SPRING HAD TURNED TO SUMMER IN THE WARLOCK'S CHAIR. Danielle stepped out of the front door, took a deep breath of the clear country air, and gazed at her new surrounding.

It had been several weeks since the family had arrived from the city and they were now practically settled into their new home. Mum and Dad had been busy cleaning and redecorating the house. It was hard work, but slowly everything was beginning to take shape. Even now at this early stage, she and her brother and sister were beginning to enjoy this new lifestyle. They had begun to like living in the countryside and were happy in their new schools.

Dad and Mum had collected them from school after spending most of the day in town shopping.

'You can get changed and go play in the garden until tea's ready.' Mum told them when they arrived back home.

They quickly changed out of their school uniforms and went into the garden. The early evening was warm and sunny, but a gentle cooling breeze had sprung up, blowing down the valley, bringing with it a promise of rain.

At fourteen Danielle was the eldest of the children. Tall and willowy, with brown hair and eyes to match. She loved music and dance with a passion. At first, she had not wanted to move to the countryside. She was happy at school and afraid of losing all her friends. But Mum and Dad had sat down with her and explained that in a couple of years she would leave school and move on to other things.  Most of her friends would probably move on and she would lose track of them, so it would not be as bad as it seemed.

And so it had turned out.

The new school was great, and she soon made lots of new friends. She had been allowed to have them over and—if properly supervised—she smiled thoughtfully—spend time at her new friend's homes. She had even been allowed to visit the shopping mall in Shrewsbury with a trip to the cinema thrown in. All in all, it had not been as bad as she feared when Mum and Dad first told her about the move.

The gardens were large, enclosed on all sides by stone walls. A couple of men had arrived at the beginning of the week and mowed the lawns, removed all the weeds and tidied up the flower beds. The trees and shrubs were now pruned back, leaving the gardens a beautiful place filled with scents and brilliant displays of colour.

The woodland trees and shrubs grew right up to the walls in most places. Only the front had been kept clear. The trees cut down long ago to leave an unobstructed view out across the valley. From where she stood, a wide gravel driveway wound down a gentle slope to the main gate. On either side of the driveway, the now immaculate lawns surrounded the rose gardens and colourful flower beds.

Off to one side, a waterfall trickled melodically down through a rockery covered in all kinds of plants and low shrubs. It splashed into a deep man-made pool where goldfish swam and frogs, dragonflies, and other insects crept and buzzed among water lilies and reeds that grew around its gently sloping edges.

She watched her brother George race ahead, he always has to be first, she thought. Nothing ever changed him; he had been like it for as long as she could remember. At twelve—soon to move into his teenage years— he was the middle sibling. Handsome, stocky and athletically built, he loved sports and promptly joined many of the schools sporting activities, almost instantly becoming a member of the school football team. He had scored the winning goal in the school's cup final, and he had not shut up about it since.

But she loved him just the same.

As did most of the girls in his year at school, must be those big brown eyes, she mused. When he was not bragging about his winning goal, he was stuck on his games console or trying to invent novel ways of getting out of doing his homework. Something Mum had threatened to put a stop to.

But with little or no success so far.

Jessica, her little sister, was ten years old and the joker in the pack. Always ready with an answer for any argument; she was able to twist Mum and Dad around her little finger.

Unlike her brother and sister, she was blond haired and blue eyed. She was tall for her age and, as Mum always said, a bit of a tomboy. The knees always seemed to be out of her trousers, and there was nothing she liked better than exploring the garden looking for bugs. Even so, she had had a few boyfriends. Or said she did, most of them were one-sided love affairs. Danielle smiled at the thought. Many were from the latest boy bands that were doing the rounds. The most recent being Charlie, from Fools Rush In. He would be her favourite until the next band came along and one of the members caught her eye.

