The Golden Ring - Cecilia

One day a girl from the Lios Alfar, the light elves, called Holly was riding Viv, her tame bird, around the village of Dead Woman's Ditch, looking for any of the Svart Alfar,dark elves, trying to attack it. Viv was a rare type of magical bird called a Pie Might Catcher.

Holly had long golden hair, which flew out behind her when she rode Viv.
Holly was often misjudged because she was so small but she was the most amazing archer and could hit her target bull's eye every time no matter how far away she was. Holly wore a small archer's skirt which was made out of a soft, turquoise fabric for the under side and metal for the over side to protect her. She also wore a top that had a turquoise under side that made the frill and, again it had the same metal out side to protect her. Holly often went bare footed; but today she decided that she was going to put her archers shoes on. Which were made out of fox skins [the fox was already dead because the Lios Alfar could never think of harming any animals for their skins].

Holly was telling Viv about the golden ring which had been missing for ten years and how all their powers had been drained and how they only had their weapons to defend themselves.

Viv turned her head to say, “But what would happen if you found the ring. As you are an orphan you might be respected.” Unfortunately, the words never left her beak because she turned her head to talk she could't see where she was flying and she flew into a stumped and knobbly, old and twisted branch.

THUD!!! They fell to the ground at the foot of the bendy, old oak tree.
A light dazzled them from a cranny in the oak tree.

“The ring!” cried Holly, as an orange glow lit up the tree.

“Oh no!” screamed Viv.

“What's happening?” gasped Holly.

“S-S-S-SVART A-A-A-ALFAR G-G-G-GIRL!” Viv stammered loudly.

A girl from the Svart Alfar was escaping on a bat; her beautiful hair, which was as dark as night, flying out behind her.

“Ha ha! You'll never catch me! I'm going to my king and he'll make me queen! You idiots you let me get the ring!” she laughed.
”The ring,”she said mimicking Holly's voice.
“IDIOTS, STUPID, STUPID, IDIOTS!!!” with that she flew away on her bat. Waving the ring and dancing around on the poor animal which was trying to stay in the air because she was so heavy.

“Oh great,” sighed Holly. “Looks like we'll have to go after her. Viv do you think that you can carry me or should I walk? It's not very far. I just need to get to Hoshaney.”
For Viv's sake she told Viv, ”Hoshaney is one of the four tree gods that I believe in. The tree gods that the others in the village believe in are: Samoa (a dragon), Folafree (the ant king) and the last I'm going to tell you because I could go on forever. It's only because I'm an orphan that I have different gods. Now, the last is Anani (the spiky god).
"Right, Viv can you carry me?”

“Of course. Hop on,” Viv replied. Holly vaulted, a way to jump onto something, onto Viv's back and off they flew.

“Viv I thought that you said that you could make it to Hoshaney,” Holly whispered, because Viv was rapidly losing height and her clawed toes were skimming the dirty green Whortleberry bushes.

“I can,” replied Viv, “because look there's Hoshaney.” Holly sighed; she knew when she had been beaten. Viv was right.

Holly remembered Viv's landings weren't good at all because they were bumpy but she was getting better at them. Holly leaped off Viv and landed firmly on the ground. She gently tugged a piece of wood sorrell, which was from the floor beside the tree, and popped it into her mouth. The wood sorrell tasted off apple; it stuck to the roof of Holly's mouth. Then she started to talk; she told Hoshaney about everything that had just happened. Once Holly had finished she bowed her head and picked a sprig of emerald green star moss [a type of moss that looks like lots of little stars] and placed it in her hair. When Holly looked up again Hoshaney was no longer a tree but a man!

His necklace of ferns swished in the gentle breeze, a couple of bright orange spores blew off. Their orange glow made his old, wrinkled face look slightly scary but Holly knew there was nothing to fear.

“YOU must be the one to go after the svart and retrieve the ring. Hurry down to the Wood Ants' Nest. Hover above it then tap Viv three times and you will both shrink to the size of Wood Ants. Once you have retrieved the ring, tap Viv once and you will return to your normal size. Oh,” Hoshaney remembered, “Go to the Mother Of The Woods and give her the ring,” Hoshaney paused.
“Go my wonderful child, go,” and with that, he melted back into his tree form.

Holly mounted Viv and they set off. Holly was relieved to see that Viv was flying easily through the air. So, she relaxed and enjoyed the flight to the ants' nest.

Holly and Viv arrived at the Wood Ants Nest. They flew over and hovered over the nest.

“Do it Holly. Pat me three times, come on,” Viv told Holly impatiently. Holly tapped Viv three times. Nothing happened.

“This tickly feeling, its just arrived. OW. OW. OW. OW. OW. It feels like my spine is shrinking. OWCH!" Viv screamed.

"I have the same feeling. I think that it hurts so much because we're SHRINKING!” Holly realized.

With that information, Viv dived into the nest. The pine needles were pricking Holly; it was surprisingly painful. It was all right for Viv because she had feathers.

They landed at the bottom of the nest and skidded to a stop behind a pile of mud and twigs.

