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I was cold. We had been tramping for nearly two days now, in a never-ceasing wind as bitter cold as the ocean�s winter breeze.

�Are we nearly there?� I asked, sounding a lot like a 5-year old on a long car drive.

�We�ll get there at sundown,� Merva answered crossly, head bent into the wind, �that�s the 100th time you�ve asked me.�

�86th, actually,� I muttered to the wind.

In the spring a year after our first adventure, told in the tale called The Quest For the Faeries� Forgiveness, we began to get restless. The faeries had decided to give out quests only as random events, and that seemed to go for us too. We finally chose to make a quest of our own.

�Read the message from Lady Fewdla again, Merva,� I called through the howling wind. She stopped and rummaged in a pouch beneath her cloak.

�Here!� she snarled as she let the wind whip it from her hand towards me, �and stop asking me redundant questions!�

We trudged on in comparative silence, what with the noise of the wind and the clattering of branches, my nose buried in the birch-bark scroll as much to keep it warm as to read it in the failing light. It said:

Dear Zayl and Merva, In response to your plea for help on your quest, the Council of Wishing Hollow has agreed to help. Our advice is �Find Sylvanus in the town of Winth�l, at the north-western foot of Mount Winth�l, and ask him for the story of Amaraine.� Good luck.

The Council had hinted that there was something more to Merva�s parents, and that just made our curiosity even greater. Lady Fewdla had refused to just plain tell us, saying it was something meant to be learned, not just told, and other vague excuses, but gave us this hint. Now, miles from my only other friend, Starla the Light Faerie, and my snug home under the roots of a tree, I was beginning to regret my decision to leave.

� � � � � � � � �

The village inn was a welcome sight, with cheerful fires and loud, bright banners. Merva and I sat down at a table in a far corner. After a few minutes wait, a waitress came to take our orders.

�Can I get you anything?� the red techo asked.

�A green apple and some cheese would be nice,� I said.

�And you?� the techo inquired, turning to Merva.

�Mmm�maybe just an apple,� she replied.

�Coming right up then, that�ll be 22 NP,� the techo smiled and scribbled on a notepad. I carefully handed her the money, and she bustled off to soon return with our dinners.

�Anything else?� she asked expectantly.

�Yes, we�d like a room for the night,� Merva answered.

�Alright, just go over to that desk and ask,� was the reply.

The room we were given by the old poogle at the desk was plain and clean, with a wooden floor and a single window. Two beds were placed along one wall, with a table and lamp between them. A desk and a chair had been placed across the room, under the window. We sank onto the beds, glad to not be sleeping on sticks, stones, or tree roots.

We awoke mid-morning and, after a small breakfast, approached the desk downstairs with some questions.

�Er,� Merva began, �You wouldn�t happen to know where someone called 'Sylvanus' might be, would you?�

The old poogle wrinkled his furry face in thought for a moment, then sighed.

�Me memry�s not as good as it was,� he said sadly, slurring his words slightly, �But ye migh� arsk Arin, there.�

He nodded towards the techo who had taken our orders last night. We both thanked him made our way to the waitress.

�Excuse me,� Merva said, �But the poogle told us to ask you about someone called 'Sylvanus'. Might you know who he is, and where we could find him?�

�Sylvanus?� Arin said straightening up from the half-washed table, �Let me see�oh, yes! I know him! He�s the town�s unofficial storyteller. If you can find his granddaughter, she�ll take you to him. I�m afraid I�ve forgotten her name, but she�s a yellow elephante.�

I thanked Arin and we departed. Belatedly I thought of a problem. What if there was more than one yellow elephante in the town?

� � � � � � � � �

The sun was setting, and we still had not found Sylvanus�s granddaughter. We were getting discouraged, although we had learned that she usually came to the food and faerie stalls in the afternoon. However, it was definitely past the afternoon.

We were just about to give up and go back to the inn when we saw a short, stout, yellow figure leave a faerie stall and disappear around a corner. We hurtled around the corner to find the elephante halfway down the deserted alley.

�Wait!� I called out, streaking down the street, Merva hard on my heels. The elephante jumped and wheeled around, a look of surprise on a face that was oddly familiar.

