Part 5
The next
morning everyone at the camp woke up rather early, excited to be returning home
later that day. Eager to be on their way, they kept their breakfast to some of
the more basic foods like bread, some dried berries with nuts and even some
quickly cooked meat. As they continued on, Snow disappeared for a little while
and returned with two freshly caught rabbits. Layora just laughed, she knew he
wished for her to cook them for him as a treat, but had to forego this little
delicacy that morning and instead he stopped to eat his meal while the others
carried on. Layora trailed a little behind as well wanting to wait for Snow and
it wasn’t until the
party took an unexpected turn into the forest that Layora had wished for him to
hurry up so that she might follow. She was afraid of losing them but relaxed
soon after when Snow finally rejoined her. They ran together to catch up but it
wasn’t long
before they realized that the elves were out of sight. Immediately she
panicked, but Snow just kept walking on ahead and fully trusting his nose, she
followed.
After a few
minutes they could see Aehryn and the horses ahead of them. The elves were
leading their horses by their bridles through the tangle of trees and suddenly
onto a path. Layora’s heart beat wildly, ‘We must be
close.’ She thought
and patted Snow on the top of his head a bit too hard. He whined and looked up
at her as they continued and it wasn’t long before Layora could see a large gate
in the distance being opened to the group. Some of the elves including Luin
disappeared through the door with their horses close beside and Aehryn and
Vaeril stayed at the gate with their horses, waiting for her. Quickening her
pace, she was soon by their side, a hand nervously playing with Snow’s ears. He
huffed and licked at her hand to get her to stop and she smiled nervously down
at him. “I’m sorry
pup,” She
whispered and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just nervous,” She whispered and Aehryn waved her closer.
She made
her way towards them a little slower and soon she was by their side. They were
smiling at her as they ushered her through the gate and Aehryn even scratched
Snow’s head as
they walked together. Layora was pleased that they were getting more
comfortable with Snow and as she looked back up from him to what lay ahead of
her, her eyes widened. It was a great city of stone and wood. Great columns of
stone rose up before them as they passed under the archway of the gate. Layora
was in complete disbelief. She had never seen anything like this before. The
architecture was so foreign to her, with its ornate decorations and high
archways crossing from building to building. Trees sprouted up just about
everywhere, vines climbing up many of the walls. It looked like a castle she
had once read about in one of her books. She was in absolute awe as she walked
with the two elves and Snow. Snow. She suddenly remembered that there were
people here who did not yet know about him and quickly, she looked around for
anyone that may bring harm to him.
“Don’t worry, Layora. Snow is perfectly fine. We’ve sent
Luin ahead to bring word to my father and the other elves who we’ll be
meeting. They won’t do anything to harm you or Snow, please,
trust me.” Aehryn
spoke kindly towards her and she could see the concern and kindhearted spirit
in his eyes. All she could do was nod as she was still rather shocked at the
beauty of the place. ‘Lyione,’ She
thought. “Your home is so beautiful. I’ve never
seen anything like this before. The archways and tall buildings, they are so
well crafted. I can’t imagine how any of it was done.” Vaeril and
Aehryn were smiling at her, “We’re glad you think it’s beautiful
too. I know Snow will grow accustomed to the landscape as well. We have much of
the forest still intact inside our home and the gardens and paths are
incredibly peaceful to walk through.” Layora
nodded, her gaze moving from one building to the next, to the flowers and vines
and large trees scattered throughout. There was nothing more beautiful than
this, she decided as her gaze continued to wander up and down the paths.
They came to a set of stairs where two armed guards escorted them up and onto a large landing where large urns decorated with beautiful flowers surrounded them. It was the entryway to one of the buildings she had seen when they first entered the gates. Looking around quietly, her hand nestled in Snow’s fur on the back of his neck, she took a moment to take it all in. She was still feeling very overwhelmed and it wasn’t until Aehryn touched her arm gently that she finally came back into focus. There were several elves walking towards them and they were all smiling warmly upon them. They all wore beautiful robes of fabrics she had never seen before and they carried themselves with an air of elegance. She was sure that they must be royalty of some kind and immediately she started to panic. If she was going to meet anyone of noble birth she was sure she would rather be well dressed and more prepared for such a greeting. Trembling a little as they approached, Aehryn stepped away from her and openly hugged one of the male elves who looked not much older than himself.
They came to a set of stairs where two armed guards escorted them up and onto a large landing where large urns decorated with beautiful flowers surrounded them. It was the entryway to one of the buildings she had seen when they first entered the gates. Looking around quietly, her hand nestled in Snow’s fur on the back of his neck, she took a moment to take it all in. She was still feeling very overwhelmed and it wasn’t until Aehryn touched her arm gently that she finally came back into focus. There were several elves walking towards them and they were all smiling warmly upon them. They all wore beautiful robes of fabrics she had never seen before and they carried themselves with an air of elegance. She was sure that they must be royalty of some kind and immediately she started to panic. If she was going to meet anyone of noble birth she was sure she would rather be well dressed and more prepared for such a greeting. Trembling a little as they approached, Aehryn stepped away from her and openly hugged one of the male elves who looked not much older than himself.
“Welcome
home, Aehryn. We are glad you’ve all made it back safely from your travels.
We have planned a feast for this evening for you and your company.” He spoke
kindly and patted the young man on the back gently. “Thank you,
father. We have all indeed returned safely and I’m sure many of the group have
already made it back to their partners and families. But I have someone to
introduce you to.” Aehryn
turned and extended his hand towards Layora and Snow who stood next to Vaeril.
She looked rather lost and when she saw several pairs of eyes turn directly
towards her, she froze, barely able to smile. The elf who Aehryn had addressed
as his father stood tall next to a beautiful woman at his side. Layora’s eyes had
been fixed upon her since they had stopped some few feet away. She was
beautiful, with long flowing dark hair and fair features, she looked simply
stunning. Her eyes were a crystalline blue and her gaze never left Layora’s. They
stared wonderingly at one another, both very curious about the other.
“This is Layora and her companion, Snow,” It was
Aehryn who was speaking again and Layora’s gaze shifted to him and then to the male
elf now at his side. “Layora, this is my mother and father, Andulin
and Nurilain.” They both
smiled warmly upon her and stepped closer towards her. She was surprised to see
them do so with Snow so close to her. But they had clearly seen him and were
not afraid. “Welcome to Lyione, Layora. This is our home
and for as long as you would like it, your home as well. We would like you to
stay here for as long as you like. We did not expect an addition to Aehryn’s return,
but we are happy nonetheless.” Layora
trembled hard, her heart beating wildly in her chest and finally she found her
voice, “Thank you
so much for your kindness. Your home is quite possibly the most beautiful place
I have ever been blessed to look upon.” Nurilain
smiled and clapped her hands a little, at which Snow’s ears
perked up and he took a step forward towards them. “Ah, your
companion, I’m sorry, I must have startled him. I am
merely very excited to have you say such lovely things about our home. We do
not see many outsiders and to hear how beautiful you find it just makes my
heart ache.”
Layora
blushed fervently and patted Snow’s head gently to get him to settle and he
quickly did, returning to sit at her side. “I only speak the truth, but please. Do not
fear Snow, he is a kind pup and would never bring any harm to you. He listens
very well and has travelled with me for quite some time. He is indeed my
companion and I hope you will welcome him as kindly as you have welcomed me.” “Of course!” Exclaimed
Nurilain with a beautiful smile, her eyes sparkled in the sunlight and her
husband Andulin nodded in agreement, “You are both very much welcomed here. Snow,
what a beautiful name for this wolf. His fur is lovely and look, his eyes. They
are the brightest of blues.” Layora
smiled and her gaze shifted to Snow for a moment. He sat perfectly still at her
side, simply watching the elves before them. “Thank you so much for your
kindness-“ “Never mind that, please. You must be
exhausted, why don’t you come with me and I’ll
introduce you to our daughter, Mevneriel. She’ll take good care of you.” Aehryn
smiled, “That sounds
like a wonderful idea, I was eager for her to meet with Eriel. I know she’ll help her
find her way around. I’m sure there’s a room we can make available
too.” Andulin and
Nurilain were nodding, “Oh of course, it’ll be a
perfect arrangement. We’ll make sure Snow is well looked after as
well. If he is indeed as loving as Luin has said, Mevneriel won’t want to
let him out of her sight.” Nurilain
laughed lightly and nodded in agreement with her husband. “You’re right,
she absolutely loves animals.”
Layora was
so pleased to hear this, “I can assure you, he is very loving and
gentle. I look forward to meeting your daughter, Aehryn has told me much about
his sister.” “Please, come with me. I’ll show you
to Eriel’s room, she’ll no doubt
be busy getting ready for tonight. You’ll enjoy the feast later, I’m sure.” Layora’s head was
swimming as she was led away by Nurilain through the open doors to their home. ‘Their home,’ Layora
thought. ‘Is so stunningly beautiful, I can’t believe
anything like this exists. It is nothing in comparison to the pictures in my
books or their descriptions. To see it-to see it, is incredible.’ Shaking her
head a little, she couldn’t keep herself from smiling as they made
their way down one of the many hallways that made up the building. It was a
very large building with many rooms and corridors. Most doors remained open and
she could see into some of the bedrooms and even the kitchen as they passed by.
