Author's Note

This story is currently undergoing a few minor changes, and I'm rewriting, as always. Special thanks to Kyra for beta reading for me and being a huge help. At any rate, I've just rewritten the first four chapters a bit, but be warned ahead of time that chapters five and on could change soon. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 1
Boy

Starlight softly lit the dark night sky and shone faintly on three shadowed figures sitting on the hillside. The gentle murmur of quiet voices floated through the air, too soft to distinguish from afar. One of the voices sounded as if it belonged to a young boy, and it could now be heard saying, “…and when I’m gone, I can look up at the stars and think of home, and remember nights like these.” Silence fell, and the other two figures, a girl and a dog, turned their faces up to the star host as well. Breaking the silence gently, the girl replied, “I am glad that time will not come for a few weeks yet! You will be terribly missed.” Then the small party rose slowly and walked toward the dirt road. When they reached it, the boy and the girl bid goodnights, and parted ways. The girl walked to the east. The boy strolled down the road in the other direction, his dog at his heel. Presently he came to a house, not particularly large or beautiful, but pleasant enough. He walked around to the back and entered, closing the door softly behind him. His mother sat by the fire and looked up to see him as he arrived. “Goodnight, mother,” the boy said as he walked toward her and gave her a hug.

“Good night, my boy,” she replied. She held him at arm’s length, looked into his eyes, and smiled. The boy had always thought she was very pretty, particularly when she smiled. He loved her more than anyone, and felt it He turned and walked toward his bedroom, followed by his dog. After opening the window (it was a truly beautiful night) and undressing, he climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

In the morning the sun rose brightly and its first rays sparkled on the dew in the wet grass. To a young boy, this was a morning for an adventure. Some things got in the way of adventures, but not on a morning like this. Elijah’s mum had risen early to make breakfast as she usually did on Sundays, and all the children were still asleep . . . except one. Having the benefit of a window in his room that faced to the east, Elijah was always up early on sunny mornings. He quickly dressed in his Sunday clothes, but there was still time before church, and the outdoors called enchantingly. There was a battle to be fought down on the hill on the edge of the forest, and the boy thought carefully over his choice of weapons. “I’ll need my sword, a stout helm, and a sharp dagger.” And of course,” here, he raised his head eagerly, “a knight’s faithful steed!” Fortunately for this young warrior, his noble charger slept at the foot of his bed, or in it on occasion, and much time could be saved since there was no need for going to the stables. He caught his smaller weapon up off his dresser top as he left the room, and as he slipped silently out the back door, he picked up his great sword. “Nigel, come!” the boy whispered, and the knight rode off to war.

At the bottom of the hill ran a small creek shaded by tall, thick trees. On the other side of the creek, a legion of foot soldiers led by a Black Knight prepared to cross. Once on this side, they would destroy and burn the helpless village. No one was there to oppose them! But suddenly, a brave hero came to the rescue. “We must stop them at the ford!” he cried to his horse, and he sped down the hill as he drew his sword. Most of the soldiers grinned evilly at the sight, they could handle one knight! The first of the black clad men were just stepping onto the bank. “Stop there, and return to your own lands!” commanded the lone knight forcefully. In reply, the evil soldiers brandished their weapons. Sunlight flashed on metal as the knight hacked into his opponents, scattering them instantly. They charged again and again, but the knight forced them back each time. Then the Black Knight shoved his way through the ranks, and faced the valiant hero. Both warriors swung their swords skillfully as they battled back and forth. Then our brave hero spun The Black Knight’s sword to the side, drew his dagger, and stabbed his enemy. The blade turned aside sharply on tough tree bark, and a young boy’s cry of pain rang out. He glanced at the new scratch on his hand as it started to bleed, then turned his attention to what he was holding. “That’s my best pocket-knife!” he said to himself, “I hope I’ve not bent the blade!” Further inspection revealed no serious damage done to the small knife in question, so he snapped it shut and slipped it into his trouser pocket. He sat down and laid his sword, a roughly carved stick with a crosspiece tied on by a bit of string, down beside him. He realized he was getting his nice trousers wet, and he stood up quickly and began walking home. This was no longer the dark ages, and there were no more forces of evil that needed vanquishing. The year was 1902, no enemies occupied the English countryside, and the only people in the area were a thirteen-year-old boy and a black Labrador dog walking up the hill back toward home.