�You!� I gasped, and stopped so suddenly that Merva ran smack into me and we both fell face forward onto the pavement.

�B-but I turned, they know that!� whimpered Saylen, a former employee of the Uber Dark faerie that Merva and I had the misfortune to meet. She began to back away, but I said, �Wait!� again, and amazingly, Saylen stopped.

�We haven�t come for reasons of the past,� I said, disentangling myself from Merva and standing up, �Well, not your past. We�re wondering if you could take us to meet your grandfather.�

�Why?� she wanted to know, shifting almost imperceptibly backwards from us.

�Um�� I started, then rummaged around in my pockets, finally producing Lady Fewdla�s message. I handed it over to Saylen, glad that Merva was behind me. I didn�t really want to see the look on her face.

Saylen read the note, then handed it back looking only slightly less confused.

�Meet me back here at 10:00 tomorrow morning,� she replied, �The tale you want is long.�

� � � � � � � � �

Saylen met us at 10:00 sharp. She was looking different that she did when she was on Sarfale�s side. Meeker, somehow, more grown up. She was well groomed, and wore a simple, long dress with long sleeves of a yellow that matched her fur and feathers. It had a plain lace trim around the collar, cuffs, and hem, too. She was almost pretty, but being a zafara, only my kind was really pretty to me. In fact, I could think of one very pretty zafara�

I shook my head and walked faster. I was lagging behind.

This is no time for silliness, I told myself sternly, perversely scared of the little flutter in my stomach when I thought like that.

She�s you friend! I thought desperately, Just a friend!

By this time, we were in the slums of the town and completely lost. Only Saylen seemed to know where we were. We turned into an alley shadowed by the tall buildings surrounding it, and found a door hidden in the shadows at the end. Saylen unlocked it, and motioned us though into a small and shabby kitchen. Through another door hung with dark blue glass beads, we entered into another dimly lit room.

In each corner of the room were three candles, as there were no windows, and to our right a fireplace contained the glowing embers of a fire long died down. On the floor a slightly shabby dark blue rug had been placed, and across from the fireplace Saylen�s grandfather occupied a dark blue cushioned loveseat.

�This is Sylvanus the IV, my grandda,� the yellow elephante said.

Sylvanus was blue, and rather chubby, even for an elephante. And he was old, and lined like all elderly people and pets were. He looked tired, as he lay there with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, his lids lifted to reveal eyes a shade darker that his blue fur.

�So,� Sylvanus said, sitting up with the aid of Saylen, �these are the ones who wanted to hear about Merla and Doraughin of Amaraine. Have a seat, and get comfortable, for it is a long story.�

Amaraine, in the beginning of Sarfale�s reign

Merla of Amaraine, a red zafara, stood above the drawbridge next to her husband, Doraughin of Amaraine, watching a tiny cloud of dust speed along the dirt road towards them.

�Lower the drawbridge,� her blue mate ordered, �it�s friendly.�

And indeed it was. A blue elephante was hurtling top speed over the road, stumbling in the potholes, and clutching what was obviously a stitch in his side from running. The drawbridge creaked down, and the runner stumbled over it before collapsing in the middle of the courtyard.

�Bring water and food, quick!� Doraughin half shouted as he rushed to the newcomer.

�Don�t try to talk until you catch your breath,� he said as the elephante tried to gasp something out between his gulps for air. A few minutes and a glass of water later the elephante was able to speak.

�It�s Sarfale, milord,� he said, �She�s on the warpath. She was at Praice�s gates three days ago with an army of shadows. No knowing where she is now.�

�An army of what?� Amaraine�s ruler asked.

�Shadows. Pet-shaped ones, with glowing white eyes.�

Apparently this satisfied Doraughin, for he immediately turned around and ordered one of the servants to send for General Valkar. The green techo arrived a moment later, and saluted smartly.

�General Valkar, take half the troops here and stop Sarfale. Gather troops from the other towns as you go. I�ll catch up with you after I warn the Eiderlings,� Doraughin said, then turned to Merla, �Merla, dear, watch for more runners. You�re commander-in-chief until I get back.�

Merla nodded her head and turned away, tears squeezing themselves from her eyes. Doraughin had returned from a riot in Elpite only last night. Must he leave again so soon?

