Part 6
Two weeks soon passed them by and the weather
was growing warmer every day, the flowers coming into bloom and the trees
filling our nicely. Mevneriel had spent much of her time teaching Layora their
language and Layora teaching her how to use a bow. They were both doing very
well in their activities and Layora was so pleased to be learning so quickly.
Even Mevneriel was showing a great improvement in her skills as an archer and
Layora was very happy to teach her. They had not been to any more feasts or dances
and Layora was very thankful of this but she knew that one was looming not far
off. The celebration of an elder that had just returned was being planned for
the following evening and Layora was eagerly awaiting her visit with him which
was to take place that afternoon. She was to meet with him in the library at
noon and it wasn’t long before she was amongst the books and scrolls of the
people she so craved to understand. Moving from shelf to shelf she scanned the
books with her fingertips while her eyes searched their titles, her lips moving
to form the words. She was still by herself and although she kept an ear open
for the elf she was to meet, she became lost in the sea of books that
surrounded her.
She spent
some time perusing the shelves before she was called out for, “Layora?” Came a
soft voice. She smiled and headed back towards the entrance of the library
where she met with a tall elf with very dark hair and steel grey eyes. She
bowed before him, her long hair slipping down over her shoulder. “Hello there,
I am Layora.” He smiled wonderfully upon her and reached out to take her hands.
She let him and watched as he clasped them together and shook them gently,
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you. I’ve heard much about you in the letters
Aehryn and his family have sent me.” She blushed a little, “Ah, I hope they
have all been good things.” He laughed and smiled, “Oh of course. I’ve been
looking forward to meeting you, please. Come and sit down.” He motioned towards
a table where there were several chairs. She nodded and joined him, sitting
down. “My name is Nyadulin Please just call me Nya,” He said and sat down.
“You’ve
come a long way, please, tell me about yourself.” Layora blushed a little, “Ah,
okay. Well I come from over the Mountains, to the North West
Layora
smiled brightly, “Oh yes, especially elven history and lore. I grew up wanting
to know more about the elves because there were none where I came from. I read
every book I could possibly find about the elven people spread throughout the
realms and upon coming here and finding this library, I feel like I could read
forever. I’ve barely had a chance to see much of the grounds because I keep
venturing into here. I get lost in these books and the battles and victories.
It’s all so incredible to me. Not just the history of your people, but the way
they conduct themselves, their strengths and weaknesses. Their likes and
dislikes. They differ so greatly from humans.” He was listening intently and
smiling upon her, admiring her beauty, she was most certainly someone of great
interest to him. “I see, you sound like an adventurer, someone eager to learn
more about where you came from.” Layora nodded a little, “I suppose I am. I
prefer to be an adventurer of books, but I suppose I have been a true
adventurer for a time.” She laughed lightly and smiled. “You’re a brave young
woman to have made it this far. I hope you plan on staying here for as long as
you feel comfortable.” She nodded, “Oh yes, I’m in absolutely no hurry to go
anywhere.”
He
smiled and nodded, crossing his arms slightly. “I’m glad you like it here, now
I’ve heard you had asked a question of Aehryn on your journey here. One that
pertained to the people at the base of the Mountain.” Layora nodded, “Oh yes, I
wanted to know what the elves had done to make them so revere them.” He nodded
and sighed, “Well let me tell you..” They talked for the remainder of the
afternoon, lost in their conversations about the people she had met and those
she had yet to meet. She learned of three elven kingdoms spread far from the
Mountain, not including Lyione and their different races of elves. There was
much she had to learn she realized and she was so excited to have such a
remarkable being to teach her. She learned that he had returned from a long
journey in which he had gone to acquire more knowledge of a rather distant
community of elves that had gone virtually unnoticed for many centuries.
She was eager to ask him about his journey but thought it best be left
for another time as it had grown rather late.
“I’d
best let you get off for dinner, I’ve kept you here nearly the whole day. I
hope I haven’t bored you.” Layora laughed, “No, not at all. I’ve thoroughly
enjoyed hearing all you’ve had to say and I look forward to hearing much more.
I hope that we can meet again and discuss your journey and much more.” He
smiled sincerely upon her and reached out for her hands, clasping them lightly
in his, “You are a remarkable young woman Layora and I hope you believe me when
I say this. An ordinary elf may not have come so far as you have. But you are
no ordinary elf.” He shook her hands gently and let them go as they stood
together. “Thank you Nya. It has been wonderful meeting with you. I imagine
I’ll see you tomorrow evening at your feast.” He nodded, “You will indeed. Take
care until then,” He whispered and watched as she left, a curiosity building in
his mind.
.
That
evening Layora returned to her room and spent some quiet time with Snow and a
book she had borrowed from Nyadulin about the dark elves he had gone to see.
She was more than intrigued as she was not aware of many of the types of elves
or other creatures that inhabited their realms and she looked forward to
learning more about them. Reclining back on the sofa, Snow lay just beside her
on the floor. The warmth of the fire enveloping them both was a great comfort
as she began to read about a group of subterranean elves. Her hand idly found
its way into Snow’s warm fur at the back of his neck and she rubbed him gently
as she read on, eager to read whatever she could before tomorrow night’s feast.
She was hoping to have another discussion with Nyadulin about his journey;
entirely curious about his findings.
Later
that night, Mevneriel came by to bring her a snack and a present, something
Layora had most certainly not expected. She knocked on the door just after dusk
and Layora went to answer, surprised to find her standing before her with a
gown in one hand and a plate of fruit in the other, “I come bearing gifts!” She
laughed and Layora invited her inside. “What have you brought with you, my
dear?” Mevneriel smiled and set the plate down on the table. “I’ve brought
fruit and a present.” “A present?” Layora chided, “You didn’t have to bring me
anything..” Mevneriel was holding up a beautiful gown in front of her. It was
ivory and had far more decorations on it than the last gown she had worn. She
was completely in awe at the dress and Mevneriel was grinning widely, “Do you
like it?” Layora blushed, “Of course I do, it’s absolutely gorgeous. But
shouldn’t you be wearing that, not me?” Mevneriel shook her head, “I had this
made for you, along with the shoes and hair piece.” Layora’s eyes filled with
tears so suddenly that she was forced to blink hard more than a few times.
“You
had it made for me?” She whispered and had to wipe her eyes a little. “You
didn’t have to do such a nice thing like that.” Mevneriel smiled and shook her
head, “I’ve got to tell you why.” Layora looked at her curiously, “Why?” “It
looks like Nyadulin wishes to honour you at tomorrow’s ceremony. He wishes for
you to join us at the head table and celebrate his return and your venture to
us.” Layora blushed hotly and shook her head, “That’s so generous of him, but
do you really think it necessary? I mean..it’s his return feast. It shouldn’t
involve me.” She shook her head gently, “He wishes to honour you and Snow and
bless your union with our people.” Layora’s heart was beating wildly in her
chest, this was what she had been wanting for so long. To be a part of the
elves and their community and here it was, the chance for her to be welcomed
into their community officially. Shaking her head a little she reached out to
touch the gown and was amazed by the feel of the fabric between her fingertips.
“Will you wear it?” Layora smiled and nodded gently, “I will, but you’ll have
to help me with this.” She whispered, reaching down to pick up the hair piece
she had set on the table as well. Mevneriel chuckled and smiled. “Definitely.”
.
The
rest of the evening was discussing the plans for the feast that Mevneriel had
heard about and it wasn’t long before they parted ways and went to bed. The
next morning went by smoothly and Mevneriel had actually been requested to help
in the preparations of the feast so she was rather busy for most of the
afternoon as well. Layora merely kept to her room to read or went into the
gardens for a walk with Snow. She did not wish to be cooped up all afternoon
and so she ventured down into the gardens around lunch time, Snow close behind.
They walked together for a time and Layora caught sight of Aehryn talking with
a guardsman on one of the paths. She could not see who it was and wasn’t
positive she even knew him, but her gaze was a little more focused on Aehryn as
he spoke quietly to the other elf before him. She admired the way he spoke, his
body language and the way he carried himself. He looked strong and admirable.
Smiling a little she averted her gaze, letting it return to Snow who was
walking just ahead of her. She was startled a moment later however, by Aehryn
calling her name, “Layora! Wait a moment for me?” Blushing she turned and
nodded, waving to him.
She
wondered what he might want to talk to her about and busied herself with
petting Snow and practicing one of their commands. He already knew so many now,
she was beginning to forget them but he never seemed to forget. Smiling she
rubbed his ears and sat down on one of the benches waiting for Aehryn. Soon he
was walking towards them and Layora did her best not to look uncomfortable or
nervous. She wasn’t entirely sure if it worked. “Layora, I’m so glad I caught
you. How is your day?” Layora smiled and stood once more, “It’s going just
fine, thank you. I’ve been busying myself all afternoon with Snow and a book or
two.” He smiled and nodded, “That’s wonderful. Listen, I have something for
you, but it’s back in my room. Would you be willing to accompany me there to
get it?” Layora blushed and nodded, “I can come with you, but why do you have
something for me?” He smiled and motioned for her to join him and they started
walking back towards their rooms together. “Mevneriel gave you a dress, did she
not?” Layora nodded, “She did, it’s very beautiful.” He smiled, “I’ve gotten
you something to go with it for tonight. It’s just a little something to
welcome you properly.” Layora blushed and shook her head gently, “You’ve all
been far too kind to me.”
He
smiled and they continued walking side by side. “It’s nothing, really. Just a
little something.” Layora nodded gently and continued on. Snow was trailing
along behind them and nosing at Layora’s hand on occasion. Aehryn continued to
glance at her whenever he could, admiring her gestures and the way her lips
curved into a gentle smile. He had feelings for her, he admitted it to himself
quite some time ago, but now he did not know what to do about them. So he kept
quiet and tried not to see her too much. He had no way of knowing if she was
interested in him at all or not and he was honestly afraid to find out. He
simply smiled and when she noticed him looking back at her, she smiled
nervously too. They made their way to his room quietly and once there, he
invited her inside. Nervously, she went in and he shut the door behind her,
“Please, have a seat on the sofa or in one of the chairs. I’ll be back in a
moment.”
He
disappeared into another room and Layora went over and took a seat, Snow
sitting down beside her. She looked about quietly, loving the feeling his room
gave her. This was merely the dining and comfort area and she could already
feel the regal nature of his quarters. Everything was pristine and well kept and
she smiled upon realizing that he was much like herself, keeping everything in
order. It wasn’t long before he returned and sat down on one of the chairs
closest to her. “Here, it’s just a little something. But I’ve been told it will
match your dress.” Blushing, Layora
watched as he reached out to take her hand and carefully, he placed a small
fabric bracelet in her palm. She smiled
brightly and blushed immensely. “Aehryn..this is beautiful. You really didn’t
have to get me something like this.” He shook his head and took the bracelet,
untying it and wrapping it around her left wrist, tying it gently in a bow.
