We must have been flying for hours because the sky had darkened almost completely, until I saw them. Huge mountains, their peaks covered with snow. For as far as I could see, there were mountains. Another thing that I noticed, were the clouds. It had been beautiful weather before, but above the mountains were gray clouds, and I didn�t doubt that they contained a large quantity of snowflakes.
�So, where does this friend of yours live?� I heard Teagan yell at Raghnall.
�A little further up North! Just continue the way you�re going!� Raghnall yelled back. And Teagan slapped Edana on her bottom again. The dragon continued to glide through the air, wings moving slowly. When I looked further, I saw we were flying right towards a particularly big, black cloud.
�Um�� I started, but it was too late; we were now right inside the cloud. Rain suddenly came out from nowhere, along with snow and hail. The wind was howling and I felt like I would be blow off if it weren�t for Raghnall holding on to me. Edana was no longer in control as to were she was going; we were a play ball of the storm. Spinning around faster and faster I was sure we would crash into a mountain soon.
And then, it stopped.
The dragon stood completely still, even though the storm was still raging around us. I felt us being pulled downwards, to the ground. We were descending fast, and it made me feel dizzy. The last thing I saw before I passed out was the ground and a black figure standing on it.
~
�You know, if she is hurt, I�ll kill you.� I heard a familiar voice say.
�Relax, you idiot. I�m sure she�s fine. Possessive over your new toy much?� And unknown voice replied.
�She�s not my �toy�, as you put it, and I�m not possessive. Just worried.� The first voice said.
�Sure, and I�m the king of Dan�Beng.�
�Would you two stop bickering? Look, I think she�s coming to.� A third voice interrupted.
The darkness in my mind started to face and I slowly opened my eyes. I stared right into Raghnall's face, who smiled at me.
�Good morning! I�m glad you�ve finally chosen to wake up. Almost had me worried there.� He said cheerfully.
�What�what happened?� I asked, confused.
�You passed out when I helped your dragon fly to the ground. You�ve only been out for about fifteen minutes, but your Elven friend was already worried sick.� And there, behind Raghnall, was the mysterious voice I had heard before. A little boy from about 14 years stepped up to me. What I noticed right away was his snow-white hair and blood red eyes. His hair was quite long; he had it in a rubber band and it hung to the small of his back. That, and the fact that he was completely dressed in black; a black short sleeved shirt, loose black pants, big black boots and a long, black cape. He was about 4�9� and looked very thin. Dangling from his wrists were big, golden bracelets and hanging around his neck were a lot of necklaces in all colors and sizes, some with pendants and some without.
�I am the one they call Kayne. Nice to meet you, Shaylee.� He said in a very polite matter.
�Um�Right. Were you really the one that saved us from that storm?� I asked.
�Yes, that was me. I used a simple Pulling spell that even the most stupid person can do.� He said while looking at Raghnall in a very smug way. The Elf had to visibly restrain himself from attacking the boy.
�A spell? You can do magic too?�
�He is the one that gave Raghnall the Arrow stone, Shaylee. He is also a descendant of Aislin, and he will be coming with us.� Said Teagan, who was standing on my right. �Do you think you can stand up yet?�
�Yes, I think I�m fine�� I said, and Teagan helped me get up. I now saw we were standing on some sort of path that went all around the mountain. I could see over the edge of the mountain; only mist and blackness. I quickly looked the other way. �So, what do we do now?�
�We stay here for the night and then move on the search Aislin.� Raghnall said.
�Here?� I questioned. �On top of a mountain?�
�In my cave.� Explained Kayne, and he started to walk to where I now saw a huge opening in the mountain, Teagan in tow.
�Right, a cave. Why didn�t I think of that?� I murmured. I felt someone touch my arm and turned to see Raghnall standing behind me, a worried look on his face.
�Are you alright?� He asked.
�I�m fine.� I reassured him. �I was just a little dizzy on that dragon.�
�I�m glad.� He smiled. �Now, come on, let�s go.� And he pulled me with him to where Kayne and Teagan had disappeared.
~
Kayne hadn�t lied when he said when he lived in a cave. The opening was huge and when I looked in, all I could see was darkness. It was not that I was afraid of the dark; it was more like I feared what was in that cave. It gave me a very weird feeling inside. Raghnall obviously felt my anxiety, because he grabbed my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Together we stepped in and then all was dark.
I heard something drip from the ceiling and I could swear I heard a bat squeak, but I couldn�t see anything. Kayne yelled something at us from the distance, but the echo made it so that I couldn�t understand him. Something flew by my ear and I shivered, not only from the cold.
�Scared?� I heard Raghnall say from beside me.
�No�� I replied in a way that didn�t convince him. He chuckled.
We continued walking and at some point I saw a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. As we walked towards it, it continued to grow larger and when we finally came closer, I could see what it was.
The light was coming from candles that were standing in the large space. There was a big table, four chairs, and a couch. In the corner there was a place where the food was kept and where you could cook, and in the other corner there was a bed.
