A cool wind blew through the trees and caused the colorful leaves to shake. In late September this was nothing unusual. Shivering, Tilly pulled the brown cloak closer to her body. The slim eighteen years old girl with the long straw-blonde hair and the clear blue eyes at the moment passed through a sunken road covered with trees on both sides. The young woman wasn’t alone. In her company there was a big black stallion with clever dark eyes from whose back she had dismounted because her bottom hurt from hours of riding to say the least. This steed with which she traveled cross-country over the whole peninsula of the kingdom of Seathornia since more than seven years was no ordinary horse though. No, the beast known as Domhnull was an each-uisge, an actually man-eating water horse that wasn’t only able to speak human language – at least the one common in Seathornia – but also could take human shape.

“Tilly, come here and stay absolutely quiet.” the black horse demanded with a dark voice. He appeared to have sensed something that worried him.

Tilly didn’t talk back and followed the instruction. In their years together she had learnt to trust the each-uisge who would have posed a deadly threat for every other human. Soon steed and rider squeezed themselves into the shadow of the sunken road, anxious to attract as little attention as possible.

Suddenly the trees cracked in the distance. A gigantic, heavily built figure nosed itself through the spruce trees at the wayside, dragging several trees splintering to the ground in the process. The abhorrently hideous face of this creature had a big mouth full of sharp fangs. For a short moment the monster lingered and audibly sucked air through its big nostrils. Then it moved on though, to Domhnull’s and Tilly’s complete relief.

“Good gods!” the each-uisge exclaimed “Of all things an ogre! There’s no way I would have expected one here.”

Tilly still heard her heart beating like crazy in her ears. The girl was absolutely happy that the ogre had moved on, for tender young girls like her were its favorite food as is commonly known. She seemed to have completely forgotten that Domhnull was a man-eater himself. Soon the two friends continued their way as they wanted to reach the next place before nightfall if possible.

After the almost-encounter with the ogre everything seemed like it was jinxed. The more the water horse and the young woman tried to leave the forest, the more they got into it. Soon afterwards they didn’t quite know anymore where they came from and to where they wanted to go. In the meantime the sun had nearly set beyond the horizon and with the incoming darkness the cold of an autumn night spread over the forest. By that time the two estrays resigned themselves that they likely had to spend the night in the woods and had proceeded to look for a good resting spot for the night, but that too didn’t seem so easy to find.

Suddenly in short succession a capital stag and an elegant white horse broke forth from the undergrowth. On the steed there sat a gorgeous woman in a long green dress, a quiver with arrows on her back, and a bow in her hand. Her flowing golden blonde hair framed her spotless fair face like a veil of golden weave and her forest-green eyes appeared to know countless mysteries. The most conspicuous, however, surely were her long pointed ears that revealed the lady doubtlessly as an elf. Surprised, the two steeds and their riders looked silently at each other for a while, and then the beautiful stranger burst into a high, clear laughter. In the meantime the stag escaped unimpeded.

“Domhnull, that I would meet you here!” the elf said with a broad smile “How long has it been? Eighty years? A hundred years?”

“Nicnevin, just my luck.” the each-uisge replied who didn’t seem to share the excitement of his acquaintance.

“Oh don’t say that, Dommy!” Nicnevin complained poutingly.

Domhnull demonstratively turned his head away from her.

After she realized that her discontent had no effect on the black horse, the elf did as if nothing had ever happened. Only then she really seemed to notice the human girl on the back of the water horse.

“You don’t say!” the elf woman exclaimed “I never would’ve thought that I would ever see the day you wouldn’t treat humans just as food, Dommy.”

Meanwhile Tilly who didn’t like the obvious closeness between the stranger and the each-uisge observed the whole occurrence. Since the young woman had more than just friendly or family feelings for the black horse, she felt the worm of sorrow and jealousy gnawing away at her heart. But it was quite difficult to not fall for the water monster that had not only given her a new life but also was also downright attractive in its human shape, for he appeared as a handsome black-haired man of about twenty years dressed in a fine black garment.