Looking down at it once he was done tying it, she blushed hotly and turned her
wrist over to admire the bracelet. It was made of silk pieces drawn together in
several braids and twists of ivory with some small beads of some metal strung
in places throughout the braid. She thought it positively beautiful and without
thinking, moved to hug Aehryn. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him
gently, closing her eyes as his arms moved to hug her back. For a moment they
both forgot about anything else, they simply relaxed against one another in the
embrace. Layora slowly released herself from the hug and sat back down in her
chair, looking over at him with such a warm smile. He was smiling back at her,
feeling utterly content. Blushing, Layora slowly started to realize she had
probably hugged him a little too intimately and averted her gaze a little
before speaking, “Thank you so much, Aehryn. It’s absolutely beautiful.” He
smiled and nodded, sitting back a little, “I’m really glad you like it.” Layora
smiled warmly upon him and sighed softly, “I’m feeling so overwhelmed about
tonight. I really don’t want to be made a fuss over. I hope Nyadulin doesn’t
make a big deal out of it.” Aehryn nodded, “I’m sure it will be just fine,
Mevneriel and I will be at the table with you and our mother and father as
well. It’ll be lovely, I’m sure.” She nodded and her gaze fell back to the
bracelet on her wrist. “Thank you again, Aehryn. I truly appreciate all that
you’ve done for me. Being here has been so amazing and the way I’ve been looked
after has just been incredible. I am so grateful for all that has been given to
me.” He simply smiled, “You don’t have to give me your thanks, your smiles and
happiness are all the thank you’s I need.”
Blushing,
Layora stood and bowed a little before him, “I should go and prepare for
tonight. I’m nervous enough as it is and I think I’d like to take a bath before
I get ready to calm my nerves.” Aehryn nodded and stood as well, “Of course,
Layora.” He walked with her and Snow to the door and opened it for her, “Please
don’t worry about tonight. Things will go smoothly and you’ll have a wonderful
time.” She nodded and smiled at him, “I’ll see you then.” She whispered and
slipped out the door, Snow close behind. Layora practically bolted into her
room, closing the door tightly behind her. Snow whined and lay down on the rug
in the middle of the room and Layora collapsed onto her bed in what felt like
delirium. She turned onto her side to gaze over at Snow and trembling, her
cheeks burning, she started to cry. She was beyond happy and could no longer
control her emotions, crying was all she could do to relieve the pressure in
her heart. The kindness she had experienced here in Lyione was overwhelming and
the kindness shown to her by Aehryn and his sister was by far anything she had
ever imagined. She felt as if she were royalty. Gifts were not something she
was used to and the gifts that had been bestowed upon her since her arrival had
been far too extravagant. She was beyond grateful for all that had been done
for her and had no idea how she would ever begin to repay them for their
kindness. Shaking her head gently, she wiped away her tears and got up, heading
to the bathroom to take a much needed warm bath.
.
After
her bath, she dried her hair and let it sit for a while, hoping to have it completely
dry soon. She looked upon the dress Mevneriel had given her and toyed with the
capped sleeves gently. Having never worn something like this she was nervous
once again about her appearance and worried she might look silly. Most of the
gowns she had worn and observed at the last event were with long sleeves not
bare arms. So this too worried her, but she remembered commenting on how warm
she had been with them and wondered if Mevneriel had done this specially for
her. Blushing, she realized she would have to wear the gown and do her best to
look comfortable. Looking down at the table where she had put the bracelet, she
lifted it carefully and put it over her wrist, tying is back on securely. Just
then a knock came at the door and she called out for them to come in. It was
Mevneriel, with a very big smile gracing her lips. Layora smiled back at her,
“Hey there, what brings you by so early?” Mevneriel closed the door behind her
and came over to her. “I wanted to help you with your hair, instead of wearing
it down, I thought I might be able to do something special with it and put it
up.” Layora nodded, “I’ve never worn my hair completely up before. Many of the
women back home would though. How will you do it?” Mevneriel smiled and
motioned for her to sit before the dressing mirror and she quickly did. “Just
relax and let me play with your hair a while. I’m sure I can do something
lovely with it.”
Layora
nodded gently and her friend went to work brushing out her hair. “So, did you
see Aehryn today?” Layora blushed a little, “I did. He gave me a beautiful
bracelet. She held up her wrist to show her and Mevneriel cooed, “Oh it’s
lovely. It really does match your dress perfectly. He picked out all the right
beads and fabric too.” Layora’s gaze turned to one of curiosity, “Did he make
this on his own?” Mevneriel nodded after finishing brushing and went to work
braiding Layora’s hair. “He did, he came to me late last night asking about
what fabric to use and what colour the dress was and what beads might work best.
So I gave him a few ideas and off he went. He made it just for you.” Layora’s
blush deepened and she clasped her hands in her lap, looking down a little at
the bracelet on her wrist. It was indeed very pretty, with braided portions of
the fabric and the other twisted rows. There were four strands in total and all
were different and tied up into a neat bow on the underside of her wrist.
The
beads sparkled and she wondered what kinds of stones they were made of. Sighing
a little Mevneriel smiled and patted her gently on the shoulder. “Just between
you and I, I think my brother really likes you. I can’t remember a time where
he ever made a gift for a girl before.” Layora shook her head a little, “Surely
he only thinks of me as a friend. He has been very kind to me, but I do not
think he is interested in me romantically.” She was being very honest, though
she had spoken to him intimately on many occasions, he always felt like a very
good friend to her and nothing more. She was not blind to the tension between
them at times, but she also did not think it right for her to say anything of
this to him or to his sister. “Surely you don’t believe that?” “But I do, he is
a good friend to me, he has been wonderful and he ceases to amaze me. This
bracelet for example, is such a lovely gesture.” “Yes! One that says, ‘I think
I love you!’” She cried and laughed lightly. “Oh he doesn’t, please Eriel. I’m
sure he does not, he is merely being kind to me.” She sighed and rolled her
eyes a little, “Whatever you say, Layora.” Layora sensed the sarcasm and gently
elbowed her as she continued to braid her hair, now pinning sections up.
They
continued like that a while and the entire time Layora was left to think about
the kind gesture Aehryn had given her. She would admire the bracelet for long
moments, thinking about how his fingers moved to braid the sections or how he
may have been concentrating as he worked. It was all she could think about
while she had her hair pinned up, piece after piece and soon Mevneriel was
done. “There, perfect. Now I just need to put that head piece on you.” She went
to pick it up off the bed and coming back, she gently placed it atop the back
of her head where the braid had been wound tightly into a bun. Layora was
smiling, she had never had her hair pinned up like this and the little feathers
and pearl droplets that were now being wound into her hair were absolutely
beautiful. “That’s so beautiful, I had no idea what you had planned to do with
the piece and my hair but it looks wonderful.” Mevneriel smiled, “I’m glad you
like it, now the trick is not to mess it up.” She laughed and so did Layora but
she realized that it was actually quite secure. “I think it will be just fine.
It seems pretty tight.” Mevneriel nodded, “I had hoped it would be. Good, now
I’m going to go and get ready as well. Let me know if you need anything, I’ll
come by for you around six o-clock.” Layora nodded, “That sounds good, I will
see you then.” Mevneriel waved and gave Snow a quick pat before she left,
closing the door behind her.
Layora
sat down on the edge of her bed and Snow wandered over towards her, sitting
down between her feet and looking up at her. She smiled softly and ran her
fingers through the fur around his neck, rubbing him gently. “Snow, you must
think this place rather strange but I hope you can call it your home because I
want to call it mine.” He whined a little as she spoke and eventually rested
his head on her legs. She motioned for him to hop onto the bed next to her and
he quickly did so, laying down beside her. She hugged him gently and kissed his
nose before rubbing his belly. “I never thought I would find a home like this
one Snow. I’ve been blessed with so much since I found them and now they want
me to be a part of their community. Isn’t that wonderful?” Snow simply stared
at her while she held his head in her hands, his eyes slowly drifting shut. She
merely laughed and let him lay his head back down on the blankets. “You may not
understand what I’m saying, but I’m sure you appreciate all that they have done
for you as well.” Rubbing his ears gently she relaxed with him for a while on
the bed, just thinking and wondering what tonight would bring her. Little did
she know; it was going to bring her more than she ever expected, nor wished to
handle.
.
Later
that evening she dressed in the gown Mevneriel had given to her and waited
patiently for her to arrive but soon it was well after six and she was
beginning to wonder where she was. There was a knock at the door and she
readily opened it, happy to see Aehryn standing before her. “Layora, you look
stunning.” She blushed and smiled, “I didn’t expect to see you yet, I was
actually expecting your sister.” “Ah, that’s why I’m here, I’ve been asked to
escort you to the feast. Eriel is busy helping with the preparations. I’m sorry
for being late, it was an unexpected turn.” She smiled and shook her head, “Not
at all, it’s fine. I’m ready to go whenever you are. You look very handsome as
well this evening.” She whispered the last part a little nervously and he tried
to keep his smile from getting too big. “Alright, we’d best be on our way, many
have already been seated.” She nodded and as he extended his arm to her, she
linked arms with him. They made their way down to where the feast was being
held, Snow following them closely and upon entering the room, there were many
who turned to clap and cheer. She halted in her steps and would have recoiled
if it weren’t for Aehryn’s steady arm holding her. His other hand found her arm
and he gently squeezed her, “It’s alright, they’re just welcoming you.” Layora
trembled from a number of things, first, the warmth of Aehryn’s hand pressing
firmly against her arm, second, the noise of the great room and thirdly, the
tremendous number of people all looking at her. She tried hard to smile and
Aehryn slowly led her through the throng of people towards the head table where
Mevneriel, Andulin, Nurilain, Nyadulin and three other elves she did not
recognize sat comfortably.
Mevneriel
was smiling brightly at her, clearly impressed with how well the dress and her
hair turned out. She stood along with the rest of her family and Nyadulin to
welcome her to the table. She bowed gently in thanks and spoke as loud as she
could over the noise of the room to thank them for allowing her to be seated at
their table. Nyadulin simply smiled, nodded and then spoke aloud, “Welcome
Layora, we are very pleased to have you sit with us this evening. Please, take
your seat beside Mevneriel.” She nodded and gave her thanks once more before
moving with Aehryn to sit beside his sister. Aehryn too took his seat beside
her and upon letting go of her arm, he inwardly sighed at the loss of contact.
Upon sitting however, he was pleased to find that they were close enough
together that he could feel the warmth of her body beside his.
She
was still trembling as Mevneriel patted her on the leg, “You look so beautiful,
relax. We’re about to start the feast. The food is already going out to all the
guests.” Layora nodded and smiled, “Thank you so much for the dress, it’s very
beautiful.” Mevneriel smiled, “You’re very welcome, I think you look so
elegant, I’m sure Aehryn thinks so too.” She chided and Layora blushed a little
deeper. Aehryn smiled over at them, blushing as well. “It suits you very well,
I’m glad the bracelet matches your gown. I was worried I’d picked the wrong
colour or fabric.” Layora shook her head gently, “No, it’s perfect, thank you
so much again-to the both of you, for your lovely gifts.” They whispered their thanks as Nyadulin stood
and began speaking to the assembly.
“Welcome
all to this celebration of my return from Teovon. I come back to you with great
new knowledge of a people that has been kept secret for many centuries. They
are a kind people, an elven race much like us, but they dwell beneath the land,
not above, like ourselves. They are kind and cheerful and enjoy their drink as
much as any one of us. They are simply different and beautiful in their own
way. Over the next few months I will be working to write down all that I have
learned and I will share this with the council later this year. I hope that any
who are interested in learning about these people come to me and come with open
ears, for they differ from us in many ways. But that is enough about that, I
have something else to discuss.” He motioned to his right to where Layora now
sat and asked her to stand. Very reluctantly she stood, albeit shakily, and
smiled her brightest at him. “This, is Layora. Many of you have no doubt seen
the young elf and her companion, the white wolf. Who I have been told is called
Snow. He seems very friendly, for even now he is lying beneath our table
relaxing while we chatter about up here.” He laughed and so did many others
with him.
“So
I would like you all to welcome Layora as a part of your community, your family
and friend. She has come from a great distance and wishes to call Lyione her
home. Can we let her into our hearts?” He asked and many elves stood and
clapped, even Andulin, Nurilain, Mevneriel and Aehryn stood. The clapping
continued for a few more moments before Nyadulin began to speak again, “Well
there you have it, Layora. You are welcomed to Lyione, officially of course, as
one of our people. We hope that you will live amongst us for many years to
come.” Layora bowed gently, “Thank you so much for welcoming me into your home.
I have been received with nothing but the utmost love and kindness from all of
your people. I sincerely thank you for all that has been done for Snow and I
and I too hope to stay here for as long as I am welcome.” Nyadulin smiled and
reached out to clasp her hands, shaking them gently, “You will always be
welcome here, my dear.”
Layora
blushed and smiled and soon he released his hold on her hands and they returned
to their seated positions. The assembly was very cheerful this evening as
drinks were poured and food was brought to the tables. It was a hall fit for a
thousand and close to, filled it that evening. Layora still felt overwhelmed
and it wasn’t long before their table received drinks and an assortment of food
as well. The assembly could be heard eating and drinking, laughing and
hollering. It seemed to be a great affair. But Layora was beginning to feel
distant and as she sipped her wine and picked at some of the food that was laid
before her, her mind started to wander to other things. She could feel Snow
lying at her feet, his soft fur brushing against her dress. She was glad he was
still close by and while Mevneriel talked to her, pointing out the guests and
explaining who many of them were, she started to drift away or rather, inside.
She was listening, nodding along to all the names and places they were from,
but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Mevneriel did not notice as she had already
been into a little more than her fair share of wine but Aehryn was beginning to
suspect something.
Quietly,
while Mevneriel was otherwise preoccupied for a moment, he touched Layora on
the shoulder. Turning, she looked at him and tried to smile. “Are you alright,
Layora?” He asked softly, quiet enough not to let Mevneriel or anyone else hear
him. Layora nodded gently, “I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed. My head’s gone
all fuzzy.” Aehryn looked down at her drink and frowned a little before handing
her a fresh glass of water instead. “Here, have this instead of wine. You might
feel better.” She nodded and sipped at it, relishing the cold against her
tongue. “Thank you, I think just between the noise and excitement, I’m just a
little off. Everything is wonderful, I’m just feeling a bit off is all.”
“That’s a shame, because I was hoping you would dance with me this evening.” He
tried to smile brightly at her, but it came out as a nervous grin and she
couldn’t help but chuckle a little, “I’d love to dance with you, maybe in a
little while when others have started?” He nodded, now fully prepared to dance
with her. “That sounds perfect. I won’t run away this time,” He laughed and
Mevneriel overheard them.
“What’s
this, having some fun without me? Do tell.” Layora smiled and before she could
speak, Aehryn interrupted, “Oh, I’ve promised her a proper dance later this
evening. That’s all.” Mevneriel’s smile brightened and she tried to contain her
excitement. Drinking more wine, she chuckled a little, “That sounds very nice.-
‘a proper dance.’” She whispered and took another long sip of her wine. Aehryn
returned his gaze to the sea of people before them all enjoying themselves and
tried to relax as he continued to eat his own meal. Layora felt a little better
after having finished her water and decided that she shouldn’t drink any wine
for the evening, at least until she felt a little more level headed. The
evening progressed and soon Layora was laughing and talking to Nyadulin with
Mevneriel asking questions every chance she could get. He was kind and very
well versed in the ways of many communities. All of which he talked about in
succession. He was intrigued by the fact that Layora grew up among Man and
asked many curious questions of her childhood and their cultural ways. She
unfortunately did not have much to share other than little bits here and there
that she thought were of note because she was never really included in many of
the celebrations.
“Well,
what about a birthday? Surely you must have had birthdays!” Cried Eriel and
Layora simply laughed, “No, not me. The children of the home did but mine was
never told to me. So I celebrated it every time it first snowed on my own. I
thought that it was a pretty time of year and decided I wanted my birthday to
fall on the first snow fall.” Nyadulin and Mevneriel both smiled, “That’s lovely,
I’m sorry you never had any birthday celebrations though. We shall throw you a
lovely birthday feast when the time comes.” Nyadulin nodded in agreement and
tapped his chin gently with his finger as if thinking very hard. He had been
gazing for a long while at Layora, convinced that somehow she looked like
someone he could not quite remember. He soon dismissed the thought and watched
as Aehryn stood and bowed gently towards Layora. “Miss Layora, would you so
kindly join me in a dance?” He asked, very politely and extended his hand
towards her. Layora had turned around when Mevneriel had motioned towards
Aehryn and blushing she accepted and placed her hand in his. “That would be
lovely, Aehryn,” She whispered and went to stand, nearly tripping over Snow,
she stumbled a little and he caught her just slightly. “Ah, careful.” She
blushed deeply and looked down at where Snow was lying. She had forgotten he
was there as he had been so quiet all evening. She reached down and patted him
on the head quickly before following Aehryn to the open floor used for dancing.
There
were already many elves dancing and Aehryn carefully led her to the floor and
stepped closer to her, gently taking her hand and placing his other free hand
on her waist. She followed by clasping his one hand and resting her right on
his shoulder gently. She tried hard not to tremble as she was taken away in the
dance, Aehryn’s hand resting gently against her side. When he had heard her say
his name, his entire body tingled. He hadn’t realized how lovely it sounded
coming from her and it pleased him greatly. Smiling, he held her a little
closer, very conscious of the way her body felt so close to his. They were
barely touching, but the warmth that spread through him also spread through
her. She was shaking just a little in his arms and it took all her courage to
continue with the dance and follow him along in time to the music that played.
There was a small group of elves singing and playing various instruments at one
end of the room and many elves were gathered there to dance. But Aehryn
preferred to stay a little farther away from the noise in case they should like
to talk to one another.
Layora
did her best to keep up with him in the dance and he did his best not to move
too quickly. They looked as though they were rather enjoying themselves,
although both were nervous, it didn’t seem to show in their dancing at all.
They continued like that for a time and neither spoke. Layora concentrated on a
spot on his neck where she wished to tear her eyes from but failed again and
again. Whereas Aehryn could not focus on any one thing; his eyes flitting from
her neck to her hair and ears. He tried not to focus on these too much and
eventually he caught her in a glance and they were forced to smile awkwardly at
one another. She couldn’t help laugh lightly at his expression, seeming to have
caught him at a moment where he was unprepared. He smiled a little more, “What
is it?” She shook her head gently, “Nothing, I just think we’re both still
nervous about dancing together. I’m just nervous about dancing in general, but
I think it’s going quite well.” He smiled and laughed a little too, “You’re
right, I think we’re both a little nervous. I’m feeling a bit more comfortable
now though.” Layora nodded gently and looked up at him for a moment. He was
only a little taller than herself but it was enough to make her have to look up
just a little.
“I’m
glad you’re more comfortable,” She whispered and met his gaze. He stopped
dancing and smiling at her, he contemplated kissing her. He wanted to, every
bone in his body begged him to and yet he could not do it. The song had
finished and now a more lively song was playing, something they both did not
wish to dance to. Layora could sense the tension he felt but was unsure what he
was thinking and so she let her hand fall from his shoulder and Aehryn slowly
let go of her as well, feeling rather dejected after having missed his chance.
“Thank you very much for the dance, it was lovely.” She curtseyed and met his
gaze once more. “You’re very welcome and thank you for allowing me the pleasure
to dance with you.” She blushed lightly and quietly they made their way back to
the table where Mevneriel sat looking a little exasperated. She sighed deeply
when Layora sat down next to her and Aehryn shot her a quick glance that made
her sit up a little straighter and change her expression. “That was a lovely
dance, you two looked very good together.” Layora blushed and said thank you as
did Aehryn who continued to give his sister an odd look.
None
of them had realized that during the entirety of their dance, Nyadulin had been
watching very quietly. He was positively mesmerized by the young woman and it
was because he finally realized who she looked like. Almost immediately he
excused himself from the table and disappeared for well over an hour. The
evening went on and the three chatted quietly through the evening. Later that
night Mevneriel and Layora disappeared to their rooms after having decided it
was well past their bedtimes. Aehryn had lingered and it wasn’t long after that
Nyadulin returned and asked for a word. “I’d like to walk with you in the
garden for a moment, would you come with me?” Aehryn smiled, “I’d love to,
come, we’ll walk together on this beautiful night.” Nyadulin was very happy to
see him in such a good mood and soon they were walking through the garden and
onto a path that wound its way through one of the outer buildings.
“So
tell me, how are you enjoying this evening? I see Layora and your sister have
gone to bed already.” Aehryn smiled and nodded, “Yes, they were very tired it
seems and I am enjoying this evening very much, thank you. I hope you have
enjoyed it as well.” He nodded, “I have, but there is something that troubles
me greatly.” “Oh, what is it?” Aehryn asked, feeling concerned. “I have to ask
you, what do you know of Layora’s history? About where she came from?” Aehryn
shook his head gently, “I do not know very much, only what she has told me. I
recall her mentioning a fire and the family who cared for her perished along
with the home. But she did not give me much in detail.” Nyadulin nodded,
furrowing his brow, “What of her childhood, does she not remember her mother
and father at all?” “No, she has said that before. She must have been taken in
at a very early age to not remember.” He nodded in agreement and sighed as they
came to a stop inside one of the buildings.
“I
want to show you something; come, this way.” Nyadulin motioned down one of the
corridors and they began walking together. They walked for a few minutes in
silence until they came to where there were several paintings. “Look here.”
Nyadulin motioned towards one of the paintings hidden away in an alcove. Aehryn
looked up at a painting that hung on the wall. It was large and covered most of
the alcove’s wall but he immediately stilled. It took him a moment to find his
voice and stepping forward towards the painting, he spoke, “She looks just like
her.” It was nothing above a whisper and Nyadulin nodded, “I think this is her
mother.” Aehryn turned around slowly and shook his head. “That’s not possible,
she came from so far away. I think we would know if she were from here,
wouldn’t we?” Nyadulin shook his head, “I think I know what happened, but I
need to delve a little deeper. This woman looks far too similar to Layora. If
it’s just a coincidence, I would be very surprised.” Aehryn nodded thinking to
himself, ‘even I would be surprised.’
~
The
next morning came and went and the day passed by without incident. Soon a
second and a third day passed by and then a month soon flitted past. It was
then that Andulin and Aehryn called a council of the elders about an ongoing
problem that was threatening their community. Aehryn sat next to his father
with Nyadulin at his side. Then it began, “I have called this council to
discuss an urgent matter that threatens our borders and many others. The threat
I speak of is King’s army. He calls himself a King but he is no King as far as
I am concerned. He ravages the land he takes. He is making his way over the Mountains
and will be here in less than two months time. We need to do something to stop
his madness for I believe him to be just that, mad.” It was Andulin who had
spoken and soon there were murmurs. “I am told of this threat from two of our
clans to the East and West. They have heard rumors and I made sure to gather
all the information I could about the army that marches upon us. King’s army is
several thousand strong. They are not seasoned or experienced fighters and many
of which are the riff raff of their society. They seek to overturn us by the
Fall and I will not have this. Preparations have already been undertaken by
Aehryn and his fellow commanders and the other kingdoms have done the same. We
are to leave in one month to head for the Mountains where our kinsmen will meet
us. We will head them off there in the forests that surround the base. We will
wait for them. They will be tired and weak from their climb and we will seize
the opportunity to destroy them.”
The
council remained quiet and Aehryn cleared his throat to speak, “We can win this
battle. They will not outnumber us if our kinsmen are with us and we can ensure
that we are ready well in advance of their arrival. We will be prepared and we
will catch them unawares.” Another of the council stood to speak, “I am Durin.
I have come to you from the West Kingdom of Keirion. I am here to convey this
message: Your kinsman will fight alongside of you at the base of the Great
Mountain. We will be sending our army in a matter of days to make the journey.
We will reach the Mountain before you and set up camp.” “I am Nhim,” Spoke
another elf then stood. “-and I am from the Kingdom of Eyri to the East. We
have already left our home and have begun the journey to the Mountain. We have
three thousand of your kinsmen at the ready. We will stop them!” He shouted and
Andulin had no choice but to calm down the rest of the council as many stood
and shouted in agreement. “Calm yourselves, we are all a little excited, this
situation may be one we did not foresee but we can certainly see it now -“ He
took a sobering breath, “-and I can see our victory. We will stop their trail
of destruction before long and we will be ever stronger because of it. So in
one month’s time, Aehryn, his commanders and our army will leave Lyione and
head for the Mountains.” Aehryn nodded, agreeing with his father and quickly
many of the other council members started talking amongst themselves and all
Aehryn could think about was their battle plan.
Yes,
they had an army, yes they had the man power and weaponry, but did they have
the right plan? He puzzled over this for a while before his father dismissed
him and quietly he made his way along the path back towards the gardens. It
wasn’t long before he found himself there and came upon Layora on her way to
the library. She was alone and although she did not see him, he decided to go
after her in hopes of speaking with her. He watched as she ducked into the
library and soon he too was slipping inside. “Layora,” He called softly and she
turned around, smiling. “Aehryn, I’m sorry, I did not hear you coming. How are
you?” He smiled and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “It’s alright,
I’m well thank you. How are you today?” She shrugged gently, “I’m doing just
fine, I actually came here to do some reading.” “Ah, I won’t disturb you then.
I was just quarrelling with myself over an issue that’s come up. Did you have
time for a chat? I’m feeling a little confused.” Layora nodded and motioned
towards one of the tables, “Of course I have time, come and sit down. What’s
troubling you?” She took a seat and soon he too had joined her.
“I
just came back from a council meeting. I don’t know if you have heard, but
there is an army moving towards our borders and we are doing everything we can
to intercept them and stop their progress.” Layora shook her head, “Who is it
that marches towards us?” Aehryn sighed, “It’s an army ruled by a man who calls
himself King. They are an army of riff raffs that seek to do nothing but
conquer and destroy. We have a plan with two of our neighboring kingdoms to
intercept them, but I’m having second thoughts about it.” Layora nodded, “Have
you thought about reading up on a little war history of your people, or other
battles among men? Perhaps they could help you. I can recommend plenty of books
for you to look into.” Aehryn smiled, “I hadn’t thought of that. Taking helpful
hints from our ancestors might be very wise.” Layora smiled softly, “What is
your current plan, if I may ask?” He sighed, “We plan on leaving in one month’s
time and going to the base of the Mountains. We are hoping to ambush them
before they reach the bottom and fight them on the hillside. We have many
strong archers and swordsmen and I know it would be possible, but there’s
something bothering me.”
“What
do you mean?” She asked, resting her elbows upon the table. “I would much
rather catch them unawares, if we are out in the open and they are coming down
the Mountain, they will see us plain as day. There isn’t much coverage right at
the base, unless we are on the Mountain ourselves and I do not wish to do that
to our men.” She nodded, understanding his concern. “In my personal opinion, I
feel you are right. They would see you. But if you were to wait for them to
come down off the Mountain, you might have a better chance.” “How so?” He
inquired. Layora smiled, “When I travelled over the Mountains I was exhausted
when I reached the bottom. I was so thankful and happy to be on solid ground
that I rested there for as long as I could before moving on. They will be tired
and weary from their passage, it would be the perfect opportunity to catch them
unawares, perhaps at night.” Aehryn nodded, gripped by her every word. “You’re
absolutely right, before they have time to get their strength back, we can
surprise them and catch them at night, like you said.”
Layora
smiled gently, “Do you think it is a smart idea?” “I do, I really do. I think
it brilliant, actually.” Layora blushed a little as he spoke. “That’s what
we’ll do. I’ll tell my father of our plan and make sure the other kingdoms know
to stay back from the Mountains. We’ll have scouts in the forest to watch out
for the first wave and then we will wait for nightfall.” Layora nodded, “It
will work out well for us, I’m sure. With you leading your people-“ “Our people,”
He corrected and she smiled a little more. “Our people-they will surely agree
and the odds will be in our favor.” He nodded, his mind now thinking to more in
depth plans. “I should like to volunteer my services to our army, Aehryn.” She
spoke quietly and he nodded quickly, not really hearing her. She realized this
and smiled, “Good, I thought there was going to be a problem.” Aehryn shook his
head gently, “What?” Layora chuckled softly, “I would like to join your ranks
and be a part of this battle.” Aehryn quickly shook his head, “No you don’t,
it’s dangerous and I would blame myself if something were to happen to you.”
She shook her head gently, “I’m fully capable of looking after myself. I am
well skilled with a bow. I can join your archers and practice my sword wielding
until then.” He shook his head, still not liking the idea, “If you were a part
of our archery team, you would be right in the dangerous part of the fray.” “I
realize this, Aehryn. I would like to put myself in this battle to defend our home
and our people.” He stared hard at her for a long while before shifting
uncomfortably in his chair, “I won’t give you a definite answer, not until I
see how well you wield a sword.” Layora tried hard not to blush, but readily
agreed. “There is a slight problem..I do not own a sword.” He smiled, “Nor do
you own a horse. I shall see that you are fitted with both and armor too. But I
want to see you move and stand up to me in combat. I need to see that you can
defend yourself.”
Layora
nodded, fully understanding why he wished to see her abilities as a swordsman.
“Alright, I should like to practice with someone up until then.” He shook his
head, “You’ll only be practicing with me, when you feel you are ready, then you
show me what you can do.” She nodded, “This sounds perfectly fair. I understand
your concern and I hope to prove to you that I am a capable individual.” He
smiled, “I have no doubt you are capable, it just comes down to me worrying
over you, as my friend.” She smiled softly, “I understand, it’s okay. I’ll
prove to you that I can fight alongside you.” He smiled, knowing full well she
would. This woman was by far one of the most incredible people he had ever met
and yet he could not help but feel guilty. Harboring a secret from her for a
month now had been painful but he had not yet been to see Nyadulin to discuss
this further in light of recent occurrences and he did not want to be premature
in his reveal if she was indeed not related to the woman in the painting. He
felt trapped and decided that he would speak to Nyadulin today if he could
about what he had found out.
“I shall
leave you to your reading, Layora. Thank you so much for easing my mind. I will
take your advice and do what you said. I think it will turn out better this
way.” She smiled and nodded, “I’m glad you think so. Have a good afternoon,
perhaps I will see you at supper tomorrow night for Mevneriel’s birthday.”
“Ah,” He said, “-you certainly will. I’ll have my present ready for her by this
afternoon.” She smiled, “I too have one ready for her. I hope she likes it.” He
smiled back at her, “I know she will and it’ll go perfectly with what I’m
giving her.” She smiled and nodded, “I can’t wait to see her smile. She is such
a wonderful lady.” He nodded, “She’s a bit overwhelming at times, but I love
her very much.” Layora smiled, pleased to see the siblings get along so well
together. “I’ll see you later, Aehryn.” He waved and said his goodbye before
heading off from the library to speak to Nyadulin. Layora sat back a little in
the chair and smiled to herself, very happy that she was able to help him in
his plans and she hoped that she could contribute something to their cause.
Standing, she made her way to the back of the library where she resumed reading
one of the history books she had been following closely for the last week.
.
Nyadulin
heard the knock at his door and shook his head gently, feeling very
distracted. “Come in!” He called and
shoved some of the books from him across the table he sat at. Aehryn had come
to his study to discuss Layora, he knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.
“Aehryn, I’m sorry for not reaching out to you sooner, keeping a secret like
this is not as easy as I would hope.” He
nodded and closed the door behind him tightly, “So you’ve found something
then?” Nyadulin nodded, “Oh I have and I’m not sure how to tell her. I think it
best that you be there when I tell her, I don’t know if she will believe me.”
Aehryn nodded and agreed, “I think that would be best, but I would still like
to know what you plan on telling her. I want to know who she is.” Nyadulin
nodded, “Sit down.” He motioned towards the empty seat across from him. Aehryn
took it and leaned on the table heavily, very nervous about what he was about
to hear. “I’ll tell you everything, so sit and relax and try to save questions
until I’m finished or I’ll never get through it.” Aehryn nodded, preparing
himself for the worst.
~
Mevneriel
was beaming, so excited about that evening’s festivities. She knew there would
be a great dinner for her friends and family and many others and they would all
be there to celebrate her birthday. She was excited and she eagerly knocked on
Layora’s door, hoping that she was ready. Layora opened the door and smiled
brightly, “Eriel! Happy Birthday!” She cried and threw her arms around her
friend, hugging her tightly. Mevneriel smiled and laughed, “Thank you so much,
are you excited for this evening’s party?” Layora nodded and released her from
the hug, “I am. It should be a lot of fun, are you all ready, we can go down to
the dinner together.” Mevneriel nodded, “I am and you look lovely, ready as
well?” “Layora gave her thanks and nodded, “I’m ready as well, let’s go down
together. I think Snow would like to join us, he’s been moping around all day,
I think he’s bored. Maybe tomorrow I’ll take him on a run outside the walls,
maybe even go hunting for the afternoon and see how he feels.” Mevneriel
nodded, “That sounds nice, come, let’s go.” Layora followed her friend out the
door, ushering Snow along with them. He whined loudly and Layora patted his
back as she closed the door behind them, “It’s alright love, come, we’ll go
have some fun and I’ll get you something nice to eat.” He whined even louder at
this and she chuckled softly. Mevneriel smiled and they walked down the
corridor together.
