Dave Collyn
And
The Library of the Elves
BY
G.L. Anderson
For Nicole…
Title: Dave Collyn And The Library of the Elves
Copyright © G.L. Anderson, 2018
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.
Dave Collyn And The Library of the Elves / by
G.L. Anderson
ISBN: 978-1-7327008-0-2
When tranquility reigned in the ancient, cloudy, and mysterious town of Nedvelyn, the Collyn family, in search of new amusements during a weekend, met with magical and unexpected events in a cabin at Londley Lake, where for the first time, and coming from the light, they saw a strange and small being, which skin radiated a natural glow, and who would become a new member of the family. Years later, that little adventurer, in the company of his brothers Etan and Eduart, would dispute fun Lacrosse matches and would show his strange and almost magical abilities, leaving stunned all spectators and causing some fainting to Mrs. Sara and causing some concerns to Mr. Roy. The group would join Grandfather Etan, a wise man and with a good sense of humor, with whom they would share fun but dangerous adventures, as when they entered the dark room in the Library of the Elves, with a single goal: to maintain the balance of the seal of the three prisms, magical chambers beyond the Lowlands, which protect and maintain the balance between good and evil.
Contents
1.
A new member arrives in the family
2.
A strange feeling on the damp field
3.
The flight of a cocoon
4.
The flaccid dagger
5.
The Valley of Shadows
6.
The appetizing lunch of Grandfather Etan
and the magic pie
7.
The secret of Grandfather Etan
8.
A visit in the dark
9.
Oh Estevan, from a gentle punishment to
a pull of ears!
10.
A bad omen and the book Yurak
11.
With a cloak and without a cloak between
confused walls
12.
The key of dreams and the door of deceit
13.
The Ocripsol Rocks
14.
Tremors in the cavern
15.
The Library of the Elves
1.
A new member arrives in the family
On Lake Londley, just outside the town of Nedvelyn, as happened twice a month, the Collyn family was unloading their suitcases for a fun Saturday of camping.
It was a wonderful summer day. The ground was dressed with short grass dampened by the morning dew. Colorful lilies, carnations and clovers paraded far and wide of that clearing, ending their journey on the sides of the lake, where small bushes showed their short branches covered with tiny white flowers. From time to time, the flowers opened at the visit of the tiny rays of sunlight breaking through the huge pines around, conceiving to all that sight a somewhat magical and mysterious aspect. There, the only thing that was heard was the buzz of the bees and the hummingbirds flying over the nectar-rich flowers.
In that blue sky were small white and gray clouds, to which the little five-year-old twins, Eduart and Etan Collyn, having already gotten out of the car, assigned names according to their shapes.
Noon shows its most radiant light.
It had been about twenty minutes since her arrival in paradise,
as Mrs. Sara Collyn called it. She was there so that she could rest from her difficult job as a teacher of mathematics at the Gartenliss School, the only school around Nedvelyn, and which, for some strange reason, had that particular name; she did not know the story of its origin.
Mrs. Sara Collyn was a tall, thin woman, jovial in appearance and a lover of nature. What she always did after arriving at her favorite place was to take one of those flowers and inhale its delicious and natural aroma, while Mr. Roy Collyn was dedicated to observe his beloved wife. For him, there was nothing more beautiful than to witness how the surprising cold breeze lifted her abundant golden hair, and how the blue color of her eyes contrasted with the crystalline waters of the lake.
The sound of a lament was heard, calling everyone's attention and interrupting the deep sleep of Grandfather Etan Collyn, who was still scattered in the back seat of the car. They laughed long and hard. Mr. Roy, who was completely distracted as he contemplated his wife, had dropped a suitcase on one of his feet and jumped over the other. Luckily it had only been a small blow.
Grandfather Etan Collyn was a tall man, with gray hair and such a long mustache that it twirled on his rosy cheeks. His gray beard stretched almost to his navel. He was characterized by a joyful yet mysterious spirit and he was the only one who did not share the idea of serenity that existed in the mysterious lake.
He always said, These forests and those distant mountains! … I better shut up!
