Chapter 37

Hyathom turned to the remaining three women, “Well, I guess I’ll be going. It’s been fun!”

With no pause, the nereid dove into the pool. She disappeared into the water, leaving not a ripple.

Sylphonia turned to her comrades, “I don’t know about you, but I am bushed. Walking almost ten miles in one day has got me worn out. I need to rest before we set out again.

May let out a sigh, “God, yes! I was about to beg you for a rest.”

Bonnie shrugged, “I don’t feel so bad. I guess the leg strength I got from my gymnastics is still good for something.”

“Henry forbade us from returning to your home realm until we meet Woodbind. That means we can’t take the shortcut again.”

The apprentice nodded, “I’d already figured that out.”

The three pulled out the thin padded sheet that was all the bedding they could fit in their backpack, and put them on the hard rock floor.

“At least the temperature is pleasant,” said May. “It would be horrible to be naked and shivering all night.”

Sylphonia smiled, “Oh, there are places of great heat and bone-chilling cold here in the Twilight Realm. None of them are close to Avalon, though...”

The apprentice interrupted, “And I know there is no true night here. But you know what I mean.”

The three laid their thin mattresses on top of each other, making for a serviceable padding on the hard surface. May and Bonnie laid down on the mattress, embracing each other. Bonnie nestled her head between the sister slave’s breasts. Sylphonia spooned the other two, wrapping her long legs around them.

“Will we be disturbed while we sleep?” asked Bonnie.

“Not likely,” said Sylphonia. “I have a camouflage spell over the entrance. Only the people I approve can see through it. It is my private retreat.”

Soon, they were all sound asleep.

Sometime later, May woke to the heavenly sensation of someone eating out her pussy. She moaned and opened her eyes. Looking down, she saw Bonnie between her legs. “Ohh, yeah that’s nice!” she moaned.

The petite blonde gymnast smiled and sped up the pace of her lapping.

May arched her back, coming hard and fast. Her eyes bugged out with her mouth wide open. She didn’t breathe for about a minute.

She finally laid back down on the thin mattress, gasping for breath. “Wow!” the apprentice cried out, “Where did you learn that?”

Bonnie smiled broadly, “Sylphonia taught me.

“She recently pointed out that you have been working hard, risking your life to save mine. I just wanted to thank you.”

May deflected her thanks, “It has been way too long since I have melded with you. Would you mind sharing what you learned?”

“Not at all.”

“Speaking of Sylphonia, where is she?”

Bonnie shrugged, “She went outside a few minutes ago.”

Almost on cue, the high elf returned, “Things have shifted a little, but not too much.”

“How long have we been asleep?” asked May.

Sylphonia shook her head, “I don’t know. Who cares? If we could see the horizon I would be able to approximate, but not in the forest.”

The two humans opened their backpacks and ate from their supplies of food and water. They then raided the one that Henry had left behind, replenishing their stockpile.

When they were ready, the elf witch led them out, “We are going to go a different route. Woodbind lives in a different section of town, and Avalon’s position has rotated slightly.”

“How can you tell that?” asked May.

Sylphonia shrugged, “I just can.”

With the elf leading, they took off into the wild, heading off toward the right of their original path.

The long-legged guide effortlessly stepped over the low bushes, while the much shorter girls had to beat their way through.

Fortunately, after a few hundred yards, Sylphonia led them to a well-worn path, that was obviously used by more than just animals.

As they followed the trail, sounds could be heard from the shadowy forest; laughing, taunting and moaning. Flashes of light briefly illuminated the shadows, showing what seemed like mounds of jewels and gold.

“Ignore them,” said Sylphonia. “It’s just those damn pixies and sprites. Stay on the trail and you won’t be tricked by their illusions.”

Eventually, another trail joined theirs, and the path became even clearer.

“We haven’t met anyone else,” said Bonnie.

“Well, this isn’t a major road. If today were a market or festival day, it would be packed.”

May changed the subject, “So, how well do you know this Woodbind fellow.”

