elven children running too and froe giggling and yelling. Lydia laughed as a young girl tripped over her own dress. lanterns were hanging from the arms of the Melioria tree, casting a golden light of the folk below. river elves were grabbing water and splashing unsuspecting volcano elves, who in return were blowing hot air and frizzing up their hair, the mountain and snow elves where having snowball fights. snow and water were shooting anywhere and everywhere. Lydia was quite happy watching children run around without a care in the world. a part of her wished she was still a elfling, but everyone grows up at some point, even if it's to quickly.
"quit sulking in a corner" Elena shrieked from a long distance away. she was with Elivery from the mountains. her ghostly white hair running freely over her shoulders and gown, almost touching the ground, her blanched pale skin and a white crystal gown. Lydia thought she looked like a blank canvas needing to be painted on.
Lydia shakes her head. Elena give her a 'well talk soon look' and turns back to the conversation with Elivery.
she shuts her eyes and tries to calm the knot of nerves deep down inside, and was nearly successful. but whimsical music drifted through the Gathering accompanied with the wind. the music was sweet and nice but if you listened close enough you could hear the bitterness and screams of the wanderers before those that are to come. she opened her eyes wide with fear she couldn't hide, her young blood ran through her veins with an urgency as great as the need to survive.
before she realized Elena was next to and trying to comfort her. she felt tears form in her eyes and roll down her cheek. she was so stricken with dread that she couldn't hide how she felt, a skill she had almost mastered.
"breath, take a deep breath, your going to be okay, you won't be chosen. I won't be chosen, what happened to your mother, that's now impossible, the council implemented a new rule to stop that." Elena soothingly whispered. people were starting to stare. Lydia got her breathing under control as she stood, nearly falling over.
"how much of the kuka did you drink" Elena joked, earning a quiet laugh out of Lydia. they made there way to the centre of the Melioria tree roots, shoving through crowds of elves at a time much to their dismay. all types of elves were bunched together sitting cross legged on the lush grass.
several moments of waiting silence passed. then when the people were beginning to stir, out from behind one of the larger roots came a woman with hair as red as ripe apples and skin the colour of sweet caramel. she wore a radiant smile and wore a long gown made out of literal flames. the fire danced and twirled as she gracefully walked out and nodded her head towards the crowd. the crowd erupted with cheers and shouts of glee. the queen laughed an eccentric laugh. the tiara atop her head were decorated with flowers for the forest, water droplets for the rivers, snowflakes for the mountains and last but not least flames for the volcano.
she ushered for the crown to be silent with a wave of her delicate hand.
"today is the seventeenth Gathering and it gives me such joy and sorrow to announce the four new wanderers, one from each kingdom and one of my choosing. lets get started shall we?".
the queen was captivating with the way she spoke and her hand gestures. Lydia wasn't paying much attention to the mountain and volcano call. the volcano wanderer was a boy named Brenden and the mountain was the blank canvas called Elivery.
"the forest wanderer is....."the Queen began. Lydia's blood was thumping throughout her veins as her heart bellowed with fear. she reached for and grabbed Elena's hand, needing something to anchor her.
"Daisy Windowbeak" the Queen finished. the forest elves erupted into cheers and applause for Daisy as she made her way up to the front were the queen stood, her straw like golden hair bellowing in the wind behind her. Lydia was too relived to breathe. she felt Elena squeeze her hand. Elena yelled something but the shouts of others muted her.
the queen silenced the crowd as she read out the last wanderer of her choosing.
"I have had a long, hard thinking process to figure out who I would like to appoint my wanderer and although there many young elves that would be great this one stuck out like a sore thumb. the next wanderer is...
Lydia from the forest kingdom".
silence overcame the crowd, then followed whispers.
"She's the daughter of the mad woman".
"remember the one that...".
Lydia couldn't breathe, her lungs were like stone, unable to move. the blood running wild along with the out of control drum of her heart. she Felt Elena next to her just before her world danced before her eyes and her legs gave way as she plummeted towards the ground. she saw Elena kneeling over her before her world turned into a starless night.
