Elderen Wood (eBook)

AMAYA BROOKS

Amaya’s eyes shot open, followed by a desperate gasp for air. As her head spun, she checked her surroundings. Elle, Iris, and Luna were sprawled unconscious amongst the shore. She grabbed Luna’s shoulders and tried to shake her awake. “Luna! Hey, wake up.” Slowly, Luna’s eyelids opened, revealing her piercing blue eyes. They glistened with confusion as she glanced up at Amaya.

“What? What happened?” Luna put her hand to her head and winced in pain. A small cut spread across her forehead as a single drop of blood ran down her face. Using her sleeve, Amaya placed her hand on Luna’s forehead and gently cleaned the wound.

“Are you okay?” she asked, wiping the blood away.

“I think so.” She paused. “Are you?”

Honestly, Amaya wasn’t sure. In her last memory, she was moments away from death. Now she was here, with barely a scratch. “I’m fine,” she lied.

Next, Iris woke up groaning in the sand. She looked like she had just woken from a bad nap. Muffled gurgles escaped her mouth as she stretched her arms. She sounded like she had just woken from a bad nap. “What happened?”

“What do you remember?”

“Um, I remember water. Almost drowning. Feeling hopeless,” she paused. “And those goddamn life jackets.”

Suddenly, Amaya’s attention was drawn to the empty spot on the beach where her friend had lain just moments ago. “Guys, where is Elle? She was just there a second ago!” Of course, Elle had to wander off in the unknown. Amaya felt a pinch of relief feeling the outline of her paperclip in her pocket. She pulled it out and twisted it between her fingers.

She got up and began searching desperately for their friend. As she found herself deeper in the trees, Amaya noticed something rather peculiar. Within the forest stood a white door. No building or house was connected to it. It stood alone, watching them. Amaya slowly approached it, wondering why on earth there was a door in the middle of the forest. “Do you guys see this?” she asked, turning Luna and Iris’s attention to the door.

“That’s odd.” The three crowded around it. With its chipped paint and withered appearance, it had obviously been there for quite some time. “I wonder if it still works.” Luna lifted her hand to the shiny, golden knob. With a turn of her wrist, the door opened. With their curiosity getting the best of them, the three pushed and shoved, causing them to fall right through.

“Great going you guys. If I wasn’t all bruised up from the waterfall, I certainly am now,” Iris groaned.

Ignoring her comment, Amaya picked herself up and began to look around.

It didn’t take long for her to realize they were not in the same place they were only seconds ago. Something was different about this place. Although she did not recognize the world around her, it felt startlingly familiar. It was almost comforting, like a hug from an old friend. Amaya became entranced by the magical expression of the swirling mass of trees that filled the empty spaces. They hung over the atmosphere like they held a thousand memories. They were that kind of green you wish you could bottle up and take home with you to dress your walls in. The bark took kinship with the soft grass beneath her feet.

The sun poured through every crack and crevice, illuminating paths for even the smallest creature to follow. The sky was clear and full of life, while bird’s songs echoed through the wood. Amaya’s heart was calmed by the sound of a waterfall that had once terrified her. Serenity emanated from its gentle flow.

Almost forgetting her missing friend, Amaya turned quickly around a corner, running into Elle. “Elle? Where have you been? You scared us!”

“I was looking for a way back to camp. Where have you been?”

“So, you’re telling me you thought the way back to camp was through a random door in the middle of the forest. Elle, you can’t just go wandering off! We need to stick together, okay?”

“Okay, whatever. I was curious. But we’re all together now, so no big deal. And besides, the best way out is through.”

Amaya rolled her eyes and turned around to go back through the door. But to her surprise, it had been closed shut. She reached out to open it, but it would not budge. Her heartbeat soared as she realized they were trapped.

“Guys, the door won’t open,” she said in a panic. This didn’t make any sense.

“What? What do you mean?” Luna asked.

“I mean it’s sealed shut.”

They exchanged worried glances. Unsure of what this meant for them, Amaya felt sick to her stomach.