When he entered the house, he heard the sounds of people cleaning up from breakfast and washing dishes. The boy walked into the kitchen and looked around. “Where were you, Eli?” his mother asked without looking. Before he could answer, she said to him, “Your breakfast is still on the table, but everyone else—” her words stopped suddenly as she caught sight of the lad. “Elijah William Blakeney!” she exclaimed. The boy looked confused for a moment; he hadn’t the slightest idea what she was so surprised about. Realization dawned on him, however, as he gazed ruefully down at his clothes, not nearly so neat as when he put them on, and slightly splashed with mud and water. His mother examined him from head to foot. He noticed that the corners of her mouth were twitching, the way they did when his mother knew she needed to be firm with the boy, but she really wanted to burst out laughing. “Hurry, you must get yourself cleaned up before church…” concern crossed her face as she caught sight of the scratch on his hand. “Will you be alright?” she asked him.
“Yes, mother, I shall be alright. I can wash up myself.”
“I’d not have guessed by the way you look! Let me see your hand.” Like most boys, getting cut or scraped while at play didn’t usually bother Eli much, but he rarely argued with his mother and he obeyed silently. Once satisfied that it was not serious, she sent him on his way and promised she would see to it afterward. He set to work immediately, washing out the spots on his clothes and toweling them dry, then washing his face and hands. After this, he picked up a comb and parted his hair carefully. Once finished, he looked into the mirror to examine the results. The boy who looked back at him had very light brown hair, crystal blue eyes, and fair skin. Some people said he looked like his father, but with his mother’s eyes. Others had widely varying opinions as people will, but he kept his own opinion on the subject. He admired his mother very much, and liked to think he took after her most of all.

The call of, “Eli, are you almost finished?” roused him from his thoughts, and he walked across the hallway to his mother’s room. He patiently endured her gentle treatment of his scratch, knowing that it was not necessary, but humoring her anyway. After she had finished tending it, she sent him to make sure his sisters and brother were ready to leave. The churchyard was not far away, and the family set out in plenty of time to arrive before the services started. At the churchyard gate they met up with Eli’s friend, the girl he had seen the night before, along with her parents. Eli’s mother knew them very well, and they stopped and chatted with each other. As the adults talked, the younger people took advantage of the time to say hello. After greeting everyone, the girl turned most of her attention to Eli. They had been friends for a long time, and were very close. “It was good to see you last night, Ria!” Eli said with a grin. Her proper name was Aleria, but most people called her Ria. Anyone who teased her about the name was sure to regret it; she had a way of seeing to that. Unfortunately, Eli had found that out the hard way when they first met, but that was when they were both much younger and they had become fast friends since then. She was about to reply, but the service was about to start and everyone began hurrying inside. “Try and meet me afterward!” was all she could say before they were swept apart. They entered through the great front doors and then Eli lost sight of his friend. His mind wandered as he followed his mother to a bench. He had caught the sparkle in Ria’s eye when she told him to meet her. She definitely had something in mind, he knew her well enough to deduct that! He drew a blank, however, at what it might be. It was usually no use trying to guess what plans she came up with beforehand, but he almost always enjoyed it just the same. The sermon began, and Eli gave up trying. This afternoon had promise, and no mistake.

As soon as the service ended and the people began filing out of the building, Eli searched the crowd for his friend. He could not see very far, but he kept trying. He saw many faces, some familiar and some not, but he could not find her. He finally succeeded, and after letting his mother know where he was going, he threaded his way through the crowd to meet her. He called out to her as he got closer, “Ria! Wait up a minute!” She turned to look when she heard her name, and grinned when she caught sight of the boy trying to get to her.
“So there you are! I wondered when you’d show up, Eli. Couldn’t resist an adventure, could you?”
“How did you know what I was thinking?” asked the boy, a look of surprise on his face. Ria always had a way of knowing what was going on in Eli’s mind, and they had known each other a long time. Eli was the sort of boy, however, who rarely tired of something or took anything for granted, and it always astonished him. Ria gave him a knowing look, and continued talking.
“I’m quite sure you’ll love it, Eli.”

