Ever After - Ella Enchanted AU

Ever After - Chapter 7

It was nightfall by the time they made it to the edge of the Elven Encampment in the Forest of Pim. The night air was cool on Marinette's warm cheeks, walking all day doing a number on her, not to mention trying to keep up with her new friend Alya as they hiked through unknown territory. For someone with such short legs, Alya was extremely hard to keep up with while in her element. Not to mention she had managed to talk all the way from the clearing to just outside of the town. It was then that her new elven friend became eerily silent, something that Marinette found increasingly disturbing the longer it dragged on.

They crept past barrels and in and out of alleyways as they tip toed past brightly lit cabins and outpost towers. Everything there looked relatively normal, like they had wandered in right after everyone had called it quits and decided to turn in for the night. Still, Alya acted as if they were marching through a sleeping dragon's nest that could roar awake at any false move.

"Not to be rude or anything, Alya, but if this is where you live, why are we sneaking around?" Marinette whispered as they came to crouch behind a horseless cart left just outside of one of the houses.

Alya turned on her, a few shades paler than her normal caramel colored skin. Her eyes were wide and she pointed an accusatory finger in Marinette's direction. "If they spot you, you'll be sorry." She motioned for Marinette to stick close as they crept further up the road.

"You know how all elves are forced to sing and dance?" Alya asked as they walked.

Marinette nodded, glancing at the curtain covered windows and silent buildings as they passed by. "Yeah, so?"

It was then that Marinette's inherent clumsiness got the better of her and she tripped over a rock in the dirt road, sending her sprawling across the ground. She heard the distant yelp of Wayzz, but judging by how Alya was too busy looking in a panicked frenzy in all directions, she didn't think she had noticed it.

"Now you've done it, girl!" She stage whispered to the young woman as she quickly pulled Marinette to her feet before taking off down the road. "Run for it!"

All around them, the once quiet encampment was starting to come alive. Heads popped up out of no where, doors swung open and windows sent warm buttery shafts of light down onto the road as curtains were thrown open. Elves of all size and color paraded out from every establishment lining the road in a coordinated event that Marinette was sure they had been waiting to spring on them for quite sometime. Some danced, others strummed and played various musical instruments and all of them were singing. Marinette was too entranced to know what was going on, but she had a feeling it was the reason for Alya's secretive movements throughout their walk.

"Where are we going?" She yelled above the organized chaos. Alya pulled her to a stop as a conga line crossed their path before disappearing down one of the alleyways before taking off at a sprint again.

"I told you, I have a coupon!" Alya replied as they booked it to what looked like a Tavern at the end of the road. "And that means we have to make it there without getting roped into an encore!"

Marinette nodded, not one hundred percent sure why Alya was in such a rush. Everything seemed like fun, from the jugglers on the rooftops to the tap dancers on the look out towers. Maybe she wasn't one for a good flash mob.

They dodged another mandolin troop before they finally ducked out of the chaos of the street performance and into the warm glow of the Tavern. Alya collapsed at one of the few unoccupied tables and let out a sigh of relief as Marinette took the seat across from her. "Finally. Peace and quiet at last."

As if to mock Alya's moment of peace, an elf with black and purple hair in a gaudy sequined number popped up table side, flanked by a woman with skin a shade darker than Alya's and a shock of pink hair. He let off some rapid-fire chords on his mandolin before diving into song. "Jeremiah was a Bull Frog-"