With little else to do, Danielle decided to investigate the pond and see how many goldfish she could see. She led her brother and sister around the edge — keeping low — trying not to frighten the fish. Dad told them that there were some big fish; or koi carp as he called them, in there. But today they could not see any. They must be under the lily pads, she thought. Just hoping one of the herons that lived down by the stream had not come by looking for a quick easy meal. Danielle thought to pop back into the house and get the fish pellets, see if they could entice them from their hiding places. But soon decided it would be too much trouble.

After a while, she got bored looking for the fish.

'Let's explore in those bushes.' Jessica said, pointing to the shrubs and conifer trees that grew alongside the dry-stone wall that separated the gardens from the woodlands beyond.

They walked along the edge of the shrubs.

'Look, there!' Danielle said. She knelt down and peered into a gap in the lush greenery. It was big enough for the children to crawl through.

'It'll make a good camp,' George said excitedly. 'Come on, let's take a look.'

'Okay.' Danielle said a bit reluctantly. 'But watch out for spiders.'

They crawled into the opening, George leading, followed by Jessica then Danielle. It was not a very long tunnel, a couple of feet at the most. They found themselves standing in a large gap between the trees and the wall.

'There's plenty of room in here,' George informed his sisters.

A heavy growth of ivy covered the wall. It loomed above them and seemed to stretch on forever in both directions. Overhead the trees formed a canopy blocking out the sky. In places, the evening sun lanced down through the foliage, dappling the area with pools of light. Otherwise, the area was shaded with deep shadows. Except for some scrubby grass and a few shade loving shrubs, nothing grew under the trees.

'Which way shall we explore first.' asked George, glancing to his left and right.

'Jess, you chose,' said Danielle.

Jessica thought for a moment, looking one way, then the other.

'This way,' she pointed.

They set out in the direction that Jessica had indicated, skirting along the base of the wall.

'We can construct a great den in here,' said George as they walked along. 'There're some old bits of woods and stuff in the sheds we can use.'

'Mum and Dad will never discover us in here.' enthused Danielle.

'We'll start it tomorrow,' replied George. 'When we finished school.'

'I want to help too,' Jessica put in.

'Yes, of course you can, but not a word to Mum and Dad, we don't want them finding out,' Danielle told her.

Danielle glanced at her mobile, checking the time. 'We had better be getting back now."

They were about to turn back when Jessica spotted something ahead.

'Look. What's that?' she shouted, pointing.

Set into the wall—almost hidden by a dense growth of ivy—was a heavy wooden door. Rusted bolts and hinges held it in place. It did not appear to have been used for quite some time.

Carved into the wood and weathered by time and the elements was a mysterious symbol. Danielle brushed aside some strands of ivy to get a better look. It appeared to be a circle of interlocking leaves and branches. A rough cross overlaid with a sword and flower sat in the centre. Danielle reached up and traced it with her fingers. She shuddered as a strange tingling shot up her arm and spread across her body. She jerked her hand away and the feeling faded.

'Let's try and open it,' said George.

'I don't know, how will we reach that top bolt?' Danielle queried, trying to shake a slight numbness from her arm.

'I'll try and climb up the wall,' replied George.

They checked the bottom bolt and although it seemed rusted shut, to their surprise it opened easily.

'Hope the top ones that easy,' said George.

He started climbing the wall at the side of the gate, using the thicker strands of ivy to pull himself up. Hoping that nothing that would sting or bite was hiding there, he felt for hand and foot holds in the stonework.

'Be careful,' called Danielle from below.

George climbed until he was level with the bolt, then reached across and grabbed it. At first, the bolt stuck, but after he wriggled it a couple of times it loosened and came free. Climbing back down, he stood with the girls. Danielle lifted the latch and pulled. The door caught momentarily in the thick ivy, then with a groan, it swung open.

Beyond the doorway, a narrow path meandered off into the trees. Danielle led them along the path, carefully avoiding the stinging nettles and brambles that grew between purple-flowered buddleia bushes. All around birds called from within the trees. They recognized woodpigeons and the caw-caw of crows. From deeper in the woods came a drumming sound, a woodpecker, dad had told them.

