It was the window that led Zachuras to the waste land of Karuth, that and the bird who perched there. It was said that whomever received one feather from this magical bird could have whatever he wished for and Zachuras wished to marry Penelope.

A grey cloud covered the sky, like a blanket, and the sun barely peeked through. It's rays of lavender streaked across the northern hemisphere, the brush strokes of a creative God. Penelope rushed through the market place. She had sold all of her family's tomatoes and her mother would be especially happy on this eve.

"Why are you in such a hurry Penelope?" Zachuras asked as she bumped into his steed.

"It's almost dinner," she stammered, a breeze caught her long auburn hair and it stuck to her long eye lashes, "I promised my mother and father that I'd be home straight away." Zachuras laughed.

"What may I ask," Penelope's eyes narrowed, "is so funny? Did I make a joke?"

"No," he chuckled, "it's just that you are so lively, I'm not sure if I will let you go home straight away."

"Lively?" Penelope grabbed up her skirts, "lively you say, as if I were a goat!" she lunged forward and caught his leg, then pulled. Zachuras fell off his horse and laughed even harder.

"I pulled you off your horse and still you laugh?" Penelope scowled.

"Come dance with me," Zachuras reached for the small hand that was balled into a fist. It came at him so quickly that when she hit him on his head, it actually hurt.

"That is quite enough," he rubbed the spot and held her. But Penelope lifted her foot and stomped his sandled foot. Zachuras cried out in pain, laughed and watched as Penelope ran into the crowd.

Zachuras climbed back onto his horse and followed, as she skittered through the crowd.

"Excuse me," she giggled as she bumped into them, Zachuras within sight.

"Clumsy girl!" they grumbled after she brushed against them.

Zachuras' pursuit fared worse, as the slow moving crowd blocked his path. He sighed with a laugh, and turned his steed around, then in a full gallop he went around the road which led to the market place and waited. The bell in the church tower tolled once more and panic struck Penelope, she uttered a prayer and ran faster. Right into Zachuras, who snatched her up .

"Please stop!" she screamed, squirmed and kicked him.

"You do kick as lively as a goat!" he chided.

"Zachuras, please you do not understand, I am late and Papa will be incensed that I disobeyed him."

"And what will he do, put you over his knee?" he playfully smacked her bottom.

"Zachuras Thomas, you put me down this minute."

He lifted her onto the horse, mounted behind her and kicked his heels into his steed. The wind whipped through their hair as they charged across the meadow, straight to her father's cottage, Zachuras slowed and turned.

"Do I receive a kiss as a thank you?"

"Thank you," Penelope scowled, "I could have made it home by myself," she marched down the cobblestone angrily.

Her father Gideon watched at the window. His weathered face was surrounded by white hair, as though a cloud had been taken from the sky and placed on his head. His steely black eyes bespoke of his anger.

"Good luck!" Zachuras yelled over his shoulder and tore away.

Gideon Bayer had a reputation as a sorcerer and no one ventured near him after dark. But for Penelope, Zachuras' heart made him foolish, in the approaching darkness he felt Gideon's eyes at his back, like daggers.

Penelope could barely contain her excitement as she waited for her father to finish lecturing her of the time, then quite slowly she held out the silver coins.

"I sold all of them, for top price," she turned to her mother. "You see mama," she stuck the coins out, "I've made money and now you do not have to sell me away."

Her father turned away, and what she mistook to be anger was the misgivings of a deal gone awry.

"What papa?" she went to him, "what is the matter? I have done as you told me to! Have I not sold all the tomatoes?"

Her mother hid her face in her apron and knelt beside the evening fire, tears welled in her eyes and her body heaved.

"What is it mama?" Penelope swooped down beside her, "what is wrong?"

"Papa!" she turned to face her father, "papa, tell me it isn't so? Tell me that you have not! Why did you do this evil thing? Why?"

"How we were to know that you could sell the tomatoes?" anguish filled his face, but no tears leaked from his eyes, "we did not know. The demon came to us, we did not seek him out. He gave you to us."

