Wyndolyn could feel the blood trickling down her back as her legs pounded out a furious tattoo beneath her on the hard forest floor. She blinked, clearing her vision as she struggled to keep her trembling legs steady beneath her. Gasping for breath, she forced herself to keep running. As she ran, vivid images of the past few days flickered through her mind. And though she struggled to push the memory away from her, it was imprinted too deeply on her soul, and she knew she could never forget.
- - -
“Wyn!”
The beautiful Elven girl lifted her head to watch the newcomer who’d called to her. As she realized who had called to her, a shimmering gleam of happiness flickered in her amethyst eyes. She quickly hid her enthusiasm from her father with a delicate cough, as she shifted her long violet colored hair to lay flat across her back.
“Didn’t I tell you to inform Gareth that you would not be able to see him today, Wyndolyn?” a voice growled, “Besides, it is not fitting for a Princess such as yourself to be spending so much time with the son of my Royal Adviser . . . people have started to whisper about your headstrong influence on him.” Wyndolyn didn’t reply to the silver haired man who had spoken. The short elven man siting across from her looked for all the world as if he had never smiled once in his life. A delicate golden crown sat across his brow, his pointed ears just touching the base of it.
She had known Gareth ever since her third birthday seventeen years ago. They were inseparably close as friends and knew each others' deepest secrets. They had been through everything together, always by one anothers' side, despite the circumstances. It helped that they both lived in the same castle. Wyndolyn smiled knowingly. A little nagging from her distracted father hardly bothered her. It would take more than that to keep the two from seeing one another.
“Answer me, Wyndolyn!” the man barked. The elven princess sighed at last and turned to face her father. She’d been watching the dirt trail across the royal grounds where a young male elf was jogging along hurriedly. He’d been waving brightly toward Wyndolyn’s direction.
“Yes, Father. I told him.” she stated curtly, her gaze steeled against the Kings. “But words do not control a man . . . ” she raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, “obviously.”
A red splotch of rage covered the man’s face as he clenched his teeth in anger. Before he could say anything though, Wyndolyn rose to her feet. Her pale garment fell about her delicate frame as she turned to leave.
The pair of royalty had chosen to dine in the warmth of the afternoon sun on a small pavilion. It sat amidst the castles magnificent blooming rose gardens. Though the luncheon was against her will, Wyndolyn was glad that she now had no one to divert her from leaving the castle; the garden had no guards.
“You will be back before dinner, Wyndolyn, you hear?! It wouldn’t do for you to miss the Banquet I’ve prepared in your honor. What with the entire country coming to attend and my special surprise for you? It wouldn’t be fitting at all!” the old King stated, his voice cold.
Wyndolyn nodded, and with a hurried sigh she took off down the short flight of stairs and across the garden toward where Gareth was waiting for her.
“Wyn! I thought you’d never get away from your father, gosh! I mean I thought-” Gareth stopped mid-sentence as his golden eyes met with Wyn’s. “What’s wrong Wyn? What happened!?” The elf shoved the gate open and rushed to where Wyn had stopped, tears rolling down her face. He stopped before her, reaching to envelop her in a hug.
Wyndolyn pushed him off, striding toward the open gate as she wiped the tears away and spoke gently. “Not here, Gareth, my father’s watching. There is much I must tell you . . . but not here.”
- - -
The cool forest whispered darkly as the breeze swept through the fluttering leaves. At the base of a large oak lay the two young elves, hidden from the world.
Gareth leaned against the smooth trunk, his eyes pressed tightly closed in thought as he ran his fingers through Wyn’s long hair. She lay sobbing quietly across his lap, her tears flowing gently down her beautiful face. A smile crossed his face, brightening his complexion.
“It’s almost funny Wyn, but wasn’t this the place we first met?” His eyes opened as he stared down at the beautiful elf before him. “If I recall correctly, you were crying then too. Your little sister had spoiled your birthday party and it had broken your tiny heart. Remember?”
At last Wyndolyn spoke, her voice trembling slightly.
“Gareth . . . this is serious . . . it’s not like that anymore, I was a child then. I brought you where we first met. . . . because this is where we must say goodbye.” Wyn sighed shakily, her eyes locked with Gareth’s as all the merriment that had previously shone from them vanished.
“I wasn’t supposed to find out, but I couldn’t help overhearing my father in the study with his Attendant. The banquet, the whole reason he’s invited the kingdom and all . . . he’s planning to have me married to a human!”