It was a great maze of rooms and soon they were passing by a very large room
where many elves were busy setting up for that evening’s feast.
Layora tried to linger for a moment to see what was going on, but was quickly
ushered along by Nurilain up a flight of stairs.
It took them a short while before
they reached a set of rooms farther than the rest. They stopped suddenly at a
door where Nurilain gently knocked. It took only a moment before the door was
being opened to them. A young elf stood smiling at them, her hair pulled back
and pinned up slightly. She wore a circlet with a purple stone that rested on
her forehead. But her eyes were what Layora was fixed upon. She had the
brightest green eyes she had ever seen and she remembered that her father
Andulin’s eyes had
been a beautiful green as well. Layora immediately bowed before the young lady
and in doing so, bumped into Snow. He whined a little and the elf before them
gasped. Wishing to calm her before she had much of a chance to get away, Layora
spoke up. “Hello, I’m so sorry. He’s very friendly, I promise you.” Nurilain
laughed lightly and nodded, “He is, he’s hardly made a sound and I’ve been
told he’s very
affectionate.” Layora
smiled and nodded as well. “This is Layora and her pup, Snow. Aehryn and
his company returned with her accompanying them. She has a great story to tell,
I can imagine.” Layora
received a glance from the lady and the young elf’s smile just got bigger. “I’m a little
startled to see a wolf at my door, but if he is friendly and I’m sure he
is considering he’s standing so patiently between the two of
you and he just looks so adorable! She reached out to gently pat the top of his
head and Snow unexpectedly licked her arm. She laughed and smiled up at Layora
who just looked at her nervously.
“I’m Mevneriel, but you can call me Eriel if you
like; it’s lovely to
meet you Layora. I look forward to hearing all about your story.” Layora
bowed her head a little in acknowledgement and Nurilain spoke up once again, “I trust you’ll look
after her and show her our home. Get her anything she likes and make sure she’s well
looked after.” Mevneriel
smiled warmly upon her and nodded, “Of course, she’ll be needing a room too. I’ll get her
settled just across the hall.” Layora
nervously smiled back and all she could think about was that she would be
staying in an incredibly beautiful place like this in a room that was no doubt
fitted for royalty. Nurilain left the two of them after a brief exchange of
goodbye’s and
Mevneriel invited Layora and Snow into her room. As they walked inside, Layora’s gaze
flitted from one thing to the next. It was a very large room decorated
beautifully with tapestries hanging from the walls, sofas by a fire place and
even a small breakfast table. At the other end of the room there were two
windows and a large bed and night stands. The sunlight shone through the
windows, cascading across the bed’s lovely blue comforter.
Layora was
in awe. The beauty of the room was startling, but as she watched Mevneriel walk
to one of her armoires, she took in the woman’s true beauty. She was graceful
and carried herself very well. The blue robes she wore were long and dragged
upon the floor behind her just a little. It was decorated with silver trim and
embroidery that wound its way around her waist and up around the collar of her
dress. Even the bottom was decorated with the same silver designs. The young
elf turned back towards her with a smile. “You must be so weary from your travels, I
know my brother must be tired as well. They’ve been gone almost three months. How long
have you been travelling?” Layora
blushed a little, still carrying her pack, “I’ve been travelling for almost a year now. I
left home at the beginning of the previous Summer. I don’t really
like to call it my home though, I know you’re not aware, but I lived among humans and
never knew any other elves before. You and your mother are the first female
elves I’ve ever met
and your brother and his company, the first elves I have ever met.” Mevneriel
looked at her rather incredulously and shook her head, “You had
never met elves before? But weren’t you born of an elf? You sure do look like
one.” “Oh I am, I just do not remember my parents as
I was taken in very young by a man and wife in the small town where I’m from. I
don’t remember
much of my childhood other than that home and the people who looked after me.”
Mevneriel
nodded, still obviously very curious and a little shocked, “Well I know
you’ll
absolutely love it here. Our city is magnificent and I hope you will call it
your home. You seem very sweet, here, come have a seat and put your things
down. I’ll get us
some water and some fruit to have while we chat.” Layora smiled and expressed her thanks as she
took a seat on one of the sofas. She rested her pack on the floor and Snow sat
comfortably beside her on the floor. “So, tell me about Snow. However did you come
to travel with a wolf?!” She
exclaimed, sitting down next to her and handing her a glass of water. She set a
tray of fruit on the table in between the sofas and sat back to listen to all
Layora had to say. Layora shook her head, “It’s honestly a very sad story, but the outcome
has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I found him near the fall of last
year, he was barely clinging to life. His siblings had passed from malnutrition
and the mother had received a terrible wound from another animal. She didn’t make it
and unfortunately almost all her pups had passed away, except for Snow. I
brought him with me, fed him, nurtured him and now-now he doesn’t leave my
side.”
Layora
smiled and rubbed Snow’s ears a little, “He’s my best
friend. I never would have made it here without him. I have him to thank for so
much.” Mevneriel
smiled and reached out again to touch his neck, gently scratching him behind
his ear. “I’m glad you made it here and I know you must
have been through a lot to get here. But I am truly happy to have someone like
you in our home. I’m sure you will do just wonderfully here and
Snow too. What a precious little pup. He’s still so young and with so much potential.” Layora
nodded and shifted a little, letting
Snow get closer to Mevneriel. He pawed at her leg gently and Layora had to stop
him before he tore her gown. “Oh please, don’t worry. He’s such a
sweetheart. I don’t mind. This is just a dressing robe, nothing
fancy.” Layora
tried to hide her shock, but unfortunately, it didn’t work.
Mevneriel laughed, “It is pretty, but it’s nothing
special. I have some nice clothes you can wear tonight. I’m sure I
have lots of clothes you can borrow until we get you your own wardrobe.”
Layora’s cheeks
turned yet another shade of pink, “I’ve never worn anything fine like what you
have on. I don’t know that it would suit me. I prefer tunics
and leggings to dresses.” “Oh nonsense! You have to wear a dress tonight
to the feast, I know you’ll look beautiful in one of mine. I think I
have an idea for you. How do you feel about ivory?” Layora
smiled a little, “I’m glad you think so and I do love ivory. But
please, nothing too fancy. I don’t want to stand out.” Mevneriel
laughed and shook her head, “You’re very sweet. Come, I’ll show you
to your room and I’ll let you take a bath before I help you get
ready. We’ve got lots of time, so please relax and take
your time. I’ll bring over some clothes for you and see
about some shoes as well. I don’t know that you’ll have a terribly different shoe
size. We’re both
close in size, so this should work out very well.” She chuckled a little and stood and soon they
were both across the hall and Layora was struck with how beautiful the room she
would be staying in was.
It was much
the same setup as Mevneriel’s room, an adjoining bathroom, the large bed
and armoires and even the breakfast table, sofas and fire place. She wondered if
all the rooms were this beautiful. Mevneriel showed her to where the bath was
and went off to get someone to draw it for her. It didn’t take long
before an elf of their home had come and drawn a bath for her and left her
fresh towels by the side. Mevneriel left Layora to her bath and as she was
closing the door to the bathroom, called out, “I’ll look after Snow and see that
he gets some fresh water. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll leave
clothes out for you and put away some of my other clothes for you in your
armoire. Enjoy your bath.” Layora
smiled and gave her thanks before the door was shut behind her.
Looking
around the large bathroom she caught sight of the mirror that stretched across
the wall where the basins for washing were. She blushed and shied away from her
appearance. She felt dirty and uncomfortable and did not wish to see herself in
such a state. After having seen how fair the elves were here, she felt
embarrassed by her own skin tone. Most of them seemed to be very lithe as well
where she was slender, but toned. She wondered what she would look like in a
dress and soon she was undressing and stepping into the bath that had been
prepared for her. She sat down in the warm water and drew her legs up to her
chest, wrapping her arms about them. The warm water felt very calming against
her skin and for a moment, she simply sat there and tried to relax. The last
week had been overwhelming or so she thought, until today. Today was by far one
of the most trying days she had experienced. She was exhausted, mentally more
so than physically, but regardless of what she was feeling, she knew she was
happy.
After a few
minutes of just resting, she started to wash herself quietly. She took great
care in washing her skin, making sure to get every inch of dirt from her body.
