The Last Leprechaun

CHAPTER 10

Hypathos quickly made his way to the River Lethe. Several weeks ago he had received reports of strange noises coming from the other side. When he went to investigate the first time, he had seen dozens of orcs lined up on the river’s edge throwing boulders into the river. At first, he was tempted to fly back to the city to warn the other fairies. And yet, when he thought of telling the Queen, he grew angry. For if she managed to prevent whatever the orcs were planning, she would rule for as long as she lived. That would mean hundreds, if not thousands of years of servitude under her for Hypathos. At that sickening thought, he decided to keep the orcs a secret and find a way to stop them himself.

As he reached the edge of the forest near the river, Hypathos stopped and landed on a fallen log. He carefully peered out to see the progress the orcs had made and nearly screamed of fright. After weeks of throwing in boulders, there were enough sticking out of the water that they could make it halfway across. At this rate, the orcs would be on this side of the river by season’s end. Yet Hypathos did not have any ideas on how to stop them. As he watched and planned, a figure came out of the shadows on the other side. It was most assuredly not an orc, for this figure was much smaller and walked as though it belonged to the shadows. When the figure came into the light, the only thing Hypathos could make out was the black cloak that seemed to drag the shadows of the forest with it. The figure walked up to the largest orc and spoke so quietly, even Hypathos’ sensitive ears couldn’t pick up the sounds. The orc it was talking to seemed to grow angry and Hypathos expected the small figure to be killed by the orc’s massive fists. Yet the figure lifted a hand and the orc instantly calmed, almost as though in a trance. Finally, the orc nodded as though in agreement, and the figure turned to go back into the forest. As the figure turned, Hypathos was able to see the face inside the cloak. Purple skin, black lips, and white hair were enough for him to rethink his plans and go flying back to Caelien to inform the Queen. The dark elves were coming.

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Kalan’a sat in the treetops watching the orcs as they worked. Six weeks’ worth of boulders only got them halfway across the deadly waters. She had spotted the fairy across the river. When he first flew off she assumed he was going back to the rest of his kind to tell them what the orcs were doing, but then he came back alone and simply watched. She didn’t know what to make of it, but she made sure not to let herself be seen. She didn’t want anyone or anything knowing what was driving the orcs. The stupid oafs did her bidding and that was all that mattered.

She hadn’t believed Ja’lin when she had heard about the leprechaun. For years they had taunted Skroosh, catching him and torturing him. Then letting him escape while making him believe he had outwitted them. When they found out that the leprechaun had managed to find another of their kind, they followed him secretly, one at a time. For months this had continued, for they could never spot the other dark elf. And still, they didn’t know who Skroosh had been following. But Ja’lin had seen Skroosh throwing stones into the river. He quickly had run to get Kalan’a and they watched him together for days until he finally managed to make his way across.

They realized they would be able to do the same, but what would that get them. They were only two, and they would be easily caught and killed, if not by the humans, then by the other Fae races. That was when Kalan’a thought to use the orcs. The stupid creatures were afraid of the dark elves, priestesses in particular. And although Kalan’a was an outcast, she had once been a very powerful priestess. Yet, once again, there was a problem. Kalan’a could control a few dozen orcs on this side of the river, but once they went across they would find too many humans and other Fae to torture and enslave to listen to her. She had lost too many powers after being cast out of the Order.

“What progress have they made?” Ja’lin whispered as he silently sat down on a branch behind Kalan’a.

“Not enough, and yet too much,” Kalan’a replied. “In just a few more weeks we should be able to cross, yet we have no army to help us once we do.”

“What of the orcs?”

“They will scatter as soon as they cross. I do not have the powers to control them.”