As they moved farther out into the woods the heavy undergrowth started to thin out a little. Soon they were walking between the thick trunks of the ancient oak and beech trees that made up most of Whytewytch Wood. The pathway zigzagged ahead through the trees, a faint trail almost indiscernible amongst the thick leaf litter. A family of squirrels scampered through the branches overhead and they caught sight of a large black bird perched high above. Danielle could not shake the feeling that it appeared to be watching them.

They had walked for a while, studying their surroundings, when Danielle stopped so suddenly that Jessica and George bumped into her.

'Can you hear that?' she asked.

George listened. He could hear something, a very faint tinkling sound. He could also hear what sounded like someone singing.

'Yes,' he nodded. 'It's coming from over there.'

Following the sound, they came upon a small clearing lit by the last rays of evening sunlight. The opening formed a small dell, filled with bracken and long grasses. Foxgloves, magenta flowered willowherb and other plants grew everywhere. A fallen tree— moss and fungus bedecking the length of the trunk—spanned the area.

The children crept to the edge of the clearing. Keeping low, they peered between the tussocks of long grass and nettles.

They could not believe their eyes.

There in the centre of the open area; illuminated by shafts of late sunlight, a slender childlike figure leapt and spun. In its hands, it held a pair of silver daggers, which clashed together in time to its movements. As it moved gracefully along the fallen log it spoke with a strange lilting voice. Although the children could not understand the words, it held them spellbound. They watched as the figure performed more leaps and bounds. Then to their amazement, wings unfurled on its back. It flew into the air carrying on with the ritual, dipping and somersaulting, the sunbeams glowing through the gossamer-like wings.

So enthralled were the children with the dancing figure, that they almost missed the movement on the opposite side of the clearing.

George was first to notice and point it out. The bracken was moving, swaying slightly; he almost dismissed it as a gentle breeze, but all was calm.

As they watched a cat-like creature appeared. Its sinewy body covered with long, spiky black hair. A bristly tail held out rigidly behind it flicked slowly. It kept low in the grass. Pointed ears lay flat against its head and red eyes fixed firmly on the small dancing figure.

George motioned silently to his sisters; pointing as a second cat creature appeared from the undergrowth. It too began creeping towards the winged figure. The children recognised this kind of behaviour while watching their cat hunting a bird in the garden.

'They're after that fairy thing,' Danielle whispered. 'We have to warn it.'

The fallen tree hid the stalking creatures from the fairy being who carried on with its graceful dance; oblivious to the danger it was in.

George looked around for something to use as a weapon, his eye's fell on a fallen branch. He jumped up, grabbed it and started running at the cat thing.

'Look out,' he shouted aloud, not even sure if the strange dancing figure could understand him.

Two things happened simultaneously. First, the fairylike thing stopped its routine and spun towards the sound of George's voice; second the first of the stalking creatures saw its chance and leapt at its intended prey.

Knowing he would not reach the cat thing in time, George hurled the heavy branch. Luck was with him; it caught the creature mid-leap; striking the side of its body and spinning it to the ground. It landed in a heap on the grass, but within seconds, it regained its feet and spun spitting and snarling towards George.

The creature was about four or five times the size of an ordinary house cat. It crouched, eyes blazing with fury. The muscles beneath its black fur bunched as it readied itself to spring at this new intruder.

Danielle and Jessica ran forward and stood beside George; confronting the cat thing. Danielle picked up a branch with a jagged splintered end, which she thrust towards the cat. It backed away a little, unsure now that the odds had changed.

The second cat creature still hunted the childlike being who was now trapped beneath the fallen tree. It was unable to escape because of debris and broken branches that blocked its way. It thrust the silver daggers at the cat which angrily hissed trying to claw at its prey.

Suddenly a hail of missiles struck its rear, it howled in anger and turned towards the new assailants. A dozen more of the fairy creatures appeared, leaping from the tall grasses into the clearing. They were armed with bows and arrows. One of them yelled something to the others, and a second volley of arrows flew towards the black thing. It yowled, jaws splitting wide showing rows of sharp teeth. Howling in pain the cat thing backed away, arrows peppered its face and shoulders. It turned, leapt on top of the fallen tree and disappeared. The thing facing the children also halted its advance, spun around and retreated back into the trees.