There was a pause because Mrs. Sara, with a frown, gave him a fixed look and, at the same time, she answered the unfinished sentences of the old man ...
Grandpa, please do not scare the twins again. The last time that we came they had trouble sleeping.
There was a sly giggle from his closed mouth, while watching from the corner of the eye and continued with his mischief: It was not my fault, it was not my fault …
Nobody ever knew the age of this mysterious old man, not even his son, Mr. Roy.
Ignoring all that little talk, the grandfather with his cane jumped out to where the mischievous twins were. He got them confused since they always wore the same outfit. Inside he thought: It would be a good idea to put a colored ribbon to differentiate them.
Then, again, the funny laugh was heard.
After unloading all their luggage, Mr. Roy announced them with a resounding tone…
It is time to leave for our cabin!
The twins were the first to rush to the small dock in front of them, followed by the grandfather, who complained about not being able to continue their march.
Eduart, Etan, well — you — wait for me!
he shouted.
The two little ones were identical to their mother in their blue eyes and blonde hair, but not in their character. Eduart was the opposite of Mrs. Sara. He was always aiming to make his brother cry, playing pranks from to time to time.
They arrived at the small old dock that exhibited some broken boards. Together with it, there were two boats that had badges already almost erased by time. In one of them one could read a name: The Knight of the night.
Mr. Roy, according to his nature, devoted himself to listening and observing, whistling a melody, while his red face reflected the effort he made when putting the suitcases in the boats, since he was the strongest of all. Unlike the others, he did not have a single hair on his head. Chatting was not his strength. On the contrary, he expressed his emotions mostly with graceful gestures, as when his black eyes danced when committing a clumsiness at which others laughed.
"Everything is ready! It's time to board The Knight of the Night and leave!
Father — please — sail in the other boat with the suitcases,
Mr. Roy told his father kindly, but with excitement.
The cabin was located almost in the middle of the lake, in an extension of forest that stood out forming a kind of peninsula, and which could be only reached by navigating, since crossing the forest was an almost impossible task to achieve. Luckily, it was not so far away, so it was only a question of paddling a couple of hours to get to their cabin.
They started their journey.
The grandfather had lagged behind, since it was difficult for him to keep up with the rowing rhythm of his son. He turned his gaze to a mountain white as snow in winter, and of which only part could be seen, since the summit was covered by a thick accumulation of gray clouds, illuminating itself from time to time by flashes of lightning. His eyes shone like never before. It was a look of astonishment and concern at the same time. His skin bristled as he felt the cold drops splashing on his arms when rowing. With a movement of denial, he wanted to look away, but a sense of fear invaded his body. He knew something was wrong. He had a bad feeling and he asked himself: Could it be only strange thoughts of my tired mind?
Mrs. Sara, aboard The Knight of the Night, had to make an effort to carry Etan, who as was the custom, had been overcome by sleep. Eduart seemed impressed by the blackness of the forest and by the sounds that came from it as they approached the cabin.
Mr. Roy, with his out of tune voice, made the attempt to sing one of his improvised songs: Sailing, sailing, is the most precious thing that the lake has been able to give me! ...
When his memory did not help him find more verses, he only whistled very excitedly.
When he realized that his father was barely visible in the distance, he decided to pause, although the weight of Etan made Mrs. Sara protest because she was not very convinced of this idea.
Roy, let’s get to the cabin, please!
Many paddles later, they arrived at their destination.
Between unbalanced maneuvers, Mr. Roy tried to hold the boat to the dock, achieving it after a few attempts.
His family had landed.
Eduart, restless as ever and seeing a swing hanging on one of the low branches of the old oak tree next to the cabin, hurried out with the intention of swinging.
This is one of the best views that can exist on earth!
Mr. Roy shouted loudly while standing on the creaking boards of the new jetty, and he was not wrong. In front of him, a few kilometers away, could be seen a beautiful plain landscape, but more in the background, there was a small intermittent red light that was one of the signals from the antennas of Nedvelyn.
Unlike his father and Eduart, Mr. Roy did not care about the gigantic Cloud Mountain, and much less the Black Forest, as they used to call it.