Of course, she told herself sternly, He has to protect his people.

Even so, the thought brought her no comfort.



An hour later another runner was spotted on the road. The yellow chia skidded to a stop in the courtyard just as Doraughin was ready to march. She was in slightly better shape, though she was hardly more than a child. Breathing hard, she withdrew a scroll from her tattered tunic and handed it to Merla. Amaraine�s queen quickly scanned the message.

�Doraughin, Sarfale has reached Ralure!� she called to her husband as she ushered the frightened chia into the arms of a pretty red techo nursemaid.

�I�ll see you soon,� Doraughin said, kissing her goodbye, �We�ve beaten Sarfale before, we�ll do it again. You�ll see.�

He turned to kiss his daughter goodbye before setting out.

Merla watched him go, her nose pressed into her daughter�s red fur, until he was just a dot of blue so dark, it looked black. Merla was still worried.

Sarfale didn�t have an army of shadows last time�



Merla watched the dust cloud upon the road with growing unease. It could mean only three things, and two of them were bad. Finally, she could make out the figures.

Doraughin led an army a little less that what he had started out with. They were marching fast towards the castle, with many wounded among them. The drawbridge hit the ground just as the army reached the gate, and they piled inside before the bridge began its ponderous journey upwards again.

Merla hurried down to Doraughin. She had a bad feeling inside. The army had come back in such a hurry, and without smiles or triumphant cries.

There�s not even a victorious glint in their eyes, she thought, only grimness and worry, and a hint of fear.

�What happened? Did you win?� Merla asked, half hysterical.

�No.� The word had never struck Merla with such fear.

�She�ll be here around nightfall,� Doraughin continued, unaware of his wife�s momentary paralysis, �You and our daughter must be out of here before then, before Sarfale gets here.�

�What about you?�

�I must protect our people. Go towards Eider-�

�No.� Merla made a split second decision.

�We will stay,� Merla said as Doraughin looked at her in disbelief, �No matter where we go, Sarfale will chase us, and find us. She probably already has scouts and spies out ahead to surround us, preventing escape. And I don�t want to die alone.�

These last words were whispered into Doraughin�s shoulder as Merla fought to prevent tears.

�Neither do I,� Doraughin whispered back as he held her, �Go into the keep, then, and find a good hiding place. Just in case. Better yet, find an escape route.�

He kissed her head, and Merla left the busy courtyard to the defenders. She ascended the spiral staircase to Doraughin�s and her quarters, to wait for nightfall.

Hours ticked slowly by, as Merla found she couldn�t concentrate on needlework or other mundane chores. Clouds came, but sunset didn�t. A light rain drizzled down, heightening the feeling of gloom, but night didn�t come. Merla fell asleep to the soft sighing of the shower, and awoke at her daughter�s crying. She nursed the baby, and realized it had stopped raining. The clouds remained. Merla curled up with her child and slept again.



The heavy silence greeted Merla as she opened her eyes. It was the hour before dawn, and blacker than an empty void. She got up, shifting slowly so as not to awaken the princess, and peered out the window. She couldn�t even see the bottom of the courtyard, it was so dark.

Merla called for the nursemaid, and the pretty red techo came almost at once. A few hurried words and Esra was left in charge of the young one.

Merla hurried down the winding steps and though a corridor before she came to the great double doors that led into the courtyard. Climbing the steps that led to the broad walk on top of the walls, she realized that no sound cut through the air that was as heavy as syrup with fear. The sentries and soldiers atop the battlements were stock-still and silent.

Reaching the top of the wall, she turned to give her husband a hug and a kiss, then stepped up to the edge for a look at what had come with the night.

Merla�s gasp seemed to be magnified by the silence. Before her, out of bow range, stretched a city of tents, housing at least ten thousand creatures.

�Sarfale will attack in the morning, when she has the mist to conceal the beginning,� Doraughin whispered, holding Merla.

