image [https://i.imgur.com/AYssZiM.png]

"The food here is terrible."

The voice broke the heavy silence that usually filled the old jailhouse. It came from the cell where the mysterious elf had spent the last three days in solitude and silence.

"She speaks," answered Mr Underbrook, almost rhetorically. The old nobleman spoke with an obvious upwards inflection, indicative of someone coming from the northern regions of Yteria. He attempted to not let his surprise show. "I would be inclined to agree with you. I’ve never been fond of porridge. I think I speak for the little one and myself, both."

"I like it!" I shouted, being youthful and excitable as I was. I ran up to the door of my cell. I was very interested to finally interact with this elf girl who had not said a word up until this point. I added, "And I’m not little! You’re just big!".

My indignation was obvious, but Mr Underbrook didn’t let it get to him. He returned his attention to the elf girl. "What’s your name?" he asked her.

When the elf answered, she did so slowly and in a tired voice. The past few days had evidently not been easy on her. "It’s Renna,” she said. “What about yours?"

I stood up proudly on a small chair in the room with me and announced, "Chip! I’m eight years old."

My positive attitude in a situation like that was something only a child could muster. It seemed to strike a chord within Renna, though.

"Ha! Nice to meet you, Chip. And you, Mr. Underbrook," she replied.

"I think we are past formalities. Please, call me Hal,” he answered. “Would you care to tell us a bit about yourself? We seem to have all the time in the world."

The old man’s voice had a calmness to it. Most in this position would lose hope, but he seemed cool and collected. The same could not be said about myself.

"I can't see you! Are you a dwarf?" I asked, having yet more difficulty controlling myself.

Mr Underbrook interjected, "Please don't think poorly of the child. This is the most excitement we've seen in a while… even longer for him."

"No, no. It's alright!" Renna answered with a laugh. She returned her attention to me. "I'm not a dwarf. Do I sound like one?"

I considered this for a moment and began to rub the sole of my shoe against the leg of my chair. "I don't know. You don't sound anything like Petal. His voice is really deep, not like yours." I paused but quickly continued. "There’s another dwarf here and his voice is really high. He sounds like Mr Underbrook’s parrot – honest truth."

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My positivity proved infectious. Renna could not help but laugh out loud. She could barely find the time to reply in between my enthusiastic outbursts.

"You don’t say!” she answered when I finally gave her the time. “You sound like a sailor. I’ll bet you’ve seen a lot of adventure. Also, I wasn’t aware we had a feathered friend in here." She shifted and spoke to Mr Underbrook in far-end corner of the jailhouse. "Hal, was it? You are right. He's an excitable little thing."

"I'm not little! You can't even see me! I might be taller than a forest troll, for all you know!" I shouted, jumping back into the conversation. I must say, that hurt my pride a bit.

"Oh! I do apologise. You're very right about that," she answered light-heartedly.

"Nah, you’re alright, miss!" I jumped back on the chair, my spirits once again lifted.

"Oh, 'miss'? I can't even remember the last time someone called me that." Renna let out another chortle. She was enjoying this far more than she expected. "To answer your question, no, I'm not a dwarf. I'm an elf. I come from Bun, but these days I’ve been staying in Geranala – before all this nonsense. Petal is a strange name for a dwarf, by the way."

"He likes flowers," I answered matter-of-factly.

"Renna,” said Mr Underbrook, “you asked about my bird. He’s around. He is never far. I’ll bet he is staying out of the way of this bunch," he said while gesturing outward towards his cell window – invisible to Renna, though she knew the ‘bunch’ he referred to. She only then realized she could hear the faint sound of drunken revelry coming from outside. It was the sound of pirates celebrating nothing in particular but their own slovenly attitudes.

"I see… It sounds like you two have quite the bond," said Renna softly.

For a moment, I imagine Renna almost felt herself safe talking to us strangers, but the reality of her captivity was beginning to dawn on her once more.

I suddenly jumped off my chair, ran to the door of my cell, and pushed my face between the wooden bars that trapped me. "Oh! Renna! Renna!"

"Yes, Chip. I haven't gone anywhere."

"Do you wanna see my rocks? I'll throw them to you!"

Before Renna could respond, I threw three glowing stones over to her cell door. My aim was impeccable, and I effortlessly lobbed all three stones right by her.

"Oh! Thank you, Chip. That’s quite the throwing arm you have there."

Feeling surprised, but also touched, Renna reached down to pick the three stones off the floor. They each held a brilliant sparkle and shimmered endlessly as the light from the torches around the room refracted off them. The stones were all very similar in shape and size. They were certainly gems, although much smoother and more geometrical than would be found in nature. Interestingly, each stone was a different colour – one red, one blue, and one green.

"How very… curious…" said Renna, as something strange welled up from inside her. Honing in on this unusual feeling, Renna was able to focus on the stones in her palm and received the fleeting impression of something otherworldly residing within them. The longer Renna focused, the more powerful and overwhelming the stones’ influence became. She blinked her eyes, and the power faded to a subtle whisper – barely perceptible but ever present. Renna’s face morphed into an unconscious frown, one she was glad Mr Underbrook and I were not able to witness.