Requiem and Vesper are nice little elves, but Lynn's a different story... not to mention Arya, the queen. Poor Meagan! If you haven't caught on yet, I think of myself as a "sadistic" writer- I'm not very nice to my characters. No worries though- they get happy endings. 

Lynn

“We should take the stairs,” Requiem suggested. “The... other method won't work with two people at once.”
“True, true,” Vesper agreed. “The stairs it is.” The elves led Noah and Meagan for another few minutes down gently-sloping terrain, then warned them, “Careful. We're climbing up stairs now.” It was true. They had been going down, but now they were going up.
The stairs were built for elves, the shortest of which were about six or seven feet, and seemed to go on forever. Meagan's legs positively burned. About halfway through, Vesper had to carry Noah because the small midget couldn't take another step.
“Almost there,” encouraged Requiem. “You know, I had a problem with these too when I was a kid.” She didn't sound tired in the least. Meagan wondered how tall she was. Vesper appeared to be about 5'4''. By elf standards, either he was still growing, or he was short. It was very possible Requiem was taller than him. She was at least taller than Meagan, judging by the stairs' effect on her.
At last, they were on level ground. The elves took them a little away from the stairs before slipping off the blindfolds. Meagan blinked as light flooded her eyes with a harsh white glare. Once her eyes adjusted, Meagan realized why. The whole city was carved from massive amounts of white marble.
“We're halfway off the forest floor,” Requiem said, “because the things that pose a threat to us can't climb. The stairs we took can be detached from the city and destroyed in case of emergency.”
Meagan turned to look at the elf. She had long, brown-blonde hair that hung loose and bangs that were kept back with a feathered headband. Her eyes were a pale, icy blue. She wore a red dress that had a simple yet exquisite design and that didn't cover her knees, wearing white tights underneath. Her ears had the classic elvish point, and she was at least four inches taller than Vesper.
“How do you get back down?” Meagan asked. “You know, if the stairs are destroyed.”
Requiem winked. “Our secret.”
Vesper shrugged. “Whatever. Who cares about stairs? We're in an alley close to Lynn's house. Come on.” He motioned and walked away. After a moment, Noah, Meagan, and Requiem followed him.
The city was studded with jewels, glittering in the sunlight. Potted plants and hanging baskets were everywhere, and statues lined the walkways. The citizens of Tykehaven wore all manner of colors, from black to bright yellow. They were tall, graceful, elegant, and imposing. Their strange voices chattered away, filling the air with thousands of phrases in the elven tongue. They paid no attention to Meagan and Noah, either not noticing them (which wasn't likely) or not caring (which fit the elven nature much more closely).
“Here we are,” said Requiem, pointing to a plain, square building with no door, but a curtain. “Lynn is inside. It looks like the others of your kind are already inside.”
“We're delivering the gift, asking about Meagan's sister, and then we're leaving,” Noah declared. He seemed rather uncomfortable in the city.
Vesper laughed. “What, do you not like being around giants?”
Noah turned bright red.
“Queen Arya wants to meet you afterward,” Requiem informed them. “She's holding a feast for the first foreigners to enter Dryadales in 500 years. I think you'll enjoy it.” She leaned close to Meagan and whispered, “Be careful with Her Majesty. Don't say anything that can have a double meaning, and don't dare say too much about why you're here. Arya can manipulate you in ways you could never imagine.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Meagan whispered back. “Surely you don't trust me.”
“You're right, I don't. Not yet. I don't think a single elf would trust you. We're all wary of foreigners, but there's just something about you...” Then she pulled away before Meagan could ask what she meant.
“Go on,” Vesper encouraged. “Go speak with Lynn.”
Meagan nodded, took a deep breath, and parted the curtain, entering the house of Lynn, wisewoman of Dryadales.

