"The Revolt in Ashdale" Chapter 7: The Witch Ellevi

Anna and Paul had first returned to the Golden Flame. Anna felt she needed a bit more rest before setting out north of the city to Lillavand. The day had begun quite early, and so many unbelievable things had happened that she felt she needed time to digest it all.

Paul had also been completely taken aback when he was awakened at the Golden Flame and brought to the royal castle. At first, he thought he might have done something wrong, as none of the guards who fetched him had said a word. He feared for his neck but knew himself innocent of any crime.

The surprise was immense when he was brought before the King in the Receiving Room. There were so many people there, and amidst the crowd, he spotted Anna. At first, he thought she too had been taken prisoner.

The King received him so warmly that his tension immediately subsided, but what was this all about? Then he was informed that Anna was a princess and that he was to be Anna's squire from now on. The king tapped him on each shoulder with a saber, saying that from this moment on, he held the title of Count, Count Paul of Sunflower Valley.

He was certain he was dreaming. It couldn’t be true, could it? But Anna came to his side, laughing, congratulating him.

Anna and the King had explained the situation to him, and he began to understand it all.

Anna and he were to go out and rescue the Queen of Valmorun, who was the King's daughter. Another of the King’s daughters was the sweet and kind Louise, Anna’s grandmother. No one in Sunflower Valley had ever guessed this.

Anna and Paul had been allowed to leave the castle, just the two of them. Anna had decided they would first return to the Golden Flame, and now they were in Anna’s room.

Anna told Paul about the morning’s events and how she had suddenly become a princess. She could hardly grasp it, but then again, there was so much she didn’t know about her grandmother. Her grandmother had always been a bit secretive about her childhood. She had mentioned growing up in a large house and having two sisters but had never named them. Anna had always assumed this was because her grandmother had run away with her true love, breaking ties with her family, who might not have approved of Anna’s grandfather.

Anna felt confused yet joyful at the same time; after all, what girl hadn’t dreamed of being a princess at some point? But to suddenly be one? It was overwhelming.

Yet Anna was loyal to her family and would do what she could to save her mother's aunt and bring joy to her old great-grandfather’s heart. A great-grandfather she had never imagined existed. She realized that no person is simply the product of a father and mother but is rooted in generations before them.

The two young ones talked for a while and lay down to rest on Anna’s bed. It brought her great comfort to have Paul by her side, and she reached around on the blanket until she found his hand. Fortunately, he didn’t pull away but returned her gentle squeeze. They dozed off for about an hour until Anna suddenly sat up and said it was time to go. She had to find the witch who might know something about the dragon. The Witch Ellevi, by the lake Lillavand.

The two packed and received a basket of provisions from the innkeeper. The horses were hitched up, and they followed the route the innkeeper had explained through the city.

Anna thought it was nice to leave the Golden Flame, where everyone had been so reverent; now, she could just be Anna again, Anna from Sunflower Valley.

They passed through the city gates to the north, and the landscape quickly changed. It became wilder, and the trees were twisted in ways unfamiliar from Sunflower Valley. Here it was flat, almost a marsh they traveled through on a narrow, nearly invisible road with swamp on either side. The mist began to rise. It felt eerie and clammy.

Suddenly, a small house appeared to the right. Thatched and plastered with clay, with strange racks set up around it, plants hanging from poles. On the post by the gate in the fence sat a black cat. It didn’t move, even as the cart and horses approached it. Ravens cawed from the roof of the house. This must be the Witch Ellevi’s house.

The two young people hopped down from the wagon and walked to the gate. Anna kept as far from the cat as she could; it only stared at her with amber eyes. She carefully opened the gate and entered, with Paul close behind. They had only made it halfway up the uneven path to the house door when it opened.

"Who dares disturb me, and has braved Demon, the Guardian of my gate?" shouted the old, hunched woman, clad entirely in black, wearing multiple layers, it seemed.

"My name is Anna; I bring greetings from Conary." Anna couldn’t think of anything else to say at the moment.

"Conary – you say, child, where did you meet her?"

"At the Golden Flame," Anna replied.

"Then you are welcome, for anyone sent by Conary has a great purpose in life. To be sure you have the right mind for your task and to earn my help, you must answer a riddle. Answer incorrectly, and you will sink into the swamp when you try to leave here."

Anna's heart skipped a beat. She, who had only attended school in the little village, had to answer a riddle. She doubted whether she had the knowledge to solve the task.

The Witch Ellevi said, “The riddle is: I have no life force of my own, but I can set hearts ablaze. I move in silence, but I can be heard everywhere. What am I? – You have only one answer!"

Anna thought hard. She looked at Paul, who also seemed to be thinking, but he wasn’t offering any help.

Then it struck her. She had spoken with Lady Elara. She had spoken with Conary. She had spoken with the King. Each person she had spoken with had helped her and given her answers. The spoken words were assembled messages, and every message consisted simply of words. That had to be the answer.

"My answer to the riddle is 'WORDS,'" said Anna. "Words alone have no life force. Words assembled can compel others to act and help me. Words can travel in silence if written in a book, which can be read anywhere. So the answer is 'WORDS'!"

The witch smiled. "You are a clever girl. The answer is correct. How can I help you?"

Anna explained that the Queen of Valmorun had disappeared, the river's waters flowed in the wrong direction, and she was certain it had something to do with the dragon Tharnak.

"Indeed, it has to do with the Dragon," the Witch replied. "The Queen took an oath with the Dragon that no inequality would befall her realm. An innocent young girl is the only one who can free the Queen from Tharnak’s claws, but she must also address the inequality in the kingdom. You are the innocent girl. First, find the Queen and learn what the issue is. Only one person knows where the Queen is, and that is her sister. If you can find her, I cannot help you with that."

Anna thanked her for the answer. She and Paul exited the garden through the gate, where Demon still sat perched on the post. This time, Anna heard it purring.

As they climbed onto the driver’s bench, Anna said to Paul, "If I know where the Queen's sister is, then I do know – I know where both of the Queen's sisters are, and I am related to them. It can only be either my grandmother or Lady Elara. We must go home to Valmorun and visit them."

Paul nodded, a smile on his lips. "You are simply the cleverest girl I’ve ever known!"

Anna blushed.

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If you missed the Prologue and the first chapters, you can read them here: