Part Nine of Andra’s Story
and the Conclusion
Memorial and Resolve
Light seeped into the cave as early morning dawned upon the valley. Andra woke up as the warm light tickled her cheeks. Andra stretched as she took in a breath of fresh air from the dewy morning before her. She slowly sat up, her arms still wrapped around Gem, and took in her surroundings. She saw the body of the bear in the back of the cave and Alvar’s sleeping form across from her. Remembering everything that happened the night before, she felt the wound on her arm, and saw that the blood had dried on her bandage. When she found the pain from the echo was gone, Andra felt relief then suddenly she realized that she could embrace the new day, without fear of the shadows.
Looking towards Alvar’s sleeping form, Andra grew excited and said,
“ Alvar! Alvar wake up! It’s morning!”
When Alvar didn’t say anything, Andra crawled over to Alvar and nudged on him gently and said,
“ Come on, sleepy head!”
When he didn’t stir, Andra grew anxious.
“ Alvar?”
Hearing no response, Andra leapt over him and saw his face, and stopped. Before she even looked into his shadowvapor, she knew that he was gone. His face was still and his eyes were closed; the scars on his face were slack on the bones of his cheeks. Andra held back a sob as she looked into his shadowvapor, half hoping, and found nothing. No light, no darkness, just an empty body. Sobs started to overtake her as she grieved for the enemy she thought she would never care for. It surprised her at how much it hurt, and she realized that she really did care for him, despite everything they’ve been through. Andra was happy that he was at peace.
As she sat there and grieved for her friend, she placed a slender hand on his limp body, then softly cried for the fallen man as the sun rose golden over the mountain….
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A few weeks later, Loamnore’s government was in a shambles, the confidence in the Counsel was shaking, and Keefe Sencen was nowhere to be found. After the failure of the operation at Loamnore, the elven world had been holding it’s breath, waiting for the strike that would surely end their world as they know it.
Andra stood solemnly before a tree in the Wanderling Woods, donning a pastel green dress speckled with flowers gently blowing in the breeze. The tree before her blossomed with teal flowers atop a strong, sturdy trunk. Underneath a luscious, dark green canopy spreading widely across the forest floor stood a marker stating in delicate ornate runes, “ Alden Dedrick Vacker, beloved husband and father”. Even though he is still alive, Alden’s Wanderling will remain an ever constant reminder of how they had almost lost him all those months ago, and how fragile life really is.
Brushing back her intricate braid, Andra took from her brown satchel a small, wooden box, and opened it to reveal a tiny seed and a lock of dark brown hair. Taking out the seed and the hair, Andra solemnly walked to a spot a few feet away from Alden’s Wanderling. She dug a fist-sized hole, then set the seed reverently into the hole with the hair coiled around it, and smoothly covered it and prepared the elixir. Before she poured, Andra took a moment to remember the elf that passed away. She smiled as she remembered Alvar and all the fun times they had, as well as the lessons she had learned from him. Then she carefully poured the clear liquid onto the small mound and slowly backed away. The Wanderling at first was a small, frail shoot, and then it grew and became twice Andra’s height. The trunk widened and turned dark, it’s bark rugged and thick. It bore the same dark emerald leaves as Alden’s tree, blossoming dozens of bright teal blooms, then became a full luscious tree, it’s canopy wide and deep. When Alvar’s Wanderling came to it’s full height, it turned then towards his father’s Wanderling, and together, the two trees started to intertwine until they appeared as one massive canopy, forming a vivid blue arch before her eyes.
Amazed at the sight, Andra admired the two trees joyfully and calmly walked under the arch, admiring the bright blue flowers hanging above her. No one will ever know, but Andra will always know that Alvar Vacker still cared for his family, even to the end. Placing his silver flute at the base of his tree, Andra stepped back and made one final glance before wiping a tear away, then passed through the arch and strode back through the Wanderling Woods.
Pensively wandering along the quiet paths, Andra stayed silent until she turned to pay a visit to another dear friend. Weaving through the lines of colorful trees, Andra approached another Wanderling, looking longingly up at it’s bright orange leaves. The marker set at its base bore the name “ Ruderick Araven Wolfstod, beloved husband and father ”. The tree’s branches were thin and smooth, curving and weaving a delicate canopy of shimmering orange leaves, laced with the prettiest ice-blue flowers dangling down it’s graceful arbors. For the longest time, she never wanted to see his Wanderling again. But after all that had happened, and how much she had grown, she could see things differently, and approached the Wanderling with new confidence.
Staring longingly at the tree, Andra suddenly felt overcome with emotion, her eyes brimming with tears, as she she opened her satchel, extracting a vivid painting. Gently placing it against the tree, Andra stood back and said,
“ I did it, Father, I finally finished my masterpiece. I wouldn’t have done it without you,” Andra uttered tearfully as she admired her work. She cried as she thought of what her father would say if he were there with her now. Gently placing a hand on the smooth bark, she leaned her head against the tree and whispered, saying,
“ Thank you… for everything.”
She tenderly kissed the trunk then backed away and turned down the winding path. Now that she was free of her past, she was free to make her own choice. Andra knew that her gifts could help the elven world, and it was her decision to either walk away and let it be, or to stand up and face the darkness. Staring down at the last item in her satchel, Andra took out a shiny, black box. She had been thinking about it for some time, remembering how her father had given his life for a cause to help a world that was falling apart. Mr. Forkle said that it was her choice and her choice alone to decide what she wanted her legacy to be. She just had to choose what she wanted.
For some people, they have to sacrifice their normal lives in order to find peace.
As Andra held the box in her hand, the voice of Alvar rang through her head, and said,
You have the potential to save the world, if only you accept who you are.
Smiling, Andra made her final decision and licked the DNA sensor on the box, then confidently said,
“ I will do everything in my power to help my world.”
After a couple of seconds, the box opened and revealed a pendant shaped with the symbol of a black swan. Andra took out the necklace and solemnly put it proudly around her neck.
Stepping onto a bridge amidst the vivid colors of life, the sun set as the Shade set out to her new calling.
She didn’t know the future, she did not know what was going to happen. But she knew that no matter what came her way, she’d be ready. She was not afraid of the dark. Not anymore. The light inside of her reminded of that. She was Andralynne Wolfstod.
A light in the darkness
The End
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So there you have it! Andra’s story in it’s entirety. 43,933 words, and 105 pages!( not including all the little foot notes from the author). It’s officially a novella( 20,000 t0 50,000 words) which is just 6,000 words away from being a short novel! I hope you guys enjoyed the journey. I know I enjoyed seeing Andra’s journey from insecurity to confidence and purpose. Can’t wait to see what you think. I will be conducting a survey after everyone has had a chance to read to get feedback and story tips for the future. I learned a lot from this writing process.
For my final KOTLC fun fact, I will be revealing the meaning of the name of my KOTLC character, Andra. Her name means strong and courageous, which is so fitting I think for the ending of this story. Hope you all have a good day!
This is Abygayle Wynderas signing out.
Have a good night!
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This was so good!