“So am I!” the boy exclaimed. “I almost always do. But what is it, can you tell me?” Ria laughed at Eli’s enthusiasm, and replied mysteriously.
“It’s a secret place I found, and very beautiful.” It was unusual for Eli to be so excited about anything; he was usually quiet and reserved. But adventures, and particularly adventures with his good friend Ria, were quite another matter. He begged her for more information, but she would say no more other than, “You can find out all about it when we go there.” Eli looked a little doubtful.
“But I thought we’ve explored just about everywhere nearby, how could there be a place I don’t know about?”
“Well, it’s sort of far away,” she admitted reluctantly. “It takes a while to get there.” Elijah grinned triumphantly at having figured out something else about it.
By this time most of the people were gone, and Eli and Ria’s families walked along the same road toward their homes. Silence fell, and even Ria’s father, who was particularly fond of talking, was quiet. It was almost noon, and the silence was suddenly broken by a soft growling from Eli’s tummy. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Only Ria, who was walking closest to him, had noticed, and she chuckled. Eli grinned back, and Ria laughed.
“I say, what do you find so amusing, you two?” asked Ria’s father.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied. “Eli’s hungry.” Both children laughed.

“I’m glad you’re my friend, Ria,” Eli told her. “You always get me excited and find a way to make me laugh. I’d sure miss that if it weren’t for you.”

“You’re always too serious for a boy your age,” she replied. “I feel as if it’s my job to make you laugh, only I enjoy it. Don’t you?”

“Yes, rather!” he replied, and he grinned again.

Ria’s house was closer to the churchyard, and her family turned aside and bid farewell to Mrs Blakeney and her children. Eli couldn’t wait until the afternoon.

As soon as his family had finished eating, Eli asked his mother, “Mum, may I go to Ria’s house to ask if we can go adventuring together?”

“That would be fine, Eli, go ahead.”

“Would it be alright if I was gone for most of the day?” His mother nodded. Inside he shouted “Hurrah!!” in his excitement, but aloud he only said, “Thank you, mother!” and headed toward the door. The walk to Ria’s house was very pleasant. In the deep blue sky, the sun shone brightly as it had promised that morning. Only a few wisps of cloud floated above. Thoughts of anticipation for the unknown adventure to come filled Eli’s head. At last he reached Ria’s house. He walked up and knocked on the door, then waited patiently for an answer. In a few moments, the door was answered by Ria’s father, a scholarly looking man not as young as he used to be, but not particularly old either. He was tall, and had spectacles and a moustache. Formerly he had been a Latin professor at several English colleges, and had made quite a bit of money from that and from publications of his analyses of great works of ancient Literature.

“Welcome, my boy,” he greeted Eli kindly. “What can I do for you?”

“Thank you, sir,” answered the boy respectfully. “May I see Ria, please?”

“Aleria? Certainly! Please sit down; she will arrive in a moment.” He indicated a chair, and Elijah sat gratefully. The house was very beautiful. It was large and contained countless paintings and sculptures, mostly due to her father’s love of culture and art collection. It was presented fashionably through her mother’s skill for decor. After a short time, she descended the stairs that led into the entryway. Like Eli, she had changed out of her Sunday clothes, and she was wearing a simpler dress. Eli knew she didn’t like dresses, but her parents insisted that she become a young lady. She didn’t complain . . . too often. She was not thinking about that at the moment, however. She was just as excited as Eli. More, actually, though he was the one dying in eagerness.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Of course I’m ready!” he replied. “I’ve been looking forward to it all day!”

They set out at once, heading behind the house and toward the woods. Just under the shade of the first trees ran a creek, the same one Eli had played by that morning, only further downstream. It was an admirable creek, parts of it were shallow and had stones for crossing, and other parts were deep and slow enough for swimming. There were a few waterfalls in places, and the waters’ song softly filled the air around it all the way to the road, if you listened carefully. It sustained a wide variety of small animals, a never ending source of occupation to Elijah, whether he was fishing or catching frogs or watching birds. The two crossed it quickly, and headed deeper into the forest. Eli’s faithful companion, Nigel, had stayed at home this time; he was wanted as a playmate for Eli’s siblings. The dog was very patient with them, and while he had unending loyalty to Eli, he enjoyed their company as well. Ria and Eli walked through the woods for quite some time, Ria leading the way and Eli following eagerly behind. The boy thoroughly enjoyed the walk. There were birds singing all around, patches of sunlight on the forest floor, and most of all an adventure at the end. It seemed as if they had been walking a really long time, to Eli, and he began to wonder if they were almost there. Ria confidently led the way for a few minutes longer, then stopped and turned around.

“Alright, Eli,” Ria began. “We’re almost there!” Eli grinned happily. “Now close your eyes and hold my hand, I’ll lead you the rest of the way,” she instructed. Elijah did as he was told, and reached out for Ria’s hand. She led him very carefully, and he hardly stumbled or ran into any overhanging branches. He stubbed his toe on a projecting root once, but he kept his eyes shut tight and didn’t let her know. Before much time at all had passed, she stopped again. “You may open your eyes now, Eli.” As soon as he did so, he closed them again and squinted hard in the blinding sunlight. He blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted and began to look around. He found himself at the edge of a large gently sloping field with a trickling stream running through the middle. The field of pale green grass had patches of wildflowers of every imaginable color, and the reflection of the sky on the water painted a bright blue meandering stripe across it.