Son — help me — this old man cannot do it anymore!
replied the old man with a frown and his beard tangled in the oar, while he approached without stopping to blink, because the afternoon threatened to disappear.
Having unloaded everything, they went into the cabin. This was something mysterious. According to Eduart, It had a great similarity to the witches' houses he saw in cartoons.
That small house was surrounded by huge trees that covered it with their shadows, creating a spooky touch.
Who happens to come to spend a weekend in a place like this? And even closer to —
exclaimed the grandfather, who immediately realized that he was talking more than he should.
Installed in the cabin, the grandfather and his son Roy, sitting like kings in some wooden chairs located in the surroundings, tasted the delicious chocolate flavored smoke through their ivory pipes, which were so long that on many occasions the grandfather would fall asleep and scorch part of his gray beard.
Eduart was chasing a green frog, perhaps with the intention of playing a joke on his brother or his grandfather.
When the first signs of gray smoke began to appear through the chimney, Grandfather Etan and Mr. Roy, who were making smoke rings, showed faces of enthusiasm because there was no doubt that Mrs. Sara was preparing dinner.
A few minutes later they smelled the delicious aroma of baked turkey and plum cake.
My favoriteeee …!
shouted Mr. Roy in a rhythmic and high tone.
The grandfather, who was at Mr. Roy side, lifted his mustache and delivered between teeth, Like his mother — the food is his weakness.
The adventure full of strange and magical events began right after everyone tasted the delicious dinner.
In a social gathering, as they used to have after an appetizing meal, the main theme was this time: the amazing talent of Etan. Mrs. Sara started the gathering.
My little one, it's time for you to tell everyone what you can do.
Eduart kept muttering: If crying is a talent, then Etan would already have a few prizes for that.
The grandfather, who heard it, laughed, holding his hands to his mouth so as not to make so much noise, as he said: And if your pranks were a gift, I would have crowned you saint.
Mrs. Sara was so excited about her little boy's discovery, that she did nothing but cut their giggles ...
Just wait and watch what Etan is able to do —
Between short jumps, Etan got up placing himself in the center of the gathering. He spread his legs, sitting on the grass. Then, between strange contortions, he showed his marked flexibility, leaving them astonished. The applause of his mother followed by those of Mr. Roy and his grandfather, deafened Eduart, who was still murmuring.
Mr. Roy boasted, saying, That’s my son — little Collyn!
Etan seemed distracted. In the blink of an eye, he found himself walking towards the back of the cabin, where he thought he saw something.
Son, what are you doing? Come and finish your act. I do not want you to be like your grandfather, who starts something and usually never ends it.
Everyone laughed, while Mrs. Sara headed towards the place. As she approached, she heard Etan's voice ...
Hello, how are you? What's your name?
With a worried face, she quickened her pace. The intrigue of observing who was talking to her little one was noticeable in her walk. To her surprise, when she turned the corner of the cabin, she could only see Etan.
Who were you talking to? What were you saying? They must be my ideas!
she murmured.
It was getting dark. Mrs. Sara, still with the idea hovering in her head, decided it was time to go in and get settled, since the next day they would go fishing, something that fascinated Mr. Roy.
Nobody knew what that cold night held for them.
It was past seven. The night had shown its sudden darkness. In the distance, the scattered clouds began to discover the starry sky. That was something that Etan and Eduart could never fail to appreciate, because ever since they can remember, in Nedvelyn, instead of stars were thick clouds covering the sky.
The twins, who shared the room with Grandfather Etan, could not stop looking through the window facing the cottage garden, while the moonlight, coming through it, reflected the intense blue of their eyes and made their shadows extended and curved on the wooden walls.
The glow of two oil lamps and the tiny lunar rays were the only things that illuminated the place.
Everything seemed to be very quiet, even though the little Etan was alarmed by the resonant songs of crickets and frogs that could be heard almost upon him, while they were giving small improvised jumps, but he calmed down when he heard the voice of his grandfather.
Do not fear because it's just the frogs that come out to feed themselves and make their sounds to communicate with each other.
Eduart, suddenly shouting, interrupted the old man's words: Grandpa! Look, Grandpa — Etan — a comet!