Suddenly, the moon broke through the cover of the clouds to shine upon the moat and Sarfale�s camp. It�s white light illuminated several shadowy creatures creeping towards the castle. They were shaped like pets, but with pupilless, glowing, white eyes and their fur, or skin, or scales were black as shadows.

The archers shot almost immediately, killing two and wounding another of the shadow-pets before the rest were out of range. All over the camp myriad eyes were watching them, like a swarm of evil fireflies.

Merla turned and fled back to her room.



Dawn came, and Sarfale�s forces attacked. Not heavily, they were just playing with the outnumbered defenders. Both sides knew it. They charged on and off, but never in force. At midday they withdrew, and stayed in their camp, waiting.

Merla, and the entire castle, uneasily watched the sun go down, sure that the next time the shadow-pets attacked, it would be for the kill. Sure that the next morning, there would be no one left to kill. The last sunray winked out, and Sarfale�s army charged.

They came forward with fire, and set the gate ablaze despite gallons of water the wooden doors had been soaked in, and set ladders against the walls. There were too many to be tipped over and in a matter of minutes fighting broke out on the wall tops.

Then she came. She strode through the burning main gate, fire wreathing her cruel, dark face. Her eyes were alight with evil victory as she turned on the nearest group of defenders. She pointed her wand at them, a slender rod of yellow-green glass, and a green whirlwind appeared, tossing them into the air. The shadow-pets seemed immune to Sarfale�s magic and ignored it.

Then a blue streak rammed into the Dark Queen. Sarfale staggered, her concentration broken. The whirlwind disappeared as Sarfale pointed at Doraughin, his silver blade flashing down on her. Her wand gave a blinding yellow-green flash as her magic flung the blue zafara against the walls he had fought so hard to defend, landing with a thud before his lifeless body slid to the ground, his sword preceding him with a metallic clatter.

Merla screamed. She tried to climb out the window of her tower, sobbing, but Esra grabbed her and dragged her back inside.

�Let me go!� Merla commanded the techo through her tears. Esra didn�t heed her, but pulled her down the steps, scooping up the princess as she went.

�Doraughin died defending us, and you are now the leader of Amaraine�s people. You have a duty to your people and your child. Doraughin died so you would live! Do you want that sacrifice to have been useless?� Esra asked in a merciless voice as she hauled Merla, now clutching at her child and weeping silently, down the dungeon steps.

Merla was in a daze of misery. Vaguely, she wondered how they had come so far so fast, then registered Esra�s wise words and shook her head. They had just reached the bottom steps when there was a boom as the castle doors were forced open and the temperature dropped as the Uber Dark faerie stepped inside, intent on Merla�s blood. Even though the duo could not see Sarfale, they knew she was here and knew what she wanted. Wordlessly, they broke into a run, Esra leading by a hair.

Helter-skelter they pelted down the dungeon corridors, Merla now sufficiently out of her shock to fear for her daughter, wide-eyed with fright but thankfully silent. The ran, their breath misting in the cold air, down some steps, around a corner, down a corridor, another turn, more steps, until they finally skidded around a turn into the passageway that led to the back entrance. Merla saw the blessed door and sprinted towards it, no longer needing to be led. Hearing footsteps behind her, knowing it was Sarfale, Esra and her queen flung themselves at the door as a yellow-green beam splintered the rock arch above them. The door opened with a bang, and they both stumbled down the steps, salvation in sight. They were only two or three feet from the bottom of the stairs when Esra heard a whistling behind her and threw herself at Merla and the now wailing babe, knocking them both down as the spell that was meant for the queen hit the back of her head.

Merla rolled down the remaining steps, trying not to squish the princess. She leapt to her feet with a sob and ran forward. She was halfway across the bridge to freedom when the spell hit her in the back. She stumbled and fell onto her hands and knees, her child tumbling into the moat. A cold numbness was spreading from her back as she watched her precious daughter be scooped up from the river into a boat and quieted as it slid silently deeper into the shadows, unnoticed by the Dark Queen. Then everything went white and Merla of Amaraine got to her feet, a shadowcreature under Sarfale�s sway. The princess Merva was never seen again.

