A/N: It's finally up! The new and improved version of 'Telrúnya'. Some chapters have had only a few, insignificant things changed, but some have had entire paragraphs deleted and rewritten. As such, it might be wise to read it again so that you're not confused! : ) I would appreciate it if those who have reviewed before would review again and tell me what they think. As always, suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome. I am sorry about Chapter 9, it will probably take awhile for me to post, as I have an awful case of writers block. Thank you all for listening to my rant, please enjoy the story!

Chapter 1

Telrúnya

It was night. A woman on a black horse was silently approaching the gate to the human port city of Seafaire. It seemed that all of her weariness and hunger, all her thirst and fatigue, lifted from her as her stunning sapphire eyes rested upon the outer walls. As she lifted her head to further survey the scene, her pale face was bathed in the light of the half moon that had just risen above the cold stone walls. The woman had traveled -and fought- long and hard to get to this human city. It had been extremely difficult, even for her, an experienced Moon Elf fighter/mage. Moon Elves did not usually associate with humans, but she was on a mission and had no choice.

As the woman got closer to the gate, a male voice reached her ears. "Who are ya and whaddya want?" The voice yelled.

Listen!" She said. "I will say this once. I am Telrúnya Ireth Moonbright, Princess of the Moon Elves. I've been traveling for weeks and fighting. If you do not open this gate right now, I will shoot you!"

Moon Elf Princess?!" Telrúnya heard the man breathe, awed. "Well, all right." He then shouted "Open the gate!"

"Finally!" Telrúnya said quietly to herself. She did not usually threaten people, but she was rather exhausted. As Telrúnya started again towards the gate she thought, I am surprised that the gatekeeper listened to me. I really could have shot him, though. It did not matter that it was dark, because all Elves had infravision.

Telrúnya rode through the wooden gate as it slowly creaked upwards and looked around. It was a typical port city. Houses, shops, taverns, blacksmiths, and such lined the cobbled roads. It was hard to believe that years ago the famous heroine, Ayla, fought the Great Battle here, on this very ground. Ayla was a Wood Elf. Wood Elves were the most common of Elves, but normally stayed in their forests. They had red or brown hair; green, blue, brown, or hazel eyes and most had slightly tanned skin. About one thousand years ago, when Seafaire was a simple village, she had defended it in the Great Battle against pirates. The pirates had probably come from one of the Kai islands, and had chosen Seafaire as the target for one of their many raids. They had not known that Ayla happened to be traversing there.

"Come, Shadow." Telrúnya said to her horse, a black Friesian. "We will ride to the nearest inn, then go see the Duke of Lilemore in the morning."

Lilemore was the country in which Seafaire was located. It wouldn't be polite, after all, to call on the Duke so late. As Telrúnya approached the tavern, The Mermaid's Tears, she dismounted and led Shadow to a copse of scrub oak trees.

"Stay here." She whispered. "Keep out of sight. Oh, and watch for the assassin who has followed us since we left the human country of Garl."

All of the horses from Umenelnána, the Moon Elf country, were very well trained, especially Shadow, because he was the horse of a princess. Telrúnya had received Shadow as a gift when she was 1,000 (Any horse owned by an Elf was enchanted to be immortal, just as it's owner.) and had trained him herself, as she was a master equestrian.

Friesians were always black. Sometimes, however, there was a white star on the forehead. They stood about 15 hands high at the shoulders and had a long thick mane and tail. The tail reached almost all of the way to the ground and the mane, about halfway. Friesians also had heavy feathering from the knee to the heel.

Though they looked wild, Friesians were quite docile and easy to manage. They had great constitution and excelled in the trot. They were also known for their intellect, and because Shadow was raised by Elves, he was exceptionally intelligent.

Telrúnya walked over to the Mermaid and opened its huge double doors. As she approached the counter to talk to the Bartender, she heard Shadow whinny. Telrúnya raced back to the doors and opened them, and then could see that the danger was not so very extreme. Apparently a human child had tried to steal her two swords and her shortbow and quiver, as well as her book of spells. Telrúnya looked towards the thief. He had bright red hair, a vast amount of freckles, and a very small nose. He was wearing filthy, brown leggings, a horridly disgusting shirt, (It used to be white.) and what used to be brown leather boots.

