Adrian does it often. Escapes from the castle when he gets the chance. He was often lonely and dreary there, so sometimes he sneaked out of the castle to escape from the palace intrigues and the condemning glances of the nobility.

And that's what happened today.

Adrian climbed out of the window and breathed a sigh of relief as crept past the guards. He quickly headed towards the forest, carefully picking his way through bushes and other obstacles, knowing the area like the back of his hand.

Having successfully reached the place, Adrian sighed softly, adjusting the bag on his shoulder, in which he put everything he needed: a few books, some food and water. He sat down on the ground and pressed his back against a huge oak tree, taking a book out of his bag and starting to read it. For a while everything was quiet and peaceful, Adrian even relaxed his vigilance a bit, enjoying the birdsong and the beauty of the forest.. until he heard the crunching of branches nearby.

Adrian started and slowly turned his head towards the noise, immediately tensing up. He got up slowly and walked with quiet and careful steps towards the source of the noise, wondering what or who it might be.

Finally, after making his way through a small thicket, Adrian's gaze fell on a mysterious person who was squatting down, picking some flowers. Adrian took a closer look and, noticing the person's long pointed ears, gasped softly in surprise.

He found the elf! A real elf!

Adrian watched the elf admiringly from afar, not believing his own eyes. He took a small step towards the elf, trying to be very quiet and inconspicuous, but a small twig cracked treacherously under his foot, signaling his presence.