Forest Elves, Rose E. Watson [book club recommendations .txt] 📗

thinking it was true and I went into his library looking for the “R” section. A, G, P, R, here we go. Gliding down the isle I looked for the “Ri” books and finally found the book, opening it I found not a book at all but a hide-a-book, with a key inside the caved inn box formation. Taking the key I went back to the study and crawled under the table, knocking on the wood for something that sounded hollow. Knock-knock! Hard. Knock-knock! Hard. Knock-knock! Hollow. Pulling out the nails I was wondering why everything in life is so complicated. Removing the board I found a rather large chest. This is quit big, I wonder what’s inside. Pulling out the chest I saw dirt under it. Curious I wiped away the dirt and found a blue chest that looked irregular size with three locks.

Pulling out the second chest I was very curious what was in both. Opening the first I found a maps, money, two necklaces, a note, fighting gear, leather armor, mythreil chain mail, healing medicine, boots, notebooks, codes, books, and other things I couldn’t name. I also found a set of keys the first key I put in the second chests second lock, it unlocked. Two more to go. The third key I put in the second chests first lock and it unlocked. One more and then I can discover what’s inside. The first key I put in the second chests third lock and it unlocked. Taking of the locks I slowly opened the chest and found.....nothing. Curiosity swarmed my mind. Why would grandfather cover an empty chest with dirt, put a large chest on top, and put the floorboard back over it. Taking my hand I knocked on the floor of the irregular shaped chest. It sounded hollow but I couldn’t lift it up, I felt the black silk on the floor of the chest then felt something jagged. A keyhole! I took another key from the ring of keys I found and put it in the keyhole, it opened. Lifting up the false floor I found something wrapped in velvet. Unwrapping the large velvet wrapped object, I found.....a dragon egg! It’s blue and was somewhat glowing. I could scarcely see the little figure inside. Wrapping the egg back in it’s velvet I put it in a different chest and locked it with the third lock. It probably should be kept warm. Walking into the main room, I had a great idea. With a knife I cut out some of the bricks that covered the outside of the fire place and made a hollow spot, I covered it in hay and then fixed the bricks so they looked like they’d never been touched.
Before I left I hid the chest and put half of the gear in my pack and hid the rest. The dragon egg stuck in my head. What am I supposed to do with it? Apparently I have to take care of it. The note he left me said that it was mine, for my birthday? I felt like a giant question mark. It’s a dragon! A dragon! Hang on.....I could raise it, and train it, and maybe I could use it. What the heck am I saying? Dragons are dangerous. I can’t just raise it and walk around with it at my side. Everyone would freak out. I guess I could hid it in the basement. Since the basement is somewhat like a barn. Look at me rambling on about raising a dragon. The only thing I’ve done involving dragons, is kill them. I need to calm down and think about everything happening. It’s my birthday, I should go clean up. WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? MY GRANDFATHER DISAPPEARED BEFORE MY VERY EYES!!! At this point I was breathing heavy and I could feel my face fading till there was no color left. Taking a deep breath tears started streaming down my face. I didn’t make a sound, tears just starting bursting out. What’s going on? I never cry. I really never cry, but since my grandfather died I guess I’m sad. Take a deep breath and buck up. Your strong and definitely not a sissy. I understand you’re sad but suck in your gut and go clean up.

Wiping my tears off on my tunic I started to walk to the door when and idea struck me to take the key and lock the door so everything could be safe. Faking a smile I walked back to my house.
“ Hey! Ebony where’ve you been?”
I looked up from watching my boots make prints and saw a few old friends of mine and some people I’ve never seen before.
“ Uh, I was just talking to a relative.”
“ Hi, I’m Luscious.”
I looked up into the eyes of a guy I’ve never meet before, his eyes meet mine and he stared into my blue eyes.
“ Hi, I’m Ebony, we’ve never meet.”
I didn’t offer him a hand and I didn’t seem friendly (more like a bit standoffish).
“ Ya, I’m...new in this village. But I hear it’s your birthday.”
“ Hey Jean! What’s up.”
Not that he wasn’t nice (really what did I care (I don’t!)) but I was getting sick over saying nothing to a new guy.
“ Nothing much. Happy birthday!”
“ Thanks.”
Jean has been a bit of a friend since I was little, but I didn’t have time for friends that much since I hunted and things like that a lot.

