I stopped as we reached the edge of the tree-house city, took a step into the open, and turned around to face Finn.
‘It’ll be fine, Finn. Stop being such a worrier’ I replied, and then stood utterly still as I unfurled my wings, flapping them gently to test them out, before flapping them harder and stronger; lifting me twenty, thirty feet into the air.
Noticing Finn’s upturned face as he watched me hovering in the air, beating my wings softly back and forth, elves and she-elves going about their daily business stopped to do the same. I was relieved and happy, to see that it was not shock, nor fear or anger, but awe and smiles of happiness etched into their faces; some of them were even clapping as they gazed up at me.
I smiled back at them, waving shyly at them as I wafted slowly back down, just as Aeodin appeared at Finn’s elbow.
‘That was a wonderful sight to behold,’ he told me when I joined them, a crowd forming around us. ‘But how is it possible? Oraelia told me Erodis had brought you back as an elf.’
I looked around, at all the elves – men, women and children alike – still gathering around us, and then back at him and Finn.
‘Let’s get back to the palace, and I’ll explain.’
***
‘To be given new life as one of Erodis’ kin is an honour,’ Aeodin said as we sat in on the of the palace’s two large adjacent lounges, a moment or so after I’d explained what had occurred the other night, ‘and to receive gifts on the orders of Father Zeus himself, perhaps even more so - but why not tell me the morning after it happened?’
I shrugged. ‘You’ve been busy with paperwork and kingdom business. I didn’t want to draw your attention away from that.’
‘All right, that’s fair enough’ he replied. ‘Let’s head down to the dining hall now, I believe we’re having tomato and basil soup with Ciabatta bread for lunch today.’
Return to Nälis
Other than being constantly approached, and asked about what it was like as an Avadorae, having lived as a human for over half of my life (among other questions) by those who worked in the palace, the final two days of our stay were uneventful. Finn and I spent a little time with the Court Herbalists, watching them as they worked. I took notes in a little notebook I kept in my right boot, telling him the full story of the day I saved the Snowy Owl owlet, and we had our second and then final fitting for the new clothes.
‘Your every day clothes will be ready in your rooms when you return in the new year’ Serin smiled as he, Imeria, Finn and me descended the steps towards the waiting carriage on the morning of mine, and Finn’s, journey back to Orfedil.
‘Do you mean we still have clothes we’ll need fittings for?!’ I asked him in surprise.
He chuckled, ‘we’ll be fitting you for your occasion clothes when we see you again.’
‘Oh, okay...cool, I look forward seeing the two of you when we come back to officially start my studies.’
He smiled happily, blushing a little, and then wrapped me in a gentle hug.
‘You’ll have to bring me something when you return...a piece of jewellery, maybe?’ Imeria asked when I turned to her.
I laughed, and promise her I would, before saying my goodbyes to Lord Aronil, and Lady Déanis.
‘We didn’t see each other all that much this week, my dear, but I dare say I’ll see you much more when come back to us in Utana in between your lectures, and my duties as a Royal Advisor’ said Lord Caldorin, walking me to the carriage, where Finn and Kélnar were already waiting.
‘I think you’re right, my lord’ I replied with a smile, as we slowed to a stop beside the open carriage open carriage door.
Aeodin still had a lot of paperwork and kingdom business to attend to, so hadn’t been able to come down to see us off with the others, but had said goodbye and that he was looking forward to seeing us again in a few weeks’ time after breakfast, and then headed upstairs to his study.
‘Have a safe trip,’ Lord Caldorin smiled as he helped me up the steps of the carriage, and I had the distinct feeling that the wish was directed more at Finn and Kélnar than me ‘and we’ll see you when you come back in the new year.’
He took a step back to allow the footman to close the door, then the coachman clicked his tongue, and the carriage pulled away from the palace; rolling out of Yrandes and Feldar and heading in the direction of home.
