Nym swayed on the spot, overcome with the knowledge of her betrayal, desperate to relieve the burden of that knowledge but she held it back. Just barely. Lana would know one day the vile thing she had done to Jacob, but it wouldn’t be this day. She met Lana’s eyes and nodded.
“Yes, of course,” she said, using all of the skills she had learned from the elders to hide her true feelings. “Lana, we should go. We have much ground to cover still and Eva is a large place.”
Lana nodded and began walking. Nym watched her, curious. The princess had a new aura about her, one of peace and tranquility. She had been so fierce and so angry before, what had changed?
“Lana, where did you go?” she asked. “Did you wake early and get lost from me?”
“I guess I did,” Lana said simply but Nym felt like there were things she wasn’t saying. Something in the way she wouldn’t meet her eyes, the lightness of her tone. Well, Nym had secrets of her own so she wouldn’t press her on it. She would just have to keep a closer watch on her friend from here on out.
They had walked for only a few minutes when suddenly a break in the forest ahead showed sunlight. Nym stopped in shock. They should have hours more to go before they left the forest. Lana didn’t turn back to see what had stopped Nym, she simply walked forward toward the light. Shaking her head and thanking the forest for such a swift journey, Nym trotted to catch up and together they broke free of the trees. Odd things could happen in these woods.
Before them stretched the lush and verdant grounds of Eva. Rolling green hills dotted with trees, flowers blooming all around them and the sweet scent of life.
“Welcome home, princess,” Nym said warmly, looking over to see her friend’s reaction to her first sight of Eva.
There were tears rolling down Lana’s cheeks when she turned to regard Nym. Saying nothing, she held out a hand and Nym took it. Together, they began walking down the road that would lead to Thelsamel and the beginning of Lana’s new life.
Music of the Land
Eva was extraordinary. Nym and Clay had told Lana stories about the land but nothing they said had prepared her for what she would find there. The land in the human realm was mostly quiet and what voice it had was muted and tired. In Eva, it was as if the trees, grass and air were all singing in a constant chorus of life and vitality.
“Is it always like this?” she had asked Nym, putting a hand to her head to try and steady herself. The sound of joy from the earth was a little overwhelming.
“Yes,” Nym said, smiling at her. “The land rejoices. You get used to it, I promise. It’s always a little distracting at first for elves who have spent some time in the human lands, but it will become quieter.”
The sweet symphony combined with the lush landscape to create an atmosphere that evoked feelings of contentment and peace. Lana couldn’t resist straying from their path to visit a copse of trees or a cluster of wildflowers. Once, they took a detour to bathe in a hot spring that Nym said she visited whenever she traveled. It was blissful and so much better than the last bath Lana had taken, back in Coalfell. She felt as though the water hadn’t only cleansed her skin, but her spirit as well.
Once the women had journeyed further into Eva, they began to see other travelers. These elves would greet them with hearty hugs as if they were old, long lost friends. Lana was taken aback by their open affection for complete strangers, but not Nym. She seemed to take it all in stride, embracing them one by one and even taking the time to share some news.
The elves were very curious about Lana. Apparently, half elves weren’t very common and there were always a lot of questions for her. Some of the young men were looking at her appraisingly and Lana would find herself blushing and trying to hurry Nym away. It was uncomfortable being an exotic creature in an unfamiliar land.
As they drew nearer to civilization, Lana and Nym never had to spend the night camping outside. Every home was open to them and all of the elves welcomed them with delight. The elven people didn’t live as humans did, in homes constructed of lumber and stone. Instead, they either lived in open areas with woven cloth to serve as a roof and walls or they dug into the earth and lived underground. The latter would take the excess dirt and turn it into flower beds or gardens. In this way, they maintained the harmony of nature. It was extraordinary.
One evening, the women happened upon a small village. These elves preferred living in the open and there were colorful awnings scattered around. Men and women roamed here and there tending to their daily chores. Some elf children were chasing each other while an older woman watched. Lana and Nym were greeted warmly by an elderly elf who introduced herself as Layla. She hugged each of them in turn and exclaimed over Lana’s halfling status. This was a common occurrence and Lana was no longer so put off by it. Instead, she accepted the woman’s compliments demurely and answered whatever questions she had.
Something wasn’t quite right here, though. One of the tents had a lot of activity and the elves there seemed upset.
“What is wrong with them?” Lana asked her, pointing at the tent in question. Layla looked over her shoulder and then back at Lana, a frown creasing her face. She looked down and shook her head.
“Young one, there