I ran upstairs and changed into a fresh blue tunic, black leggings, leather top (to go over my tunic, a light gray cotton cloak, Goliath, a drinking horn, and my favorite leather boots. Running back downstairs I could tell that my siblings were somewhat busy in the kitchen. Not bothering to stop in (I hate the kitchen) I went back outside and decided to take a walk down to the outskirts of the forest (where I killed my last dragon). Looking up at the sky I noticed it was almost dark and they would be putting the lights up soon in the village. Spotting the large rock I climbed up yesterday, I struggled up on top, looking down I looked around the forest floor and spotted something that quickly moved behind a tree, pretty close to where I was. Jumping down off the rock I unsheathed my blade.
“ I know you’re there, whoever you are!”
Silence was all I could hear till the figure stepped out from behind the tree. Ready to cut his head off I stopped.
“ Luscious? What are you doing? Don’t ever sneak up on me like that. I could really kill! And don’t ever forget that!”
“ Are you just trying to give me a hard time?”
“ Don’t joke around with me, or I really will cut your head off!”
He could tell I was serious.
“ Guess your not the joking type.”
“ Let’s get something clear. I kill dragons and hunt beasts. See this sword?”
He nodded.
“ I could do one swipe and your head would be gone! What do you think about them apples?”
“ Actually I love apples!”
“ That’s not what I meant smart alike!”
“ Do you have to shout?”
“ Maybe I do!”
“ Well it’s hurting my ears.”
“ Poor baby, well maybe I should call your mother.”
“ Real funny, immature geek.”
“ What did you call me, punk.”

“ Did you really just go there.”
“ Heck yes I did! Whatcha gonna do about it?”
“ Nothing. I’m not armed.”
“ Then we’ll continue this some other time.”
“ Fine with me over-reactor.”
“ Shut up!”
“ Make me!”
“ This is on!”
“ Is it?”
“ Shut up!”
“ You!”
“ Jerk!”
“ Punk!”
“ Idjit!”
“ Junk digger!”
“ SHUT UP!”
“ Why?”
“ Because I don’t have time for this pointless argument, that you started!”
“ Oh, I started it. Do you have any brains, I mean seriously. Seems like it’s empty.”
Oh he’d done it right then. I full on jumped on him and knocked him backward.
“ This is a little to close.”
“ Shut up, jerk. See this sword, I swear I could cut your head off right now.”
I had the blade at the edge of his throat, ready to pull if he made one more smart alike remark.
“ Okay, okay. I get your lid was pulled off. The only thing I have to see is please don’t kill me.”
“ Fine!”
I removed the blade and sheathed it.
“ What’s wrong with you?”
“ Don’t start.”
“ Why? You seem to have anger management problems.”
I unsheathed the blade and had the point at his heart.
“ Look I’ve had a hard day, now stop the stupid questions.”
Re-sheathing the sword I started to walk away.
“ So are you going to run from everything?”
“ I don’t have time for this.”
“ Like when you ran from your grandfather.”
Catching myself in my foot steps I froze and turned slowly flinching my lip.
“ How do you know about that?”
“ I saw the whole thing.”
“ Then you know why my day’s been bad. Don’t mess with me!”
“ I’m not messing with you. I mean it must be hard.”
“ Like you know what’s hard.”
“ Ya, I do.”
“ Ya well do you want to know what’s hard. Having your dad go off somewhere to hunt, your grandfather die, and your mom a total control freak. Like you know what hard is.”
“ Well, I’m sorry but don’t yell at me because you’ve had a tough life. Who hasn’t?”
“ A lot of people have hard lives, I’m not saying they don’t . But your such a sissy how could you have a hard life?”
“ Your right this is pointless.”
He walked away and instantly I knew that everything I said was what was right, and I didn’t take back anything.

Dipping my head in the stream to cool off I walked back to the village. Paper lanterns were hung up and lit. And there was a canopy with people dancing and talking, it was so loud my ears started hurting. But reluctantly I went in.
“ Happy birthday!”
Everyone shouted the dreadful words into my bleeding ears. I just smiled and thanked everyone. My appetite was growing so I went over to the buffet.
“ Greeting Ebony.”
Said a very goo friend of mine, Finny.
“ Hi finny.”
“ What’s wrong. You seem kinda put out.”
“ I had an argument.”
“ Who with?”
“ Oh, the new guy.”
“ What? The new guy?”
“ Seriously, you have really good ears.”
“ Why do you think they have me on watch.”
“ Oh, ya.”
I filled my plate with bread, meat, cheese, fruit, potatoes, and a big bowl full of stew. After I ate my fill, I came back for cake. To my surprise I was told to stay there. And to my dismay everyone sang “Happy Birthday” and then I blew out the candles (made of pure wax) then finally got to sit down with me large piece of cake. The taste of chocolate cake made me mellow out and I actually started to enjoy the festivities a bit.

To be honest I almost forgot about the whole quest until I went out of the tent to get some air. Then I remembered Luscious and he saw everything that happened with my grandfather and I. Going back into the woods I whistled to see if Luscious would whistle back. “Luscious?” I whispered as