***
‘Fallon!’ Evander exclaimed as Kélnar helped me down the steps of the carriage at around nine o’clock the next morning, running towards me from the open doors of the palace. Moments later, his arms were around my legs, and I was lifted into the air as he spun in a circle, my hands braced against his broad shoulders.
When he had placed me safely back on my feet, Evander wrapped his arms around me, pulling me gently to him, and spoke softly enough so that only I could hear him.
‘I’ve missed you.’
I smiled and closed my eyes, pressing my face into his warm chest and breathing in his familiar fresh, minty scent.
Following a long, but comfortable silence, Evander drew back a little and lifted his hand to cup my cheek; inclining his head to press his lips to mine in a gentle, loving kiss that still portrayed how much he had missed me despite its innocence.
‘I’ve missed you, too’ I murmured, when he pulled away.
He smiled my favourite smile. ‘I know you did.’
I smiled back at him, glad I was home again.
‘Evander, before we do anything else - once we’re inside- there’s something I need to announce to everyone’ I said after a short pause, not wanting to ruin our moment, and yet, still worrying that I had.
He frowned momentarily, trying to figure out what I meant, but then the frown turned into a smile. ‘Come on then, let’s head inside, everyone is waiting in the entrance hall to welcome you and Finn home.’
Several minutes later, everyone - aside from Finn who already knew - was staring at me in shock at the news I had just broken to them.
‘Erodis…turned you into one of us, so that I’d never have to face the pain of losing you again?’ Evander asked from where he stood by my side, his arm wrapped securely but gently around my waist.
I smiled knowingly up at him. ‘Apollo told me that Erodis knew how much you loved me, and saw how devastated you were when Arekin felled me on the battlefield. He didn’t want to see you go through that again.’
‘Then I owe him one’ he replied in a soft murmur only I seemed to here, tugging on the arm wrapped around my waist to pull me round in front of him. Pulling me closer, he captured my mouth in a kiss that drove my heart wild. It was gentle at first, and then became more passionate, Evander’s tongue slipping into my mouth and startling me a little, though it wasn’t long before my arms were around his neck and I was mirroring him. It was only the sound of someone clearing throat that brought us back into the room, and we broke apart blushing madly.
Adair, Oisin, and Ardan were all blushing too, but Finn wore a wide smile, our parents too - though, theirs weren’t as broad as his.
The first to break the embarrassed silence that had fallen was Zachary, who cast his eyes towards myself and Finn, as he spoke.
‘Are you two hungry?’
Before either one of us could answer, both our stomachs growled loudly, eliciting several chuckles.
‘We’ll take that as a yes’ Oraelia said with a smile. ‘You can tell us more about the trip as we eat, we’re all dying to hear.’
The Tutelage Begins
Less than a week after Finn and I returned to Nälis, Christmas arrived and with it, the snow that Aeodin told me would come on the twenty-fifth. It settled within seconds of falling; covering the land in a thick white blanket and only stopping for a few short minutes every two hours and had me staring, transfixed, out of every window I came across (which was impossible not to do in a large palace, with a window at almost every turn) – not, because I hadn’t seen snow before, but because of the fact that the snow here settled so quickl
y. Back in the human world - now my old home- snow took days, if not weeks, to settle.
I gave presents (I had gathered them together before I left for Feldar), and I received them: a pastel blue cloak lined with fur willingly given by a large, shaggy wolf he had once saved from danger and later befriended, from Finn; a personalised soft leather journal for my medical notes and scribblings from my parents; a large handmade mirror, its wavy driftwood frame decorated with white shells and sparkling stones all the colours of the sea, from Oraelia and Zachary; a book on the birds of all Elandrea’s countries from Ardan, and two presents from Evander, who gave me a beautiful Keni feather quill enchanted by Zachary so that it never lost its colour or any of its barbules, and a leather necklace with a wisteria coloured, upside-down teardrop shaped stone for my owlet when he was fully grown, also enchanted by Zachary so it would fit him perfectly.