They
reached the dining room where several hundred instead of thousand were seated
and Mevneriel laughed with delight as many of her friends and family stood to
welcome her. She was ushered off into the throng of people and Layora was left
standing there smiling with Snow. He sat down by her feet and she knelt down a
little to hug him gently, “It’s okay Snow. I’m sorry you’re so bored, come,
let’s go to the kitchen and get you something to nibble on.” He licked her
cheek and she chuckled softly before leading him around the dining room to
where the food was being brought out. She asked one of elves who worked in the
kitchen if she had time to find him a good chunk of meat and she quickly
disappeared with a smile in search of something for him. They waited quietly
just inside the kitchen and watched as platter after platter of sweets and
other delectable foods were carried out. Snow was practically drooling and
Layora kept petting him on the head to keep him from tearing off with any of
the food he kept seeing. It wasn’t long before the young elf returned with two
thickly cut pieces of meat on a small platter. “I hope this will suffice,” She
whispered and handed it to Layora.
Laughing,
she nodded, “Thank you so much. This is perfect, he’ll love it I’m sure.” Just
then Snow started whining and looked up at her. She chuckled and the young girl
wandered off leaving them alone together. She brought the tray out into the
dining room and found a quiet spot where she sat the tray down onto the floor
for him. “Here you go love,” She whispered and rubbed is back as he lay down
and started devouring his meal. She decided it best to leave him to it and went
off in search of Aehryn and Mevneriel. Although she had made many friends since
being in Lyione, she felt most comfortable with the two of them and Vaeril as
well. Even Nyadulin had been very kind to her and she appreciated all he
spoke to her about. Layora soon spotted Mevneriel taking a seat at one of the
tables with Aehryn, their mother and father and Nyadulin as well. She noticed
an empty spot and hoped it was for her. Leaving Snow to his meal she stood and
went off towards them. Coming up behind Aehryn, Mevneriel motioned for her to
sit next to him, “Layora, your spot’s just there beside my brother.” Aehryn
looked up at her as she came closer to his seat and he blushed. ‘There she is
again, so beautiful and happy,’ He thought and smiled up at her. He stood
quickly however, to pull out her chair for her and she thanked him before
sitting down and tucking herself in.
“How is everyone this evening?” She asked and
reached out to take a sip of her water. She did not yet know, however. that everyone
aside from Mevneriel knew the secret of her heritage. Nyadulin had shared this
information to Andulin and Nurilain and Aehryn had shared it with Vaeril, his
closest friend. Mevneriel was not told because they were worried she would tell
Layora and Nyadulin wanted to be the one to discuss it with her in private.
They all responded one after the other saying that they were all well and she
smiled happily upon them. “This is a cause for celebration then, Mevneriel’s
birthday. We haven’t done gifts yet, I hope?” She asked. Mevneriel shook her
head, “No not just yet, after dinner we’ll do some of them. But there seem to
be quite a few and I don’t think everyone will want to wait all night for me to
open them.” Layora chuckled softly as did Aehryn and Vaeril. Nyadulin, Nurilain
and Andulin were busy discussing something at the opposite end of the table and
the younger elves busied themselves with tasting many of the assorted foods
that had been brought to the table.
They chatted for a while and the evening went
on without incident and soon they were watching as Mevneriel opened present
after present. Layora watched as she came to open her present and scooted a
little closer to her. Mevneriel pulled over a beautiful quiver filled with
arrows and blushed as she saw a little note attached; it was from Layora. She
admired them for a moment before realizing that there were carvings all along
quiver and the arrow shafts. Some were carvings of animals and some were little
bits of literature Mevneriel said she had enjoyed. She held them close for a
moment, “These are beautiful Layora. Thank you so much, I know they must have
taken you a long time to make.” Layora shook her head, “You’re welcome, they
were no trouble at all to make for you. I’m quick now when it comes to arrows.
The carving is what takes a little time, but these were mostly phrases that I
know you enjoy.” Mevneriel smiled brightly, I really do thank you. I’m almost
afraid to use them, they’re so beautiful.” They laughed together and Aehryn
stood to present her with her gift from him. He pulled out a bow from behind
his chair and passed it to her carefully. “This is a gift from me, I took
Layora’s example and did my best to match her unique style. I hope you like
it.” Mevneriel was practically in tears, they were such lovely gifts. “Thank
you Aehryn, this is stunning. Your gifts have been so thoughtful and I’m so
much better now, these are perfect for me.”
Layora nodded and Aehryn simply smiled, “You
are getting better and we thought you deserved better tools.” Layora nodded in
agreement, “We hope you like them.” “Oh I do, they’re both beautiful. And
Aehryn, you did such a wonderful job incorporating her style.” He thanked her
and took the items to set them aside for her. “There, now you’re free to open up
more gifts, I’ll hold onto these for you for now.” She nodded and smiled,
“Thank you both again.” They smiled and sat back in their chairs to watch as
she began opening more of her gifts. It did not take all evening, but once she
was finished she worked with a few of her close friends to help her take things
up to her room. Aehryn turned to Layora, “Would you like to go for a walk with
me?” Layora smiled softly, “That sounds lovely, but shouldn’t I help Eriel with
her things?” He shook his head, “No, no. She’ll be alright on her own.” Layora
nodded, “Alright then, let’s go for a walk. It looks like a beautiful night for
one.”
He nodded and stood, extending his hand to
her. She took it gently and stood, following him out of the dining room and
down one of the sets of stairs to the main floor. They walked along together
for a little while without speaking and Aehryn led the way absentmindedly. “Do
you really like living here, Layora?” He asked. She smiled and nodded, “Oh I
do. It’s such a beautiful place and I am so happy to call it my home.” He
smiled over at her and they continued. He tried hard to think of a way to start
the conversation and he was thankful suddenly for the opportunity to ask her
about her previous home. “Do you mind if I ask you again..what happened at your
home that made you leave?” Layora crossed her arms and continued walking, “I
don’t mind talking about it, but at times it brings back bad memories so it can
be painful. But I’ll tell you.”
She bit her lower lip gently before speaking,
“During the fall two years ago, a fire broke out in our home where I lived with
the family that looked after me. The stables caught fire and the whole home was
engulfed in flames within minutes. They did not have a chance to get out. I had
not been there that night, I had snuck out for a moonlight ride on one of the
horses. I did this fairly often without their knowledge, but that night..that
night I let down the only family I ever knew. If I was there, I could have
helped them, I could have warned them. I have better hearing and smell than
they do and I could have done something.” Aehryn shook his head, “You shouldn’t
think like that. You could have perished with them if you had been fast asleep.
You don’t know for certain that your being there would have helped them.”
Layora frowned, “I know I won’t ever know the answer to whether I could have
helped or not, but it haunts me to this day that I was not there to even try.”
Aehryn nodded gently, “I’m sorry you had to go through something like that.”
Layora nodded gently, “We all have our histories, I suppose.”
Aehryn’s heart twinged a little at this, for
he wished to tell her everything. “Layora, the people who took you in, you
can’t remember anything before being with that family?” She shook her head, “No, I must have been too
young to remember and they never discussed it. I wish I could remember, but
perhaps there isn’t much there anyway.” He nodded and then shook his head. “I
want to show you something Layora, but I need you to listen to me and try to
understand me as best you can.” Layora blushed a little and looked at him
curiously, “Alright, I will.” He nodded and led her down another hallway, “It’s
just through here.” They came out into a small courtyard with several inlets to
what looked to be shrines. “I’ve never been back here before.” Aehryn nodded,
“I didn’t think you had. These are memorials set up to those we have lost over
the many years of our existence. It is a sobering place and it is to this place
that I bring you to show you something extraordinary.”
Layora nodded gently, feeling a little
apprehensive about his tone of voice and then he ducked into one of the
alcoves. “It’s through here.” Layora became a little nervous, wondering if he
was playing a trick on her. “What is it?” Aehryn stood to the side a little and
Layora rounded the corner. She stopped suddenly and stared up at a painting
that hung against the stone wall before her. She trembled hard and finally made
herself move closer to the painting, staring up at it. “Who is she?” It was
barely a whisper and Aehryn took a moment to respond, “Her name is Nereil.”
Layora nodded and stared wide eyed at the painting. “She looks a lot like me.”
Aehryn smiled softly, “She does.” “Why?” She asked, prying her eyes from the
painting and turning to look at him, her eyes filled with tears. “Nya and I
believe her to be your mother.”
Layora’s face contorted in what seemed like a
scornful look, “She can’t possibly be my mother. I lived far away from here,
there is no way she could have belonged to your people. My mother left me when
I was very young with a family that I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be a part of.
Why she left me, I don’t know. But this woman can’t be my mother. We may look
similar but there is no way.” Aehryn shook his head, “There was an incident and
I believe you’ve buried it deep inside your mind in hopes of forgetting about
it. When you were very young, your mother and father took you on a trip, they
were going across the Sea but before they could get there, they were ambushed
by thieves. It was in this ambush that you were lost. You were believed dead,
Layora.” She shook her head again, looking back at the painting, “That’s not
possible, I would remember something like that.” Aehryn sighed and suddenly
Nyadulin spoke as he came from the courtyard just outside, “Irealia; that is
your true name.” She turned to look upon him, starting to become frustrated,
“That’s not me, I’m Layora, a nobody. I lived far away and was abandoned by my
elven parents at birth, presumably.” Nyadulin stepped closer to her, “You are
Irealia, you need to think hard. Your carriage was small, just you and your
mother must have been inside. You left with your father, mother and several
other guardsmen. They were escorting you on your trip. There was an ambush, you
were told to hide no doubt, it’s the only way I can think of how you would have
survived.” “Stop it, this isn’t funny. I’m not this woman you’re talking about,
I was never on a trip, I was never with my mother, I don’t remember anything
like that growing up. I was not ambushed.” “Irealia!” He cried, you have to
remember,” He snapped. “Try to remember.” Layora trembled hard, his calling of
that name had sparked something.
She stood there rigid, both Aehryn and
Nyadulin starting back at her nervously. She felt distant suddenly, as if she
were drawing further and further away from them. The name he had called so
fervently had sent her head reeling and soon she was imagining things, or at
least, she thought she was imagining them. She pictured herself sitting quietly
and then suddenly a woman was calling her name, telling her to hide. The woman
flung open the door to the carriage she was sitting inside and motioned for her
to get under the seat. She quickly did and crying, asked her mother what was
wrong. “Thieves, they’ve attacked the party ahead, I need you to hide my
Irealia. If you are captured, your name must change. Tell them you are Layora,
my horse’s name. They will not hold you for ransom if they know you are not
royalty. I only pray that they will keep you safe, you are just a child. She
cried out suddenly, and shut the door to the carriage as she spun around. An
arrow had pierced her side and all her daughter could do was cry and cover her
eyes, hiding under the little seat.
Layora came back quickly, her eyes losing
their glossy appearance and she started gasping for air, unable to breathe.
Aehryn rushed to her side, grasping her by her arms, “It’s okay Layora, you’re
alright. Whatever you saw, whatever you felt, it’s over. You’re safe.” She
trembled and started to cry, covering her face for a moment, “I remember, I
remember. My mum called to me, she was panicked and told me to hide. We were
attacked and she was struck by an arrow. I remember so much, I can’t make it
stop.” She was starting to feel panicked and pushed away from Aehryn needing
some space. Things were starting to come back to her, little windows of her
past opening. She was eight when this happened; they were to travel to the West
across the sea and never made it there. Her name was Irealia, she could remember
this distinctly and trembling hard she bolted.
