The Elf Girl (21 page)

~8~
The Orchard

The market Aaliyah had referred to was bustling with elves and venders when I arrived. Walking through it was like going through a giant maze. Fruit, vegetable, bread, and pastry venders had stalls everywhere, gathered in clusters like peas in a giant pod. Every food in the Elf Realm seemed to be on display and ready for sale. It was crazy trying to maneuver around all of the elves, and I browsed as slowly as possible without being trampled. I wanted to see everything before buying. I made a mental note to come back to the venders I was drawn to, and made sure to stray away from the meat venders. I wasn’t confident in my ability to avoid meats that would disturb me, because everything looked the same to me.

While searching, I noticed how many elves watched me, staring curiously as I browsed. I remembered Stellan had said that many elves would approach me often just to talk to me, but so far, they were only staring. I would have preferred the talking. Being stared at put an uncomfortable feeling in my gut.

With a basket full of groceries, I headed for home. It was only one hour until my picnic with Aaliyah. I was excited to spend time with her. She seemed wise, and I wanted to know a lot more about my sister – and the Elf Realm in general.

As I started putting away the food, I noticed a large piece of paper and a small velvet bag on my kitchen table. There was also a huge flowering plant in a lovely painted green pot. I walked over, curious to know what the letter said and who had left the gifts. I guessed it would be from Addison or Stellan. Yet, why would Addison leave me a letter when she could just write on my arm again?
It must have been Stellan
, I decided.

When I reached the table, I picked up the letter and was surprised to see that it wasn’t from Stellan at all. It was from Ashlyn, the spunky girl I met at the bank with Stellan the day before:

Dear Ramsey,

Here are some things that Zora left at my house. They are her favorite writing pen and necklace.

Zora always told me that the necklace stood for “sister;” I just wanted you to know that. No matter where she is right now, I know she cares about you.

Anyway, I’m sorry for stopping by your house unannounced. I had to get to school on time, and when I saw that you weren’t home, I decided just to leave everything here. I hope you are not too upset with me!

I also hope that we can get together soon. Zora was my friend, which makes you my friend as well. If you are ever having trouble with the plant I gave you just let me know. My ability is to bring life to nature. However, that does not give you the right to neglect it! Remember that! Water it every day, keep it in the sunlight, and sing to it. Plants love when you sing to them.

Have a wonderful day!

Your friend, Ashlyn

I smiled. Ashlyn sure was flamboyant, but also very sweet. Knowing I had another friend warmed my heart. In the last two or three days, I had made more friends than I had in a lifetime.

Sighing happily, I put the beautiful plant on my windowsill. It would get plenty of sunlight there. Then I opened up the velvet pouch and dumped its contents onto the table. I noticed the lovely black writing pen and a silver chain necklace with an “S” pendant at the end. Looking at it made me feel a little empty, and low.

Time, and time again, I was told about how much Zora cared for me. I had never thought of her once. Even though I knew her when I was too young to remember, it still made me feel terrible. I couldn’t help it. She walked around with a necklace in memory of me, and I walked around complaining that I was a freak. What a sister I was….

I promised myself I would make it up to her. I would find her, rescue her, and then spend the rest of my life being the kind of sister I would have been if I had never grown up in the Human Realm.

I put Zora’s writing pen in the drawer with her stationery and put the “S” necklace in my shoulder bag. I wanted it with me so when I did find Zora, I could give it to her and thank her.

What I really wanted was to have all of my problems out of the way so I could enjoy being myself. I wanted to find Zora. I wanted to find out the supposed secret I had.

After that, I wanted to start my life, my real life, in the Elf Realm. Yet I knew that would not happen until Zora was safe.

I finished putting away my groceries and was relieved when the time came to meet Aaliyah for our picnic. Any more time alone with my rambling thoughts and I would go crazy. My mind was clouded, and I needed someone to help clear it. I knew she could; my impression of her was that she could be a friend and mother to anyone.

