"The biggest issue is we have no idea where the Empress went once she escaped," Devrim said. The group knelt around their plans that were written in the dirt.

"I could send a message ball to the fairies for them to keep an eye out for her." Brinn offered.

"Great idea!" Devrim forgot she could do such a thing. More eyes would be very helpful.

"The ball can only go to a designated location that I tell it, so we will not be able to hear back from them." Brinn warned them of the balls limitations.

"That is less desirable, but I still think we should ask for their help." Devrim nodded thoughtfully.

"I know about the boy, but have either of you fought gnomes before?" the elf asked the soldiers.

"Cannot say that I have, ma'am," Nurlan shook his head. Junayd made a negative gesture also.

"Well when fighting a gnome, you need to know a few things…" Brinn began.

"Could I please have a drink of water?"

Devrim passed a water-skin behind him. "You were saying?" He looked expectantly at Brinn whose mouth was agape.

"Uh, behind you," she said.

Devrim nodded, "Ok, what do we do if gnomes are behind us?"

"Thank you for the water. Now, what are you taking about?"

Devrim was annoyed for a moment, "We are planning a way to rescue you, Aurora!" The words took a moment to sink in. Then, as the thing he most hoped for in the entire world had materialized behind him, he leapt from the ground and turned to embrace his love. He kissed her long and hard, so that when he finally released her, she gasped for air. "Sorry," he said, sounding anything but apologetic.

"You sure know how to ruin an outfit," Brinn said by way of greeting. The Empress looked down at her tattered clothes. Only her magical cloak was unharmed.

"It is good to see you too," Aurora giggled.

"How did you escape, Your Majesty?" Nurlan questioned. His countenance spoke of his admiration; his normally stoic face was beaming.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"I will tell you everything, but I think we should move away from here before it gets dark. The gnomes are likely to start fanning out once they are sure I am no longer underground." Aurora tried to think logically.

"I have just the place to camp," the elf smiled impishly. She motioned for the group to follow her.

Junayd eyed her warily. "Why do I think I am going to hate it?"

He did hate it. After a short distance from where they were, Brinn found a suitable spot for them to camp. "Are you ready?" she asked brightly, placing her hands lightly on her hips.

"Ready?" The humans all looked confused. Without warning, the elf jumped to the lowest branch of a tree and began her climb. "Last one to the top is a smelly ogre!" Brinn called as she scurried up the trunk.

"I would rather be a smelly ogre than a dead human," Junayd retorted, but he was ignored. He liked heights even less than Aurora, but he eventually gave in and made his way upward.

"Why are we climbing?" Aurora huffed between scaling parts of a particularly tall section of tree.

Brinn cocked her head. "Because gnomes have ground magic, they cannot sense us in the trees, or so I have learned with experience. Plus, gnomes cannot really climb; they are too heavy. We will be safe up here for the night." Brinn crested the top of the tree and looked out over the canopy. She had chosen well.

Aurora was the second to break through, followed very closely by Devrim and Nurlan, who were assisting her. "It is beautiful!" the Empress exclaimed. The treetops were all thickly connected here almost like a multicolored carpet. Perhaps this is what it looked like to live above the clouds, Aurora mused.

Junayd poked his head up and winced. "It is alright if you like that sort of thing," he conceded, "but where will we sleep?" He hoped in vain that the elf would give a solution closer to the ground.

"With the right leverage and the help of strong creeping vines, we can construct hammocks. Watch me." Brinn demonstrated her method for creating a leafy bed up in the canopy. It was a simple but sturdy design and as the moon peeked out, the five all had usable beds. When they had finished, Aurora explained her experience with the gnomes and how she escaped.

"You handled yourself most impressively, Your Majesty," Nurlan said when she was through. "Though I would like to give that King Baak a punch in the nose!"

"Get in line," Devrim growled with clenched fists. He was proud of Aurora also, but the gnome's behavior made his blood boil.

"If we are not careful, you may yet get that chance," Brinn reminded them. "On another note, based on our progress, we should reach Dew Mountain tomorrow." The elf passed out fruit she had gathered from the trees.

Aurora nodded her thanks. "Then we should get a good night's rest while we can." They all munched in silence before everyone but Nurlan, who had first watch, settled into their hammocks. Up in the trees, the forest sounds were absent. It was a different world. The Empress tried to sleep, but her mind was unwilling. So many thoughts swirled through her head. Nearby, Junayd's loud snoring sounded like the grumble of a bear. Groaning, Aurora adjusted her position for the hundredth time and then sighed.

"I cannot sleep either," a voice said in the darkness. "I think Junayd swallowed a wild boar whole, and now it is yelling to be let out."

Aurora giggled and sat up. Swinging her legs out of the canopy, she allowed Devrim to sit next to her. "He is a bit noisy sometimes."

Devrim chuckled lightly. Then his tone grew serious as he wrapped his arm around Aurora's waist. "I am glad you are safe."

The girl leaned against her love and put her head on his shoulder. "Me too. I do not think I am cut out for the land of magic. Far too much to be wary of in these parts."

Devrim gazed at the stars in contemplation. There were so many, and he felt so close to them up here. "If we went home and talked of meeting fairies, elves and Fates, the world would think we were crazy."

"Then they might dethrone me, and we could run away together. It is not an entirely bad idea." Aurora snuggled deeper into the man's arms to ward off the chill. She had left her own blanket with the elf in the dungeon, and the Guardian's cloak now lay innocently next to her.

Devrim took the cue, retrieved his own blanket and wrapped it around them both. "Say the word and I will run with you. You, me and the kids…we can start a new life."

"It is a beautiful dream," Aurora whispered sadly, for she knew that was all it could ever be.

The grey-eyed man sighed. "I really want to kiss you, but I know Nurlan's about somewhere glaring at us and our risqué behavior. I am glad he wants to protect your honor, but he scares me."

Aurora giggled, "An audience has never stopped you before."

"Good point." Devrim kissed Aurora and for a moment the world froze. The stars twinkled brightly and the moon seemed to stop her trek across the sky to gaze on their pure love.

As they cuddled close once more, Aurora shared the thought that was most on her mind. "What do you think it will be like meeting the Fates?"

Devrim squeezed her tight. "I do not know, but I do know one thing: we will do it together."