The children watched them go and breathed a sigh of relief.

Danielle thought she caught sight of an indistinct hooded figure skulking in the shadows, way back among the trees. Two red pinpoints of light seemed to regard her from beneath the hood. She turned to speak to George and Jessica — draw their attention to it — but when she looked again it had disappeared.  

She moved to the fallen tree and knelt down. 'You can come out now,' she called softly. 'The cat things have gone.'

As the small being stepped into the sunlight, the children saw it was a young girl. She stood just over a metre tall and was very slim with delicate pale — almost translucent — features. Long, pointed ears protruded from beneath her short fair hair. Her eyes were large and of the palest blue. She wore a short, blue tunic and soft leather boots. Her wings were folded against her back; shimmering colourfully in the sunshine.

'Stand away, human children,' an assertive voice commanded. It was the one who appeared to be in charge, he strode towards them. He was handsome, with the same features, although he was slightly taller and a little more rugged than the girl. His long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and fixed with a silver clasp.

The archers circled the children, bows aimed at them. Danielle could see that the new arrivals; all male, appeared to be wingless. They all dressed in various shades of green and brown and were also armed with swords and daggers. Danielle noticed that although there were some slight differences in height, hair colour and style, they all possessed identical same facial features.

'Stay your hand, Captain,' said the girl pushing the knives into sheaths on her belt, 'These children saved my life, if not for the boy the Ripcats would have ensnared me.'

'Yes your highness, and praise the Bael'Vanna for the good fortune that brought them here,' he said calling on the Elven gods of the forest. 'But they are human, and they should not be unable to perceive us.'

'I realize that, but there must be a reason for it. We will find out,' she countered.

She turned to the children, who were looking puzzled. 'Thank you, I am Meriol,' she paused 'Also called Rosewing, on account of these.' she pointed to her wings which had a slight pinkish tint to them.

'I'm Danielle and this is George and Jessica.'

'Are you a fairy?' asked Jessica.

Meriol gave a small tinkling giggle. 'No child, we are Forest Elves. But through the ages, we have been called many things. Fairies, imps, and sprites are just some of the names by which we have been known. Come walk with us, we must return to our city.'

'Do you think that wise,' the one who appeared to be in charge of the warriors shouted. 'Should we not...'

'Nonsense Captain,' she countered, quickly cutting him off. 'Children, this is Malin Thrax, Captain of the palace guard, he is fiercely protective of me.'

'When I am allowed to do my job, Princess,' Malin Thrax chided. 'You should not have left the city limits without your guards,' he put in. 'Your Mother and Father will not be pleased if they find out.'

'A Princess,' said Jessica, wide-eyed, 'You're a Princess?'

'I am the First Princess of the House of Oryxicus,' she replied with a smile. 'But come, we must hurry.'

'And we have to get back home,' said Danielle bluntly. 'We've already been too long, much longer and Mum and Dad will be out looking for us.'

'We will not detain you long, there are some questions that need answers. Hopefully, my father's advisors will be able to provide those answers.'

Danielle glanced worriedly across at her brother and sister. True, they helped save her life and she seemed grateful. But was it wise to go wandering off who knows where with these strange creatures?

George shrugged.

'What sort of questions?' Danielle asked.

'Well one will be how can you see us, we should be invisible to human eyes,' Meriol answered.

Danielle eyed the Elven warriors and their bows. They appeared to have moved to surround them, cutting off any attempted escape. She thought for a moment, deciding it might be better to do as they asked, rather than to argue with them. 'Okay, but not too long.' she finally answered.

They followed the Elves further into the woods, the archers spread out scouting the forest ahead of the party.

'I thought Elves only existed in fairy stories, I didn't think they were real,' George pointed out as they walked.

'Humans!' Meriol shook her head and looked at George. 'As you can see, we are quite real. Have you not believed in us at some point in your lives?'