After a while she washed her hair with some of the lavender soap she had found
by the basins. It smelled wonderful and she massaged it into her scalp and hair
for a few minutes before rinsing it thoroughly. Leaning over the side of the
tub, she grabbed a towel and upon standing, wrapped herself in it. She wrung
out her hair as best she could and soon she was standing beside the bath drying
off. ‘It feels so
good to finally have a bath, ugh..so comforting. I’m glad I
had the opportunity to get washed up before tonight,’ She thought
and after a minute or so of drying off, she peeked out into her bedroom,
wondering if Mevneriel was still there or where Snow was. Immediately she
noticed Snow sitting by the table with a bowl of water by his side and a bowl
of what looked like meat in front of him. Whatever it was, he was devouring it.
She chuckled and went over to see how he was but stopped short of the table
when she caught sight of the gown laid upon her bed. Not only the gown, but the
shoes and what looked like a circlet as well. Shaking her head a little in
disbelief, she walked over to the bed.
Her hand
found its way to the dress and gently touching it, was surprised at how soft it
felt between her fingers. She smiled and ran her fingertips along the beadwork
of the bodice. It did look beautiful and without thinking very much, she picked
it up and slipped it on after having dried off. She shivered as the soft fabric
tickled her skin and soon she was looking into the mirror by her dressing
table. She was shocked by the beauty of the dress. She was not even paying any
attention to herself. She had never worn anything so fine before and it took
her a while to get used to the way the fabric felt upon her skin. Finally, her
eyes met their reflection and she gazed back at herself for a long moment. She
was smiling and happy and it didn’t take long before tears had sprung to her
eyes. She had no idea what to expect next and while she looked back at herself,
all her fears and insecurities started to diminish. “Things will
work out just fine, won’t they Snow?” She asked, and looked over at him. He was still
eating his dinner and she could do nothing but laugh lightly and look back at
her reflection in the mirror. ‘I feel beautiful,’ She thought
and slipped into the shoes that had been left for her. The dress and shoes fit
very well and as she went back to the mirror to admire herself, she realized
she had no idea what to do with her hair.
Frowning a
little, she thought about how Mevneriel had her hair. But she had no idea how
to make it look nearly as elegant looking as that. So carefully she dried her
hair and brushed it out with her fingers before braiding it to one side. It was
long now and once she was done, the braid rested upon her chest and left off
just below her breast. Just then, there was a knock at the door and Mevneriel
poked her head in. “I’m back, I wanted to see if you’d gotten
ready yet, do you need any help?” Layora
smiled and turned around to meet her gaze. “This dress is gorgeous, are you sure you
would have me wear it. It must be a very special dress with all of this beading
and the circlet you left me..it’s very beautiful but-“ Mevneriel
had come in and shut the door behind her, she was in absolute shock at the
appearance of the woman before her. “You look absolutely beautiful. That dress on
you, it’s so
pretty. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wear that dress and look
nearly as beautiful as you do.” Layora
blushed, “Thank you, but I’m sure you
would look much more elegant than I in it. It’s so very pretty though. But I
don’t know how
to wear the head piece you’ve given me. I’ve never worn anything like this
before. Are you sure it’s alright for me to borrow these things?” “Yes, of course. Don’t worry, I’ll help you
with the circlet, here.” She made
her way over to Layora and she picked it up off the bed. “Bend your
head down a little and I’ll set it on right for you.” Layora did
as she said and she felt the woman’s hands touch the top of her head, gently
setting the piece in her hair and as she stood back upright, she felt the
crystal droplet rest against her forehead. “I’ve never worn anything like this before. Do I
really look okay?” Layora was
nervous, she had truthfully never worn anything so pretty and she was worried
she might look awkward or out of place.
“You do look very pretty, Layora. You shouldn’t be so
worried. You look lovely and suit the outfit so well.” Mevneriel
was looking upon her with a kindness in her eyes, her lips curved into a warm
smile as she spoke. Standing back, she clasped her hands together in front of
her, admiring Layora as she stood before her. Layora felt a little more than
just uncomfortable, but it wasn’t the way the dress fit or the shoes or the
head piece, it was that she no longer felt like herself. “I think I
would prefer to be in a tunic and leggings when possible, but I will wear this
beautiful dress tonight and I thank you sincerely for allowing me to borrow it.” Mevneriel’s smile
brightened, “Oh no, please don’t thank me.
It suits you far better than I. I hope you will wear gowns more often, you look
so pretty in this one.” Layora
nodded gently and sighed, “I just don’t feel like myself, but I thank you all the
same.” Mevneriel
nodded, “Not to
worry, I’ve got lots
of casual dress clothes you can wear, I don’t wear gowns all the time, though I do like
to try.” She laughed
lightly, “But I’ll leave you alone for a little while to
unpack your things and rest. I’ll come back and get you in an hour or so. We
can go for a walk if you like?” Layora
smiled gently, “That sounds great. I’ll see you
in a little while then?” Mevneriel
nodded, “Mhmm, I’ll see you
later. Bye Snow!” She called
as she headed towards the door. He rested with his head on the cool stone
floor, nearly asleep. He was clearly full and very tired. Layora just laughed
as she closed the door behind her.
Walking
over to Snow, she knelt down beside him, running her hand along his back. “Are you
okay, love? I hope so. It’s a new place, but isn’t it
beautiful?” She
whispered, gently pressing her forehead to his. He licked at her cheek and
whined softly and Layora simply smiled and scratched behind his ears. “You think I
look strange, don’t you? Oh well, it’s hopefully
just for tonight.” She yawned
suddenly and sighed, “Oh dear, I am tired, maybe I’ll just sit
and rest for a little while” She sighed
before getting up and then walked over to one of the sofas. She sat down
carefully and fixed her dress, leaning against the cushions, she brought her
legs up and it wasn’t long before she had dozed off. Clearly, she
was just as tired as Snow.
.
An hour had quickly passed and then
another slipped by and then a knock at the door startled Layora out of her
sleep. She sat up quickly and blushing, called out, “Come in.” She stood
and started making her way towards the door when Mevneriel poked her head in, “I’m sorry I’m so late.
I was not happy with the way my hair was, so I changed it and I couldn’t pick out
a dress. There were just too many colours to choose from.” Layora
laughed a little with her and she came inside. “Oh, you didn’t unpack.” Layora’s blush
deepened, “I’m afraid I fell asleep. You only just woke me
now and nothing got done, sadly.” Mevneriel
smiled, “That’s good
though, I’m glad you got some rest. We’ll be out
late tonight, most likely.” She was
very friendly towards Layora and it helped bring down her nervousness a bit.
Unexpectedly she linked arms with Layora and started off. Layora was a little
surprised as the young elf linked her arm with hers and she had to motion for
Snow to follow as she was whisked out the door. Hurriedly he sprang to his feet
and followed close behind them. “Oh I wanted to ask you, how do you feel about
dancing?” Layora’s smiling
expression turned to one of fear, “Ah..not very good.” Mevneriel
simply laughed, “We’ll have to change that.”
.
Layora and Mevneriel made their way
through the corridors back the way Nurilain had brought her and soon they could
hear music and lots of talking. It wasn’t long before they arrived at a large dining
hall filled with hundreds of elves. Layora struggled to smile for a few moments
as she took it all in. It was indeed beautiful, but it was very overwhelming.
There were many elves, some were dancing, others were sitting and enjoying
their meals and many were standing and talking with drinks in their hands.
Layora ushered Snow over to her, worried about how he may take the noise and
large group, but he did not seem troubled at all and merely stood by her leg as
close as he could. She patted the top of his head with her free hand while
Mevneriel tried to figure out where it was best for them to go. “Here,
Aehryn must be somewhere close by. There’s mother and father. I can’t wait to
see my little brother. It’s been a long while since we’ve seen one
another.” Layora
nodded, “I’m sure he’s here
somewhere. Should we ask anyone?” Mevneriel
shook her head, “I’ll find him. There, there’s Luin,
Vaeril and Seiron. I’ll see if they know where he is.” They were
off again and Layora was forced to jog a little for Mevneriel’s
excitement put her into a bit of a run. Snow ran along behind her and Layora
could hear the gasps of surprise from the other elves as they saw Snow running
along in tow. Mevneriel could hear them too and turned to look at Snow as they
slowed, “I forgot he
was with us, I’m sorry. We must be a sight.” Layora
blushed as they stopped and turned around. There was a rather large group of
people that had stopped what they had been doing and were standing with their
mouths open wide and their eyes filled with curiosity.
Layora’s breath caught in her throat, ‘What if
someone hurts him?’ It was a
quick moment before she was standing over Snow, her hands rubbing the top of
his head and neck as many elves looked on. “He’s okay, he’s very friendly. This is Layora’s
companion, Snow.” It was
Mevneriel who spoke and smiling, she walked over, knelt down and wrapped her
arms about him, giving him a big hug. Layora laughed at this, so happy that she
felt comfortable enough to hug him like that. Snow simply whined happily and
licked at her arms as they held him. She laughed and even some of the other
elves laughed as well and it wasn’t long before they had returned to their
festivities and Layora, Snow and Mevneriel were left unnoticed, well almost.
