Ahhh. I am starting to go crazy. Garvi has kindly let me travel with him and Dwin on what I can only describe as a small train, with two compartments and some kind of engine. One compartment is stuffed with their goods and we are seated in the other on rather uncomfortable benches. I recall riding on something similar at an amusement park, only this is far from fun, being dusty and cramped.

Garvi is getting grumpier by the hour, or is it day? I can't tell how long we have been travelling along this dark, seemingly endless tunnel. The only light we have is from two dull lanterns.

Honestly, I feel like the weight of the mountain is pressing down on me. The grime, the musty air and the lack of natural light is all getting me down. And the boredom, oh the boredom.

I must have dozed off, for suddenly Dwin is shaking me and I realise that we are finally motionless. I manage to unfold myself from the compartment, which was not designed for my five-foot ten frame and try to stretch out the kinks in my back and legs.

Garvi is talking, well more like shouting, but I think that's the dwarfish way, to two well-armed dwarves. They are standing by a smooth section of rock face which has glowing runes on it.

There is the sound of mechanisms whirring and the wall slides smoothly to one side. Sweet fresh air fills the tunnel and I greedily breathe it in. Garvi pulls up the hood of his cloak and barks an order at Dwin. They disengage a cart from the track and pull it outside.

Following behind, I step through the opening and blink in the daylight. A low rumbling makes me turn back and the only indication of the entrance to the mountain is strange angular writing carved into the rock.

Hurrying, I catch up with Garvi, who has settled the cart within the shadow of the mountain. Leaving him to his business, I sit in the sun and enjoy the simple pleasure of its warmth upon my skin. We are at the edge of a market filled with bustling, brightly coloured stalls. Fascinated, I watch the comings and goings, until a shout from Garvi disturbs me.

"Is he big enough for you?" Garvi asks, pointing to the man he is negotiating with.

I try not to cringe. The man looks like he could be a model and his dark indigo blue eyes twinkle as our gazes meet.

He is certainly tall, a full head taller than me, with chiselled features that Ancient Greeks would have happily celebrated in marble statues. His muscular legs are clad in black leather and an expanse of smooth bronzed skin is showing beneath a partially opened cotton shirt.

In one stride, he closes the gap between us and takes hold of my hand. His fingers are warm, as are the lips that brush across my knuckles.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Zane, at your service."

His smile, the sort which might cause some women to melt, just makes me suspicious. Pulling away, I wipe my hand on my leg, feeling vaguely unclean. He cocks his head, a slight play of amusement on his lips.

"What is your name, little one?"

Little one! I start to bristle, but then realise that I am petite compared to him, so bite back a snarky remark. "Elle."

"Tell me Elle, what kind of enchanting creature are you?"

He closes the gap between us again, causing me to move closer to Garvi, protesting, "I am not enchanted in any way."

Garvi scowls, evidently uncomfortable in this 'godforsaken roofless place' as he often bemoaned on our journey. "Do we have a deal or not?" he demands of Zane.

Zane rubs his chin in consideration. "So, the price we agreed plus I take the girl."

I fume, hands on my hips. "Excuse me, I am not some sort of chattel to be bought and sold."

Garvi's voice softens, "There are dangers here in the Outside. He can offer you protection until you find your kin, unless you wish to return to the mountain with us."

"How old are you?" Zane asks.

"I'm twenty."

He becomes instantly serious, the handsome lines of his face hardening. "You are too young to be on your own. Your family must be worried."

Pain grips me for I have no family. I push it down and allow a little anger to bubble up instead. Staring at him defiantly, I insist, "I'm an adult. I have looked after myself these past two years."

"Elysium is not the place for an unaccompanied innocent. Why not travel with me and my partner? Are you willing to work?"

I narrow my eyes and cross my arms. There is no way I'm doing anything shady or degrading. "What kind of work?" I ask with suspicion.

"We trade gems and jewellery."

I'm uncertain about putting my fate in his hands, but definitely don't want to return to the mountain. Again, I am faced with an unpalatable choice. With reluctance I nod, hoping that Garvi wouldn't saddle me with a complete scoundrel.

While Garvi counts out his payment of gold coins, Zane packs bag after bag of gems into two small leather satchels. I watch in amazement thinking that they can't all possibly fit. Curious, I try to pick one up, but can't even lift it.

"You need feeding up first, little one." Zane laughs. "They are enchanted."

I beam. "Like a Tardis."

He gives me a puzzled expression. "What is a tar dice?"

"Bigger on the inside than the outside."

I smile at my own joke, but he doesn't seem to share my humour. Thankfully, I am saved having to explain by Dwin returning; he is carrying several large sacks. The dwarf stores them in the back of the cart before joining us.

Dwin hands me an object wrapped in leather. I pull it open to reveal an ornate dagger with a handle studded with gems.

"Thank you, Dwin." I bend down to hug and kiss him.

He gives me a worried smile. "Stay safe on your journey, my friend."

Garvi wordlessly places a small clinking bag in my other hand and then faces Zane, his voice threatening. "You look after her."

I hug and kiss Garvi too and although he blusters, a sly little smile creeps in behind the beard. He may be grumpy, but he has a heart of gold.

I feel a little sad to watch the two dwarves disappearing back inside the mountain.

A young man, in his early twenties, walks over. While he is fairly tall, he appears slight next to Zane's bulk. Multiple thin plaits hold his long brown hair away from his face and peeking out from the hair are the tips of pointed ears. Ooh, is he an elf?

He completely ignores me and addresses Zane, "Was the transaction satisfactory?"

"Yes, it bodes well for our trip to the Rainbow Isles." He gestures to me, "Darish, this is Elle. I vouched to the dwarf that we will take her with us."

Darish finally looks at me and the smile freezes on my face to be met by such evident disapproval. He snatches one of the satchels and strides off without saying a word, though it is obvious from the set of his body that he is really not happy.

Zane hefts the other satchel over his shoulder and with his long strides, soon catches up. I follow some distance behind.

Darish stops and spins around to confront Zane. "Why did you not think to consult me first?"

"Darish, I am sorry." Zane holds up his hands in appeasement. "The dwarf was getting irritable; well, more irritable than normal. I have been dealing with him for many solars now. I do not want to start anew with another. Surely it will not hurt to have a pretty face serving on the stall. She is only young and seems so out of place."

Simultaneously, they look over their shoulders at me. Feeling awkward, I hurry up to join them. "I will get out of your hair as soon as I can. I'm just trying to find a way home. I live in London."

"London?" Zane asks bemused.

My heart sinks. Just how far from home am I? "It's the capital. Or at least it is where ever I come from."

Darish shakes his head in disbelief. "What furthest reaches of the eight kingdoms do you come from that you know not that our capital is Avalon?"

I have had enough of his attitude and snap, "Look, one minute I meet a unicorn and the next I find myself in the middle of nowhere."

Darish gives me a supercilious look, as if finding it hard to believe that such a magical creature would deign to consort with me.

"Are you sure that it was a unicorn that you encountered?" His tone implies that I'm either delusional or a liar.

I hold his gaze and fire back, "Well, it was a beautiful pure white horse with a long horn on its forehead. That's what we call a unicorn."

I think of home, where unicorns and pixies and dwarves are just the stuff of fairy tales. I have been so focused on getting to civilisation in the hope that this will be the key to getting back. Now I have to face the fact that there may be no way home. I could very well be stuck here. I slump to the floor and bury my head in my hands.

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