Crunch, crunch, she ran along frozen leaves and almost slipped.

"We almost have her," the man said. Lily did not dare a look behind her as she jumped over a fallen log right into a snow bank. Hands burrowing deep into the knee deep snow, freezing her hands to the core. Getting up taking a deep cold breath finally daring a look behind her to see if her pursuers were still tracking her. Two cloaked figures a foot shorter than Lily stood ten feet away starting at the forest.

"We know you're in there girly and when you come out we will be waiting for you." The woman said, then they both laughed. A screeching sound that made Lily cover her ears. They took off still laughing as they slowly went back in the direction they came from.

———

Walking always helped with thinking things through for Frost. That is why an hour earlier he pulled on his woolen cloak and warm leather boots, rushing out the door on his arguing family. His father told him he needed to become a husband. Finding a mate by the fall moon or his parents would choose one for him. He had chosen a mate two years ago, but when she decided her responsibilities as his wife would be to great she chose another to wed. It took him until the announcement of conceiving her first child before giving up hope that she would change her mind and come back to him.

Mindlessly kicking clumps of snow Frost moved closer to one of his favourite spots, which also happened to be one of the furthest spots from his families home. Making an effort not only to be grumpy, but look it, he threw himself onto the wooden bench, near the boarder of the Ice Trees, letting out a cold puff of air. He looked up at the warm sun closing his eyes from its glare.

"Why can't life be simple?" He asked no one, then leaned back trying to ignore thoughts of the mornings argument.

The birds that he scared off from his ranting before settling down on the bench came fluttering back into the trees, chirping as they danced around the branches. Another sound very unbirdlike came to his ears, but when he tried to listen for it, it disappeared. A few birds came flying from the forest making those who were settled on the branches take flight again.