"Who do you think you are," began Telrúnya aggressively, striding towards him, "trying to steal my things?"

"It's none of your business, wench!" he stated, making a face.

"Oh, really!" She remarked with a smirk. "I was under the impression that you were stealing my things. Thus, it is entirely my business."

"Humph!" He said, frowning. "I think I'm Erc."

"I think that's better," Telrúnya replied with mock sweetness, "now tell me why you were trying to steal my things."

He stuck his tongue out at her but quickly withdrew it when her hand went to her hip were she always kept her favorite dagger. It dealt cold damage. She called it Frostsbite.

"Well," said Erc looking down at his torn and tattered boots, "I want to go to the city of Seren, to find my parents who went there to find a better life. They told me to stay here until they came back. They also said that if they did not come back within a year, I should go there. It's been a year, but I do not have money for a coach nor food for getting there on foot."

Ah yes, Seren, the city of the Lady of the Stars. It was supposed to be the most beautiful human thing in the realms. Humph, no wonder, the Elves and Dragons had helped build it. That was a long time ago, when there had been an alliance between the Dragons and humans as well as the Elves. Seren was on the way to the Dragon Realm. Maybe I will take him there, Telrúnya thought to herself, I have always loved children, even human children. But there is one thing...

"You mean to tell me that your parents left you in this huge city all by yourself?" Telrúnya queried, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, not exactly." Erc answered rather reluctantly. "They left me with a man who lived near us. But I didn't like him. He was always making me do lots of chores and eating healthful foods. I ran away." He finished sheepishly.

Telrúnya smiled. Those were the things that a human boy would run away for. "Well, boy!" She said with authority.

"Its Erc!" He muttered under his breath.

Telrúnya ignored him. "Well, boy!" she said with emphasis on the word 'boy.' "It just so happens that I'm on my way to a place beyond Seren. I could bring you along but, then again, why should I help you? You tried to steal my things."

"Oh, please, Miss, please." He said with longing.

"And suddenly I'm not a wench?" She inquired, now grinning.

"Oh." He said, crestfallen. Yet his hope was not fully extinguished. "I am truly sorry, Miss. May I ask your proper title?"

"You can just call me Telrúnya." She said laughingly. "Well then Erc, you may accompany me, but just as far as Seren."

"Oh, yes Miss Telrúnya, thank you Miss Telrúnya!" He said, grinning broadly.

"All right, follow me." Said she. "It's very late, I'll get you a room in the Mermaid's Tears, and I want you to stay there while I go and visit with the Duke tomorrow."

"Yes, Miss Telrúnya!" He responded, still grinning.

Telrúnya and her new companion walked together back into the Mermaid's Tears. It was really quite an extravagant place. Everything was mahogany, velvet, and jewel toned. Tapestries of ships, islands, seashores, and, obviously, mermaids adorned the walls. After appraising this, Telrúnya and Erc went over to the Bartender. She was a half Wood Elf named Ariathnyn. She looked askance at Erc's lack of cleanliness, but was won over by the gold that Telrúnya laid on the counter. Telrúnya and Erc ate and then Ariathnyn directed them to their adjoining rooms.

Erc was not happy when Telrúnya insisted upon his taking a bath, but when she threatened to "help" him, he disappeared into the waters of the large steaming tub in their suite. Telrúnya burned his clothes while he splashed, and by the time he came out, she had obtained for him a nightshirt and traveling clothes for the journey. After expressing his appreciation of the new things, Erc went promptly to sleep. Telrúnya was not long in joining him in the realm of dreams.

When Telrúnya awoke it was day. After warning Erc to stay in his room, and supplying him with enough breakfast treats to see that he did, she went out and got Shadow from the grove. Then she rode off to find the Duke. Telrúnya needed

to talk to the Duke before she went to the Dragon Realm because her father, Isilverin

King of the Moon Elves, had said that just making an alliance between the Dragons and

Moon Elves was too easy a task for her. Her father had not told Telrúnya what

this quest that the Duke needed accomplished was, but it was apparently sufficiently difficult to satisfy her fathers requirement that she prove herself to be worthy to succeed him as ruler.

