Ashely sat around the fire, waves of warmth gently loosening her tight muscles.

  Surrounded by elven warriors, she could not help but stare. Their faces were ageless, free of wrinkles or blemishes. Yet, somehow, she could still guess who was older—though she couldn’t quite explain how. Maybe it was the way they carried themselves, the way the others treated them, or perhaps she was just imagining it.

  Either way, she couldn’t help but stare.

  As she sat there, slowly drying, she tenderly inspected her wrists, wincing as she noticed how deep the ropes had cut into them.

  “Put this on your wrists.”

  The elven lady who had saved her walked over. Sitting down she passed a small container to her. The container was short and cylindrical, made of cream-colored ivory. Delicately, carved on the lid, were small hornets.

  “Thank you,” Ashely uttered, bowing her head in appreciation. Any medicine from Lundale was precious.

  Carefully, she opened the container smelling the familiar scent of a healing ointment. The smell was hard to describe using conventional methods, it was more like a feeling than an actual smell. If she had to describe it, she would have said it smelled like a clear night sky.

  Using her forefinger and middle finger, she gently took some of the ointment and spread it on her wrists. Instantly the pain vanished, replaced by a cool sensation.

  “The wound will heal in a couple of days if you use the ointment I gave you. “It will not leave a scar,” the elven lady said, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. “Now, who are you, child? And who was that man?”

  Trying to look less disheveled, Ashely cleared her throat before answering. “My name is Ashely Maliri, heir to the Golden Caravan. As for the man, I do not know who he is. My Caravan was attacked on our way to the Silkbug Kingdom. During the attack, I was taken by him.” Bowing deeply, she continued. “Queen Ilistina, thank you for rescuing me, my family will be eternally grateful. We will forever be in your dept.”

  Watching the elf's face, Ashely knew she had guessed correctly.

  There were not many elves that could command such an elite group of warriors, and among them, only a select few would be traveling through this particular forest at this time of year.

  From what Ashely knew, this forest was a familiar route used by the elves when traveling from Lundale to the Silkbug Kingdom. With King Walter’s birthday approaching, it was expected that a high-ranking elf would attend the celebration.

  However, what made her certain were the hornets adorning the container—hornets were the royal family’s crest.

  Seeing the smile that lit up Queen Ilistina’s face, Ashely felt some of the tension in her shoulders loosen, unknowingly she had been holding her body stiff.

  “I'm sorry that I did not recognize you,” Queen Ilistina said, smiling. “In fact, I met you years ago when you were just a small child. At the time, I was visiting Salizia. You were so small, always hiding behind Princess Milina’s back.”

  Laughing quietly, she continued. “I have been told that both Princess Milina and Princess Elina are staying at the Maliri residence. How are they holding up?”

  As her laughter slowly faded, sadness took its place.

  Knowing Queen Ilistina’s history with Salizia, Ashely could not help but feel sorrow as well. Queen Ilistina’s engagement to Prince Perseus was well-known throughout the Kingdom.

  “They are doing well,” she said, remembering all the rumors and stories about Prince Perseus and the then Princess Ilistina.

  “I am glad to hear that.”

  An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Queen Ilistina drifted into her thoughts, a deep longing appearing on her face.

  Taking the moment to look around, Ashely spotted an elf who she assumed was General Ark, engaged in conversation with a group of warriors. As the younger brother to the former queen, he was Queen Ilistina’s uncle.

  General Ark had long, almost-white hair, which he kept out of his face by tucking it behind his pointy ears. From what Ashely knew, he was married to King Walter’s cousin and took great pride in his knowledge of fine wine. According to the last report she had read, General Ark and his wife were working to set up a trade deal between Silkbug and Lundale, exchanging Silkbug’s famous wines for Lundale’s Sun Stones.

  “Your Majesty, I assume you are attending King Walter’s birthday?” she asked, breaking the silence.

  “I am.”

  “I was wondering if you and your men will be willing to travel with us to Silkbug? The Golden Caravan will make sure to care for your warriors. We will feed them and allow them to buy anything we have at a discount.”

  Lowering her voice she continued. “I also heard General Ark is looking to create a trade deal with King Walter. If you are willing, let us handle the negotiations and transportation of the goods. I will personally make sure that you get the best deal possible. It is the least I can do… for rescuing me.”

  Hearing Ashely’s proposal, Queen Ilistina started to laugh, a pure happy sound echoing softly through the forest.

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  “I suspect you would make some profit in these negotiations as well?” she said, her eyes smiling.

  Blushing, Ashely did not deny it, knowing that lying to an elf was almost impossible—their ability to notice even the smallest change in facial expressions was well known.

  “I will not lie to you, Your Majesty. We will not seek to make a large profit. Just a little from transporting the goods between the two Kingdoms.”

  Nodding at her proposition, Queen Ilistina spoke, “Your father often boasts of your intelligence when he visits our Kingdom, but I am more impressed by how you were able to keep your wits after such a harrowing situation. You were just kidnapped, yet as soon as you were freed, you tried to convince me to travel with you. I assume that you are hoping to use my warriors as a deterrent from further attacks? In addition, your offer to help us broker a trade deal with King Walter will earn you a share of the profits if we accept. You truly are the heir to the Golden Caravan.”

  Blushing even further, Ashely felt her face burn. I hope she doesn't think badly of me, she thought. Clearing her throat she spoke. “I know this is shameless of me, especially after what you have done for me. But I was just thinking of the safety of my men and their future. Please forgive me.”

  “There is nothing for me to forgive. A leader must prioritize the safety and well-being of their subjects. I will be more than happy to work with you. I do not doubt that in the future you will surpass your father.”