She could hear Aehryn and Nyadulin calling out
for her, but it was no use, she was running and she wasn’t going to stop. She
whistled loudly and within a moment or two, Snow was running by her side. He
could sense her terror and growled low as he kept pace beside her, following
her. She ran through the hallways, ducking in through several spaces as she
heard people passing and soon she was upstairs running towards her room. She
closed the door tightly behind them and locked it. It took her a few minutes to
get undressed but soon she was redressing in a pair of leggings and a tunic.
She took out her white cloak and put it on hastily. Snow was still beside
himself, whining and trying to lick at her hands as she moved around almost
frantically. She tried to calm him for a moment by scratching his ears, but
soon she was off again grabbing her bow and quiver, strapping the quiver to her
back. “Come Snow, we’re going somewhere.” She opened the door to her room
carefully and peered outside. She was relieved to see no one and then she took
off.
She raced down the hallway and soon she was
down the stairs and out into the gardens, running towards the library. Snow
followed her closely as she darted inside and started looking through the
stacks of books. She had remembered the name of her home and she needed a map
to guide her there. It took her several minutes but soon she had found what she
was looking for. Stuffing the book inside her tunic she took flight once more,
this time heading towards the stables. Upon arriving there she noticed how
quiet it was and carefully she moved from one stall to the next. Soon she was
at Brindle’s stall and she quietly opened it and slipped on his saddle and
bridle. “Come on love, we’re going for a late night ride.” She whispered and he
snorted at her as if in understanding. Snow paced back and forth as she led the
horse from the stables and he quickly followed as she mounted Brindle and
started out.
They raced across the outermost perimeter of
Lyione until they came to the gates. She saw only two elves there and begged
that they open the gates for her to leave. They had recognized her and asked
why she wanted to leave so late, but all she told them was that she needed to
get out with Snow for a while. They nodded to her and opened one of the smaller
gates for her so that she might leave. She whispered her thanks and then she
was off. Brindle was fast and she was thankful of this as they started out
together, Snow close on her heels. After they were a safe enough distance away
she pulled out the book and did her best to make out the way to the kingdom of
Kieiros, her home. She could see that it was about a day’s ride from there and
did her best to find a route that would take her straight there. She had
brought no provisions in her haste to leave but she wasn’t concerned about that
at the moment. She rode on into the darkness, holding tight to Brindle as he
moved silently over the vast expanse of grass that evening. Snow kept pace with
her for a long while, they were good together and although this was his first
time running alongside of another animal, he did very well with keeping up.
They continued like that for quite some time and only when Snow began to slow
did they stop to take a break.
.
Back in Lyione Aehryn was beside himself. They
had run back to the dining room to see if Layora was there, but there had been
no sign of her. They then checked her room and discovered she had left.
Aehryn’s heart sunk and he began to panic. “Where could she have gone, look
she’s taken her things and left everything else. What if she doesn’t come
back?” Nyadulin shook his head, “She’s gone to her home, we can meet her there,
come, let’s go. If we hurry we can make it there by tomorrow afternoon.” Aehryn
nodded, his resolve returning when suddenly Mevneriel opened the door from
across the hall. “What’s going on out here?” She asked, just pulling down her
hair from its lovely updo. Aehryn sighed and Nyadulin shook his head, “Eriel,
there’s something we haven’t told you, please ask Vaeril in the morning, for
now, we are going to Kieiros. We’ll be back as soon as we can.” She nodded,
very curious and looking a little upset, “Where’s Layora? Why are you in her
room?”
“That’s what we need you to discuss with
Vaeril in the morning. She’s safe, she’s just gone to Kieiros on her own and we
would like to make it there to see her.” She nodded and worriedly, she closed
the door to them, feeling very tired and very curious. But the wine had gone to
her head and she wished for nothing more than to sleep. Soon Nyadulin and
Aehryn went to saddle their horses and within an hour they were well on their
way to catching up with Layora. Little did they know, she was already back on
her horse and racing faster than ever. She knew that Snow would be able to
catch up if he needed a rest and she and Brindle were fine to continue. Elven
horses were indeed very strong.
~
The next morning Aehryn and Nyadulin had
managed to make good progress on catching up to Layora and it wasn’t long
before they too had reached the kingdom of Kieiros. Layora had left Brindle by
the gates. She was frightened and didn’t know what to think. There was no one
at the gates and it seemed eerily quiet. She left Brindle to wait for her and
he simply grazed on the nearby grass. Snow however, followed her every move,
feeling very concerned about her. Eventually she forced herself to step through
the open gates and onto the cobblestone path that led through the city. It was
an old place she realized, one that had mostly likely been long forgotten. She
saw no people nor animals and everything was overrun by nature where vines and
tall grasses wound their way around many of the structures. It was beautiful
but it saddened her. With no sleep from the night before, she was starting to
feel a little on edge and as she made her way down the path she trembled. She
could remember more and more of her childhood of her mother and father and her
friends. All of which she had been torn away from. She cried openly as she
walked, following the path with a steady foot, although she did not realize
this.
She had lost her parents and her whole life
had changed in that instant. She was angry that she never remembered that she
had suppressed the entire event. Trembling she pulled her cloak around her,
feeling cold and very much alone. She looked down at Snow who stood next to her
and he whined softly. Reaching down she held him, wrapping her arms about him.
She was so sad, so alone and wasn’t even sure of who she was anymore. “Am I
Layora or am I Irealia? How can I possibly be two different people. If it
really did happen to me, then I am Irealia. But then who is Layora? Am I still
a part of me now that I know so much?” He whined and licked at her face, he
could tell she was upset and he did whatever he could to be there for her. She
stood once again and walked over to one of the buildings, walking inside she
found her way into the entryway and then up a flight of stairs.
Aehryn and Nuadulin had just arrived and had
found Brindle waiting patiently at the gates. Making their way inside the city,
they took note of how old some of the buildings appeared. “When the King and
Queen had been killed, the people fled their home and ventured to other
kingdoms where they now live. This poor place has been left alone for almost 18
years. It used to be a beautiful city. Come, I think I know where Layora has
gone.” Nyadulin was leading the way and
Aehryn quietly followed, feeling very anxious. He had never been to Kieiros
before and although it was beautiful, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Soon
they were on their way again, following the path that Nyadulin suspected Layora
had taken.
Layora stood quietly before a closed door,
deep down she knew where she was but she could not bear to open the door. She
stood there in silence thinking and worrying over what she should do. Snow
nosed at her hand as he heard Aehryn and Nyadulin approaching and Layora
immediately knew who it was. She did not turn from the door, however. “Layora,”
Aehryn whispered as they got much closer. She did not move. “Irealia,” He
whispered instead but still she did not move. Nyadulin patted his arm and
motioned for him to stay where he was before he moved to stand next to Layora.
“Do you know where you are?” He asked. Layora nodded, “I’m at a room I think
could be mine.” He nodded, “Then why don’t you go in?” “I’m afraid,” She
whispered. “What are you afraid of?” “Layora shook her head gently, “I’m afraid
that if I open this door, I’ll be opening myself up to a more than painful past
and I don’t know if I can bear it.”
Nyadulin smiled softly, “You have friends to
help you through this, we can help you understand and come to terms with who
you really are-“ “But who am I? Really, I know nothing about my past other than
where I lived or what happened. I don’t remember my parents or what they were
like.” She sobbed suddenly and Nyadulin reached up to touch her back, gently
rubbing her. “Those memories will come in time, you had a traumatic incident
disrupt your mind and it will come back to you, slowly at first but eventually
you will remember everything.” Layora nodded and wiped away some of the tears
that had formed. Aehryn stood back still watching the two. It pained him to see
her hurting so much but he knew this was the only way they could have told her,
they needed her to do the rest.
“I still want to be me though, I don’t want to
lose this person I’ve worked so hard to become, what if this changes me
completely?” Nyadulin shook his head gently, “You will always be you, Layora.
You simply have a past that is going to be reawakened. It’s okay to understand
and to be afraid. But you have people that love and care for you and we only
wish for your happiness. This will all end well, I promise you.” Layora closed
her eyes for a long moment, tears still continuing to fall. She took another
moment and then reached out to open the door before her. It creaked loudly as
she pushed it open and quietly, she stepped inside.
Everything was covered in a layer of dust, but
the room itself was beautiful and was fitted for a little girl. There was a
rocking horse and some stuffed toys in one corner with a small rocking chair by
their side. There were little dressers with mirrors and chairs and even a
table. Her bed lay off to the right of the room and was made up perfectly. She
stared longingly at each item, slowly remembering being in this room before.
‘This is my room,’ She thought and stepped inside a little more. Her eyes
suddenly caught sight of something that sparkled and she walked over to it
quietly. It was a small crown sitting on a pillow on her dressing table. Her
fingertips barely touched the item before she recalled something her mother had
said in the carriage, “They will not hold you for ransom if they do not know
you are royalty-royalty.” She whispered. “What am I?” “A princess, Irealia.
Though now you should be queen.” She shook her head, unable to even begin
comprehending these implications and turned back around to look at them.
Aehryn was now inside the room with Nyadulin
and they were looking at her curiously. “What else do you remember?” Aehryn
asked. Layora shook her head gently, “It’s all still very scattered. I remember
bits and pieces of this place, but none of it makes sense to me.” “Not just
yet,” spoke Nyadulin. “But you will.” She nodded and went towards a shelf that
was overflowing with books. She did not recognize any of them but it pleased
her to know that she was still an avid reader. “What happens from here? What do
I do now?” Nyadulin approached her again and she sat down on the edge of the
bed, Snow moving to her side. “For now, we go home and you take some time to
take it all in. In time, we will work to reinstate you as queen of Kieiros.”
Layora trembled hard, “What if I don’t want to be queen?” Nuadulin shook his
head, “Don’t say that, you would do wonderfully as a queen. You are kind and
compassionate and I know you could rule well.” “But there is no one here, who
would I rule over?” He smiled, “I know followers of your family would come back
to you. We won’t allow word to spread too far yet, perhaps when all of the fuss
over the King’s army is over with, we can work to have Kieiros brought back to
life.” Layora nodded, not really paying full attention. “I just want to go
home,” She whispered and Aehryn came to her side, kneeling down before her. She
looked into his eyes quietly for a moment before more tears started to fall.
She closed her eyes and wept for a long while and Nyadulin and Aehryn did their
best to comfort her. By the time they set out again it was the early evening
and they had a while to travel before reaching home.
~
Mevneriel was beside herself with worry after
having spoken to Vaeril the following morning and had made it her duty to wait
for them to return at the gates. It was all she could do after Vaeril told her
she could not go after them. She sighed deeply as she sat on one of the stone
benches not far from the main gate. She felt helpless and she couldn’t even
begin to imagine how Layora might feel. “That’s another thing, do I call her
Layora or Irealia?” She muttered and placed her head in her hands feeling a
little overwhelmed. Closing her eyes for a moment she heard a soft horn blow
and immediately she raced to the side gate to see who it was. They drew the
gate and quietly Aehryn, Nyadulin and Layora rode through on horseback. Layora
looked exhausted and carefully they dismounted. “Layora,” She whispered and
went towards her. But Mevneriel could tell she wasn’t herself. Her eyes were
glossy and red and her face looked as if it had been drained of its colour.