The elf shrugged, “About as well as everyone else in Avalon who has never met him.”

“You’ve never met him?!” exclaimed Bonnie.

“He is a recluse and a thoroughly unpleasant man. He is said to hate his fellow elves.”

“But you know where he lives,” said Bonnie, hopefully.

“I know the region. I think if I talk to some of the people nearby, I’ll find out.”

May stared at her in disbelief, “You are not exactly filling us with confidence.”

“He is a powerful mage, who very famous, but likes his privacy. But I know how to find people in Avalon. Trust me.”

The two girls stared at each other and shrugged. They had come this far. There was no going back.

After several miles, Sylphonia said, “We’re almost there.”

Indeed, just ten yards ahead, the road turned, then opened up into the silverwood city of Avalon.

It looked much like the part of the city they were in before, except there was a large pond about a hundred yards away. Beside the water was a moderate-sized tree with roots jutting into the pond. A narrow stair spiraled up the side.

“Woodbind is said to live near that tree,” said the high elf.

Walking around the base, they found that a business, which looked like a stable, was on the far side.

“That’s an inn for centaurs,” said Sylphonia. “You stay here, and I’ll talk to the owner.”

From a distance, May and Bonnie watched their guide talk to a rather muscular centaur. The elf ended up giving him a bag that could have coins in it. Soon afterward, she returned to the girls.

“The innkeeper said Woodbind lives up the tree. Go to the second bridge up; then, instead of continuing up, look for a camouflaged ledge to the left. Follow that ledge and you’ll find Woodbind’s home.”

May nodded, “Sounds easy enough. Let’s go”

“Oh, I’m not going with you,” said Sylphonia.

“What? Why?” exclaimed both girls at once.

“Look at those stairs. They’re way too narrow for someone of my size. Trying to climb them is a sure deathtrap.

“Besides, Woodbind hates elves. I think you’ll do better dealing with him without me.”

May nodded, “You may be right. Let’s go, Bonnie.”

The stairs started by the inn’s entrance and went up in a counterclockwise direction. The two girls found the steps too small to take one at a time, but too long to go up skipping a step. Also, the stairs were too narrow for comfort. The higher up they went, the more they were scared. The two wound up ascending with their backs against the massive tree trunk.

By the time they’d reached the first bridge, about a hundred yards up, they started seeing large branches with leaves on them. It turned out that half of the leaves were not silver, but all of them were green on one side and covered with silver glitter on the other.

“So pretty!” said Bonnie stepping toward a branch, “I think I’ll pick one as a souvenir.”

“Don’t!” exclaimed May. “One thing I learned in studying the Faerie Realm, is that most of its inhabitants love and protect their trees. If you find one on the ground, fine. But don’t do anything that the locals would count as harming.”

Bonnie took a step back, “I understand.”

The second bridge was another fifty yards up, and was pointed in a completely different direction from the first. Looking around, the naked girls found the camouflaged ledge that led around the trunk. The ledge was only half as wide as the stairs, so May and Bonnie inched along with great care.

They finally came to a door, with four panes of glass, that was arched at the top. The glass panes were covered with curtains, though a warm golden glow could be seen coming through.

May sighed and knocked on the door.

A reply came faintly, from deep inside, “Go away. I am not buying anything today.”

“We’re not selling anything,” called May. “We are seeking the services of the great sorcerer Woodbind.”

The curtains rustled slightly, though no one could be seen. The voice came back louder than before, “Humans? Just a minute.”

The two waited ten minutes before the door opened. An old brown elf opened the door. He was three feet tall, bald, with just a fringe of white hair around the back of his head. He sported a white goatee and thick white eyebrows. He had a wrinkled swarthy face and a long nose that stuck out. His eyes were brown, and sparkled with intelligence. “This is a rare treat. Please come in.”

The doorway was so low, May’s hair brushed against the top of the arch. “You are the sorcerer Woodbind?” she asked.

He shook his head, “I am nothing so grand. Just call me Woodbind.”