Vaeril and Luin stood next to a very dark haired elf whom Layora did not
recognize and as they approached each other, he bowed, along with Vaeril and
Luin. The two ladies curtseyed and smiled at them. “Hello, how
are you three this evening?” Mevneriel
asked, linking arms again with Layora. Vaeril spoke up as he came up from his
bow, “Evening
ladies, we’re doing just fine, thank you. Layora, I don’t believe
you’ve met our
friend Seiron.” He motioned
towards the third dark haired elf.
Layora shook her head gently, “No I haven’t had the
pleasure of meeting you, I’m Layora. It’s nice to meet you.” He smiled
warmly upon her and nodded, “I’ve heard much about you, miss. It’s a
pleasure to meet you and that must be Snow; your white wolf, what a beautiful
creature.” Layora
smiled across at him and patted the top of Snow’s head. “This is
him, my Snow. He’s very friendly, I can assure you. Please don’t be afraid
of him and feel free to pet him, he loves the attention.” Seiron
smiled and nodded, “I am very intrigued by what I’ve heard of
you so far. Luin and Vaeril have been kind enough to tell me all about you.” Layora’s cheeks
reddened at this and she glanced at the two of them quickly and then back at
Seiron. “I hope all
have been good things,” She said
and laughed lightly. “Oh of course,” Replied Vaeril and Luin in time with one
another. Mevneriel smiled and squeezed Layora’s arm a little, “Oh there he
is, there’s Aehryn!” She cried
suddenly and with a huge smile, she darted past the three elves and ran towards
her brother.
.
Aehryn had been observing the
entirety of the affair from the comfort of a chair up on a landing with several other elves, including his
parents. Just when he was beginning to think that Layora and his sister would
not make an appearance that evening, he stood and walked to the balcony to look
down over the large group of dancers, drinkers and delightful foods. He said
goodbye to his parents as they walked down the stairs and disappeared into the
crowd and just then, he saw Layora and his sister. She was beautiful in his
eyes, he could find no proper words to describe her beauty and gazed upon her
with a longing he did not know he possessed. Dismissing this he watched as they
stood there for a few minutes before heading off towards Vaeril and upon seeing
Seiron, he cringed. Shaking his head gently he was about to go and meet them
before he noticed what was happening below.
Snow was drawing some very unusual
attention and for a moment, he just stopped and stared at the group behind them
as they ceased their talking and dancing to look upon the two girls and Snow. “Oh dear,” He
whispered and watched on. He was surprised to see his sister suddenly hug him
and chuckled a little at a few of the responses this elicited. Shaking his head
gently, he watched them continue before he made the decision to go down and
join them. He walked to the other side of the landing and started down the
stairs and it wasn’t long before he was smiling at his sister
who had just caught sight of him.
“Aehryn!” She cried
and threw her arms around him laughing and smiling as she held him. “Hi Eriel,
you look beautiful this evening. How have you been?” She smiled
and stood back from him, “I’ve been very well, thank you. I hope your
trip went well, I’m glad to see you’re home
safe.” He nodded
and kissed her hand gently, “I’m glad you’re well and yes, the trip went just fine. I’m happy to
be home, I can tell you that much.” She laughed
lightly and nodded, “Here, I was just introducing Layora to
Seiron. We were talking with Vaeril and Luin, come join us.” He nodded
and followed her back to where she had left Layora. Layora smiled upon seeing
him approaching with his sister. He was dressed in a dark navy tunic, his
blonde hair pinned back. Aehryn’s tunic was a stunning dark blue with silver
embroidery all throughout. Layora’s eyes found their way to his and they stared
at one another for a moment. Aehryn gazed upon her truly admiring her natural
beauty. She wore no makeup and with her hair to the side in a very long braid,
she looked ethereal. The crystal droplet that rested upon her forehead
complimented her deep blue eyes beautifully. Layora’s cheeks
were reddening very quickly as she gazed back at him and he was forced to break
the stare because she could not bring herself to do so. Seiron welcomed him
home and hugged him. “It’s nice to see you made it back in once piece
and look at what a pretty friend you’ve brought us” He said, motioning towards Layora, who in
turn blushed even more, if that was at all possible.
Aehryn smiled softly, “You do look
very beautiful, Layora. I hope you do not mind me saying so.” He bowed
slightly before her and nervously she responded, “Not at all. But all this
attention is a bit too much for me.” She bit her
lower lip gently for a moment before continuing, “Eriel, do you think we could go
and get a drink and perhaps walk outside for a little while?” Mevneriel
smiled warmly upon her and nodded, “That sounds like a lovely idea. Feel free to
join us.” She waved
at the men and started to walk away with Layora, her arm linked with hers. They
made their way through the throng of people and stopped by a table to pour
themselves drinks but Layora looked rather flustered. “Is there
only wine? I would prefer water.” Mevneriel
laughed, “Oh come now, try a bit.” She poured
her a glass and handed it to her. Layora tried not to look too uncomfortable
but failed, “I’ve never drank wine before, I don’t want to
have too much.”
Eriel practically giggled with
excitement, “You’ve never tried it before? Oh well, wait until
you try elven wine. It’s nothing but the best.” Layora
blushed and raised the glass to her lips, having just the slightest sip.
Mevneriel smiled and linked arms with her once again. “We’ll go out
to the garden, I’ll show you a nice path I like to walk.” Layora
nodded and followed the elf out onto a terrace where they crossed it and walked
down a set of stone steps. Upon reaching the bottom they were presently in the
garden. The flowers were all sleeping, their petals closed to the night sky.
Layora looked around slowly, taking in the bushes and sculptures and even the
sounds of the brook that was flowing not far off from them. She couldn’t see it in
the dark, but she could hear it and wondered
how far off it really was. They walked side by side for a while, Layora’s eyes
wandering as Snow kept close by the two.
Mevneriel was drinking her wine much
faster than Layora and it wasn’t long before she was laughing lightly and
pointing out all of the spots in the garden that were her favourite. Layora was
beginning to wonder if every spot was her favourite as the night progressed and
they walked beneath the stars. It was a cool evening, but they felt warm enough
close together and Snow did not seem to mind. It wasn’t long
before they came to a bench where Mevneriel suggested they sit for a little
while. Layora took the opportunity and sat down with her, quite comfortable
feeling as they looked out into the garden together. “This really
is a beautiful place. Have you lived here all your life?” Layora
asked. Mevneriel nodded and sighed, “I have and I’ll tell you, I never want to go
anywhere else. Because nothing could ever be as beautiful as what we have here.” Layora
smiled softly and took another sip of her wine. “You were right about the wine, It is very good.” She
chuckled softly and Mevneriel joined her, raising her glass to toast her. Layora
raised hers as well and they laughed together lightly.
Layora was so pleased that she had
made a friend and although rather different than herself, she was a breath of
fresh air. Someone to whom she could talk to and be with whenever they wanted
to. She smiled and sighed a little after having another few sips, “I’m so glad I
met your brother. He told me so much about you and I was so happy to meet you.
I’m very
lucky to have met you both and I hope you know just how much I truly mean that.” Mevneriel
smiled and nudged her arm with her elbow. “I’m glad we’ve met and I’m happy that you’re here. It’s good to
have someone to talk to and well, I’m not so popular with many of the other elves
here. I tend to keep to myself and spend time with my brother’s friends.” Layora
nodded gently, “There’s nothing wrong with that. I prefer doing
things that apparently most women and elven women don’t typically
do. Like archery for example or hunting.” Mevneriel
nodded, “You’re right
about the hunting, but archery is something some of us enjoy. But I’m not all
that wonderful at it. Maybe you could teach me?” Layora nodded and smiled, “I’d love to
teach you, do you think you might be able to teach me your language?”
Mevneriel’s smile
brightened, “It’s a deal, I will teach you our language and
you’ll teach me
archery.” Layora
laughed lightly and nodded, “That sounds fantastic.” She smiled
and Mevneriel smiled back at her. They sat like that a little while, just
enjoying the evening and decided that they’d better return to the party. As they made
their way back towards the dining hall, they came upon Aehryn who had been
wandering the gardens in hopes of seeing Layora. He did not mention this to
them of course. He approached them with a smile and bowed before them, “Hello ladies.
I’m sorry to
interrupt you, but the boys have requested I come find you and tell you that
they would like to dance with you this evening.” Mevneriel chuckled lightly and smiled, “Oh really?
And what about you? Will you have Layora for a dancing partner?” Layora’s cheeks
reddened and she shook her head, “Oh I’m a terrible dancer. I wouldn’t know
where to start.” She spoke
hurriedly and looked rather exasperated. “Nonsense, I’m sure you dance wonderfully.” It was
Mevneriel again, complimenting her. Aehryn smiled and nodded, “A dance
sounds lovely, why don’t I join you again shortly. Our mother and
father are going to be speaking to everyone soon and we can dance afterwards.” Layora and
Mevneriel nodded, Layora nodding more so in shock than anything else. He smiled
nervously and headed off, waving to them. “I’ll see you shortly,” He called
and continued on. They waved after him and Mevneriel hurriedly ushered her
along to the dining hall. Layora’s eyes found Snow’s and he
looked up at her curiously, the look on her face making even him nervous. She
was going to have to dance and she was not looking forward to it.