As Telrúnya rode through the city her mind wandered. My country, Umenelnána. The full moon rising above my family's citadel in the trees, causing the leaves to glow silver. The river, Silver Quickening, running, forlornly, as always, next to my chambers. My brother, Korinar, leading a hunting party to go after the wild boar. My mother would be in her study, working at improving yet another spell. My father, here she laughed, my father would be in the glade, mesmerizing a group of children with his stories.

Telrúnya's father was a thief by trade, but definitely not in personality. His greatest pleasure was in telling stories to the children of Umenelnána. Her mother was a renowned sorceress, and her younger brother, a fighter.

After riding for about ten minutes, Telrúnya dismounted and approached an elderly woman standing at the side of the road and asked for directions to the Duke's castle. At first the woman just looked at her, as if she was insane, but then she replied softly that Telrúnya should "keep goin' straight." Telrúnya kept walking, leading Shadow and following the simple directions of the old woman to the castle, but when she reached it, she was surprised. Telrúnya had expected a small castle, but this... this was a simple house; grander and larger in appearance then the other homes in this city, but her Elven eyes could see that it was in no better condition.

Telrúnya left Shadow at the front of the path leading to the door, whispering in Elvish for him to stay there, then walked up the path and warily knocked. A young woman, presumably a maid, opened the door and stared at her. The maid was a pretty Halfling lass, she had middle length curly brown hair and a lovely, kind face.

"Is this the house of the Duke of this country?" Telrúnya asked in her most authoritative voice. The lass simply nodded, raising her eyebrows.

"May I speak to him?" Telrúnya asked in a kinder tone. The girl nodded again and made room for her in the doorway.

After Telrúnya was in and she closed the door the maid turned to her, and spoke in a soft and slightly Mara-turnian accented voice. Mara-turn was a Halfling country west of Lilemore. "Who may I say is calling?"

"Princess Telrúnya Ireth Moonbright." Said Telrúnya, stating her full name, so that when the Halfling lass told the Duke, he would know who she was and let her in right away. The maid nodded and then said in the same lilting voice "please, wait one moment." Then she disappeared through a doorway at the far end of the room, closing the door behind her. When she had gone Telrúnya did a quick inspection of her surroundings. It was even more shabby then the outside, but well kept.

Less then one minute later, the maid reappeared and bade Telrúnya follow her. She led her down a short staircase that ended at a door. The maid opened it and motioned for Telrúnya to go inside. She stepped in, and as her infravision adjusted, she saw that all there was in the tiny room was a bed and night table. Lying on the bed there was a man. This is the Duke, she thought to herself, Oh no!

Elves were immortal and Telrúnya was 1,723 years old, which made her about 17 by human calculation. The man before her was human, and he was old. Close to 90. No wonder the city was in a shambles.

Finally she spoke, "I am Princess Telrúnya Ireth Moonbright. May I be of service?"

"Hmmm." He mumbled something in an old, frail, raspy, slimy voice. Telrúnya shuddered. "For the past few months I have been fatally ill." He sounded plain evil. "During the time of my illness, Dragons have been seen in the sky. My son, Glenarth, disappeared the day after the last Dragon was seen."

"So," Telrúnya asked inquisitively, "you want me to find your son in the Dragon Realm?"

"To put it frankly, yes. He is the only heir to my city, and if he is dead, or if he dies, the city will fall to ruin."

To which Telrúnya silently muttered under her breath. "Not that it already hasn't!"

Telrúnya had always had a fondness for Dragons, ever since she was a little Elf maiden. She had always heard stories from the Elf Sage in her home of Newyllamornn. Newyllamornn was in the woods of Amorellstra in the country Umenelnána, where it was cool and crisp. In Umenelnána the trees and plants thrived on moonlight and cold. The plants rested during the day and fed during the night. The Moon Elves rested during the day and were active at night as well. It felt like it is always late autumn there. Generally, Moon Elves like the cold.

At the moment Telrúnya was in the dreadfully hot and airless country of Lilemore that bordered the ocean of Asforrah. She dearly loved it in Umenelnána, and she loved its people. Telrúnya was trying to finish her quest as quickly as possible so that she could get home. Upon the successful completion of her quest she would be crowned Telrúnya Ireth Moonbright, Queen of all Moon Elves in the realm of Cihamornah.

The Sage, Enwatari, had always said that the leader of the Dragons, Onyx, was the most powerful being in the realms. The Dragons had their own realm. It was called, rather obviously, The Dragon Realm.