“So you wish to know where Bella is, young hero?” Lynn asked. Though she was over half a thousand years old, Lynn didn't look a day over twenty-one. Her long, black hair blended with her dark eyes and ebony robes, appearing as if she was covered in seamless shadow.
“Yes!' responded the man standing in front of her. Lynn herself sat down on a chair. They were in a back room with only a candle for light, alone except for the man's companions.
The man was angry, his eyes narrowed in frustration. After he came all this way, he didn't want riddles!
“Eager to use your sword, Svein?” Lynn continued. She gestured to the wind mage behind him. “Your friend Solaris has taken a disliking to me and is just itching to catch a spell. Right now, she is contemplating which jinx would be the most amusing.”
Solaris, the wind mage in question, scowled, her green eyes glaring. She was beautiful, with brown hair and a curving figure. “What are you babbling about?” she demanded. “As if!”
Lynn smiled. “Kair thinks I'm senile.”
The last of the party, a sullen archer, nodded. “I do,” he admitted.
Lynn nodded. “I'm always right. By the way, wind mage, I prefer the honest ones.” She inspected her nails, long, pointed white ones, and chuckled. Rings flashed on her fingers as her hands moved. “You're probably wondering why I just won't tell you what to do, eh?”
Svein, Kair, and Solaris nodded.
Lynn grinned. “Honesty. Good, good. We're getting somewhere.” She chuckled again. “I know what you're dreaming.” She traced her ears with her fingers- round ears, not pointed. “You thought I was an elf. You are relieved.” Again, the three nodded. “It is because elves are dangerous when provoked, and, to put it bluntly, you three are provoking.”
They turned red but said nothing. Silence went farther than words when it came to Lynn of Dryadales.
“You shouldn't be relieved,” Lynn scowled. “I am far more dangerous than any elf. Remember that.” Lynn paused, and then continued, “I refuse to help you.”
“What?!” exclaimed Svein. “Why?”
“Because you're not the ones who need help. In other words... the Circle sent out the wrong people.”
Solaris' charming face twisted in fury. “Then who’s right, you hag?” she snarled. “We're the best Regnum has!”
“Again, honesty is appreciated. If you think I'm a hag, go ahead and tell me so,” Lynn replied smoothly, seemingly impassive about what Solaris had called her. “And no, you're not the best Regnum has. Regnum didn't consider the obvious.”
Kair muttered, “What do we do now?”
“Go home,” Lynn replied. Then she stood still, with her eyes closed. “Well, well, well,” she chuckled. “Maybe not just yet. Why don't you stick around and see what happens. The right one is here... and boy, will you be surprised!”
“Ah!” Meagan sighed in relief. “Lynn, I've found you. I had no clue where you were; your house is bigger than it looks. It's huge!”
“It's medium,” Lynn said, “but thank you. Meagan Pronozuk, I take it? Oh, and Noah of Mgypt. Greetings. I haven’t seen one of your house in ages.”
Noah smiled. “Hi. Oh, I brought the gift on behalf of Regnum. It counts for the other people too.” He reached into his pack and pulled out the cheese and pendant. “From the Circle.”
Lynn smiled and accepted the gifts, leaving them on a table by her side. “You've come a long way because of these three's forgetfulness.”
No one said anything. Meagan realized they were all staring at her, judging her. For what? thought Meagan. What'd I do?
Solaris said, “You're a valkyrie.”
“Yeah.”
“Most left in that exodus a few hundred years back.”
“Yeah.”
“What about your family?”
Meagan shrugged. “I dunno why my ancestors didn't go.”
Solaris paused, then said, “Your wing is crippled.”
“... Yeah.” Meagan suddenly felt very self-conscious. A strange silence fell, and then Svein spoke.
“This is the one? Lynn, you can't be serious! She's just a child!”
“Read your fairy tales, idiot,” Lynn retorted. “A lot of heroes are children.”
“Umm...” Meagan began, “I have no clue what this is about, but I just wanted to ask one question.”
“Of course,” Lynn replied, her tone much kinder when speaking with Meagan than it was when speaking with the others.
Meagan gulped, then asked, “Do you know where my sister is?”
Slowly, Lynn nodded. “I do,” she confirmed, “but you may not like the answer I am about to give you.”
“What is your answer?” Meagan pressed. “I'm worried sick!”
“I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. It doesn't matter. You can't do anything about where she is, so don't try.”
Svein smirked. “She should go home.”
Lynn frowned. “I never said that.”
Meagan was near tears, recently buried depression ready to burst to the surface. She couldn't do anything about it? Did that mean the whole trip was a waste? “Where is she?” Meagan choked out, trying not to break down and sob. “Where is my sister?”
“I,” Lynn sighed, “won't tell you.”
“Why not?” asked Meagan, sadness transforming into anger. She had noticed this conversion had begun happening quite a bit lately. “I need to tell my mom! She'll be able to bring Jenni home!”
“She won't,” Lynn whispered coldly, “and I won't tell you because I know that with this knowledge you'll do something stupid. You'd try to get her, and you'd fail. None of you would ever go home. Your house would become empty, dismal, unwanted, and slowly forgotten... as you yourself will be if you're foolish enough to ignore me.”
Meagan fell to her knees, crying softly. Svein, Solaris, and Kari just stood there, feeling incredibly awkward. Lynn frowned, not saying anything. Noah stared at his feet, then looked up with steely determination. Though small, midgets have the initiative to do what is required, no matter how difficult. “You said Meagan shouldn't go home,” Noah stated. “So, then, what should she do?”
Lynn grinned. “Smart midget, though I suppose that has to do with your upbringing. Well, in short, Meagan should look for the missing queen.”
“She should join the Circle's party?” Noah exclaimed.
“No. Svein, Solaris, and Kair are going home.”
Meagan looked up. “I'm supposed to find Bella?”
“Seems like it,” muttered Kair. Lynn glared at him. He winced.
“I'll go,” Meagan said, “but only if you make me a promise. If I ever return to Tykehaven, you will tell me how to find my sister.”
“There's no need,” Lynn replied. “You'll find that on your own before you come near here again.”
The words hung between them, foreboding and powerful, until Solaris blurted, “She better get going right after the feast.”
“Not alone,” Lynn said. “In this day and age, it's better that way. Noah, why don't you tag along as well?”
Noah nodded.
“There's one more person in Tykehaven who should accompany you, and anyway, Arya has several surprises in store for all of us.”