'Only in books and films,' replied Danielle. 'I suppose I might have believed when I was little.'

'Well, I believe in you.' Jessica exclaimed.

Meriol giggled again. 'Elves have always lived in these forests,' she informed them. 'We lived and fought alongside the other faerie folk, long before men came into this world.

'When man first appeared, we tried to live alongside each other. But it did not, could not, work. Mankind is too greedy. He wants the lands and all they contained for himself and shows little concern for the outcome.

'A war broke out between Elf and Man and we faced being driven even deeper into the vast forests which once covered the earth. Faced with a war we did not want, a war we could not win, we had our Spellcasters use ancient Elven magics to remove us from the plane of man.

'Gradually, in their continuing march to ruin this planet man as destroyed many of the great forests. Over time, we were forgotten, used only in myth and legend. But the faerie folk have lived on, confined to small areas, just out of sight of man.

'Whytewytch Wood is one such place.'

The children listened intently to what she was saying.

'Those things stalking you; what were they?' George asked when she had finished.

'Ripcats!' Meriol replied. 'Sent by the Acolytes of Ravengaard. They use them to hunt and kill us. If not for you and your sisters, they would likely have succeeded this time.'

They walked in silence for a while. The track winding on through the trees. Then just ahead, stood two huge oak trees, one either side of the path. Like great, many-limbed sentinels they guarded the way ahead. Their massive spreading branches entwined, forming an archway in the canopy above.

As they passed beneath, almost imperceptibly the air seemed to shift. They still walked the path through the trees, but the children knew something had changed. The smells, the colours, everything had altered subtly. They looked at Princess Meriol. She seemed to sense their puzzlement.

'Welcome to Ellyonia, the Empire of the Elves. Just the other side of nowhere,' she told them. 'You have just passed through the Veil. It is one of the portals that separate the world of faerie from the world of man.

'Only those who believe in our world are allowed to pass through. Some of our enemies still have the power to penetrate the barrier, so we must remain constantly on our guard. I do not confess to knowing how the Veil works, but any non-believer walking along the pathway should not be able to stray accidentally into our world.'

The trees in this part of the woods seemed much older and larger than any the children had seen before. They must have been growing here for a great many years, they thought. The enormous trunks and boughs, moss-covered and gnarled with age, towered high overhead. Bright sunlight permeated the foliage, lighting up the forest all around them. Birds sang insects buzzed, and flowers of all kinds grew in great colourful carpets across the woodland floor. In clearings between the trees, they caught sight of Elves tending row upon row of shrubs, all heavily laden with fruits and berries. Farther in they could see water tumbling down between huge rocks and emptying into small swiftly, flowing streams that meandered across the woodland glades. Wheels turned slowly in the streams drawing water for irrigation.

High above in the green canopy, the branches of the trees entwined. They formed great archways, like in some vast cathedral. To their surprise, the children noticed a system of elevated walkways and ladders stretching between the tree trunks. Then as they looked closer, dwellings and workplaces appeared, carved into the immense trunks.

'This is Evergreen, our city,' Princess Meriol told them as they continued to walk deeper into the forest.

Everywhere they looked Elves were going about their business. Systems of rope and pulley were being used for the movement of goods and such between the various levels. Elves shopped and walked in the dappled sunlight that filtered down through the branches. Higher up in the trees Elven guards kept watch over the proceedings.

It was one of them that sounded the alarm as the children approached. As one, the Elves ceased what they were doing and turned to watch.

It was the largest tree they had ever seen. The trunk was enormous, as thick and tall as some of the skyscrapers they had seen on trips to the city. It was supported by great roots that buttressed the bole of the tree. Around them—and climbing part way up the trunk—spread an assortment of buildings, shops, and market stalls.

Far above, its huge thick branches spread out, intertwining with the other trees and seemingly joining the whole of the forest together.

The buildings on this tree were more elaborate than those on the other trees. They stretched up for several levels with large walkways linked by vast sweeping stairways. Great ornately carved windows and doorways edged in gold sparkled in the late afternoon sunshine, and a gentle breeze rippled the pennants and banners that hung from the branches. Danielle noticed many bore the same symbol that was carved on their garden gate.

