The elf chuckled.

“Be quiet!” He gave me a stern look.

“Help!” I cried at the top of my lungs again.

He took some cloth out his pocket and gagged me.

“Mmmppgh!”

Three more elves came up the crevice a few minutes later.

They spoke with each other in a strange melodic language for a few moments.

Then two of them grabbed the net, lifted me up and walked down the crevice again. I heard the other elves following us at a short distance. The net cut in a bit but there wasn’t anything I could do. I wondered where the others were. Have they been caught as well?

We arrived at the end of the crevice and turned right on a ledge leading downward a cliff. The creek went over the edge and fell down forming small waterfall. Below me was a dense, overgrown forest. The sunlight was a bit dimmed, but it was only barely noticeable. Many noises from various animals filled the air.

We arrived the base of the cliff and continued on an animal trail for a few meters. I closed my eyes as plants started to brush me, including thorny variants.

We arrived at a small clearing next to the creek a few moments later. Then I saw the rest of my friends sitting on the ground. They had tied their forearms together in front of them and their calves were tied tightly together as well. All were gagged. Their weapons were laying on the ground a few meters away, including various knives and daggers.

I was set down beside them. Four more elves watched us as we arrived at the clearing. I was set down beside the others. The put our backpacks beside the rest of our stuff.

“You’re charged for trespassing our lands! You are brought to trial tonight. Lord Thyrian decide your fate.” One of the elves announced.

Great! They didn’t even put signs up.

Then three of the elves pried me out of the net, tying me up like the others without giving me a chance to resist. Resisting seemed futile at this point. They were too many of them and they had weapons. Waiting for an opportunity to escape was the way to go now.

While the elves talked for a while in their melodic language we exchanged worried looks. Milly was fuming. There wasn’t much to see on her face, but I could feel it.

We should have left this crevice alone. I tried to wriggle out of my ties, but to no avail. My arms were tied together with my fingers pointing outward. I’d seen only Miss Loraline so farm, but these elves looked similar. They had light brown to blond hair and brown or green eyes. They were all clad in sturdy leather garments.

After a while an elven woman entered the clearing, followed by six strange humanoids. They had thin stick like arms witg a joint with simple three digit hands. Their feet were lumps of wood connected to the body my more sticks. The body was made from wood as well and a fist sized spherical head sat on a stick on top of the body. There was no face. They were all magical and connected to the woman. Three of them carried long poles.

One elf took a poles and stuck it my thighs and then between my forearms. I was pushed over on my back and the last saw that Loraline was threaded in a similar way on the pole. Another elf pulled a small sack over my head, which was tied down at my neck. I laid on my back for a while. I didn’t hear the forest noises anymore and it was dark. I could see the cloth but no light from the outside was visible. There was faint magic woven into the sack. Breathing wasn’t a problem.

Then I was lifted up, hanging down from my arms and legs. I could bend my knees and that was it. Then I started to move through the thicket accompanied by a faint sound of creaking wood. I relaxed myself while I started swinging slightly around the pole.

I didn’t know how long I was carried through the foliage.

Finally I was set down on the ground. The pole simply vanished and I was laying on the ground again. After a few moments Someone untied my legs.

Then I was pulled up from the ground and gently nudged forward. I played along for now. Resisting now would be futile.

I led upward over swaying ground for a while. Then we turned around a few corners, stopped a few times for a moment. Then my guide let go of me.

A few moments later the sack on my head was removed and an elf removed the gag. Another elf was busy untying my arms.

I was in a hall. There was an ornate chair in front of me, a throne? An elf with long silver hair and amber eyes wearing expensive purple and green robes was sitting on the throne, propping his head on his elbow. He looked annoyed.

Milly, Tilly, Loraline and Caroline were standing next to me, looking around.

The walls of the room was covered in ornate wooden panels, interjected by wooden pillars every few meters which were ornamented as well. Tapestries hung down the wall depicting woodland scenes. Purple and green embroideries framed the pictures. A large, expensive looking carpet covered the wooden floor.