After a short while they rejoined
the party and found Luin, Seiron and Vaeril and they all begged Layora to dance
and she kindly refused each offer as she was more than nervous about trying to
dance with anyone, let alone them. Mevneriel didn’t push her and she accepted a
dance with Luin who carried her off onto the dance floor with the other elves.
Layora was left to watch from a nearby table, her heart in her throat as she
tried to pay attention to the way the elves danced and more specifically, how
Mevneriel danced. If she was going to be forced to dance with anyone, she would
let it be Aehryn whom she felt most comfortable with. It seemed like a formal
dance, where the gentleman would hold the waist and extend his hand to grasp
hers. It looked comfortable and with the slow steady movements Layora was sure
she could manage it. But that didn’t stop her from worrying about dancing with
someone. She sighed a little and sipped at her wine again and soon she realized
she had gone through two glasses since Mevneriel had returned from her dance
with Luin. Caught up in conversation, they lost track of time and she lost
track of how much she was drinking. The night had gone by quickly and after the
speech by their mother and father, it grew very late very fast.
She was beginning to feel a little
light headed and blushing, she asked if Mevneriel could show her to her room,
having finally had a little too much fun for the evening. Mevneriel agreed,
disappointed that Aehryn had not returned at all during the evening. But she
did not mention it to Layora for fear of upsetting her at all. Layora said
goodbye to the new elves she had met as well as Aehryn’s friends
and as they made their way up the great staircase that led to their rooms, and
she realized that Aehryn had not come back to dance with her. She frowned a
little and tried to conceal what she thought was disappointment. This surprised
her and she tried to dismiss it as they climbed the stairs together. It wasn’t long
before Layora was left alone in her room, Mevneriel having returned to the
party below.
Layora and Snow stood staring at one
another and it didn’t take more than a moment before Layora was
laughing lightly and leaning against the shut door behind her. Snow whined and
barked softly and she reached out to rub his ears and head. “You silly
pup, you’ve been so
good this evening. Following me everywhere, what a good boy. I’m sure you’re hungry.” She said
and went to her pack, pulling out some of the salted meat she had for him. He
eagerly started to eat it but soon noticed a much fresher dish of meat on the
floor not far from the fire place, where a fire was now blazing. Layora looked
around and noticed a few differences and wondered who had been in to set up her
room. The fire was going, the bed covers were turned down and there was a night
gown lying there for her. She smiled and upon noticing some fresh fruit sitting
on the table, she helped herself to an apple. Snow was busily eating and Layora
walked over to the sofa to sit by the fire.
She relaxed for a while and upon
finishing her apple, went over to the bed. Staring down at the gown left there
for her, she shook her head. It was supposed to be a nightgown she guessed, but
it looked so beautiful, she couldn’t imagine how it might feel to sleep in it.
It took her a few minutes to get undressed and redress herself in the new gown
but she felt much more comfortable upon doing so. Relaxing a bit as she looked
at herself in the mirror and took down her hair and removed the circlet. She
put the dress in the wardrobe and noticed a bundle of fresh clothes that now
filled it. Shaking her head, she smiled and chuckled. Mevneriel was nice enough
to give her some clothes to borrow. She closed it and placed the circlet on the
little dressing table by the mirror. The shoes she had left by the armoire as
well and she now walked barefoot around the room. She disappeared into the
bathroom for a moment to wash up and soon she was back sitting beside Snow on
the floor next to the warm fire.
“How did I
get here, love? This is really all too much.” She
whispered and drew her knees up to her chest. Snow looked at her quietly, his
head titled slightly, his ears pricking at every word. She sighed and reached
out to rub his head. “I suppose I ought to thank you for helping me
get here. So thank you, Snow.” He whined
and she rubbed his belly gently, laughing lightly. “Such a
silly pup,” She sighed
and looked into the fire, loving the warmth it provided her. She suddenly
thought back to Aehryn and why he had not returned to them. She had been
nervous to dance with him, but she would have liked to dance after watching how
much fun everyone was having. She sighed a little and shook her head. ‘He just got
busy, that’s all. He must have been with the others some
place.’ She nodded
and gazed over at Snow, who had since fallen asleep. She rolled her eyes a
little at him and smiled. “That’s okay, I still have you.”
Just then Snow’s ears
perked up and his eyes opened, his head turning back towards the door. Layora’s eyes
followed his gaze to the door and she stared at it for a moment. There were
footsteps coming down the hallway and she listened to them as they got closer.
She thought it might be Mevneriel but then the footsteps turned and started
heading away. She stood and went to the door, her hand settled on the handle,
holding but not turning. The footsteps seemed to be pacing and then they
stopped and Layora was sure they would knock. But it never came. Frowning, she
stared at the closed door and then the footsteps started to fade off. They were
walking away. Quietly, she opened the door, peeking out into the hallway, just
in time to see Aehryn slip into a room farther down the hall. Her heart sank as
she heard the door close and quietly she closed her own, stepping back into her
room. Sighing softly she went to her bed, climbing under the covers quietly.
She was a bundle of mixed emotions and closing her eyes, she fought the feeling
of disappointment. Truthfully, she would have liked to have seen Aehryn and say
goodnight, but he clearly did not wish to disturb her. She shook her head a
little and curled up under the blankets and soon Snow had joined her on the
bed. She rubbed his ears and curled up beside him and in no time at all, they
were fast asleep.
.
Aehryn shook his head in
frustration. He was angry with himself for avoiding the little group. He was
too nervous to actually dance with Layora and instead settled for wandering the
garden and observing the group from afar. He sighed softly as he climbed the
stairs, he would go and apologize to Layora and tell her he would owe her a
dance at another time. As he neared her door, he began to panic and grew far
too nervous. He clenched his fists slightly and stopped in front of her door,
ready to knock. He didn’t hear anything and he wondered if she had
already gone to sleep. Fearful of waking her, he backtracked and paced for a
moment before ducking inside of his own room. Exasperated, he went to his
dressing table and started undressing, folding and putting away his clothing
piece by piece. He sat on the bed to remove his boots and as soon as he was
free of them, he lay back and just relax for a moment. Staring up at the ceiling he cursed himself
for not having the nerve to ask her for a dance. ‘If I had just danced with her,
things would be fine. There’s no telling what she thinks of me now.’ Shaking his
head he stood and finished undressing before climbing into bed.
~
Two days soon passed and Layora had
been shown the grounds by Mevneriel and was particularly enamored with the
Library. Its great structure was bigger than she could have imagined and it was
full to its brim with books, scrolls and parchments. She felt that she could
spend the rest of her days in there and be very happy. They came across the
archery range on the third afternoon and Layora was very excited to learn it
was not too far from the library. She asked Mevneriel if they could return that
evening to practice and she readily agreed. Layora had seen many beautiful
things on her wanderings and was shown to the hot springs
“Hello,
Seiron. How are you today?” Layora
asked quietly. He smiled wonderfully at her and winked at Mevneriel. He made
them both feel uncomfortable and Layora did her best not to show it as
Mevneriel quietly linked arms with Layora and smiled gently. “I’m doing
just fine, thank you, Layora. I hope you’re enjoying your stay here. Have you found
everything to your liking?” Layora
nodded, “Oh yes,
Lyione is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it before and I
hope to be here for a very long time.” He nodded,
very pleased to hear this, “I’m glad you think so. I quite like it here and
I’m hoping
you’ll be here
for a long while yet.” Mevneriel
nodded, “She will,
she’ll be staying
as our honored guest in our home for as long as she likes.” Layora’s cheeks
went an even deeper shade of red, “And I thank you and your family with the
utmost sincerity when I say I am very grateful for your hospitality.” Mevneriel
smiled, “It’s alright,
thank-you’s are not in order.” Layora
smiled warmly back at her and Seiron nodded, “They are a loving family. Have
you met with Andulin and Nurilain?” Layora
nodded, “I have, but
only briefly, they were very kind to me.” He smiled
and nodded, “I’m glad to hear it. Well, I must be on my way.
I’m heading
to the archery range for a bit of practice.” “Oh really?” Layora
asked, “I plan on
coming by later this evening to practice myself.” An odd look crossed his features and he
tilted his head, much like the way Snow did when he was listening to her speak.
She nearly laughed aloud as she
thought of this and instead just smiled, “You practice archery?” Layora
nodded, “Yes I do. I
hunt as well and make my own arrows and bows.” Seiron practically scoffed at her and she did
all she could not to just laugh at his response. “You think it odd?” “Well yes!” He blurted,
“You’re such a
pretty thing. Why would you ever want to take up hunting or a sport like this?” Layora
smiled, “It’s how I
learned to survive. I learned because I had to and I enjoy it.” He shook
his head in a bit of disbelief, “If you enjoy it, I suppose. It just does seem
odd to me.” Layora
looked down at herself, she was indeed clad in a dress that Mevneriel had lent
her and she probably would look a little ridiculous wearing it and shooting
arrows. She laughed lightly at the mental image and shook her head, “Well it’s not as if
I would be practicing in a gown. I much prefer tunic and leggings to a dress.
