The Chronicles of Ilani the Elf Queen

Chapter Two

The last knife flew from my hand into the straw dummy. Aside from me, the courtyard was empty, and I was lost in thought.  

"Ilani!" one of the servants called my name from the second floor's balcony. "She's gone again!"

I sighed audibly. "Did you check the wine cellar already?"

"Yes, and others are searching the grounds. Lord Harper would like you to help."

I rolled my eyes and started to yank knives from the dummy, and I hid them in various places in my skirt. Elizabeth had escaped the manor again, as she always does when I leave her alone. Half the time I leave just so she can have some time to herself. No one knows as well I as I how oppressed she feels when inside.

The most likely places she would be have been searched by some of the other servants, so now it was my turn to search the city. She wasn't at the library, or the plaza, or in any of the taverns or restaurants. My next destination was the docks. I just hope she didn't fall into the harbor.

....

There were many ships in the harbor, many of which I recognized. I greeted the captains and asked if they had seen Elizabeth, and their answers were all the same. She was heading to a ship named Phil.

I knew the name of that ship, but it hadn't been anchored in this harbor for years! I grabbed my skirts and ran down the boardwalk in the direction of the last ship.

"Elizabeth!" I yelled from the bottom of the gangplank. "Are you up there?"

"Hi Ilani!" Her head popped over the side of the ship.

"Get down from there!"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Yes! That's the ship of a very bad man!"

"Hey!" A new voice spoke up. "That isn't nice!" The voice's owner looked down from the side of the ship at me. His raven locks fell in front of his cornflower blue eyes, and he smiled at me. "Long time, no see, Ilani."

"Oliver! If you did anything to Elizabeth, so help me I will march up this gangplank and personally-"

"Calm down Ilani," Elizabeth cut me off. "I'm fine. Oliver has been really nice!"

"Yes, I have," Oliver stuck his tongue out at me. "So why don't you come up and we'll all have a nice little chat."

"A nice little chat?!"   

"She doesn't like that..." Elizabeth trailed off. "How do you two know each other anyways?"

"That's not important," I said just as Oliver said, "We knew each other as children."

"Really?" Elizabeth's face had a pained look.

"Yes," I sighed. "Elizabeth, do you know who that man is? Do you remember?"

"Yep, I remember." Elizabeth grimaced. "He's the man that blinded me."

"Did you have to bring that up?" Oliver asked, actually having the audacity to look ashamed.

"Well, it would have to come up sometime!" I shouted. "Do you think that Elizabeth would just forget what you did to her? That she wouldn't talk about it? You are an idiot!"

"Ilani," Elizabeth said. "Can you please come up here so that we don't have to yell at each other?"

I nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see me, and climbed up the gangplank, ignoring my fears of falling into the water. On the deck of the boat, I took a look around.

"You've gotten a lot more organized, Oliver."

"Thank you, Ilani. I know how it bothered you."

"Enough with the idle chitchat," I said. "What are you doing here? You are banished from this city. If found, you could die."

"I know that," he replied. "But I had to come back. To apologize."

I softened at his despondent expression. "Okay. Apologize, then we'll leave."

"Oh, we're not going back," Elizabeth smiled. "We're going with Oliver on a little trip!"