Six days later on New Year’s Eve, I celebrated my eighteenth birthday and received two more presents which were from everyone as a group. They were a fully-grown mare the colour of butterscotch, who I named Alstrah, derived from the “Alst-” of my favourite flower the Alstroemeria, and some medicinal herbs and flowers to put into the jars of my medical satchel.
***
The morning of Utana 5th, the snow was still falling though not as heavily as before, and Kélnar arrived in Nälis to collect Finn and I for my first term of studying and, after hugging everyone goodbye, we set off once again for the country of tree-houses.
When I entered my quarters, following the now more familiar long - but by no means boring - journey to Feldar and the palace, to put away everything I had brought with me, I discovered my new clothes folded neatly on the chair of my dressing table, and on the dressing table itself, lay a relatively thick book with a note, in what I recognised as Aronil’s handwriting obscuring its title and, picking it up. It read:
To Fallon,
Welcome back to Feldar and Yrandes, I hope you enjoyed your first Christmas and New Year in Elandrea. Over the holidays, it was decided by King Aeodin and myself that Animal Studies should be added to your list of subjects, due to the great number that you are likely to come across, both in Feldar and around it - along with Combat Skills, which will come in handy if you ever happen to run into any dangerous characters in the future. You will have both on Wednesdays for half an hour from one o’clock, after your Literature lecture. Here is your copy of Creatures (Great and Small, Magical or Not) of Feldar and Its Neighbours Volume 1.
From
Lord Aronil.
P.S King Aeodin has told me that you will be able to keep this book, and the others, once you have finished studying with us.
Setting the note aside, I turned my attention to the book, which had rose-gold curly, calligraphy style handwriting, set into the middle of a deep grey cover that glittered curiously in the light, the silhouettes of several animals I didn’t recognise scattered around it in silver.
Picking it up, I went over to my bed and lay down against the cluster of soft throw pillows, crossed my legs, and had a flick through it. Each chapter was on a different animal, its name and the species group it belonged to; the age it reached; its height when fully grown, anatomy, origins and history, and up to four “fun facts”, and ranged from the Wyon which was – as the name might suggest – part wolf and part lion; it looked like a wolf at first glance because of its grey fur and wolfish face (long muzzle, the eyes that could be blue, as well as black or brown).
It had the tail and - if the one you were looking at was male - the mane of a lion, and was twice the size of either animal in the human world, to the Kaete, a little animal the size of a mouse that secreted venom from the blue barbs, that ran in various sizes along its spine. I had a good read through the information on several of the creatures, including the Wyon, until sleep finally overcame me half an hour later.
From eight o’clock the following morning, a Tuesday, I had my first two lectures of the term: History and Culture. Lady Déanis was immensely pleased to learn that I had taken the time to have a read through of the topics we had discussed during the introductory lectures, during my previous stay as well as the Christmas period, because it meant she could teach me about when the elves first arrived in Elandrea with the knowledge that I knew enough not to constantly bombard her with questions after every other sentence she spoke. As a result, by the twelve thirty lunch break, we had already covered half of the timeline that spanned the elves’ arrival here in Elandrea and where they are now, which was part of the first topic we were covering, the elves’ history; before I could start learning about Feldar’s history, I had to first learn about the history of its people and creatures, like the unicorn Oraelia encountered when she first came here.
That night, after a dinner of pasta and spinach - simple, but delicious - I fell into bed, and read one of the books I had brought with me from Orfedil for a little while. Turning over after putting the book down I lay on my side, staring at my Snowy Owl egg lying on its bed of wool in the warmth of my lamp and willing it to hatch, until I couldn’t watch anymore and tried to go to sleep. This was nigh on impossible, because of my excitement for Animal Studies and Combat Training, and knowing that in the morning the first two months of my six years of hard studying, would continue.