But Mevneriel has been kind enough to loan me her clothes, I did not want to
disappoint.”
Mevneriel smiled and blushed a
little, “I can get
you tunics and leggings to wear. I know you want to be kind to us, but you don’t have to
dress this way if it makes you uncomfortable.” “Oh it doesn’t make me
uncomfortable, I just prefer more casual attire.” Layora smiled and with her arm still linked
with hers, squeezed her a little.” Mevneriel
smiled and nodded, “Then that’s what we’ll do today, we’ll go and find you some more
casual outfits to wear. Please excuse us Seiron.” As she started tugging Layora away he called
out to them, “Take care, maybe I will see you later at the
archery range!” Layora
simply nodded and waved and then they were on their way.
They came across Snow who had been
napping under a tree in the garden and quietly they woke him up and he followed
them back to their rooms where Mevneriel pulled several outfits for Layora to
try on. “There, that
should be enough of them.” Layora stood
staring in a bit of shock at the sheer amount of clothing her new friend had
brought her on top of the clothing she had already in her wardrobe. “This is a
little much, don’t you think?” “Nonsense!” She cried
and laughed. “I’ll leave you to try them on and what have
you. I’ll take
Snow and we can go get something to nibble on.” Snow whined just then and pawed at the closed
bedroom door. “He must be hungry by now,” She said
and walked over to open the door. “We’ll be back later on.” Mevneriel
waved and Layora waved back as the two left her alone.
She stood there for a few moments,
simply looking at the once again closed door. Her mind was anywhere and
everywhere at once and she didn’t know what to concentrate on first. Sighing
softly she went over to sit on the sofa, just reclining back for a moment to
catch her breath. It had been an overwhelming week and with so much having
happened, to digest it all was nearly impossible for her. Mevneriel had started
her lessons with her teaching her their language and although clumsy, Layora
seemed to be picking up some things quite well. She was reassured that it was
not the language they spoke all of the time and was typically reserved for
special occasions. Layora had been spending quite a lot of time with Mevneriel
and Snow had been accompanying them almost everywhere. But as he began to get
more comfortable with the area, he started to venture off whenever he deemed it
appropriate. Like when the two girls went into the library for their teachings.
Layora had yet to teach Mevneriel to use a bow, but it was on their list of
things to do. She had been a wonderful help to Layora and she greatly
appreciated all of the time and effort she put into teaching her and showing
her around their home.
Sighing deeply, Layora relaxed
against the sofa, wondering how long she really had until they would return.
She was so pleased that Snow was getting along well with everyone and she was
happy that no one seemed frightened by him at all. She felt disappointment
beginning to well up inside of her now that she was alone however, and it was
due to a certain someone. She had not seen Aehryn since the night of the
gathering and she was certain he was avoiding her and his sister. Why, she
could not guess, but all of the negative possibilities flooded her mind
whenever they could. She thought all kinds of negative things about why he
might be avoiding her and none of them sat well with her. She felt disappointed
and almost angry enough to try and confront him, but thought her behavior was
irrational and without any real reason. He could truly be very busy for all she
knew. Mevneriel had mentioned that he had been busy with the guards and their
new training. Perhaps he was caught up in all of that business and had not had
time to see them. She nodded in an attempt to convince herself of this and
closed her eyes for a long moment.
The weather was slowly starting to
come around, the snow melting much faster than she expected. The weather was
still a little cool and dreary, but there were days when the sun broke free
from their clouds and bathed them all in its beautiful light. She was looking
forward to the springtime and summer and did her best to wait it out with
everyone else. She glanced suddenly over to the bed where there were several piles
of clothing. Shaking her head a little she stood and walked over to them.
Placing her hands on her hips she shook her head once again and laughed
lightly. There were more than a dozen sets of clothing laid out for her. All
were tunics and matching leggings and there were even four pairs of boots that
had been left beside the bed on the floor. Mevneriel clearly never wore most of
these as they all looked very new and hardly worn. She laid her hands upon one
she particularly liked and thought about how pretty it was. It was a white
tunic with navy trim and she suddenly remembered the cloak she had been given
as a gift.
She smiled at the resemblance and
decided it best to save that outfit for a more special occasion. She selected a
dark green tunic and leggings with brown accents and slipping out of her dress,
she put them on. Standing in front of the mirror a couple minutes later, she
finished lacing up the leggings and drew the tunic closed, making sure to
fasten the buckles tightly in their right places. Sitting back on the only free
space on her bed, she pulled on one boot and then the other, tying up the backs
as best she could, not ever having worn boots like this before. They were a
dark brown and matched her tunic perfectly. Once she was done, she put away all
of the other clothes she had borrowed into her armoire. It wasn’t much
longer after she had finished, that she heard Snow outside the door, whining
softly to come in. She quickly raced to the door and let him in, looking out
into the hallway for Mevneriel. She didn’t see anyone and closed the door behind him. “Hey boy,
how are you? Did you get something to eat?” She smiled
and leaned down to hug him. He pressed up against her and she wrapped her arms
around him, she laughing as he licked her face. He howled low and she had to
quiet him before he got too excited. “Oh you’re so silly, Snow. Come on, come and lay
down.” She stood
and motioned towards the fire place where a low lying fire burned. He laid down
before it and she went to put down a dish of water not far from him. “There you
go,” She
whispered and went back over to the bed.
Staring down at the pack she had
left untouched for a few days, she finally picked it up and emptied its
contents. She took the folded cloak and put it away neatly and disposed of
anything she no longer needed. Even her old clothing she felt couldn’t be mended
and looked far too worn. She threw them away and when coming back to her bag,
she picked up her quiver. She still had two dozen arrows left and smiling, she
made sure to check each one for any imperfections, making sure that none were
damaged. She was thankful to find that none were and put them back in their
quiver. Taking her bow, she carefully examined it, testing the string’s tautness
and making sure it was properly secured. It was all in working order and she
slung it over her shoulder before she was to head out. She stopped however and
looked over at Snow who was now fast asleep. She smiled and decided it would be
best to leave the door open so that he might leave whenever he wished and left
it open just enough for him. There was no reason to worry about having it left
open and so she headed across the hall to Mevneriel’s room.
She knocked gently and within a few
moments, the door opened to her and Mevneriel stood there smiling. “Oh come in,
look at you, you’re all dressed for action.” She laughed
and invited Layora inside. Layora smiled, “So are you, you look so beautiful in your
tunic too,” Commented
Layora. Mevneriel was dressed in a light blue tunic and leggings that suited
her beautifully. Her dark hair cascading down loosely over her shoulders. “I’ve never
seen such a pretty blue before. It looks lovely on you.” Mevneriel
smiled and blushed gently, “Thank you. It’s one of my favorites to wear and
I don’t get to
wear it too often, so I thought this might be a nice opportunity.” Layora
nodded, “Oh
definitely, you’ll look rather fierce wielding a bow.” Mevneriel
laughed and so did Layora and soon they were making their way down into the
garden and past the library.
They came to a large building where
Layora could distinctly smell horses and she commented, “Are these
the stables?” Mevneriel
nodded, “It is,
here, we can walk inside and then go to the archery range.” Layora
nodded, rather excited to see the horses. “I’ve always admired horses. They’re so
beautiful. The horses your brother and his party rode were so stunning. I’ve never
seen anything like them before.” Mevneriel
nodded, “That’s because
they’re elven
horses. They’re bred only from the finest. They’re fast,
beautiful and strong.” Layora
nodded gently as they entered the stables and started walking down the area
where stalls lined either side. She saw horse after horse feeding on their
grain and hay and admired each of them for their own beauty. Some were
completely white, others were brown or golden in colour. There were even
several black horses with white markings and brown horses with white markings
as well. She loved the way the black horses looked, so sleek and all of their
coats were shiny, their manes either braided or brushed smooth.
“They’re so
beautiful, do you have a horse as well?” Layora
asked. Mevneriel nodded, “I do and I ride her whenever she is willing.
She’s a
beautiful mare, a golden colour. She’s in one of the other stables attached to
this one.” Layora
nodded, “I should
like to see her some time, I’ve never truly ridden a horse, well. Not one
of my own. I did use to sneak moonlit rides with our master of the house’s horse. He
was beautiful, a dark chocolate brown.” Mevneriel
smiled, “Well we’ll have to
get you fitted with a horse soon then. There’s something else I can teach you, how to ride
like a lady,” She laughed
at this and so did Layora. “Oh nonsense, I’ll ride the way everyone I’ve seen so
far ride. It’s the most comfortable way I can think of.” Mevneriel
nodded and smiled, “Come, we’ll head out now.” Layora
nodded and followed her through the stables and out the back door. They walked
together for a little while longer and then came in sight of the archery range.
