Richard Tuttle - Winged Warrior

“How are the other junior students doing?” asked Tamar. “Are they learning as much?”

“Hardly,” Alahara shook her head. “They have each latched on to one senior mage and not looked any further. They spend most of the day in the library reading about magic instead of learning it.”

“You two are special,” Tamar smiled warmly as he spotted two boys walking along the street outside the park. “I have to run also. I will meet you here again tomorrow.”

“Alright,” smiled Alastasia as she waved.

“That was fun,” Alahara said as she bent down and picked up her staff.

“That is Eltor and Caldal that Tamar is talking to,” commented Alastasia as she nodded across the park. “What are they doing in Morada?”

Princess Alahara rose and stared across the park. She saw Tamar guiding Eltor and Caldal around the corner.

“I don’t know,” frowned Alahara. “They didn’t even come over to say tayo.”

“Pay no mind to them,” came a female voice behind the princesses. “You are too young for boys.”

Alahara and Alastasia whirled around to see a slender elven woman standing near the path to the Royal Tree. She had a wry smile on her lips.

“Which one of you is Alahara?” the woman asked.

“I am,” answered the older sister. “Who are you?”

“I am your Aunt Kanis,” answered the woman. “Queen Alycia is my sister.”

The princesses looked at each other in confusion, but it was Alastasia who spoke, “I have never heard of you. I did not know the queen had a sister.”

“The queen?” mocked Kanis as she turned and headed towards the entrance to the palace. “Can you not even come to call her mother? I know that you were raised in the land of the humans, but that is no reason to show disrespect for your elders. I shall have to speak to your mother about your manners.”

“I meant no disrespect,” frowned Princess Alastasia as the princesses followed Kanis. “We often call her mother.”

“Well,” Kanis shook her head, “you will learn the elven ways soon enough now that I will be staying in the palace again.”

“You are moving into the palace?” frowned Alahara as she gazed at the small pack the woman was wearing. “Is that pack your only belongings?”

“Hardly,” Kanis replied dryly. “My cart broke down on the trail here. It made no sense for me to struggle with it when there are two strong princesses with nothing better to do. Run off to the road heading to the village of Florentia. You will find my broken cart not far from the edge of the city. Bring it back here and see that my belongings get up to my chambers.”

Alahara’s brow knitted in a deep frown, and she was about to tell the woman to go and get her own belongings. Alastasia saw the guards bow slightly to Kanis and admit her to the lift. She placed her hand calmingly on Alahara’s arm to silence her. Kanis turned around and smiled woodenly at the girls as the lift began to rise. The princesses watched her ascend into the Royal Tree before speaking.

“Who does she think she is?” Alahara snapped. “Do we look like servants?”

“She is rude and pretentious,” agreed Alastasia, “but we will only complicate things by fighting with her. If she truly is our aunt, and I suspect that she is by the way the guards bowed to her, I have no wish to give her cause to complain to mother about us.”

“You intend to go and fetch her belongings?” balked Alahara.

“Yes,” nodded Alastasia. “Actually I had planned for you to help me. We will get her stuff so that she can’t complain about us, then we can avoid her in the future. Would you rather go with me to get her belongings, or go up into the palace and visit with her?”

“Visit with her?” Alahara’s lips curled in disgust. “I will go with you, but don’t expect me to move too fast. I am in no hurry to return here.”

“Me neither,” chuckled Alastasia. “I hope we don’t have any other aunts coming to visit.”

“I wonder why Queen Alycia never mentioned her sister,” pondered Princess Alahara as the girls headed for the edge of the city.

“Think about it,” chuckled Alastasia. “Does Aunt Kanis seem like someone that you would brag about being related to? She has all the warmth of a swamp snake.”

“Well put,” laughed Alahara. “Even when she tried to smile her face looked like she had just swallowed something dreadful. Do you think our mother was ever like that?”

“No,” Alastasia shook her head. “Even when she was under Karaza’s spell she was not that bad. Remember how pleasant she was when we first met?”

“Before she slapped me,” sighed Alahara.

“Be fair, Alahara,” chided Alastasia. “That was Karaza’s doing.”

“I know,” conceded Alahara, “but it still hurt. At least I didn’t try to kill her.”

“You brat!” gasped Alastasia as she playfully pushed her sister. “I did not try to kill her.”

“I know,” laughed Alahara, “but it still makes a great story. I can’t wait to tell it to your children.”

“You mean your children,” retorted Alastasia. “You’re the older one. You should get married first. I will observe how happy it makes you before I decide if I want to.”

“Have you ever thought about it?” Princess Alahara asked seriously. “Getting married and starting a family, I mean?”

“I used to,” admitted Alastasia, “but that was when I was MistyTrail. The Sakovans were like one big happy family. I don’t get the same feeling here, although I know it will take time.”

“I never thought about it until I met Rejji,” confided Alahara as they reached the edge of the forest and found the trail to Florentia.

“Do you still miss him?” asked Alastasia.

“I do,” Alahara nodded. “Rejji treated me nice when no one else cared about me. We became very close.”

“And now you are heir to the elven throne,” Alastasia pointed out. “I doubt the elves would take kindly to you marrying a human.”

“Maybe that is why Kaltara blessed me with a sister?” grinned Alahara. “You could become Queen of Elvangar.”

“Do you think the humans would accept an elf as Queen of Fakara?” frowned Princess Alastasia. “Don’t forget that Rejji is now the king.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” frowned Alahara as the princesses made their way along the forest trail. “Why must everything be so complicated? I don’t want to be the queen of either country.”

“I don’t care much for the idea either,” shrugged Princess Alastasia. “Mother almost never leaves the palace. I would go mad living like that.”

The princesses lapsed into silence as they walked along the forest trail, each lost in thoughts of their future. It was that silence that saved their lives.

Alastasia heard something rustle along the trail ahead. Her arm automatically snaked out and gently caught Alahara’s hand. Alahara needed no verbal command to stop. The two princesses halted in the middle of the trail, their ears straining for sounds that were foreign to the forest. They heard a hushed voice, but the words were inaudible. The princesses looked at each other and nodded with suspicion. Normal travelers would have no need to speak in hushed tones.

Alahara silently moved to the right side of the trail and slipped into the forest. Alastasia went to the left and slid behind the trees. They both remained frozen for several minutes as they waited for another noise. They heard nothing. Finally, Alastasia wove an air tunnel to Alahara.

“I want you to create an air tunnel on the trail behind us,” Alastasia instructed. “Talk normally into it as if you are lecturing me on something. Walk the air tunnel along the trail until it passes us by. I will create another air tunnel to listen up ahead. Let’s see if we can find out who is up there and what they want.”