“Gosh, Ria!” the boy exclaimed. “This place really is beautiful!”

“I’m glad you like it!”

“How did you find it, Ria?”

The girl did her best mysterious look and said, “If I told you, it would spoil the rest of the surprise!”

“There’s more?” In answer she merely nodded and looked pleased with herself.

“But first,” she added, “just enjoy this part. I know you like flowers.” Eli liked them because they reminded him of his mother. When he was younger, even before he had met Ria, his mother had taught him how to braid flowers together. He was fascinated by it at that age, and he still liked it because of the memories. The boy walked through the field and sat down near a patch of wildflowers. He picked a few and began braiding them together. Ria knew how to do it too – Eli had taught her – but she always said his were more beautiful. After a while, he had made the chain long enough to weave into a crown. Once he finished, he stood up and placed it on Ria’s head.

“There,” he said, “now you look like a fairy!” Ria wrinkled her nose, and Eli giggled at her. “That doesn’t look very fairy-like!” he laughed. She smiled at him. She liked it when he laughed. “Maybe you’re an elf.” Eli tried.

“Oh, elves are silly,” Ria said. Eli looked a little troubled.

“I don’t think so,” he defended them. “I think the elves were very wise and beautiful. There were probably more of them when there were less people. But no one knows about them, most people think they are just make-believe.” She didn’t argue with him, partly because he was speaking in a very honest and sincere voice, and partly because she believed him. Silence fell, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable or unpleasant silence. Both just stood quietly, separately wondering if maybe the magic of the elves still lingered in this place. After a few moments, they walked around the field a bit, and ended up by the stream. They sat down beside it, and Eli decided to lie down. He relaxed and closed his eyes, because of the bright sunlight. Suddenly, he sat up. “What about the rest of the surprise?”

Silently, Ria reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Once she unfolded it, Eli saw that it was a roughly drawn map with the names of places written in clumsy handwriting. Ria explained, “It’s the reason I knew the way here so easily. I found this hidden behind one of the baseboards in my room. For some reason, I accidentally bumped it and noticed it was loose. I think the family who lived in the house before us had a little boy, it must have belonged to him.”

“But what was it for?” asked Eli curiously. “Surely a little boy wouldn’t go to all the trouble of making a map just to get to this place!”

“Well, I think there’s more to it than that,” She said. “By the markings drawn by the northern edge of this field, he must have hidden something here.”

Eli nodded understandingly. “A young boy’s treasures, I suppose,” and he thought of his own small treasure box in his room.

“Should we look to see if it’s still there? If he left the map, maybe he never had time to go back for it.”

“I don’t think there’d be any harm in that.” Suddenly a thought struck him, and he stopped and looked into Ria’s eyes. “Thanks for waiting until you brought me here to look into it! It must have been terribly hard for you!”

“It was,” she admitted, “but I figured it would be more fun if we did it together.” Inwardly, Eli grinned in delight. It was a wonderful feeling to have a friend like that.

“Well what are we waiting for?” he asked. They ran across the field, jumped over the stream, and stopped near the edge of the woods on the far side of the field. It was a very large field, but they made short work of it at their pace. Ria examined the map, and tried to locate where the hiding place was.

“It looks like he hid it in a tree, by this picture anyway, but how are we to know which one!?”

“Well there aren’t many landmarks beside the tree and a shaded area representing the forest. This could be tricky.”

The two walked along the edge of the woods looking for a likely hiding place. After a few fruitless examinations of several promising trees, Eli began thinking out loud, a very rare occurrence indeed. Eli tended to keep his thoughts to himself. “If he was a little boy when he left, he could be a lot older now. Your family came here when I was . . . six, and I’m fully thirteen years old now,” he said proudly. “If he was nine or ten when he made this, your little boy would be about sixteen or seventeen already. What if he came back later?”