“It’s rather
large because a lot of people practice here, but we should be able to find a
quiet spot for us.” Layora
nodded and followed her as they made their way through the small structure
where a few elves were drawing their strings and letting their arrows fly.
Layora admired their stances and soon they were near the end of the range,
where there was no one to disturb them. They did not see anyone entirely
familiar and Mevneriel was thankful for this as she did not wish to feel
embarrassed as she learned. Layora chose a good spot for them to start and she
took a good stance to show Mevneriel. “You’ve got your bow, so without the arrows, let’s just try
and work on the way you should stand.” Mevneriel
nodded, “Alright,
yes, I borrowed one of Aehryn’s old bows. I’m sure he won’t mind. He’s always
offered to teach me, but I’ve been too embarrassed to actually go
through with it until now.” Layora
smiled, “There’s nothing
to be embarrassed about. Everyone must start somewhere. I had to teach myself,
so don’t worry.” Layora took
a strong stance, spreading her legs apart a little as she stood facing
Mevneriel, her body in line with the target ahead. “The idea is
to face your body away from your target, but extend your bow arm out towards
your target. Your head will be turned, of course and your eyes fixed on where
you want your arrow to land.”
Mevneriel copied her, standing in
front of her so that they were close together, her back to Layora. Layora
nodded, “Very good,
now, we extend our left arm and raise our right, do not pull on the string just
yet. Just hold it gently between your thumb and two fingers, like this.” She
demonstrated and Mevneriel copied her closely. “You lift
your elbow so that it is parallel with your chest. You want your arm straight
and firm.” Layora showed her as best she could, trying
hard to explain it to her. Helping her keep her elbow raised and her hand in
the proper position, she asked her to draw back the string just slightly. “We’re just
testing the string’s strength right now, don’t let it
snap back without an arrow locked. You want to gently draw it back and keep
your arm steady and your elbow raised.” Layora
nodded and set down her own bow to better help Mevneriel with her position and
grip. “There, that’s perfect,
now we add an arrow to the mix.” She said and laughed lightly, letting
Mevneriel let the string go gently back into place.
Picking
up an arrow, she showed her how to notch it properly and then instructed her to
pull back on the string gently, aim once the string was taut enough and let it
go. “It’ll take
practice to learn how to hit your target, but don’t be
discouraged. I’ll step back and let you try.” She smiled
and Eriel and stood back a little from her. “Take your
time.” Mevneriel calmly did as she had been
instructed, notching an arrow before raising her arms to their correct
positions, she then drew back on the string and took aim at one of the targets
in the range closest to them. Taking a few breaths first, she then let go,
letting the arrow free itself from her grasp. It struck the target with a good
amount of force and Mevneriel laughed out. “I can’t believe I
actually hit it!” Layora laughed too, “That was
great, it takes a lot of practice but you’ll get
closer to the center every time.” Mevneriel
laughed lightly and smiled at her, “Thank you
so much for teaching me, I’d like to try it again.” Layora
nodded, “Of course, go right ahead.”
They spent
a little time like that, Layora watching as she notched and released her
arrows, one after the other. She smiled and sat on one of the benches to watch,
suddenly feeling a little sleepy. It was getting late and although they could
still see very well, she was growing tired. She decided that she’d better
try herself a few times to wake up a little. She stood and went back over to
stand next to Mevneriel, quickly notching an arrow and letting it sink deep
into its target. Mevneriel stopped to watch as Layora sunk four arrows in a
diamond shape on the target board. Mevneriel shook her head gently, “You’re amazing.” Layora laughed,
“No I’m not, I’ve just had
more practice is all.” She let a few more arrows go and then
returned her bow to her shoulder. “Let’s collect
our arrows together, “She said and headed out into the field. They
took a few minutes removing their arrows from their targets and Layora sighed
suddenly. “Is everything alright?” Mevneriel
asked and Layora blushed a little, not having realized she had sighed aloud. “Oh, no. I’m fine, I
just find this helps relieve any tension I’ve been
having well up in my body. It helps, for whatever reason.”
Mevneriel
smiled and nodded, “It really does, but you know; we do have hot springs
“She’ll lose
interest at some point and won’t get very far,” Commented
Seiron. Mevneriel frowned deeply, “I won’t, now that
I have someone proper to teach me, I’ll get
better.” Layora nodded, “There’s no reason
why she should lose interest if she enjoys it. If she no longer enjoys it then
she will simply practice less,” She retorted rather sharply, annoyed that he
should make such a comment. He put his hands up in surrender, “I’m sorry.
You’re right, she has the potential to get
better. She just has a habit of losing interest in things rather quickly.” Seiron
spoke low, a little dangerous grin trying to make its way across his face.
Mevneriel scowled at him, “What do you know, you big oaf.” She
snapped and picked up her things to go. Layora frowned at Seiron, very unhappy
that he’d put her friend in such a state. “I’m sorry,
Eriel. I didn’t mean to offend you,” He tried,
weakly and Luin simply smiled the whole while. Layora shook her head and
started towards him, ready to say something cruel, but was suddenly stopped as
low growling was heard. Snow was by her side and was clearly unhappy with the
tone the voices had taken on. He had come to find them after his rest and
having heard the upsetting voice of Mevneriel, came to see what was the matter.
Layora laughed lightly and knelt down next to him, “Oh Snow,
relax. It’s just a quarrel.” She cooed
and rubbed his ears. He settled but Seiron looked positively terrified, as did
Luin. Layora used this to her advantage, though felt very guilty for doing so.
“He would
never attack any of you..unless I told him to. So watch your tongue next time,
you wouldn’t want a little nibble from him.” She winked
down at Snow and he immediately sat back and barked. She smiled and patted his
head. “We’ll be going
now, and we’ll see you both another time. With better
attitudes, I would hope.” She scolded and turned to see Mevneriel
looking at her and Snow a little incredulously. She smiled quickly however when
she saw the look on both Luin and Seiron’s faces and
she fell in step with Layora as Snow followed them close behind.
After
they were a fair distance away, Layora just couldn’t contain
her laughter any longer. Mevneriel couldn’t either
and burst into near tears as she laughed aloud. “Oh my
goodness. Did you see their faces?” Layora
nodded and chuckled, “Oh did I ever. Snow would never hurt anyone,
but seeing them actually look frightened..oh it was priceless.” Mevneriel
calmed a little and chuckled, “Oh that was so funny. Thank you for standing
up for me, but you didn’t have to. Seiron is..well, he’s a bit of
an annoyance.” Layora nodded gently, sensing there was more
to the story. “He’s acted very
different towards me for the last few years as a result of us seeing each
other. I’m telling you this so that I can warn you.
But, he’s not a very kind person. He seems pleasant
enough but he’s a different person when he’s in a
relationship with someone.” Layora nodded, realizing that they must have
been together for a time. “I see.” Mevneriel
nodded, “He uses women and treats them like gold
before he’s with them. Once you’ve given
yourself over to him, he becomes controlling and just, angry. He has a temper
that I’ve never seen in another elf before.” Layora
frowned, realizing she probably shouldn’t have made
those comments to him. “Just be wary of him, please. He means well,
but he isn’t the kind of person you want to be around.”
Layora
was very surprised by this and she shook her head a little. “I would not
have known unless you had told me, so I do thank you. I’ll do my
best to guard myself around him. What about Luin though? Is he anything like
Seiron?” Mevneriel shook her head, “No, he’s just his
friend and he most likely has no idea of how Seiron really is. He only sees the
one side of him.” Layora nodded once again and sighed, “That’s a shame.” Mevneriel
agreed and they entered the garden once again, only to see Vaeril leading a
horse with two other elves with him. The horse seemed very spooked and refused
to calm down. Vaeril’s grip was slipping and he did all he could
to keep the horse steady. The other two elves were trying their best to calm
the poor animal and Layora and Mevneriel were suddenly amongst the fray.
Layora
pushed Eriel away and motioned for Snow to follow and both of them moved out of
the way and towards the stables where the horse had no doubt come from. Vaeril
did not see her coming and soon she too was holding the lead to help him steady
the horse. He was a large male, 16 hands high at the very least and a very dark
chocolate brown. Vaeril nearly panicked and pushed her out of the way, but the
look in her eyes told him to do otherwise. Instead, he readjusted his grip on
the lead with Layora still holding him and now they both had his head much
lower, preventing him from rearing anymore. Vaeril tried to calm him with words
while Layora reached out to try and touch his muzzle. It took them a few
minutes more and soon he was calm enough that he only breathed heavily before
them. Vaeril was afraid to loosen his grip and it wasn’t until
Layora removed his hand from the lead that he started to relax. She had let go
of the lead as well and was simply stroking the horse’s nose and
neck and had started whispering to him. He couldn’t even make
out what she was saying but the horses ears flicked back and forth as she
spoke.