"But why papa?" Penelope backed into the corner, "I will not go! I will never go to him!"

"You will," her mother whispered, her voice pained and torn, "you have to and you must."

"I will not!" Penelope ran to the door, "this evil thing you've done! I am your daughter!"

"Penelope," her father held his hands out, "come daughter, do not behave this way."

Her mother's sobs now became wails and darkness came swiftly upon the cottage. Gideon leaned forward and barred the door. "it is time Penelope."

"Time for what?" Penelope's eyes opened wide as she backed further into the corner.

"Come, nearer the fire," he coaxed her.

"I'll not stay here any longer," Penelope covered her mouth to stifle a scream. The fire hopped out of the stone hearth, licked her face and reached for her hand.

"Noooooo!" her mother screamed and struck at the flames, it turned and snarled. Then crackled, as if it had been tickled.

"You must go now," her father ordered, "it is as it should be."

"I won't!" Penelope screamed and lunged toward the barred door, the flame flew to the jamb and its heat threw her backwards. She fell upon the clay floor and sobbed.

From the forest Zachuras heard the wails, stopped and cocked his head. Again the wail. He knew Penelope was in danger, in full he galloped through the brush, it was dark now and in the distance he could see the flames swallow the cottage from inside. His horse bucked and Zachuras was thrown. He crept closer. He rubbed the ring his mother had given him, a silver talisman, and a face, the embodiment of a faery appeared.

"Zachuras," it's small voice called, "Zachuras, be artful and dodgeful."

At the door he crouched low, it was hot to his touch. Thinking that Penelope had been set afire, he kicked the door in. And the air he let into the cottage, swept through and sent the flames back to its bed of logs.

"Zachuras," Penelope sighed, as the flames reached one final time to take her, "help me!" she screamed.

Zachuras dodged the flame, threw a cloak over the hearth, and the flame retreated. Quickly he scooped the writhing Penelope into his arms and backed away toward the door.

"You have no right!" Gideon screamed, "to interfere in a father's plan for his own daughter!"

"I have every right if it is the woman I love!" Zachuras shouted back.

"Curse you and your insolent youth", Gideon charged at Zachuras, who stepped aside and watched as Gideon landed on the floor.

"Where are you taking my daughter?" cried Gideon, as zachuras strode away from the cottage. Inside the cloak smoldered, then ignited and an angry lightening bolt struck a tree, menacingly. Zachuras laid Penelope across his steed and hurried to the edge of the forest, with a weakened Gideon in pursuit.

"You do not understand," he pleaded to Zachuras, "my daughter's wisdom does not exceed her youthfulness. She should not have been afraid of this thing. I beseech you to return her or else unleash deadly forces, that neither you nor I can control.

Zachuras kept walking, not bothering to lay eyes on the man who would sell his own daughter.

"I cannot go on any further," Gideon stammered in a weak voice, "my strength comes from my home and love."

"Love?" Zachuras spun around, "is it love that allows you to sacrifice your daughter to the flame?"

"I would never do that," the old man lied.

"I heard with my own ears and saw with my own eyes."

"Come, come and I will show you that what you thought you saw. Bring my daughter back to the cottage," Gideon pleaded.

"Trickery!" Zachuras shouted, "do you really think that I am so taken, that I would blindly return your daughter to you? Tell me, why is it that your beard has grown so keenly as we walked further into the forest? What enchantment goes on? And if your love is so great, why did you not fight to take her from the flame's grasp? Oh no, I will not return Penelope to you, I will marry her!"

Gideon's eyes widened, "No! You mustn't. I will never give you her hand in marriage! And would a man as noble as you are wise, curse your unborn child?" Gideon smirked as Zachuras' honor was attacked, "now come with me," Gideon offered a liver spotted hand, "return Penelope to where she belongs!" A cold breeze passed between them.

"I cannot," Zachuras watched as the beard grew before his very eyes, now it reached to Gideon's waist, "tell me, why does your beard grow so rapidly?"

"Give me my daughter!" his voice crackled.

"What would it take for your wedding blessing?"