Aehryn shook his head gently, “Why don’t you take her up to her room with Snow.
She needs to get some sleep.”
Mevneriel nodded in understanding and quietly
took her friends hand in hers, leading her back towards their rooms. Aehryn
looked towards Nyadulin who had also dismounted and was watching Layora
quietly. Aehryn was worried for her as was his friend and he could tell his
sister was feeling the same. Aehryn shook his head gently and spoke only when
he felt they were far enough away. “She doesn’t look well, Nya.” He agreed and
shook his head, “Can you imagine how you might feel in her situation?” He shook
his head, “No, I can’t. I hope she’ll be alright. What should we do now?”
“Nothing,” He said. “You have a battle to prepare for and I have a queen to
prepare for.” Aehryn frowned, “She’s not going to like that.” “Right now, she
doesn’t need to know. She’s still Layora, whatever she chooses to go by is who
she is.” Aehryn nodded and sighed, leading their horses back to the stables.
.
Layora lay in silence wrapped up in her
covers. Snow was by her side, his head resting on her stomach. She idly rubbed
his back and stared up at the ceiling above her. She didn’t know what to think
or what to do about the situation. All she kept coming back to was the carriage
ride, what it felt like to see her mother just before it all went dark. She
remembered there after what transpired, how she had been found and brought to a
home where they kept her for nearly a month. It was sometime after this she
assumed that she was brought to the people she knew as her family. Frowning she
turned onto her side, disrupting Snow’s sleep. He whined and she patted his
head gently. “Sorry love. I can’t sleep and I don’t want to get up. I don’t
want to do anything really.” She sighed and he huffed a little. She closed her
eyes and let her mind wander. Soon she was thinking of the training she would
be focusing on before the month was over.
She would put all he energy into learning how
to use a sword to distract herself from this, for the time being. It was the
only thing she could think of to do to keep herself from getting lost in the
memories of her past. They continued to come back to her and she felt
distracted at times while doing mundane things. She would get caught up in them
while walking or just getting ready. It bothered her and she did all she could
to distract herself from them. Later that evening she finally fell asleep and
slept right through the night with no disturbances. Clearly she had been very
tired.
~
The next morning arrived and there was a soft
knock at the door. Layora awoke not long before she heard the knock after
hearing a few people talking outside of her door. She knew Mevneriel was there
and she thought Aehryn could be the second person, so quietly she got out of
bed and put on her robe. Walking to the door she opened it a little and peered
outside. She had been right, it was Mevneriel and Aehryn holding two plates of
fruit and a jug of what looked like juice. She smiled softly, she couldn’t help
it and opened the door wider to them. “Good morning you two, this is a pleasant
surprise.” They both smiled at her as she allowed them inside and went to set
the food down on the table. “Good morning, we thought you could use some
company and a nice breakfast. What do you think?” Layora nodded gently and sat
down at the table, motioning for the two to join her and they readily accepted.
“Did you sleep alright?” Mevneriel asked,
probing a little. Layora nodded, “I did, once I finally fell asleep.” They both
nodded, “I’m glad to see you’re well, Layora.” It was Aehryn who spoke and
Layora made eye contact with him, “Thank you. I am feeling well today, I hope
we can start practicing soon together.” His look of concern turned to one of
curiosity, “Practicing?” She nodded, pouring herself a glass of the grape
juice. “Yes, I want to learn how to use a sword properly.” Aehryn’s face
contorted a little, “You can’t possibly mean to still go through with it, not
after-“ “Not after what?” She interjected and gave him a stern look. He
immediately fell silent. “I still wish to learn and be a part of this battle if
you’ll let me. I am determined and don’t let my appearance fool you. I am a
strong individual.” He frowned gently and Mevneriel quietly chewed at a piece
of her fruit, terrified to speak. She didn’t want Layora to fight but if it
helped her in some way, she wouldn’t object.
“Then we start today,” He whispered, picking
up an apple for himself. Layora nodded, “Perfect, where would you like me to
meet you?” “By the hot springs; it’s quiet there and there’s a good expanse of
land behind it that we can use for training.” She nodded and agreed and they
sat quietly eating their breakfast together. They chatted about trivial things
for a while, tiptoeing around the subject of Layora’s true identity and it
helped her push it to the back of her mind for a while. Snow had joined them
and they handed him a piece of sausage they had brought along with them. He
readily accepted and swallowed it whole to which the three laughed. “You didn’t
savour it, boy.” They stayed like that for a little while and then Layora
excused herself to go and get ready. It wasn’t long after that Aehryn excused
himself to go gather a few things and Mevneriel too decided to head off to meet
with her mother.
Later that morning Layora joined Aehryn by the
hot springs and was surprised to see him carrying an assortment of weapons. “I
thought we were just learning how to use swords?” “Oh these are swords, just
different styles. I need to find what is going to suit your stature better and
what you can carry.” He chided and she just laughed lightly, “I’m sure I won’t
have a problem lifting them.” He nodded, “No, I didn’t think you would, I’m
just teasing.” She chuckled softly and so did he. Ha handed her a shorter blade
and she held it strong in her right hand. “It feels a bit awkward to me.” He
nodded and tried handing her a long slender sword with a larger handle. “She
lifted it but actually had a bit of difficulty raising it very high due to its
weight. “I think you’ll do better with one of the longer elven blades.” She
nodded, setting the larger sword down and taking up the very slender blade he
had stretched out to her. She took it up gently and swung it a couple of times,
trying to get used to the weight. He thought it suited her best and put the
other weapons aside. “This one feels comfortable enough,” She spoke low as she
watched the blade move through the air before her. She practiced swinging it
carefully a few times and sighed softly. It felt very different from a bow and
she wondered if she was going to be able to fight efficiently with this kind of
weapon. Aehryn smiled warmly at her, “Let’s begin.”
Aehryn spent the rest of the afternoon with
Layora, instructing her on how to hold the blade properly and firmly. They
worked well together, with Layora taking in all his instructions and working to
better her stance and swing. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, learning to
wield a weapon such as this and she did her very best to take all of his helpful
instruction into consideration. She grew more comfortable as the day progressed
and by early evening they were both feeling a little worn. Aehryn put down his
sword and sighed very deeply, smiling gently. Layora too put down her weapon
and moved to sit down in the grass between them. Aehryn too moved to sit before
her. “That was a very interesting afternoon,” Layora spoke quietly, her fatigue
overcoming her. Aehryn smiled and nodded, “It was, you’ve made great progress
for someone just starting out. Today was wonderful, I’ve gotten to see how your
mind works more than you know.” Layora blushed a little, “Really?” He nodded
and sat back, leaning on his hands for support. “Yeah, I mean, I can see the
way you think about your next move, you’re calculating. It’s a rare talent,
thinking ahead like that.” Layora smiled gently, “Thank you, I guess I do think
ahead to the next move I’d make. I’m thinking of all the possible moves you
might make as well.” He nodded and leaned back a little more, now on his
elbows. “It’s a great talent, I think with a good month’s worth of lessons;
you’ll make a good swordswoman yet.” She laughed at this and lie back in the
soft grass.
He watched as she lie back in the grass and
let his mind wander for a moment. He thought about what she must be going
through, how she could concentrate so hard today with him and forget about the
news she had just been given of her true self. He shook his head gently, not
wanting to bring it up again, but it was all he could think about for the
moment. Layora however was feeling anything but calm or concentrating well. She
was amazed by how well she had functioned this afternoon and was in a little
shock as to how she had managed to focus on a lesson. All she could think about
was her home, what it had been like to walk through the gates and suddenly
remember years of her life that she never knew existed. She closed her eyes and
tried to focus on something else, but was failing miserably at doing so. She
shifted uncomfortably and Aehryn did not fail to notice.
“How would you like to go to the hot springs
to relax?” He asked, a little nervously. The idea had come to him rather
quickly and he blushed at how anxious he felt for her response. Layora simply
smiled softly, “That does sound nice.” He smiled and watched her sit up again,
“Why don’t you head over now? I’ll return the weapons to the armory and then
meet you there.” She nodded, “That sounds good, I’ll see you in a bit then.”
She spoke quietly a little nervous herself and stood. He too stood and went to
gather the weapons he had brought along with him. “I’ll see you shortly,” He
called and watched as she started off towards the springs. Layora now with her
back turned to Aehryn, started to blush deeply. ‘How am I to hide myself from
him completely if we are to swim together?’ She thought and shook her head
gently as she disappeared into the foliage surrounding the springs.
It was quiet and she carefully undressed and
lay her things down on a stone bench by the water’s edge. She quietly slipped
into the warm water and enjoyed the feeling of the spring water enveloping her.
The water was rather hot today and she was pleased by this, enjoying the
feeling it gave her as she went deeper into the pool. She swam back and forth
for a few minutes, from one end to the other and back again. She loved to swim
and wished that the spring was much larger. She thought about going to the
river again but decided to just enjoy the way the warmth was making her muscles
feel. She hadn’t realized how tense she had actually been until she let the
water work its magic upon her. She moved to sit on the outer stone bench of the
spring and when she sat down upon it, her shoulders just barely above the
water’s surface, she saw Snow and Aehryn walking towards her through the
foliage. She smiled and whistled softly and Snow came running around the side
of the spring to see her.
Aehryn came to the side of the spring
nervously, looking over at the changing separator. He knew he would use it, but
getting from there to the water was another step he wasn’t sure he was
comfortable with. Layora reached up to pet Snow but he shied away from the
water as it dripped from her fingers. She laughed lightly, “You can’t honestly
be scared of a little water.” She chided and even Aehryn laughed. She smiled
over at him and shook her head gently, “Oh well, everyone has to be afraid of
something.” Aehryn nodded gently and Layora realized that he wished to undress
and join her, but looked too nervous to do so. She averted her gaze a little
and smiled gently, “You can change out of your clothes. I’ll turn to give you
some privacy, I promise.” She turned herself away from him and busied herself
with trying to get Snow to come closer to her. Aehryn smiled with relief, “Thank
you, I know we shouldn’t be nervous about ourselves, but it does seem a bit
strange.” She nodded and listened as he spoke.
She could hear him removing his boots and kept
her eyes on Snow who laid in the grass before her. It was already a warm day
and the warmth of the water was making her feel a little light headed. She rest
her arms on the bank of the spring and reached out towards Snow who crawled a
little closer to her, finally letting her touch him now that her hands weren’t
so wet. She smiled at this and soon she heard Aehryn slipping into the water
behind her. She still did not turn and instead waited until she was sure he was
comfortable enough in the water. He had undressed quickly, feeling very self
conscious about himself as he did so. He did not wish to be seen after a day of
giving lessons as he felt a little more than unclean and blushing, he started washing his arms and torso as he
waded into the spring. He enjoyed the warmth the water thus provided and sighed
openly at the way it made his skin tingle. Layora heard him and suddenly he
spoke aloud, “I’m in now, you can turn around.” Layora blushed a little and
hoped that the steam from the water would hide it somewhat; she turned around
and looked across at her friend. He was only half submerged, his stomach and
chest free from the water but appearing already wet. She shied away from him
again and tried to look at something else to distract her. Aehryn saw her
quickly look away and blushed a little before walking deeper into the water to
hide himself.