The grandfather went to the window and saw a light in the sky, although according to his perception, It seemed everything, except what Eduart thought,
because the slow movement and especially the strange stele were different from those of all the comets he had witnessed in his long life.
A cold breeze through the grooves of a broken window that was a few inches above the lower window, brushed the wrinkled face of the old man, bristling at the skin and hairs on the back of his neck. He had a strange feeling, similar to when he had rowed towards the cabin.
Mrs. Sara, who heard Eduart's shouting, got up quickly and ran to the door of the room, opening it without first knocking. The sound of the hinges without lubrication invaded the enclosure, making everyone inside of it jumped with fright. Etan, who did not expect much to be alarmed, began to whimper.
I'm just me! I'm just me!
said his mother, with the intention of excusing herself, while reprimanding Eduart.
You — stop screaming — there are people who want to rest!
Yes mother — I'm sorry! It's just that we saw a comet in the sky!
he apologized.
Eduart had the ability to manipulate with his innocent faces of a good boy, so that his mother, despite his misbehaving, pampered him as if nothing had happened.
Once everyone was calm, they realized that their grandfather was not in the room.
While sitting on Eduart's bed, they decided to contemplate the sky, when in the darkness, they saw a white figure on the dock, holding a small light. Then they got immediately alarmed.
Mrs. Sara, in the face of the commotion, decided to go to the room where she was sleeping, with the intention of calling Mr. Roy, who was snoring deeply. She could not wake him up, even though she was sprinkling some drops of cold water on his chin. Then, she placed a feather on his nose, a trick that always worked and sometimes the only way to wake him up. The tickle produced by the feather made him sneeze so hard, that his own noise woke him up almost immediately.
What happened? What happened? ... Where am I?
Being sleepily, these were the words of Mr. Roy as a result of the infallible tactic of his wife.
Once awake, he could see his wife and children staring at him with their pale faces. Inside he thought: If there was a possibility that they had seen a ghost, or if it was just one of those nightmares where I felt I was awake.
Mrs. Sara, stammering, gave him to understand, that what he was thinking was not completely outlandish and isolated from reality, On the dock ... pier ... pier!
What's going on?
he asked.
There is someone on the dock!
Mrs. Sara exclaimed.
Mr. Roy jumped up, looked in the closet for an old and rusty shotgun, which would only serve to scare someone, because of how old it was. Even he doubted that anything could come out of its barrel, except dust and one or two insects.
They moved to the room of the twins to observe through the window, but they did not see or hear anything. Even the song of the insects and frogs had disappeared. There was a deep silence. They only watched as the parts of the trees illuminated by the reflection of the moon, moved by the breeze that had begun to blow.
Mr. Roy, who almost did not speak, this time seemed mute. And, my father?
he asked as he made his way to the front door, followed by the others.
They stopped immediately when they saw that it was open.
Go back — I’ll go forward,
he said, with a trembling voice.
His hands could barely hold the old shotgun, as nerves had caused his visible effect. With several unsuccessful attempts, he managed to remove the sharp drops of sweat that ran along the curves of his soaked face and eyes, at the same time that his awkward feet, in the midst of the darkness, stumbled over one of the toys of the twins. That made his skin bristle even more. Then, out of nowhere, a white figure with a light laying right in front of them was about to cross the door.
Everyone was alarmed and shouted again.
In the midst of the commotion, they realized that the figure on the dock was the grandfather in his white robe. The old man raised the chandelier and illuminated the pale and sweaty faces, which were slowly recovering the color.
Now, the surprised one was him. He was startled to see that Mr. Roy had his old shotgun in his hands.
Put that away, Roy! You do not want to get the attention of the —!
said the worried voice of the old man.
This is one of those nights in which one would have preferred to be far from these places. That comet attempt was a signal, it was not just a coincidence that it happened and it stopped for a moment and then continued on its way,
he continued. At the same time, he turned his gaze towards the lake.
What were you doing on the pier at this time father? You almost killed us with a scare!
growled Mr. Roy.
It is better to die of a scare and not fall into the wrong hands!
he answered, still chattering ...