The Elves steered the children through a maze of lanes until they stood in front of a huge door set into the base of the tree.

'Welcome to the Prime Tree, The Giver of Life,' the Princess whispered to them. 'It is from here that all Elfkind originates.'

More Elven soldiers appeared and aimed their bows at the children. A subdued murmur rippled through crowds gathered on the walkways above.

'Do not be alarmed,' shouted Meriol. 'They will not harm us.'

'But they are the children of men, they should not be able to see us,' someone cried.

'What is going on here?' A commanding voice called down from an intricately carved balcony high on the tree trunk.

Everyone turned towards the sound of the voice.

A stooped figure, dressed in long flowing green robes, appeared. His long silver hair and beard framed a deeply lined face. He had the same pale complexion as the other Elves.

Leaning on the guardrail, he gazed down at the children. He studied them for a moment. For a brief moment, a look of recognition seemed to flash in his steely blue eyes.

'Welcome to Evergreen, City of the Elves. I am Caen Avery Oryxicus, King of the Elves, and this...' he turned to the tall, slender Elf standing next to him. '...is my son, Prince Dauld.'

The Prince also dressed in long robes, these of a deep blue colour. If it was possible, his hair and skin looked even paler than the other Elves. He nodded a greeting towards the children. Something in his gaze made Danielle shiver. Was it a trick of the light? She could have sworn that his eyes flashed black for one brief instant. She continued watching as he glanced sternly at Meriol, his mouth twisting into an unfriendly grin.

'Meriol, what is the meaning of this?' the King asked firmly.

'Father,' said his daughter. 'These children saved me from an attack by Ripcats.' She went on to explain what had happened and how they returned to the city hoping for answers as to how the children could possibly observe them.

'Well, thank you for helping to save my daughter. She is very headstrong and should know better than venture out alone,' he looked sternly across at the Princess. 'I will speak with you later. Meanwhile, although I think I already know the answer, I will discuss our problem with the Spellcasters.' He turned and called down to a group of Elves nearby. 'Bring the children food and drink, I will not be long.'

With that, he disappeared back into the palace.

Elves appeared with trays of berries and fruit and jugs of water.

While they sat talking with Meriol and the other Elves the children ate some of the food and drank some of the water.

'How long is this going to take?' Danielle asked. 'We really must be getting back home. Our parents will be getting worried.'

'Do not worry yourselves children, all will be well,' replied Meriol. 'Time is of no relevance in Ellyonia, it does not pass the same as in the outside world. You will notice this when you return home.'

Danielle looked puzzled at the Elven Princess' words.

'You said that those cat things were sent by someone called Ravengaard,' George inquired. 'That's the name of our house.'

'Yes George, the house bears his name. Long ago a castle stood on those very lands, it was his stronghold. He was an extremely powerful Warlock who longed for control over all the lands of this world and beyond.

'Ravengaard would have succeeded but for an alliance of Man, Elf and others. With the use of magic, they managed to defeat him. The Warlock was banished to the Evermurk but now seeks to restore his powers and recruit others to his wicked ways. He sends the Brotherhood of the Raven to kill and capture us. He seeks a way out of his prison and thinks we may have the knowledge to speed his escape. All the time he grows more formidable, whilst we grow more vulnerable.'

'But you stopped him once,' said Danielle glancing at the vast Elven city that spread through the trees around her. 'You must be able to do it again.'

'The Elves stand-alone now. We do not possess the strength to confront him on our own. If he returns, Ravengaard will crush us, wipe us from the face of the earth,' Meriol said gravely.

Just then the great door swung open and King Oryxicus and his son reappeared.

'I have consulted with the Spellcasters,' the King announced. 'It seems that their very innocence could be our undoing. It would appear young human children are told a great many stories relating to the world of magic and faerie. Some believe so strongly that even when they are older, it is that belief, that allows the children to see us.'