“What do you think they're talking about?” Vesper asked, his eyes trained on the entrance to Lynn's home.
“I don't know,” Requiem replied. She shivered as a chill wind blew past. “I don't care to know.”
Vesper nodded, silence falling between them. He looked at her, noticing that she seemed almost scared. He wasn't sure what the problem was, and suddenly, he asked, “Have you ever been outside of Dryadales?”
She shook her head. “Are you kidding me? I wasn't born when they closed the borders. Neither were you. I was born at the edge of the Clearing of Agnam… it's huge, Vesper. In the middle, it's almost possible to feel like you're not in a forest, but in a huge plain, not just a tiny clearing.”
“Do you want to leave the country?”
The question was strange, rarely asked among elves. Requiem's eyes widened in surprise. “I... haven't given it much thought before.”
“Hmm.” He looked up at the sky, barely any blue showing through the green of the trees. “I've thought about it a lot, and I've decided I want to go. There's nothing interesting here.”
Requiem stared at him as if he was someone new, someone else. No one had ever said they wanted to leave. “...Why?”
“It's boring, and... I just feel like I don't belong here, you know? Like there's more for me to do than wait around here playing music and drawing and writing poetry and eventually doing absolutely nothing in the royal courts.”
“I think,” Requiem said, “that you're crazy. It's not like we're doing NOTHING.”
Vesper frowned. “Crazy? Requiem, why would you want to spend all day doing the same thing over and over again?”
“It's safe,” Requiem answered. “Why would you want to go someplace that's so dangerous, where you could die at any moment?”
“You could die at any moment here,” Vesper shot back.
Requiem scowled. “We're elves.  We belong here.”
“But it wasn't always like that! We used to trade with other peoples, and we even had colonies off the continent...”
“That's a lie. There isn't anything off Htam.”
“Yes, there is! There are records, and think about it! Thousands of miles away, there are other elves, living free, probably away from forest. Did you know that we used to live in snowy regions? We were called the Creatures of Snow, and they said that we were dazzling beasts appearing-”
“Stop it!” Requiem cried out. “Who told you this?”
“It's all in the records. We used to be magicians too. The best.”
“That can't be true,” she whispered. “It just can't.” She bit her lip, which Vesper knew she did often when she was distressed. “No one knows any magic... not any elves, at least... It can't be true.”
“What can't be true?”
“I've been having these dreams...” she confided. “I saw... myself, somewhere far away, with others...”
“Elves?”
“I don't know, they looked like mortals, but I think some were elves. We were everywhere- mountains, on the sea, plains, rivers...”
“Where exactly?”
“I don’t know, but Vesper, it was so wide… so terribly huge. I felt lost and lonely and without a hope.”
Vesper gazed at her, as if she too was in a new light. “Requiem,” he said slowly, “I think that you hate this
but you can’t leave. You're just too scared.”