Ja’lin looked over and studied his companion while he thought of possible solutions. Her long white hair was unusual for a dark elf, the opposite of his own black; yet it was the reason she had become a priestess back in the dark elf city. White hair on a female dark elf indicated powerful abilities. A male dark elf with white hair, however, was killed instantly, for they were feared above all else. It was strange still for him to see her with her white hair, for it was not only her hair, but also her eyebrows and even her eyelashes that were white. It seemed to make her purple skin even darker. Her lips, even now frowning as she contemplated their situation, were almost black. As he pondered their differences, Kalan’a turned her purple eyes towards him, causing him to quickly look away. He knew she did not care to be watched, not even by him. They had been together since before they were thrown out of Contu’ara, the dark elf Capital City. He felt a great deal of love for her, or at least as close to love as a dark elf can get. And yet, he did not know if she felt the same. They were lovers, but if he was suddenly no longer at her side, would she even care? Ja’lin shook his head to clear these thoughts and focus on the problem in front of them.

“There is an army we could use,” Ja’lin fearfully whispered. Kalan’a slowly turned her head to face him, wondering if she had heard him correctly. His blue eyes held fear and uncertainty.

“Have you lost your senses completely?” she asked him incredulously.

“The fairies are afraid of them,” Ja’lin replied.

“All fae are afraid of them, and for good reason,” Kalan’a exclaimed. “Do you know what they would do to us if they did not agree to help us?”

“Yes, I have heard the stories. But what if that is all they are, stories?” Ja’lin asked. “They might not even exist anymore. No one has seen them since the leprechauns were sent over the river.”

“And what of the stories of missing dark elves?” Kalan’a asked him in return. “They are not as old as that. The last one I knew of before we left the city was only a handful of years prior.”

“And by now we have most likely joined those stories ourselves,” Ja’lin replied. “We are more cunning than many of our brethren, perhaps they were simply cast out and did not survive.”

Kalan’a turned silent as she studied her companion. His black hair and blue eyes were normal for a dark elf male. His purple skin was not especially dark, nor light. His features were not noteworthy, yet there was something about him that had always drawn her to him. She knew she was the reason he had been banished, just as he was the reason she had been cast out from the Order. She did love him, in her own way. Yet, she knew if she were able to go back and change things she would. She would leave him and remain in the Order. This world was not a place she would choose to be without her full powers.

Returning her thoughts to their current situation, she admitted to herself that there truly did not seem to be any other option. The minotaurs and banshees had long ago withered away. The few that remained were clustered into small tribes that would easily be captured or defeated, and the orcs were simply too stupid to be of any real use once across the river.

“Very well,” Kalan’a sighed. “We shall venture out on the following nightfall to search for them.”

“And if the stories prove to be true?” Ja’lin asked, suddenly uncertain of his decision.

“Then at least we shall die together,” Kalan’a replied.

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The small creature stood at the edge of the clearing, cloaked in shadow from the forest. She could see the elf preparing camp on the other side of the clearing. With him were two humans and a dark elf. What was he doing? All her life she had been told that humans and dark elves were to be avoided at all cost, yet here he was fraternizing with them! The thought made her so angry she let out a shrill cry and watched as everything around her froze in place. Terrified of what she had done, the creature cried out again and ran off as everything started to move once again.

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Felderen had just returned to the camp with food when he heard the shrill cry and felt the world around him freeze. He knew this was a possibility, yet he had hoped the girl would have stayed in the Moonwood. Only a few moments passed before another cry sounded and he was able to move again. Without a word to his companions, he sprinted across the clearing to try to catch her. On a good day, she was much faster than him or any other elf. He hoped with her emotions running wild, he would be able to reach her before he lost her trail. He ran deeper into the woods, the scarce moonlight barely reaching through the thick canopy overhead. Yet his eyes could see every broken branch and crushed flower. After several minutes, he could hear her crashing through the brush ahead of him and finally called out to her.

“Solana! Stop!” Felderen cried out into the night as he continued to run after her. The sounds stopped for only a moment and then became louder as she ran towards him. Suddenly, Felderen was knocked to the ground, the air knocked from his lungs as she crashed into him. The girl’s hood slipped from her head as she began pounding on Felderen without a sound until Felderen managed to grab hold of her arms.