As I headed out the door to meet Aaliyah, I couldn’t stop worrying. What happened if I wasn’t able to find my sister? If I failed, Addison and Stellan would go to prison. What would happen if they sent
me
to prison? I had to make things move faster, but I wasn’t sure how. Blaire said to give it time, but I didn’t have much left.
God, what am I going to do?

What was there I
could
do? Besides waiting around for the Mood Diamond to work, I could do nothing to help the situation.

I was certain that Aaliyah could ease my mind, even if her advice didn’t bring me any closer to finding Zora. I wasn’t looking for someone to solve my problems. I just needed someone to
listen
so I didn’t feel like I was all on my own.

Aaliyah was waiting outside when I arrived.
She held a large basket that carried the delicious aroma of food. When she remarked about the Mood Diamond, I had to promise her, as I had to Aaron, that I would be careful.

Arm in arm, we walked to the orchard. It was a long way to go, but I didn’t mind. The scenery was beautiful.

On the way I saw herds of deer, ponds filled with baby ducklings following their mothers, and robins searching for worms. These were the same wild animals from my old home, but here they looked happier, more peaceful. The modern craziness of the Human Realm didn’t touch them. Instead, they were living in balance with nature, as it should be.

Lost in thought, it took me a moment to realize that we had finally reached the orchard.

It reminded me of farms in the Human Realm. Row after row of fruit-bearing trees stretched out before me. I could spot the oranges, pears, and apples. My mouth watered at the sight. Even from far away, I could see that the fruit was luscious and ripe. One thing I wondered was how oranges could grow in the same region as pears and apples. In the Human Realm, this wasn’t usually done. I asked Aaliyah that same question.

“Do you know the story of the Garden of Eden?” she asked.

“Yes, Adam and Eve,” I recalled.

“Well, when Adam and Eve broke God’s law, the real beauty and magic of the Human Realm was taken away. However, humans had broken the law, not elves or fairies. So when our Realms were created, we had the beauty and magic that God first gave to the Human Realm. That same magic in this Realm allows anything to be possible. We have no need for regions or specific climates, and we are provided with all that we need to plant orange trees with apple trees. ”

“But God didn’t create these Realms,” I commented.

She smiled. “Yes, that is true, but these Realms would not have been possible if God had not gifted the creators with the ability to do so. But how did you know that?” The gentleness and amusement of her voice gave away the fact that she was not mocking or insulting me, but generally curious.

I bit my lip. “Well, I sort of assumed so. Whenever an elf mentions the creation of the Realms, they never mention God. I didn’t even know elves believed in God,” I remarked.

“Why wouldn’t we?” she asked.

“Because you aren’t human,” I explained. “In the Human Realm, mythical creatures are thought to have their own gods.”

“It’s called fantasy, Ramsey,” she explained. “The real fantasy is what others have made up about our kind. We believe in God just as any human would. Sure, other magical beings believe in different things, but we believe in Him.”

“What do the others believe in?”

“The majority of elves, gnomes, dwarves, etc., believe in God. Some don’t. Just like with humans. We believe in Jesus, but we do not worship Him as the humans do. For you see, He was not our savior. He was the savior of the humans.”

“That makes sense,” I told her.

Aaliyah nodded and continued, “The fae creatures believe in Fae. They were named after her. She is their goddess, their supposed creator. They believe God exists as well, just that He didn’t create them. Fae did.”

“So God created humans, elves, gnomes, etc., and Fae created the fae?” I asked, just making sure I understood what she was explaining to me.

“Yes. That is what we believe.”

“Any other religious beliefs I should know about for future references?” I asked.

“Well,” Aaliyah replied, pausing a moment to think, “I know the mermaids believe God had a wife. When God created the earth, He created her as a companion. Her name was Mer. Legend says that when God created the oceans and seas, Mer fell and was lost in the depths of the water. To save her, God made her legs into the tail of a fish so she could swim up into the heavens to be with Him. However, Mer decided she loved the sea and wanted to stay there. When God changed her legs to a tail, Mer felt she was completely changed. She belonged in the sea. However, she didn’t want to be lonely and asked God to help her make more of her kind. Legend says He did, and together they created a whole sea full of new, wondrous creatures. That is supposedly where
Mer
maids and
Mer
men come from.”