“It’s okay,” Luna assured her. “We’ll figure something out. Let’s look around, maybe we’ll find something familiar. Elle, you lead the way.”

Elle nodded her head and the others followed. Amaya stayed close to Luna for comfort. She could see her friends too were in awe of this place. “This forest,” Luna noted, “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Everything is so full of life.” She placed her hand on the trunk, running her finger along the raised ridges. “Do you guys think we died and went to Heaven?” she asked, still admiring the lined mess of the tree bark.

“No, you guys definitely wouldn’t be in my Heaven,” Iris joked.

“Iris Yuki, if you don’t stop talking, I will leave you here in the middle of the forest for dead,” Amaya teased.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But are we really not going to address the fact that we definitely just walked through a magical door or have we all just accepted that?” Amaya hadn’t even had time to process it all. Iris was right. This couldn’t be real, no. She hit her head on that river and was tucked away in a dream.

Before she was able to collect her thoughts, a man on a large, black horse stopped in front of them. He was dressed in what appeared to be chainmail and metal armor. It surely was quite an elaborate costume. “Excuse me? Could you help us? Do you know which way the Truckee River is?” Elle asked, grabbing his attention.

He tilted his head in confusion.

“I’ve never heard of such a river.” The man jumped off his horse and stepped closer to them. Over his eyes, his curly, blonde locks hung like an umbrella; it was miraculous that he could see at all. His face was matted with dirt and sweat, with smear marks along his sharp jawline. The metal armor sculpted his broad shoulders like it was made just for him. His odor was seemingly unpleasant, but he was fairly good looking.

“I’m Sir Henderson, and who might you all be?”

Sir Henderson? Amaya wondered if he were simply portraying a character.

“Um, I’m Luna. These are Amaya, Iris, and Eldora. We sort of took a wrong turn and aren’t really sure where we are.”

He almost laughed. “This is the Elderen Wood. Why surely you must know that?” But Amaya did not. The name meant nothing to her. How far from home had they traveled? It did not make any sense. In Sir Henderson’s face, confusion turned into concern.

“It seems odd that someone would not recognize the most famous place in the Five Kingdoms,” he muttered to himself. “Well, I am riding for Camelot and can escort you there if you wish.” Now that’s a name Amaya recognized.

Amaya and her mother never really got along. Her mother was distant and closed off, upsettingly as she was Amaya’s only family. Blood related family, that is. However, the one thing they did have was books. They both had a love for reading and would often sit together in their home library. Most of the time, they would read their respected books and not speak, but these moments belonged to them. Their library was filled with all kinds of books about King Arthur and his great adventures, as they were her mother’s favorite. Every so often, her mother would read them to her. It was one of the only memories of her that Amaya held close to her heart.

“Camelot? As in King Arthur?” Amaya realized she must’ve hit her head harder than she thought. Everyone knew King Arthur’s legends, and that they were just that. Legends. Well, almost everyone.

“Is Camelot the one with the wizard Marlin? And the magic ring?” Iris asked, trying very hard to piece it all together.

“Merlin, and that’s not the…never mind.” Amaya turned her attention back to Sir Henderson. “You don’t really mean that we’re actually in the Camelot right? King Arthur isn’t just running around these woods somewhere. Right?” Although, she’d have to admit that would be probably the coolest thing ever.

“Well, no. Arthur died many years ago. And yes technically, the Elderen Wood has been within the borders of Camelot since the Great War. Listen, you must be cold in those wet—very strange—clothes. Let me take you to King Kay, he can take care of you.”

Amaya pulled Elle aside. “I don’t trust this guy,” she whispered. “This is weird. There’s no way we’re not actually in Camelot. Let’s just go back.”

“Amaya, come on. You don’t need to be so overly cautious about everything. I’m sure he means no harm. Plus, look around. We don’t exactly have that many options. The door is shut, remember?”

Amaya still felt uneasy. She crossed her arms and sulked in her shoulders. Elle was right. They did not have any other options.

“Don’t worry, Amaya, I’ll keep...