��until now.� Sylvanus finished. There was silence in the dingy room for a few moments. Then Merva broke it.

�I don�t believe you,� she said quietly.

�Why?�

Merva snorted.

�Because orphans only turn out to be princesses and whatnot in fairy tales, not real life. Come on, Zayl, I�m leaving.�

She winced as she got up from the floor. When I didn�t get up to follow, she stopped to turn and look at me.

�Aren�t you coming�you don�t�I don�t believe you! I�m not a princess! My parents we not royalty, and I am not Amaraine�s monarch!�

�You might be,� Sylvanus interrupted us, Saylen having disappeared, �or it might be your daughter. The future is always hard to interpret.�

�I don�t believe that you can see the future either,� Merva said, really getting mad though I couldn�t tell what about.

�Merva,� I said, and she turned to face me, �The faeries can see the future; why not him?�

�It doesn�t matter anyway,� the blue elephante said tiredly, �if you don�t believe me, your daughter will be the one to lift Sarfale�s spell, or perhaps her daughter. It is a lot to digest, isn�t it?�

�Yes,� Merva whispered, looking almost as tired as Sylvanus.

I watched her as she sat silently for a few minutes, just thinking. I wanted to say something, but had no idea what, and refused to just say her name with nothing else to add.

�So I really am an orphan?� Merva finally asked.

�No. It is possible to undo Sarfale�s spell,� Saylen�s grandfather said, �and then many will be free.�

�How?� Merva asked.

�I have no idea,� was the reply.

Silence again. When I realized that everyone had said everything there was to be said, I thanked Sylvanus and offered him some neopoints for the use of his time. He accepted them graciously, and bid us farewell.

Outside the dingy home, I stopped, unsure of where to go next. The sun told me it was early afternoon, and my stomach growled. I was hungry.

�I will lead you back to the market.�

I jumped. Saylen had come up noiselessly behind us, and from the way Merva was looking at the elephante, I guessed that she hadn�t heard Saylen either.

�This way,� Saylen said, beckoning to us. We hurried to keep up.

When we reached the marketplace we offered to take Saylen out to lunch, but she politely declined and headed back home. We ate a rather large noontide meal, discussing the changed Saylen, and returned to the inn.

Just before we went to bed we received a note from Saylen. It read:

I can help you in your search for the Castle Amark, the castle in my grandpa�s story. Meet me two days from now at seven o�clock A.M. in front of the inn.

Saylen

Merva and I looked at each other.

�How did she know we were planning to go after Queen�my mother?� Merva whispered.

�I don�t know,� I replied, climbing into bed, �but we�ll need to be up by eight to supply for the trip, so I intend on getting asleep early.�

Merva agreed and scrambled under her covers.



The next day was spent buying supplies for the journey ahead of us and doing odd jobs around town to pay for the materials. We packed before we slept, finding our moneybags surprising full. Well, they weren�t full, really, but they weren�t empty, which was what we had expected.

A good thing, I thought, A little extra hurts no one, and comes in handy.

� � � � � � � � �

Clouds hid the dawn as we started off. We walked in silence as a light drizzle descended on us, not even stopping for lunch. I developed a slight cramp from eating and walking, which cleared up around the same time as the clouds; around mid afternoon. Saylen led us under a giant apple tree whose titanic branches drooped to the ground in an arch, creating a cave-like tunnel in which we would be well hidden. We slept there, and had apples for breakfast.

A little after lunch we turned off the road and into the trees. We followed something that resembled a path until nightfall, when we bedded down on the sticks, roots, and decaying leaves that littered the forest floor.

I woke up early, and sat up. Merva was still asleep, but Saylen wasn�t. In fact, Saylen wasn�t even in her bedroll, or anywhere in sight. I got up and looked around, finally spotting a trail of broken and bent underbrush Saylen must have taken.

I hadn�t gone even two steps when I heard a voice behind me.

�What?� I asked, turning. Merva was awake.

�I said, where are you going?� she repeated. I grimaced.

�Saylen�s gone,� I replied, �I�m going to find her.�

�I�m coming, too.� Merva said stubbornly, scrambling out of her blankets.