A huge bookcase took up most of the space; actually, a whole wall was taken by it. There must have been more than thousands of books in it, and all of them looked near ancient. I figured that they probably were. A big ladder was leaning against the wall; probably to enable Kayne to get to the books on the top shelf. Also, I noticed that even though we were in a cave, it wasn�t cold at all. Kayne looked at us triumphantly.
�Welcome to my home. Please make yourselves comfortable.�
I looked around, feeling a bit odd. Apparently the others didn�t know quite what to do either, because they didn�t move. Kayne frowned.
�Oh, come on! Just sit down!� And with a flick of his hand, the four chairs moved backwards. We all sat down and Kayne did another movement with his hand, and before I could even blink, the table was set with the most delicious food I had ever seen. Plates full of potatoes, different kind of meats and vegetables spread a nice smell. I was flabbergasted.
�How�how did you do that?� Kayne just grinned at me mysteriously.
�I told you I could do magic. Now, eat!�
And we did.
~
I was lying on the couch while Teagan and Raghnall tried to catch some sleep, sitting on the chairs. Kayne himself had taken the bed. All the candles were out and it was completely dark in the cave. I felt tired from today, which wasn�t so weird. The walk through the forest, the ride on the dragon and me passing out. Then the nice meal we just had. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. That was when the voices started. They were talking about me.
�Where did you find the girl?� That was Kayne�s voice.
��The girl� has a name, you know. Have you forgotten it already? Let me repeat it: Shaylee.� I heard Raghnall say.
�Protective over your darling much?� Kayne snickered.
�I am not protective and she is not my darling. I just don�t like you talking about her in such ways.� Raghnall hissed.
�How absolutely adorable. An Elf in love with a human�Are you just playing or do you really not know?�
�Why you-�
�Okay, both of you. That�s enough already.� Teagan interrupted. �Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I would like to be rested for it. I suggest we sleep now, and you can continue this in the morning. Goodnight.�
And then it was quiet and I decided to follow Teagan�s advice, trying not to think about what was just said.
Sleep.
~
When I woke up the next day, Teagan and Raghnall were still asleep. Kayne was gone however; his bed was empty but neatly made. I decided to go outside and get some fresh air. I got up from the couch, and walked through the dark tunnel. It somehow looked less frightening than the previous day, for some reason.
Once outside, I saw Kayne standing at the edge of the mountain. He was looking quite wistfully, and I walked up to him.
�Good morning.� I said softly. He looked up to me and smiled.
�Good morning, Shaylee. I hope you had a good rest.�
�I am fine�there has been one question on my mind, though. Are you really a descendant of Aislin?� I asked.
�As a matter of fact, I am. I may not look like much, but I am actually 200 years old.� Kayne replied.
�But�how?� I gasped, quite shocked.
�When I was 14 years old I had a fight with a demon. We both knew I was much stronger than him, so before he died he put a curse on me. At first I didn�t know what kind of curse it was, until it was too late. I stopped aging and when I was about a hundred years, I noticed that I didn�t die either. I can be killed�I have thought about ending my own life, but something didn�t feel right. I felt like I hadn�t fulfilled my purpose yet. Then I met your friend Raghnall, and I knew this was it. This was the purpose of my life. He told me to wait another 50 years, and then the plan would start. So it was done, and I waited until he would return. You know the rest.� The boy explained.
�You fought a demon when you were fourteen?�
�My strength is intelligence. It enables me to teach myself a lot of spells even the greatest wizards find difficult. I know it may seem like a great virtue, but sometimes it feels like a curse to me��
�There is one thing I don�t understand�� I said. Kayne smiled at me.
�What is it?� He inquired.
�Why did Raghnall ask you to wait 50 years? Couldn�t you just have done it then?�
�That is the weird thing�� The boy said while looking thoughtful. �He said something about a thing being needed�I quote: �We can�t execute our plan just yet. There is still something missing�I promise you; in 50 years it will be done. Just wait and see.� I still haven�t figured out what he meant by that.�
�He said the same thing to me!� I exclaimed. I wondered what exactly he had meant by that and Kayne seemed to do the same, until I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to see Raghnall coming out of the cave.
�What are you guys standing there like that?� He asked with a big smile on his face. I wondered what had made him so happy.
�Nothing.� Kayne answered. �Where is Teagan? I want to leave as soon as we can.�
�Here I am!� came a voice from behind Raghnall. Teagan came out of the cave, still looking rather tired.
�Right. Then we should get going.�
�Um, excuse me.� I interrupted. �Exactly where are we going?�
Kayne stared at me in disbelief. �You mean nobody told you?�
�Nobody ever tells me what is going on!� I complained pouting. The boy looked at Raghnall.
�Why haven�t you told her?� He asked the Elf.
�Because he likes to annoy me, that�s why!� I answered for him. Raghnall just scratched the back of his head rather stupidly.
�Ah, I see�Well, let me tell you it, then. We are going to the swamp of the Faeries, Shea. According to my Arrow stone, Aislin should be there.� Kayne explained.
�The swamp of the Faeries�� I repeated. The wizard nodded.
