Gefish ran through the woods as fast as his hunched over body would allow him, hobbling along with uneven and dragging steps. He looked something similar to an old broken down wagon. The sky was slowly growing darker as night drew closer and the trees were casting ominous shadows on the ground bringing to life the imagination of the mind. Soon, Gefish knew, those trees would not take too kindly to him being on their land.
He stumbled along, clumsily tripping over fallen logs with his slightly clubbed feet. Gefish could feel the trees bending down behind him, slowly waking from their daily rest. His footsteps seemed to echo off the walls of wood falling heavily on the wet turf with a great 'thud', even though they made virtually no sound at all.  

After what seemed an eternity, Gefish finally came stumbling through the barrier and across the bridge of Haldit's kingdom barely escaping the strong grasp of a large oak's outstretched limb.

Gefish bombarded the gate with showers of desperate knocks. A guard quickly pulled the gate open with one hand, recognizing Gefish and watching as he stumbled through trying his hardest to keep his footing. Running up the steps of the palace, Gefish sped through the giant oak doors.

Haldit's kingdom was completely unlike any other kingdom. The Cievo all lived in it which made Ellestar, (The kingdom) extremely large, but that was not the only difference. Since it was built in the forest, Ellestar was forced to work with the trees instead of against. The Cievo had built bridges of dead trees having them run all through the forest kingdom. The dwellings of the Cievo were actually quite eccentric built in the trees like a child's playhouse only sturdier. They had circular staircases wrapping around the tree and leading to each house. The trees in that particular forest grew rather far apart with very few branches at the bottom of the stump. They grew very thick at the top of the tree, ideal for building ramps and walkways but rather hard on light. Therefore the Cievo kept torches burning all the time all along every bridge, house, room, and staircase.

The palace itself was elegant beyond compare literally towering above all the other buildings. The palace was built about 50 feet above everything else. It had tall slender doors carved to look like a giant leaf. The gate surrounding it was also carved with great skill. Vines curling around spikes with blooming flowers looked almost real with the detail of the artist. Inside the gate, the palace floor was paved with stone. Only a carved wooden canopy kept the rain off, held up by stone pillars, much like in a summer house. Stairs led up on either side to separate rooms all built the same way as the main room with tall pillars for support and vines curling up them like a snake. The furniture was all made of wood, shaved and carved to resemble deer, flowers, trees, castles, anything! Creativity was certainly thriving in Ellestar.

"GEFISH!" Haldit yelled as Gefish came stumbling in.

"You were due nearly three hours ago!"

Gefish cowered on the floor like an abused child trying to hide his face from the fury of Haldit.

"I-I-I w-was delayed b-b-by Adrastea, my L-lord," Gefish stuttered nervously, ringing his cap in his hands.

"Gefish, how many times must I remind you to take precautions? Do you wish me to get myself another messenger? Jobs are very scarce, especially for a gnome like you!"

Gefish shook his head rapidly pulling himself to his feet with difficulty.

"P-please m-my lord, d-don't do that!"

"You may give me no other choice!" Haldit shouted whipping his head around to fix Gefish with a nerve racking stare.

"Tell me, did she come?"

Gefish swallowed hard and looked toward the opened door, the courtyard looking incredibly inviting, like a swimming pool on a hot day.

"She...she refused to c-come, m-my Lord," he stuttered rapidly, hoping he would come out of this alive.

"She did WHAT?" Haldit roared, his anger evident in every inch of his muscular frame.

Gefish shrank with fear slowly backing toward the open door.

"Gefish! I want you to tell me exactly was happened, and if you leave anything, ANYTHING, out...then I will personally decapitate you," Haldit hissed, menacingly running his thumb along the razor sharp blade of his sword. 

Gefish swallowed hard eyeing the sword nervously. He knew how many lives had been taken by that glistening blade.

"W-well my l-lord, I h-had just knocked on A-Adrastea's d-d-door-..."

.............................................................................

The wind was howling so loud up on the mountain that Gefish almost thought it was a pack of wolves on the hunt for live prey. He timidly raised his hand and knocked on the heavy door waiting for what seemed like an hour for answer when in reality it was only a few seconds.

"Come in," a low voice said, more of an order than a suggestion.

Gefish slowly opened the door letting it swing on its hinges peering into the darkness with frightened eyes. If it had been a sunny day, the light probably would have made everything visible, but the clouds in the sky distinguished any thought of that. Gefish slowly walked in, scooting along a centimeter at a time.

"STOP! Stop right here!" the voice came again the commanding tone even more audible than before.

Gefish froze in his tracks craning his neck to try and see through the darkness. To his surprise, a flame shot up at the other end of the room casting a dim light all around the cabin. Now he could see Adrastea sitting in a high backed wooden chair her antlers appearing bigger and more frightening than they really were. One hand was placed lightly on the table next to the candle. The other was wrapped around the hilt of a heavy bladed dirk not tensed to strike but ready to attack if need be. Adrastea looked at the flame casting a haunting red light on her face but she still addressed Gefish slowly turning cold eyes in his direction.

