a map of the past ...

[This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent.  To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date.  You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

  Elder Elowin told the four to wait by the fire while she went into her cottage to find something which would help them on their quest.

  It was Kael who spoke first after she had gone.  "I owe each of you an apology for my past behavior.  I never knew what I must have looked and acted like until I was confronted with it at the stone house.  I'm sorry for how I've treated each of you.  Very sorry.  Since I've been back, you've been nothing but kind to me, and I know I did nothing to deserve that from you."  He blushed deeply, and a tear fell from his eye.

  Lyri reached over and put a hand on his arm.  "Apology accepted.  By me at least," she looked at Thal and Eldrin, "and I'm certain they also accept it."  Both boys nodded in agreement, and she continued speaking. "We've sort of come to see you in a different light the last several days, without all the pollution of what was clouding our vision before.  And we all have occasionally followed a crooked path once in a while and have learned the hard way how to get back onto a straight and narrow."

  Elowin returned to the four young elves with a rolled-up parchment under her arm, and a basket filled with jars and herbs.  She motioned to them to gather near her by the fire as she unrolled the parchment onto the ground.  "You'll be wanting to memorize this map, as it will be too risky to take with you.  If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be the end of all of us."

  Pointing to an area of the map with the end of her pipe, "This is where we are now.  And around here are all of the woods and sigils that you marked, Thal.  They will hold for a while, but once you leave these woods they will begin to weaken until you return.  So, it is imperative that you not dilly dally when you go."

  Lyri, Eldrin, and Kael looked at Thal questioningly, and he shook his head slightly and mouthed "later."  They could talk about the voices in his head when they were away from all of this, right now he needed to focus on what Elder Elowin was telling them.

  Pointing to a purple section of the map, Elowin continued, "This is where I think Kael was being held.  It is all human industry now, but at one time it was King Oom's land.  You won't want to go in that direction."  Kael nodded enthusiastically at that.

  "This is where you need to be," Elowin indicated the farthest point away from where they were on the map.

  Eldrin sighed.  "Of course, it had to be there."

  "Do you know that area?" Elowin asked.

  "Unfortunately, yes.  I've had the pleasure.  I got quite the education there once.  Wood nymphs, and hermits, witches, and trolls, tree-beards of every size and color.  It was enlightening, but not dangerous.  There are just so many courtesies one must abide by to avoid offending one or the other.  I suppose it is too late for me to withdraw from this adventure?"

  Lyri slugged him in the arm.  "You cannot back out now!  Since you know so much about those woods, you will have to coach us on how to behave around each of them!"

  Rubbing his arm where Lyri hit him, Eldrin laughed, "I was just kidding!  The only thing we really have to watch out for is going to be BellowCat who runs the ferry across the river to enter those woods.  We will need to be prepared to answer his questions in writing, and they can be very difficult."

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.