�It is called that way, because there is a large quantity of Faeries living there. Personally, I find them quite annoying. Just for walking past them they try to kill you.�
�I can see why they would want to do that.� Raghnall smirked. �They probably see you as a small, evil Faerie and feel threatened.�
Nobody expected Kayne to lunge at Raghnall for that, but he did. If Teagan wouldn�t have stepped between the two, the boy would have surely clawed the Elf�s eyes out.
�Don�t ever call me small! Do you think I like being this way? Damn you, you fucking bastard!� Kayne yelled at Raghnall, who looked a bit surprised, but then just laughed at the furious wizard. Teagan sighed.
�Isn�t it over already? I told you two to stop fighting. Raghnall, stop making those stupid remarks, they�re not funny. Kayne, calm down. We need to form a team, right? Shaylee, don�t you think so too?� The dragon slayer looked at me in an almost desperate way.
�Yes, right, um�� I stammered, not quite sure of what to say. �Be nice to each other. Raghnall, behave yourself. Kayne can�t help being this way, so stop making fun of him!�
Kayne calmed down and grumbled something, which sounded like a curse. I smiled at him and patted his shoulder.
�It�s okay, you know. You shouldn�t take him so seriously; he�s always like that. I like you just the way you are!� The boy smiled back at me and smirked and stuck out his tongue to Raghnall, who made a movement as to jump on the wizard. Teagan grabbed his arm though, and stopped him right on time.
�Did you see that? That immature bastard��
�Um�� I started, �don�t you think it is time to get going?�
�Yes! We would have been long gone if it wasn�t for him.� Exclaimed Kayne while glaring at Raghnall. Before the Elf could reply to that, Teagan called out:
�Edana!� And before I saw her, I heard the wings of the dragon flap somewhere above me. I looked up to see the dragon approach and she landed easily on the mountain. It seemed as if she knew what Teagan wanted from her, because she bended so that we could climb on her back. Kayne was all up front, then me with Raghnall holding me, and sitting at the tail again was Teagan.
�Go, Edana!� He shouted while giving the dragon a slap on her bottom.
And we were off again, this time to Shea. Off to find Aislin, the Goddess of the Dream.
~
The swamp was actually not that far away as I had thought. I think it was only three hours after we had left the mountains that I saw it. The swamp itself was mostly covered by big, trees, their branches hanging down. Here and there I saw open spots where a lake, filled with brown water was lying. But what caught my eye the most was the fog. The fog hadn�t been there before, and it seemed to be only in the swamp.
Teagan guided the dragon to an open spot in the swamp. Once we were back on the ground again, we stepped off and I looked around, feeling a little giddy. All around me I heard weird noises; frogs croaking, trees rustling, the swamp water bubbling and some other sound I could not identify. I was quite surprised too, because one thing that I expected to see was missing.
�I don�t see any Faeries�� I said, not to anyone in particular.
�They are just hiding.� Raghnall explained. �They are usually pretty shy and don�t like people.�
�Ah�� I said, feeling slightly disappointed. Of course I had read about Faeries, and my dad had once seen one when he was on a trip, but I had never really seen a Faerie in my life before, and had been wondering what they would look like. �So, how are we planning to find Aislin in here?�
�Don�t you remember what I told you? With this!� Raghnall replied, and pulled the stone he had showed to me earlier out of his pocket. But, unlike yesterday, it glowed an eerie bright blue color.
�Um�is it suppose to glow like that?� I asked.
�Yes, it means that Aislin should be nearby.� Kayne said in a very calm manner. And suddenly, the glowing stone arrow began to spin. It spun and spun and spun and then, it stopped, pointing to some point in the West.
�Is that were Aislin should be?� Asked Teagan.
�It is.� The wizard answered. �Come on, let�s go. I have waited long enough for this moment.� And he started walking, almost running, to the point the Arrow stone had directed in. I looked at Raghnall and Teagan, who just shrugged, and we followed the boy.
I could vaguely see a shape running in front of me. The fog seemed to be thicker the further we ran into the swamp. The ground was very marshy and I could hardly keep up with Kayne without falling to the ground. With every step I took I could see less and my feet almost got sucked into the swamp. I stopped for a second to catch my breath, and that�s when I noticed that nobody was walking behind me. I wondered how this had happened, because the two men had been right behind me only minutes ago.
�Hello? Where is everybody?� I yelled. A feeling of upcoming panic washed into me when I heard no reply. �Guys? Please don�t do this, it isn�t funny anymore!�
Silence.
I wrapped my arms around myself and looked around me. All I could see were the trees, the ground and the fog, the fog that seemed to be everywhere. I felt like it was choking me, taking away my breath and I grabbed my throat with both hands, breathing in and out quickly. I heard a sound behind me and spun around, only to see nothing but fog.
�He�hello?� I gasped softly. �Who�s there?� I saw a small shape move, but the fog was too thick for me to see what it was. My throat now seemed closed and I couldn�t breathe anymore. With a small gasp, I fell to the ground and hit my head hard on a rock. The last thing I saw before I passed out was a pinkish mist before my eyes. Then all was dark, for the second time in two days.