Another elf leaned against one of the pillars. He wore silver mail, but no helmet. His hair was silver as well and was hanging down to his shoulders. His right hand rested on the hilt of a long sword which rested in a leather scabbard tied to his belt.

The elf on the throne said something in elfish and waved. Then the elves who brought us here left the room. Is he the Lord?.

We had huddled together near the center of the room.

He gave us a long inquiring look. For a moment our eyes met. His amber eyes looked old. Ancient. A shiver went down my spine

“I am Lord Thyrian. You were found trespassing my domain. This place is a secret we are not going to share with the outside world. Why did you come here? Explain yourselves.” he leaned back in his throne.

We glanced at each other with trepidation.

“We didn’t trespass your domain with intent, Mylord.” Milly stepped forward.

“This is of no concern to me.” He looked at Milly .

“W-We must continue our journey!” Milly gulped holding his gaze.

“The security of this place is my main concern, human.” he wrinkled his brows.

Milly looked Tilly and I inquiring.

Till nodded after a few moments.

“Someone is hunting us.” I nodded Milly.

“Who might that be and why would he do that?” He locked eyes with me, making me blush.

“It’s the Arhitrhean Empire. And they’ve magical means to find us.” Milly stared at Lord Thyrian.

He turned to look at Milly again.

“They summoned us from, from, from far away and then they put these slave marks on us. They followed us across the whole continent. And there is a ring which can be used to find us. We hope it will take them some time to get it, but eventually they will get their hands on it.” Milly looked at me clenching her jaws.

I nodded. It may be a way out of here or maybe he was able to do something about the marks. Elves are renowned for their magicians after all.

Lord Thyrian hesitated for a moment. Then magic flared from his eyes in our direction. It looked like divination magic. I didn’t dare to activate my magic sight to confirm it..

“The ring connected to these marks is far away at the moment. Far enough to be of no concern. These marks are nasty as they are heavily intertwined with your very soul. There are ways to remove them, but the risks are much to high to break your soul in some permanent way to be a viable choice.” He rubbed his chin.

Darn.

“About far away, you were summoned in their hero summoning ritual?” He looked at Milly.

“Yes.” She tried to hold his gaze.

“Hmm. Didn’t they do the Greeting Ritual with you?” He tilted his head.

“No. Not that I know. They basically told us we are worthless.” Milly shook her head.

“I know the diamond they need for each hero has to be quite large. They let you go with that mark alone. Fools! Only three of you are subject to that though.” He looked at Tilly and I.

“We are friends. We stay together!” I furrowed my brows looking at the elf.

“I see.” He looked me deep in the eyes again.

While I tried to hold his gaze I felt like he looked right through my eyes into my head.

“I know enough for today. I want to known more of your story for a final decision through. The usual choices don’t deem viable to me. You’re no enemies actively looking for this place, so I can’t execute you. Having you stay here as our guest won’t do either.” He looked us with a slight frown.

“Enleadir. Take them to the Nuannel’s guest quarter and see to their needs. We will meet again tomorrow.” He looked at the elf at the wall.

“Very well.” The elf walked to the door and opened it.

We left the throne room. We exchanged worried looks.

The elf walked down the corridor to the left. We reached a small hall a few moments later.

“What about our gear?” Tilly asked as passed the hall.

“We will check it for means to locate them. You may not know everything about the things you carry.” he opened the door with a smile.

There was small balcony behind it. It was dark outside. We were only a few meters above ground. A wooden ramp lead up around the tree which was too large to estimate it’s girth at that point. Glowing lights flowed around the tree, illuminating the forest around us. It wasn’t bright but there was probably enough light for the humans to use the staircase.

“This way.” He smiled and pointed at the ramp

The ramp twisted around the trunk of the massive tree upward. The bark was nothing I had seen before. The whole tree had about 40 meters diameter at least. Soon we were high up in the tree and finally reached the crown. A wooden bridge connected the tree with the next one. Our guide went over that bridge which started to swing slightly. Finally we arrived on a platform in front of a wooden building in the crown of the tree. The ground was far below us. At least a hundred meters.