Gideon, now old and frail, eyed Zachuras and thought hard. Then his tight lips curled into a sinister smile, "the feather of the Mycholog."

"The Mycholog?" Zachuras repeated, "what is this that has feathers?"

"I'll tell you no more. Now give me my daughter, when you bring the feather to me, then I will give you my blessing," Gideon stretched out a hand, which was now gnarled and aged, "but you must make haste!" his voice but a whisper.

"No," Zachuras shook his head, "I will take Penelope with me and when I have found this, this Mycholog, then I will return."

"That will not do," Gideon began to shrink, his back curved, "I cannot live without my daughter."

Zachuras watched the now harmless Gideon, then summoned the spirit of his ring. The talisman glowed warmly and the voice spoke.

"A lock of her hair and a tug of string. Thus he will live until you return in the Spring."

Before Gideon could protest, Zachuras cut off a lock of Penelope's auburn hair and a thread of string from her dress. Quickly he wrapped the string around the hair, then thrust it under Gideon's nose.

"I promise that I will return with your precious feather and your daughter, to be my wife."

The old man looked disdainfully at the bundled hair, "how do I know that this will keep her dear mother's heart from breaking?" he shouted after Zachuras walked deeper into the forest, but there was no answer. Only his own cackled voice as it echoed off the trees in the forest.

Deep into the forest, Zachuras helped the now awakened Penelope from his horse. He made a campfire, but Penelope shrieked so, that he doused the flame. Without being summoned, the faery ring came alive and answered all unasked questions.

"In the land of Karuth, a wasteland, lives a magical bird Mycholog, it's wing span as vast as the valley, it flies no more. Perched in a window it sings. But one of its feathers will give a blind man his sight, a make the poorest man rich. But the bird does not molt and exists high, nearer the sky than thee."

Now that he knew what it was that he must do, Zachuras cupped his hand to his mouth and made a low guttural sound, similar to the mating call of a wild boar. Then he waited, within a few moments a small creature came from the thicket.

Cloaked in a large green cape, he had a mighty bow on his back and a short sword at his side. He was fair skinned, white haired and green eyes, he smiled knowingly at Zachuras. And Penelope screamed again and fainted.

"Ah young Zachuras, you called for help?" said the elf, a bit arrogantly.

Penelope's eyes opened, now wide in fear, she skirmished to get away. No longer certain if she were better off being with Zachuras, than with her father.

"This is a High elf," Zachuras wrapped his powerful arm around her, he will not harm you. Then he told the elf of the evil flame.

"I must get to the land of Karuth," Zachuras explained, "there the magical bird Mycholog lives. I need but a feather that I might fulfill a promise I have made to this young maiden's father. I am willing to pay you in turn.

The High Elf looked upon Penelope and was moved to pity by her wounds, swiftly he knelt beside her and touched them. And then, as if in a trance, went about the task of picking medicinal ferns which lay hidden in the shade of a shrub. He tugged at their roots, brushed the soil off and dug deeply into the virgin earth, then spat upon the mixture. He reached for Zachuras' helmet without asking, placed all into the makeshift bowl. Then he spat again, made a poultice and placed it onto Penelope's burnt flesh.

"This you must leave on from sunset to sunset." he instructed, Penelope looked into his eyes and felt her fear slip away. Then he turned to Zachuras, "I can only help you but so far, past the thickest part of the forest, you will come into the wisdom and knowledge of the Sylvan Elves. They will assist you further on your quest to reach the land of Karuth. You will pay me in trust. Now come, we must begin the journey."

They walked into the densest part of the forest, with Penelope seated upon the steed. She ducked often, less she be knocked off. The sounds of birds, the snorting of deer, who smelled the moss that grew in the dampness all of these comforted her and she fell off to sleep. And then, suddenly the sound of drums awoke her.

"I must take my leave now," their companion suddenly stopped.

"Oh, please stay," Penelope pleaded, but he was gone, his cloak camouflaged by the green of the forest. Zachuras led the steed onward, until a small man with coppery red hair jumped out at them.

