Dawn in the Lake Kingdom did not bring its usual joy. A thick, gray mist seemed to weep over the waters. Adara, dressed in a reinforced silk traveling gown and a blue velvet cloak that Karan had delicately placed upon her, walked along the glass pier toward the Immortals' ebony carriage.
Hundreds of elves had gathered in silence. There were no shouts, only a murmur reminiscent of the wind through the willows. As Adara passed, the young elves scattered white water lilies in her path, creating a trail of petals that instantly withered upon contact with the dry ground beyond the lake's edge.
An old elf approached and handed her a small glass vial.
"Carry the spirit dew with you. Use it in emergencies, Adara," she whispered. "In the world of stone, memory is the only thing that does not fade."
Adara hugged her sisters one last time, feeling a part of her soul become entangled in their robes. Kael, her younger brother, handed her a perfectly polished soulstone. A tear rolled down her cheek, but feeling Karan's firm hand on her waist, she forced herself to straighten her back and hugged her mother and father tightly.
Her father looked very sad, for after her departure, it would be very difficult to see them again, as the gate to the elven world opened for three days every hundred years, severing all communication with the outside world and leaving only the king with the power to do so.
"It's time," Karan said. His voice was gentle to her, but his eyes were already scanning the horizon with the alert of a general returning to hostile territory. Adara simply nodded, climbing into the carriage toward human territory.