ADARA

“This bag of money is yours too.  Use it wisely and carefully, it’s worth a great deal,” he said.

She took out a gold coin and looked at it.  On one side was a dragonhead exactly like

the one on her pendant.  On the reverse was the head of a woman.

“Who’s this?” she asked.

“Queen Ellette of Dracadar.”

Adara wondered at this, but kept her thoughts to herself.

“Take these two letters,” resumed Grandfather, after dozing off a minute.  “One is for the King of the Elves and the other for the King of the Dwarves.  My brother will help you deliver them.”

She opened one of the letters, but it was written in runes she couldn’t understand.  Folding it again, she put the letters and the money in her purse on her belt.

“When you go, let Tita be your helper.  Talk to her as you would a person.  She may not be able to speak, but she understands what you say and will react.”  Grandfather stopped and closed his eyes again.  Shortly, he opened them.  “Now, my Adara, give me one last kiss and hand me your pendant.”

Adara leaned over and kissed the old man she knew as Grandfather.  He took her pendant in his hand and looked up into her eyes.  “When this is done my dear one, run, run as fast as you can to Mydle’s house.  There’s a secret door behind the barrel around the corner in the alcove.  Press the third board down and it will open.”

Grandfather’s hand closed on the pendant and it started glowing green.  Soon his entire body was glowing.  Suddenly, the green glow flashed into the pendant and Grandfather fell back dead.

“Grandfather!” Adara shouted and fell across him crying.

Her grief hadn’t lasted long when loud pounding came at the door.  Tita turned and

started growling menacingly, her fur standing on end and her ears back.  Adara turned in time to see the door explode inward in a shower of wood and splinters.

A man rushed in and glared at her with red hate filled eyes.  He had pasty white skin

and wore torn, dirty clothing.  His hair was matted and filthy and he stank with the stench of decay and death.  What was strangest were the two pointed teeth protruding down from his mouth.

Adara stared at him with momentary fear and indecision.  Stepping around Grandfather’s bed, she backed up a step or two.  She stopped as the pendent started glowing bright green.

“Kill it with the moon blades Adara!” came a voice in her mind.  She didn’t stop to think about where the voice had come from as she reached for one of the shiny blades hanging from her belt.

“You are mine now girl!” hissed the voice of the white man with the red eyes.  “Come to me!”

“Kill it now!” yelled the voice in her head.  “It’s going to kill you!”

“No!” Adara yelled at the man through her tears.

Her hand flashed out and the moon blade flew.  Pointing her hand at the man’s chest, the blade hit with a thud, entered and disappeared.  The man stopped short and looked in shock at his chest.  Clawing at his clothing, he bellowed in pain and sudden fear.  Then he exploded with a dull thumping sound and pieces of bone, blood and gore scattered around the room.

The moon blade returned to Adara, who still stood holding her hand out.  She looked in shock at what had happened to the man and didn’t know what to do.  She had forgotten Grandfather’s instructions to run.

“Run Adara, run now!” said the voice  “More of them are coming.”