“Keyara! Stop!” Felderen cried out again until finally the figure stopped struggling against him and sagged into him.

“I am sorry I left without telling you,” he whispered into the girl’s black hair. He could feel her tears soaking through his clothes, yet she did not make a sound. “It will be alright. But you must go back to the Moonwood and stay there until I return. It is not safe for you out here.”

“No!” Keyara declared forcefully as she sat up. “It is not safe for me to be away from you. The other elves do not want me there. They only allow my presence because of you. If you are not there, they will force me to leave.”

“You know that is not true. I have left the Moonwood many times to hunt as well as visiting other fae. The elves took care of you every time. They will do so again,” Felderen told her soothingly as he stood up.

“They did not,” Keyara whispered into her chest.

“What do you mean?”

“When you left this time, I heard the Elven Guard saying that you would not be returning. They planned to get rid of me. They…they were going to execute me.”

Felderen looked at her in disbelief. Not of what Keyara had told him, but of the elves he called his brethren. He could not believe they would execute a child simply because she was not like them. As she looked up at him, he realized she was right. There was no safe place for her in this world except by his side.

“Very well. You shall come with me. But you must do as I say without question. This is a very dangerous journey, and I do not want to worry over you,” he told her as he helped her stand.

“Now we must hurry back to my companions, for I ran off without warning.”

“Yes, Father,” Keyara replied meekly.

By the time Felderen and Keyara made it back to camp, their dinner was ready and the moon was directly above them. No one wanted to be the first to speak, although they all wondered about the cloaked figure.

“Keyara, I would like you to meet my companions. Huck, Meri, Kareeon, and … where is Juni?” Felderen asked

“Here!” Juni cried out as she flew up to sit on Meri’s shoulder.

“A fairy!” Keyara cried out as she ran over to Meri to inspect Juni more closely. “I’ve never even seen a fairy before, let alone met one. Everyone said you never leave your villages. You’re so beautiful! Are all fairies as beautiful as you? Can I meet more of your kind?”

The group laughed at Keyara’s enthusiasm before settling around the fire.

“Thank you for saying I’m beautiful, but the other fairies are very different from me and far more beautiful than I,” Juni told her.

“But…” Keyara continued.

“Later, little one,” Felderen stated. “Right now we must focus on our task.”

“And what is your task, Father?” Keyara asked. At that, the entire group looked to Felderen for an explanation. The elf sighed and nodded.

“Before I tell you that, I believe it is time to tell you, all of you, how you came to be my daughter,” Felderen mumbled. Keyara’s eyes widened in surprise, for she knew Felderen was not her real father, yet he had never told her the story of how she came to be in the Moonwood with the light elves.

“Twenty years ago, I was tasked with a mission. I was to go check on the status of the River Lethe.”

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Once every ten years, a single elf would go and ensure the magic of the River Lethe had not faded, for the fae on the other side must never return. This time, Felderen was sent to check on it. After weeks of traveling from the Moonwood, he finally reached the river’s edge. The day was already coming to an end and he knew he must not stay in the area past sunset, for the dark magic of the waters called to the light elves like no other. He had to decide quickly if he would check on the river before sunset, or go back into the forest to make camp and return at sunrise.

Just as he made the decision to return the following day, he heard a cry and everything around him seemed to freeze in place. Felderen himself seemed frozen in a half-turn towards the woods before another cry sounded and he toppled over. He quickly righted himself and ran towards the river. The sun was nearly set now, yet he could not stop. That cry had come from an infant. Elves did not have many children, but an infant’s cry was unmistakable.

As he reached the river’s edge, in the last light of day, he could just make out a small bundle wriggling around on the other side. Felderen looked up and down the river, hoping to see someone coming back for the infant, yet there was no one. The child had been abandoned. There was no way for him to cross. The black waters started to get wilder, lapping over the banks, getting ever closer to the wriggling bundle. If he did not save the child soon, it would be lost to the water.