  “I do not deserve such praise from you, Your Majesty. But I thank you for thinking so highly of me,” Ashely lamely stuttered.

  Seeing Ashely’s red face, Queen Ilistina stood up, dusting the dirt from her pants. “It will be dawn in a couple of hours, I suggest you get some sleep before we meet up with your caravan. My warriors will take you to a tent. If you need anything ask any of them.”

  “Thank you, your Majesty,” Ashely said, standing up herself.

  As Queen Ilistina walked away, an elven warrior walked over, her golden armor concealed behind a cloak that seemed to blend in with the forest. Eying the cloak with envy, Ashely knew that only the most elite members of the Elven army had access to it—the legendary cloak that gave the elves their reputation of being invisible. It was a prized garment, one that every King and lord desired.

  “My name is Elowen. Please follow me—I will show you to your tent.”

  Elowen stood a hand taller than Ashley, her form eerily shifting in and out of focus as her cloak moved around her. From what Ashely could see—which was mostly her face—she was pretty. Strands of light brown hair, bordering on blonde, peeked out from beneath her golden helmet.

  “Thank you, Elowen. Please, lead the way.”

  The tent that Ashely was led to was small, made from a cloth that was a patchwork of different greens, browns, and gray. From a distance, it looked like part of the forest.

  As she stared at it, her exhausted mind began to wonder. Could she create cloaks using similar patterns? They wouldn’t match the legendary cloaks the elves used, but they would certainly be an improvement over what her scouts used now.

  As her mind moved, a voice cut into it.

  “You can sleep in this.”

  Elowen was holding a bundle of clothes. “The clothes may be too large for you, but it is better than sleeping in what you are wearing now. Once you change into it, leave your wet clothes outside the tent and someone will clean it for you.”

  Shaking her head, Ashely pushed all thought of cloaks from her mind.

  “Thank you.”

  “Now, go to sleep. If you need anything we will be right outside.”

  Ashely barely had the energy to change and push her wet clothes outside before she fell into a death-like sleep.

  That night, she was too exhausted to dream and didn’t even notice when it started to rain again, the sounds of thunder and rain were silent to her ears.

  The next morning, she woke up to someone gently shaking her.

  “Lady Ashely. It is time to go.”

  Blinking away the drowsiness from her eyes, she followed the instructions given to her without understanding any of them. By the time she was conscious enough to notice her surroundings, she was sitting behind Elowen as they rode her horse.

  The morning sun peeked over the horizon, painting the cloudless sky a breathtaking array of colors—soft blue fading into pink, which deepened into a warm orange. At the center of it all, the bright sun cast its beautiful light across the sky.

  Staring at the sun for the first time in days, Ashely blinked, forgetting the hardships she had endured. For a moment, it felt as if the last couple of days were nothing but a cruel dream. But that soon faded, they still had to find her caravan.

  Traveling through the forest with the group of elves, Ashely was once again startled at how stealthily they moved. Flickering in and out of view, the warriors seemed only to show themselves to remind her they were there. If she did not know they surrounded her, she would have thought she was traveling with just Queen Ilistina and Elowen.

  Less than an hour after the party had set out, a lone scout rode up next to Queen Ilistina, whispering in her ear before vanishing into the forest.

  Stopping her horse, Queen Ilistina turned to Ashely. “My scout tells me that a couple of men are approaching us. They are wearing the golden rings of your house. We will wait for them in a clearing a hundred paces from here. We do not want to startle them.”

  Feeling her heart lighten, Ashely sat up straight. If Hagan had managed to catch up so quickly, it meant he was able to defeat the bandit army shortly after she was taken. Thank the Earth Mother.

  “I agree with your judgment, your Majesty,” she said.

  “Good, now let us make our way to the clearing.”

  The clearing was devoid of shadows, the morning sun bathing the small section of forest in rays of warm light. Nestled between the wet grass and underbrush grew wildflowers, their delicate petals swaying in the breeze. Scattered around the clearing were large rocks.

  Sliding off the horse she was riding, Ashely made her way to a large, dry rock at the center of the clearing and settled onto it. Queen Ilistina joined her moments later, handing the reins of her horse to Elowen before taking a seat beside her.

  Two warriors seemed to materialize out of nowhere, stepping into position on either side of them. Their camouflaging cloaks were now put away, revealing their golden armor. Ashely knew this was deliberate—they were making it easier for her men to see them even at a distance.

  “My scouts just signaled to me. They will be here in a few minutes,” Queen Ilistina said, gesturing toward a patch of shadows near the edge of the clearing.

  Squinting, Ashely tried in vain to spot the other elven warriors hidden in the dense foliage. After a moment, she sighed and shook her head in defeat, she could not see them.

  Moments later, the quiet of the forest was broken by sharp crack of branches and heavy footsteps. Zenrom and his men emerged from the trees, their hands were on weapons as they took in the scene before them.

  “Zenrom!” Ashely exclaimed, her heart jumping in shock and happiness, her hands were frozen at her side. Why is he here? Before she could fully grasp the situation, he had cleared the distance between them in a flash, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace—his scent enveloped her.

  “I thought that I lost you,” he breathed, his voice trembling with emotion, his arms tightening around her.

  Closing her eyes, Ashely squeezed the tears that had started to fall, the warm drops running down her face. Hugging him tightly, she felt the warmth from his body and noticed the way his ragged breath caused his chest to rise and fall.

  As the rush of emotions she had been holding back came crashing down, her legs gave out—Zenrom’s embrace was the only thing keeping her upright. Burying her face into his chest, she started to cry. No matter how bad the situation was at the caravan, at this moment she felt safe.