Chapter 3 – The New Girl

The young girl woke up with a start. Adelaide wasn't sure what to think at first. The girl wore a short, sleeveless, light blue dress with a cracked leather vest that looked much to big for her. She looked up at Adelaide with huge hazel eyes. Her long black hair flowed over her folded legs.
Alastair was at the door within seconds of Adelaide's scream. He pointed his sword at the girl, threateningly. “Who are you and what is a girl like you doing out in this forest?”
The girl answered in a light, sweet voice that sounded like angel song. “My name is Ardelia. I got separated from my hunting party,” she paused to gesture to her bow and quiver of arrows, “and it was getting dark, so I ran around looking for my party. I got hopelessly lost and I was in despair until I happened upon this cabin. I sat out here for the rest of the night.”
“See!” Adelaide stormed angrily. “I told you that there was someone out there last ni-”
“I don't mean to be rude, but why didn't the creatures kill you?” Alastair interjected, ignoring Adelaide completely.
“I nearly was!” Ardelia exclaimed, brushing her long hair off her legs to reveal a deep gash on one pale limb. “The bleeding has stopped, mostly, and I can walk, but I don't want to be out here alone.”
Adelaide gasped, “oor thing! I'm so sorry for our rudeness! My name is Adelaide and this is Alastair.”
Zoi popped her head out of the cabin door. “Something doesn't seem right here...MO! Come here!”
Mo padded over to Zoi and looked at the girl. “Could we speak in privet?” He asked Adelaide. It was clear that 'rivet' meant everybody but Ardelia.
“Sure...” Adelaide said, obviously wanting to help Ardelia immediately, and not bother discussing anything.
When they were all inside with the door and window shut (by order of Mo, of course), they began to talk in low voices.
“I don't trust her, and Zosima agrees with me.” Mo said bluntly.
“What's not to trust?” Adelaide gasped.
“For one, how could she get lost from her alleged hunting party in the forest of disenchantment? Why don't we hear any search horns? A lost party member is a big deal, especially when there is no proof of there death. Another thing is, how did she find the cabin? It's placed in a random spot, and she just happened to 'stumble' upon it?” Mo said, exasperated.
“I think we should trust her...maybe she just got lucky.” Alastair said blandly. There was an odd glint in his eyes.
Adelaide perked up and practically skipped over and let Ardelia in.
“If she stays then Zosimo and I go.” Zoi pointed out.
Adelaide got angry at this. “She is just a child! We can't leave her to the dogs or whatever else is out there!” She stormed. She wasn’t sure why she was so for having Ardelia on their side, but she was.
The two foxes looked at each other. “You’re going to regret this.” They said, knowingly. With that they left the cabin. As they left Ardelia kicked out at them, sticking out her tongue. It was oddly long and a purple-green color. Both Adelaide and Alastair missed these shenanigans.
Adelaide rushed around the house, gathering supplies for her pack. Alastair cleaned the wound on Ardelia’s leg.
“I am ever so grateful that you both are so willing to take me in.” Ardelia smiled up at Alastair through her eyelashes. Her eyes got really big and she said laughing, “I have gifts! You must accept them, won’t you? I owe you my life.”
“Well…owing us your lift is a little extreme…” Alastair said, blushing.
Ardelia unclasped a sword from her quiver. “This is for you, Alastair, it was forged by the dwarves. It is made of a dragons scale, therefore will cut through anything, and never need sharpened. It will never break.” Ardelia smiled at the look of surprise oon Alastair’s face.
“Th-thank you.” Alastair breathed. He tossed his old sword, as good as it was, to Adelaide; who didn’t have one. He didn’t notice Ardelia’s sweet smile turn into a smirk.
Ardelia’s little smirk became a thinking frown within seconds, then a smile as ‘inspiration’ struck. She took off her to-big leather vest and walked over to Adelaide, wincing slightly. “You may have my vest. It was made by the elves out of the finest and toughest of leather. It will stop anything but a dragon-scale blade.”
Adelaide grinned from ear to ear as she put the vest on. It fit perfectly. She looked at herself in the mirror again. Now not only did she look different, she looked like a completely different person. She was no longer the foolish little Adii. She was the strong and proud Adelaide.
She turned back to Ardelia. “But I have nothing to give you in return…”
“It matters not. You are my friends now, that is your gift to me.” Ardelia said sweetly. “Shall we not continue on your journey, Adelaide?”
“We need to finish packing up supplies.” Adelaide answered.
“I shall be waiting outside then.” Ardelia said cheerfully. She skipped out of the cabin’s door, shutting it as she went. She walked over to one of the trees that surrounded the grove. It looked odd. It was dark brown and gnarled with age. Ardelia put her hand flat on the bark. At first the tree seemed to shake and shimmer, then it changed completely. A tall, lean figure of a woman stepped toward Ardelia. Blue-black wings fluttered on this woman’s back. She was a pixie.
Real pixies aren’t anything like storybook pixies. Pixies are evil creatures. They were once human, but their ancestors were driven mad by experiments. These experiments were to ‘better’ the human race. Give humans the power of flight and the ability to shape-shift. The traits were passed down the generations, mutating and perfecting. The children of the first generation were declared to be no longer human, and classified under the name of ‘ixies’. This angered the proud people, for it was considered to be extremely rude to call someone a pixie, and they had been given it as their name! So, as a collective, they decided to wage war against the human race. Ever sense then the pixies have murdered and tortured the humans. It was very easy to fall for a pixie’s falsehoods; they could make themselves look human.