�Okay.� I sighed and turned back to the trail.

We followed the trail silently for a few minutes before coming to a clearing. Across the clearing was Saylen. Suddenly, another creature jumped out of the scrubs, and Merva and I tensed in fear. It was a shadowcreature, a gelert. It didn�t see us in the shadows as it�s attention was fixed on the unfortunate elephante in front of it.

�So nice to see you again,� it whispered, it�s voice hissing like wind through grass, �I hope you enjoyed your �vacation�, because the mistress wants to see you.�

At this last remark Saylen broke free of the shadowcreature�s paralyzing eyes, screamed, and ran. Laughing, the gelert lunged forward and grabbed Saylen�s foot in it�s teeth, and both of them vanished. Merva and I were stunned for a few moments, listening to the slight hiss of air taking the place where Saylen had stood. Then Merva started walking back the way we had come.

�Where are you going?� I asked stupidly.

�Back to camp.�

�Why?� My brain still wasn�t really functioning. Thank God for practical, logical Merva.

�Because we should keep following the�� she searched for the right word to describe the less-than-a-trail we were following, then gave up, ��trail; maybe Saylen�s at the end, along with Sarfale. Anyway, there might be something in Saylen�s pack that can help us.�

Why didn�t I think of that? I thought. I felt stupid.

� � � � � � � � �

Saylen did not have any kind of map in her bag, but she did have an amulet and a strange black iron key. I took the key and Merva slung the amulet around her neck. Then we continued down the trail.

The forest gradually thickened, and on our second day of travel the trees suddenly gave way to a stagnant lake. The water was dark and looked murky, but wasn't laden with sediment. It didn�t move at all, and when the sun shone on it�s surface, it gleamed slightly but did not blaze, reminding me of syrup. In the center of the lake, an island devoid of life and poisoned as the lake rose from the water, a dark building crowned the one hill rising from its rocky expanse.

�I�m not touching the water.� Merva stated, as unmoving as the lake she was referring to. I looked at her, relieved.

�Then we�d better find or build a boat,� I answered, �I don�t think Saylen went swimming in this muck either.�

For a few minutes we searched, and finally found an old rowboat in some bushes, very inexpertly hid. Not that it exactly needed to be hid; I didn�t think anyone who looked at it would have thought it seaworthy. We wrestled it onto the lake anyway, to see if it would float, and almost lost it in our surprise as it drifted away nearly out of reach. Gingerly, we stepped in, glad it actually held both of us, and set out for the blighted island.

We reached the island in about an hour and a half, though it seemed much longer. Neither of us really cared for rowing across a lake of questionable cleanliness, in a rowboat of questionable fitness, in the middle of a valley that was clearly cursed. We were both glad to reach land again, and, sweat-soaked, we dragged the boat under some long-dead bushes and flopped down, panting.

The building was much closer now, and we could see what it was. It was a castle, scorched black by fire, the empty flagpoles stretched to the sky like winter trees.

�Cheerful looking place, isn�t it,� Merva murmured to me. I managed a weak smile.

Looking around, I noticed something. There was the same half-trail, snaking it�s way through the dead scrub. After we had caught our breath, we followed it, darting from one rock to the other, staying hidden as much as we could. We followed it right up to the base of the castle and stopped there. The semi-path ended right at a wall. We stared first at the sooty wall, then at each other.

�You search right,� I told Merva, �I�ll search left.�

She nodded and walked off, idly trailing a paw along the wall until she noticed it had become black, then snatched it away, still scanning for clues as to how to get inside. I had not been searching long when someone tapped my shoulder. I jumped and spun, relieved to see it was only Merva.

�I found it!� she hissed. �C�mon!�

I followed behind as Merva led me silently to �it�. Merva had to point to the keyhole in the upper-right hand corner of one of the stone cubes that made up the castle before I realized what she had found. Fumbling, I fished the key we had gotten from Saylen�s pack out of my bag and stuck it in. With a click, a door-sized section of the stone shifted a half-inch, and Merva and I pushed it the rest of the way open to reveal a long, dark passageway that seemed to be the hollow interior of the castle�s dark walls. Cautiously, we crept inside. There was a grinding noise, and we both jumped and turned around to see the last bit of light wink out as the stone door slid back. I heard Merva whimper nervously. Silently, I reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze before leading her down the dark tunnel.

