SECRETS OF ELVENDALE II

CHAPTER I

"I REALLY THINK THAT MY BREAD IS BETTER THAN YOURS."

Farran huffed angrily, as he snatched his signature Goldberry nut bread away from Johnny Baker, who was doubling over in laughter. The baker elf smirked, and leaned on the counter before commenting, "Yet you still come back and devour my whole morning's hard work in three seconds every time." He winked, and Farran grudgingly grabbed his daily bag of frosted biscuits before calling out to Aira.

The lavender-haired elf was leaning on a tree, making little pebbles of stone whirl around in her cupped hands like floating marbles. She immediately dropped the marbles in shock when Farran called out to her, and hurried over to him.

"Ya ready, you foodie? I got a million inventions waiting for me at your treehouse and no time to waste!"

Farran nodded, and they both strolled through the forest towards the treehouse, all while Farran was as munching on his biscuits. As they neared closer to the well worn paths leading up to his- their treehouse, it was theirs now because they used it together- , a loud and shocking "BOO!" sounded in front of them.

The two elves jumped in fright, and a laughing Cronan swung out from the top of a tree branch in front of them. He was bursting with laughter, chuckles sounding from his chest. The elf jumped down to the ground easily, with a grace that was unmatchable even by elven standards. Farrah and Aira sighed in resignation, and grumbled.

"Must you really do that?" Aura groaned, which earned her a snicker from Cronan. He placed his hands on his hips, and raised his head high, as though he was making a royal declaration.

"Yes. As I, Cronan, am a reformed villain, I must occasionally do evil and dastardly things in order to make sure I am still considered a threat!"

He declared, and cackled evilly before running away to the treehouse before the two annoyed elves tried to tackle him. His pine green hair billowed behind him, and his short cape flew dramatically.

"Argh. Cronan and his 'evil' antics. If he weren't, you know, Cronan, son of Lady Quartzine, friend of Sophie, I would have THROTTLED him long ago."
Aira clenched her fists, and stormed after Cronan, Farran following, albeit reluctantly, suit.

As they neared the treehouse, all enmity faded away as their friends greeted them. Azari waved eagerly at the two, running up to them excitedly, accidentally leaving trails of smoke in her wake. She hugged Aria and Farran, and chattered crazily.

"Oh my! You two arrived just in time! Sophie and Emily are about to make their daily visit!"

Nadia gushed, and she led the four of them towards the gnarled Elvenstar tree, where Cronan was already waiting patiently, sitting cross-legged on the soft grass. He was in the middle of growing small vines that wrapped around his finger, curling and uncurling. It was one of his daily exercises when he was slowly reintroducing himself to magic, after his self-induced 'magic fast'. Usually he would use his staff for larger amounts of magic, but small things like these he could manage with his hands.

The four elves plopped themselves down next to him, impatiently waiting for their human friends to pop out of the portal. Azari was already tapping her foot by two minutes, and Aira and Nadia were already playing Invent'N'Dunk, where Aira would invent something and Nadia would splash it with water. Farran was worry-eating his biscuits, and Cronan was creating sentient plant monsters to stop Farran from worry-eating by snatching the biscuits out of the anxious elf's hands.

Suddenly, a swirling portal bloomed and whooshed into existence, and two human girls tumbled out of it- headfirst into the grass.

The taller human was the first one to get up, and she brushed grass blades off her shirt before waving shyly to her surprised friends.

"Hi, guys!" Emily smiled.