Cottonwoods at Twilight

Chapter 2

I held my hand up to Elara, signaling her to be quiet. Apparently whoever was before us hadn't noticed our arrival. It was a young elf. He had the palest blue skin I'd ever seen. His hair was long and jet black. It melted into black wings tipped with orange. He was playing a pan flute, his face up towards the moon, his body swaying slowly to his own music. The elf was an excellent musician, even the birds had stopped their songs to listen to him. His melody was slow, and sweet; magical. Something about the whole scene seemed familiar... The music entranced me. I wanted to get closer. I took a foolish step forward, breaking a stick. The crunch echoed throughout the clearing as the elf stopped his music. He looked around, his eyes panicked. When he saw us, he muttered,

"Squeak-groan-caw!" Then he continued to utter what sounded like curses under his breath. Then in a puff of black smoke he was gone.

I turned to Elara. "Did you-Who was that?" I said excitedly. Elara stared at the space where the elf had just stood. The birds resumed their song as if release from a spell.

"We must hurry child! There is no time for training today. We must warn the Queen of their return." She said. Her words held an urgency I had never heard in her voice before. It scared me. Timidly, I asked her,

"Did you hear what he said?"

"Child..." Elara started, "No one has spoken that language in a thousand years. I'm afraid there is but one old enough to understand that tongue." A wave of shivers went down my spine as she stared me straight in the eye. I thought about what he said. His voice echoed in my head, "Squeak-groan-caw." He had said, "The time of Destiny arrives. Alas, I have come too close..." I shivered again. I had understood him.