Finally Nicnevin turned to the girl, who remained completely as observer, and spoke: “Hello, I’m Nicnevin. Dommy here and I know us quite a while. If he should’ve wronged you, for instance making you his walking fresh meat stock, don’t hesitate to confide in me.” At the same time she gave the girl a radiant smile that seemed to strongly dazzle her even in the twilight of the evening forest.

“I… I am Tilly.” The human woman introduced herself, overwhelmed by the elf’s friendliness and excessive familiarity. “You have a misunderstanding. Domhnull is my savior!” No sooner than Tilly had said that, she blushed embarrassedly.

“Tilly then.” the elf acknowledged with an exaggerated nod “My mistake, my mistake. I knew it that old Dommy was a good sort inside. You also don’t need to be so stiff, girl. Just speak with ease. Now it crosses my mind… What do you two actually do in the woods at this time? Somewhat brisk, don’t you think?”

“We’re lost.” Domhnull hissed with clenched teeth as if it was the biggest imaginable disgrace.

“Oh, you’re lost!” Nicnevin exclaimed with a broad grin, happy to be able to rub it in to the water horse as well. She knew the each-uisge’s pride just too well. “Well, then come to my place. I insist!”

“If you say your place, are you thinking of Elfame then?” the black horse inquired warily.

“Elfame? Of course!” the elf replied “Where should we go otherwise if not to Elfame?”

“Oh please not!” Domhnull moaned. But he still had to submit to his acquaintance’s vigor. He surely wouldn’t name her a friend.

While the each-uisge and the human girl followed the elf on her white horse – the latter was incidentally just an ordinary horse, probably slightly faster and more nimble-footed than one of human breeding but far from the water horse’s higher intellect – the former explained some things to the young woman on his back.

“Don’t be too surprised.” he spoke “Elfame, where Nicnevin is bringing us, is the big city of the elves which is hidden here in this forest. Elfame is surrounded by a barrier confusing the senses which also might be the reason why we couldn’t find our way anymore. That I didn’t think earlier about it! Well, now is too late anyway. Be that as it may, Elfame is inhabited by the elves. Like the name already tells. And those elves have a Queen who is nobody else than our frivolous Nicnevin up ahead. A little more majestic behavior couldn’t hurt her. I’d rather not tell you how we‘ve met. Believe me, I am very reluctant to remember it.”

Tilly was flabbergasted. Never ever she would have thought that the cheerful elf could have been somebody of such importance. And that their destination, Elfame, was the legendary city of elves, left her speechless no less. It hadn’t happened very often that the nation of elves, preferably living among themselves, invited a human to its realm. How often this had happened in the previous millennia could easily be counted on two hands if not one hand alone was already enough for this.

Soon afterwards Elfame came in sight. The city was surrounded by a high palisade trench but even so it could easily be seen that many big trees stood inside of the enclosure. The guards opened the gates willingly for their Queen and her guests. The spacious premises of Elfame were characterized on one hand by big green hills, on the other hand by the trees visible earlier already, the trunks of which were significantly thicker and higher although they belonged to the same species as other trees spread in Seathornia too. According to their respective preferences the elves lived either deep down inside of hills or high up in tree houses. Elegantly curved pathways spread between dwellings and elaborately arranged orchards and vegetable gardens. The horses and cattle of the elves were allowed to graze wherever they liked.

A horn signal announced the return of the Elf Queen. Nicnevin had gone for a ride to hunt for several days. Generally this somewhat special ruler liked to shirk responsibilities. Relieved, the elves came along to welcome the returning Monarch. Tilly was stunned by the view. The elves mostly clad in green but also in grey or brown were – except for some old people – really as beautiful as proverbially known. Nicnevin’s guests who strode along behind the Queen’s white horse – Domhnull had taken human shape to adhere to respect and walked alongside Tilly now – were welcomed favorably despite the ambiguous relations the elves had with humans. Even so the one or other elf pointed whisperingly at Domhnull. The each-uisge was well-known, no question. The inconspicuous, for human standards likely pretty but in presence of the elves plain looking girl drew less attention.

