"Oh."
Anastasia gasped at the sheer beauty of the scenery in front of her. Rolling hills with scrubby bushes that grew in clumps amidst stunted trees, dotted the landscape as far as she could see. Low marshmallow clouds drifted in the bright blue sky. Cool breeze tousled her hair and ruffled the carpet of purple and red blooms. Small boulders and rocks, puddles of water on the edge of which yellow gorse blossoms fluttered looked mesmerizing. Cutting through the moor was a wide and rushing river. From this distance, she couldn't make out the color of the river, but it sparkled like a million diamonds.
"Why did Haldir send us here?" asked Anastasia.
They started across the field. The knee-high grass scraped their clothes. Mingled in the grass were golden colored flowers, which she had never seen before. They resembled the amber hues of Ileus' eyes. Their smell was intoxicating, like honey mixed in rose and a hundred other aromatic herbs.
"I don't know!" Ileus replied feeling confused. He noticed numerous rabbits burrowing or fleeting away upon intrusion. "Sometimes I am unable to read his mind!"
"You can read minds?"
Suddenly Seashell growled. The lion was walking ahead of them and when they looked at him, they found him growling at bees that were bumbling from flower to flower and were now bumbling over his mane. Anastasia giggled at his plight. A while later they came across a litter of wolf pups.
"Oh! There are wolves in Evindal too?" she asked, as her eyebrows rose in a surprise.
"Yes, there are deer and wolves and stags—all living in perfect harmony. Don't ask me how!"
"You have come here before, right?" she asked as a blue hummingbird whizzed past her. It came back, flew around her head and then flew away. Anastasia was… amazed.
"Yes, I told you before. I came here for warrior training. Elves have special ways of combat, so Haldir insisted my mother that I should come to Evindal for a year's training."
"I remember," she replied. "Was it worth it?"
"Every minute was worth it," he replied. "I came here when I was twenty." And Iona got kidnapped during that time...
After they waded through the moor, they came upon the bridge over the river. The water of the river was azure. It was so clean that she could see colorful fish swimming below the surface of the water. Water ran over rocks that looked like gemstones. She stopped and leaned against the rail to stare at the rocks. "Are those gemstones?" she asked with disbelief as her eyes became wide and skin pricked with goosebumps. They reflected the sun's light and it scattered into an array of multiple colors making the river glimmer.
"They are," Ileus said nonchalantly. "There are a variety of gemstones down there."
Not able to still believe her eyes, Anastasia ran to the banks to touch a rock beneath the surface of water. Ileus rushed after her. He clamped down on her shoulder and drew her back immediately. "Don't!"
Anastasia fell and turned to look at him with a frown.
"Don't touch the water from the Niaris," he said. His voice was commanding but warm and laced with concern.
"Why?"
"Sorry, I scared you Anastasia, but, Niaris is as beautiful as it is dangerous, even to a fae," he explained.
Question flashed in her eyes and in answer, he pointed out in the distance. "Do you see that?"
Her gaze followed the direction he had pointed and she saw tiny wisps of white smoke rising and then disappearing in the air above the surface of the river.
"The Niaris will steal your memories and they will be gone forever with those wisps of white smoke.
"Oh my god!" Anastasia said as she took a sharp breath inside.
Ileus pulled her up. "Come, let's cross the bridge."
When they were in the middle of the bridge, she said, "I am sure you know people here… I mean elves…" she corrected herself. All at once she felt a twitch in her ears.
He laughed. "Of course, I know!" Then he looked beyond the bridge and said, "I wonder where we are though…" He took a deep breath and said, "Haldir's elder brother, Theodir, rules Evindal. Both the brothers were in love with the same woman. Though the woman loved Haldir more, she chose his elder brother over him to marry. Haldir was so anguished by it that he left Evindal and took refuge in Draoidh."
"That's… horrible," she remarked sadly.
"No, it was a blessing in disguise because Haldir found his mate, Inyanga, in our realm!"
Anastasia chuckled. "Nice!"
They crossed the bridge and came upon a valley of flowers.
"Lilacs and irises!" Anastasia exclaimed, as she recognized the flowers that grew in abundance around them. Not able to resist herself, Anastasia ran till the flowers grew and came to stop at the edge of a valley. Lilacs, irises and daffodils grew right up to the end of the valley, or at least till where she could see. At the bottom of the valley scattered a hug of huts. They descended the slope and noticed that the huts were crafted with red bricks and wood. They had vines laden with flowers over the roofs. Smoke rose from the chimneys. Anastasia could smell the aroma of freshly cooked food. Flowers bloomed in the small window boxes. Every hut was surrounded by a cobbled path, which ended into a square that was crowded with… beautiful elves, with pointy ears and white hair.
When she looked up, over the horizon she saw a palace made from white stones rising tall towards the blue sky.
They followed the cobbled path, which was lined with lanterns and flanked by flowers.
Anastasia and Ileus noticed that the elves were looking towards them. Then a young girl ran to her with a yellow flower. With long white hair cascading down her back, and bright light blue eyes, she looked lovely. She held that flower out in her hand to give it to Anastasia. As she extended her hand to take the flower, the girl said, "Ipleco ta ga kesu." I will weave it in your hair.
"Zastul?" Why?
The girl smiled. "Uprema za vencanye." Ready you for your wedding.