The building was round and had over twenty meters diameter. It was held in the air by branches of the tree as far as I could see. Some of them thicker than the trunk of most trees. The walls were covered in leaves on the ground level. A wide balcony around on top protruding from the building covered by a roof, which was supported by about five meters wide aches. The wall at the back was covered in leaves as well. The roof had a slight tilt and was a stumped cone with a small platform covered by another coned roof on top. On top of the lower roof small pathways weaved up to the top.

“Welcome to our humble guest quarters.” Enleadir opened a door.

Slowly yellowish glowing spots appeared on the ceiling and in the walls of the short hall. After a few moments it was bright enough to see normally.

Enleadir closed the door after we entered. There was a wardrobe at the side of the hall.

The hall opened up in a circular room about fifteen meters in diameter, A large table with armchairs or sofa was in the center of the room. Other sofas and armchairs were grouped together at the sides .The room which was about six meters high. A balustrade ran around the room about three meter above the ground. It was supported by wooden pillars. To the left and to the right a slender circular staircase wound up there. There were doors leading outward from the balustrade and there were doors at floor level as well. There was a ring dark panels just below the ceiling.

“Feel at home.” Enleadir was looking at us with a smile as we tried to absorb what we saw.

“This is .. marvelous!” I turned to him, mouth agape.

“You look like you may want a bath.” He winked at me, clearly amused.

“This would be great.” Milly closed my mouth with her hand as she stepped beside me.

“Then let me show you the bath first. As your clothes are dirty from the road I get you something comfortable for the night. Are you hungry?” Enleadir went over to a door to the left.

“That would be nice. And yes we’re hungry.” Milly said as we followed him across the room.

He opened the door to a roughly 3 by five meters room. The outer wall as an intricate mesh of small branches, as thick as my fingers. Leaves grew only on these branches, but on the outside only. I could feel the wind brushing through the room. The outer and the inner wall were slightly curved obviously.

“This is for simple washing.” He went to a wooden tub on a table to the side and hold a hand under a wooden pipe.

A jet of water poured down on his hand.

“There is soap and other stuff in this cupboard. Generally feel free to check out anything you find.” Enleadir stepped back and the water stopped.

“This is for ... wastes.” he pointed at a wooden box with a lid at the other side of the room.

He opened door to the right. The room was about five by five meters and was dominated a wooden bathtub. It about four meters long and three wide and shaped like kidney. The rim about a meter high and there was a wooden bench all around the rhe tub. There was a shelf filled with flasks and another cupboard with towels on the inner wall. The outer wall was a mesh of branches again, just like in the room before.

“The tub will fill if you touch this rune. This one is to let the water out again. These two over there will change the temperature to a degree.” Enleadir pointed at runes at rim of the tub.

After he touched the filling rune he went back to the other room and fetched a basket from the cupboard.

“Knock at the door when you have put all your dirty clothes in the basket and retreat. I’ll fetch the basket a few moments later. I’ll knock at the door to the room with the tub once when there is something to wear for you here in this room. I’ll knock twice before dinner is ready.” Enleadir put down the basket.

“Sounds good.” Milly smiled.

Enleadir left the bathroom and closed the door.

We shed our clothes, put them into the basket, and knocked at the door. Then we retreated to the room with the tub and started to get rid of all the grime of the last weeks.

We washed ourselves first with the help of some buckets and soap we found. After we disposed the contents of the buckets into the waste box the tub was filled.

I entered the tub while Milly was busy checking the various flasks on the shelt. She opened each and smelled.

“Think is flagrant for the water. This smells like pine. Any objections?” She looked as us.

I shook my head. I had no issue with taking advantage of our fancy prison. Soon we were all soaking in the hot water enveloped by a faint but noticeable pine scent. Milly only added a few drops to the tub.