Later Nicnevin, Domhnull, and Tilly sat at a wooden table and had dinner. They had roast hare that the elf hat shot and cooked herself. She was indeed no orthodox Monarch. In addition there were various roots plus wild vegetables and as drink warm mead from the honey of forest bees Nicnevin had brewed herself. The dinner table of the Elf Queen at which a hundred men could comfortably sit on benches but where only three people sat at the moment – Nicnevin was single and went without the attendants that were actually due to her – stood in a large subterranean hall illuminated by a green magical light that didn’t seem to have a source. This hall was the stateroom of the royal abode which lay beneath the largest hill of Elfame located in its center. From the hall, further corridors branched off leading to the kitchen for example or to the private chambers of the Queen.

During the meal the house-owner grilled Tilly about her adventures. The young woman told about her happy childhood on a stud, how she had lost the mother early already and the father some years later, the latter in a big fire that also destroyed her home. She reported about how she had kept herself just about alive with begging and odd jobs, how she had met the each-uisge, how he had made a better life possible for her and how they had traveled through the country ever since.

“Poor you!” Nicnevin said, tears in her eyes. “So young and already suffered so much!” Then she turned to the water monster with a stern countenance. “Honestly, Dommy!” she scolded “How dare you to misuse such a young child as an emissary for your objectives? What the girl needs are regular conditions. I know, why don’t you simply keep living with me?” she suggested Tilly “Here you are save from all dangers, have a roof over your head, a soft bed for the night, and food and drink all you like. Then you can hang up the vagrant life for good.”

“As if I would consign Tilly to your care!” the each-uisge replied sarcastically “I can hardly entrust her to such a fickle person like you!”

Angrily the elf let fall her silverware, leaped up and suddenly embraced Tilly from behind, taking her under her wings more than just symbolically. “So says the one who thoughtlessly condemns a child to years of restless wanderings!” she riled.

“Oh yes?!” Domhnull shouted, got up as well and pulled on one of the girl’s arms to wrest her from the control of the elf. “What should I have done otherwise then, Miss Smart-aleck? Letting Tilly live with me in the lake is absolutely impossible and to simply leave her with strangers who could later treat her who-knows-how is also out of the question. If nothing else, Tilly had never complained that she would be unhappy with me!”

Only then the two squabblers realized that they pulled on the reason of their quarrel as if they tugged a rope although it was a living person. Immediately they let the girl go whose hair and clothes got completely muddled up. In spite of her pitiable sight the young woman was able to get a smile on her lips.

“I never was unhappy while I’ve traveled with you, Domhnull.” Tilly declared “Or if, then it was likely something I would’ve been just as unlucky about on my lonesome as well. In fact you have given me a new better life and therefore I am very grateful to you.” At these words the water monster looked at his rival with a satisfied but mocking smile. “But it is certainly true that I sometimes have wished that I could settle down somewhere.” Here the elf now stuck out her tongue provocatively at her opponent. “But above all I often have asked myself if you really are fine, so far away from your natural element. Don’t you really need the water as a water horse?” This touched both the each-uisge and the Elf Queen. As if on a collusion, they retreated to consult with each other. Tilly remained alone completely baffled, unsure if she had said something wrong.

The decision Domhnull and Nicnevin made was that they wanted to offer Tilly to settle down in Elfame. Admittedly the young woman wouldn’t be among her kind but she would be welcome. A friend of the Queen was a friend of all elves. The girl, when the proposal was presented to her, accepted gratefully, especially since the water horse she had feelings for after all declared he wouldn’t let her alone with the fickle elf. So began Tilly’s life in Elfame, the legendary city of elves, a new life that surely would bring many new adventures and experiences.