'But we didn't believe in faerie, not all of us anyway,' said Danielle glancing at Jessica.

The King pondered for a moment. 'It is possible a residual of belief left over from your younger days has allowed you to perceive the world of Faerie.'

'What can we do about it?' Meriol questioned.

'Nothing daughter,' replied the Elven King. 'We send them home, no one will believe them if they tell what they have seen.'

'But Father, we have foreseen the dangers of doing so...' Prince Dauld started to declare.

The King held up a hand. 'Dauld, I have spoken. Times have changed. The old ways will not work any longer, and I am sure we can convince our visitors to exercise good judgement in this matter.'

He ran his eyes over the children.

'Don't worry King of the Elves, your secret is safe with us,' Danielle stated, wondering what he had meant by the old ways would not work any longer.

'Yes that's right,' George cut in. 'I doubt Dad and Mum would believe us anyway.'

'Well if it's okay with you, your majesty, we had better be getting back home,' Danielle said.

'Certainly. Captain can you escort our young guests back through the woods. Make sure they are unharmed,' instructed the King.

'Yes my King,' Malin Thrax answered. 'Say your goodbyes children and we will be on our way.'

The King leant close to the Captain and whispered. 'A word with you before you go.' He paused, glancing across at the children. 'The Spellcasters confirmed my initial thoughts. Of an ancient legend, passed down through the centuries. It says of three children of Man who, at the appointed time, would come to us. We know not if they come to assist us in the coming battle or to destroy us. But if these are the children, then the utmost care must be taken with them. A watch must be put on them until we can ascertain their true nature. For the aforesaid reason, Ravengaard will also try to acquire them. He will send his Raven Cult after them and have them put to death if they are of no use to him.'

'Rest assured sire,' replied Captain Thrax. 'All precautions will be taken, no harm will come to them.' he bowed and turned away.

As he walked towards the children, Prince Dauld grasped him by the arm. 'Of course, should they turn out not to be the children of the legend...well Captain, I am afraid...' he left the sentence hanging in the air.

The Elven Captain looked at him in disgust and wrenched his arm away.

'I understand,' he said abruptly.

The children said goodbye to the Elves. Especially Princess Meriol.

'Maybe we can meet the Queen, next time,' Jessica asked her.

'I am afraid child, that it will not be possible,' Prince Dauld snapped angrily.

Meriol gave him a furious look.

'We will see...if it is possible...' she nervously advised Jessica.

The Elven Prince shook his head and turned away.

'Go carefully,' Meriol told them. 'I will see you soon, do not worry.'

With that, they set out for home. The Captain and a small group of Elven hunters escorted them back through the forest. They returned the way they came, passing beneath the giant oaks that marked the boundary of the Elven world, and out into Whytewytch Wood. In the hollow where the Ripcat attack took place, all was quiet. Shortly the trees started to thin out a little, and very soon they found themselves back on the path that led to the doorway hidden in the wall.

'We will leave you here,' said Malin Thrax. 'Be watchful children. And remember you have witnessed things this day that very few humans have seen for over a thousand of your years. It would be wiser for us all if you did not mention anything to your parents.'

'Yes Captain,' the children agreed. 'We will try.'

The Elf bowed and a slight smile crossed his face. 'I am confident we will meet again very soon.'

Leaving the Elves, they hastily ran up the path and through the partially hidden doorway. Securing it behind them, they made their way back into the garden.

'We must have been gone hours,' said Danielle.

'Mum will kill us,' said George.

'There will be no tea tonight,' sighed Jessica.

The children walked around the side of the house to the kitchen door. The smell of cooking wafted out of the open door and they could hear Mum singing along to the music on the radio. They peered cautiously around the doorway.

Mum turned towards them as they entered. 'Oh, there you are, I was just going to call you, your teas nearly ready. Come on in and wash your hands.'

They stood in the doorway open-mouthed.

'What's the matter?' Mum asked.

'N... Nothing.' they stammered. 'Everything's just fine.'

They looked at each other, shrugged and smiled.