"Stop!" the angry man shouted, his sword drawn.

"We mean no harm," Zachuras held his hands up, "but a High Elf led us this far and would come no further. We only wish to pass through on our way to the land of Karuth."

"Karuth?" the elf eyed them suspiciously, his complexion was florid, more muscular than the other elf and his clothes were green and brown with shades of tan and russet too. "Why would a human want to visit a wasteland?" he scoffed at them.

Again Zachuras told the story of the evil flame and how he wished to marry Penelope. The Wood elf pondered, weighed its truth against his own need for solitude, then walked over to Penelope. He reached up and gently touched the poultice on her burnt flesh.

"Come" he finally said, "but first you must join in the celebration of Seldanqith, it comes but once every five years and I shall not miss it."

"But we must be on our way," Zachuras pleaded.

"First, you will witness the constellations of the Seldarine, it will help your woman to heal."

Zachuras looked at Penelope, who appeared in need of rest and thus agreed to stay. He carried Penelope to the Sylvan Elfen camp, where a giant owl guided the tents. As they passed by, it winked. Penelope hugged Zachuras in a death grip.

"I think I could get use to this," Zachuras whispered jokingly, as he pried her fingers loose, she hid her face in the hollow of his neck.

"We are a people of solitude," Bachyd, the Wood elf explained to them, "other than the forest animals, we do not have friends nor do we have enemies. Tomorrow I will lead you to your destination, your payment to me, will come in trust."

That evening, Zachuras and Penelope sat and watched the Sylvans, as they reenacted the time of the great fracturing. The time when all of the Elfen races lived in one Kingdom, with power, magic and immortality. A time when they unknowingly unleashed a dark power and set it free upon the earthly element of fire. It took great wisdom and the power of the Loden to trap the demon into the Nether world, and as punishment, it was decided that the Elfen Kingdom would be divided. The Wood elves to themselves, the High elves and all the others, each took a piece of the oden and set out to the four corners of the world.

Now every five years at the passing of the constellation, the Sylvans celebrated the power of the Loden and reenacted the victory over the demon. It also was a reminder of how they had once misused their power. But in light of Zachuras' story, and Penelope's burns, the elves were certain that the demon had not been cast down and had indeed returned.

As they bedded down for the night Penelope peeked beneath the poultice, "look Zachuras!" she exclaimed, "Look, my wounds are healed, and no scar is left!"

When at last Penelope and Zachuras had fallen asleep, more from the oak wine, the elves gathered together at the fire.

"How could this be so?" they asked.

"Whatever it was," Bachyd said thoughtfully, "that has set the demon free was strong enough to poke a whole into this world. We must assist them to the Land of Karuth, to the Mycholog feather." They nodded in agreement, the magical feather, more powerful than the Loden itself would return the demon to damnation.

"Come let us rest, soon we will cast down this demon," Bachyd said softly.

And so it was, the great owl watched over as the Sylvan elves slept and winked when the sun arose. Off in a nearby thicket a deer quietly sipped the morning dew, and the camp slowly came alive with activity. After a breakfast of berries and Hosta, Zachuras placed Penelope upon his steed and with Bachyd as their guide, they headed to the Land of Karuth.

"I must tell you something," Bachyd spoke softly, "your woman has burns that are familiar to me. Tell me, where did this flame burn her?"

"You saw for yourself did you not?" Zachuras whispered as they walked along.

"No, not on her body, " Bachyd raised his red bushy eyebrows, "the hearth. Where was the hearth?"

"Her father's cottage, on the sloped side of the forest," Zachuras smiled.

"It must be toppled."

"But why?" Penelope asked, she had overheard everything, "what will become of my family?"

"Did they not try to feed you to the flames?" Zachuras reminded her.

"They are not your true parents," Bachyd spoke firmly, "make haste, night will soon fall and I have but one day to give."

Soon they happened upon a cliff, where vines clung to the sides and formed living ridges. Below was a wide valley and a wasteland, where darkened earth and crater rock was all the eye could see.