Ria was about to respond when she stopped suddenly and grabbed Eli’s arm. “Look!” she said, and she pointed to a tall dead tree with a large crack running down its trunk. Without another word, they walked up to it slowly, certain this was the place. Once they were closer, they saw that it wasn’t a crack in the trunk, but a hole cut into it with the piece cut out used as a door. Ria gingerly pulled back the piece of wood to reveal a large hollow. Inside the tree trunk were two long narrow boxes! Eli reached in and pulled them out. One was slightly larger, plain, and about four feet long and seven inches across. The other was smaller, but had finely carved and inlaid decorations and an inscription on the top. They agreed to open the bigger one first, saving the best for last. Together they lifted the top and discovered two neatly made wooden swords.

“Woah!” Eli exclaimed. “These are far better than my own sword!”

Ria nodded impatiently, she wanted to look at the second box. The inscription on it read:

From: Captain William Dawes, Royal Navy

To: Toby Dawes

Ria read it out loud and reached to open it. Her hands shook slightly with excitement. As soon as it was opened, she gasped. Eli’s eyes widened in amazement. It was a few moments before either of them could speak. Ria found words first, “Look how magnificent-”

“A real captain’s sword!” Eli interrupted enthusiastically.

“The little boy must have been Toby. Perhaps this was from his father!” Ria guessed. “I didn’t know the father had been to sea before we bought the house from his parents.”

Suddenly Eli looked very sad, and his expressive crystal eyes clouded over. It didn’t take long for Ria to notice, and she immediately showed concern, immediately guessing what was wrong. She sorely regretted mentioning fathers at sea, and wished she had said anything else instead.

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s just father . . .” he began sadly. Eli’s father was away at sea in South Africa, fighting the Boers. He had been gone for three years, and it was somewhat of a sore spot for the boy.

Ria couldn’t have felt worse for accidentally reminding him of this sad fact, and wished she had never brought the subject up. She apologized profusely, and Eli assured her it was alright, but he now looked lonely and sad despite the exciting events. Ria was determined to cheer him up.

“Let’s look at the sword, Eli,” she said, abruptly changing the subject. Eli lifted it gently out of the box and gazed at it in the sunlight. It was a fair sword with a gold-colored hilt and white scabbard. It was somewhat simple, however, and Eli figured its owner got a nicer one and decided to present this one to his younger brother. He pulled it reverently out of the scabbard and held it up to admire the way the blade reflected the sunlight. He gently laid the flat of the blade across his fingertips, and handed it hilt-first to Ria. She took hold of the sword eagerly, feeling a mixture of awe and power. She held it up herself to see the flash of sunlight glinting off the blade, then tried its weight experimentally. At the end of the improvised ceremony, Ria carefully slid the sword back into its scabbard and placed it again in the box. A discussion began as to whether they should take this incredible find back with them, or replace it in its tree. The final conclusion was to keep it secret and safe, but most certainly to take the wooden swords back with them. As soon as that was finished, Ria became aware of a subtle mournfulness in Eli’s every glance and she remembered her resolution to cheer up her friend. She decided the best way to do it, would be to take his mind off his sadness. She knew he had a good imagination, they both did, and if she could get it working, she figured, he would forget his trouble.

“I wish I could be a knight,” she declared, knowing Eli’s particular fondness of the subject.

“But you’re a girl,” he countered, trying not to be rude.“What about Joan of Arc?” she asked. Eli looked slightly disgusted.

“She was French.”“Well if I had a knight like you who would teach me to use a sword, I wouldn’t mind being a lady.”

Eli grinned as he bent down and picked up the two wooden swords. He offered one to Ria and bowed politely as he said, “It would be a pleasure, my lady.” Her plan was working. He briefly explained to her the basics of sword fighting, and demonstrated a few defensive techniques. She listened with rapt attention, and eagerly begged to begin. They started out slowly, Eli allowing Ria to do all the attacking, and defending himself easily. Swordplay was a favorite sport of his; something his father had taught him. He didn’t get much opportunity to practice, except against trees or thin air, but he was fairly good. He allowed his sword to be knocked aside by one of Ria’s swings, and she rapped him across the ribs, not too hard. She didn’t look particularly pleased about it, however.“You let me do that, Eli!” she said impatiently. “How am I supposed to learn if you won’t do it right?”

Eli hid a grin. That was Ria! “I’m sorry,” he said, “you’re right.” This time he began with a downward attack toward Ria’s head. She held her sword evenly with her hands far away from her body as Eli had showed her, then she swung fast at his feet the minute she had deflected the attack. Eli jumped lightly into the air and landed with his sword ready. He smiled, “Good job, you’re learning fast!”

