Wow... this story is going on long... I look at other people writing their stories and they do it in, like, 4 posts... I describe too much...

Kaya's eyes opened to the light of a new day and the birds' chorus. A squirrel scampered across her leg and into the nearby brush. Everything around her seemed filled with new beauty, but none of that mattered...

She was still leaning against Vlad.

Kaya sat up and blushed. Vlad just smiled. "Had a good sleep?" he said, laughing. He got up and held his hand out, offering to help Kaya up. "Come on. We had better get going."

 Kaya accepted the help and walked with him. She still had no idea where they were going. She was about to ask, but Vlad answered before the question was on her tounge.

"We're headed to the Dwarven city of Valnir," he said. "It's well hidden, so don't expect to see it right away."

The trees thinned around them. Kaya began to feel exposed... and afraid. She walked closer to Vlad, who noticed her fear. "Don't worry," he comforted. "You'll be fine as long as you're with me."

 Kaya looked at him and nodded. She slipped her hand in his, and smiled at him. He made her feel safe, made her feel like she wasn't alone anymore.  Vlad gripped Kaya's hand, wishing that it wasn't just as friends.

He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her that he loved her. But he knew that it couldn't happen. Why would she love someone like him?

The trees disappeared, and valleys took their place.  They stood upon a small cliff, watching the wind blow the grass below. "I don't see anything..." said Kaya.

Vlad smiled and drew his sword. "Hold on to this, no matter what."

Kaya gripped the sword loosely. What did he expect to do with something like that?

Vlad plunged the sword deep into the earth. The ground below their feet began to shake, and part where the blade touched the ground. Kaya, taken by surprise, tried to let go and back away. But Vlad put a strong hand on hers. "Don't let go!" he shouted over the noise. Kaya put her other hand on the sword and gripped tight. She had just enough time to close her eyes before they were dragged into the ground behind the weapon.

Kaya wanted to scream, to let go, but she was too scared. They were plunging deep into the earth, and she could hear the rock moving around her. She felt that the rock would close in on them at any moment...

 "You can open your eyes now," said Vlad. She did, and what she saw was spectacular.

Noises of commerce overtook them. They were standing upon a cliff, like above, but this one overlooked a marketplace. Dwarves of all different kinds stood below, trying to sell their wares. Behind them, a great castle jutted out of the ground. Its towers loomed over the market below, almost as if the castle itself was watching the dwarves below.

Everything was made of rock. The castle, the houses, even the booths of the merchants. These dwarves were, indeed, skilled in their work. Even on the simplest of things, elaborate designs of dragons, warriors, birds, and many other things could be seen.

Kaya looked up. Above them, no sun shone. There was no way of lighting whatsoever in the cavern. How, then, was she able to see all of this? She stood up and let go of the sword, and all of the miraculous sights disappeared from her vision. "I-I can't see!" she exclaimed.

Vlad just chuckled. "It was the sword. That is how dark elves see in even the darkest of nights. We all have one object or another that allows us to see." Kaya could hear the sound of metal scraping on rock. Vlad must have been taking the sword out of the ground. He put his arm around Kaya to guide her. "Just stay close to me, I'll find you something so you can see, as well."

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