Gareth’s eyes widened, staring with horror at Wyn as her words sank in. “But Wyn . . . what about us? All we’ve been through together, I mean I’ll fight for us if I have to but I won’t let them take you from me. It’s not like I’m some commoner, then they’d have a reason to shun me. We can stop this nonsense they’re planning.” Gareth paused, both worry and love shining from his eyes as he whispered. “Marry me, Wyn, and we’ll run away to a place your father will never find us. I mean-”
“Hush.” Wyndolyn’s quiet voice caused Gareth to stop mid-sentence. “You know we can’t do that, Gareth,” Wyn shook her head, reaching a trembling hand out to run it along Gareth’s cheek, “You would be killed. No matter how far away we ran, they would always be able to find us. When you payed homage to my father and eternal loyalty when you turned twelve, your vow implanted inside you a tracking device. If you become unfaithful to the King, the Trackers will kill you.”
“But don’t you love me?” Gareth demanded desperately, his eyes searching Wyn’s frantically.
“I do, Gareth. I’ve loved you ever since we were little and you were so intent on always rescuing me from the enemy that was never really there.” Wyn smiled softly as if remembering the past, when life had been much less complicated. “And because I love you Gareth . . . that is why it has to be this way . . . Eventually, you will forget me, you will forget we ever loved, and you will find another.” Pain shone from the Princesses eyes as she spoke, her own words stabbing her heart painfully. “I’m strong enough to say goodbye in order to protect you . . . in turn, can you be strong enough to let me go?” The elf stared at Wyn, speechless at her words.
“B-but the orb? What does it say? I mean will we ever see each other again?” Gareth pleaded softly, clutching at a last hope.
“No, Gareth . . . ” Wyn spoke gently, “We will never see one another . . . ever again. If I am to avoid my destiny as the Queen to a Human, and you are to escape death at the mercy of my father, we have no other choice than this.”
“But, Wyn . . . what if . . . what if we tell him?” Anger flared in Wyn’s eyes at the simple words Gareth spoke.
“Obviously you do not know my father, Gareth, and you have not been listening to my words!” Wyn shook her head almost pityingly, “The King will kill you without a second thought and I will be forced to marry into the allegiance he has planned for me since the day I was born. I am worth too much to him in this allegiance for him to simply allow me to slip into anothers hands without a second thought. There is no other way, Gareth!” The two elves stared into each others eyes for a long while.
At last Gareth spoke, averting his gaze. “Forgive me, Wyndolyn . . . in desperation I seem to have become the simple-minded commoner your father believes me to be. I hope that your last memories of me are not of a coward. I understand, Wyn . . . and though I will be dying every day that you are not with me, I accept what we must do.” Gareth submitted quietly.
“I will run, Gareth . . . I shall travel toward the setting sun and onward to the Endless River.” She reached into a blue leather satchel that lay alongside her and raised a diamond sphere to Gareth’s eyes. The ball glittered in the dappled light of the forest and Wyn smiled lovingly.
“Take it . . . ”she spoke softly, offering it to him gently. Gareth nodded, closing his hands over Wyn’s tightly, “To remember me by if nothing else. In the world I am going to . . . my eyes will be closed forever and the Sight taken from me . . . ”
“You are far stronger than I, Wyn . . . so willing to sacrifice everything . . . even me.” Gareth took the orb and placed in his own leather bag. “I will travel with you to the dock to see you off . . . I will never be able to forget you, Wyn . . . Never.” Wyn nodded bitterly, the tears threatening to come once more as she fell into Gareth’s arm’s, her heart breaking.
- - -
Falling into a trembling heap, Wyn felt the warm blood pooling around her. She could hear the sounds of the baying hounds and knew that they weren’t that far away. Soon they would find her. Either the men would kill her in their guilt, afraid of her father’s wrath for injuring her, or worse yet they would drag her back to her father to be married to a man she did not love.
It had not gone as planned, not at all. Gareth had been traveling with her to the dock where she would take the Vessel to the Gateway to the Worlds. Once there she had planned to travel to a world where she could at last be free of her father’s grasp. But then they had been overtaken by Hunters her father had sent after them.
Wyn had been badly injured when she had gotten captured and struggled for escape. The Hunters were no gentlemen and though her Father had warned them that she was to be returned unscathed, all they knew was force. In attempting to restrain headstrong Wyn, her captor had stumbled. As he had fallen, he had cut a long gash across her back, his spear ripping painfully into her flesh.
Only thanks to Gareth’s cunning mind and fast work had she managed to escape the other guard as well. She had last seen Gareth bound with ropes that cut into his flesh and a gag that choked his voice, as he had given up his freedom to protect her. Knowing that trying to save him would be pointless, she had fled, running for her life. It had been against every instinct in her body to leave him laying there, alone and helpless. And so Wyn had made a promise, a promise to return and at the very least, make sure he would live.
Wyn tried to raise her head but found she had lost the strength even for that. She felt someone touching her back, running their cool fingers along the spear wound that had been sliced across the back of her rib cage. She was so unconscious she hardly cared. She could feel she was being gently lifted into the air by strong arms and a light flashed across her blurry vision. As she sank deeper into oblivion she could hear the sound of a nearby river flowing softly and the pain in her back subsided. Wyn wondered if she was being placed in a coffin as rough wood pressed against her back and at last she drifted into a blissful nothingness.