They spent some time sparring, and Ria became quite good for a beginner. Eli was always in control, however, so neither got hurt. Sword fighting tired them both out after a while, and they decided to take a rest. Ria suggested they sit by the stream, and Eli agreed. After they sat down, Eli leaned back on his elbows and yawned.

“I’m awfully tired,” he told her, “I think I shall take a nap. This is a nice place for it.”

“Don’t sleep too long,” she warned him, “or I’ll wake you up with water from the stream!” Eli half-giggled and half-yawned as he laid his head back on the soft grass. Ria lay down on her stomach not far from him, and dipped her fingers in the stream’s cool water. All was quiet except for a few birds and the rustling of the grass in the breeze, and Ria had time to think. Her plans had turned out wonderfully so far. Eli really liked the place she had shown him, and they’d even found some swords and had an exciting hunt with the map. She was also pleased with the fact that she had been able to cheer Eli up when he was feeling sad about his father. She felt a little bad for him about that. Eli’s father was gone fairly often, and he hadn’t been home for the past three years. She knew how much she loved her own father and guessed that the boy must miss his terribly. He didn’t often complain of it, but it must be very hard on him, she thought. For a boy to grow up is a difficult thing, and to do so without a role model would be particularly hard as he got older. Her father loved the boy almost as a son, and she knew that Eli looked up to him, but it wasn’t quite the same. Before long, however, Eli would be going away to a boarding school anyway. That was going to be hard for her; she’d be deprived of her closest friend for several months! Perhaps she could convince her parents to take her to visit him at some time or another. In the present time, she would do her best to enjoy the rest of the summer. Almost as soon as she thought this, Eli began to stir. He rolled over and raised himself, then rubbed his eyes. “What did you dream about, Eli?” she asked. He thought for a moment, and looked puzzled.

“Nothing, I think. I don’t remember. I wasn’t asleep for very long, was I?” he asked as he looked up to mark the sun’s position in the sky. It was about mid afternoon, he’d only been napping a few minutes.

“No, I just wondered,” she answered him. “What should we do next?”

“Well I’d like to make a flower crown for my mum, since the flowers are so nice here.”

“That’s a good idea, you really love your mother, don’t you?”

Eli stood up and nodded matter-of-factly. “More than anyone in the world,” he stated. He began picking flowers, looking for the ones with the brightest colors. Once he picked about ten or so, he sat down again and started working. “She really loves me too. She’s looked after me a long time and takes very good care of me. I’d bet she’d do anything for me. And she’s very beautiful, too.”“What about me?” she teased him.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “Boys don’t usually notice that sort of thing about their pals, but I guess you’re pretty too.” He looked a little embarrassed.

“I wasn’t fully serious, Eli, there’s no need to blush.”

Eli looked confused. “But I’m not blushing, I don’t think!”

“It looks like it to me,” she replied. “Unless . . . you’re getting sunburned, Eli!” It was true. His fair skin was turning a little pink on his cheeks and on his nose, and particularly on his ears and neck.

“I always get sunburned!” he complained. “It is not fair I must have such light skin!” He looked at his friend, but she had only tanned a little and hadn’t burned like him. She laughed. “It’s alright,” she reassured him. “You do look funny, though!”

“Thanks!” he groaned. There was nothing to be done for it; it was already too late to try staying in the shade. “I guess we’d better go home as soon as I finish this.” It didn’t take him long to complete the crown, and when he was finished, it was a graceful work of exceptional beauty. Each of the bright colored flowers looked like brilliant jewels. Eli was quite pleased with it. “Well, I suppose we’d best go back.”

Ria led the way back, with the help of the map. Eli, I’m afraid, looked a little silly carrying two swords, wearing a flower crown, and to top it all off, looking slightly pink! On the way they discussed what to do with the swords, and who would keep them. It wasn’t a matter of much importance, but they had to do something with them. Ria wanted to keep them at her house, partly because she liked them (and she did have a right to it, having discovered the map), and partly to make sure Eli would not have particularly exciting adventures without her. She wasn’t really afraid of that, but it would make an excuse for them to see each other more often. The problem, however, was that Ria’s parents might not be pleased, since weapons of that sort are not particularly lady-like. Having no brothers at her house who would play with them (Ria was an only child), it did not seem practical. Eli’s mother, however, wouldn’t mind at all they were certain, so Eli was to keep them and chose for himself the title of “sword bearer”. The way home, Eli noticed, did not seem nearly so long as the way to the secret place, and before he knew it, he began recognizing the woods as the area near his house. Without warning he stopped dead in his tracks and stood quite still for several moments. Ria looked at him curiously, “What’s the matter, Eli?”