� � � � � � � � �

After some time, many wrong turns, and even one ladder to a second level, Merva and I came to a trapdoor. It was made of dark wood, with no crack around it to let slivers of light in, so we actually passed right by it before realizing it was there. Merva and I exchanged looks, and I opened the trapdoor a crack and peered around the room above us. The circular room was made of stone, like everything else in the castle, with a window facing me, a door to my right, and a large fireplace opposite the window. It was also empty, except for numerous bookshelves around the walls overflowing with scrolls and books, and tubes coiled like a nest of snakes on a table, filled with glowing liquid.

�It�s okay,� I whispered to Merva, and helped her into the room. We both just stared around for a moment, certain that this was Sarfale�s laboratory.

�Z�rfae!� a voice behind me screeched. I whipped around to be hit by a bolt of sickly yellow-green magic, and found I couldn�t move. I was frozen! Sarfale, the Uber Dark Faerie, flickered into sight, laughing.

�I�ve been waiting for you,� she said, malicious laughter still sparking in her eyes. Out of the corner of my sight I could see Merva. She was frozen, too.

�You�ve caused me a lot of trouble,� she went on, her eyes beginning to betray her bloodlust�for our blood! �And I�m sooo glad you could drop by to�er, talk it out. I�ll do the talking.�

She walked over to the table behind us, and I magically turned, as if I was on a rotating pedestal, to face her.

�Do you like my newest experiment? I�m trying to find a potion that will turn pets to shadowcreatures that can be ingested. Perhaps you�d like to test it?� she paused, as if waiting for our reply, then continued, �But I find that problems like you two have been are best dealt with quickly, so I think I�ll change you the old-fashioned way.�

�You first,� she said to me, as she produced a slender stick of yellow-green glass from the air, and pointed it at me, power rippling along its length as she summoned her favorite spell. I watched, almost hypnotized in fear, as the spell came free from the wand�s tip, and hurtled at me through the air. It never reached me. Merva jumped in front of me at that moment, and the spell hit the Saylen�s amulet, which shattered into a million pieces of light. Apparently, the amulet protected Merva against Sarfale�s spells, so Merva had just to act frozen until the right time. Anyway, the amulet didn�t protect Merva from the force of the spell, so she flew through the air into me, and we both sailed across the room. It hurt.

While Merva and I were flying, albeit briefly, six shards of light had grown, and transformed into the other five Uber Faeries and the High Queen Fyora. Fyora used her magic to yank the wand from the Uber Dark Faerie. Sarfale seemed to be in shock from the unexpected visit, and didn�t seem to notice.

�Sarfale, I gave you a warning,� Fyora began in a slightly tired, slight angry, and definitely regal voice, �But you didn�t listen.�

�I can explain�� whispered Sarfale. She sounded like she had said that because although there was nothing to say in her defense, she wanted to go down fighting. Or maybe it was an unconscious reaction to getting caught in the act. She looked pathetic.

�You will be punished,� said the Uber Light Faerie. She looked rather gleeful.

�But I�� Sarfale said in a last-ditch attempt to wriggle out of retribution.

�We have decided to cast you into your most hated form,� interrupted the High Queen, raising her voice to indicate that no quarter would be given.

�No,� gasped Sarfale, her already abnormally pale skin going dead white. From what I could see of Merva�s face, she was beginning to look rather gleeful, too.

�You earned it,� whispered Fyora, raising Sarfale�s yellow-green wand as the six faeries formed a circle around Sarfale.

�Please�� Sarfale was only able to whisper that one word before there was a soundless blast of energy that cleared away the last remaining light-shards, and Sarfale let loose a shriek of pure loss. There was a crack as Sarfale�s wand broke in two and lost its light, followed by a series of smaller tinkles as the tubes on the table broke in some places, the liquid there turning clear and freezing. There were weird sounds coming from other parts of the castle�and some voices. The glow from the magic wore away and I saw what Sarfale had become. Not a light faerie, or even a green or red Zafara. Sarfale was human.