Layora moved along the wall of the spring
slowly, shifting along the bench a little. She wanted to give him some space to
himself but soon realized he hadin fact drawn closer to her. “So how did you
find today?” He asked, now sitting a few feet away from her on the same stone
bench. She tried not to shy away from him and instead busied herself with
toying with the water, running her fingers back and forth through it. “Today
was wonderful, I found your instruction very helpful and you weren’t too hard
on me whenever I faltered.” He smiled warmly upon her, “I will be harder on you
as you improve, but today I wanted you to get used to the feeling of handling a
weapon. I know you are very skilled with a bow, but the sword is something else
entirely.” She nodded and sighed gently, “I know and I’m confident in my
abilities as an archer but the sword is entirely different, as you said. But
I’m also confident in myself and in my ability to learn quickly.” He nodded and
smiled once again. “I’m glad to hear it, because I too am confident in you,
Layora. You’ve been through so much and to want to be a part of this is so
noble of you.”
Layora shook her head and her brow furrowed
deeply, “It isn’t. I am doing this for two reasons, one of which I expressed to
you before. I wish to fight alongside our people and help our cause But the
other, the other is newly developed. I wish to distance myself, to distract
myself from these new developments. I’m scared to encounter my past, to learn
anymore, perhaps this will keep my mind otherwise occupied for a time.” Aehryn
sighed softly and looked down, deep into the water. It wasn’t very deep; he
knew that, but the darkness of the spring water that enveloped him suddenly
grew eerie. He felt swallowed up by it and pulled his gaze from the water
reluctantly. He wondered if that was how Layora felt, a darkness surrounding
her and the only way to keep it at bay was to distract her mind. He gazed
across at her longingly and found that she too was lost in the water, staring
down into its depths longingly as well or so he thought.
Layora was in fact thinking the same thing.
She wished the water would swallow the rest of her up so that she not have to
deal with this new path being set before her. She did not know how to adjust to
all of the new information she had been given and the things she had seen. And
although very little time had passed, she felt that she would never become
adjusted to the thought of being a princess, let alone a queen. She shook her
head gently and Aehryn thought sadness was working its way across her features.
“I’m sorry, Layora,” He whispered. His hand moving out to touch her shoulder as
he shifted a little closer to her. But she shied away from him, not
intentionally, she happened to feel very vulnerable being naked next to him.
She felt that her face had been stripped bare of its guard and all emotion
could be seen plainly there. He tried not to wince at the rejection for it
pained him greatly, but he shook it off as best he could and let his hand fall
back to his side.
“I’m sorry too,” She whispered. “For bringing
so much trouble with me.” “Trouble? You have been no trouble at all, but
rather, a joy to be with. My sister would say the same.” He spoke honestly and
with true sincerity in his voice. She looked across at him and he found there
were tears in her eyes, ready to fall. He wished to reach out to her, to
comfort her, but he knew that she would pull away again. She turned her gaze
over to Snow who was now sitting at the bank where she had left her clothes.
She wished to run but knew there was no where for her to go and she felt
trapped by her own emotions. “It’s okay to feel sadness, Layora; to cry is okay
too. I can’t imagine what you must be going through, but we are here for you.”
She did not respond and merely stared off at Snow who watched her closely.
He sighed a little, “I’d give you a hug if we
weren’t, well, naked.” She smiled a little at this and turned to look at him
once again. “I’ll just have to imagine your hug then.” He blushed lightly and
smiled back at her. “I honestly can’t imagine what you’re going through,
Layora. But you are so strong. Things will work out, I promise you.” She
nodded, even if she didn’t believe she was as strong as he made her out to be,
she knew that she was capable all the same. She had to believe that things
would work themselves out, because the alternative was just too much to even
consider. They relaxed together
in the water for another hour or so before they went back to their rooms on
their own. Layora had lingered by the spring for a little while longer before
heading back with Snow by her side. It had been a trying day for her but she
felt more confident in her ability to acquire the art of swordplay. That night
she rest fitfully in her room, with Snow curled up by her legs, the warmth of
the fire spreading through her as she drifted off to sleep.
~
Three weeks soon passed by and Layora had
spent every day of which practicing with Aehryn. Even Mevneriel had watched her
on a number of occasions and cheered her on when they became so engrossed in
their training battles. Layora was fast, quick on her feet and in her mind.
Aehryn knew she was stronger than she appeared and put her to the test every
chance he could, never surprised by the vigor she would show him in response.
Truthfully, he loved this time he spent with her, it allowed him to get close
to her and gage her reactions to his advances. He was timid, of course, he had
always been this way. But with her, he felt different, much more shy than
usual. He would try and ask her for a walk or to dine with him, but he never
managed to make it into a romantic affair. It was always as if they were just
two friends spending time together. He wished for more but he did not yet know
if she wished for the same. He would brood over this for hours late at night
and it kept him awake far more than it should, but he knew that he could not
deter his feelings for much longer.
The time was drawing very close for the army
to leave Lyione and Layora was growing more and more nervous about their
departure, though she did not express this. She was confident in her fighting
style and ability and had spent much of her time practicing with Aehryn and
even on her own. He had told her that they would have one more battle in a few
days time where she would show him just how much she had learned. She was
excited to learn of whether he would permit her to accompany him into battle or
persuade her to stay in Lyion. Regardless of his decision, she would be going
of course. Even if she had to sneak into their ranks, she was determined to
follow. She had also been pining over whether or not to speak her mind to
Aehryn of her feelings towards him, but the more and more she thought about it,
the more she wished to keep them bottled up for fear of rejection. She had no
idea of his feelings for her because she too felt that every time they were
together, they were simply friends. She wished for more but had no way of
expressing this desire without simply telling him. There was never going to be
a good time to tell him so she simply bottled it up and kept it to herself.
It wasn’t long before the day came where
Layora was to prove herself to Aehryn and nervously, she met with him at their
usual spot not far from the hot springs. He smiled warmly upon her as she
approached and he bowed gently. “Good morning, Layora. I hope you’ve rested
well. Today is your test and I am eager to see how far you’ve come with your
training.” Layora smiled and bowed to him as well, withdrawing her blade slowly
from its sheath. He grinned, knowing that she was ready to start and wasn’t
going to be much of a talker this morning. “Good morning to you as well. Shall
we begin?” She spoke with a smile, bordering on a grin before she struck out at
him with her blade. He laughed and dodged the attack, unsheathing his own sword
to retaliate. They sparred for a while, Layora appearing far more aggressive
than usual. He was impressed by her surefootedness and decided he’d better step
up his efforts. In doing so he found that she could keep pace with him very
well. They fought for some time, neither of them missing an opportunity to
defend themselves. Layora was concentrating very hard and was surprised when
Aehryn suddenly jumped and rolled away from her. She laughed out and smiling,
went right after him. Soon they were both laughing, keeping the battle going as
best they could as they came closer together again.
Aehryn struck out at her hard and his blade
clanged loudly with hers. She was much stronger than he could have guessed and
soon she was clearly getting the upper hand, having pushed him back into a
section of trees. He used them to his advantage by ducking in behind one, her
blade just missing him and striking a tree. She gasped with how close she had
come to actually hitting him and he whistled loudly, “That was close!” He
yelled and ducked around another tree. Layora smiled and raced after him, her
adrenaline was going quite strong and she found new energy welling up inside of
her. Soon they were out in the open again and Aehryn fought back with all his
strength, seeing that Layora was using everything she had against him. She
thought she would have grown tired by now but she felt nothing but energy
coursing through her. He struck out at her again and again and each time she
met his blows with such a force. He knew she was strong and was very happy to
see how confident she was on her feet. She thought quickly about her next
movements and met his blows with equal vigor. “Alright, I give up,” He called
with a smile, stepping out of her reach and bowing to her. She laughed and
sheathed her blade as she watched him do the same. “How did I do?” She was
practically giddy with excitement as she stepped closer to him, her breathing
slightly labored. He shook his head and looked across at her. “You did
wonderfully. You were definitely prepared and you kept up with me the whole time.
That’s not an easy thing to do.” She smiled and reached out to him, extending
her hand. He smiled back at her and reached out to take it, squeezing it firmly
as they shook hands. “Then I’ll accompany you on your journey to the Mountains
and I hope you will allow me to fight alongside you and your men.”
Aehryn nodded, knowing full well that he
wasn’t going to have a choice in the matter. He knew she would follow
regardless and she had worked so hard to prove herself to him that he felt he
could not refuse. “I would be honored to fight alongside you, Layora. You’ve
proven yourself to be a skilled fighter and I know you would fair well in
battle. But that being said, I know I’m going to worry over you and I’m going
to ask that you fight with me, by me at all times.” Layoras’s smile faltered,
not because she was upset by this rule, but because his concern for her was
showing plainly upon his face. He cared for her, it was plain to see that and
for a moment she lost herself in his gaze. He was concerned and it was more
than just their friendship that was being laid bare between them. Even Layora’s
eyes spoke of her longing for him. He could see it, he could feel it but he
could not bring himself to do anything about it. She stood much closer to him
now, their hands still clasping one another. Layora couldn’t break their gaze
and it wasn’t until a voice off to their left startled them out of their
private moment.
“I see you’ve gotten a lot of practicing done
today,” It was Vaeril who spoke and he was smiling upon them as they turned to
look at him. Aehryn smiled nervously, “We’ve actually just finished our test.
Layora will be joining us in a few days time when we leave for the Mountains.”
Vaeril didn’t look surprised, he had seen the two sparring over the last week
from time to time and he had noticed how strong Layora was and how adamant she
was about going with them. He nodded gently, “We’ll all be glad to have yet
another skilled bowman and swordsman with us.” Layora bowed as she let Aehryn’s
hand go, her fingertips trembling at the loss. “Thank you, Vaeril. I hope to
bring all that I am to the table when the time comes. I wouldn’t have offered
if I couldn’t be of use.” Aehryn smiled softly as his hand returned to his
side, his fingers feeling hot. “She is skilled and I know we will value her
every strike.”
Vaeril nodded and waved to the two, “I’m
heading in for an early supper, would you like to join me?” They day had indeed
been lost upon them, for what they had thought had been very little time, much
of the afternoon had passed them by and the Sun was already setting. “It seems
we have lost track of time, I think that supper sounds like a wonderful idea.
We’ll be along momentarily.” He nodded and waved, heading off on his own.
Layora met Aehryn’s gaze once more before they headed off after Vaeril towards
the dining hall. They remained quiet and walked a little closer to one another
than normal. It was as if they were drawn to one another and after a few
minutes of walking like this, Aehryn found himself thinking about stopping her,
about stepping out in front of her and just kissing her. But he faltered each
time he tried and instead walked side by side with her in awkward silence until
they reached Vaeril in the dining hall. Layora had noticed his frustration but said
nothing and instead focused on her own. She had found herself wanting to just
reach out a little to take his hand. A simply gesture and yet she could not
find the strength to do it. Closing her eyes as they entered the hall, she let
out a soft sigh before following the two men a little farther to their seats.
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