“Can you smell that, Ria?” he asked. Ria tried, but only caught the strong fresh scent of the pine trees, faint fragrance from the flowers Eli had, and other common smells of the forest.

“I think you’ve been spending too much time with Nigel! What are you talking about?”

Eli closed his eyes and a dreamy look crossed his face. He sniffed the air delicately and grinned. “Apple pie!” he said rapturously. Apple pie was Eli’s absolute most favorite food. Most small boys have food fetishes at one time or another, but Eli had never outgrown his. He almost lived for apple pie. After a while, Ria caught a faint trace of it as well. “You were right! Trust you to smell apple pie before we’re even within sight of your house!”

Eli giggled, “My nose is almost as good as Nigel’s, huh?” “Only when it comes to apple pie,” she teased him.

“Come home with me, Ria,” he said. “Maybe we can get some before you go back!” Eli fairly dragged Ria the rest of the way to his house as fast as they could run without waiting for an answer. They reached it in no time, and Eli slowed to a walk just as they reached the door. Running was discouraged, inside the house, and Eli always tried to be polite. He led Ria quickly into the kitchen where his mother had just placed an apple pie fresh from the oven next to the window to cool. She had her back turned, but she looked over her shoulder when she heard the children enter.

“Hello, Ria,” she said as she wiped her hands on her apron. “It’s nice to have you here! I made a surprise for you, Eli.”“I smelled it, mother, all the way from the forest!” he replied enthusiastically. “May we have some, please?” he pleaded and tried to imitate Nigel’s soulful gaze when he begged for something. Ria couldn’t help laughing, Eli really did look very persuasive. His mother, though perhaps she found it difficult, said no.

“It’s for after dinner,” she told him. “But if you and your sisters and brother straighten up the house, maybe we will invite Ria’s family for dessert!” Eli liked that idea, but he really wished he could try it now. No food fetish was an excuse for stealing, however, and he would have to wait.

Eli offered to walk back to Ria’s home with her, but she whispered something in his ear and then declined aloud. To Eli’s mother she said, “Thank you for letting me play with Eli, Mrs Blakeney, I had a wonderful time.”

“You are most welcome, Ria,” Eli’s mother replied, “I’m sure he enjoyed it just as much. I hope to see you and your parents tonight!” Eli went with Ria to the front door and said goodbye as she walked back toward her own house. Her whisper of, “Don’t forget the flowers!” suddenly came back to him. In his excitement he had forgotten to give them to his mother, and he now picked them up from where he had set them down by the door with the swords. He held them behind his back and walked again to the kitchen.

“Mother,” he said, “I forgot earlier, but I have something to give to you.”

She gave him her full attention and asked, “What is it, Eli?” Without a word he pulled the crown from behind his back and presented it to her. The flowers had begun to wilt slightly, and Eli felt just a little ashamed of it now, but his mother’s warmth soon erased it from his mind.“Oh, it’s beautiful, Eli!” she exclaimed. “Thank you, it was very thoughtful of you to make it for me. These flowers are quite lovely!”

“I picked them in a field that Ria showed to me. It seemed the sort of place elves might have lived once,” he said solemnly. “We found something else there too,” he continued, “but I can show it to you later if you’d like.”

“Yes, that would be nice,” she said almost absent-mindedly. She was thinking of the time nearly seven or eight years ago when she had taught him to weave flowers together, and what a good boy he had grown up to be since then. It seemed like just yesterday to her, but no doubt it would have seemed like an eternity to Eli if he knew what she was thinking. She was very proud of him and the way he had grown up so far, and she wished his father were here to see it as well. Wishing wouldn’t change anything, however, and she sighed sadly. Ever so slightly she looked more worn and tired than she had before. Eli immediately took notice of this, and looked very worried for her.

“Are you alright, mother?” he asked. She smiled at him and told him she was just fine. She didn’t want to remind him of his father’s absence if she could help it. Eli was reluctantly satisfied, though still a little doubtful, and he went to find his siblings to tell them of his mother’s proposition. They set to work diligently, though Eli obviously worked hardest of all. Once they had finished, they sat down to eat, and at his mother’s request Eli related all the adventures he’d had with Ria that afternoon. He left out the part about the captain’s sword, but told everything else even down to the detail of his getting sunburned. Eli’s mother laughed. She was very observant, and the flush on Eli’s cheeks had caught her attention.“I thought you looked a little pink, but I assumed that was just because you had been running! Does it hurt much?”