A rustling came from the woods behind the infant and Felderen sprinted back into the shelter of trees. A figure came out of the woods, draped in shadow. It peered over the face of the infant, then across the river to where Felderen hid. The figure stared at him for so long, he began to believe it could see him, though he was fully covered by darkness and trees. Finally, the figure reached down and picked up the bundle. Felderen at first thought the child belonged to the cloaked figure; however, before reaching the forest on the other side, the figure turned once more and stared at where Felderen was hiding. Without looking away, the figure set the bundle on top of a low boulder, then pointed to the south. When Felderen looked to where the figure was pointing, it disappeared back into the forest without a sound, leaving the child safe from the waters, but still alone.

Felderen went back to the forest and made camp for the night. When the sun rose again, he went south along the river and found a spot where he could cross if he was careful enough. Only a few stones and logs rose above the surface of the dark waters, and twice he nearly fell in, but he managed to make it across safely. He sprinted to where the infant had been left and was relieved to find it alive and well. When he opened the bundle, he found a beautiful elven child with white hair and pale blue eyes. He did not understand where she could have come from, as all light elves were on the other side, yet here she was, obviously not a dark elf, for her skin was so pale as to be luminescent.

He wrapped her up again and secured her to his tunic before making his way back across the river. He thought of the figure that showed up the night before and the path that figure showed him. He would have to inform the other elves of the situation so they could ensure no one ever crossed again. He quickly began his journey back to the Moonwood, stopping only when the infant cried out in hunger.

When the light began to fade that first day, Felderen stopped to make camp. He found milk for the infant and settled in to feed her in front of the fire. Yet when he unwrapped the child, he nearly dropped her. Her skin had darkened to a deep purple, her eyes were black, and her hair was darker than a moonless sky. Suddenly, the infant began to cry again, but this time everything stopped moving, including Felderen. He could feel the shift as though time had stopped, yet his heart raced. The infant cried out again, and the world moved again, as though sighing in relief. He now understood why the child had been abandoned by the river. She was a child of two worlds and should not exist. Yet, when he thought of leaving her himself, he could not do it. This child was meant to be his, and he would spend his life protecting her from those that would harm her.

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“That is why you have two names, little one. By day you are Solana, daughter of light and love. By night you are Keyara, little dark one. When you cry out in the night, the world around you freezes. That is why I taught you never to cry or scream out loud. I do not know who your parents were or why they abandoned you. I only know that you are unique in this world and must be protected. Not even the elves of the Moonwood know of your origins, for I knew they would not allow you to stay if they did” Felderen said as he finished his tale. He looked up at his companions and found Meri, Juni, and Keyara crying silently. Huck seemed only concerned for Meri, but Kareeon stared at the light elf as if seeing him for the first time.

“That was you?” Kareeon finally asked. Felderen appeared confused, a frown marring his brow for a brief moment before his face seemed neutral once again.

“It appears we have met before, dark elf. Do you know more of her story or did you happen upon her the first time that night as I did?” Felderen inquired of him.

“I do not know where she came from, but I did see the dark elf that left her there. It was a priestess from the dark elf capital, Contu'ara. She must have been banished, for priestesses are meant to stay celibate. No dark elf priestess has ever given birth to my knowledge. It would account for her strange powers,” Kareeon explained.

“We should rest before dawn, we still have at least three days of travel before we reach our village,” Huck stated as Meri began to lightly snore on his shoulder. Everyone agreed and settled in for the night.

Little did they know that there was yet another pair of eyes watching them from the edge of the forest. For while Keyara had been tracking Felderen, someone else had been tracking her. After hearing what the group had to say, Cithron quickly turned and ran back to Tír Ghaelach. The Elven High Guard needed to be warned.