"Haldit sent you, correct?"

Gefish nodded slowly almost sloth-like.

"Why? I distinctly remember telling Haldit not to bother me anymore."

"W-well, he t-told me t-t-to tell y-you to c-come to h-him as a f-favor," Gefish told her, trying to remember it word for word.

Adrastea did not answer. She simply looked back to the candle tapping her finger on the table until the sound was almost deafening. The silence stretched on until Gefish could hardly bare it shifting his feet nervously. Adrastea kept tapping her finger and then, with one swift movement, her hand flew behind the table and pulled a lever. Gefish felt himself being jerked off the floor in an instant dangling upside down by a rope tied around his ankles. Adrastea leaped out of her chair and seemingly floated across the floor towards him as fast as a falcon in flight. She grabbed hold of the hair on the back of Gefish' head pulling his head back and putting the blunt side of her knife to his throat staring into the deepest pit of his soul.

"I asked WHY! I didn't ask for a roundabout answer, Gefish!" she hissed like a snake.

Gefish wanted to swallow but he was afraid that an attempt would bring the blade deeper into his throat killing him to the point where he would no longer be alive!

"I-I don't know a-anything! H-Haldit d-d-didn't tell me!"

Adrastea pushed the knife harder against his throat until the point where Gefish was surprised that she had not slit it already.

"Don't lie to me gnome! He knew I'd ask and he must've given you an answer!"

"I don't know! H-h-he said s-something about a-a m-m-map, o-or s-s-something like that."

"Well you tell him, Adrastea instructed, her voice so low that Gefish had to strain to hear her.

"that he can put me in a pit of lava but I will NEVER help him. GOT IT?"

Gefish shut his eyes tight and nodded as best he could against her grasp on his head and the knife against his throat. Adrastea gave Gefish one last chilling glance cutting the rope with the dirk and, stepping back watched as Gefish scrambled to his feet and ran down the mountain as fast as his bowed legs would carry him.

..................................................................................

Haldit slammed his fist on the table and paced back and forth his silver cloak flowing behind him.

Gefish watched nervously not knowing exactly what to do. He would prefer to leave but he knew that Haldit would go into a tantrum if he did so without permission.

"Gefish!" Haldit finally called Gefish hurriedly shuffling toward him and bowing.

"Y-yes my l-lord?"

"You tell her, she'd better come, or she'll get what her old man got."

"I-it won't be easy m-my lord," Gefish answered, trying to weasel out of a difficult situation.

Either he refused Haldit and was given the fate of the torture chamber, or he carried out his orders and was killed by Adrastea in who knows what way.

"Gefish, if anything in this situation were easy, then I wouldn't need Adrastea in the first place. Now go get her or you'll GET THE END OF MY SWORD!" Haldit shouted pointing at the door with a long finger.

Gefish jumped out of his pale skin and scurried out the door like a frightened squirrel.

Haldit sighed and sat down on his bearskin throne, running a hand through his long fine hair, framed by impressive antlers. Haldit was an extremely handsome king, with a very straight nose, high cheek bones and a pronounced square jaw. His eyes were a piercing blue as cold and cruel as winter itself. His long blond hair hung over his shoulders. Two giant antlers protruded from his head. A silver crown fitted perfectly around his head with a point on his forehead. He wore flowing silver robes only fit for a king. His surcoat under the flowing sleeveless cloak was adorned with an embroidered belt fitting his waist perfectly. On Haldit's right hand was a single ring, a giant, blood red ruby set in the middle.

"You knew she wouldn't come," Demetria said calmly, walking toward the carved rails with slow and elegant strides.

"What did you expect me to do? Adrastea is the only option we have left. She's the only one who knows!"

Demetria placed a slender hand on the railing and looked down at the forest floor below with a calm and collected gaze.

"You're right. But maybe we're going about this in all the wrong ways," she answered quietly.

Haldit looked up at Demetria, his curiosity peaked, and Demetria met his gaze with her own steady eyes.

"What do you mean?" Haldit asked fiddling with his ring.

Demetria moved away from the railing her long black trail falling elegantly behind. She did not find it necessary to inform Haldit of her plan immediately and she relished the moment as if it were a delicious pastry covered in sugary icing.

Haldit seemed less than thrilled with this act and drummed his fingers impatiently on the desk until Demetria turned toward him with a mischievous smile on her face that would send a chill down anyone's spine.

"There's more than one way to skin a cat."  

- Hello wattpaders! Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! What did you think of Adrastea? What about Haldit and Demetria? I'd love to hear your opinions on it. Thanks a bunch :D - Anna