He
took a few steps back and Layora did as well, noticing some of the carrots they
had tried to use to calm him strewn upon the ground, she picked up two of them
and held them out to the horse. He readily started to eat them and Layora
simply smiled and watched him for a moment before turning her attention back to
Vaeril. “Well, hello there,” He
practically whispered, afraid to spook the horse once again. Layora smiled, “He’ll be fine.
I’m sure something just spooked him. Are you
alright?” She asked, seeing the paleness in his face. “Oh I’m fine,
just a little spooked myself. You could have been hurt, you shouldn’t rush in
like that.” Layora smiled and shook her head. “You needed
help and there was no other way to calm him. We both made it out okay. I’m sure he’ll be fine
now.” He nodded and sighed, feeling a bit better.
Layora
patted his arm gently before rubbing the horse’s neck. “What’s his name?” Vaeril
smiled, “We call him Brindle. He’s a very
loving animal, but that’s the first time we’ve seen him
do something like that.” Layora nodded, “That’s a cute
name. I’m sure something just startled him, he seems
fine now.” Vaeril nodded and gently patted Brindle’s neck. “You’re probably
right, I think instead of training him now, we’ll just let
him relax in the stables.” Layora nodded, “That sounds
like a good idea.” He waved to the two elves that were with him
and warily they approached. “Take him back to his stall and get him some
extra carrots. I think he’d be better off just resting for today. We’ll try
again another day.” They nodded and gave their thanks to Layora
before escorting the horse back to his stall.
Layora
sighed and Mevneriel and Snow soon joined them. “Are you
both alright? He was putting up such a fuss.” Layora
nodded, “We’re fine.
Not to worry, something just spooked him. He seems alright now.” Vaeril
agreed, “And what might you three be out here doing?” Mevneriel
smiled, “Oh we just finished up at the archery range
and now we’re going to go and get ready to head over to
one of the hot springs
Mevneriel
linked arms with Layora and smiled, “Come on, we’ll go get
something to eat, put on some light robes and then head over to the springs;
you’ll absolutely love it.” Layora
nodded and followed her friend to their rooms. Where they sat and had something
to eat together before dressing in light gowns. By the time they made their way
downstairs, it was already fairly dark and they followed each other closely as
they made their way along one of the paths through the gardens and past the
library. It took them a little while but soon they were entering a secluded
area among the trees. It was quiet and Mevneriel smiled over her shoulder at
her. “It’s just
through here,” She whispered and they stepped through the
underbrush, ducking their heads a little to avoid stray branches. It wasn’t long
before Layora could see the hot pools of water not far off and she smiled as
she saw the steam rising from them. Her entire body melted at the thought of
being enveloped by the warmth of the water.
Mevneriel
motioned towards a screen that had been set up for people to change behind
before going into the water and Layora went to disrobe first and then slipped
quietly into the spring water. Mevneriel soon joined her and Layora discovered
that there was a stone bench that made its way all around the spring. She sat
down on the ledge and leaned back against the pool’s wall,
just relaxing in the warmth. It was a beautiful feeling and resting her head
back she was suddenly startled by Snow’s nose
touching her forehead. She jumped and quickly laughed when she realized what it
was. She smiled and reached up to pat his head but he shied away from her and
the water that dripped from her fingertips. She sighed and relaxed back into
the water, looking over at him as he now lay down not far from her. Mevneriel
was swimming the length of the spring, just enjoying the water and the way it
warmed her skin and Layora thought about doing the same, but presently just
wanted to sit and relax. Snow lay not far from the two and let his eyes wander
the area, just surveying the underbrush for anyone or other animals. He saw
none, for a time.
They
had spent some time just relaxing together in the water and now Layora was
swimming the length of the pool, noticing that there was a river not far off
from the spring. She would like to swim a little more freely and decided to
head over to the river, “I hope you don’t mind, I’m going to
go for a swim in the river for a while. I’ll come
back shortly.” Mevneriel nodded and rested her arms up on
the side of the spring’s edge, looking over at Snow. “Not at all,
go enjoy yourself.” Layora nodded and climbed out of the pool,
Mevneriel shying away from her naked form. In honesty, she envied Layora’s skin and
hair. Her hair was much longer than hers and her skin much darker. Whereas
Layora envied her perfectly untouched skin and flowing blonde hair. Layora made
her way over to the river’s edge, conscious of her nakedness and
quickly stepped in, walking out into the deeper water before submerging herself
completely for a moment. When she came back up she felt like she was out of
breath, the difference in temperatures of the water startling her body. She
laughed lightly and smiled, stretching out her arms before her as she started
to swim in earnest.
They
spent almost two hours in the water, Layora having returned from her swim to
the hot springs
He
blushed and his hands instinctively clasped together and he tried not to
nervously fidget, “I’m sorry. I
know I haven’t been by to see how you’ve been.
Truthfully, I was embarrassed about that night. I said I would dance with you
and then never came. I wanted to apologize to you.” Layora
shook her head gently, “That’s okay.
There’s no need to apologize.” He nodded
but then shook his head, “No there is, I was afraid I would embarrass
you with my dancing and grew too nervous to attempt it. I wasn’t kept away
for any other reason besides that.” Layora
couldn’t help laughing a little, “I was the
one who felt nervous, at first I was thankful we didn’t get to
dance, but then I realized I was a bit disappointed. But it’s really
okay; we can share a dance another time.” She tried
to ease his discomfort and in doing so, let out more than she had intended. He
was smiling at her and she lost herself for a moment in his gaze. Snow had come
to their side and was nosing at Aehryn’s hand and
he had no choice but to break the stare and look down at him.
“Hey Snow,” He
whispered and knelt down next to him, rubbing his ears gently. Layora blushed
and averted her gaze for a moment, hoping to dispel the awkward feelings
welling up inside of her. He soon stood and found himself standing a little
closer than he had intended to Layora. She too noticed upon his rising that
they were much closer and she tried not to make direct eye contact with him. He
struggled not to look into her eyes and instead
his gaze was drawn to her wet hair and the droplets that were rolling down her
neck, disappearing beneath the collar of her dress. He suddenly felt hot and
averted his gaze. “I should go, I know you must be getting ready for bed. I’m
sorry for intruding.” Layora blushed lightly, “It’s alright, I’ll go to bed
shortly. I just got back from the hot
springs
Layora
nodded gently, “You should make an attempt to go soon, it might ease some of
your nerves,” She chided and he laughed lightly with her. “You’re right,” He
whispered, reaching his hand up to rub the back of his neck, his eyes gazing
down at Snow who sat at their feet. She smiled softly, her eyes searching his
features carefully. He was very handsome, she thought and whilst looking upon
him, her heart fluttered a little in her chest, the light pain nearly taking
her breath away. Aehryn heard her inhale a little differently and looked up to
meet her gaze once more. The look he was met with he was not prepared for and
he stopped cold before her, his eyes met with hers, his chest tightening and he
found his hand wanting to reach out to her. He stopped rubbing his neck and
lowered his hand, reaching out very slowly to touch her elbow, his thumb
resting in the innermost part of her arm. She nearly trembled and insisted that
her body obey her and not move a muscle. He smiled and gently rubbed her arm
for a moment, “Sleep well Layora. I’ll see you again soon.” He whispered and
before turning, gave her arm the lightest of squeezes. All she could do was
nod, her eyes following him as he let go and turned to leave, closing the door behind
him.
Not
a moment passed before she had practically fallen into the chair by the fire.
Her heart ached painfully so and she steadied herself in her seat, bracing her
hands against the cushion beneath her. Gazing down at her arm, she stared at
the spot he had touched her. It felt hot there, like her skin was burning from
the contact. Her cheeks felt much the same after having turned a brilliant
shade of red. Shaking her head gently she looked over at Snow who was still
sitting at the door, his gaze resting upon her curiously. She shook her head
again and smiled nervously. “I think sleep is in order,” She whispered before
slowly rising and making her way to the bed. It wasn’t long before Snow was by
her side curling up to her on the blankets. Turning onto her side she looked
out across the room at the closed door. She wondered what he might be thinking
and how he felt after their talk and soon she was dozing off with the image of
him holding her arm, his thumb massaging the inside of her elbow gently.
1 comment:
Great job again! I always like reading your writing. It's much different than my own. Your characters are so warm and forthcoming where as mine are often hardened and distrusting. Not sure why though lol. I love that Layora is so open about living with people rather than keeping it a secret.
A couple small comments:
PART 13
"The beauty of the room was beautiful" this is a little repetitive ,
"Thank you, but I’m sure you would look much more elegance than I in it." Elegant.
PART 14
" I’m Layora, as you already know. It’s nice to meet you.” Im Not a big fan of her saying "as you already know" only because she is so humble she could just say "I'm Layora". Unless it's because she's nervous...because then it works!
"Hello ladies. I’m sorry to unterrupt you" typo.
My only last comment is....kiss already!! I love the lead up to it. Great writing
Xo
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