A Sprinkle of Stardust

Chapter 40 - Hope

As expected, Lyrani was the last elf ready to leave. Excitement fluttered in her stomach, sickening but also encouraging.

The end of this nightmare was in sight. Hopefully, the Spirit Guardian could tell Lyrani and her friends what he knew, and they could end Nash's misery and that of the realm.

Outside, the day had blossomed bright and cheerful. Lyrani smiled up at the sky peeking down at her between the leaves as she stepped out of Morloy's house.

Dessie sat on the grass with her back against a tree trunk, while Morloy paced in front of her, overflowing with an anxious energy similar to Lyrani's.

They hadn't heard from Gazana yet. Morloy was probably getting worried about her even though it had been less than a day since he left Fegris Mountain. Gazana may not have even received his message from Lord Dundor yet.

All the same, Lyrani didn't blame him for being concerned. Gazana was dealing with a restless spirit in the pixie territories. Anything could go wrong at any time.

Dessie's smile warded off Lyrani's unease. "Look who it is," she said to Morloy. "Always-late Lyrani."

To Lyrani's relief, Morloy cracked a smile.

Lyrani's only comeback was making a face at Dessie. It was lame, but not as lame as the nicknames she had thought up for each of her friends. Unfortunately, none of them stuck as well as Always-late Lyrani had.

Morloy handed Lyrani a backpack sewn from some rough-spun fabric. "This is for you."

Lyrani's arms buckled as she took it. The bag was heavier than she had expected, but she could bear its weight when she slung it over her shoulders.

She adjusted the straps. "What's in here?"

"Food and water." Morloy shouldered his own backpack. "This is going to be a long trip."

It would be even longer on foot, but Lyrani was certain that it would be worth it.

That was if the Spirit Guardian was real and this wasn't a wild goose chase.

Even so, it was better that Lyrani did something with her time instead of lying in a hopeless heap in bed. It would keep her ahead of the thoughts that hounded her.

Lyrani may have gotten away with failing this mission the first time, but that wouldn't be the case now. There was too much at stake.

The birds of the morning twittered high above, light, free from the weight dragging Lyrani down. A soft breeze rushed through the trees, adding its chorus to the late morning song. Lyrani and her friends were the only elves in sight.

"So, how do we find the Spirit Guardian?" she asked.

Morloy held up a hand for Lyrani and Dessie to stop. Their feet went still, and their group went quiet.

"We listen to the wind."

"What?" Dessie blinked.

"The meadow where the Spirit Guardian lives is where the Spirit Realm lurks beneath the surface of ours. They say that when the wind blows over the glassy pool, it carries the whispers of the dead away with it," said Morloy.

This was nothing new to Lyrani. They had all been told that story as children. It had sounded so poetic, read to her in her father's gentle voice.

"I thought that was just a fairytale," said Lyrani.

"There are always truths to fairytales, but we may have to look deeper to find them." Morloy's dark eyes were solemn. "Like calls to like. The whispers of the dead always carries the wind with them when they return to where they came from. That's where we need to go. Just listen..."