My father in times of peace said, This place kept many secrets and curses.
The grandfather lowered the chandelier and stopped illuminating their faces. He seemed worried, but the others did not understand why, so they ignored the matter and went back to their beds.
The calm, according to the perception of Mr. Roy and Mrs. Sara, had come again. It seemed that the night would continue its course, without giving more surprises.
It was after nine. The twins were not sleepy. Mrs. Sara, for being on vacation, and knowing that the next day they would not have to go to school, let them sleep a little later. Unlike the others, she was lying on her bed, next to the light of an oil burner that illuminated half of the mask she wore every night, while smiling at the beginning of the first lines of her new book.
Grandpa, could you play your old guitar? I want to listen to a beautiful melody,
Etan asked, sitting on his bed.
The grandfather picked up his black suitcase, and dusting off his old guitar, cleared his throat to start Etan's favorite tune: The fish that flew. What Etan enjoyed most, besides his song, was when the old man's beard got tangled in the strings of the guitar and he stumbled trying to break loose.
Eduart was still kneeling and leaning against the window, pressing his nose against the transparent glass. From there, he could see the intermittent red lights of Nedvelyn's antennae. Something surprised him immediately, for he jumped to his feet on the bed. Suddenly, he could observe a series of lightning bolts in the distance, which rose and exploded in the air, giving way to a set of lights. Determined not to make another scandal, he whispered, calling the attention of his companions, who joined him in a flash.
Great heavens! — Fireworks!
announced the old man, caressing his beard and bowing his head, while raising his eyebrows with air of surprise.
"It is the beginning of The Fair of the Gnomos, he continued, at the same time that he explained to them:
This was the name of a recent amusement park that was in Nedvelyn and that started right with the school holidays."
Etan completely forgot about the guitar and together with his brother, he observed the wonderful play of colors of different sizes that truncated the sky.
For discouragement of all, the fireworks began to be seen less and less, and not because it had ended the feast of the fair which began so far, but by a mysterious cluster of flashing clouds that approached the cabin, covering and darkening everything in its path.
The starry sky had disappeared. The old man, overwhelmed, thought within himself: The magnitude of the storm that was coming.
There is something weird! The clouds are very low and there are no thunder sounds!
Again the whispers, this time with a tone of concern, were heard from between his teeth.
If there was something that characterized the grandfather when he was very worried, it was his wrinkled face, his frown more than normal and his lifted mustache, not to mention the continuous caresses of his beard, as if in some way that made his concentration not be lost before the curious questions of the twins.
Something more than a simple thought invaded his mind, because it was not normal for his hands to tremble as much as at that time. His pale face, as white as snow, announced that something somewhere was not quite right.
For the first time, Etan did not cry, but he was attentive with his brother.
As the mantle of clouds extended, all traces of light disappeared with it. That immense black shadow filled the place with silence.
As if things threatened to get worse, over the Lake began to appear a white dense fog, which seemed to extend in the same direction of the cabin.
Once the sky was completely covered, all was darkness and a deep silence. Through the window, it could only be seen as the reflection of the light of the two oil burners, crossing and illuminating part of the mist. Nobody uttered a word.
The twins, in the middle of the confusion, only crossed their eyes. Before their curious and bulging eyes, there lay something that until now was new to them. Never in their short lives had they seen anything similar.
The old man, who stood behind them with his arms folded back and his eyes fixed on the wall, where one of the chandeliers rested, muttered something that the others could not understand: Per vitro cut a gul pur fis lecur. He repeated it again and again, losing his breath, until in a moment nothing was heard.
Mrs. Sara, who a few minutes ago had started her new book, The Adventures of Crisantinus the Giant, was almost asleep, with the book open on the side of the bed, not realizing the darkness that had just flooded the room, while the chandelier in her room gave the last attempts to keep lighting, consuming the scarce drops of oil that were left.
From their room, the twins could hear in the distance a strange buzzing, similar to that of the bees that flew over the flowers near the old pier. This sound was getting louder and louder, calling their attention. Suddenly, in the middle of the mist, the presence of a
