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Chapter Twenty-nine

Elda tried to kick and thrash but the children had a strong hold. She screamed over and over terrified.

"Shhh," Someone hissed in her ear. She didn't know how but she knew it was Squire Jasper. Why would a Squire be helping them do this to her?

She screamed louder.

"She is going to wake the whole dorm, and then it will be ruined," Someone pouted. Was it Dana? She wasn't so sure.

Elda could hear Saido cawing above her. It gave her little comfort that he would not change to save her. She began trying to kick and thrash again while screaming. in between her screams she heard hushed whispers and laughter along with Saido's cawing.

She could feel the air grow cooler. They were outside now, heading downhill. She could feel them pick up speed. Then she felt them start to swing her. This was even more terrifying. She started crying hysterically and hugged the dress that was still in her hands. Then she felt as though she were falling but upward, and then very quickly down, the next thing she knew she hit something hard and started feeling wet. She clawed desperately at the wet blanket and it came off and drifted down beneath her.

She fought her first instinct to inhale. She kicked up toward the surface and heard children laughing and cheering. They came closer into the lake looking happy, this confused Elda. Then Something grabbed Elda's foot and jerked her under suddenly. She fought to the surface again to take a breath and heard Squire Jasper yell about something going wrong, then she was under again. The plants acted possessed and reached for every part of her.

She was being dragged and held down and she spent her last breath screaming into the water, then all went still. Like the first time, she didn't see anything but knew where everything was. She forced water aside and it did not move easily. She could feel the molecules bursting under her effort. She broke her bonds and climbed upward and felt a hand grab hers and pull her up to sit on the top of the water.

"Why didn't you change to save me!" She screamed at Saido. He remained silent. Elda sobbed, "I was so scared."

She felt arms wrap around her. They felt warm and familiar. She was safe.

"Jelen?" She whispered.

"I'm here, I am always here," he said.

"She is coming into her powers earlier than we thought," She heard Saido speak solemnly. 

"And I was told she would be kept safe," She felt the vibration in Jelen's chest as he spoke sharply.

"It was a prank. An initiation. I overheard the older children, she was safe until the wraith came," Saido spoke quickly.

"I wasn't safe," Elda cried then sobbed again snuggling closer to Jelen. 

"My brave Hatyri, I need you to calm down," Jelen whispered into Elda's ear. She wiped her face. He set her down on the water again. 

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"We don't need her to calm down, only she can undo what she has done, and it is tied to her emotions," Saido's voice raised just a bit.

"What did I do?" Elda was curious now.

"You have stopped time," Saido explained. 

"Me?" Elda couldn't believe it, "Then why are you and Jelen not stopped?"

"Because Saido is part god, as you are, and I can walk through dimensions, stopped time is hardly different for the Fae." Jelen's voice was warm, and she could imagine the smile on his face.

"Part god?" Elda felt as though she were starting to go crazy.

"You hold within you all of the blood legacies," Jelen offered this as an explanation. Elda had no idea what this really meant.

"She doesn't understand. She needs to be hardened." Saido spoke quickly.

"She is not a weapon to be honed, she is a scared child," Jelen  spoke more forcefully than before.

"Is she not?" Saido sounded angry now, "Let me remind you. In Elvish, she is Jesoth, The Blade. In Dragon, she is Eskidir, The Hunter. To the Orc she is Meson, The Slayer. To the Fae..."

"Don't," Jelen raised his voice.

"Hatyri, ..." Saido made a strange noise.

"I said do not." Jelen had hold of Saido's throat.

Elda gasped. Jelen let go. Saido remained silent.

"It is time for us to go. You must be the one to kill the wraith. The one who sent it to kill you must know you are able to hurt him now," Saido's voice was gravelly.

"What do I do?" Elda was again frightened.

"Get angry. Crawl back into your water hole and attack the plants that attacked you," Saido sounded as though a cough was caught in his throat.

"I will come whenever you call, little one," Jelen's warm voice soothed her as she climbed into the still frozen water.

Elda found the plants and could feel the wraith and the disturbance where it displaced the magic field.  Then she thought about being dragged under water. She became angry. She crouched over the plant and the wraith inside it. She felt hot with the resentment she held for her life turning upside down. All the times her family was hunted down, all the narrow escapes until they came to Feren. She began to glow. Heat radiated from her.  And then a wave of pure light exploded from her destroying the wraith and the lake she was in. All her senses came flooding back to her and she screamed in pain, falling over into a ball. Everyone close by had been knocked down from the force of her explosion. She heard frantic shouting and yelling as she felt the strong throbbing pain again and passed out.