Elizabeth of the Lily

Silverwood

Lost Boy Rule: Simwe is a medium sized faerie, meaning that he can hold more than one emotion in his body (unlike Tinkerbell).  Generally those emotions prove to be hatred and spite. 

Elizabeth and the Shadow outdistanced their followers but her run had slowed to a stumble with ever increasing unsteadiness as her adrenaline left her and the wave of deep pain assaulted the right side of her body where it had made contact with the Dragon fire. Another ten steps and she collapsed on her left side. 

The shadow turned and made as if to pick her up. 

"If you touch me I will scream" she grimaced. 

If a shadow could look worried this one did. It paced and ran its fingers through its dark tendrils. It was clear to Lizzy that she was still in a danger. They were in the Silverwood, Simwe's territory and she was in no condition to fly, fight or in anyway help herself.  The strain of not screaming brought beads of sweat to her brow. She proffered up the still unconscious form of Tinkerbell. The shadow took the limp faerie and cocked its head. 

Sensing its uncertainty, Lizzy whimpered through gritted teeth, "Take Tink and go find Peter." The Shadow hesitated only a moment then rocketed off into the Silverwood in search of assistance. 

Wet streams of silent misery traced their way down Lizzy's cheeks as wave after wave of burning rose and subsided.

 Time passed in slow torturous seconds. Out of the haze of her pain, Lizzy's brain registered a change in the silent stillness of the Forest around her. It was the sound of footsteps and metal jostling against gear. Pirates! This was enough to jolt her to her feet again and stumble deeper into the Silverwood. 

She half ran, half hobbled in the night dark forest when she tripped on an root and tumbled head over toe down a ravine. 

She landed with a thud in soft damp leaves, but the pain of the mad dash and horrible fall was overwhelming. He vision blurred and then her world went black. 

When she next opened her eyes, she was being lifted ever so gently onto a litter by a half dozed or so strange apparitions. They were silver and humanoid, some had long graceful figures , others were gnarled and bent but they all had piercing yellow eyes and flowing white hair. Silently and swiftly, they whisked her away deep into the Silverwood. 

"Is she awake?" a musical voice whispered. 

"And what do we do with her when she does awaken?" a gruff voice scoffed in response. Lizzy wondered who they were talking about. She wished they would stop talking, she was not ready to awaken just yet. 

"We aid her as Meliorn would have us do. We couldn't just leave her there to die." countered the first voice.

"Oh yes we could. It might have been kinder too, all considering."  

"What is kind about letting tyrants ruin our lands and peoples? We have been passive too long. It is time we made a stand. Besides, what better way to prove our allegiance?" This voice was masculine, full and rich, a third speaker. 

"No one else could have gotten her the salve she needed but you Lotho." said the first voice, obviously feminine. 

"You left me no choice since I am the only healer with Flame-be-gone." the grouchy voice bemoaned. "If I didn't owe you one, Treestar, there is no way I'd have crossed King Acacia' s edict. Your kind of politics will get you thrown in the Dulldrums."

"She is our best and only hope for restoration of balance. " said the rich third voice. 

"You repeat yourself Lumen, but just because her father was a great king, it does not necessarily follow that she will also be a great ruler. She is half Wind Person. Her priorities might be slanted in their favor. " said the voice bleonging to the one named Lotho

Treestar responded, "Better half Wind Person than Half Pirate. The people of the wind have always been more closely in tune with our kind anyways."

"If you want no more part in this, Lotho, we will leave and take the flame-be-gone with us." Here the third voice named Lumen threatened, "You just remember that if you betray us, Treestar will tell King Acacia where your stores of contraband dust are."

At this Lotho squeeked. Lizzy couldn't help but peek at these strange creatures through her lashes, as she waited for what the gruff Lotho would do. With a sigh, the grumpy what ever-he-was laid a cold hand on her unburnt one and spoke in a defeated monotone, "You have my word.  I will not tell a soul."  His voice resumed its gruffness as he added, "How are you going to get her out of here and back to a safe zone? You can't leave without alerting a djinn. She probably won't be able to leave on her own for several days if not weeks."

"We have the well in hand, never you fear." laughed Treestar 

"In Fact, we have to move her before the clock strikes." said Lumen. With unspoken unity and effortlessness, the creatures lifted her and they began to move. Lizzy ventured to open her eyes and was greeted by the strange faces of Treestar and Lumen. The were faeries of the Trees and if Lizzy had to guess, she'd say silver birch. their hair flowed with the blinding contrast of black, white and vibrant green. Their faces were smooth with only some flourishing curls at the eyebrows and cheekbones and their eyes were yellow gold like the other tree fae she had seen in the Dulldrums. What happened next gave Lizzy a start. Without moving their lips or their voices clear and bright spoke in her mind. 

"Welcome home Dear Princess. We are Treestar and Lumen."

Treestar, who was evidently the leader in this rescue enterprise, took up the instruction as they rose out of a hollow in a tree. "Please lay quiet and still until we are in a safe haven. Raise one finger if you understand me."

Lizzy raised her ring finger, her wedding ring's small diamond reflecting the light from these Faerie's hair. Without further ado they moved off into the still dark forest. 

They darted with surprising speed from cover to cover. The trees they hid behind would gently move to cover their darting forms as if they were on their side. As expected, they were closing in on a stand of silver birch trees wispy and whimsical. There was no way they could hide among these trees  Lizzy though. For one thing, they were skinny and spread out and there were no obliging hollows and yet her rescuers were heading straight for them. To Lizzy's surprise, Lumen reached out and touched a near perfect silver birch. It had an uncharacteristic knot that resembled a door knob, twisted it, and opened a hidden door. 

She was taken inside and the cathedral like beauty of this home immediately stuck her with reverent awe. 

Treestar and Lumen lowered her litter on the floor and went about performing tasks that Lizzy could only guess the significance of. Gingerly she tried to move her burnt limbs and what had been searing pain was now a dull ache. She pulled herself to a sitting position and immediately regretted the effort. The sudden movement sent a stab of pain through her burns and she gasped in agony. 

Lumen looked slightly amused and this time spoke, "The salve needs time to heal and restore. It'll reduce the pain, but you will not be back to full strength and beauty for a few days."

Lizzy opened her mouth to speak and another wave of pain wracked her as the burn on her cheek was disturbed. 

Since she was limited in body and speech, she tried to do the mind speaking thing like they did. "Thank you." She thought at them and gave them a half smile. She read no reaction, and gave up for the time being on communication or movement. She left her mind wander and drift and before she knew it she was again fast asleep.