"The Mycholog is there," the faery of Zachuras' ring glowed, then emitted such a high pitched vibration that Penelope screamed, and fainted. "She must not go," the faery advised, "for if she travels near, the flame will know that you are here."

"But what has that to do with anything?" Zachuras asked as he tended to his love.

"The demon would follow," Bachyd looked about, "and there is much deadwood here and it would easily be ignited."

"But I cannot leave her here!" Zachuras cried in anguish, "surely one of us will stay with her."

Bachyd shook his head woefully, tears filled Zachuras' eyes, and the ring spoke again.

"You must go now!"

"Go Zachuras!" Bachyd urged, "I will surround your maiden with Elfstones, she will be protected until you return."

"But what if she awakens?" Zachuras cradled her head in his arms, she looked so peaceful, almost as if dead.

"She will not die," the ring spoke, "now go!"

"Good luck!" Bachyd turned and POOF was gone.

"But your forgot the Elf..." Zachuras looked in awe, for all around his beloved Penelope were glowing stones. He gently placed his lips upon hers, then climbed aboard his steed, charging headlong into the wasteland.

The horse snorted and neighed, as the wasteland's dust formed a cloud that engulfed them. Blinded, Zachuras dismounted and walked into the eerie calm, off in the distance, a block tower rose into the clouds. And there, barely visible was a huge window, perched on its sill, the large colorful bird, the Mycholog.

"Hellooooooooo," Zachuras called through his cupped hands, "my name is Zachuras and I have come very far to ask a favor of you." But the bird did not hear him, Zachuras stared at the enormity of the task before him, how was he to climb up the tower. "I've come so far, I cannot give up now," he whispered to himself. And the bird heard.

Now quietly, Zachuras asked the bird to drop down a feather, that he might bring life to the waste land and love to his own desperate heart. But the bird would not hear of it. Time passed slowly and neither spoke. Then when darkness consumed the waste land and a chilled air hovered over them, the bird began to sing.

"How is it possible that you sing so beautifully, when your heart is so cold?" Zachuras asked disdainfully, "it seems so impossible, that such a barren place could sustain such beauty as that which lies within your feathers."

And the bird swelled with pride.

"To see you in flight," Zachuras went on, "must be a vision of beauty. Oh, what I would do to see that vision, myself but a mortal man."

And the bird cooed and batted its eyes.

"But you are way up there, and I cannot fully imagine how soft your feathers must feel or how vibrant their colors must be."

Thus filled with pride, the bird began to prune himself. "Tell me more of my beauty," it said.

"You are one of the world's wonders, you sit so majestically in that window," Zachuras complimented the bird through the night, then at daybreak a gentle breeze came from the North.

"Be ready," his ring spoke loudly that the bird would not hear. And it happened, a feather came loose and floated listlessly to the earth. And Zachuras' picked it up, as large as he it was. The barbs ruffled in the breeze as he galloped away from the Land Of Karuth.

Hastily he awoke Penelope and secured the feather to his steed. Together they galloped back through the forest, the Elfstones disappeared behind them. And then just as they neared the edge of the forest, and were almost home, Bachyd appeared.

"I must ask for the feather," he said plainly.

"But I need it for her father," Zachuras was confused, so much had happened and now, just as he was to taste victory, the very Elf who had helped him stood in his path. "Why?" he asked, "why would you deny me happiness? Have my efforts so offended you?"

"You do not understand," the Elf came nearer, "we must have it." And as he spoke the word "WE" the entire clearing filled with Elfen warriors, who had been camoflauged by the forest.

"Take it," Zachuras said in defeat.

"You must pay with your trust," they called out and disappeared once more.

Zachuras and Penelope walked out of the forest. They had no more than what they had begun with and yet they had come full circle. Penelope's wounds were healed and though a little weary from their arduous journey, they reached the cottage of Gideon.

"Mother!" Penelope screamed and ran with arms opened towards the cottage, its chimney toppled onto the hearth.

Zachuras' ring spoke, "the elves have vanquished the demon from the flame, it is done. They have set everything right, as it should be in all worlds."