� � � � � � � � �

The faeries and Sarfale disappeared in a slow flash that blinded us both for another minute or so. Then Merva seemed to realize that she was still sitting on me.

�Oh, sorry Zayl,� she said sliding off, �*oof*�I feel like I�ve been kicked by a horse.�

�At least you landed on something soft,� I replied, wincing as I straightened up from my slouched position.

�You�re not as soft as you should be,� she replied with a smile, �You need to eat more.�

We sat and nursed our injuries for a while, then got up to explore the castle�through its proper passageways.

The word that summed up Castle Amark best was dirty. Neglected for years, some of the few bits of woodwork had begun to rot. Dust had settled everywhere, and soot stained every wall. Here and there pets slept, suddenly released from Sarfale�s spell, to collapse to the ground in slumber. Merva and I debated in whispers for a while whether or not to wake them, then decided to let them be for a while. In the kitchen and guardhouse was where we found the majority of sleepers. I was slightly relieved by the normalcy of the pets� siestas. Some snored, while others mumbled or turned over. We were just leaving the kitchen when I walked into a sleepwalking gelert. We both fell backwards, and she awoke with a small �Oof!� We stared stupidly at each other for a moment or two, then her eyes widened and she looked at her paws. A huge grin spread over her face, and she jumped up, shouting, �I�m yellow! I�m yellow, not that awful black! Yesssss!�

Then she ran over to Merva and asked, �What color are my eyes?�

�Errr�brown.� Merva replied.

�A-ha-haaa! Brown! Brown eyes!�

By now her jubilation had awakened some others, and similar sounds could be heard inside the kitchen. Several pets came running out, and a few more came from the halls, attracted by the noise. After the initial confusion, in which everyone ascertained that they were indeed no longer shadowcreatures, they asked us what we were doing here. Merva told the story, but by then some new pets had arrived and needed to hear the beginning. So she told it again. She was just beginning the third rendition, when over the babble of voices, we heard a scream.

�Merva!�

A red Zafara, her fur tinged with white, was running down the stairs. Merva stopped and gaped for a moment, then started pushing through the crowd towards her mother. I felt a hard lump rise into my throat. I knew I should have been feeling happy for Merva, and I was, but it was eclipsed by a different feeling. Jealousy. I followed Merva, trying hard to bring a smile to my face, and not cry. I�m afraid I didn�t do too well.

Merva slowed down a few steps from Merla of Amaraine, uncertainty showing on her face, but Merla just hurtled those last few steps and practically knocked her daughter over. Merva burst into tears that rivaled what her mother had been putting out moments before. When both of their tears had finally slowed a bit, and Merva was actually able to smile, Merla held her at arms length to get a good look at her.

�Merva.� she said, savoring her long-lost child�s name. �Merva, child, you�ve grown.�

Merva�s smile grew brighter and bigger, and she gave her mother a monster hug before she turned to me.

�I�ve got a mother! Zayl, I�ve got a mom-� she stopped suddenly, as she realized what I was feeling. �Oh, Zayl. I�I�m so sorry.�

Meanwhile, Merla had been watching both of our faces, and suddenly comprehended we were talking about my lack of parents. She dragged Merva the few steps to me, unwilling to let go of her daughter, and crushed both of us in a hug.

�I can be his mother, too,� she said.

It was my turn to start sobbing.

� � � � � � � � �

For the next month or so, pretty much every newly liberated pet stayed to help clean the castle, and even continued to live there once it was clean. Starla came to visit, and although she loved the castle and the grounds surrounding it, nothing could persuade her to leave her blackberry bush clearing. I didn�t blame her. So it was Windred the Air Faerie who became the castle�s first resident faerie.

Other than that, the first year of Amaraine�s rebirth was relatively quiet�for most people. For Merva and I, that first year was stressful and yet wonderful, in that way emerging love makes things, and the anniversary of Sarfale�s defeat also doubled as a wedding.

As to how our love was discovered, by both of us�well�it�s personal.