Once back on solid ground, Ivan told them they’d be leaving once Asmond’s son joined them.
“So that guy, Asmond, was their leader?” Anders asked.
“Yes, he is the Elf King. The woman who also spoke our tongue during the meeting was his wife and Queen of the elves. Her name is Lageena,” he said. “Their son, who you will meet very soon, is called Nadir.”
Max and Anders nodded. They were led to the far edge of the city where they were told to wait for Nadir’s arrival. As the elf woman moved to leave them, Anders said to her, “Wait, there’s something I need to ask you.”
She turned to look at him. Ivan and Max also looked at him, a bit confused about what he could possibly want from her.
“There’s a young dragon with us that got lost during a storm. She was fleeing from Merglan when he invaded her homeland. Her family was trying to make it here to seek refuge. She is patiently waiting outside your gates. Do you think it would be possible to see if her parents made it here? Or if anyone knows where they could be?” Anders asked.
Max stood there looking at him with his mouth open in astonishment.
“Let me check. I will be right back,” she said and ran off.
“Since when do you know dragons?” Max asked, flabbergasted.
“I met her that night I went for a walk along the forest’s edge at the Bareback Plains,” Anders said. “I felt bad that she was all alone and lost from her family. After that I snuck off to meet her many of the nights that we traveled when everyone was asleep. She told me how she was separated from her parents on the way here. When you said you had to come here, Ivan, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to come and see if I could help reunite her with her family.”
“That’s why I couldn’t sense you,” Ivan said. “You were with a dragon. She must have blocked you from me. I was beginning to think my magic was failing me.”
“You have been befriending a dragon this whole time?” Max said.
“Understand that if she exposed herself to the wrong person, they would have tried to kill her or use her against her will. She’s just an infant and I didn’t want any harm to come to her,” Anders said.
“He is right,” Ivan said. “Many in the Rollo clans would have harmed her if they knew of her existence.”
Rushing back to them, the elf woman, “We have two dragons here at present that claim to have been separated from their offspring on their way to our city. I would be glad to show her to them.”
“Great!” Anders said, excited and relieved.
“If you bring her in, we can go together to see if they are her parents. Then I will take you back to your companions and you can go on your way,” she said.
Anders looked at Ivan for his approval; he nodded in agreement. Anders went with the elf woman to the gate. When it opened, Zahara stood waiting for him. He knew she had listened in on their conversation so was already aware of the arrangements. She hopped up into the air and did a few loops, then landed back on the ground.
You’ve found my family! she said excitedly.
“It looks like it,” Anders said. “This elf would like to take us to them and make sure they are indeed your parents.”
Let’s go, she said happily.
Anders looked at the elf woman, forcing a smile on his face, “She’s ready.”
The woman guided them a long way around the edge of the city. At the far end, they came to a cliff that overlooked a large valley. Anders could see several dragons playfully flying through the air above the valley. He looked up at Zahara and saw the look of pure joy in her eyes. The elf lady called out over the cliff. Two very large dragons, one orange in color and one purple, landed on the cliff in front of them. Zahara threw herself into their embrace, nuzzling their heads and necks and purring happily.
“It looks like you have reunited this family,” the elf said to Anders.
“It sure does,” Anders said. He felt sad that he had to let her go. He wanted to stay with her, but it was time for him to focus on getting his own family back. Anders knew this was where their paths ended, for now. Hanging his head, he turned and began to walk away from them, the elf woman leading him back from where they’d come.
Zahara saw them leaving and called after him, Hey, Anders, wait up. Anders turned and met Zahara as she bounded to him. He hugged her tightly around the neck and she nuzzled him back.
As he held onto her, he said, “Be with your family. I will return someday. I promise.” His eyes welled with tears as he pulled away.
Thank you for all you’ve done, Anders, Zahara said. She watched as he walked away, disappearing along the winding path toward Cedarbridge.
Anders followed his guide in silence back to Ivan and Max. He’d managed to wipe away his tears before rejoining them. Nadir had met up with Ivan and Max while Anders was away; they stood ready to embark on the next part of their adventure.
“I know that was hard for you to do,” Ivan said as he patted Anders on the shoulder. “You did the right thing. She will be much safer here with the elves and back among the safety of her family.”
Embarrassed at his sniffles, Anders agreed, “I know.” As he said the words, Anders found himself gazing longingly at the cliffs. Forcing himself, Anders followed the others as they set off into the vast elven forest once again.
After leaving Zahara with the elves, Anders felt his mind become clouded in a gloom he hadn’t felt since his Uncle Theodor was killed. While Ivan and Max talked with Nadir, the Elf Prince, Anders wondered if he’d made a mistake in leaving Zahara. In the end, however many ways he mulled it over, Zahara belonged with her parents. She was, after all, just a baby with little knowledge of the world.
Ivan and Nadir knew the paths that would take them to an area where they expected to find the Rollo Island warriors. Once they were close enough, Ivan would be able to sense their exact location, so the small group was confident in tracking down the Rollo people.
When the sun set and then night fell onto the forest, the four built a fire and ate the dried meat and nuts they’d brought along. Nadir went off to gather some leaves, fruits and berries for his meal. Curious about how it would taste, Max and Anders tried the assortment of things the elf was eating. Ivan deferred, sticking with his dried meat and nuts.
“I ate too much of that vegetation when I was training for the war,” Ivan said stuffing his hand into the pouch where he kept his rations.
“The greens are pretty bland, but the berries are sweet,” Max said, excitedly chewing on a handful of the elf’s food.
“All the nutrients the body needs are growing right here in the forest around us,” Nadir said humbly.
“That’s right,” Ivan said. “And the wild protein provided by the animals we eat are just that.”
“Carnivores that live in the forest rely on those meats. I will not take a meal away from the hunters of these woods. As long as they keep the deer and other herbivores in check, we’ll continue to have plenty of naturally growing foods for all who live here in the Everlight Kingdom,” Nadir said.