The nest stank vile. Holly noticed that the nest was abandoned. The low roof of the nest looked precarious; like it could fall in at any moment; they would have to be quick.
Holly whispered “The king of the svart alfar. Over there. Look.”

The king of the svart alfar was carrying the ring on a cushion of pine needles around what looked like a alter speaking in a loud clear voice.

“Hel-lo- fel-low-ziz-zy-ZIK-ZANG-ZO-ON-MIFOLA.”

“What on earth is he saying?” Viv asked Holly.

“I think it's a type of spell. He's trying to get into the ring and reach our powers!” Holly explained to Viv.

Holly told Viv ”I'm going to do something,” and before Viv could stop her. Holly had put an arrow to her bow. She aimed it at the king. Holly let go of the arrow and it soared through the air. It hit the king; he staggered and fell over backwards. Holly took the chance and grabbed the ring. She jumped onto Viv and they flew out of the nest.

Holly tapped Viv once this time and they returned to their normal size, just less painful then the last time.

Holly shouted “To the Mother Of The Woods. NOW! ” They flew off at high speed, the ring looped round Viv's beak.

The nest stunk. Holly noticed that the nest was abandoned. The low roof of the nest looked precarious; like it could fall in at any moment; they would have to be quick.
Holly whispered “The king of the svart alfar. Look.”

The king of the svart alfar was carrying the ring on a cushion of pine needles around what looked like a alter speaking in a loud clear voice.

“Hel-lo- fel-low-ziz-zy-ZIK-ZANG-ZO-ON-MIFOLA.”

“What on earth is he saying?” Viv asked Holly.

“I think it's a type of spell. He's trying to get into the ring and reach our powers!” Holly explained to Viv.

Holly told Viv ”I'm going to do something,” and before Viv could stop her. Holly had put an arrow to her bow. She aimed it at the king. Holly let go of the arrow and it soared through the air. It hit the king; he staggered and fell over backwards. Holly took the chance and grabbed the ring. She jumped onto Viv and they flew out of the nest.

Holly tapped Viv once this time and they returned to their normal size, just less painful then the last time.

Holly shouted “To the Mother Of The Woods. NOW! ” They flew off at high speed, the ring looped round Viv's beak.

Viv and Holly arrived at the Mother Of The Woods, a Birch. She was a silver, tall tree god with a chucky, spikey epicormic growth, coming out of one of her branches; [an epercormic growth is the trees reaction to mites carrying diseases going on and into a branch].
Holly was horrified.
“W-w-w-what h-h-h-happened t-t-t-to y-y-y-you? “Holly stammered, because she was scared of questioning the beautiful god.

“Oh that,” the Mother Of The Woods replied as she came out of her tree form. “That is a disgrace to me……………stupid svart alfar girl. She placed mites carrying deceases on my branch,” the woman sighed.

“Mites, did somebody say mites?” Viv asked perking up at the word ‘mite'.

“Yes my darling eat your fill,” the god smiled as she held out the mite infested branch to Viv. Viv hopped onto the branch and started to peck the Mites. Only she could't eat the mites because the ring round her beak was keeping it shut.

“Viv, can I have the ring please,” the god asked Viv. Viv handed over the ring and then carried on pecking the mites of the god's branch [or arm as she was in human form].

“Holly?” she questioned, “I will bury the ring in Lady's Combe…………Oh I almost forgot. The King And Queen Of The Woods want to see you and it might be best if you set off now; you don't want to keep them waiting,” the Mother concluded.

Holly vaulted onto Viv and away they flew, soaring above the clouds and down the track.

“Viv, can I have the ring please,” the god asked Viv. Viv handed over the ring and then carried on pecking the mites of the god's branch [or arm as she was in human form].

“Holly?” she questioned, “I will bury the ring in Lady's Combe…………Oh I almost forgot. The King And Queen Of The Woods want to see you and it might be best if you set off now; you don't want to keep them waiting,” the Mother concluded.

Holly vaulted onto Viv and away they flew, soaring above the clouds and down the track.

Holly and Viv arrived at the King And Queen Of The Woods.
“Hello Holly, Hello Viv,” the Queen greeted them in a gentle voice. (the female is the Holly tree with the red berries on).

“Greetings little heroes,” the king boomed in a loud, low voice.

“Hello king and queen, “Holly called about to kneel down.

“Oh get up,” the King boomed. “We don't like people fussing do we wife."
"It doesn't matter now...........Holly, we have decided to grant you a wish; what would you like it to be?"the Queen asked Holly.
"I would just like to be an awesome archer," Holly replied.

"Ok; run or fly along home now and have a good night's sleep," the Queen urged.

Holly jumped and did a back flip onto Viv and the pair flew home and had a good night's sleep on a pile of feather moss (a type of moss which looks like loads of little feathers).

In the morning, Holly was practising her archery with her best friend Rose whilst Viv played with Feather, Rose's tame Pie Mite Catcher who also happened to be Viv's twin sister.

As Holly expected she was better then Rose.

After that, Holly went to many battles and archery competitions ,and as she guessed she always won or was awarded the Best Archer award.


The End

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