Part Five: Evander
A Welcome Home Party
Today, Éja 22nd 2044, was a special day. Fallon and Finn were returning to the palace for the final time, after travelling back and forth for the past six years, for one thing. For another, I was planning to do something rather important, and had been since Fallon returned to Nälis Palace for Christmas at the end of her first year of studies at Yrandes Palace.
I was becoming more nervous by the minute, and the only other people who knew of the plan were my father, Uncle Aiolos, and Fallon’s father.
Fallon and Finn had sent Snow Mist, Fallon’s Snowy Owl who had become fully grown after Fallon’s first two terms of tutelage, on ahead yesterday afternoon with a letter tied to his leg letting us know they’d be arriving today at midday. We’d be able to spot them coming because Fallon was going to be flying ahead of the carriage, which gave us less than a day to finalise the preparations for the welcome home party we were throwing for them.
The one hundred or so guests who had been invited were still arriving, and being directed into the first ballroom to wait for the girl who had made history as the first one who wasn’t elfin – nor Avadorae – born, to study under the tutelage of Feldar’s most revered professors to arrive, and a few large vases of White Lilies – one of her favourite flowers – still needed to be placed around the entrance hall, and the ballroom itself.
I had been up since six-thirty this morning, and been dressed in a light green polo shirt, grey cotton shorts, and blue slip-on trainers since seven. I was currently outside watching for the carriage bringing my girlfriend and treasured friend home coming up the road leading up to Nälis, while our families dealt with things inside.
At twenty to twelve I spotted a figure with large wings, feathers reflecting the sunlight, flying just a few feet away from a non-traditional carriage pulled by larger than life horses on the road leading up to Nälis. I grinned widely, my heart swelling at the sight of Fallon and knowing she wouldn’t be leaving again any time soon, and flew back down into the courtyard to wait on the front steps of the palace for them to arrive.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood up as Fallon landed gracefully a few metres away and held my arms out to her as she ran to me; wrapping my arms around her waist as she slammed into me and spinning her round twice before setting her gently back on the ground.
‘I’ve missed you, honey’ she sighed, gazing at me with misty eyes and smiling happily.
‘I’ve missed you too sweetheart’ I replied, smiling lovingly back at her, and then let go of her waist with one hand to tuck a flyaway hair behind her ear, bending my head to give her a long kiss.
Pulling away a little while later, I leant my forehead against hers, gave
her one last soft lingering kiss, and cast my eyes over to the carriage where Finn and Kélnar, Aeodin and Caldorin, and Lord Aronil and Lady Déanis, were all standing with their arms either crossed over their chests or on their hips, waiting expectantly with their eyebrows raised and smirks on their faces (so you know, Finn is also in the know about my surprise).
Grinning back at them I turned away, slipping my other arm further around Fallon’s waist, and headed back into the palace.
‘Come on guys, we don’t want to keep the others waiting. We can’t start the party properly until the guest of honour enters the ballroom’ I called over my shoulder.
‘Party?’ Fallon asked as we came into the entrance hall, eyeing the large vases of Lilies that weren’t there when she and Finn came home for Easter, as we passed them.
‘You’ll see’ I said with another smile, as we reached the doors to the ballroom where everyone was waiting with baited breath for Fallon to enter.
Letting go of Fallon’s waist as we came to a stop in front of them I took two steps forward, and pushed on the double doors (the doormen had been relieved of their duties tonight, so I wasn’t hurting anyone). They opened slowly, being big and relatively heavy, even for me to push, and then the crowd of guests inside erupted into cheers and shouts of ‘surprise!’ and ‘welcome home, Fallon!’, rendering the large banner suspended at the back of the room between two pillars un-necessary, upon seeing her next to me.
Fallon let out something between a cough and a laugh. ‘This is all for me?’
‘And Finn – but mostly you’ I replied, linking my fingers through hers, and tugging her gently into the ballroom as I heard the other six enter the palace behind us.
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