- - -
Wyn sat up startled. She realized the constant rocking that had enveloped her had stopped suddenly. As she listened, an unnatural silence filled her world. The silence was broken only by the gentle sound of waves against the sides of the beautifully crafted Vessel she had been lying in. Wyn gasped as she turned her eyes away from the black waters of the Endless River, realizing at last where she was.
“Hmm-hmm.” A quiet childlike laugh filled the calm chamber and Wyn at last noticed a small child wearing a green traveling cloak. The girl held a glowing wax candle and was observing her closely. She had golden hair and her intelligent eyes shone as she watched Wyn struggle to stand and join her on the solid ground. As she rose she realized in amazement that her wound had been healed.
Wyn was transfixed with what she saw as she came to stand beside the small child. Before her rose a huge stone cavern filled with all the colors of the rainbow as they leaked across the stalagmites like paint. The stalagmites themselves wound throughout the cave, resembling carefully carved icicles, spiraling downward toward the cave floor like daggers. Crystals of varying colors rose out of the ground. They shed a faint light which revealed a path that wound through them, leading deeper into the large grotto.
Wyn realized that the cave was aglow with energy, and as if it was alive, it pulsed softly. Peering further into the cave she noticed many crevasses and openings. Her eyes widened as she watched the stars twinkling through one. She could see a distant land of greenery and waterfalls through another. As she observed the beautiful scene before her, she saw world upon world, shimmering through the various portals.
“I-I never imagined the Gateway could possibly be anything like this.” Wyn whispered reverently, realizing she was lucky to even be alive.
“Yes . . . it is amazing, Wyn. Isn’t it?” a small voice replied. Wyn smiled gently as she looked down at the tiny child.
“What is your name? You know I owe you my life . . . thank you.” The girl smiled knowingly up at Wyn.
“My name is Valixy . . . ” she said softly.
“Why did you save me, Valixy? Why was I so deserving of your heroism?” Wyn asked quietly, watching the girl carefully.
“Because you are special, Wyndolyn, very special . . . but right now you must make the choice to journey down the pathway and into your own new world . . . you must choose.” Wyndolyn sighed as she raised her eyes to the portals and stared into the many different worlds before her.
“I can’t leave here, Valixy . . . not yet at least. I have something I must do first.” Wyn stared into Valixy’s wizened eyes as she wished desperately that there was some way she and Gareth could be together. “I’m strong enough to leave him . . .” she spoke in a barely audible whisper, “But I’m not heartless enough to abandon him . . . It’s different.”
Valixy smiled as she raised a small orb from her cloak and passed it to Wyn. “Here . . . take this.”
Wyn took the orb and gazed into it, noticing a small image flickering about its center. Wyn watched painfully as she saw Gareth lying limp against a cold prison wall. His wrists were raw where the shackles had dug into them. She could feel the tears pushing at her eyes as she struggled to contain them.
“Gareth.” She couldn’t stand seeing his pain and was about to pass the orb back to Valixy when a sudden movement at the edge of the image caught her notice. She watched transfixed as a pale young elf moved from the shadows of the prison. Like a ghost, she flowed majestically toward Gareth. She was beautiful in a mysteriously haunting sort of way and Wyn shuddered.
Like clockwork the woman began working methodically on Gareth’s shackles and in moments he slumped to the ground, waking abruptly.
“But which one?” The image vanished and Wyn blinked as she looked down at Valixy.
“What do you mean?”
“What portal will you choose?” Valixy urged.
“Oh . . . ” Wyn quieted as she passed the orb back to Valixy and allowed her soul to calm. Her heart ached as she thought of leaving Gareth behind forever. She knew one day he would find another to love. But where she was going, that would never be possible. An elf could not fall in love with a human.
“Will he be all right?” Wyn’s voice was shallow and dull but Valixy nodded brightly.
“He will be fine Wyndolyn. Because of your strength, the two of you will live.” Wyn couldn’t help but let out a ragged sigh.
“Is it even worth living if you know you won’t ever be happy again?” Wyn questioned, causing Valixy to laugh.
“You mustn’t rely on the Sight so much Wyn, things change, the future changes, even time changes. One day you shall be happy again . . . and perhaps one day . . . ” Valixy’s eyes gleamed mischievously, “You and Gareth will be reunited once more. But for now you must choose which path to take.”
Wyn nodded, bracing herself for what she knew must come. “Take me to the land where the humans dwell, Valixy . . . and I bid you, please watch over Gareth when I am gone.”
The small girl nodded understandingly. Together, Valixy and Wyndolyn stepped out across the beautiful cavern, along the path toward the portal that Wyn hoped with all her heart, would one day make her soul whole again.
I'm a fan of Elves and fantasy, so I'll be extra picky with how you portray them 