The curtain to Lynn's house parted and a fresh breeze entered the living room. Since everyone was in the back, this went unnoticed. A tall, shapely figure stepped inside. The elf was at least eight feet tall, had long, black hair reaching to almost her ankles, and a sleeveless, elegant white dress. Gold bands adorned her wrists, arms, and the ankles of her bare feet.
She slowly walked around Lynn's home, pointed ears strained to find voices. Soon she entered the back, just as Lynn mentioned Arya.
“I'll have what surprises in store?” the newcomer asked.
“Oh, Arya,” Lynn replied. “Don't you know it's rude to enter without an invitation, Your Majesty?”
Svein, Solaris, Kair, Meagan, and Noah dropped to one knee. Lynn remained sitting.
“An elf must accompany Noah and Meagan?” the queen inquired, ignoring Lynn’s previous question. She wore no crown or circlet, and her dress was not overly decorated or detailed, but she still managed to scream out that she was royalty.
“Yes.”
“Who?” She gazed at each person, her eyes boring right into their very being. She has a gaze like the Chief Sorceress, Meagan thought, or like Carmen. In truth, it fit the latter more; both had a piercing stare that could make even the strongest men cringe.
“I think I'd like you to find out yourself,” Lynn answered teasingly. “It'll be rather funny.”
This was meant to be irritating, or provocative, but Queen Arya showed no signs of annoyance whatsoever. “Very well. Be that way. I came to fetch the five and escort them to my palace.”
“Why did you yourself come, Your Highness?” Lynn inquired. “Is it that these five cannot walk, or that Vesper and Requiem cannot do such a simple task as to lead them to your palace?” Meagan tried to erase the surprise off her face. Of course Lynn knew about Vesper and Requiem.
Only then did Meagan wonder where that knowledge came from.
“I wanted to see an old... acquaintance,” Arya said coolly. “Last time I saw you, you said you had something to tell me.”
“Acquaintance? How nice of you.” Lynn smiled, before her face turned deadly serious. “I have a warning to give you.”
“It is?”
“'Your heart is meant to remain broken,'” Lynn answered. “I think you understand my meaning.”
A flicker passed over Arya's face- worry, fear, perhaps even regret- and her hand flew up to her throat, fingering the silver chain there. Then her calm composure returned, and her hand fell to her side. “Thank you for the advice, Lynn. I shall be sure to take heed.”
“Oh?” Lynn raised an eyebrow. “Will you really?”
“Maybe,” Arya said. “Probably not.”
“You're treading a path no mortal should,” Lynn cautioned, her voice suddenly becoming hoarse and crone-like.
“Someone should pull me off then. You forget, too, that I’m not the average mortal.”
“Don't play with fate,” Lynn said.
“Fate doesn’t like me. I don’t play with it, Lynn- I fight to kill it.”
“I won't stop you, but mark my words, this is a fight you’ll lose.”
“I'll risk it!” Arya snapped, then turned to the five. “I'm going to escort you to the palace. Now.” Arya began to walk away, but noticing no one was following her, turned around. “Are you coming or not?”
They climbed to their feet, muttering apologies. Arya shrugged them off, waved goodbye to Lynn, and led them out.
“Goodbye,” Meagan called out to Lynn as she jogged to catch up to everyone else.
Lynn said nothing. Instead, she frowned at the departing figure of the elven queen. “Idiot,” she muttered, and shook her head. “As if you could kill fate, you arrogant, arrogant being.”

Dragonlord Stephi : I am running out of adjectives to describe your fantastic writing And you being a " sadistic " writer so to speak only makes your charactes look stronger or tougher . Despite her crying a few times I think Meagan is one of the toughest characters I have ever seen . And Carmen just looks like a classic ......... I can't say the word but she is the opposite of good combined with another name for a Donkey .  

Mr. Zed : Really? Carmen comes off like that? You'll like her better later. I promise. But I actually thought Meagan was too whiny. Thanks for the feedback and telling me it isn't so!

A user of this : I'm glad you think so! One of my weaknesses as a writer is to take forever to make the plot actually run instead of just plod along for a couple chapters...

Wow..this is a great story you made here......well it was too long to read all of it...but i read half way through...anyway have a nice day.

supercool22 : Yeah . This is a good chapter of her story . Gonna read the others shortly Wish I had the power to super read them in like a second or something though . 

supercool22 : I'm glad you liked it! Please read the rest. It'll make me happy.