“Do mermaids have their own Realm, separate from elves and fairies?” I inquired.

Aaliyah nodded, moving the basket of food from one arm to the other. “Their Realm is Atlantis, also referred to by humans, as ‘The Lost City of Atlantis.’ The reason their Realm was created was to keep the sirens under control; otherwise, they may have stayed in the Human Realm. At first, Atlantis was an island in the Human Realm. The mermaids who lived there had the power to be either a mermaid or human. It was their choice. When the mermaids moved Atlantis to their own Realm, they returned to their true forms. Humans now believe Atlantis sank to the bottom of the ocean after some failed attempt to take over the Greek city of Athens. We mystical beings, of course, know this is not true. However, humans sometimes have ways of covering up what they can’t explain with a story, lie, or legend. It’s difficult for a being without magic to accept that magic truly happens.”

“I see,” I said. “Don’t sirens lure sailors to their deaths with their looks?”

“Precisely,” she confirmed. “Sirens also have the most beautiful voices of all mystical beings, even more beautiful than elves and fairies, and that says quite a lot. They are all women, and undeniably stunning. A siren can be born from two mermaid parents, or from a merman and a siren. Before the Mermaid Realm, sirens swam through the seas looking for anyone weak enough to prey on. When things started getting out of hand, the Mermaid Realm was created to protect the mermaids and to avoid problems with humans.”

“Wow, so many stories…so many beliefs. And I thought the Human Realm was complicated….”

“Ramsey, all that matters is what you believe,” Aaliyah told me.

“I believe in God.”

“Then that should be enough,” she said, patting my arm affectionately. “You can sift through the rest of the information another time. Right now, focus on what you believe, and use those beliefs to give you the strength to find Zora and discover your secret.”

I nodded, taking her advice to heart, and followed her into the orchard.

***

“You made it home to the Elf Realm just in time, Ramsey. Everything here is in season,” Aaliyah commented.

“It looks wonderful,” I said.

“Come, I’ll show you where we will have lunch,” Aaliyah said, taking my hand and leading me through the fruit trees.

I looked up in awe at the vibrant colors of the fruit. I noticed different kinds of apple and pear trees, and even Clementine trees nestled among the normal-sized orange trees. It was the most fruit I had ever seen in my life. It was all beautiful, like precious jewels, only edible. I giggled to myself. I would never have compared food and jewels to each other before this day. In the Elf Realm, everything was different. I was thinking of new thoughts and enjoying new experiences.

Soon we came to a small clearing where Aaliyah draped a large blanket over the grass. She placed a large bouquet of flowers in the middle of the blanket.

“Addison’s,” she commented, gesturing to the flowers. “She always says you can’t enjoy food without flowers as the centerpiece. They make the experience all the more enjoyable.”

“Interesting thought,” I remarked.

“That’s Addison for you,” Aaliyah replied with a smile.

I breathed in deeply and admired our surroundings.

“It’s like a fairyland here,” I said, and then gasped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that kind of fairy….”

“Don’t worry about it, Ramsey. What you said is true. The Elf Realm is beautiful, but if you went to the Golden Fairy Realm, I don’t think you would want to leave. I hear it’s too beautiful for words.”

“What is the Golden Fairy Realm?” I asked.

“Four kinds of fairies make up the foundation of the fae. Dryads, nymphs, and pixies are fae as well, along with other fairies that fit in here and there, but these four fairies are the most powerful and plentiful,” she said as we sat down. “All four have their own Realm. The other fairies fit in wherever they choose, or remain in the Human Realm. The Golden fairies are the royal ones. Queen Titania lives in the Golden Fairy Realm. She is known as the High Queen because she is queen of the Golden Fairy Realm as well as the ruler of the entire fae population. Some even believe she rules over all the Magical Realms.”

“Do elves believe this, too?” I asked.