“No, not much,” he replied. “I just don’t enjoy . . . being pink!” Everyone, even his four-year-old brother, laughed at that.

After they had finished eating, Eli and his two younger sisters cleared away the dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash. While they were washing and putting them away, Eli’s mother put the teakettle on. She had just glanced at the clock and remarked that the guests would be there any moment, when a knock sounded at the door. She bid the three eldest children to quickly set the table, and she went with the youngest to answer the door. It was Ria’s family, as she expected, and she welcomed them graciously. After inviting them in and asking them to sit at the table, she went into the kitchen to bring back the pie. She was pleased when she saw that Eli had not attempted to sample it, and not even a piece of the crust had been broken off. She brought the pie as well as her best tea set out to the table on a tray and began laying it out. Long ago she had learned the role of hostess, and she played it well. As Ria’s father was stirring his tea, he remarked, “Aleria related in full her adventures this afternoon, I must admit the tale was somewhat extraordinary! Imagine the young lad’s work of cartography lying for years unobserved until only a short while ago.”

By this time, everyone had been served and Eli was just finishing his slice of pie. He had been trying to bolt it down and savor it slowly at the same time, because he couldn’t make up his mind which would be better. “Would you like to see the swords we found, sir?” he offered.

“Splendid!” Ria’s father rejoined. “Let’s see the implements of mock-war young master Dawes was so exceptionally fond of.”

“I shall run and fetch them!” called Eli as he left the table. His mother shrugged her shoulders and smiled apologetically at her son’s breech of manners as if to say, “Well, he’s only a boy, please excuse him!” Ria’s parents did not seem bothered by it, however, and it was soon forgotten as he returned and attention was shifted to the wooden swords. Ria’s father glanced at them with an appraising eye.

“Nice bit of work, these,” was his first comment. “Not much detail on them, but they appear to resemble swords of the twelfth or thirteenth centuries. Nice sturdy weapons somewhere between sabers and broadswords.”

“You know an awful lot about swords, Mr Simmons!” Eli said to Ria’s father.

“Thank you, boy,” he replied. “Anything concerning history fascinates me to no end, you see.” Eli only nodded. He was finally starting to feel tired after long day and all his adventures had worn him out. He did not want to seem rude, however, so he tried to stay awake and not to look too tired. The conversation continued without him and drifted to other subjects of varying interest to him. Before long, however, the guests thanked Mrs Blakeney and her family for inviting them over, and said they would be on their way home. Eli and his mother walked them to the door, and Eli bid a fond goodnight to his friend.

“Thanks for the great time, Ria,” he said. He suddenly dropped his voice to a whisper, “I promise I’ll teach you more about sword fighting soon!” He resumed his normal tone before adding, “Goodnight!”

Ria curtseyed and laughed. “I had a wonderful time as well, goodnight!” They walked away in the fading light of the evening, leaving Eli and his mother watching from their doorstep. The sun had just set and the first stars were faintly shining in the eastern sky.

“It is a beautiful evening, isn’t it mother?” His mother nodded her agreement.

“You looked a little tired, Eli,” she told him. “Do you want to go to bed?” This time Eli nodded, and said he would like to. They hugged each other and said goodnight, and Eli went to his room. After climbing into bed and lying down, he invited Nigel to come up beside him. The black Labrador dog did so eagerly; he loved sleeping with his young master. They snuggled together and the boy let him share the covers. Eli thought his dog’s soft fur felt good against his skin. He fell asleep quickly and dreamed about the day he first met Nigel. A few years ago, Eli had expressed his deep desire for a dog to his father. Mr Blakeney thought it would be good for his boy to have a companion, and he also thought perhaps the dog might teach the boy a few things. So one day, much to Eli’s delight, his father brought home a small black puppy. Eli decided upon the name “Nigel” because he liked the sound of it and because it had been a suggestion from his friend Ria. It was understood that Eli would always take care of him and train him, and the boy thoroughly loved every day of it. As the boy’s father had hoped, Eli did learn a lot from Nigel. The dog taught him responsibility and loyalty among other things, and in fact loyalty had become one of the boy’s best points! The two shared the special bond between a dog and his boy ever since the first few weeks, and they were not often apart. Nigel, mostly due to Eli’s training, always behaved very well and was allowed most places in the house. Eli smiled in his sleep as he dreamed about the wiggly puppy Nigel used to be. Nigel was also a special friend, like Ria and like his mother and his father, when he was around. These were the people who were closest to him and who he knew he could always depend on.